Parks, potatoes, pullovers & the Promenade Plantée, pictures from Paris (days 1-3)

Thursday.  Arrival,  into airport Charles de Gaulle.  I’ve never warmed to the older Terminal 1.   It’s a silly donut of a building,  Wastes your time. Terminal two is even more enormous, and thus equally alienating, with the important caveat that’s far, far more beautiful. Later that evening, meet an old friend for supper.  A long-time… Read More Parks, potatoes, pullovers & the Promenade Plantée, pictures from Paris (days 1-3)

criminals in alleyways, graffiti, doorways & mysteries of Crampton Court

the third part of our little walking tour… with Viking ships and Gothic churches now behind us (Posts 1 & 2)  we peruse Dublin’s graffiti and sticker culture, venture down alleyways, pass walled up doorways, and admire the glazed bricks & mysteries of Crampton Court. You can find all the third part of the walk… Read More criminals in alleyways, graffiti, doorways & mysteries of Crampton Court

Dublin Decoded in Financial Times, Irish Indo, & Dublin City radio: 2 walks for Focus Ireland

We are in the media.  or the meeja, as Irish politicians like to call it. It was very exciting for Dublin Decoded to get a mention recently in the excellent Simon Kuper piece in the weekend magazine of the Financial Times! on Saint Patrick’s day weekend.  We believe we’re also getting a snippet in the… Read More Dublin Decoded in Financial Times, Irish Indo, & Dublin City radio: 2 walks for Focus Ireland

North by North West, a walking & talking tour of Dublin, 18th century to medievel, history, architecture, revolution & social history.

North by North West, is the newest of Dublin Decoded’s walking & talking tour of Dublin city centre.   As always with Dublin Decoded, we’ll look at and discuss the rich, varied; often surprising historic past, and explore how aspects of that past shape our present and our city today.  There is an upcoming date on… Read More North by North West, a walking & talking tour of Dublin, 18th century to medievel, history, architecture, revolution & social history.

a magic map, scholar’s sketch of ancient Dublin, special tours, available for groups.

A small but significant detail above,  from the lovely little 1904 map by RISA scholar and historian Leonard R Strangeways. This magical map, is an excellent guide to understanding old Dublin,  in the years before the Wide Streets Commission.  We use it because it’s one of the best and clearest illustrations to understand the shape… Read More a magic map, scholar’s sketch of ancient Dublin, special tours, available for groups.

Origins of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Part One- the chapel on the island & early Celtic church.

Origins of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Part One- the chapel on the island & early Celtic church, and reflections on early Irish Culture. Take a look at St Patrick’s cathedral in Dublin.   It’s not hard to fathom there was once a tiny Celtic-era church here on this site.  What may be slightly harder to grasp today… Read More Origins of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Part One- the chapel on the island & early Celtic church.

Story of Saint Patrick Cathedral, Part 3: Anglo-Normans, and the story of the 2 cathedrals.

The story of The Two cathedrals, Background.  There are two bits of background we have to know to understand the twist. First of all, in 1163,  the Irish archbishop of Dublin Laurence O’Toole made Christ Church cathedral a Priory Order.  This essentially meant Christ Church became a sort of Abbey or Monastery, ruled by Augustan… Read More Story of Saint Patrick Cathedral, Part 3: Anglo-Normans, and the story of the 2 cathedrals.

Winners, Prizes, and Reflections, on the Dublin Picture Quiz.

Here, again slightly later than advertised, are the results for the picture quiz.  The results mind, not the answers, you’ll find those already submitted on the previous post, published a few days ago,  (go back there and have a look if there were any pictures you didn’t know) Thank you very much everyone who took… Read More Winners, Prizes, and Reflections, on the Dublin Picture Quiz.