The Dail, National Art Gallery, National Art Gallery and Shopping around Grafton Street

Tuesday, April 24 Blog

            Tuesday, our penultimate day in the exchange, started with a Mass with our host brothers. It was a chance for all the host brothers to be together and reflect on what this exchange has meant to us, how we have grown, and how God has been with us in this time. Fr. Cassidy said our Mass, he gave a beautiful sermon and we sung Only in God as well as Amazing Grace.

            Next, we had a lecture with a slightly eccentric teacher, Mr. Conran. He spoke about ancient sites within Ireland including Newgrange and the significance of the number three. From a numerical standpoint, this number is simple, but it has a much deeper meaning. The stones in Newgrange are arranged with 3 circles. Possibilities for this include the sun, the moon, and the Earth, the relationship between father, children, and mother, or birth, life, death. Mr. Conran explained to us the best theory to him is birth, life, and death. He talked to us about the Iron Age and what Pre-Christian Irish metal work involved.

            Then, we finally had free time. From about  10:30 to 1:45, eighteen BC High students roamed around Grafton Street in downtown Dublin. Fortunately, we still have eighteen students. Many students bought gifts for the family and friends. You are welcome, Mom!

                                          

At around 2:00, we eventually went to the Dail, which is the Irish Parliament. We observed how both the upper and middle houses consult one another, some in an argumentive manner. The art and architecture of the buildings were very elaborate. We then had the option to go to the National Art Gallery or the National Library.

Those of us who chose the National Library had the utmost privilege of visiting the Yeats exhibit. The exhibit concerned Yeats’ life, poems, and intricate details about the history of Ireland which influenced Yeats’ writing career. Next, some of us visited the genealogy section. Some of us had done research prior to this and were able to find some new ancestors in our Irish lineage.

For those of us who chose the Art Gallery, we saw such artist’s works as Jack B. Yeats, and even one of Michelangelo’s predecessors.  We got to see the famous Caravaggio painting that was only recently rediscovered in the Dublin Jesuits' residence. The time era went until the twentieth century.  After some last minute shopping we all made our way back to Belvedere.