Our Days in Dublin: Handel's Messiah: 271st Anniversary on Fishamble

Sheila's sisters came in early this morning for an extremely short visit... At least by my standards in which I take way too long to recover from jetlag.

Like their parents, they slept for just a bit and were ready to go!

Despite it being a soft day, we headed in to Dublin today for the 271st anniversary of Handel's Messiah in Dublin which was first performed on Dublin’s Fishamble Street.

From The Journal.ie:

"Our Lady’s Choral Society (OLCS) performed ‘Messiah on the Street’ in the Old City area of Temple Bar, ahead of tomorrow’s free celebration concert in The Church of Adam & Eve, Merchant’s Quay."

It was lovely.

Fishamble street is in Dublina where the Vikings settled at Wood Quay (pron: "key").

"The finds from Fishamble Street have been invaluable in providing information on the crafts and skills practiced in the Viking town as well as contacts with other countries through trade. Domestic artefacts belonging to coopers, turners, shipwrights, blacksmiths and carvers were recovered.
Ornamental pieces included a series of wooden pieces of eleventh century Hiberno-Norse Ringerike style. One of the Fishamble Street plots revealed evidence of amber working, the amber is thought to have been brought in from the Baltic or East England."

Along the cobblestones around Christ's Church Cathedral are little inlays depicting some of the Viking relics found in the area.

We enjoyed the Messiah and then headed over to the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, dating back to 1198 because guess what it was time for???

Joyce mentioned the bar in Ulysses:

"Corley, at the first go-off, was inclined to suspect it was something to do with Stephen being fired out of his digs for bringing a bloody tart off the street. There was a dosshouse in Marlborough street, Mrs Maloney's, but it was only a tanner touch and full of undesirables but M'Conachie told him you got a decent enough do in the Brazen Head over in Winetavern street..."

The bar was amazing. Lots of nooks and crannies and, like most of the pubs we've seen now, it was packed. I literally don't know of a time of day that a good pub wouldn't be packed in Ireland.

Anyway, they have trad music every night and you can book a night to hear Irish Folklore (Lynne, do you want to do that when you're here? We'll book it!).

Brazen Head

After a drink, Johnny and I would head out and let the girls explore Dublin on their own a bit. He and I went to see "Oz the Great and Powerful" which, if you haven't seen it and are a fan of The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, go. It is fantastic. Maggie was out with friends!