I’ve been saving this one!  This is going to be one of the greatest parts of the tour and I can hardly wait!  I have some friends in Dublin who have graciously said that their house could be part of my photography tour.  It is the most interesting house I’ve ever been in.  Hands down.  I love it so much.  There is a surprise and a million stories waiting around every corner.  It’s a Georgian House in City Center originally built for an Earl.  My friends bought it 30+ years ago when it was broken up into 11 dilapidated tenement houses and have been continually restoring it since then.  But what I love is that they’ve kept the history of the tenements in different ways throughout the house as well.  They didn’t just erase that part of the home’s history.   I could go on and on about this but want to just get to the photos –

Every painting or piece of art has a great story behind it.  The above bust is of Pope the ___ (can’t remember which one) who was the Pope who was at Napoleon’s coronation – actually, he was kidnapped by Napoleon and forced to preform the coronation.  See what I mean?!  Not only is the house itself interesting, the art that they collect has such rich history as well.  Such as the painting below which I think they said was of Irish Nobility just before all the jewels he is wearing in that photo were stolen. More to the story after the photo –

Another man was heard quoted that he was going to steal the jewels just before they were stolen.  They also have a painting of that man who my friends hope to uncover someday as a thief of Ireland’s crowned jewels!  I’m  sorry, it’s just too cool that they have all this art!

The staircase is another great story.  It was pulled out of a skip (dumpster).  When they got the house the original staircase was gone and a floor was in it’s place to make room for another apartment.  They pulled out the floor and put in the grand “new” staircase restoring the house back to it’s original floor plan.

And just a couple more fun ones –

I love that last quote written on their wall.  Beyond the Casey’s house, they themselves are warm and wonderful people.  I’m so excited those of you on the tour who get to meet them.  You are in for a treat to last a lifetime!