Flanntastic!

It’s April Fool’s Day, and time for a drink

In the great Palace Bar, it’s pints we’ll sink

With Chapman and Keats

Serving up verbal treats

Know what I mean, with a nod and a wink

The Palace Bar, 21 Fleet Street, Dublin

The Third Policeman, now there’s a great book    

Too weird for many, sure isn’t that the hook

And De Selby knew jack

That lippy ould hack

And a pint of plain, wishing you all good luck

Flann – Your Only Man!

I once saw Flann, racing past on a bike

The coppers gave chase, to stop his flight

They upped their speed

But he paid them no heed

And into a pub, he disappeared from sight!

The Third Policeman’s ‘Atomic Bike’

Flann O’Brien, writer and essayist, died on 1st April 1966 – Flannday!

The Little Museum of Dublin

It may indeed be little but the museum is big on the history of Dublin, with many pictures, drawings and artifacts bringing the story to life. Our tour guide, Trevor, was engaging with those in the group, as he pointed to various items in the collection before telling of their background, and often with a humorous tale to add to its importance.

The museum is ten years old, and many of the exhibits have been donated by Dubliners who wished for them to be seen in such a place. These treasured items – movie posters, road signs, a milk bottle from the 1988 one thousandth year celebration of Dublin’s beginning, and many more – have now found a fine home, and they help ‘flesh out’ the city’s history in a way that is accessible, and fun.

Harry Clarke’s glass is class!

We found out about the history of St Stephen’s Green, its development, and the part it played in the Easter Rising. After a few questions from various group members I was amazed to find out that during the fighting in and around The Green there was a one-hour ceasefire each day during hostilities. What for, we thought, only to find out that the time was used by Park Rangers to feed the local ducks! That, not surprisingly, got a warm response, as did many of the other stories we heard.

There are signed papers by Eamon de Valera, Countess Markievicz and a beautiful piece of stained-glass by Harry Clarke, that shimmered in the sunlight. I noted a key to The Green that a resident would have owned, before the place was bought by Lord Ardilaun (Sir Arthur Guinness) and opened to the public on the 27^th July 1880.

You can see photographs of Dublin from over the years, and of many of its native sons and daughters and their contribution to the world of arts, sports and beyond.

It’s a must see.

On your bike!

Turn the Page

It was definitely time to turn the page, I thought, as I stepped into Book Deals on Lower George’s Street, Dun Laoghaire. Like so many shops that seemed to have been closed forever it was a real treat to once again browse, shuffle about and enjoy a familiar experience. The owner, Dave Cassidy, and known as ‘The Librarian’ for his encyclopaedic knowledge of books, was busy, but made time for a quick chat with shoppers. The shop is full of new books, and if you are looking for a deal – 3 books for €10 – then you’ve found a new home. I actually overheard someone say ‘The place is cheaper than Amazon,’ and that’s about as good as it gets!

Dave Cassidy (The Librarian) with the ever watchful Murphy!

Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) – it’s molificent!

 

MoLI – Newman House

MoLI is the latest addition to Dublin’s literary map, and a splendid place it is too. It is situated in Newman House (86, St Stephen’s Green), a wonderful building that has been splendidly revamped, and there are exhibits on different floors. This reimaging of the grand, old house’s purpose has been, no doubt, well considered, and deftly achieved.
The museum is a collaboration between University College Dublin (UCD) and the National Library of Ireland (NLI) with the latter supplying many of the exhibits including, most famously, the first copy of James Joyce’s greatest work Ulysses. Joyce signed the first hundred copies (of the original one thousand print run) and the first one he gave to Harriet Shaw -Weaver, the English political activist and magazine editor (The Egoist), who had supported the writer financially for many years.

Some of our literary greats

Early in the exhibition homage is paid to the multitude of Irish writers whose works have entertained, provoked and, no doubt, encouraged others to put pen to paper. For a small island our contribution to world literature is impressive, and undeniable when you see the list of famous names.

A Riverrun of Language shows, through various media, the development and history of Irish writers. Then the Dear Dirty Dublin exhibition (Bayeaux Tapestry-like), which was proving very popular, takes you on a tour of Joyce’s life and writing. The city model, with streets and buildings highlighting scenes from his books, was of particular interest and very informative. It shows Dublin, the muse that he loved but had to leave, when he observed (in An Encounter, Dubliners) ‘I wanted real adventure to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.’

Dear Dirty Dublin

Upstairs there are items from the lives of George Bernard Shaw and WB Yeats, with the telegram informing the poet of his Nobel Prize award. With the extensive archives of both UCD and, particularly, NLI to draw from, exhibitions will change to showcase the collections and the works of Irish writers. So there will be plenty to see for years to come, and of that you can be certain!

Even the statue has a book!

The garden at the back of the museum is easy on the eye, and an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. With access directly from the restaurant I can see it being a popular place when the weather permits.

The building itself is a treat and dates from the early 1730s. It was once owned by William ‘Buck’ Whaley, a Member of Parliament, a renowned bon vivant and gambler. It was bought in 1854 for the Catholic University of Dublin (now UCD), and is where Joyce and many other famous Irish writers like Flann O’Brien, Maeve Binchy and Mary Lavin attended.
There is much to see and enjoy here, and I’ll finish with a comment that I overheard as I was looking at one of Joyce’s much-corrected notebooks.
First Voice: So,  what do you think?
Second Voice: Well, if you must know, I’m suitably…mollified.’
I had to smile, and I knew that Joyce would be happy that the Dublin wit he so appreciated was alive and well. Oh yes, it’s a wordy place!

A place for quiet reflection

Flann’s Your Only Man!

The craic house

Well, it’s that time again, thankfully, and fans of the great wordsmith will be gathering once more to celebrate his wit and wisdom in The Palace Bar. It’s the perfect place for such an occasion and this year the day has pushed back to Easter Monday – April 2nd – but that will not in any way dampen the fun. It’s a great day where fans read, recite and sing from his extensive canon of words and a lively time is had by all. I have been to a few such days and I can only say that it’s one of the best and most friendly ways to spend an afternoon, or later as I vaguely remember. You know what I mean. So, if you are in town, why not drop in and enjoy the craic – see you there. Slainte.

I think The Third Policeman should see this….