After staying in Galway for a few
nights and seeing the West Coast, it was time to travel across the country to
see my Nittany Lions play the Central Florida Knights.
Halfway through the drive we stopped at Clonmacnoise.
Clonmacnoise is a ruin of the first monastery in Ireland. It was
strategically build right off the Shannon River and was used as a center of
learning, trade and craftsmanship.
This is the "Whispering Arch," which was used for confession.
A priest would stand on one side and a member of the church on the other. They
would talk into the arch, and it would travel around to the other person on the
opposite side.
Many of its graves have the Celtic Cross, which is a cross with a circle
around it. Legend has it that the circle was added when Christianity first came
to Ireland. St. Patrick added it because the people at the time were pagan and
worshiped the sun.
When Pope John Paul II came in 1979, this structure was built for him to
say mass. Look at River Shannon in the background!!
Do you see me??
Once I got to Dublin, I went to Trinity College. This is the Long Room
which is part of the colleges library. Tourists are able to see the Book of
Kells before leaving the library as well.
This is the Molly Malone Statue.
To the locals, she is also known as "The Tart with the Cart." Her
ghost is often seen at night on streets in the surrounding area.
The Guinness Brewery was awesome! It was only open to Penn Staters and
the beer was so, so good!
Can you find me?
This is the Ha-Penny Bridge that crosses the River Liffey. It was the
first pedestrian bridge in Dublin, and for years cost "one penny" to
cross. Thats how it got its name, "ha-penny!" Other than the name, it
is also known for its cast iron design.
Here I am with Christ Church in the oldest part of the city… where the
Vikings landed and set up a village.
And lastly, here I am at the Dublin Castle.
What a great trip to Ireland!! The football team won, so I went home extra happy :)
