Sirens’ Song has become my third published short story, and can be found in the newly published Gem Street: Collector’s Edition. Stories published in the anthology were short-listed in the 2014 Labello Press International Short Story Competition.
For details of this short stories collection, visit:
http://www.labellopress.com/available-titles
It has made the headlines more than once in recent weeks. The planned redevelopment of its headquarters will have implications for the Georgian Mile’s streetscape. Its reappraisal of the Poolbeg chimneys’ future might change Dublin’s skyline forever. But one part of the ESB’s empire that has stayed under the radar is Number 29, the Georgian House Museum on Lower Fitzwilliam Street.
This well preserved period townhouse, around the corner from the ESB’s headquarters, exhibits the life of an upper middle-class family between 1790 and 1820. Here lived Olivia Beatty (née Bell), widow of a prominent Dublin wine merchant, with her seven children. The city of this 28 foot high, 50 foot deep, house breathed with excitement at the time. Art and culture abounded. A Catholic middle-class was emerging. In the 1750s, celebrated Anglo-French surveyor John Rocque mapped Dublin, describing it and London as two of Europe’s largest and most celebrated cities. Severe poverty existed alongside prosperity.
Olivia Beatty’s life, however, contained tragedy. Earlier in 1794, the year she moved into this house, her husband had died after a few days illness. Married at 21, she was widowed at 33. Maria, one of her two daughters, died in the same year, as did her father-in-law, to whose estate her future became inextricably linked. By 1806, the family had left Dublin.
Despite these tragedies, the Beattys’ world was plush and elegant, and this museum brings it alive in an intimate, interactive way. You can see the rooms as they were – for cooking, educating children, dining, and entertaining – along with all the art and objects that defined the Beattys’ world. You immediately get a flavour of their comfort as well as the contrasting lives of those who served them.
The house retains its original neo-classical interior design and furniture, some of which dates from early 18th century. Paintings by artists such as Thomas Roberts and GF Mulvany still hang. In the attic are the children’s austere quarters, which still contain two 19th century doll houses and give insight into a Georgian education’s values. Upbringing was shorter and more concentrated then. Olivia, the youngest child, married at fifteen.
Museums are often far more engaging with a guided tour. These are only available here at 11am (for groups, pre-booking required) and at 3pm (first come, first serve). To maximise your experience, plan your visit around these. Recent times suggest that enthusiasm for Georgian Dublin remains undimmed almost two hundred years after it ended. This glimpse into that world shows why.
It didn’t make Ireland’s top 10 most visited free attractions or its top 10 paid-for attractions in 2013, as published this week by Fáilte Ireland this week. It falls under both categories and is one of Ireland’s outdoor treasures. On one of these hot July days you could do worse than to visit Glendalough in the Garden of Ireland.
About forty-five minutes from Dublin city by car, or less than two hours away by either of the two bus services available, Glendalough offers two inspiring lakes in a glaciated valley full of undulation, biodiversity and beauty. The 20,000 year old valley forms part of Wicklow Mountains National Park and provides a selection of excellent walking routes with plenty of natural splendour to see and hear, including the surrounding oak woodland. Staff at the visitor centre and the information office, along one of the walking trails, are most helpful in advising about different routes and options.
Glendalough, of course, is most famous for its monastic settlement, founded by St Kevin in the sixth century. The ecclesiastical city survived until the fourteen century, but many remains – including the iconic 30 metre mica slate and granite round tower, the cathedral with sections dating from the 12th century, and the contemporaneous Reefert Church – have survived. Walking amidst these ruins or the slopey, centuries-old graveyard (still in use), with the hills looming over you, one feels a tremendous sense of peace, place and the past. The visitor centre at the entrance, beside the car park, offers an impressive audio-visual show and detailed exhibition about the valley’s history and geography. Admission is €3 for adults, but OPW Heritage Card holders and our friends from across the pond with National Trust or English Heritage cards can visit for free. Guided tours are available in English, French, Italian and Spanish.
