Homeland Art

Even though there is turmoil in the financial markets people still want to buy beautiful works of art to hang on their wall. Managing director of Whyte’s Art Auctioneers says that people are turning to art as a means of investment. According to Whyte, there are two reasons why people are turning to art:

“Art doesn’t necessarily fall as badly as property because people don’t get as desperate about selling art. People don’t take out a mortgage on a painting, as with a house or a piece of land, so there generally aren’t any forced sales. Even during a property slump, art remains steady.”

The second reason, Whyte explains: “People say they feel safer when they invest money in a painting. They like the fact that they know exactly where it is and that they can look at it hanging on the wall where they can enjoy it. They’ll never have to face the prospect of going down to withdraw their investment one morning only to find that the doors of the bank are closed.”

Whyte explains buying a piece from an established artist versus an up and coming artist: “From an investment point of view go for safe, established artists but oif you want to take a flutter, up and coming artists are the ones to watch.”

An Irish Art auction will be hosted by Whytes on November 24th.

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There is a proposal in the pipeline to merge the three main State galleries in a cost cutting exercise. The three main State galleries are: The National Gallery, The Irish Museum of Modern Art (I.M.M.A.), and the Crawford Gallery, in Cork.

Correspondence from the Department of Arts disclosed that as a result of the “brainstorming exercise” to amalgamate government departments. State art galleries are on the list.

Officials in the Department of Arts said that the proposal still has to be looked at in detail and that nothing has been decided.

Crawford Gallery director, Peter Murray doubted if there would be any economical advantage for the merger as members of the board are not paid for their services. He did say that the galleries could work together in other ways such as combining bargaining power when advertising or when launching campaigns.

The directors of Irish museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery are away and were not available for comment. 

If I was a director of a museum and there were rumblings that “my” museum was going to be merged with two others, I don’t care if I was on holidays on Mars, I would make sure to send some sort of comment supporting the case that there was no need for a merger instead people writing “not available for comment”.

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Ah, “them were the good old days”, back when the Guinness barges would trudge up and down the River Liffey, when you could have a game of football on Collins Avenue without being “interupted” by passing cars for up to 20 minutes,
when you coal would be delivered by horse and cart with the coalman covered from head to toe with the black stuff (and I don’t mean Guinness!), when hats would be tipped to passing strangers.

This month Dublin City Libraries, in association with the Heritage Council, will open their extensive archives of the life and times of the capital in an extensive series of talks, films, exhibitions, walking tours, and boat trips as part of ‘Our Heritage - All Our Yesterdays Today’.

The week long trip down memory lane will feature events highlighting local history, architecture, and inland waterways.

Cabra library will host one of the highlights of the week.  A commerative exhibition of the North Strand bombings in 1941 when 4 german bombs were dropped on the area killing 28 people, injuring 90 and destroying 300 homes.

There will be a number of commissioned photographs on show of the damge of the bombs and the major clearance operation that was required.

There will also be an oral history talk in Cabra Library of women’s experiences living through World War II.

For lovers of nature there will be a talk by Eanna Ni Lamhna in the Central Library on the wildlife of the time in the River Dodder, and other parts of Dublin.

There will also be a series of films taking place in the Central Library. Titled ‘Dublin in the Rare Oul’Times’ viewers can enjoy a number of films put together by the Irish Film Institute using the Irish Film Archive of the life and times of our capital city from the 1920’s up until the 1970’s.

All events are free. For more information visit Dublin City Libraries website.

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1. Have a Perfect Pint of Guinness

Go to the Guinness Storehouse at St. James Gate, Dublin. The site of the an old fermentation plant has been transformed into the Guinness Storehouse and Museum. The tour is pretty good (a little too much marketing blasted at you for my liking) but the best part about it is the pint of Guinness you get at the Gravity Bar. This is a perfect pint and the 360 degree view of Dublin city is breathtaking (if it’s a nice day off course).

Mulligan’s on Poolbeg Street also serves an exquisite pint of Guinness and it is my favorite if I have a “goo for a Guinness”. It’s not a place I’d have at the top of my list if I was with my wife (she likes her comforts) but if I’m with the lads it’s a great place to start off the night. James Joyce was a famous patron of this famous establishment.

Here is Mulligans’ website for more information.

2. Go Surfing

It is said that Ireland has the second best breaks in the world after Hawaii. Just make sure you bring your wet suit! The water temperature is not tropical. Surfing in Ireland in recent years has become extremely popular.

There are plenty of world class surf spots along the coast from Portrush in County Antrim to Tramore in the south.

For more information visit the Irish Surfing Association’s website.

3. See The Ceide Fields

The Ceide Fields are the oldest known field system in the world. Dating back over five and a half millenia. On the north Mayo coastline this unique experience will give you an insight into the difficult life of early Irish settlers. A local schoolteacher discovered the site in the 1930’s and there is a visitor centre on the site which you visit when in the area.

For more information visit the Ceide Fields Visitor Centre’s website.

