Ireland: Day 2 – County Antrim and Dublin

Overpowered by jetlag, I fell asleep very early yesterday; indeed, I remember it was still bright outside when I nodded off. The jetlag, however, worked to my advantage: I arrived again by the Dark Hedges at half past six as one of the first few tourists. Only this way did I finally manage to appreciate the solemn beauty of the mighty old beech trees.

From the Dark Hedges, I drove on to the Giant’s Causeway. It was still very early, so the parking lot at the Visitor Centre was closed. I thus had to drive up the road for a few hundred metres to the Causeway Coast Way Car Park, which is open 24/7 (and charges an exorbitant 10 pounds for parking at the location). The path to the Giant’s Causeway is quite long and not particularly well marked. Around the Visitor Centre and hotel, one suspects that the lack of signage might be caused by a desire to trick people into staying and buying pointless services.

Legend has it that the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill built the causeway to reach Scotland, whose own resident giant named Benandonner had challenged him to a fight. When he got to Scotland, however, Fionn realised that Benandonner was much bigger than him. Disguising himself as a baby by having his wife tuck him into a cradle, Fionn tricked the other giant into thinking that this ‘baby’ belonged to Fionn and that Fionn himself was a giant among giants. Benandonner fled back to Scotland and destroyed the causeway so that Fionn could not follow him.

I descended to the Causeway along the most popular path, and continued along the coast until I found another path rising steeply to the top of the cliffs. The loop brought me back to the car park where I had left my car. Not yet turning south, I made a brief stop by Dunluce Castle, a medieval ruin on a rock above the sea that is connected to the mainland by a small bridge. The castle was not open yet, but I caught the most striking views from a nearby bend, where one can see the walls perched on cliffs that plunge into the waters.

My original plan for the day was to see Belfast, but having already made that excursion yesterday, I decided to drive farther south and see Dublin instead. The drive took almost three hours, during which I managed to discover multiple radio stations in both UK and Ireland that play a nice selection of classical music. More importantly, perhaps, I also found a gas station, which was quite useful with my balance standing at less than one eighth of a tank.

Among the city’s major attractions are Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. Both were established in the Middle Ages when Catholicism was the only denomination on the island, and both now belong to the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral was founded around 1030 by the Viking King Sigtrygg Silkbeard and was rebuilt in stone under the Norman Richard de Clare (also called Strongbow). It was the latter who began the centuries-long domination of Ireland by the English, and his tomb remains on display on the right of the cathedral’s nave.

The establishment of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in 1191 drew the two religious institutions into a dispute over jurisdiction and status, which was only resolved in 1300. The agreement instituted multiple measures that reaffirmed the equality of the two cathedrals in most cases, while also giving slight priority to the elder church. Nowadays, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is considered the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, while Christ Church Cathedral serves as the cathedral of the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough.

Perhaps the major attraction at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is Jonathan Swift, who once served as the cathedral’s dean. The cathedral has both his bust and memorial plaque, as well as copies of his death mask, which are displayed in a cabinet between the pillars. Meanwhile, Christ Church Cathedral is famous for its crypt, which is said to be the largest cathedral crypt in Britain and Ireland. An interesting feature of the ground level at Christ Church is the floor: featuring prominently on the tiles are the shapes of “fox pilgrims,” which have become a symbol of the church.

After visiting the two cathedrals, I stopped by Dublin Castle. I did not venture into the interior of the building and stayed at the courtyard, which is flanked by multiple ornate gates. The best view of the castle, however, is from Dubh Linn Garden, which lies to the south of the main tower. Once I had been there, only Trinity College remained on my itinerary. I was surprised by how pretty and busy it was – a combination that does not seem very conducive to studying. I ended the day at another Airbnb about an hour’s drive north of the city centre, in Boyne Valley.