Daedalian Adventures

The road ahead is rarely straight…

By Lynelle Barrett

Sacred and Profane

One of my husband’s American colleagues, Steve, considers Guinness stout beer sacred. When he utters the name of the brew, he gently places his hand on his heart, dips his head as if in prayer and reverently speaks the holy name…Guinness.

So when I went to Ireland for the first time, I was looking forward to having a proper pint of Guinness in the motherland. A group of us met for a weekend in Dublin late on a Friday afternoon…round about happy hour. It was the perfect time to embark on the Guinness experience. Except for me, the group members were all work colleagues. There was my husband from Holland, Alex from France (but living in Milan), Keith from Wales, four guys from England and Candy from Hong Kong (married to one of the English guys). The mission for the weekend was to enjoy Dublin’s pubs, and a pint or two or eight of Guinness.

Naturally, there are pubs all over town, but the part of town famous for its pubs is Temple Bar. We spent the evening on a pub crawl, a popular Irish pastime on Friday nights. We prowled the area, exploring the innards of various pubs and discussing the relative merits of one pub versus another. After a while we decided to order a pub dinner and got to sample Irish stew, chips with malt vinegar and various types of sausage (all good for soaking up the beer in your belly).

The next morning I was supposed to go to the National Gallery but decided to skip it in favor of doing a bit of shopping, then spent the midday hours relaxing with some of my companions in a lovely pub with wood-paneled walls, leather chairs and a charming, older gentleman behind the bar. In the afternoon, I took a well-deserved rest from the pub and visited the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. For anyone with a passion for books, this is simply a must-see. The library houses a collection of manuscripts, prints, icons and early printed books from the great cultures and religions of the world. The Arts of the Book exhibit showcases Egyptian Books of the Dead, illuminated medieval manuscripts, Chinese jade books, Japanese picture scrolls and exquisitely bound Islamic manuscripts. The Sacred Traditions gallery is divided into sections dedicated to the great religions of the world. The exhibit text and timelines give you an overview of how these religions evolved, and the parallels and contrasts of the history and belief systems.

After all that contemplation of art and religion, it was time for more secular pursuits. We all walked across town to Shelbourne Park to watch the greyhound races. We sat in bleachers down by the track, near where the bookies were shouting out the odds for betting. I tried to take some photos of the dogs but they were so fast that most of the photos are blurred or the dogs flew out of the frame by the time I pressed the shutter. We ate dinner on paper plates (chicken and fries or rice and curry) and drank our beers from plastic cups. We all placed bets for 2 or 5 euros and a couple of us even left with a few extra euros in our pockets (that helped pay for the beer).

On Sunday, I was mesmerized again by the art of ancient bookmakers. Trinity College was founded in 1592 and its impressive library was built in the early 1700s. The Long Room is a bibliophile’s fantasy with its two floors of alcoves filled with old leather-bound books and the high wooden barrel-vaulted ceiling. It even smells wonderful - that smell of aged leather, parchment and wood. The Treasury downstairs holds the Book of Kells, reputed to be one of the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts in the world. The exhibit explains some of the details that go into creating and binding an illuminated manuscript. The presentation really helps you appreciate the skill and devotion that went into producing even just one book.

After a visit to the gift shop and considering whether I want to try traditional book-binding as a hobby, there was just enough time left to meet with the rest of the group for one more round at the temple of Guinness.

How to pour a perfect Guinness (from the official Guinness website)

http://www2.guinness.com/en-row/Pages/thebeer-draught.aspx

Chester Beatty Library

www.cbl.ie

Trinity College Library

www.tcd.ie/Library

Lynelle Barrett lives in the Netherlands but her Dutch husband says that her Irish roots show up in her ability to talk on and on…