Dame Street

Some parts of Dublin are so beautiful and yet we just don't see them. Maybe we're busy going from A to B? Or the shops at the ground floor are pretty nondescript. Or there are so many buses going by that you can't actually see the other side of the road. Or so many people waiting at bus-stops that there is nowhere for you to pause and appreciate the beauty. That's exactly what it's like on Dame Street and College Green. All of it. And the noise makes it hard to enjoy it, particularly if you have sensory sensitivity issues.

And then something happens. Like a major redevelopment of an ugly plaza. And all of a sudden, you have space to step back from the road, you even have a seat by a tree. Or a new café opens. And yes, it's Krispy Kreme, and donuts are not my thing. But it was a perfect location to observe the life of the city zooming back and forth, while I had a warm spot and a table to put my sketchbook on while I painted.

And I wonder why this street is not pedestrianised. So we can all enjoy the beautiful architecture, and ponder at its history.

I read somewhere that Dame Street used to be called Dam Street, and there was water mills at the front of what is now Trinity College. I must find out more about this. But one thing is for sure - at one point in its history, it was the premium street in Dublin, where all the wealth was gathered, leading to Dublin Castle, home to the viceroy while Ireland was a British colony. And now we get to enjoy the beauty that's been left behind!