Dublin Parks – Page 2

Goth Beastie with Flowers - CrawCrafts Beasties

Blooming Beasties!

Posted on May 4, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Flashback Friday, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

May started this week… and that also heralds the traditional start of summer in Ireland! Now, the weather never feels truly summery until we hit June, but you can’t argue with tradition, can you? And this idea goes way back – the Celtic festival of Beltane falls at around this time each year, signalling that it was time to start moving livestock to their summer pastures. Customs associated with this celebration include variations on the theme of bonfires (lighting them, driving cattle between a pair of them, jumping over them) and decorating homes, trees and even livestock with flowers.

In the name of safety – not even Paddy was up for jumping over a bonfire – we’re going to focus on the second of these. So, bring on the Beastie-ful floral tribute!

Look, here’s Bride Beastie to get us started! The heather flowers complement her bouquet quite nicely, don’t you think?
The flowers in St Stephen’s Green in Dublin are always amazing at this time of year… As this tea-drinking Beastie discovered!Explorer Beastie is also partial to some blooms, when he finds them…
… And there’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying your favourite beverage in the garden on a sunny day. Right, Red Lemonade Beastie?
Even Minibeasties can get a slice of the floral fun – thanks to LucyAnn from LucyAnn & Luna Craft for this pic!
Oh, and we’d better not leave Paddy and Plunkett out!Yikes, this flower fever is contagious! It’s even spread to those Beastie characters who usually see things in black and white…
So now there’s no excuse not to feel nice and summery… Even if you’re in the southern hemisphere! Enjoy the weekend (especially those of you who’ll be getting an extra day thanks to the May bank holiday) and we’ll be back on Tuesday for some fresh Beastie fun!

Cherry Blossom, this season's must-have fashion accessory - CrawCrafts Beasties

Cherry Nice!

Posted on April 18, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie's Dublin, Knitted Beasties

Aaaah, cherry blossom! When you see those trees turned out in their delicate pink and white flowers, it’s usually safe to say that spring has well and truly sprung… Even in Ireland!

In St Stephen’s Green, right in the centre of Dublin, there’s a short walkway by the bandstand that’s lined with cherry trees. It’s one of my favourite places in the city at this time of year, so I decided to take Explorer Beastie out for a stroll there the other day. He seemed quite taken with it, and was happy to pose under the trees for a few photos… Spot the Beastie!
Then he realised that you can have WAY more fun kicking through the fallen flowers, and pretending that they’re pink snow.
Oh, and they make a pretty natty fashion accessory, too…
Very nice. But is this really the best place to view this seasonal spectacle? Of course not! We need to be up higher.
Aaah, that’s much better!
It took more than a little coaxing to get him back down again, but fortunately there were some colourful displays in the flower beds in the centre of the park that needed closer inspection…
…Even if that meant breaking a couple of rules along the way.

Oi! Can’t you read?!
Luckily I was able to scoop him up and sneak him away in my bag before the park attendants came along, but there’s every chance Explorer Beastie is now officially on the run from the law!

We’ll be back with more monster adventures next week – Paddy and Plunkett have been on another expedition, and they’ve sent me some great photos which I can’t wait to share with you! Until then, you can get a second dose of Beastie goodness this week, courtesy of Melissa at Knitting the Stash, who published a really lovely feature about us on her blog over the weekend!
Fellow yarn and fibre addicts will find lots to love in Melissa’s posts – a knitter, spinner, vlogger and occasional sheep farm visitor, there’s really nothing this lady can’t turn her hand to! Be sure to check out Knitting the Stash if you haven’t already, and thanks again to Melissa for letting us join the party!

