We first went on a tour of the Kilmainham Gaol jail (now museum) as a group, where numerous important political prisoners were held during the 1916 Uprising, or Easter Rising, as it was called. The Uprising also contributed to the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). Of course, the prison had quite a history before then: it was built in the late 1700s. It had its share of hangings, and executions in general, and kind-of chronicles the shift in humanistic viewpoints (what are the limits for ethical treatment of prisoners) over a few decades, not to mention the amount and caliber of people imprisoned. Some were simply kept in cells with open windows to the cold, others (with money) practically had their own suites. (fireplace and everything) Of course, the former were more numerous.
One of the famous stories was of one of the Easter Uprising leaders about to get married when he was imprisoned. The story got out before the execution, so they were allowed to get married before he was killed. Supposedly~
(I convinced Sashah not to try to climb any walls~ XD)
Then we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral! Got to look around at some gorgeous architecture~ <3 (And Jonathan Swift's tomb. Sort-of.)
There was a beautiful memorial for those affected by wars, as well. A metal tree, void of leaves. There was a basin beside it, at a more or less hand height, with paper leaves and pens. A plaque said "Leave a message for a loved one who has been affected by war." The paper leaves that were written on were then scattered beneath the tree. It was really poignant.
Then we got to wander Dublin on our own, with friends or what-not~ It was fun! I will detail those adventures in the next post, though. More pictures! XD
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