Dublin

Cousin David Rowe picked us up from Bewley’s Hotel at 8am, and took us home for an Irish breakfast. We could have (should have) gone to sleep to ward off jetlag but we decided instead to venture forth to explore Dublin. It was a beautiful day, the third summer’s day for Ireland, sunny and 18C. After a day of walking around, no hat, no water, full sun and jetlag, I was the first Australian to get sunstroke in Ireland!

Our hosts, David and Veronica, not only catered for our every whim, but had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Irish history, and so were able to satisfy our every interest. Their house is called ‘Glenfarn’ and is on the southern edge of Dublin, next to open fields and beyond the mountains of County Wicklow, and only 8 kilometres from downtown.

Ten years ago Aunty Jean was in Wexford researching Rowe family history, and was given the name of David Rowe, who had just conducted a talk for the local Historical Society in Wexford. David has also been doing Rowe genealogy and was surprised to be discovered by a descendant of the long lost arm of the Rowe’s. Around 1876, James Henry Rowe left Ireland, without word of his destination, headed for Australia, and never made contact with the ’relies’ again. So, after Jean and my Mum, Pat, I was the third of the “lost Australian Rowes” to return to Ireland.

We were driven south to Glen Cullen, and a little pub called Johnnie Fox’s Pub, built in 1798. It is the highest pub in Ireland and full of interesting local bric-a-brac. One old sign of note stated that “All Persons Must Wash Weekly.” Morning tea in the sun with beautiful views of the Sugar Loaf Mountains. In Dublin, after walking through St Stephen’s Green, we visited Trinity College, one of the original top university’s of the British Isles. The Book of Kells, a sumptuously illustrated text in Latin of the four gospels, is displayed here, and upstairs is the magnificent Long Hall of the old library, which was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth. Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest church in Dublin, original parts dating back to the 11th century. Even older, is the crypt underneath the Cathedral, brick columns and arches forming the buildings foundations, which is currently utilised as a museum and an atmospheric function space.

We took David and Veronica to an area known as ‘Temple Bar’, so called because it was a sand bar on the River Liffey. There is a bar called ’Temple Bar’ in Temple Bar, but we went to ‘Farrington’s Temple Bar’ in Temple Bar. We were there for a Guinness of course. I’m not a regular Guinness drinker, but I could be if I could drink Dublin Guinness. Then up the road for dinner at the ‘Elephant and Castle’, a very popular Dublin restaurant.

David and Veronica’s backyard is a rambling tree-lined, half acre garden, which is just ideal for enjoying long Irish breakfasts and relaxing, so we did. Much later we were taken to nearby Powerscourt Manor, a luxurious country mansion, dating back to 13th century, and currently owned by the Slazenger family. In 1821 it was paid a royal visit by King George IV . King George was hosted for lunch and afterwards was to be entertained at the nearby Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Ireland. The owners had dammed the river in order to make a more spectacular flow of water over the falls. Fortunately, for the King, he fell asleep after the large meal and missed the spectacle, where the bridge on which he was to be standing was washed away.

Our last evening we were fortunate to meet other members of the Rowe clan. The Dublin visit was an extra port tacked on to our busy itinerary, and was far too short to achieve anything but a mere glimpse of Ireland. We are extremely lucky to have local relatives, and to experience the generosity and gentleness of the Irish people. We will be back to see Ireland proper as soon as able.