National Gallery – looking great

The National Gallery of Ireland

As I passed by the locked and boarded front gate during the last six years I often wondered ‘When will it be open?’ The National Gallery had opened in 1864 and it was no surprise that serious work needed to be carried out to allow it to continue in the most positive way for another hundred and fifty years. The removal of old and worn, parts and their sympathetic replacement with modern, state-of-the-art materials was essential, and took time. That’s understandable and the result, I must admit, has been spectacular.

Harry Clarke piece

Upper Gallery

The gallery is a place that I know well having being a regular visitors for many, many years. The Millennium Wing that was opened in 2002 is a great addition and gives a modern feel to the place. And now with the extra space available the gallery can have more of its works (there are more than 16,300 works of art, comprising: paintings, sculpture, objets d’art and works on paper) on show – almost 650 items. And, of course, its size and popularity allows it to attract works from international galleries.

William Dargan

The recently completed work in the Dargan and Milltown wings has been suitably praised, and rightly so. There is much to see and enjoy here, and my own favourite was a complete and wonderful surprise. Knowing the gallery I did not expect to find the atrium that, on the sunny day when I was there,  was seen at its best. The beautiful space had been ‘hidden away’ but its revelation is a real treat and the sculpture at its centre, Magnus Modus (by Joseph Walsh), will bring a smile. It’s a must-see!

 

Magnus Modus

Get me to the church…sometime!

King of the Road

‘Are we there yet?’ cried a voice for the umpteenth time, kicking off another out of laughter.

This was the fun memory of our journey from the hotel to the church in an old, London bus that, at times, seemed to be about to give up the ghost. It was a close run thing that made the swing through north Wicklow memorable, if not a little nervy.

‘All aboard,’ called the conductor when the last passenger climbed on and took a seat. The atmosphere was akin to that of going on a school outing and there was much joking about Back To The Future comments. Or was it Back To The Past?

All aboard!

We set off for St Patrick’s Church and after a short drive we arrived, only to find out that we were at the wrong St Patrick’s Church. This was one time when our patron saint’s fame wasn’t helping matters. Confusion reigned until our true destination was established and we headed off, again. And now that we were on ‘the right road’ the noise levels increased as we went down the motorway, where cars sounded their horns as they passed. Seeing a red London bus is a novelty at the best of times, but one with stuffed with weddinggoers on the road was a rare sight.

The old bus twisted and turned as it made its made along the winding road into Enniskerry where the fun was about to begin.

‘Are we there yet?’ shouted someone and a chorus of imitators followed.

We were already late and furious phone calls went back and forth relaying our position. Our expected time of arrival, however, wasn’t quite so certain.

The bus drove into Enniskerry drawing much attention from onlookers. The journey up to that point had been mostly on the flat and, as the bus began its climb up the hill that it had to take, a silence descended on the passengers. The hill is incredibly steep and as the bus moved forward we were all holding our breath. The sound of the gears grinding as the driver switched was painful, and outside I could see onlookers shaking their heads. It was a nervy few minutes but finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we crested the hill and a roar of relief filled the bus.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, and if the Beatles had their Magical Mystery Tour then we certainly had ours. It had been an unforgettable experience and ‘Get me to the church…sometime,’ was about right!

Are we there yet? – Yes