We did an excursion in Dublin which took us round some of Dublin including a stop to snap St Patrick's Cathedral, together with narration about various statues. There's history here, the Irish are very conscious of their history. We were then dropped off at the Arlington Hotel in Dublin for a delightful cut down version of the Celtic Nights show held there. We had originally booked an excursion to see the Riverdance show at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, but that got cancelled so we booked this excursion instead. The dancing and singing being done in a pub-like setting made the show more immediate, closer, cosier. There was more rapport between the audience and performers than there could be at a larger scale show in a proper theatre. The performers were good, knew their stuff, the Irish dancers quick and nimble. I particularly enjoyed it when they danced without a musical accompaniment, their skilled feet playing a complex melody on the floor.

We caught the shuttle bus into Dublin and walked around a little, seeing a statue of Molly Malone, seeing how long the queues were for the Book of Kells in Trinity College Dublin, checking out a gift shop or two. We did wander into the Natural History Museum. I don't like big cities. They are oppressive to me, particularly unfamiliar big cities. I feel dislocated and lost. There seemed to be a lot of beggars but you don't have to go to Ireland to find those down and out.