Grand Canal Docks

Retro Blogging a bit – to share some pictures that I didn’t get to share before.

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Board Gais Panorama

I have a friend who lives in an area of Dublin known as the Docklands. One sunny Sunday morning last December (2014) we decided to head out to brunch and then to the RDS event center for the Christmas Irish Crafts show. The day was cold, but calm and not windy.

The Famine Dog... playful or starving and ready to attack? In 2014 - the people of Austerity in Ireland are fighting back. Angry about water charges, angry about banks not having to repay the government, angry about medical cutbacks, rising rents, and 700

This made walking from the Connelly train station up to the docklands (about 15 minute brisk walk) quite an enjoyable task as I got to walk along the pedestrian zone with statues and nice views over the Liffey river.

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Once there, we met in front of the Grand Canal theater (aka Bord Gais energy theater) where there is an abstract art installation, a small performance area (for musicians in the summer) and plenty of seating to enjoy the water of the harbor.

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The docklands area has been significantly redeveloped in the last 15-20 years, and contains lots of new buildings housing larger businesses like Yahoo, Google, and Air B&B.

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The architecture is quite modern and seems to reflect different themes for the docklands. There is a bridge meant to resemble a harp on its side….

20141207_103747“Harp” Bridge

There is the Convention center that is designed to reflect a “telescope”, and a couple buildings designed to reflect the sails on tall ships or the steam pipes of the old steamers that once docked in the area….

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Convention Center (telescope)

All of this is quite stunning in the sunlight, but as you can see, the swans and other waterbirds – they just aren’t bothered to look about. They simply swim, dive, and eat.

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