<p>I dare you to say ‘Muckanaghederdauhaulia’ without flinching. Or you could try ‘Illaungraffanavrankagh’, ‘Glassillaunvealnacurra’, or ‘Corragunnagalliaghdoo’. These are towns in Ireland. However, the Irish city we’re visiting has it a bit easier. We’re visiting the land of musical place names, leprechauns (tiny mischievous fairies), Guinness (arguably the world’s most famous beer) and literary greats today — Dublin. </p>.<p>The capital of the Republic of Ireland, with a population of about 1.2 million, is divided into four areas — Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire — Rathdown (say the first part of that one?), Fingal and South Dublin. The city has a 2,000-year history and is believed to have been the settlement of the Vikings, who made the banks of the river Liffey their home until the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. The city’s name comes from an old Irish Gaelic phrase ‘Dubh linn’. In the 18th century, Dublin was the second city of the British Empire. But in 1801, England abolished the Irish Parliament and the city’s status was greatly diminished until Ireland became independent in 1922. Today, it’s a vibrant capital with a predominantly young population.</p>.<p>Dublin’s economy was once centered around brewing, distilling, food processing, and textiles. She has one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world that dates back to the late 18th century.</p>.<p>With its huge bronze door and thousands of stained-glass windows, St Patrick’s (Patron saint of Ireland) Cathedral is a must-stop for visitors. The legend goes that St Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. The more prosaic tell us that there never were snakes in Ireland and the banishment of snakes is a metaphor for the banishment of evil and bringing the word of God to the country. Close by is the other famous cathedral, Christ Church. The Whitefriar Church, the final resting place of St Valentine, would also be of interest to many. No one really knows how he came to be associated with romance but who are we to question an interesting tidbit of folklore?!</p>.<p>Dublin is just about 118 sq km and of that, 1,752 acres is Phoenix park, the largest city park in Europe. This was once the royal deer park and is now home to the Dublin Zoo. It is also the location of the Irish Presidents’ official residence.</p>.<p>Another interesting landmark is the O’Connell Bridge. It is interesting because it’s a traffic bridge that, at 45 metres, is as wide as it is long! There are numerous rivers and streams dotting Dublin that many don’t even have names.</p>.<p>If you’re a sportsperson, you must watch a game of hurling. Hurling is included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It has a 3,000-year history and is mentioned often in Irish mythology. Hurling bears some resemblance to football but it is played with a small ball that can travel up to a scary 120km per hour.</p>.<p>Storytelling is an Irish tradition. Once upon a time, people had full time jobs as bards — a professional storyteller. Given that tradition, it’s no wonder that Dublin was home to a host of literary figures — Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde, W B Yeats and George Bernard Shaw to name a few. Dublin was recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2010. </p>.<p>Folklore abounds in Ireland so it’s no wonder that this is the land that inspired Dubliner, Bram Stoker, to write ‘Dracula’. The Abhartach, is ‘the Irish Vampire’. A local chieftain killed the vampire not once, but twice and each time, the creature kept coming back. The third time, the chieftain was advised by a druid to bury it upside down and this apparently worked. A more modern version had the vampire escape its grave and go looking for fresh blood to drink.</p>.<p>Other legends include that of the banshee — a female spirit who had red eyes from her constant wailing. The terrifying scream sends shivers down the hearer’s back because it’s supposed to foretell death. The Irish fairy isn’t always a sweet little creature. For example, the Dullahan appears in the form of a headless rider that uses the spine of a human as a whip. He also is the harbinger of death.</p>.<p>Halloween is an Irish export too. It originated about 2,000 years ago with the Celtic festival called Samhain. People gathered around huge bonfires that were lit to scare off ghosts (puca). When November 1 was declared All Saints Day by the church, the previous night became the designated day for spooks, which was known as All Hallows Eve and then Halloween. The trick-or-treating, the pumpkins and all else we associate with Halloween took off from there.</p>.<p>So, whether you want to be spooked or you want to try your hand at hurling, Ireland is a<br />one-of-a-kind destination.</p>.<p><em>(The author is a writer and a soft skills and communications trainer.)</em></p>
