TR: Solo in DUBLIN for BLOOMSDAY, an Irish literary odyssey
Jun 23rd, 2015, 03:42 AM
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THURSDAY, JUNE 11 - the Red HOHO bus, KILLMAINHAN GOAL, a glance at GLASNEVIN CEMETERY, SVENY'S CHEMIST SHOP, the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND, an informal supper at the JAMES JOYCE CENTER
A lovely, sunny day. After breakfast at Buswells, I boarded Red HOHO bus using my two day pass which I had purchased the night before near Trinity (€22). There is also a Green HOHO bus, very similar, but offering a slightly different route. Both stop at major attractions and run with great frequency.
I got off at KILMAINHAM GOAL (jail) which opened in 1796 and closed in 1924, having housed thousands of prisoners including Irish patriots many of whom were executed within its walls. Its highest occupancy was during the Famine of the late 1840s when desperate Irish would commit petty crimes in order to be thrown in jail where at least they would be given "something" to eat.
Tours run about every 20 minutes. (€ 7) We had an excellent guide who led us through the sad story of Kilmainham which parallels the history of Ireland. To me, the most chilling room was the stone chapel where one famous prisoner from the Easter Rising was married immediately before his execution.
http://irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Kilmainham.html
Back on the bus, we toured the enormous PHOENIX PARK, said to be twice the size of NYC's Central Park. We were now on the north side of the River Liffey where I got off and waited for a bus on the "Blue route" which would take me to GLASNEVIN CEMETERY. I noticed that most of those passing by were dressed formally in black, with the men wearing stiff neck pieces instead of a ties. Then I realized that these folks were barristers and I was standing in front of the new Criminal Court of Justice at Parkgate.
Interesting, but it was a 40 minute wait. So when the bus arrived, the driver told me that the tour of Glasnevin would take almost two hours. Adding that to another longer wait for the "blue bus," I decided to content myself with the cursory glance provided when the bus entered the gates of Glasnevin affording a panoramic view of the grounds. Beautiful, but perhaps another time.
The Cemetery with its graves of Irish notables, lovely gardens, museum, and genealogy center has become a major tourist attractions in recent years.
http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/
Soon we were back on the south side of the Liffey. Approaching MERRION SQUARE, I noticed SWENY CHEMIST, the pharmacy mentioned in James Joyce's ULYSSES where the protagonist Leopold Bloom buys a bar of lemon soap for his straying wife Molly. I just had to go in. The "business" has been maintained for years by Joyce loyalists who hold readings and related activities throughout the year, including selling books and, of course, lemon soap. I bought two bars myself.
Entering the premises, I was greeted by two gals and a gent dressed a al 1904. Another couple from the US was there too. They were discussing THE DUBLINERS, a book of short sketches by Joyce, definitely more accessible than ULYSSES. Charming people, I stayed for a cup of tea.
www.sweny.ie
My next stop was the stunning NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND, just across the street from my hotel.
www.nli.ie
I had come to view the poet W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) exhibit which has been in place since 2006. The 150th anniversary of the poet's birth was a few days hence on June 13. Confession - I am not that familiar with Yeats, but I know that he recognized Joyce's genius early on and tried in vain to encourage Joyce to return to Ireland.
Fortunately I arrived at 2, just in time for a tour with a very knowledgeable docent who was a real Yeats expert. Yeats was a literary giant - a driving force in the Irish Literary Revival, a founder of the Abbey Theatre, and first Irishman to win the NOBEL PRIZE. And let us not forget his artistic relationship with Lady Gregory and his unrequited love for Maude Gonne.
Time to return to Buswells and rest up for my big evening. I had a ticket to a play at the Gate Theater near Parnell Square which started at 7:30, and also an event at the nearby JAMES JOYCE CENTER called "Feast of Epiphanies: Reinvigorating Joyce" at 6 PM (€ 25). I figured that I could make both. Not so.
Recall, my trip to Dublin was to celebrate BLOOMSDAY so I had signed up for four of the many offerings sponsored by the Joyce Center for the celebration. Somehow I had assumed that this "Epiphanies" evening would be a pass-through where I would stay for a bit then move on to the theater. When I arrived, I was greeted warmly, then told that I had been seated for an informal supper beside one of the three contemporary Irish novelists who would discuss how Joyce had effected their work. Panic - I read mostly non-fiction, so what could I say to a novelist? No problem, I started by asking my new friend, "When did you know that you would be a writer?"
The Joyce Center is housed in a traditional Georgian townhouse on North Great George Street, not far from Parnell Square.
http://jamesjoyce.ie/
About thirty or more guests attended the occasion. White linen cloths covered the tables on which colorful spring flowers were arranged in overflowing vases. The summer evening sun played upon the peach colored walls and the high peach and white Wedgewood-like designed ceilings with crystal chandeliers. Why leave? Also attending were several students from Northeasten University in Boston (my home turf) who were studying Joyce in Dublin for the summer. Later I struck up a conversation with Nick, an earnest young man who was considering a career as an English teacher. Naturally, I encouraged him.
Between courses (the food was delicious), the three novelists briefly discussed their writing, referencing to various degrees whatever influence Joyce had on their work. I really enjoyed the evening, feeling at home with other Joyce devotees. Then I strolled back along O'Connell Street, the heart of Joycean Dublin, in the long evening twilight to Buswells on the other side of the Liffey...
THURSDAY, JUNE 11 - the Red HOHO bus, KILLMAINHAN GOAL, a glance at GLASNEVIN CEMETERY, SVENY'S CHEMIST SHOP, the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND, an informal supper at the JAMES JOYCE CENTER
A lovely, sunny day. After breakfast at Buswells, I boarded Red HOHO bus using my two day pass which I had purchased the night before near Trinity (€22). There is also a Green HOHO bus, very similar, but offering a slightly different route. Both stop at major attractions and run with great frequency.
