My Trip To Ireland, part I

[McClef]

Rain is, alas, an occupational hazard for much of the British Isles!

The "needle" you refer to is the Dublin Spike or officially the Monument of Light. It goes under several Dublin rhyming expressions some of which cannot be repeated here...

[thanmuwa]

The heiroglyphs that Funlvnman photographed I have never seen before. I'm fairly certain that they're not Viking for a few reasons. 1) the Vikings only raided the east coast of Ireland, and even then only founded a few settlements including Dublin, Wexford, and Waterford.

I agree that those markings are practically guaranteed to be a tourist myth. However, the Vikings spread further afield than just the East coast.
I am sure that Clonmacnoise was raided on multiple occasions by the Vikings, and to get to Clonmacnoise, you have to sail to Limerick (very definitely on the west coast) and then all that way up the Shannon!

The "needle" you refer to is the Dublin Spike or officially the Monument of Light. It goes under several Dublin rhyming expressions some of which cannot be repeated here...

Dubs definitely come up with some great nicknames for landmarks .
Trivia: The Millennium Spike is also on the former site of Nelson's Pillar, which was blown up in 1966. Amazingly, although it happened in Dublin City centre, there were absolutely no witnesses to this act of commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Easter rising .

[McClef]

Trivia: The Millennium Spike is also on the former site of Nelson's Pillar, which was blown up in 1966. Amazingly, although it happened in Dublin City centre, there were absolutely no witnesses to this act of commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Easter rising .

More trivia: The pillar was replaced by the statue of Anna Livia (a Joyce character known to Dubs as "The floozie in the jaccuzi") which was moved so the Spike could be erected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floozie_in_the_Jacuzzi

[thanmuwa]

More trivia: The pillar was replaced by the statue of Anna Livia (a Joyce character known to Dubs as "The floozie in the jaccuzi") which was moved so the Spike could be erected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floozie_in_the_Jacuzzi

I like her other nickname better . I hope they take her out of storage soon, she needs to be back out in sight of the Liffey .

[beloitpiper]

I agree that those markings are practically guaranteed to be a tourist myth. However, the Vikings spread further afield than just the East coast.
I am sure that Clonmacnoise was raided on multiple occasions by the Vikings, and to get to Clonmacnoise, you have to sail to Limerick (very definitely on the west coast) and then all that way up the Shannon!

Clonmacnoise is smack dab in the middle of Ireland. Plus, the Vikings probably came down the river from Co. Cavan/Fermanagh.

[thanmuwa]

Clonmacnoise is smack dab in the middle of Ireland.

Yes, Clonmacnoise is in the (western part of the) Midlands. Definitely not on the east coast. That was exactly my point.

Plus, the Vikings probably came down the river from Co. Cavan/Fermanagh.

I hadn't realised that there was evidence for the Vikings coming downstream... They must have known the Midlands of Ireland pretty well, because (obviously) the Shannon-Erne waterway didn't exist back then, and that would have been 40 miles of wild and unfriendly country to carry a boat across in those days! They must have known about the Shannon and where it was. I suppose it would have been quicker than sailing around the coast though . I am no expert on Vikings (the reason I know about Clonmacnoise is because I am from Athlone), were there Viking settlements in Cavan/Fermanagh then?

[beloitpiper]

I hadn't realised that there was evidence for the Vikings coming downstream... They must have known the Midlands of Ireland pretty well, because (obviously) the Shannon-Erne waterway didn't exist back then, and that would have been 40 miles of wild and unfriendly country to carry a boat across in those days! They must have known about the Shannon and where it was. I suppose it would have been quicker than sailing around the coast though . I am no expert on Vikings (the reason I know about Clonmacnoise is because I am from Athlone), were there Viking settlements in Cavan/Fermanagh then?

I looked it up and you're right. There is evidence of Vikings in Limerick, so they probably did come up the River Shannon that way. BUT, in my defense, the Vikings did hit Kells and other inland monastic site and they never did go as far north (on the west coast) as Galway...because there was nothing there to steal!