Lisburn

A cold March day but warm enough for a bit of an en-route historical detour by Brian and me.  We started at the site of the former Huguenot school.  Once a totally French school for French children in Northern Ireland - can't have ever been many of them.  Was there a French Language Act here back in the 1700s?

This is Richard Wallace's house.  He was MP for the area and is remembered by the Wallace School, Park and parkrun.  He gave a lot of his fortune to Lisburn but is best remembered by the Wallace Collection in London.






They've spent a lot of money restoring Castle park recently and very well it looks.  No money spent on Brian but he'sin good shape and doesn't need any restoration work, just yet.

Getting closer to the Cathedral and it's getting colder, time to go inside.









This is a fine place, with plenty of history.  I'm amazed by the tale of how a group of Suffragettes bombed the Cathedral in 1914. Only the outbreak of war saved those accused from jail.  Although continually shouting at the Judge in Court can't have helped their case.







The highlight of the day, a coffee shop within the Cathedral.  Well worth a visit.  Only two staff and us pair of dodgy customers.  We ate the entire stock of scones, which also numbered two.

Armagh - St Patricks

I enjoy Armagh after dark, the atmosphere reminds me of York on a quiet winter's night. The cathedral was locked but at least the gates were open to cater for nocturnal photographers.

Market Place below the cathedral.  An excellent piece of architectural restoration and the best way to approach St Patrick's.  And the food in the Castle Place restaurant (on the right)
was excellent.

Dromore

This is the smallest cathedral that I've visited so far.  A real warm March day today.  But the doors were locked, so decided to move on to call at St Patricks in Armagh.
Sorry to have missed St Colman's pillow inside, it's made of stone, so he must have had a good few sleepless nights.

St Patrick's Dublin

St Patrick's Dublin
(Feb 2017)
Another mild winter day, with Pat O'Driscoll for company.  Again we made good time despite my hobbling along the streets of Dublin.

Tomb of Jonathon Swift.

The Lady Chapel used for many years by French Hugenot refugees in Dublin.

Memorial to Robert Boyle, who you should remember if you paid attention during science classes at school.

This is a door with a history (see web), it gave the English language the phrase Chance Your Arm.

We had 30 mins to spare and it was 14th February, so made our way down the road to Whitefriar Carmelite Church and St Valentine's shrine.  Yes, at least part of the famous man is believed to be buried here.

Christ Church Dublin

Christ Church Dublin
(Jan 2017)

Early January 2017, took the train down to Dublin and then a tram out to the Four Courts along with Brian Todd and Mansell Bleakley. I've been in hospital and was suffering on the walk up to the Cathedral but we manged to complete the tour and get back to the station just in time for an afternoon train home.




Did you know that Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the British throne, was crowned here? And that the Cathedral choir gave the first ever public performance of The Messiah just around the corner.   The composer Handel even lived in Dublin during 1741-42.

Artifacts that remain from King James II's visit to the church prior to the Battle of the Boyne.

And communion plates dating from King William III's visit after the battle.

And a dead cat left behind by persons unknown.