I got off at KILMAINHAM GOAL (jail) which opened in 1796 and closed in 1924, having housed thousands of prisoners including Irish patriots many of whom were executed within its walls. Its highest occupancy was during the Famine of the late 1840s when desperate Irish would commit petty crimes in order to be thrown in jail where at least they would be given "something" to eat.
Tours run about every 20 minutes. (€ 7) We had an excellent guide who led us through the sad story of Kilmainham which parallels the history of Ireland. To me, the most chilling room was the stone chapel where one famous prisoner from the Easter Rising was married immediately before his execution.
http://irishhistorylinks.net/pages/Kilmainham.html
Back on the bus, we toured the enormous PHOENIX PARK, said to be twice the size of NYC's Central Park. We were now on the north side of the River Liffey where I got off and waited for a bus on the "Blue route" which would take me to GLASNEVIN CEMETERY. I noticed that most of those passing by were dressed formally in black, with the men wearing stiff neck pieces instead of a ties. Then I realized that these folks were barristers and I was standing in front of the new Criminal Court of Justice at Parkgate.
Interesting, but it was a 40 minute wait. So when the bus arrived, the driver told me that the tour of Glasnevin would take almost two hours. Adding that to another longer wait for the "blue bus," I decided to content myself with the cursory glance provided when the bus entered the gates of Glasnevin affording a panoramic view of the grounds. Beautiful, but perhaps another time.
The Cemetery with its graves of Irish notables, lovely gardens, museum, and genealogy center has become a major tourist attractions in recent years.
http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/
Soon we were back on the south side of the Liffey. Approaching MERRION SQUARE, I noticed SWENY CHEMIST, the pharmacy mentioned in James Joyce's ULYSSES where the protagonist Leopold Bloom buys a bar of lemon soap for his straying wife Molly. I just had to go in. The "business" has been maintained for years by Joyce loyalists who hold readings and related activities throughout the year, including selling books and, of course, lemon soap. I bought two bars myself.
Entering the premises, I was greeted by two gals and a gent dressed a al 1904. Another couple from the US was there too. They were discussing THE DUBLINERS, a book of short sketches by Joyce, definitely more accessible than ULYSSES. Charming people, I stayed for a cup of tea.
www.sweny.ie
My next stop was the stunning NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND, just across the street from my hotel.
www.nli.ie
I had come to view the poet W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) exhibit which has been in place since 2006. The 150th anniversary of the poet's birth was a few days hence on June 13. Confession - I am not that familiar with Yeats, but I know that he recognized Joyce's genius early on and tried in vain to encourage Joyce to return to Ireland.
Fortunately I arrived at 2, just in time for a tour with a very knowledgeable docent who was a real Yeats expert. Yeats was a literary giant - a driving force in the Irish Literary Revival, a founder of the Abbey Theatre, and first Irishman to win the NOBEL PRIZE. And let us not forget his artistic relationship with Lady Gregory and his unrequited love for Maude Gonne.
Time to return to Buswells and rest up for my big evening. I had a ticket to a play at the Gate Theater near Parnell Square which started at 7:30, and also an event at the nearby JAMES JOYCE CENTER called "Feast of Epiphanies: Reinvigorating Joyce" at 6 PM (€ 25). I figured that I could make both. Not so.
Recall, my trip to Dublin was to celebrate BLOOMSDAY so I had signed up for four of the many offerings sponsored by the Joyce Center for the celebration. Somehow I had assumed that this "Epiphanies" evening would be a pass-through where I would stay for a bit then move on to the theater. When I arrived, I was greeted warmly, then told that I had been seated for an informal supper beside one of the three contemporary Irish novelists who would discuss how Joyce had effected their work. Panic - I read mostly non-fiction, so what could I say to a novelist? No problem, I started by asking my new friend, "When did you know that you would be a writer?"
The Joyce Center is housed in a traditional Georgian townhouse on North Great George Street, not far from Parnell Square.
http://jamesjoyce.ie/
About thirty or more guests attended the occasion. White linen cloths covered the tables on which colorful spring flowers were arranged in overflowing vases. The summer evening sun played upon the peach colored walls and the high peach and white Wedgewood-like designed ceilings with crystal chandeliers. Why leave? Also attending were several students from Northeasten University in Boston (my home turf) who were studying Joyce in Dublin for the summer. Later I struck up a conversation with Nick, an earnest young man who was considering a career as an English teacher. Naturally, I encouraged him.
Between courses (the food was delicious), the three novelists briefly discussed their writing, referencing to various degrees whatever influence Joyce had on their work. I really enjoyed the evening, feeling at home with other Joyce devotees. Then I strolled back along O'Connell Street, the heart of Joycean Dublin, in the long evening twilight to Buswells on the other side of the Liffey...
Jun 24th, 2015, 03:26 AM
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What fun to be in Dublin on Blooms day! We have events in Melbourne for it.
I saw Ian McLellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot a few years ago . Also went to a wedding that had its reception in Mullingar!
I saw Ian McLellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot a few years ago . Also went to a wedding that had its reception in Mullingar!
Jun 24th, 2015, 06:14 PM
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FRIDAY, JUNE 12 - "Errand boys" re-enacting a scene from Joyce, CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY at DUBLIN CASTLE, outside view of CROKE PARK, tour of LEINSTER HOUSE, return to DAVY BYRNES PUB
A few clouds were drifting by as I walked down Dawson Street past MANSION HOUSE on my way to St. Stephen's Green. Coming up the street were a hundred or so "errand boys" on bicycles sporting white aprons, straw boaters, and other modes of Edwardian dress. Several had their ladies with them in matching attire of 1904.
This cheerful bunch were re-enacting another scene in UYLLSES, of course. At that point the Lord Mayor, following tradition, came out wearing his office regalia. The "boys" then assembled on the steps of Mansion House and serenaded the Mayor and other dignitaries with strains of "Sweet Molly Malone" to the delight of the assembling onlookers. Just another snippet of Bloomsday.
