Christmas of 2015 we took an impromptu trip to the beautiful land of Ireland. Our journey began in Dublin and stayed at the Westbury hotel centrally located in town surrounded by restaurants, cafe's shops, and pubs. The spirit of Christmas was so prevalent and festive making Grafton Street a place to be in during the holidays.
The beautiful iconic churches were a sight to see! The gorgeous stained glass and tile floors with all the design and detail is a must-see especially.
We later ventured to discover the antique sites of New grange a 5200-year old a Neolithic Stone Age monument in the Boyne Valley seemingly built by stone-age farmers as an ancient temple. A place of spiritual, religious, astrological and ceremonial importance; also classified as a passage tomb. At the entrance chamber you can see the tri-spiral design carved into a granite stone. Known to be a famous Irish megalithic symbol. A symbol that inspired one of the designs in my latest collection named Celtic Green for our custom bedding pieces.
Another monument that was inspiring was the beautiful historic Hill of Tara. Known as royal, sacred and Celtic place where the coronation stone of destiny (the Lia fail) has rested. A place where the most powerful of Irish kings held their most important events. Home of the gods and an entrance place to the other-world with everlasting joy and youth. Tara is one of the largest landscapes of Celtic monuments in Europe. A place the original settlers going back 6000 years, the Celts and anyone who visits Tara will find it to be an extraordinary special site.
The highlight, was the National Museum of Ireland. A Victorian Palladian style with neoclassic influences can be seen[SW1] in the grand entrance domed rotunda modeled after the pantheon in Rome. The marble mosaic floors showing a circular of all 12 zodiac signs is magical!
Also worth noting the iconic Waterford Crystal Company started in none other than Ireland in 1783.Today it's known to be one of the finest crystal manufacturers in the world. And as seen below, are some beautiful pieces of Waterford Crystal that I couldn't walk by without capturing.
Ireland proved to be one of the most inspiring places I have visited with a rich history of the ancient settlers and the Celts that followed. A beautiful majestic country that has so much to offer culturally and we look forward to returning soon.
