It does not get much better than free access to a museum, and I really enjoyed all that The Hugh Laney had to offer. This art museum was the perfect size to wander around, but still find something new around every corner. Interactive art pieces were a consistent part of the viewer experience, particularly one titled “Mirrors.” My favorite artist, however, was a man named Harry Clarke who is a well known stained glass designer of Ireland. He had a very small exhibit that consisted of a dark room near the entrance, it did not appear like much on first glance. Once you walked inside, though, you are surrounded by brightly lit and intricately designed pieces of art. The details of each piece are hard to capture at first glance so I found myself spending majority of my time studying the complexity of his work.

We were lucky the day turned quickly from rain to shine and remained that way for the remainder of our evening. When I wandered up the highest floor they grant visitors access to, there was an incredible view of The Garden of Remembrance. I felt that the drastic change of weather represented what the Garden stands for to this day. Although Irish history came from a gray, dreary and downright negative space they were able to rise out of it. Even though lives were lost, they are not forgotten and the sun will shine again as it did yesterday.