If time is on your side, Glendalough is worth an overnight stay. There is plenty of nearby accommodation, including a youth hostel and self-catering options. Nearby pubs offer hearty meals, drink, and craic, and there are a range of activities for a second day: rock climbing, hiking, scenic drives or views of the remains of Glendalough Mines, which at one time employed about 2,000 people. You don’t have to venture far into the Garden of Ireland to reconnect with our antecedent saints and scholars, and the beautiful surrounds into which they withdrew.
Tourists rarely buy, according to one of the many talented artists whose art forms the half kilometre long exhibition along Merrion Square every Sunday. They used to buy before things got so fussy at airports, he tells me, with the pictures well bubble-wrapped to ensure they’d pass. Though airport security changes and recession have made times tough for most residents of this open air gallery, he perseveres every Sunday – to try and sell his art, to talk to those who inquire.
Whether you can post it, ship it, or run the packaging gauntlet at an airport, if you’re looking for an artistic piece of Dublin to bring home, Merrion Square is a good place to start. Founded in 1985, this exhibition along Dublin’s Georgian mile is home to 200 or so artists from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every Sunday (some exhibit on Saturdays). They sell scapes of the city, the sea, suburbia, exurbia, and beyond. If you’re looking for portraits, modern art or depictions of Ireland beyond the metropolis, these too are available. All art is original, all exhibitors licenced, with the queue for a permit currently about two years.
Pictures of all sizes are available, with prices starting around €20. A4 sized originals, usually framed, seem to start from €100-200. The recent economic upturn has failed to greatly improve their lot and along with each new year bringing new artists, the exhibition has grown in size this year, with 72 new artists displaying. The artists, therefore, are willing to negotiate. Though many frustratingly don’t display prices, don’t be afraid to ask as hidden bargains can be found.
Even if you’re not interested or can’t buy, a leisurely walk around this high quality exhibition is worthwhile. You get a feel for the places and people that define Dublin artists’ work, including contemporary heroes, heroines and recent architectural changes. The afternoons can be long for the artists, and most are happy to talk about their work, their material and inspiration. Many proffer their business cards immediately, which you might be glad of when you get home.
Give yourself forty minutes. Wear sunglasses if you want to avoid their eye. If you’re buying and find that final choice tormenting, don’t be surprised. Take a break and go for coffee. The answer should present itself, and hopefully the prized possession will still be waiting – a piece of Ireland to bring home with the memories.
Summer is in the air and Dublin’s tourists are perhaps more likely to risk sightseeing outdoors. Croke Park, the home of Ireland’s most unique sporting organisation, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), offers worthwhile prospects for both the sports fan and non-sports fan alike.
Spending a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in this 82,300-seater stadium offers the tourist a chance to watch either hurling, one of the world’s fastest and most skilful outdoor games, or gaelic football, more popular and physical. Majorly refurbished in the 1990s, the stadium on the edge of the city and hosts a top level game virtually every weekend between now and the end of September. For atmosphere, drama and a unique taste of Irish culture and these most professional of amateur sports, an afternoon in the fourth largest stadium in Europe is worthwhile. Tickets can be purchased on match days for all but the most premium of games (generally just late August and September) so a late decision on going is possible. http://www.crokepark.ie outlines how and where to buy tickets.
A recent addition to this 101-year old GAA stadium is its rooftop tour of Dublin’s skyline. Encompassing five viewing stops along the 0.6 km roof, the two hour tour starts in one of the players’ dressing rooms and takes you forty-four metres above ground level, providing a lively and informative commentary on Dublin’s tallest and most interesting buildings and landmarks as well as the stadium’s place in Ireland’s history and evolution. Dublin is not a high-rise or large city, but as an old capital with character and rich history, the tour highlights points and pockets one mightn’t notice or know otherwise. The tour is lively, interactive and one doesn’t have to be an acrophiliac to survive. Ringing ahead about ticket availability is advised as the tour is popular, but it runs on match days. For those without English, audio guides are available in French, German, Spanish and Italian, not to mention Irish.