Spring Has Sprung in Dublin…

Posted on March 11, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie's Dublin

…So Explorer Beastie and I could hardly wait to get outside and enjoy some unexpected sun yesterday afternoon! And with St Patrick’s Day coming up next week, where better to hang out than in St Patrick’s Park? The park is right beside St Patrick’s Cathedral, so you really can’t miss it… The Cathedral’s tall spire dominates the skyline for miles around!
And once you get up close, it’s really striking.
The site of the Cathedral was chosen because St Patrick is said to have baptised people into Christianity here, back in 450AD. There has been a church dedicated to him in this area for more than a thousand years – its first documented mention was in 890! Although it has grown and changed a lot since then, most of what you see here today was built between 1220-60. The exterior is covered in interesting little details, for anyone with the time to take a closer look…
…Although only one of us was small enough to be able to sneak in for a full investigation!Once I’d managed to persuade Explorer Beastie to rejoin me on the right side of the fence, he had a great time tearing around the park. There were trees to climb…
… Steps to scale…
…And of course, he had to take a look at the fountain in the centre of the park!
They’ve also been busy filling the flowerbeds with brightly-coloured plants for Spring, as you can see.

“Check these out – they’re the same colours as me!”
All this left him pretty tuckered out, so we sat on one of the benches for a while and watched the world go by…
…Before heading off into the sunset!
If you should find yourself in Dublin, St Patrick’s Cathedral and Park are open year-round (although the park does close earlier in the winter). A visit to the Cathedral will set you back €6 (€5 for OAPs and students)… but access to the park is totally free! Although it’s a popular tourist spot, many locals also use the park as a place to relax, walk their dogs or enjoy a bit of greenery on their way to work.

And once you’re there, you’re well on your way to exploring the lesser-travelled paths of Dublin 8… But we’ll save that for another day!

Do any of you have a favourite local park? Let us know in the comments!

A Cheerful Start To The New Year…

Posted on January 5, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Yippeeeeee! It’s new Beastie time! And since I’m sure I’m not the only one who is still trying to get used to the transition from the old year to the new (anyone else out there steadfastly continuing to write 2015 dates on things? Because I am), who better to sweep away the clinging cobwebs of last year than…

GRIM REAPER BEASTIE!

With his sweet smile, woolly paws and little monster ears poking out through the hood of his robe, he is possibly the least grim Grim Reaper ever!
He’ll use his felt scythe to clear away the clutter of the year that was, and make space for the new, better year that will be. Oh, and his felt hourglass will help him keep an eye on the time for us all, too.

He can also embrace a more casual look, if it’s called for…

…But it’s getting colder outside, so he might be better off leaving his hood up, at least for the moment.

Before Grim Reaper Beastie headed off to his new home in Germany, I took him out for a walk in one of my favourite Dublin parks. Iveagh Gardens is right in the city centre, but with its high walls and hidden entrances, you really need to know where to look if you want to find it! The crumbling statues and stonework give it a real “Secret Garden” feel…

…While the evergreen-shaded pathways make for some great spooky photos!

And what’s that down there?

Yes, it’s a miniature hedge maze! The sundial at the centre is supposed to be very accurate – unfortunately a sundial in Ireland isn’t really the best way to keep time!

As the winter daylight faded, it was time to head back to Beastie Towers, and ready Grim Reaper Beastie for his onward journey. Apparently he’s settling in well in his new home!

More new Beasties next week… until then I’m going to sit down and practice writing “2016” on everything. I’m sure I’ll get the message by February…

PS Drop in again on Friday for our first “Explorer Beastie’s Dublin” post! I’m not sure where we’re going yet, but he’s assured me he has a plan!

Beasties in a Giant Bird's Nest - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on November 24, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Well, that photo might be a slight exaggeration. But even so, after a surprisingly warm start to November, it’s got mighty chilly here in Dublin lately!

And despite promises of a clear, bright day on Friday, low temperatures and teeming rain did temporarily stop play when Sweetheart Beastie, Christmas Gift Beastie and I headed out for another photoshoot with Eirin Torgersen! Anyone who has spent any time here ever will know that weather forecasting in Ireland is never an exact science, and at least it gave us an excuse to seek shelter in the Natural History Museum for a few minutes until it dried up a bit outside. Just enough time for the Beasties to make a new friend!

