DUBLIN - Ireland 2014 - page 144

pression of Irish identity. There was a time when the Irish were not allowed to be
members of the GAA if they also belonged to a cricket club (a British game).
In 1921, during the War of Independence, Michael Collins (leader of the early
IRA, the man who practically invented urban guerrilla warfare) orchestrated the
simultaneous assassination of a dozen British intelligence agents around Dublin in a
single morning. The same day, the Black and Tans retaliated. These grizzled British
WWI veterans, clad in black police coats and tan surplus army pants, had been sent
to Ireland to stamp out the rebels. Knowing Croke Park would be full of Irish Na-
tionalists, they entered the packed stadium during a Gaelic football match and fired
into the stands, killing 13 spectators as well as a Tipperary player. It was Ireland's
first Bloody Sunday, a tragedy that would be repeated 51 years later in Derry.
Today Croke Park's “Hill 16” grandstands are built on rubble dumped here after
the 1916 Uprising; it's literally sacred ground. And the Hogan stands are named
after the murdered player from Tipperary. Queen Elizabeth II visited the stadium
during her historic visit in 2011. Her warm interest in the stadium and in the institu-
tion of the GAA did much to heal old wounds.
Shopping in Dublin
Shops are open roughly Monday-Saturday 9:00-18:00 and until 20:00 on Thursday. Hours
are shorter on Sunday (if they're open at all). Good shopping areas include:
• Grafton Street, with its neighboring streets and arcades (such as the fun Great Ge-
orge's Arcade between Great George's and Drury Streets), and nearby shopping centers
(Powerscourt Townhouse and St. Stephen's Green). Francis Street creaks with antiques.
• Henry Street, home to Dublin's top department stores (pedestrian-only, off
O'Connell Street).
• Nassau Street, lining Trinity College, with the popular Kilkenny department store,
the Irish Music store, and lots of touristy shops.
• Temple Bar, worth a browse any day for its art, jewelry, New Age paraphernalia,
books, music (try Claddagh Records—see here ), and gift shops. On Saturdays at Temple
Bar's Meeting House Square, it's food in the morning (from 9:00) and books in the after-
noon (until 18:00).
• Millennium Walk, a trendy lane stretching two blocks north from the River Liffey to
AbbeyStreet.It'sfilledwithhiprestaurants,shops,andcoffeebars.It'seasytomiss—look
for the south entry at the pedestrian Millennium Bridge, or the north entry at Jervis Street
LUAS stop.