Culture Night

Great time at Culture night last Friday week. Wonderful opportunity to discover places that I had never entered before, despite my 30 years in Dublin. Yes, 2016 is my anniversary year - 30 years in Ireland. And I still think of my quarter century in my beloved country as if it was yesterday. Time is moving too fast. Time to carpe diem!

Here are the three places we went to:

1. Mansion House - Only a few rooms were on display. And they've sold the round room that housed the first Dáil in 1919 to the restaurant next door! Selling off the crown jewels if you want my opinion! But they do have a fantastic photo of that historic event in the entrance hall.
2. Royal Irish Academy - well, it was the building beside the Mansion House, and we had no idea what it was when we went in, but we were blown away. It is open to the public, and well worth a visit, for the beauty of the rooms alone. Or if you can't make it, this link will bring you to the virtual tour. There was a live show from an Irish radio station. And an excellent (and short) lecture on manuscripts. All very interesting. But my favourite bit was the ceiling, I have to admit.
3. National Library of Ireland (Kildare Street) - open to the public too, even on Saturdays. Worth the visit just for the glorious colours of the Reading Room ceiling, and the staircase leading to it.

We had intended to do a lot more, but after a bite to eat as part of our night out, we were ready to go home to our boys.

Here are a few pictures from the night (from BB and me):

View of National Museum from the NLI

Mansion House

Men's Toilets in the NLI (Clearly I didn't take that picture, but the Ladies was just as nice,
but too busy for me to take a photo, although I have to admit I was tempted)

Me and BB at the Mansion House

The First Dáil, 1919

Ceiling of the Royal Irish Academy

Talk on manuscripts at the Royal Irish Academy

Stained glass window at the NLI

Beautiful light - Molesworth Street

Door detail - NLI

Ceiling - NLI

Beautiful light - NLI

Reading Room, National Library of Ireland

Ceiling RIA