April 2--Dublin

After a hearty breakfast in the sun room at Number 31, we made our way to a near-by location of Hertz to secure our rental car for the journey north and west that was to commence the following day. John had chosen a Nissan Qashqai SUV. He drove it back to Number 31 where one of the staff drove it to their car park for the night. 

John's fiddling lesson, on this third and final day, was scheduled for noon, so we ate a light snack before he set off for class and I headed to Dublin Castle, known as the seat of official state functions in Ireland since 1204. Its resplendent rooms ranged from the Throne Room to the State Dining Room, made for a circular table. Each were hung with portraits of kings, noblemen and women. One room featured the life of Lord Pomfrey, who, as a member of Britain's Parliament, served as the head of government in Ireland for many years. He worked well across the aisle and was beloved by the Irish people. When he lost his seat in parliament, a scroll of thanks was signed by over 100,000 Irish people. 

Within the gardens of the Castle, sits the Chester Beatty Library, which houses the largest private collection of books in Europe. Beatty traveled the world, with his parents, as a youth, and later as an adult. His collection includes many ancient texts from China, India, Turkey, Iran and Japan. It also contains many ancient books of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity including the oldest copies of several of Paul's letters. I was so excited by the letter that I snapped an iPhone photo and sent it to our Disciples class.  I was sorry John had missed it.
By returning to the room, just after his class, we were able to nap before going to the theatre that evening.

On the way to the Abbey Theatre, we stopped at the Canal Bank Cafe for appetizers.  John toasted "his nap" and I toasted "St. Paul's letters." 

The play, Sive, is a tragic tale of a young girl, whose choices are limited by fate and her family, when the village matchmaker offers a substantial sum should she marry a man old enough to be her grandfather. The writing was thoughtful.  The acting was excellent.  The direction was on point.  We both enjoyed the drama.

We got to bed quite late for two visitors planning to drive to Belfast the following day.