The Coastal Village of Howth

Ireland's Eye

The coastal village of Howth is a short train ride from Dublin yet a world away. This is the getaway of choice to rejuvenate and clear the air, so to speak.

Ruins of St. Mary's Abbey

The first church on this site was established in 1042 by the Viking King, Sitric. It was replaced by St. Mary's Abbey in 1235. The Abbey was rebuilt in the 14th century and renovated several times through the 16th century. The ruins date from the 15th and 16th centuries. The congregation moved to another church around 1630 when the Abbey deteriorated and was left to languish.

Howth Harbor and Marina

The harbor is divided in two sections - one for fishing boats and sightseeing ferries and another for pleasure crafts. There is a walking trail that runs through the park from West Pier to East Pier and beyond to the Howth Harbor Lighthouse. The island of Ireland's Eye is visible in the distance. It can be reached by taking a ferry from West Pier.

West Pier

Just down the street from the train station is West Pier where restaurants and fish markets are door to door all the way to the bay. There are so many restaurants to choose from that I bet Dubliners come to Howth just to eat lunch or celebrate a special occasion. And the selections are fresh off the boat.

Menu at Beshoffs

I was torn between crab cakes and mackerel (which is on the regular menu). After consulting with the waitress, I chose the latter and and also ordered a selection of freshly baked bread. All that food and a soda for less than 20€. Can't wait to try the crab cakes.

How to get there:

Take the DART train from Connolly Station to Howth. The rail line forks so make sure that you are taking the line that ends in Howth. The train fare is 3.00€ each way. You can buy tickets from automatic machines or from station ticket agents.

Beshoffs is on 17/18 West Pier. They also have a fish market and a café adjoining the restaurant.

Bring a windblower as it can be nippy walking by the pier. It's always a good idea to bring a jacket when planning a hike in Howth.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog