The Doors of Dublin

Have you noticed all the colour doors in some areas of Dublin, specially around Dublin 1 and 2?

There are two theories as to why there are so many colour doors. The first theory dates back from the 1700s and has to do with Queen Victoria of England and the death of her husband Prince Albert. When he died, Queen Victoria ordered all houses in the British Empire to have black flags outside their doors in respect to her husband's death. As a protest, an Irish man decided to paint his door a different colour and his idea spread across Ireland.

The other theory and more often told in the pubs has to do with drunken Irish men and their wives. A long time ago, Irish women were tired of seeing their husbands knock on the wrong door when they were drunk after a wild night out and decided to paint their doors, so the houses wouldn't look so similar at night.

Which one seems more real to you? :)

Kilmainham Gaol

Did you know that there's an old prison in Dublin?

Located close to Phoenix Park, in Inchicore, there's Kilmainham Gaol ('gaol' meaning 'jail' in modern English).

Kilmainham Gaol was founded in 1796 and it operated as a prison until 1924. During its long history, the prison contained criminals, women and children, and also political prisoners. During the famine, some people committed crimes in order to be admitted into the prison, where they received at least a basic diet. The prison was so crowded at the time (with 5 or more prisoners incarcerated in tiny cold cells) that some prisoners had to sleep in the corridors.

Among the prisoners were political leaders like Charles Stuart Parnell (do you recognise Parnell Street in Dublin?) or James Connolly (what about Connolly Station?). Some of these politicians were executed in the jail's yard.

A few films have been shot in this prison, including In The Name of the Father and The Wind That Shakes The Barley. The Dublin rock band U2 also filmed a music video in the jail. 

Nowadays, the prison is one of the most interesting historical attractions in Dublin and it can be visited with a guided tour. You will see more information in the following link, enjoy!

Why are there no snakes on Ireland?

If you've been to Ireland, you probably know the importance of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He's well known for converting the Irish to christianity and for a series of miracles, such as banishing all the snakes from Ireland.

According to the legend, he chased the snakes into the sea after they attacked him during a 40-day fast he was undertaking on top of a hill.

You may believe this to be true, but the true explanation is that Ireland never had snakes, the same way that there are no snakes on Iceland, Greenland or the Antarctica.

"At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland, so [there was] nothing for St. Patrick to banish", says naturalist Nigel Monaghan, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, who has searched extensively through Irish fossil collections and records.

One suggestion is that "snakes" referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids during that time in Ireland. The Druids had big tattoos of snakes on their arms. In the legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes, the story goes to the core of Patrick's sainthood and his mission of christianising Ireland.

Marlay Park

Marlay Park is a 121 hectares public park located in Rathfarnham, south of Dublin. 

The parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks, a gold field, tennis courts and playgrounds. The park opened to the public in 1975 and it's a popular music venue with a capacity of 32,000 people. It's possible to go to Marlay Park by foot, though it's close to Dún Laoghaire, or with bus 16.

Enjoy a walk in the wild!

Irish Coffee

Have you tried the Irish Coffee?

By Irish Coffee we don't mean a warm cup of coffee with foam on top. Irish Coffee has an additional ingredient which you won't find on other coffees... whisky!

Imagine drinking coffee and whisky in the morning. For sure you'll wake up with lots of energy!

The original Irish Coffee was invented in 1942 in Shannon, Limerick, by restaurant owner Joe Sheridan. On a stormy night, he had several customers who couldn't return home due to the storm and he gave them coffee with a bit of whisky. Surprised, the customers asked him if this was Latin American coffee, to which he replied 'It's Irish coffee!'

You will find more details and the recipe on the link below:

http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/drink/secrets-behind-perfect-irish-coffee​

Enjoy!