Around the corner, I hopped on the Red Bus - a ticket is good for two days. My first stop was DUBLIN CASTLE, seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922 when "the complex was ceremonially handed over to the newly formed Provisional Government led by Michael Collins." I passed on viewing the elegant state apartments and went directly to the CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY (in fact, a museum) on the Castle grounds.
http://www.cbl.ie/
Sir Chester Beatty (1875-1968) was an Irish-American mining magnate often called the "King of Copper" who was an avid collector of ancient Islamic texts and Far Eastern artifacts. He bequeathed these treasures to the British Museum and to this world class library in Dublin. The manuscripts are absolutely breathtaking - think something like the Book of Kells in a far eastern tradition. A gorgeous selection of Chinese CLOISONNE objects are also displayed. The Beatty collection would be a must see for those Fodorites who have traveled in Asia.
Back on the bus, we crossed to the north side of the Liffey. Again in my literary mode, I was watching for the modernistic JAMES JOYCE BRIDGE across the river which opened on Bloomsday 2003. The bridge is just outside the quayside townhouse at 15 USHERS ISLAND, setting for Joyce's masterful short story "THE DEAD." I caught a glimpse of the property from the bus.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/James...68819709846574
In all my interactions with Joyceans during this week, one thing became clear - they all loved "The Dead," the last story in THE DUBLINERS which has been widely anthologized throughout the world. Joyce knew the house on Ushers Island well as the home of his gentile aunts when he was a child. When I read the story last spring, it blew me away.
I would also recommend the movie THE DEAD directed by John Huston in 1987, released to acclaim after Huston's death. It is a masterpiece, following the text and setting the mood in a manner that Joyce would approve, no doubt.
Continuing on, we stopped at CROKE PARK, headquarters for the Gaelic Athletic Association. With its 83,000 capacity, the Stadium has also hosted rock concerts and religious gatherings such as the visit of Pope Benedict in 2012. Croke is set in the center of a middle class neighborhood whose residents become virtual prisoners in their homes during these sporting extravaganzas according to our driver.
Getting off the bus at Trinity, I meandered into the KILKENNY SHOP on Nassau Street. While I am not a "shopper," I always enjoying perusing their authentic Irish offerings.
I returned to BUSWELLS to freshen up before my 2:30 tour of LEINSTER HOUSE, seat of the Irish government, which is directly across from my hotel. I had arranged the tour some weeks ago by email. The security checkpoint is a glass enclosure just inside the gates. All I had to do was show my identification. About ten others joined the tour.
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp...ur/kildare.asp
The imposing original classical structure was built south of the Liffey by James Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare around 1745. Then an unfashionable part of Dublin, the gentry soon followed, building their own townhouses/mansions and creating lovely parks like MERRION SQUARE which still grace the neighborhood today. Several renovations and additions have been made over the years including the stately chambers of Dáil Éireann (house of representatives) and Seanad Éireann (appointed senate).
The building is beautifully maintained. I particularly enjoyed seeing the senate chamber done in pale green with Wedgewood like motifs and massive Waterford crystal chandeliers.
As we left, our guide showed us a beautiful green silk flag of the Irish Brigade who fought on the Union side in the American Civil War, including the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. The unit was led by Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish American patriot. Enjoying pride of place at Leinster House, the flag was a gift to the Irish people from their American cousins presented by President John F. Kennedy during his historic visit to Ireland in 1963.
Leaving LEINSTER HOUSE, I decided to visit the free NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY immediately next door which "features displays on prehistoric Ireland, including early work in gold, church treasures and the Viking and medieval periods." The National Library, which I had visited the previous day, stands on the other side of Leinster House.
Admission - this was just a walk through for me since I am not that into archaeology. But the museum, built in 1890, is a architectural gem with arched ceilings and stunning tile floors somewhat reminiscent of those at the National Gallery in London.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation...93_Archaeology
In the early evening I meandered over to TEMPLE BAR, the liveliest pub scene in Dublin, expecting to join the MUSICAL PUB CRAWL which departs from OLIVER ST. JOHN GOGARTY'S BAR in the center of the action. Too late - all sold out.
http://www.discoverdublin.ie/musical-pub-crawl/
Another Joyce connection - Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878-1957) - what a moniker! - was the model for the character BUCK MULLIGAN in the ULYSSES. Gogarty had rented the Martello tower in Sandymount, south of the city, which is the setting for the opening scene in the novel. He and Joyce soon had their differences and parted shortly afterwards.
Disappointed about not getting a ticket for the musical pub tour, I stayed a while and watched the crowd. Scotland was playing Ireland the next day in an important soccer match in Dublin. Hundreds of Scots, in kilts and blue team jerseys, were partying hardy at Gogarty's and surrounding pubs. I wondered how they would all feel the next day.
Then I drifted back to DAVY BYRNES PUB where we had ended our literary pub tour two nights before. Again, this is definitely Joyce country because of its place in ULYSSES, a circumstance that has always been used to advantage by this establishment. Soon I was chatting with a distinguished older fellow, a lover of Joyce. He told me that he was a retired physician and that he had known the existential dramatist Samuel Beckett. Interesting.
Then I approached the bar to buy a drink where I met two young men. Both were teachers from the States who had been studying in Edinburg for the summer and had come down to Dublin for two days to savor Joyce.
One was eating a gorgonzola sandwich and enjoying a glass of burgundy, just as Leopold Bloom had done in the book. When I said that I was in Dublin for a week to celebrate Bloomsday, they were interested to hear about my plans. Then I told them about the great Yeats exhibit at the National Library that I seen the day before and about nearby Sveny's Pharmacy and the lemon soap. They said they would visit these spots the next day.
Bidding them good night, I proceeded out to the front of the pub where I met yet another Dubliner interested in Joyce. Another long conversation, especially about this fellows' trips to America. The Irish do love to talk and, of course, I count myself among them. So missing the musical pub crawl wasn't that bad after all...
