Today we’re in Dublin Ohio, a suburb of Columbus located near the west bank of the Scioto River. In the 1800’s, early settlers named the village after their birthplace, Dublin Ireland. For many years Dublin was a sleepy little town, it wasn’t until 1987 after reaching a population of 5,000 residents that it was declared a city. Between the construction of I-270 and major corporate headquarters like Wendy’s and Ashland moving in, the city has grown tremendously. If you’re into golf you probably know Dublin as the location of the Memorial Tournament, a regular stop on the PGA Tour. Jack Nicklaus is from Columbus, he designed the course at The Country Club of Muirfield Village. We’re in the quaint little downtown, “old Dublin”, where Bridge and High Street were once filled with bars and pubs, there was even a stagecoach stop in town. Let’s take a stroll.
Brick-lined sidewalks take us past 200-year-old buildings standing on tree-lined streets; green plaques identify buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The architecture is early 19th century, houses are wood-sided and painted in pastel shades of yellow, blue, green, burgundy and white. A tiny stone cottage has red-trimmed windows that match the Geraniums sprouting from window boxes. Hydrangeas are in full bloom, branches sag with the weight of the flowers. It’s the first weekend in July, American flags wave in the breeze, red, white and blue pinwheels are spinning. Stone fences with wrought iron gates stand guard in front elegant homes, sweet potato vines spill from pots crowded with Petunias, Daisies, Begonia and Marigolds.
Cozy shops are integrated into the neighborhood, Chelsea Borough Home is filled with home goods such as furniture, clocks, vases, candles and accessories; it smells good in here too. An Irish flag hangs outside of Ha’penny Bridge, the shop sells imports of Ireland. I admire elegant crystal and china from Belleek, there are lots of shamrocks, pretty plaids, jewelry, scarves and adorable children’s clothing. We grab a couple of cold brew coffees and a few chocolates at Winans. I notice many of the windows in buildings are still original, I can tell by the waviness of the glass. We stop in the French bakery, La Chatelaine, a glass case holds red, white and blue macaroons. At the intersection of Bridge and High streets we find the Daily Chores sculpture, it was inspired by Dublin’s historic town water pump that sat in the middle of the intersection in the early 1900s. City planners are careful to keep the integrity of Dublin, new buildings blend seamlessly with the old.
All of this walking has made us hungry; at last we settle into a table on the patio at Dublin Village Tavern; it’s a perfect day to eat outdoors. The tavern building was built in 1889, it was originally a hardware store, then it was the Post Office, DVT opened in 2000; the original hand-cut oak studs and beams are still supporting the structure. There’s a picture of George Killian Lett–the grandson of the founder of Killians Brewery in Ireland from his visit to the tavern hanging in the brick room. Shortly after we place our order the Irish Egg Rolls arrive; corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese served up with a side of 1000 Island dressing–they are so good….Next the Fresh Veggie Sandwich; cucumbers, radishes, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, red onion, avocado and arugula held between slices of 12-grain bread; crisp, cool and flavorful it hits the spot on a warm day.
Dublin is also known for its Art In Public Places program, we’re going to check some of it out now. A short distance down High Street leads us to the place where an old blacksmith shop stood in the late 1800’s. Now there’s a structure made of thick green and yellow metal wires criss-crossing to form walls and a roof. It was designed to conjure up a memory of George M Karrer’s workshop. Field of Corn (With Osage Oranges) is next. 109 human-sized cement ears of corn stand on property that was once farmed by Sam Frantz. Walking around I notice a distinct row pattern as if I was actually looking at a corn field. The detail is pretty amazing, rows of niblets tucked tightly into the cob, some pieces are decorated with strips of material or random items. The sculpture symbolizes the history of the community’s farming legacy and is a memorial to the rural landscape.
We drive over to Ballantrae Park, a master planned park and residential golf community. At the entrance to the subdivision we are greeted by Dancing Hares, a 15′ tall trio of dancing bunnies perched atop a 20′ tall hillock. Dancing Hares was commissioned in 2001 by Edwards Golf Communities as the whimsical centerpiece for Ballantrae’s entry park. We climb the steep grassy hill to get a closer look, the artist has combined everyday items into the sculpture; I see coins, a light bulb, comb, wrench, miscellaneous hardware. It reminds me of those pictures in the Highlights magazine where you have to find the hidden objects. At the base of the hill is an interactive play fountain, in the afternoon heat it’s the place to be. It’s fun to watch the little ones marvel at the spouts of water shooting up from the ground–the parents look like they’re having a good time as well.
Time to head to our hotel room. We have a little time to rest before heading to the Ohio Expo Center, tonight the Detroit Roller Derby All Stars are playing the Ohio Roller Girls, it should be a good match-up. I’ll let you know how it turns out…
detroitdvotion 
The corn field looks so cool! I never knew there was a Dublin outside of Ireland, so your post has taught me something new (you learn something new everday so they say).
It’s too bad you missed our annual Fourth of July celebration! There’s a parade, all sorts of fun during the day, free entertainment in the evening with well known stars. This year it was Peter Frampton! And of course, fireworks! And then the first weekend in August, we have our annual Irish Festival, one of the largest in the world! As you can tell, we love living in Dublin!
Cheers form New philadelphia