The 6 day trip to Ireland - Dublin (Day 2 - morning - cont.) - Around the Castle area - Dublin Castle and the Chester Beatty Library Galleries - The 11th of June 2014

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We then headed towards the Castle area along the Aston and Wellington quays having turned into Parliament street  where a rather interesting building on the right hand side caught my attention (I would later go back to photograph its decorated façade). A little bit further up the street stood a domed building supported by twelve columns - the Dublin Town Hall, another remarkable example of 18th century architecture in the city

Our intention was not to visit the Castle of Dublin, which we would try to go back to some days later, but the Chester Beatty Library galleries instead, though I couldn't resist taking a few photographs of its façade and some of its small details.

Prior to walking into the exhibition galleries we strolled around the Garda Memorial garden within the Castle premises. According to what I read the principal concept behind the design of the memorial garden was the way sudden unexpected death brings an abrupt end to the natural cycle of life. 

The Chester Beatty Library definitely opens a window on the artistic treasures of great cultures and religions of the world. The rich collection of manuscripts, prints, icons, miniature paintings, early printed books and objects of Art from countries across Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe we had access to as a result of the collecting activities of Chester Beatty was indescribable.

The diversity of the collection the former American mining magnate assembled captures  much of the richness of human creative expression from about 2700 BC to the present day. The highlights of the collection are said to be beautifully illuminated  copies of the Qur'an, the Bible and several medieval manuscripts.

We could have easily spent the whole day in the main exhibition galleries (The Arts of the Book on the first floor and The Sacred Traditions on the second floor) had we had the time. Photographing was not allowed and once we walked into the Library bookshop I felt like buying most of the reproductions and books related to what I had just seen.

Christ in glory with Donors - Armenian Gospel book c.1615 (left). Hafvad's daughter finds a worm in an apple, from a copy of Firdawsi's Shahnama (Book of Kings) AD 1341 (right).

Painted scrolls of a Waka Poetry Contest depicting Twelve Kinds of Beasts and Birds  - Mid 17th century, Edo period, Japan (left).St Michael vanquishing the Devil - Gothic bookhand on vellum, 1408, Paris (right)

As I reluctantly walked back into the crowded streets arond the castle I wondered how difficult it might have been to have had the privilege of seeing such  priceless collection had Sir Chester Beatty  decided not to move to Ireland in the 50's.  

The bustle of the side streets brought me back to the Irish "reality" ... the reality of the old "blending" with the modern ... brightly coloured pubs standing against old charmful buildings ...

A colourful sequence of Fridas and two rather different painted versions representing the Beatles caught my attention as I made my way towards the Trinity College.

(To be continued)