FRIDAY, JUNE 12 - "Errand boys" re-enacting a scene from Joyce, CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY at DUBLIN CASTLE, outside view of CROKE PARK, tour of LEINSTER HOUSE, return to DAVY BYRNES PUB
A few clouds were drifting by as I walked down Dawson Street past MANSION HOUSE on my way to St. Stephen's Green. Coming up the street were a hundred or so "errand boys" on bicycles sporting white aprons, straw boaters, and other modes of Edwardian dress. Several had their ladies with them in matching attire of 1904.
This cheerful bunch were re-enacting another scene in UYLLSES, of course. At that point the Lord Mayor, following tradition, came out wearing his office regalia. The "boys" then assembled on the steps of Mansion House and serenaded the Mayor and other dignitaries with strains of "Sweet Molly Malone" to the delight of the assembling onlookers. Just another snippet of Bloomsday.
Around the corner, I hopped on the Red Bus - a ticket is good for two days. My first stop was DUBLIN CASTLE, seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922 when "the complex was ceremonially handed over to the newly formed Provisional Government led by Michael Collins." I passed on viewing the elegant state apartments and went directly to the CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY (in fact, a museum) on the Castle grounds.
http://www.cbl.ie/
Sir Chester Beatty (1875-1968) was an Irish-American mining magnate often called the "King of Copper" who was an avid collector of ancient Islamic texts and Far Eastern artifacts. He bequeathed these treasures to the British Museum and to this world class library in Dublin. The manuscripts are absolutely breathtaking - think something like the Book of Kells in a far eastern tradition. A gorgeous selection of Chinese CLOISONNE objects are also displayed. The Beatty collection would be a must see for those Fodorites who have traveled in Asia.
Back on the bus, we crossed to the north side of the Liffey. Again in my literary mode, I was watching for the modernistic JAMES JOYCE BRIDGE across the river which opened on Bloomsday 2003. The bridge is just outside the quayside townhouse at 15 USHERS ISLAND, setting for Joyce's masterful short story "THE DEAD." I caught a glimpse of the property from the bus.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/James...68819709846574
In all my interactions with Joyceans during this week, one thing became clear - they all loved "The Dead," the last story in THE DUBLINERS which has been widely anthologized throughout the world. Joyce knew the house on Ushers Island well as the home of his gentile aunts when he was a child. When I read the story last spring, it blew me away.
I would also recommend the movie THE DEAD directed by John Huston in 1987, released to acclaim after Huston's death. It is a masterpiece, following the text and setting the mood in a manner that Joyce would approve, no doubt.
Continuing on, we stopped at CROKE PARK, headquarters for the Gaelic Athletic Association. With its 83,000 capacity, the Stadium has also hosted rock concerts and religious gatherings such as the visit of Pope Benedict in 2012. Croke is set in the center of a middle class neighborhood whose residents become virtual prisoners in their homes during these sporting extravaganzas according to our driver.
Getting off the bus at Trinity, I meandered into the KILKENNY SHOP on Nassau Street. While I am not a "shopper," I always enjoying perusing their authentic Irish offerings.
I returned to BUSWELLS to freshen up before my 2:30 tour of LEINSTER HOUSE, seat of the Irish government, which is directly across from my hotel. I had arranged the tour some weeks ago by email. The security checkpoint is a glass enclosure just inside the gates. All I had to do was show my identification. About ten others joined the tour.
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp...ur/kildare.asp
The imposing original classical structure was built south of the Liffey by James Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare around 1745. Then an unfashionable part of Dublin, the gentry soon followed, building their own townhouses/mansions and creating lovely parks like MERRION SQUARE which still grace the neighborhood today. Several renovations and additions have been made over the years including the stately chambers of Dáil Éireann (house of representatives) and Seanad Éireann (appointed senate).
The building is beautifully maintained. I particularly enjoyed seeing the senate chamber done in pale green with Wedgewood like motifs and massive Waterford crystal chandeliers.
As we left, our guide showed us a beautiful green silk flag of the Irish Brigade who fought on the Union side in the American Civil War, including the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg. The unit was led by Thomas Francis Meagher, an Irish American patriot. Enjoying pride of place at Leinster House, the flag was a gift to the Irish people from their American cousins presented by President John F. Kennedy during his historic visit to Ireland in 1963.
Leaving LEINSTER HOUSE, I decided to visit the free NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY immediately next door which "features displays on prehistoric Ireland, including early work in gold, church treasures and the Viking and medieval periods." The National Library, which I had visited the previous day, stands on the other side of Leinster House.
Admission - this was just a walk through for me since I am not that into archaeology. But the museum, built in 1890, is a architectural gem with arched ceilings and stunning tile floors somewhat reminiscent of those at the National Gallery in London.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation...93_Archaeology
In the early evening I meandered over to TEMPLE BAR, the liveliest pub scene in Dublin, expecting to join the MUSICAL PUB CRAWL which departs from OLIVER ST. JOHN GOGARTY'S BAR in the center of the action. Too late - all sold out.
http://www.discoverdublin.ie/musical-pub-crawl/
Another Joyce connection - Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878-1957) - what a moniker! - was the model for the character BUCK MULLIGAN in the ULYSSES. Gogarty had rented the Martello tower in Sandymount, south of the city, which is the setting for the opening scene in the novel. He and Joyce soon had their differences and parted shortly afterwards.
Disappointed about not getting a ticket for the musical pub tour, I stayed a while and watched the crowd. Scotland was playing Ireland the next day in an important soccer match in Dublin. Hundreds of Scots, in kilts and blue team jerseys, were partying hardy at Gogarty's and surrounding pubs. I wondered how they would all feel the next day.
