The British ruled over Ireland for 800 years. When you go through most tours in Dublin, the consensus is how the British abused the Irish. And my walking tour was no different. Our tour guide in the blue shirt had a ton of energy, and spoke with excitement. He asked where everybody was from, and my British friend said that she was from Poland, which in a way was true because that's where she was born. I joked with her, and said I dare you to say that you are British.
The above photo is of Michael Joseph O'Rahilly who died at age 41 during the 1916 Easter rising as the Irish fought for their independence against the British rule. He could have been saved after he got wounded, but the British would not allow the paramedics save him until it was too late.
As Michael O'Rahilly laid on the ground, dying, he writes a letter to his wife, Nannie, which later becomes a part of the Irish history. The photo above is a plaque of his letter installed on a brick wall at the corner of Moore street in Dublin. This is what he wrote:
Written after I was shot. Darling Nancy I was shot leading a rush up Moore Street, and took refuge in a doorway. While I was there, I heard the men pointing out where I was, and made a bolt for the laneway I'm in now. I got more than one bullet, I think. Tons and tons of love dearie to you and the boys and to Nell and Anna. It was a good fight anyhow. Please deliver this to Nannie O'Rahilly, 40 Herbert Park, Dublin.
Goodbye Darling
His house at 40 Herbert Park, Dublin, was demolished in 2020 to make way for a 66 million Euro apartment project. Historians and the city council were against the demolition, but ultimately, the big money developers won. The irony is that the reason these developers are enjoying a comfortable lifestyle free from the British rule is that Michael O'Rahilly was among the many who risked their lives to clear a path for independence. No good deed goes unpunished.
Famine memorial on the custom quay. The statues were sculpted by a Dubliner named Rowan Gillespie. It represents the Irish people walking toward the ship to escape hunger. During the British rule, there was plenty unrest. Farmers had to send their food to Britain, leaving them not much to eat except potatoes. And so, many country's poor depended on the potato to feed their families. In 1845, a mold infestation hit the potato crops, and as food became scarce, more than a million people died during the Potato Famine. On a different tour, a guide told us that it is believed the infestation was done on purpose. There are other sets of these statues presenting the arrival of the Irish refugees in cities, such as Toronto, where the Irish migrated.
During the Irish War of Independence, the men involved in the rebellion were excommunicated by the Catholic church, and were being chased and killed by the British forces. Sympathetic priests would travel from an underground tunnel in Dublin to the Maid of Erin pub, known today as the Confession Box, to do communion, and hear confessions.
After the tour, Dominika and I walked around to find a place for dinner. We ended up in the Temple Bar area, and had pizza. What was interesting was as the evening approached, and seats became scarce, people grabbed their food and drinks, and sat on the ground to eat.
