Eo Ire Itum

Dublin

IRELAND | Friday, 6 March 2009 | Views [106]

I arrived in Dublin on the 4th and since then have been having a wonderful time seeing the city and visiting my friend Heather who I haven't seen for about a year (since she moved here). Its been so fantastic to see her again.

On my first day Heather took me to St. Michan's Church - a short walk away and home of a crypt that holds a number of bodies that have barely decomposed because of the dry atmosphere created by the church's magnesian limestone walls. The oldest body in the crypt is 800 years old and it is thought that he died during the crusades. In the same room as him lies three other bodies - two men and one woman. These three bodies are thought to be 400 years old but little else is known about their history and identity.

Together the four bodies lie on broken coffins on the floor of one of the crypts smaller vaults. These bodies are only on display because their coffins broke open due to over crowding in the vaults. (Coffins were stacked up and the pressure of so many on top of one another must have broken open these four coffins).

So we were able to see these spooky preserved bodies and even walk into the tiny room that holds them and TOUCH the hand of the 800 year old crusader. Doing so is said to be good luck - indeed his right index finger is worn down and feels almost like petrified wood (and very cold!) So there you go. I can now say I have touched the hand of a crusader that died over 800 years ago! Very cool indeed. :)

Apart from walking around the city and generally hanging out with Heather and her friends here we have also been to the Guinness Brewery. Yesterday we went along in the evening - 16Euros and you get a "free" Guinness when you get to the top of the building. Walking around was pretty interesting - although an entire Museum dedicated to a stout does seem a little strange. It's loads of fun and of course has much to do with the history of Dublin. They have now been making Guinness for 250 years!

I'm really enjoying Dublin so far. It's a charming and very small city with quaint cobble stone streets, lovely little pubs, friendly people and a tremendous sense of history.