Then I drifted back to DAVY BYRNES PUB where we had ended our literary pub tour two nights before. Again, this is definitely Joyce country because of its place in ULYSSES, a circumstance that has always been used to advantage by this establishment. Soon I was chatting with a distinguished older fellow, a lover of Joyce. He told me that he was a retired physician and that he had known the existential dramatist Samuel Beckett. Interesting.
Then I approached the bar to buy a drink where I met two young men. Both were teachers from the States who had been studying in Edinburg for the summer and had come down to Dublin for two days to savor Joyce.
One was eating a gorgonzola sandwich and enjoying a glass of burgundy, just as Leopold Bloom had done in the book. When I said that I was in Dublin for a week to celebrate Bloomsday, they were interested to hear about my plans. Then I told them about the great Yeats exhibit at the National Library that I seen the day before and about nearby Sveny's Pharmacy and the lemon soap. They said they would visit these spots the next day.
Bidding them good night, I proceeded out to the front of the pub where I met yet another Dubliner interested in Joyce. Another long conversation, especially about this fellows' trips to America. The Irish do love to talk and, of course, I count myself among them. So missing the musical pub crawl wasn't that bad after all...
Jun 25th, 2015, 02:33 AM
#26
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Here is the link to the famous DAVY BYRNES PUB - done in Art Deco of pre-WWII.
http://www.davybyrnes.com/
http://www.davybyrnes.com/
Jun 25th, 2015, 04:26 AM
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Hi Latedaytraveler,
Thanks for asking. Yes this time we plan on visiting Canada--Montreal and Ottawa. I would love to go back to Europe but that will have to wait a while.
Meanwhile I am enjoying your report very much.
Thanks for asking. Yes this time we plan on visiting Canada--Montreal and Ottawa. I would love to go back to Europe but that will have to wait a while.
Meanwhile I am enjoying your report very much.
Jun 25th, 2015, 11:26 AM
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FRA, you are a sharp one:
"I admit to being baffled by the connection between bicycling errand boys and Ulysses."
On reflectoin, these revelers on bicycles were probably BUTCHER BOYS, not errand boys. After all THEY were wearing white aprons. Also, there are so many references to meat in ULYSSES. For instance -
"MR LEOPOLD BLOOM ATE WITH RELISH THE INNER ORGANS OF BEASTS and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liver slices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencod's roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine."
Episode 4 Calypso
Then again, there may have been butcher boys in THE DUBLINERS. Let me say, it was fun to come upon these revelers unawares...
"I admit to being baffled by the connection between bicycling errand boys and Ulysses."
On reflectoin, these revelers on bicycles were probably BUTCHER BOYS, not errand boys. After all THEY were wearing white aprons. Also, there are so many references to meat in ULYSSES. For instance -
"MR LEOPOLD BLOOM ATE WITH RELISH THE INNER ORGANS OF BEASTS and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liver slices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencod's roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine."
Episode 4 Calypso
Then again, there may have been butcher boys in THE DUBLINERS. Let me say, it was fun to come upon these revelers unawares...
Jun 25th, 2015, 01:10 PM
#32
lateday --
That's a good theory. Or maybe they were simply trying to evoke the era.
"MR LEOPOLD BLOOM ATE WITH RELISH THE INNER ORGANS OF BEASTS and fowls." That passage, once read, is never forgotten!
What must have been especially pleasant for you on this trip was meeting so many book people of like interests. There's no people like book people, when all's said and done.
That's a good theory. Or maybe they were simply trying to evoke the era.
"MR LEOPOLD BLOOM ATE WITH RELISH THE INNER ORGANS OF BEASTS and fowls." That passage, once read, is never forgotten!
What must have been especially pleasant for you on this trip was meeting so many book people of like interests. There's no people like book people, when all's said and done.
Jun 25th, 2015, 01:52 PM
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Hi GERTIE,
"Two things: I need to get myself to Dublin some Bloomsday and I need to reread Ulysses!" Good idea.
I would really recommend going in June for Bloomsday if possible. If you go to the JAMES JOYCE CENTER site, you will see that they still have their BLOOMSDAY schedule available. Just click on the BLOOMSDAY icon at the top - written in script. In addition to the events I attended, they have many other walks/events associated with Joyce and Yeats.
Also I did read ULYSSES - by listening to the 22 discs of the novel I got from the local library. Very well read. An excellent actress chimes in at the end for MOLLY'S SOLILOQUY. I don't profess to have understood every part but I did get the gist.
http://jamesjoyce.ie/
Thanks for following along...
"Two things: I need to get myself to Dublin some Bloomsday and I need to reread Ulysses!" Good idea.
I would really recommend going in June for Bloomsday if possible. If you go to the JAMES JOYCE CENTER site, you will see that they still have their BLOOMSDAY schedule available. Just click on the BLOOMSDAY icon at the top - written in script. In addition to the events I attended, they have many other walks/events associated with Joyce and Yeats.
Also I did read ULYSSES - by listening to the 22 discs of the novel I got from the local library. Very well read. An excellent actress chimes in at the end for MOLLY'S SOLILOQUY. I don't profess to have understood every part but I did get the gist.
http://jamesjoyce.ie/
Thanks for following along...
Jun 25th, 2015, 05:57 PM
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Hi again FRA,
"What must have been especially pleasant for you on this trip was meeting so many book people of like interests. There's no people like book people, when all's said and done."
So true. I know it sounds so elitist, but I am just not that into many aspects of popular culture, especially television. Not interested in sports either. There are so few people with whom I can discuss what I am reading. In the past I did attend many venues in Boston with people who had similar historical/literary interests, but being in suburbia I don't get in town that much these days.
The folks attending the BLOOMSDAY events in Dublin were of every ilk. I met a very jovial Italian fellow from Trieste, for example. He said, "You know we have Bloomsday in Trieste because Joyce lived there for so many years."
Then someone else pointed out an elderly gent and said, "That man is from Iran and has translated Joyce into Farsi." It was a most convivial group. You would have enjoyed meeting these Joyce aficionados.