Once the sun came out again, we headed across the road to Merrion Square, which I’ve been meaning to use for Beastie photos for ages!

And it seems like there have been some changes since I last stopped in myself – a giant bird has taken up residence, for starters…

The Beasties were having a great time hanging out in this cosy nest, until I pointed out that each egg was bigger than both of them put together…

“Gaaaaaah! Wait for me!”

Where’s Sweetheart Beastie run off to?

Ah, there she is. But what’s she sitting on?

Ha! Looks like a giant shoe. But where’s the…

GIIIIAAAAAAANT! Eeeeeeeek!

First rain, now giants… will I EVER get any pictures taken?!

Luckily Beasties are expert escape artists…

…And charming enough to win over just about anybody!

But we needn’t have worried. Turns out giants are victims of bad press – this one was a real softie, and he even agreed to let his new Beastie pals dance around on his luxuriant eyebrows for these pictures!

And it’s not just giants who live in Merrion Square – the park has one very famous resident, who we went to visit next!

No, not her! Although if anyone was in need of some winter woolies that day…

Anyway, can anyone guess who this rather dapper foot belongs to?

If you guessed Oscar Wilde, then award yourself a first-edition signed copy of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”! This characterful sculpture lives on the north corner of the park, and from where he sits, he can look out into the street and (I like to imagine) make witty comments about the people who pass by.

I wonder what he’d have to say about the Beasties’ antics…

After that, there was just time to call in at the memorial to Dermot Morgan (of “Father Ted” fame)…

…Before we headed off inside to warm up. Brrrrr!

The Beasties and I will be back for more monster fun next Tuesday… December is going to be a busy month, so things are going to be a little quieter on the BeastieBlog for the next few weeks! If you need an extra Beastie fix in the meantime, be sure to check out Eirin’s photos from our visit to Merrion Square!

See you soon!

Hurling Beastie's Hurl - CrawCrafts Beasties

Last Days of Summer…

Posted on August 25, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Hey there, sports fans! It’s new Beastie time again!

And since this is the last full week of August – and, in my mind, the end of the summer – I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to one last Summer Barróg Beastie before we head into the autumn. So, without further ado, let me present – Hurling Beastie!

I have to confess to having had very little contact with Gaelic games and the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) before I moved across the border to Dublin. I suppose my profound lack of interest in any kind of sport (Irish or otherwise) probably didn’t help matters. But I do remember the first time I saw Gaelic football and hurling on TV… I was watching the news on the ancient 1980s TV I had in my college dorm room, and I didn’t get a chance to switch it off before they moved on to the sports. The football coverage was on first, and what made me stop and watch open-mouthed was the extent to which the players seemed, to my very untrained eyes, to be just whaling on each other. Then they moved on to talk about the day’s hurling, which was the same story… but this time the players had weapons!
I was transfixed – this seemed so much more fun than regular football, where the players fall over clutching their knees and wincing if someone so much as looks at them, or the lacklustre hockey and netball I was made to play in school.

So when I was trying to think up a sporty-themed summer Beastie with an Irish twist, I just had to have a go at making a hurling player. In some of the larger parks in Dublin (like the massive Phoenix Park, for example), a sunny day will see kids taking their hurls (that’s the stick, traditionally made from ash wood) and sliotars (the hard little ball) out for a knock-about, to hone their skills. And it is a skilful game… you can hit the ball on the ground or in the air, and although the rules allow the ball to be carried over short (4 paces, officially) distances, most players choose to keep possession by balancing it on the end of their hurl and running with it. Given the trouble I had with the egg and spoon race in primary school, this kind of ability is pretty much superhuman in my book… and don’t even get me started on the goalies, whose job it is to stop the rock-hard, speeding sliotar and prevent their opponents from scoring. They must have nerves of steel!

