Dublin never struggled to inSpire\u2026<\/p>\n
I arrived at Dublin airport at around 11am on Monday morning. Appreciate that it was actually 6am back home and I was lucky if I got an hour of sleep during the 10 hours on the way over. Upon arrival I could only think of sleeping but my travel directors wouldn\u2019t hear of it. As soon as I put my bags were in my room our welcoming party rushed us into an orientation.<\/p>\n
The students I was traveling with congregated outside the apartments. We went through the ritual orientation that barely informed us of anything, but it did the service of covering the host company\u2019s ass. We were designated a generous hour to get our affairs in order and we were on our way\u2026 once again. Following the instructions we were given, we made a \u201cquick right out of the gate and sort of a sharp left\u201d which ran us into Henry Street.<\/p>\n
Dublin was nice enough. It was a cute city but it failed to impress me at first sight. We made a right onto O\u2019Connell and I was so deep in my state of dense delirium that I failed to even notice the 400 foot tall pillar that was standing right in front of me.<\/p>\n
The spire in Dublin has the official title of \u201cThe Monument of Light\u201d and is the tallest sculpture in the world. The exterior is coated in a shiny silver metallic. At the base of the statue is one of its most unique features. The contractor took a core sample of the earth where the spire would stand and cut the geological pattern into the three meter base of the sculpture. The spire actually replaced the \u201cNelson\u2019s Pillar\u201d which was destroyed in 1966 by an IRA bombing. The IRA was a paramilitary group that opposed the British influence. They destroyed the monument because of its symbolic representation of British power over the Irish.<\/p>\n
After getting over my feelings of embarrassment for having missed a giant monument right in front of me, I couldn\u2019t help but wonder how and why I\u2019d never known that this piece of art existed. I always think of the United States as having a strong grasp on world culture but this was evidence that growing up in a particular geographical location had little to do with my knowledge of international monuments. This was a truly amazing sight and I even dropped my jaw a bit in awe.<\/p>\n
The spire is a unique and valuable contribution to the city of Dublin. Being right in the middle of the city gives everyone the opportunity to see it and is an accurate representation of the city\u2019s grand mentality. As I lost sight of the spire on my walk up the street, I knew that Dublin had only started to show me the mystique that she had hiding in her alleys. The next few weeks of my visit would prove to be eventful and my expectations would be exceeded.<\/p>\n
Dublin never struggled to inSpire\u2026 I arrived at Dublin airport at around 11am on Monday morning. Appreciate that it was actually 6am back home and I was lucky if I got an hour of sleep during the 10 hours on … Continue reading ![\"OLYMPUS](\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/dublincultureblog\/files\/2013\/06\/dublinspire.jpg\")
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