"What must have been especially pleasant for you on this trip was meeting so many book people of like interests. There's no people like book people, when all's said and done."
So true. I know it sounds so elitist, but I am just not that into many aspects of popular culture, especially television. Not interested in sports either. There are so few people with whom I can discuss what I am reading. In the past I did attend many venues in Boston with people who had similar historical/literary interests, but being in suburbia I don't get in town that much these days.
The folks attending the BLOOMSDAY events in Dublin were of every ilk. I met a very jovial Italian fellow from Trieste, for example. He said, "You know we have Bloomsday in Trieste because Joyce lived there for so many years."
Then someone else pointed out an elderly gent and said, "That man is from Iran and has translated Joyce into Farsi." It was a most convivial group. You would have enjoyed meeting these Joyce aficionados.
Jun 26th, 2015, 11:20 AM
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Hi Northie,
"We have events in Melbourne for it." Interesting, just how do they celebrate BLOOMSDAY down under? The event seems to be getting bigger every year.
Thanks for following along...
"We have events in Melbourne for it." Interesting, just how do they celebrate BLOOMSDAY down under? The event seems to be getting bigger every year.
Thanks for following along...
Jun 26th, 2015, 07:39 PM
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************************************************** **
SATURDAY, JUNE 13 - the HUGH LANE GALLERY, GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE, NATIONAL GALLERY, late lunch at BUSWELLS, the ABBEY THEATER
Another beautiful morning. Just before Trinity, I passed HODGES FIGGIS BOOKSTORE, one of the oldest in Dublin. I saw a few books I liked, but I did not want to carry them around all day so I planned to return later. This establishment is also mentioned in ULYSSES - of course.
My destination was the HUGH LANE GALLERY on PARNELL SQUARE above O'CONNELL STREET. The public DUBLINBUS is so easy to use - but you must have coins. Local trips like this one cost less than a euro. Conductors do not make change.
O'CONNELL STREET, about a third of a mile in length in the heart of Dublin, is one of the widest boulevards in Europe. Studded with heroic statuary, its most imposing building is the GENERAL POST OFFICE, scene of the EASTER RISING of 1916. While the Rising failed and was followed by a bloody civil war, Ireland finally became free of British rule in 1922 except for the six counties in the North who chose to remain loyal to the Crown.
I reached the HUGH LANE GALLERY, a free national museum with a wide variety of works by masters like Renoir, Manet, Morisot, and Pissarro. I enjoyed a small groups of Constables among other paintings. The gallery, housed in a Georgian mansion, was redone quite effectively in recent years.
In the rear of the museum is an area dedicated to the flamboyant Irish modern painter FRANCIS BACON (1909-1992).
Bacon believed that "chaos breeds inspiration" as can be seen by the interior of his London studio which was bequeathed and transported to the Lane Gallery on the artist's death. When I looked into the "studio," I walked right into the glass wall enclosing disarray (small bump on the head). The exhibit also includes a video loop of Bacon discussing his work.
http://stunned.org/bacon.htm
SIR HUGH LANE (1875- 1915) was an Irish art dealer and collector of (what was then) modern art who died on the LUSITANIA* in May, 1915. Controversy about the nature of his art bequest after his untimely death resulted in these works being shared between this gallery in Dublin and the National Gallery in London. In my view, the Hugh Lane is a must for art lovers visiting the city.
Leaving the museum, I wandered through the lovely GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE in the upper part of Parnell Square. It was opened in 1966 by President Éamon de Valera on the fiftieth anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, in which he had been a commander. The garden commemorates those who died in the many Irish rebellions from 1798 - including those led by Robert Emmet and the Fenians - to the Irish War of Independence that ended in 1921. Note: next year with be the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising for which plans are now taking shape - it will be huge.
Let us not leave the area without a word about CHARLES STEWART PARNELL for whom the square is named. A nationalist leader advocating land reform, this privileged Anglo-Irish member of Parliament from Wicklow was a rising star in the 19th century political firmament. Handsome, brilliant, and charismatic, Parnell was called "the un-crowned king" of Ireland until his romance with a married woman, Kitty O'Shea, came to light.
Their affair created a huge political scandal in Ireland fueled by the opposition of the all powerful Catholic Church. James Joyce's father retained loyalty to Parnell, a thread that runs through Joyce's writings. Parnell died young and rests with other notables in Clasnevin Cemetery.
Back on the public bus, I met a grandmother with a cute baby in a pram. Somehow we started chatting (very easy in Ireland) and when I said that I was in Dublin for Bloomsday, she said, "You know, we once lived in a house where Joyce stayed when he wrote those sexually explicit letters to his wife Nora." I replied, "Oh, I recall reading about those." Just another example of how ordinary Dubliners connect with James Joyce.
I continued on back across the Liffey in the noon day sun to the National Gallery for more art...
[* As mentioned above, HUGH LANE died on the Lusitania, sunk of the coast of Kinsale on May 7, 1915. Some 1,198 died out of a passenger and crew of 1962, a contributing factor in the US's involvement in WWI. The people of Kinsale made heroic efforts to save survivors when the ship sank in about 20 minutes.
During this period, many other ships were torpedoed by German U-boats in the same area whose passengers the Irish living on the coast also helped to rescue.
I would heartily recommend reading a recent book, DEAD WAKE, THE LAST CROSSING OF THE LUSITANIA by Erick Larson which makes mention of Hugh Lane among its many prominent passengers.]
SATURDAY, JUNE 13 - the HUGH LANE GALLERY, GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE, NATIONAL GALLERY, late lunch at BUSWELLS, the ABBEY THEATER
Another beautiful morning. Just before Trinity, I passed HODGES FIGGIS BOOKSTORE, one of the oldest in Dublin. I saw a few books I liked, but I did not want to carry them around all day so I planned to return later. This establishment is also mentioned in ULYSSES - of course.
