Dublin Museum and True Drunk-Irishman-Flattery

Today we made our way into the city and decided to go to the National Museum of Ireland - Archaelogy. 
"The National Museum of Ireland has three locations in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture, and natural history. Admission is free to all four museums."

That last part is the kicker...FREE! These are museums that put any museum in Seattle to shhammme and yet, they're free. Another score for Ireland.
By far, the most interesting (and haunting) exhibit were the "bog bodies". Here's a blurb about that:

An exhibition of Iron Age bog bodies and related finds

Following the discoveries of Iron Age bog bodies at Oldcroghan, Co. Offaly and Clonycavan, Co. Meath in 2003, a team of international specialists worked with the Irish Antiquities Division and Conservation Department to examine these human remains. Kingship and Sacrifice gives an overview of the results of the analysis and, along with other bog bodies from Museum collections, offers an opportunity to literally come ‘face to face’ with the past.
The exhibition is based around the theory that human sacrifice and the deposition of the victims in bogs along tribal boundaries is related to sovereignty and kingship rituals during the Iron Age. Other related material displayed includes items of royal regalia, horse trappings, weapons, feasting utensils, boundary markers and votive deposits of butter known as bog butter.


There were about 4 of these bodies on display and they were very hard to look at (as I'm sure you're experiencing right now). They are very well preserved - except for this one that I snapped a picture of (highly illegal but I promise, I didn't use flash): (his body was caught in a peet harvesting machine before they discovered him) He still has a slight goatee. Yeesh. They're from 500-400 B.C. And another interesting thing - the last one of these bodies was found in 2003.

Here are some other shots I took/stole. Honestly, I thought I could take pictures throughout the museum (except in the special exhibits) but we later saw signs that said "No Photography". I'm just going to go ahead and hope they meant "No Flash Photography" and call it good.

Beautiful Museum - FREE!

 2500 B.C.!

Earrings - 2-THOUSAND B.C.

 This museum was built in the mid 1800s and I could not stop staring at the floor throughout the place. It was SO intricate and was obviously all hand-done. It even went into the bathrooms! Such an eye for detail. =)

 A wagon wheel

 More incredible tiling

 800-700 B.C.

 (this was in the entrance to the 'bog people' exhibit - so most of them were sacrifices but some, we read, were murdered as well. Apparently, those are slightly different categories)

 Outside the National Library looking back across the Parliament Buildings' square to the Museum, from whence we came. =)

 Norah in the Reading Hole.

 More incredible floor.

 Am I wrong? Or is that wrong?

 I stepped into this room and typed in "Flynn" briefly. I didn't have enough info. with me though to narrow it down. I'll bring back my documents we got from our Aunt Mary on our Flynn's. I have copies of the birth certificates and baptism records of my great grandfather and his siblings.

 Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square. Very famous statue. So.... be impressed.

 Norah swinging in the very depressing, 3rd-world-looking playground in Merrion Square. It doesn't actually look all that bad in this shot but it was rough. We promptly took her over the bigger and better playground in St. Stephen's Green, only to find it was locked up. *Sad face* We'll be back.

Department of the Treasury, I believe

 One of the many Huguenot Cemeteries dotting the busy streets of Dublin (and Cork). I have to read much more about their history but there are these very tiny, preserved cemetaries for them in the most random places. They'll be on very busy commercial streets, tucked in between two modern buildings, and always behind a large fence.

And an Irish doorway to end this post.

Oh and here is a re-telling of our first, very charming experience with a true drrrunk Irishman:
We were in line at the tiny convenience store up the road from us, buying milk for Norah. First he spotted us because I was wearing Norah in the carrier (and she was passed out). So he says from across the store:
"Is he a little gurrl arre a little boyyy?" (very thick Irish accent)
This guy looked like a true stereotype - round face with ruddy cheeks and drunk as could possibly be. And I mean really drunk. (and mid-60s)
So then he comes over to us and zones in on Wayne's face:
"Ayy/Oyy (cross between the two) Yar SO good lookin'! (right in his face) "You look like a model. (pause) And a boxer!" (touches Wayne's chin)
Wayne: "awww, welll....thanks, I don't know that I look like a real boxer" (Wayne is very patient and tolerant)
Drunky: "Elvis! You look like Elvis! Yar so good lookin'.... HE is a good lookin' man..."
(He just stands there sort of revelling at how good-looking Wayne is)
"And she.... She is garrrgeous. (talking to me, bless his drunken heart...*blush*) She is beeautiful - where did ya find her?"
Then making a small cross in front of himself and kissing his fingers to touch Norah - "God Bless ya"

"Sir, Sir, how do I? (holding his hand out to me to shake and then awkwardly pulling it back) How do I address your.... your wife?"
(so I reach out and shake his hand and he kisses the back of mine)
"God Bless ya. I'm on my way"

Well... that was weird... and... oddly ego-boosting. Thank you, stereotypical drunken Irishman. We hope to see you again.