We returned via train to a (finally) sunny Limerick after a two day trip to Dublin. First time for me, of course, in the city. Dublin boasts about a quarter of Ireland's population.
My impressions: I need to go back. Train tickets aren't prohibitively expensive, but they're still pricey. I need to go back because they're is just a lot to see there.
Our official schedule on Friday, after arriving Thursday afternoon, was to attend the closing arguments of a murder trial at the Four Courts, the center (or perhaps "centre") of all Irish jurisprudence, and a tour of the Oireachtas (Parliament). Despite there essentially being four courts in the Irish system, the name does not—according to the barrister who gave us an introduction—derive from that fact. Rather, as per Ireland's former rule by Britain, it refers to the four traditional courts of the British system. Anyhow, the trial was interesting—for a while, as the defense attorney found it necessary to talk for an hour and a half before being cut off by an unhappy (and famous, apparently) judge.
We continued on to Parliament, which is, now, essentially a giant mansion that has been added on to both wings. Ireland has two houses of government, together with the President: the Dail (DAAL) and the Senead, though most of the power resides in the Dail, whose party leader, the Taoiseach (Bertie Ahern) is the prime minister. They are only directly elected. The building was beautiful: several rooms were equipped with Waterford Crystal, sculpture, and paintings. The chambers of the Dail were carpeted in beautiful velvety blue carpet.
There's more, but I've no time at the moment. Expect another blog post soon.
(Note: top is the Four Courts; below is Parliament.)
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