Don Cameron
It’s one of my favourite nights of the year, and with dry weather holding, it was just what was needed.
I was in town with a friend and everywhere we went there were crowds of people enjoying the atmosphere and discovering things about the city. Oh, what a night, I heard someone say, and I had to agree.
Getting off the train at Pearse Station we walked past the house where Oscar Wilde was born (21 Westland Row) and I wondered what he would have made of the occasion. No doubt he would have had something clever and funny to say and approved of the endeavour.
Our first stop was the College of Physicians on Kildare Street which has a beautiful interior that is easy on the eye and well worth a visit. After that we made the short journey to the National Library, which was crowded and noisy, a totally different atmosphere to any time I’ve been there.
It was fun, and the magnificent dome of the Reading Room that looked down on the lively crowd was gazed at and photographed repeatedly.
Next on the list to see was The Freemasons’ Hall but a long and growing queue made it, unfortunately, easy for us to pass and move on. Next year, we said, and moved on.
Onto Dawson Street we popped into the Royal Irish Academy which was very busy. The smell of books was palpable and a joy for all booklovers. While we were there, we checked out the 20 letter Ogham Alphabet and wrote, after a few mistakes, our names in the old notation. There was a lot of giggling around the table as we and others drew lines this way and that like the
ancients did.
The last place we visited was the Mansion House which was lit up and looking wonderful. The dark Oak Room, with all the crests of previous Lord Mayors was great, as was the Round Room where the first meeting of Dáil Eireann took place on 21st January 1919. Oh, what a night, indeed, and well-done Dublin!
- Legendary Q102 Presenter Aidan Cooney moves to new weekend slot
- Stewarts Care’s Christmas Wanderlights opens to the public
- Introducing the must-have innovative ‘ShapeLift’ Leggings by New Dimensions Active
- Dazzling Dublin Winter Lights switched on!
- Dublin, there is still time to make a child smile this Christmas!
