Irish history is long and complicated. I have been listening to different podcasts but it is a lot to take in. A key element has been the domination of the Irish by the British since the time of Queen Elizabeth I and the long and violent struggle for independence. Given that North Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and not part of the Republic of Ireland, for some, this means the independence movement still is not over.
Many historians would mark the start of the war of independence with the Easter Rising which started on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, when a revolt led by some members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (which later became the IRA) erupted in Dublin involving about 1,000 men and women. The Dublin General Post Office (GPO) and other strategic points in Dublin’s city centre were occupied.
Outside the GPO, Patrick Pearce read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. After about a week of street fighting, the rebellion was crushed, and Tom Clarke, Pearce, James Connolly, and other republican leaders were forced to surrender. Their executions sparked an explosion of anti-British outrage.
The GPO was the headquarters for the Easter Rising leaders because it had four foot thick granite walls. The building is a neoclassical design. The many trams going in front of the building made it impossible to photograph from a distance.
Today the GPO building is still a post office but also a museum about Irish history. Its multimedia displays explains mainly the Easter Rising with short documentaries, a re-enactment film, display cabinets with momentoes, recreated historic settings, visual time lines and illustrated narratives. The museum does a good job of explaining how an unexpected battle lead to a change of heart for many Irish who were not initially in favour of a republic to strong support.
The explanation of what happened after 1920 was much briefer but the museum was a good opportunity to learn some history.
Not a lot of photos from this day as we went for massages in the afternoon.
For dinner we walked to The Vintage Kitchen.
It is a small restaurant.
Starters of Atlantic seafood chowder, and clams with cucumbers in a coconut milk broth.
Mains of duck and Irish beef
Desserts of strawberry sorbet and lemon creme with lemon ice cream I forgot to photograph.
Some views on the walk back to the hotel.
The Custom House
