Stupefaction (n) ~ overwhelming amazement.
I departed the Clarence Hotel in Dublin expecting to follow my tourism guide to explore downtown. Little did I know that I was about to stumble upon the happiest coincidence of all my travels. I was reading plaques in Dublin Castle when I heard a man with an Irish accent over my shoulder, “Hello, would you like a free tour of Dublin?” My first inclination was to pull my purse closer, decline, and walk off, but I decided to listen. I’d heard people were just nicer in Ireland. Turns out, they are.
Gerard (Gerry) Scallan is an incredibly kind, inspirational and knowledgeable Irishman, and this story is about him.
He came from a large family and not only had 9 siblings, but also a twin sister (pictured). This is a very special picture because it’s his only one as a baby. Not many people had a camera or the money for pictures 64 years ago. He was lucky enough to have a picture taken in a studio since he had a twin. Today, one of his joys in meeting tourists is keeping in touch and he often receives life updates and baby pictures over social media. “I love keeping in touch, especially in these strange times. Thankfully it’s very rare when the whole world is affected by the same disaster. I am talking to people all over the world about how they are coping. I know we see the news… but it’s a lot different when you can get the point of view from people actually living through this pandemic. My thoughts, love, and prayers go out to everyone affected by the virus, especially those who lost loved ones. It’s beyond sad.”
Gerry’s tour guide career began after he retired from 38 years of work for the Department of Finance in Ireland, in 2012. He only spent several months truly retired. His active mind quickly tired of doing nothing, and so he decided to go into town and offer his time to tourists. Turns out Ireland has a tradition of note here: If you meet someone who is not sure how to navigate to their destination, you should take them, even if it leads you in the opposite direction of your intended path. Gerry took this tradition one step further and spent time sharing Dublin’s history while he guided people. While to me or you, this likely sounds a bit too intensive for volunteer work, he shared why he does it, “I don’t consider it (showing people sites in Dublin) a big deal. I know from their responses that everyone is so appreciative. It’s a good feeling for me.”
Despite his extensive knowledge of Dublin, his favorite spot to share with tourists is actually north of the city. Newgrange is a monument over 5,000 years old, making it a thousand years older than the pyramids and 1,500 years older than Stonehenge. The monument is both a tomb and a solar calendar. On the 21st of December, the winter solstice sun shines through a light box over the main entrance. The sunbeam follows the main passageway to an ornamented stone where bones of ancient ancestors were held. Not far from this landmark is another historically significant sight to see.
The Hill of Tara is where high kings were crowned in ancient times. Each king was crowned in his own kingdom, and four provincial kings were crowned in their provincial capitals. However, the high king Ard Ri was crowned at the Hill of Tara. The hill has a beautiful view of 23 of the 32 counties of Ireland. The last high king crowned here was King Brian Boru, born in 940. He was crowned in 1002 and was killed on good Friday in 1014 in the battle of Clontarf. In that battle he chased the Vikings from Munster, in the south, to Leinster, in the East. The decisive battle took place in Dublin’s Clontarf, a city suburb which was just fields and beachfront back then. King Boru survived the battle, but retired to his tent to pray after their victory was assured. A man named Brodar saw the King’s standard (a coat of arms that the monarch travels with) flying outside his tent, and slashed his way into the tent to behead the king. While his guard heard the skirmish, they were too late to save King Boru.
If you’re wondering why Ireland no longer has a King, it turns out the high kingship was not a hereditary title. Ireland was a warrior nation and a new high king was chosen on their ability to win battles. King Boru’s death caused so much confusion that despite having a few kings after him, none were notable, and the kingship is viewed as ending with him. The later king’s power couldn’t come near the 142 high kings before King Boru was killed in 1014. When asked about it Gerry mentioned, “I am very happy we don’t have kings today” and I’m thinking others in Ireland mirror his sentiment.
While the Hill of Tara is his favorite spot, I met him at Dublin Castle, where it turns out new history was recently discovered. The garden of Dublin Castle was built by King John of England in 1204 and it’s how Dublin was named. Under the grass you see today is a river, but in ancient times this was above ground. The water was a blackish brown color and the locals called it Dubh Linn, meaning “black pool” in English. The pool was thought to be very small, however there were also stories of over 200 Viking ships being moored there. Due to this, all new buildings/excavations in Dublin are required to have an on-site archaeologist in case something of interest pops up and construction ought to be ceased. Last February, during the construction of a building just outside of the castle, an old church, dated back to ancient times was found. Two ancient bodies were found with it. Apologies for the graphics here, but this tidbit is interesting. The bodies had their feet removed and placed behind their ears as a punishment. At the time, that punishment was usually reserved for those who insulted a king or lord. While excavating the area, they finally found evidence that the pool extended about 150 yards from the castle which would explain the old stories of 200 Viking ships fitting into its waters. History is still being discovered, and that is only one part of what Gerry finds fascinating about his work.
While he loves sharing history with tourists, his “favorite part is giving so much joy to people, small groups, and occasionally families. I meet people along the way who join for whatever time they have and usually the groups are only two to three people. We get to talk, so I get to hear people’s stories and of course I take pictures for people. It’s a great privilege to know so many people.” Turns out that Gerry has met over 80,000 people from over 160 countries in his time serving as a volunteer tour guide. He sadly hasn’t done a guided tour since March 2020 due to the pandemic and is hoping to get back to it once it is safe to do so.
When asked how he knows so much about Ireland, he wisely responded, “Well, Sunny, I am 1000 years old and that’s how I know so much!” In reality, Gerry has an amazing passion for history and Ireland. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit, I hope you can get in touch and learn 1000s more facts that I could ever include in this post (contact information can be provided upon request). Keep an eye out for this national gem of a man (pictured).