<p>I dare you to say ‘Muckanaghederdauhaulia’ without flinching. Or you could try ‘Illaungraffanavrankagh’, ‘Glassillaunvealnacurra’, or ‘Corragunnagalliaghdoo’. These are towns in Ireland. However, the Irish city we’re visiting has it a bit easier. We’re visiting the land of musical place names, leprechauns (tiny mischievous fairies), Guinness (arguably the world’s most famous beer) and literary greats today — Dublin. </p>.<p>The capital of the Republic of Ireland, with a population of about 1.2 million, is divided into four areas — Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire — Rathdown (say the first part of that one?), Fingal and South Dublin. The city has a 2,000-year history and is believed to have been the settlement of the Vikings, who made the banks of the river Liffey their home until the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. The city’s name comes from an old Irish Gaelic phrase ‘Dubh linn’. In the 18th century, Dublin was the second city of the British Empire. But in 1801, England abolished the Irish Parliament and the city’s status was greatly diminished until Ireland became independent in 1922. Today, it’s a vibrant capital with a predominantly young population.</p>.<p>Dublin’s economy was once centered around brewing, distilling, food processing, and textiles. She has one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world that dates back to the late 18th century.</p>.<p>With its huge bronze door and thousands of stained-glass windows, St Patrick’s (Patron saint of Ireland) Cathedral is a must-stop for visitors. The legend goes that St Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. The more prosaic tell us that there never were snakes in Ireland and the banishment of snakes is a metaphor for the banishment of evil and bringing the word of God to the country. Close by is the other famous cathedral, Christ Church. The Whitefriar Church, the final resting place of St Valentine, would also be of interest to many. No one really knows how he came to be associated with romance but who are we to question an interesting tidbit of folklore?!</p>.<p>Dublin is just about 118 sq km and of that, 1,752 acres is Phoenix park, the largest city park in Europe. This was once the royal deer park and is now home to the Dublin Zoo. It is also the location of the Irish Presidents’ official residence.</p>.<p>Another interesting landmark is the O’Connell Bridge. It is interesting because it’s a traffic bridge that, at 45 metres, is as wide as it is long! There are numerous rivers and streams dotting Dublin that many don’t even have names.</p>.<p>If you’re a sportsperson, you must watch a game of hurling. Hurling is included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It has a 3,000-year history and is mentioned often in Irish mythology. Hurling bears some resemblance to football but it is played with a small ball that can travel up to a scary 120km per hour.</p>.<p>Storytelling is an Irish tradition. Once upon a time, people had full time jobs as bards — a professional storyteller. Given that tradition, it’s no wonder that Dublin was home to a host of literary figures — Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde, W B Yeats and George Bernard Shaw to name a few. Dublin was recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2010. </p>.<p>Folklore abounds in Ireland so it’s no wonder that this is the land that inspired Dubliner, Bram Stoker, to write ‘Dracula’. The Abhartach, is ‘the Irish Vampire’. A local chieftain killed the vampire not once, but twice and each time, the creature kept coming back. The third time, the chieftain was advised by a druid to bury it upside down and this apparently worked. A more modern version had the vampire escape its grave and go looking for fresh blood to drink.</p>.<p>Other legends include that of the banshee — a female spirit who had red eyes from her constant wailing. The terrifying scream sends shivers down the hearer’s back because it’s supposed to foretell death. The Irish fairy isn’t always a sweet little creature. For example, the Dullahan appears in the form of a headless rider that uses the spine of a human as a whip. He also is the harbinger of death.</p>.<p>Halloween is an Irish export too. It originated about 2,000 years ago with the Celtic festival called Samhain. People gathered around huge bonfires that were lit to scare off ghosts (puca). When November 1 was declared All Saints Day by the church, the previous night became the designated day for spooks, which was known as All Hallows Eve and then Halloween. The trick-or-treating, the pumpkins and all else we associate with Halloween took off from there.</p>.<p>So, whether you want to be spooked or you want to try your hand at hurling, Ireland is a<br />one-of-a-kind destination.</p>.<p><em>(The author is a writer and a soft skills and communications trainer.)</em></p>