Anyway, having kitted Hurling Beastie out with his hurl and sliotar…

It was time to let him outside to play!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before he lost his ball in the long grass!

Ooooops! Something tells me he has a long afternoon of searching ahead… I’ll let you know how he gets on!

In the meantime, if any of you would like to find out more about Gaelic games, you can check out the GAA’s official website here!

A Monster Tour of Dublin

Posted on June 12, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow! It’s been a hectic couple of weeks here at Beastie Towers! Sometimes a project comes along that demands a little extra effort, and that’s why there hasn’t been much activity here on the BeastieBlog lately. I’ll unveil that monster undertaking soon enough, but it seemed a bit much for a Friday… so let’s take a leisurely stroll around Dublin with Tae Beastie instead!

Just over a month ago, I got a request through Etsy for a Beastie with a mug. My tea-loving Barróg Beastie, Tae Beastie, was excited to leave Beastie Towers for pastures new… and when his family-to-be asked for some photos of him in his home town, we were happy to oblige! So here is Tae Beastie’s whistle-stop tour of Dublin, in pictures!

We started off just down the road from Beastie Towers, at the Guinness factory. Guinness is still brewed here on the original site at St James’ Gate, a little west of the city centre, and most days the air in this part of town is filled with the delicious chocolately scent of roasted barley, which gives the beer its dark colour.

As you can see, there’s quite a contrast between the modern high-tech brewery and the older buildings on the site! However, many of the original buildings are still in use – one houses the Storehouse visitor centre, while others have been converted into offices.

After a wander through the lanes and alleys of the old brewery, we started heading for town! There was plenty to see along the way – this part of the city is packed with old churches. I asked Tae Baestie to pose with two of the most well-known… first of all St Audoen’s Church, which was built in 1190 and is the oldest parish church in Dublin (factoids courtesy of Wikipedia). I’ve also heard rumours that it’s haunted!

Next, we passed Christ Church Cathedral, which in Medieval times was right in the very heart of the city.

It’s a fascinating building, with flying buttresses, a crypt and a covered passageway which links the Cathedral to the Synod Hall on the other side of the street. Christ Church stands at the far end of the Temple Bar area, so our next move was to take a stroll through the cobbled back streets!

Temple Bar can be a bit of a tourist trap, but there are a few good pubs around here if you know where to look. I still enjoy an occasional visit to The Porter House or the Palace Bar when I’m in the area. However, most people end up here…

Our walk through Temple Bar brought us out conveniently just in front of Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells. It’s also where I went to university!

This is Front Square, and the archway you can see towards the back of the picture is the main entrance to the College. Outside is one of the busiest roads in the city centre… but once you walk through Front Arch, all the traffic noise just VANISHES. It’s like stepping back in time! Tae Beastie enjoyed posing with the Campanile and this statue of a former Provost, whose expression I just can’t figure out… is he very stern, or does he have a bit of a cheeky glint in his eye?
After that, we made a beeline (or, rather, a Beastieline) for St Stephen’s Green. This park is right in the middle of the south side city centre, and it’s a great place to enjoy the arrival of spring!

Just inside the main entrance at the top of Grafton Street, you’ll find this lovely long avenue of lime trees. I’ll sometimes go out of my way to walk along here, whether it’s to enjoy the shade on a hot summer’s day, or kick through piles of bright yellow heart-shaped leaves in the autumn. Tae Beastie was especially taken with the fresh new foliage… check out those vibrant bright green leaves!
There were also plenty of spring flowers to see…
We managed to get our final pictures just as the sun disappeared behind a cloud, and (luckily) before the rain started. Well, that’s spring in Ireland for you! Later that day, Tae Beastie headed off to his new home in Atlanta, Georgia… let’s hope he’s settling in well in the Peach State!

