The Liberties Area of Dublin
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’.
A welcome rendition of Biddy Mulligan the Pride of the Coombe reminds us of the Dublin street-sellers that maintain a presence in the Liberties to this day. This song was written by Seamus Kavanagh in the 1930’s and made famous by Irish actor and comedian Jimmy O’Dea.