Then back to my room, digesting a small portion of 'Catch-22' to get me in the mood for a day's sightseeing.
I left the hotel around 9 am, eager to embark on the City Sightseeing bus tour, on account of the fact that you can hop on and off (although, the hopping off could involve a thirty minute wait, but hey, I am on holiday). As I sat on top of the bus experiencing a pretty chilly Tuesday morning, I witnessed the passage of a number of buildings I saw last night. Most notably, the Docklands' buildings that actually look more impressive in the dark (but don't tell them!) Also informed by the guide that tickets for Kilmainham Gaol which I am half tempted to see, should be purchased online before visiting (although when we passed the Gaol later, a member of staff indicated to the bus driver that tickets were available). Also prior to this, I saw the exterior of the Guinness Storehouse, which is actually miles from anywhere, so I look forward to getting lost trying to find it tomorrow.
Eventually, I settled in Glasnevin Cemetery. Basically, I joined the tour and was given a rundown of major Irish historical events. Many of the most radical and controversial figures in Irish history were buried here including Roger Casement and Michael Collins. It's odd how the guide made a number of references to the film based on Michael Collins. Art regularly supplants real life and the past.
As uninteresting as my eating habits may appear, but in the spirit of James Joyce, I consumed a chocolate biscuit thing that was sublime. A brick of a sugary treat, followed by a glass of hot chocolate that was actually hot. This worked in its favour. The little museum attached to the cemetery was also fascinating. I now know more than I did about cremation (it's not a quick process).
Then after a bit of a wait, back on another bus where this guide lead us to Croke Park, regaling us with stories from his childhood. His dad taking him to a hurling match there and the goalkeeper being hit in the groin area with a fast moving ball. As the guide described, he 'can still hear the screams today'. On passing a prison, the guide also informed his captive guests (well, you can't escape when the bus is moving) that two of his family work there and 'if we ever end up there and want a cell with a good looking prisoner, we should contact him' (well, I guess that's one thing I could do with the one available phone call).
Upon arriving back where I started on O'Connell Street, I visited the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane with its excellent reconstruction of Francis Bacon's studio. He apparently enjoyed working in chaos but not filth. Also I went to the Dublin Writers Museum after inadvertently entering the Irish Writers Centre next door and being looked at bemusedly by a member of staff (apparently a lot of people make the same mistake). The Dublin Writers Museum feels like a museum out of time, right down to the note on the wall explaining why some of the exhibits have been removed owing to damp (or something like damp, judging by the damaged wall, they are not returning for the foreseeable future). The museum has some interesting exhibits including early editions of Samuel Beckett's plays and James Joyce's novels. Upstairs, there seems to be a weird children's section, which is either incomplete or alternatively, it is where damaged artifacts are stored (I couldn't make up my mind).
Now back at the hotel, waiting to go out to eat and see a play later at the Project Arts Centre.
I went out and walked to The Woollen Mills for a meal. The first time I have eaten a meal in an establishment where I have been treated respectfully as a human being rather than a single guy. The difference is palpable and makes the experience more fulfilling. I ate sardines, coddle and a brownie. Coddle being essentially a bizarre stew of types including bacon, potatoes, onion and quite a bit of sausage. All washed down with a ginger limeade.
I then wandered around Temple Bar, amazed by the music and shocked by the in-your-face scrounging, 'Can I speak to you?' The sense of jollity and extreme parasitic need seem to grow in direct relation to each other.
Eventually, I ducked into the venue early (the Project Arts Centre) to resist the approaches. 'Traitor' was another new play by Shane Mac an Bhaird. This time based in two time periods, 2016 and 2026 and exploring a former activist's journey towards becoming a politician. The other characters including Lizard, a man with the desire to totally alter his body through tattoos and body adornments. Striving to become a living equation, seeking order in the face of chaos. The play felt like Edward Bond with the same bizarre aftertaste. Good but something missing to make it exceptional. I think any play set in the future needs something to prevent it appearing like a cliche. Dystopianism may be inevitable, but make it look different.
I started to get lost finding my way back, yet regained my bearings and arrived back at the hotel quite quickly. Dublin feels slightly less safe than London, although I appreciate its energy and strangeness. Today, it reminds me of Berlin. I think it is the politics and the pervasive cultural figures dominating the landscape and public consciousness. In many cultures, the past stains the present. Ireland is no exception to this unwritten rule.
Barry Watt - 20th September 2016.
Photographs.
Bridge.
Bank of Ireland with bricked up windows.
Olympia Theatre.
O'Connell Monument in Glasnevin Cemetery.
The interior of O'Connell's crypt in Glasnevin Cemetery. Apparently, if you touch his coffin it leads to good luck. I left it alone.
Something about the star in Glasnevin Cemetery.
Croke Park.
Street art in Dublin.
The gloaming in Dublin.
Bright lights in Dublin.
Afterword.
'Catch-22' was written by Joseph Heller and is well worth a read. It has been published by lots of companies.
City Sightseeing provide short bus tours in a number of countries. Their website is below:
http://www.city-sightseeing.com/?gclid=CNH3qYqzuc8CFQQq0wode_oOvw
Kilmainham Gaol (which I went past but didn't visit) has a website:
http://kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/
Guinness Storehouse (See my future blog entry for more information about the joys of this attraction):
https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en?nst=0&gclid=cmgw_tqzuc8cfvw4gwodzsihmq
Glasnevin Cemetery is well worth a visit and is the final resting place of a number of prominent Irish figures such as Michael Collins:
http://www.glasnevinmuseum.ie/?gclid=COHr2au0uc8CFYgy0wodHk8NBA
The film, 'Michael Collins' starred Liam Neeson and was written and directed by Neil Jordan. It was released in 1996. It is still available on DVD and was distributed by Warner Brothers.
Croke Park is apparently one of the largest stadiums in Europe:
https://crokepark.ie/home
Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane is worth visiting for the recreation of Francis Bacon's studio:
http://www.hughlane.ie/
Dublin Writers Museum is great fun but literally feels like a museum lost in time:
http://www.visitdublin.com/see-do/details/dublin-writers-museum/31258/#53.354366|-6.263985|16
Irish Writers Centre where tourists accidentally visit seems to offer lots of courses etc to people with a greater sense of direction:
http://irishwriterscentre.ie/
The Woollen Mills was a lovely restaurant and apparently, James Joyce worked in the building:
http://thewoollenmills.com/
The Project Arts Centre is a little bit like the Soho Theatre in London. They present an eclectic range of productions and art events etc:
http://projectartscentre.ie/
'Traitor' is a play by Shane Mac an Bhaird (I provide the link for information but it is no longer on at the venue):
http://projectartscentre.ie/event/traitor/
BW.
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