Nice Day For A Monster Wedding…

Posted on April 15, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Well, it’s been a long old winter… but over the last few weeks, it really has started to feel like spring is on the way! The flowerbeds in the park on my way to work are a riot of colour, there are fresh green leaves on the trees outside my window, and the sun is even daring to peek out from behind the clouds every once in a while!

The arrival of spring also heralds the start of the wedding season… and it looks like this event isn’t limited to Dublin’s human population! A recent burst of sunshine saw me taking a day trip to the National Botanical Gardens just north of the city centre, where I encountered a blushing Beastie bride posing for photos among the flowers!

I first found her standing in a patch of heather. The tiny purple and white flowers really work well with her delicate pale blue skin tone, don’t you think?

We also took a picture at the picturesque Beastie-sized waterfall that flows through the rockery and Japanese-style garden!
And of course, it’s not a proper springtime photoshoot without a host of golden daffodils in there somewhere, so…

After that, we took a stroll through the crocuses in search of more photo opportunities inside the glasshouses… the one you can see in the background of this picture is the Palm House, which is the largest in the gardens. It’s full of awesome tropical plants, such as coffee, banana trees and enormous bamboo canes!

But Bride Beastie preferred something a little less exotic as a backdrop, so we set her up against these richly-coloured cyclamens instead.

It also turned out to be a prime location for some closeups of her elegant wedding hairdo, veil and bouquet!
After all that, I figured it was time to let her get back to her wedding party! Hopefully she’ll keep in touch and send on some photos from her honeymoon…

Viking Beastie has Landed!

Posted on August 13, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Yesterday my wanderings took me along Fishamble Street, in Dublin city centre.

Looks pretty ordinary, doesn’t it? But Fishamble Street has quite the historical backstory! Its origins can be traced back to the 10th century, when it was used by the Vikings as a thoroughfare connecting the riverfront to the main market centre in what is now High Street. In fact, its distinctive curved shape is a deliberate design feature – it’s to make it easier to pull carts up the steep hill!
Fishamble Street’s varied history also includes a spell as a fish market (“Fishamble” is a running-together of “fish shambles”, “shambles” being an old word for open-air meat markets and slaughterhouses) and it was the site of the first ever performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in 1742. However, I will always associate this street with the people who put it there in the first place. The majority of the Viking artefacts currently on display in the National Museum of Ireland were found right here in Fishamble Street – they were excavated when Dublin City Council built their civic offices here in the 1970s. If you know where to look, you’ll see plaques in the pavement showing which items were found there.

So, given all that history, I was hardly surprised when I came across a very confused Viking Beastie. He was all at sea amongst the trappings of 21st century Dublin.

And you can’t blame him. I’m sure the view has changed a bit since the Vikings first sailed up the Liffey more than a thousand years ago!

Fortunately, I knew a place where he’d feel right at home. We walked around the side of Christ Church Cathedral…

…To Dublinia, where you can experience life in Viking Dublin for yourself!

We even found a longship! Feeling a little more at ease, Viking Beastie agreed to come back to Beastie Towers for a cup of tea. And on the way there…

What’s that? A longship… in the PARK?

Nope, just a children’s playground. All the same, the apparently thriving Viking community in modern-day Dublin has helped this Beastie to feel right at home! I think he’s going to stick around for a while!

Goth Beastie

Posted on January 21, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Meet the first of my new Beasties – Goth Beastie!

Black hair, black dress, black makeup – and just to add a little colour, a bunch of black roses. I also had a heap of fun putting an appropriate amount of metalwork in her ears… you can just about see the earrings in this closeup!

My local area provided me with the perfect backdrop for these photos – St Kevin’s Park, which was originally the site of St Kevin’s Church. The church’s graveyard was cleared in the 1960s, and many of the headstones were moved and propped up against the walls. The ruined shell of the old church still stands in the middle of the park, making it an incredibly sinister place to enjoy an alfresco lunch, but an ideal hangout for Goth Beastie.

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