Seven Things You May Not Have Known About… Dublin City

There are so many things that we encounter on an almost daily basis that we never stop to think about some of the more interesting facts about them. From our favourite movies to food and makeup, we will attempt to bring you some random information that you will most definitely be able to use as a future party trick. 1. Templebar is not named so for the bars! Templebar was actually named after Sir William Temple who lived there in the 17th century and despite the fact that bar quickly got added on to the name, bar in Anglo-Saxon is just another word for a gatehouse. 2. The Brazen Head is reportedly the oldest pub in Dublin. There are apparently over 1,000 pubs in Dublin but the oldest among them is the Brazen Head. There are reports that a pub was based on the site from about 1198 which was originally a coach house. 3. The remains of St. Valentine are in Dublin. Some of St. Valentine’s remains were gifted to Dublin preacher John Spratt following a sermon that went particularly well in Rome in 1835. The remains were put into storage and later were placed in a shrine which now stands in the Carmelite Church on Whitefriar Street. 4. Phoenix Park is the largest park in Europe. We all know that the Phoenix Park is an absolute gem in Dublin but many don't know that it is the largest walled garden in Europe. The street lamps on the roads are still lit by gas. 5. Trinity College is a law unto itself. Apparently,  you can shoot someone and kill them from the top of the bell tower in Trinity on a particular day of the year and not be charged with murder. On top of that, it is illegal for a student to walk through Trinity College without a sword. Unfortunately, it seems this rule has never really been enforced. 6. The Freedom of the City means something really strange. According to the rules of the Freedom of the City, you can graze your sheep for free in St. Stephen's Green. Now, we're pretty sure the only people to try this were Bono and the Edge. We need to go call Brian O'Driscoll. 7. A Dubliner designed the Oscar statue for the Academy Awards.  Yes, basically Dubliners are involved in everything. Cedric Gibbons designed the first Oscar statue and one that has been given out to Academy Award winners ever since.