Skyline tour tickets also include access to Croke Park’s GAA museum. With its archives and artefacts, trophy display and match footage, the museum gives tourists a chance to experience this cauldron of Irish history, heritage and culture without exposure to a Dublin summer day of wind and rain.
When you think of Dalkey, you probably think of its salubriousness, the untamed Dalkey Island and its goats, or perhaps its famous denizens. Yet like most small towns, there is a rich history of people, trade, culture and changing allegiances. Less well known than what writers have lived there is its historic maritime importance. In the 1300s, the Liffey was silted up and large ships could not navigate safely into Dublin Port. After a petition to the Crown by Dublin merchants, Dalkey Sound was used to unload goods bound for Dublin.
Another lesser known part of its past is the ancient tradition of anointing a king of Dalkey, an annual ritual that started in 1787. Coronation Day was a day of gaiety, merriment and political satire on Dalkey Island, but the practice was ceased after 1797 (when over 20,000 attended the coronation) due to the political turbulence of 1798. The tradition was revived three times in the 1900s.
At Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre, the town’s deep and interesting history is impressively re-created. Formerly known as Goat Castle, Dalkey Castle was the home of the Cheevers family of Monkstown, who owned it in the early 1600s. Dating from the 1390s, this fortified town house now presents Dalkey’s history through an interactive time-line, a well-produced video, scaled models, a writers’ gallery – documenting Dalkey’s old and current literary connections – and a live theatre performance. Actors from a local theatre company play the parts of those who inhabited the castle, dressed in contemporaneous attire and fluent in period English. On the day we visited, it was the archer (guard), cook and lord of the manor who showed us the castle, including the roof level parapet and walled walk, where guards or archers kept watch. All kept their composure throughout despite intense questioning and commentary from a young boy present. Also shown on the tour are the adjoining St Begnet’s stone church (10th century) and its graveyard.
To enjoy the tour and to have a good look at the exhibitions, you probably 1.5 – 2 hours. Like many tourist attractions in Dublin, it is pricey. The €8 for adults compares with €6 for the renowned Kilmainham Gaol. The visit is most worthwhile, however, and is the inspiring product of a relatively small town seeking out its past and present to show you every town has a story to tell.
April in Ireland is rich with history, full of figures now remembered in perpetuity. What most don’t realise is how many of these men and women are now next door neighbours, lying among 1.5 million who’ve gone to the great beyond. A fascinating activity haunt for tourists interested in Ireland’s most famous political and cultural icons is a walking tour of Glasnevin Cemetery, where many are buried.
The two hour historical tour (there are several different themed tours) currently begins with a re-enactment of the cemetery’s most famous oration, that by Pádraig Pearse at O’Donovan Rossa’s grave, then moves on to the memory of the man who brought about its opening, Daniel O’Connell. The Liberator campaigned successfully for the opening of a cemetery for people of all religions. The first burial was in 1832. All the main residents are cited – from the world of arts, politics, militarism and general infamy – and the narrative contains a nice mixture of humour, trivia and sadness about the dead and their burials. The cemetery’s interesting social history is charted, as is its relationship with the city beyond these 124 acres.
Walking amidst the headstones and the swaying but protective trees, observing those visiting deceased loved ones, one cannot but feel a sense of wonder at where we end up and how it all ends, irrespective of achievement.
If there is one theme that runs through the tour it’s the irony of who rests near whom: opposing figures from the 1913 lockout; leaders from both sides of the nationalist divide; 1916 heroes and soldiers from the First World War. They say in Ireland that if you put five people in a room, there will always be two who know someone in common. Perhaps the proximities are perhaps not surprising.
The only shortcoming of this tour is the presumption that all will be familiar with Irish political history. This tour could be even more informative if a little more context were provided, either for the visitor who’s landed without reading up, or the locals who haven’t brushed up on The Liberator or the Civil War. Ninety eight years ago yesterday morning, the Easter Rising began. Get a sense of such events and their impact this weekend at Glasnevin.