My destination was the HUGH LANE GALLERY on PARNELL SQUARE above O'CONNELL STREET. The public DUBLINBUS is so easy to use - but you must have coins. Local trips like this one cost less than a euro. Conductors do not make change.
O'CONNELL STREET, about a third of a mile in length in the heart of Dublin, is one of the widest boulevards in Europe. Studded with heroic statuary, its most imposing building is the GENERAL POST OFFICE, scene of the EASTER RISING of 1916. While the Rising failed and was followed by a bloody civil war, Ireland finally became free of British rule in 1922 except for the six counties in the North who chose to remain loyal to the Crown.
I reached the HUGH LANE GALLERY, a free national museum with a wide variety of works by masters like Renoir, Manet, Morisot, and Pissarro. I enjoyed a small groups of Constables among other paintings. The gallery, housed in a Georgian mansion, was redone quite effectively in recent years.
In the rear of the museum is an area dedicated to the flamboyant Irish modern painter FRANCIS BACON (1909-1992).
Bacon believed that "chaos breeds inspiration" as can be seen by the interior of his London studio which was bequeathed and transported to the Lane Gallery on the artist's death. When I looked into the "studio," I walked right into the glass wall enclosing disarray (small bump on the head). The exhibit also includes a video loop of Bacon discussing his work.
http://stunned.org/bacon.htm
SIR HUGH LANE (1875- 1915) was an Irish art dealer and collector of (what was then) modern art who died on the LUSITANIA* in May, 1915. Controversy about the nature of his art bequest after his untimely death resulted in these works being shared between this gallery in Dublin and the National Gallery in London. In my view, the Hugh Lane is a must for art lovers visiting the city.
Leaving the museum, I wandered through the lovely GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE in the upper part of Parnell Square. It was opened in 1966 by President Éamon de Valera on the fiftieth anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, in which he had been a commander. The garden commemorates those who died in the many Irish rebellions from 1798 - including those led by Robert Emmet and the Fenians - to the Irish War of Independence that ended in 1921. Note: next year with be the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising for which plans are now taking shape - it will be huge.
Let us not leave the area without a word about CHARLES STEWART PARNELL for whom the square is named. A nationalist leader advocating land reform, this privileged Anglo-Irish member of Parliament from Wicklow was a rising star in the 19th century political firmament. Handsome, brilliant, and charismatic, Parnell was called "the un-crowned king" of Ireland until his romance with a married woman, Kitty O'Shea, came to light.
Their affair created a huge political scandal in Ireland fueled by the opposition of the all powerful Catholic Church. James Joyce's father retained loyalty to Parnell, a thread that runs through Joyce's writings. Parnell died young and rests with other notables in Clasnevin Cemetery.
Back on the public bus, I met a grandmother with a cute baby in a pram. Somehow we started chatting (very easy in Ireland) and when I said that I was in Dublin for Bloomsday, she said, "You know, we once lived in a house where Joyce stayed when he wrote those sexually explicit letters to his wife Nora." I replied, "Oh, I recall reading about those." Just another example of how ordinary Dubliners connect with James Joyce.
I continued on back across the Liffey in the noon day sun to the National Gallery for more art...
[* As mentioned above, HUGH LANE died on the Lusitania, sunk of the coast of Kinsale on May 7, 1915. Some 1,198 died out of a passenger and crew of 1962, a contributing factor in the US's involvement in WWI. The people of Kinsale made heroic efforts to save survivors when the ship sank in about 20 minutes.
During this period, many other ships were torpedoed by German U-boats in the same area whose passengers the Irish living on the coast also helped to rescue.
I would heartily recommend reading a recent book, DEAD WAKE, THE LAST CROSSING OF THE LUSITANIA by Erick Larson which makes mention of Hugh Lane among its many prominent passengers.]
Jun 27th, 2015, 06:27 PM
#39
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SATURDAY, JUNE 13 continued
... About noon I returned to Buswell's before setting out for the NATIONAL GALLERY up the street. Note: most of the national museums (and library) are within a stone's throw of LEINSTER HOUSE near my hotel. Along came the two teachers, Steve and Jeff, whom I had met the previous evening at Davy Brynes Pub. They were on their way to see the Keats exhibit at the National Library and were thrilled that I had told them about SVENEY'S PHARMACY which they had just visited.
Jeff had participated in a Joyce reading there which he really enjoyed. Earlier that day, they had gone to 15 Ushers Island, that is the setting for Joyce's well known short story, "THE DEAD." Recall, I had only glimpsed the building across the river on the HOHO bus. They had rung the bell and were shown around by the current owner who is trying to raise funds to restore the property. "Wow, you guys are really making the best of your time here celebrating Bloomsday," I said. We parted with a cheery goodbye.
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/
The NATIONAL GALLERY tour began at 12:30, led by a pleasant docent who reminded us that many of their substantial holdings were not on view because of the extensive renovation being done to the 1860s building. But their most important works - a striking Caravaggio ("The Taking of Christ" ) and a beautiful Vermeer ("Lady Writing a Letter"), along with a Renoir, a Picasso, and several works by the Irish painter Jack Yeats, brother of the poet, were on display. This video clip explains the institution's plans for renovation.
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/aboutus/Virtual_Tour.aspx
We then viewed the modern SEAN SCULLY (b. 1945) collection which, I admit, I could only understand with the explanation of our docent. We had quite a lively discussion at the end of our tour with several in our group. The National Gallery also has a nice cafe on the ground floor where you could rest before continuing on your way. This was my favorite painting in the whole collection:
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/en/abo...n/Raeburn.aspx
The weather was great so I wandered around the environs of Trinity before returning to Buswell's. I decided to have a late lunch in their restaurant (delicious fresh salad with "real" sliced chicken) and read my Irish Times before resting for the evening ahead. Personal note: I incorporate this "down time" into my schedule somewhere in mid or late afternoon - that's why I choose a centrally located hotel!
