Temple Bar

Brian — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 08:50:16 +0000

The name Temple Bar refers to a special group of Dublin properties, situated in a strip alongside the River Liffey (hence the name bar, which refers to a riverside path). Sir William Temple, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat from the early 1600s, was once the owner of the land that still bears his name.
In the 1800′s, Temple Bar was known as a thriving centre for a variety of small and family-owned businesses. The area declined steadily over the years, until the 1960′s arrived along with plans for a new bus station.
This prospect brought new hope for economic development to the area. Artists and small business owners opened galleries, shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants in anticipation of the coming flood of traveler traffic. Plans for the bus station fell through, however, but Temple Bar had by that time become a fashionable part of the city of Dublin, and its development continues today.
The most popular entrance to Temple Bar is located at Merchant’s Arch, across from Ha’penny Bridge. The passage leads through an interesting group of unique boutiques and other establishments, opening on Temple Bar Square, a popular gathering place, especially for the lunch crowds.
Temple Bar Gallery and Studios are situated within a group of nearby newly renovated and remodeled factory buildings. Here, a growing community of artists keep their studio space and exhibit a wide variety of works.
Crown Alley is a browser’s delight, filled with colorful shops and cafes.
Along the curve of the street you can find a group of buildings housing The Temple Bar Music Centre and DESIGN yard. This area provides a venue where the current Irish culture is creatively displayed via the arts of performance, jewelry making and furniture design, to name a few. The top creative artists and designers of Ireland often exhibit their work here.
Cow’s Lane is a newly designed pedestrian area featuring very stylish apartment houses and shops, and residents enjoy the convenience of the area’s own food market. It offers a wide array of entertainment choices along with many restaurants and pubs, including the Kitchen, owned by Bono and the Edge of U2, the Project Arts Center, specializing in avant garde performance art, and the Olympia Theatre, a regular venue for rock concerts.
For more information, see http://www.visit-templebar.com/.

Cliffs of Moher

Brian — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 16:58:37 +0000

Five miles long and soaring nearly 700 feet above the crashing waves of the sea, these impressive cliffs put the ageless power of nature into clear focus.
Perhaps 1940′s naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger described the impact of these cliffs best when he wrote: “If you want to feel very small, go out in one of the canvas curraghs on a day when the ground swell is coming in from the ocean, and get your boatman to row you along the base of one of those gigantic rock walls.”
Visitors have been coming to admire the cliffs, near the village of Liscannon, for centuries, and in 1835, Sir Cornelius O’Brien built the observation tower that bears his name to make their visit more hospitable. Perched upon the highest cliff point, the tower looks out over Breanan More, a rockstack rising up amid the crashing waves. O’Brien also erected an interesting wall of Moher flagstones, imprinted with images of prehistoric eels.
The Cliffs were, historically, a sacred site of the Celtic people as well as a much-frequented hunting ground of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland.
Today, O’Brien’s Tower houses the Visitor centre, which distributes information on the geology and history of the area as well as other area natural wonders and bird watching opportunities – a large colony of puffins inhabits the cliffs. The Centre often provides shelter from swiftly passing inclement weather. There are also occasional performances in the parking area by musicians and step dancers, especially during the high season.
But the fabulous view is usually the main attraction from the top of these layered cliffs of sandstone silt and shale. The unguarded cliff edge offers unobstructed views (weather permitting, of course) of the Aran Islands and 30 miles of County Clare Coastline. On clear days, from O’Brien’s Tower, visitors can see all the way to County Kerry’s Mountains and to the Twelve Bens of Connemara.

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Temple Bar

Cliffs of Moher