I got up early today and took a walk around Dublin. It was just me, my eye pod, and walking sneakers. I can't tell you enough how fun it was to explore the city and embrace my curiosity. My walk lasted a little over an hour that ended with a mocha light frap from starbucks.
The tour my group and I did today was the Museum of Modern Art and the Kilmainham jail. The Museum was very pretty but I mostly hung around in the garden and explore the outside art. It was such a beautiful day I couldn't help but want to be outside. I was thrilled to see such an old garden. It reminded me of the type of garden's royalty has in the movies. Almost like Victoria's garden in the movie the Young Victoria (highly recommend watching it).
Just a short jaunt from the Museum is the closed Kilmainham jail. It is now a museum. Now that is a place full of history. I had no idea what an important part the jail had and still does have on Ireland. It is at the root of the war of independence and Ireland's civil war. Many influential people in Ireland found themselves in the Kilmainham jail. The conditions of the jail throughout time were astonishing. They of course got better in the more recent years, but they were awful for a few centuries. In Kilmainham's early years they had women children and men all mixed together in jail. The youngest child they had in jail was about five years of age. The child had stole a piece of bread and was sentenced to 48 in jail.
The most remarkable story would have to be of Anne Develin. She was a 23 year old house keeper of Robert Emmit, the leader of the IRA. Once he was executed she was taken into custody to get the names of other influential people in the IRA. Anne, being of strong will, never gave a name. Even after being whipped 20 times every week for two years. Her younger brother was even refused medical treatment in order to get information out of Anne. Sadly Anne's brother died because she refused to give up a name. Now that is true nationalism. Anne suffered severe beatings and torture for over two years. She was finally released at the age of 26 when the officials realized they were not going to get any information from her. Because of Anne's silence, Ireland was able to keep the dream of freedom alive and in working fashion. The tour guide pointed that although Ireland has some freedom it is not necessarily free. The people in Ireland, that I have run into, have a consensus that true freedom will only be achieved with a unified Ireland.
Tonight we are going to a theatre show and get to dress all fancy. I can't wait.
I will be adding another post of some pictures from last night and my walks.
