New Years Eve

 On New Years Eve, mom and I bought tickets to go see the Irish Gospel Choir sing at Christ Church Cathedral. This is an annual event followed by the ringing of the bells, a Dublin New Years Tradition and we got to be a part of it all. 

The church itself is gorgeous on the inside. It's haunting and Gothic at night and inspires the imagination. Although St. Patrick is lauded as the Cathedral to visit and one of the most famous on Irish soil, I preferred the more simplistic but no less beautiful architecture of Christ Church and mom and I both agreed that it was the absolute perfect spot to ring in 2012.

  

After the Gospel Choir were finished, ticket holders who had payed the extra 10 euro were invited down into the crypt of the church to toast with champagne. Mom and I didn't pay the extra but did have to use the washroom which just happened to be downstairs in the crypt. We may or may not have been offered a flute and may or may not have accepted. 

Either way, the best part for me was learning that scenes from The Tudors were shot in and around the church as well as in the crypt. When filming wrapped on the show the costume designers gifted the church with costumes worn by Henry VIII as well as Cardinal Wolsey and a few of Henry's Queen's. 

I desperately wanted to hold one...or take it home with me :)

 The king himself, as played on TV by Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. 

 Off with her head!

 Friendly Irish Garda - seriously, people were walking around with open bottles of alcohol and smoking and such and taking pictures with the Garda. It's actually quite well known that the Garda carry the best conversation! And even if they ticket you, at least you made a new friend and had fun while getting in trouble. 

 

 Happy New Year Dublin!

 The streets were packed when the bells were ringing and it was actually so nice to see that everyone, no matter if they were teens, and older couple, young families or friends stumbling out from a nearby pub, people raced over to hear the bells. What a lovely tradition and just a great atmosphere to be wrapped in!

The first video was me trying to get the bells when it struck midnight. Unfortunately it cut off before mom and I could say Happy New Year! You just get my weird squawk!

The second video is a short snippet of the bells.