I then strolled back across O'Connell Bridge to the famous ABBEY THEATER for a 7:30 performance of SEAN O'CASEY'S (1880-1964) SHADOW OF A GUNMAN (1923). Somehow I expected the Abbey, founded in 1904, to have a much more Edwardian look - I read later that the original theater had burned down and was rebuilt in the 1950s. GUNMAN is a powerful play which deals "realistically with the rhetoric and dangers of Irish patriotism, with tenement life, self-deception, and survival ...it is a tragi-comedy in which violent death throws into relief the blustering masculine bravado of characters such as" Donal Davoren, the gunman. Although he was an excellent actor, the gunman in this production was a bit old for the role of romantic hero.
GUNMAN is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin Trilogy" - the other two being Juno and the Paycock (1924) and The Plough and the Stars (1926). Love them all.
The play ended shortly after nine with no intermission. A lovely summer evening, I again found myself back across the Liffey at Davy Byrnes still buzzing with Bloomsday enthusiasts, locals, and tourists like myself. Soon I was chatting with a beautiful gal, mid forties like my own daughters, who told me much of her life story. Basically it had to do with raising children alone - I did it - divorce, supporting oneself and the like.
When I mentioned Boston, she said, "Oh, my brother will be playing there soon. He plays in the band 'the Script.' Here's my number." Of course, I had never heard of them, but I later realized that they are huge because they were playing in Croke Park the next week. Who knew? With that, her new love interested joined us (young and cute) and they invited me to stay but I moved on wishing her the best in her new life.
While traveling solo, I have had many such encounters, ephemeral but somehow lasting in my memory...
... About noon I returned to Buswell's before setting out for the NATIONAL GALLERY up the street. Note: most of the national museums (and library) are within a stone's throw of LEINSTER HOUSE near my hotel. Along came the two teachers, Steve and Jeff, whom I had met the previous evening at Davy Brynes Pub. They were on their way to see the Keats exhibit at the National Library and were thrilled that I had told them about SVENEY'S PHARMACY which they had just visited.
Jeff had participated in a Joyce reading there which he really enjoyed. Earlier that day, they had gone to 15 Ushers Island, that is the setting for Joyce's well known short story, "THE DEAD." Recall, I had only glimpsed the building across the river on the HOHO bus. They had rung the bell and were shown around by the current owner who is trying to raise funds to restore the property. "Wow, you guys are really making the best of your time here celebrating Bloomsday," I said. We parted with a cheery goodbye.
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/
The NATIONAL GALLERY tour began at 12:30, led by a pleasant docent who reminded us that many of their substantial holdings were not on view because of the extensive renovation being done to the 1860s building. But their most important works - a striking Caravaggio ("The Taking of Christ" ) and a beautiful Vermeer ("Lady Writing a Letter"), along with a Renoir, a Picasso, and several works by the Irish painter Jack Yeats, brother of the poet, were on display. This video clip explains the institution's plans for renovation.
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/aboutus/Virtual_Tour.aspx
We then viewed the modern SEAN SCULLY (b. 1945) collection which, I admit, I could only understand with the explanation of our docent. We had quite a lively discussion at the end of our tour with several in our group. The National Gallery also has a nice cafe on the ground floor where you could rest before continuing on your way. This was my favorite painting in the whole collection:
http://www.nationalgallery.ie/en/abo...n/Raeburn.aspx
The weather was great so I wandered around the environs of Trinity before returning to Buswell's. I decided to have a late lunch in their restaurant (delicious fresh salad with "real" sliced chicken) and read my Irish Times before resting for the evening ahead. Personal note: I incorporate this "down time" into my schedule somewhere in mid or late afternoon - that's why I choose a centrally located hotel!
I then strolled back across O'Connell Bridge to the famous ABBEY THEATER for a 7:30 performance of SEAN O'CASEY'S (1880-1964) SHADOW OF A GUNMAN (1923). Somehow I expected the Abbey, founded in 1904, to have a much more Edwardian look - I read later that the original theater had burned down and was rebuilt in the 1950s. GUNMAN is a powerful play which deals "realistically with the rhetoric and dangers of Irish patriotism, with tenement life, self-deception, and survival ...it is a tragi-comedy in which violent death throws into relief the blustering masculine bravado of characters such as" Donal Davoren, the gunman. Although he was an excellent actor, the gunman in this production was a bit old for the role of romantic hero.
GUNMAN is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin Trilogy" - the other two being Juno and the Paycock (1924) and The Plough and the Stars (1926). Love them all.
The play ended shortly after nine with no intermission. A lovely summer evening, I again found myself back across the Liffey at Davy Byrnes still buzzing with Bloomsday enthusiasts, locals, and tourists like myself. Soon I was chatting with a beautiful gal, mid forties like my own daughters, who told me much of her life story. Basically it had to do with raising children alone - I did it - divorce, supporting oneself and the like.
When I mentioned Boston, she said, "Oh, my brother will be playing there soon. He plays in the band 'the Script.' Here's my number." Of course, I had never heard of them, but I later realized that they are huge because they were playing in Croke Park the next week. Who knew? With that, her new love interested joined us (young and cute) and they invited me to stay but I moved on wishing her the best in her new life.
While traveling solo, I have had many such encounters, ephemeral but somehow lasting in my memory...
Jun 27th, 2015, 07:29 PM
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I just found a brief clip on youtube from this year's BLOOMSDAY celebration in Dublin showing the boys on bicycles serenading the Lord Mayor at MANSION HOUSE to the strains of "Sweet Molly Malone."
I happened upon this cheery event while walking down Dawson Street on Friday morning, June 12.
Later the boys proceeded south to Sandymount, scene of the first chapter of Joyce's ULYSSES.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPz4WsJJ8gE
I happened upon this cheery event while walking down Dawson Street on Friday morning, June 12.
Later the boys proceeded south to Sandymount, scene of the first chapter of Joyce's ULYSSES.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPz4WsJJ8gE
