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Short history of Dublin

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It's located in the east of the country. The vikings were the first to set foot on land and settled down at the banks of the Liffey river. Ever since the city has been the center of numerous sieges due to the proximity of the Irish Sea. After the vikings came the kelts and eventually the English. The English ruled with an iron fist where the catholic population was severely suppressed. It took centuries before the catholics gained more rights (19th century). After the Easter Rising and World War I, a gruesome civil war took place which resulted in independency of the Republic of Ireland and divided the country and Northern Ireland. These days  Dublin is a young and hip city, full of interesting sights, shops and a vibrant nightlife. 

Trinity College Library

With a collection of over 4,5 million books it's one of the worlds largest, and some say also one of the most beautiful libraries of the world. It is more then 300 years old. 

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The most famous work that can be found here is the book of Kells. It was written about 1200 years ago by monks. 

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Since the 19th century the library obtained the rights to receive a free copy of every published book being  the UK.

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Only one room is accessible for the public but this room is the most prestigious one.

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The long room contains is 65 meters long and contains approximately 200.000 books.

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The books are being guarded by marble busts of famous writers from throughout history. Siegfried, Newton, Aristoteles and Plato are watching over the precious books.

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Besides books you can also find other precious gems such as a harp from the 15th century. The harp is the symbol of Ireland, no wonder this artifact is displayed in one of the most breathtaking libraries of the world.

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Irish pub culture

Irish pubs play have always played a big role in the social life of the Irish. You could find them everywhere in Ireland, from the small rural towns to the big cities. It is well known that the Irish can drink a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time but that is not the main reason to visit the pub. The Irish get together in the pub after attending mass or enjoying a soccer game. This is where alot of the town gossip was and is still shared.

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Not only are the pubs famous for their pints of Guiness or their great atmosphere, you can also find a variety of famous dishes that can be enjoyed such as Fish and chips, seafood chowders and all sorts of pies, the shephards pie being the most famous one.

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We cannot talk about Irish pubs without mentioning the music, which creates the ambiance in the pubs. A character so often mentioned in Irish lyrics is Molly Malone, it became the unofficial anthem of Ireland. It tells a story about a young women who worked as a street hawker during the day and a prostitute at night. She died at a very young age due to a fever. You can still find her statue in the streets of Dublin.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral 

The cathedral was build in the 13th century in honor for the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. It is one of the last remains of medieval Dublin and the largest cathedral in the country To this day more then 700 people were buried on the grounds of the Cathedral. One of them being the famous author of Gullivers' travels; Jonathan Swift. He was dean of the cathedral in the 18th century. Today it still acts as the National Church of Ireland.

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