Dublin – key and notes

By David Wood | June 9, 2008

This walk will bring you along the edges of some bustling shopping streets before inviting you into the quiet oasis of the 18th century heart of Trinity College and from there into one of the best preserved quarters of Georgian Dublin with its terraces and squares of impressive period houses flanked on a couple of streets by the great institutions of state.

The journey is roughly circular and the distance covered is about 2 (two) kilometres. Casually strolling, it should take an average of about 1.5 (one-and-a-half) hours to complete. Crossing of roads will normally be with the aid of pedestrian traffic-lights but you should always take care of the passing traffic and be safety-conscious when stepping off pavements.

Obviously you may visit the several museums and parks along the way at your own leisure but such visits will, of course, add to the overall duration time. There are many coffee shops, cafés and restaurants along the way where you may seek refreshment. The tour commences from outside the Dublin Tourism Office on Suffolk Street.

If you are wondering why the offices of Dublin Tourism are situated in a former church, it is because the decline of the local population in the second half of the 20th century forced the closure of St Andrews Church. In 1996 it was beautifully re-furbished and re-opened as a tourism centre by its new owners Dublin Tourism.

While the present building only dates from 1866, it was preceded by a medieval / mediaeval church in the immediate vicinity. The church stands on the site of the former Thing Moat, a large mound of earth raised by the Vikings in the 10th century as their assembly point for settling disputes and passing laws.

Notes

The term Georgian has two meanings. 1) It describes a period in history – 1714 – 1830 when four kings named George ruled Great Britain – King George the First to King George the Fourth (George I, George II, George III and George IV). 2) Georgian is used also to describe the social history or particular architecture of that period. The Georgian style of building was actually also constructed both before and after that era, which preceded the Victorian era.
period houses – houses from a particular time in history
to flank – to be at the side / both sides of someone or something
Typical institutions of state are the Armed Forces, the Civil Service and the Judiciary
at your own leisure – a deceptive phrase which has little to do with free time, or leisure, it means as you choose, at your convenience, as it suits you. The emphasis is incorrect here – the speaker should have said ‘at your own leisure‘, because it is not at the moment at someone else‘s convenience, which is what his emphasis infers.
closure – act or process of closing sth
vicinity – the area near or surrounding a particular place
moat – a deep wide, defensive ditch surrounding a castle or town typically filled with water
Viking – any of the Scandinavian seafaring traders and pirates who raided and settled in many parts of Northwest Europe in the 8th – 11th centuries