As a political science major who is relatively unenthused by the state of the cutthroat nature of politics in the United States and abroad, I nonetheless was intrigued by the possibility of touring the halls of the Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann with the former Taoiseach of Ireland Michael Martin. To meet a former world leader and be in Martin's mere presence would have been a thrill in itself, but it did not come to be. Lucky for us, we got the next best thing in a detailed description of the history of the Oireachtas and the former estate itself from an usher of the grounds.
The transition from "home of a parliamentarian to home of a parliament" was an interesting notion, becoming the home of the Oireachtas over a century after the aristocratic Fitzgerald family sold the estate. I especially found it interesting that at the time of the estate's construction, the south side of Dublin had been considered the rougher, less appealing section of the city; the construction of the estate in the south side was believed to be intentional in hopes of other uber-wealthy, aristocratic families following suit and constructing their homes in the area (in the long run this has appeared to be a decent measure of gentrification to beautify the then-decrepit south side of Dublin).
Move-in day! The former home of the Fitzgerald aristocrats now acts as the home of the Irish national government itself and boasts an array of history and luxury.
Given the relatively small size of the Republic of Ireland (smaller than Wisconsin in both size and population), the need for an extended, vast seat of government is not necessary, so the construction of a building like the United States Capitol would be extraneous for the average Irish taxpayer. Nonetheless, the Oireachtas meets in an extravagant building that encapsulates the size and intimacy of the Irish people. With only 160 members of the Dail Eireann and 60 members of the ceremonial Seanad, the legislative branch of the Oireachtas is relatively small, but can be intensive -- the majority coalition has only a one seat advantage over the opposition if I understand Irish politics on its facade correctly. The chambers of the Dail and Seanad were interesting to stumble into, with the Dail -- at the timing of our visit to the public gallery -- featuring a member of the Dail giving a pragmatic speech in support of Irish-English relations and the Good Friday Agreement signed in 1998 to quell the Troubles being much in contrast to the lifeless chambers of the Seanad. In the Seanad, I was reminded of the utter uselessness of the branch and the oddity of having Irish universities appoint people to the Seanad, which has always seemed like an elitist vision of having the top universities in the Republic of Ireland have legislative power over any other universities that would not be deemed as prestigious. The first-hand account of the speech in the Dail, on the other hand, seemed to conduct a direct connection to class teachings on the Troubles and how it connects to contemporary Irish-English relations. While I don't have much skin in the game when it comes to the geopolitical tensions of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, it is nice from a globalist standpoint to see two foreign rivals appearing to gradually bury the hatchet of past misgivings and work together to establish newfound international relations.
The former room of the Cabinet of Ireland with one of the many extravagant chandeliers dotted throughout the Leinster House.
A brief tour of the Oireachtas is certainly not enough to understand the legislative branch and its influence on the century of history of the Republic of Ireland, but seeing many of the former Taoiseach's ministerial portraits and the paintings of many (if not all) of the women who have served in some role in the Oireachtas was enough for myself to understand the bigger picture on hand that expresses how much politics and government means to the people of Ireland today. Seeing the leaders who were privileged to lead their home country who they have fought for legislatively and governmentally is essential in dictating how vital the position of Taoiseach is to the Republic; the women depicted in the frequent paintings peppered throughout the Leinster House implicitly defined the hurdles that Irish women have had to jump over to get a seat in the Oireachtas to make the legislature look more like Ireland and demand proper change for Irish citizens.
It wouldn't be a day in Dublin without pouring a pint down your throat in at least one of the many pubs in Dublin proper (I swear I don't drink this much back in Wisconsin). While I myself forget the name of the establishment, frequent collaborator William and I pre-gamed the epic rager at the grounds of the Oireachtas with some grub and bubs -- I myself downed two pints of Franciscan Well's Chieftain IPA (thumbs up for this IPA connoisseur) and a club sandwich and William downed two pints of Guinness and a customary fish and chips. I enjoyed the environment and the food, which has been the same for most Irish pubs that have been blessed with the visits of famed Americans William Schauberger and Ethan Francois.
The inviting interior of the bar-whose-name-I-forgot featured solid food, solid beer, and even more solid vibes.
The eventful day in Dublin was an effective fusion of two of Ireland's most famed institutions in alcohol consumption and the Irish national government. The vital tidbits that I can take from this exciting day largely concern the visit to the seat of the Oireachtas, namely with the Irish gentleman who gave a speech on Irish-English relations relative to the Good Friday Agreement, the featured artwork of the former Taoiseaches of Ireland and Irish women who have served in the Oireachtas, as well as the transition of the Leinster House from private residence to residence of the Irish national government and the subsequent economic development of Dublin's south side. The experience captured incredible lessons to be learned on the state of Irish politics and its physical form in the Leinster House, which is vital for my development as a political science major and as a man concerned with the world and its political inclinations and insights.
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