The Trail

It measures 49m width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length. During the 17th century, it was a narrow street known as Drogheda Street (named after Henry Moore, Earl of Drogheda). It was widened in the late 1700s and renamed Sackville Street named after Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. until 1924, when it was renamed in honour of Daniel O’Connell, a nationalist leader of the early 19th century, whose statue stands at the lower end of the street, facing O’Connell Bridge.

As we make our way towards Trinity College we will pass by the James Joyce Statue and alongside the River Liffey. Here we will sing ‘The Ferryman’ a monologue by a former pilot of a ferry on the river to his wife.

The Bandwagon takes us by an oasis of calm in the city of Dublin, St. Stephens Green. This is a popular spot to sit back, have a picnic and watch the world go by.

The earliest manuscript dates Christchurch Cathedral to its present location around 1030. In 1742 the cathedral choir together with the choir of St Patrick’s cathedral sang at the world premiere of Handel’s Messiah in nearby Fishamble Street

We make our way into the history Liberties area which houses five of Dublin’s top tourist attractions. It is home to the famous Guinness Brewery. With over 1.2 million visitors per year it is one of Ireland’s most famous tourist spots and you can have a pint of the black stuff while you are there. King Henry II granted to the Augustinian monks certain privileges and powers, which enabled them to control trade in the area. They remained connected to the city but had their own laws, hence the term ‘liberties’.

It’s time to pay tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest entrepreneurs with a song called ‘General Guinness’. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin for an annual rent of £45.

The park dates back to 1662, when the Duke of Ormonde fenced off land north of the Liffey and established a Royal Hunting Park for visiting British monarchs. The ornate landscape covers approximately 1,752 acres and was opened to the public in 1747. The park is home to half the mammal species found in Ireland. It also houses Dublin Zoo, one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions with more than 700 animals and tropical birds from around the world. It was founded in 1830 and opened to the public on 1 September 1831, with animals from the London Society, making it the third oldest zoo in the world.

The Four Courts was built between 1796 and 1802 by the architect James Gandon, who also designed the Custom House. The Four Courts and surrounding areas were held by Commandant Edward Daly’s 1st Battalion during the Easter Rising in 1916. Some of the most intense fighting of Easter Week took place in the Church Street, North King Street and North Brunswick Street area.