Day 6

Our last full day in Ireland.
We got up early (as usual) and headed out of the city for our last look at the Irish countryside.

A beach just outside of Dublin. The tide is really low. 

Our destination was Glendalough (or Gleann Da Loch, "Valley of the Two Lakes"), the site of an ancient monastery dating back to the 6th century CE, the early days of Christianity in Ireland. Monks apparently did all sorts of superhuman things here. For instance, Saint Kevin, the founder of the monastery, is said to have stood in meditation in one of the lakes for so long that birds built a nest in his hand. Pretty hardcore.

Our visit was very rushed, since we had to hurry back to Dublin for a concert, which was too bad because the place was very scenic and interesting. 

The monastery's central tower is really well-preserved. 

The cemetery. A lot of the gravestones are marked with Celtic crosses.

We then returned to Dublin for our last concert. This one was performed in Christchurch Cathedral. This had, in my opinion, the best acoustics of all the places we sang in Ireland, and the concert was a lot of fun. 

There were some neat crypts that housed an exhibit detailing the church's extensive history.

We then went on a tour of Dublin Castle. It doesn't look much like a castle, but it's a very old and important building that has been renovated several times- most notably in the 1600s, when the inhabitants tried to put out a bedroom fire using explosives. It used to house the British viceroy, back in the far-off era before 1922 when southern Ireland belonged to England. These days it's used to house important visitors, and is also where Ireland's presidents are inaugurated. 

There were people building sand sculptures in the courtyard. Considering how often it rains in Ireland, this seemed like a futile task. 

The president seal. Ireland is the only country to have a musical instrument as its national symbol. 

The Irish constitution, which is much less sexist than the American constitution. Note the repeated use of "Irishmen and Irishwomen". Probably because it's from the 20th century, not the 18th, but still. 

The throne, which used to be reserved for visiting British royalty. These days it would be really awkward and tasteless for the Queen to sit on it, so it's mostly there for show. 

The room where the president is inaugurated. Ireland has had nine presidents since gaining independence, two of whom were women. 

After this trip, my roommate and I ran to a bookstore, where I picked up a little book of Irish folklore. We then had our farewell dinner, and prepared for leaving in the morning.