As we remember the epic battle that saw Dublin banish its Vikings, 1,000 years ago this month, one could be forgiven for thinking the commemorations are premature. I cannot manage to walk through the city without the part amusing, part humiliating experience of Norse-helmeted marauding foreigners roaring at me from close-by. The Battle of Clontarf is re-enacted every day.
As sure as a capital city’s history is to have the odd incursion, a metropolis will also have its city bus tours. Three come to mind here: the Dublin Bus ‘hop-on hop-off’ tour, the Viking Splash and the new Dublin Road Train Tour.
It’s been a few years since I took the ‘hop-on hop-off’ tour of Dublin Bus, but this 90 minute trip is pleasant and convenient. It stops at the main attractions, points out the landmarks, and, as with all city tours, the driver is brimming with anecdotes, the veracity of some still unverified. Passengers can hop-on and hop-off to visit places, and the ticket is valid for two days. There are multilingual tours, and a new tour of the docklands has been launched, with tickets for both tours valid on the other.
The successors to King Sitric Silkenbeard and his Norse warriors are long established on the city’s streets. Around since 1999, the Viking Splash is extremely enjoyable. Driver-passenger banter abounds, then extends into the famous passengers’ roar at denizens walking, gawking or sitting outdoors. The route is similar to the Dublin Bus tour until the amphibious DUKW vehicle eases over to Grand Canal Dock, where it gives passengers a taste of Dublin by water.
At full steam since early 2014, the Dublin Road Train runs on the hour from Merrion Square, and gives you approximately an hour of road tour, piped commentary and Irish ballads and the comfort of a ‘carriage’, making your journey impervious to bad weather. Like the Vikings’ roar, there is pleasure in waving from this anachronism.
For a bit of a jolt, and an interesting vista of the buzzing Grand Canal Dock, the Viking Splash should appeal. If you’re not in the mood to roar, or want to do the city at your leisure, the Dublin Bus tour probably makes sense. The Georgian mile plays a big part in the south inner-city’s history, and the Dublin Road Train Tour gives a good feel for Georgian Dublin’s streets, buildings and characters. On a wet day, the latter two are more likely to keep you feeling comfortable.
But always remember: like most of Dublin’s tourist attractions, the term is a misnomer. The local is as likely as the tourist to find these attractive.
Ireland is famous for its writers and its pints, and whether you’re a tourist or a local there are few better ways to get a sense of this interesting and lively city than the Dublin literary pub crawl. On the go since 1988, this trip through the capital’s literary heritage can be done on weekend nights or any night during the summer.
The Duke pub on Duke Street is the first stop on this jaunt, where the guides begin with rousing performances of ballad and drama. For two hours, ‘crawlers’ walk through the heart of the city, stopping at various points to hear of famous writers and their observations on capital and country, as well as the history of some of Dublin’s oldest institutions. You can almost sense the ghosts of Ireland’s greatest writers hovering over your shoulder as you stand in the cool Dublin air to hear about those who dedicated their lives, from here and afar, to encapsulate Ireland through their writing. The recitals are gripping, the narrative witty and there’s an entertaining game throughout the evening.
In Dublin, as with everything in Ireland, all things connect. In 1904, The Duke was bought by the mother of Kitty Kiernan, fiancée of Michael Collins, a leader in Ireland’s War of Independence. The pub was one of many ‘safe houses’ for Collins. The Old Stand, the penultimate pub on the crawl, was also frequented by Collins, to gather information about members of the British Secret Service. The final pub on the tour, Davy Byrne’s, was also part of his world, as a member of Ireland’s Provisional Government between 1919 and 1922. Writers such as Beckett and Joyce also frequented this now famous pub. It is easy to see how the worlds of power and the pen overlapped.
I’ve done the tour twice recently, during the colder darker months. On both nights it was comfortably packed. For tourists, it has stood the test of time, offering a glimpse into Dublin’s personalities and its past. For the denizen, it gives insight into our history and culture – knowledge we assume, often complacently, that we have.
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