4. Visit Brooklodge Hotel

Macreddin Village, Aughrim, County Wicklow.
My wife and I love this place. Personally, I don’t think I have ever been as relaxed as I was after spending a couple of nights here. We didn’t even leave the grounds of the hotel, there’s no need to. We saw a super concert by Mary Coughlan in the chapel on the grounds. From memory, there were 10 or 12 rows (benches) and about 10 or 12 people on each bench. Boy, can Mary belt out a few tunes. She didn’t sing “Ride On” which I was hoping she would but nonetheless it was fantastic. After the show we retired to the bar where I sank into my seat listening to a great jazz band.

There is a fantastic, totally organic, restaurant in the hotel. The Strawberry Tree is the only certified organic restaurant in Ireland. The food here is top notch.

Here is Brooklodge’s website for more information.

5. Go to the Galway Arts Festival.
It takes place every year and it just finished this year, so start preparing for next year. The festival has a large variety of arts including visual art, dance, theatre, comedy, and music. I wrote a blog here detailing some of my favourite acts this year.

For more information visit the Galway Arts Festival website.

6. Visit the Aran Islands.

Situated off the west coast of Ireland, in the mouth of the Galway Bay, the Aran Islands are a must see.  The scenery is breathtaking. They are comprised of three islands: Inis Mor, Inis Meain, and Inis Oirr (the Big Island, the Middle Island, and the South Island, respectively). The islands are rich in the language, culture, and heritage of Ireland.
The Islands can be reached by boat from Rossaveal or by plane at Connemara Regional Airport.
For more information have a look at this website. 

7. Take a Black Taxi tour of Belfast.

This is a very interesting trip. The cab driver will take you around Belfast, up and down the Falls and Shankill roads where you can see the murals from the times of “The Troubles”. You can then drive down to the shipyard area where the Titanic was built. You will also see the political districts which have borne the brunt of The Troubles over the last 30 years.

For more information check out this website

8. Go to the Ring of Kerry.

This is a special part of Ireland. It’s spectacular beauty is beyond question. It is a natural centre for outdoor pursuits including golf, watersports, hiking, cycling, horse riding, and the very best fishing for trout and salmon. The Ring of Kerry has some of the best beaches in Europe. The Ring of Kerry is my favorite part of Ireland, but then again I might be a little biased. Both my paternal grandparents are from Kerry. My grandfather from Glenbeigh and my grandmother from Knocknagoshal.

Here’s a good website for further information

9. Take a boat trip on the River Shannon.

Cruising the River Shannon is probably the most relaxing thing you could do. The beauty of a trip like this is that you can go up the Shannon at your own pace. There are plenty of quaint villages with welcoming pubs serving pints of Guinness to the sound of traditional Irish Music. You can stop off wherever you like and stay as long as you like because your bed is back on the boat. Bring your golf clubs and fishing rods. There are plenty of opportunities for both.

For more information on boat rentals and tours look here.

10. The Galway Oyster Festival.

Last but not least or maybe we have left the best to last: The Galway Oyster Festival takes place this year from Thursday 25th  September until Sunday 28th September. This festival is great fun. As we say here in Ireland: “The craic is mighty”. Galway City comes alive as many thousands of people come from all over the world to celebrate the oyster, a food known for it’s remarkable romantic powers! A weekend of non stop entertainment which features national and international top class entertainment. Miss this at your ‘pearl’!

We hope you enjoyed reading about our favorite spots. We are sure there are other spots people think should be up there with the best. Let us know. We would love to hear from you.

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The Galway Arts Festival starts today.

More than 150,000 visitors are expected to attend the Galway Arts Festival and are expected to spend more than €25 million at this year’s event.

Considered the festival of festivals, the event will run until Sunday, July 27th. Founded in 1978, the largest arts festival in Ireland has a programme spend of more than €2.3 million. This year there are 266 Irish and international acts in 35 venues in the city and surrounding areas, including the Aran Islands.

Some of my favourite artists are:

The Phillip Glass Ensemble. Phillip Glass is a composer of music with “repetitive structure”. Read his very interesting biography here. Philip Glass performs Solo Piano and chamber works including cellist Wendy Sutter playing “Songs & Poems for Solo Cello” at St. Nicholas Collegiate Church on July 15th.

Bill Viola. Bill is long considered a pioneer in the medium of video art and is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading artists. Here is his boigraphy.

Omara Portuondo. This is the real deal. The 77-year-old singer whose duet with Ibrahim Ferrer was director Wim Wenders’s personal highlight of the Buena Vista film. That was when the rest of the world discovered her, but in Cuba she’s been a star since the 1950s. Have a listen to some of her music here. I love it. It reminds me of the time I spent in Havana a couple of years back.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The sound of New Orleans. Here’s more info.

Walker Evans (1903-1975) from Missouri, photographed scenes from the Great Depression. Look here for more info.

Visitors will get the chance to see concerts by KT Tunstall, Blondie, the Dandy Warhols, and Ash.

Comedians Ed Byrne, Des Bishop, and David O’Doherty will give you the chance to laugh your head off.

To see the complete line-up visit the Galway Arts Festival Website. This will be a great festival.

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A collection of etchings by Rembrandt went on display in Dublin today. The world famous etchings are expected to draw huge crowds to the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle.

Along with his extensive collection of paintings, Rembrandt was not just a great painter, he was also a graphic artist of outstanding ability.  He produced approximately 290 prints and he is considered the world’s most accomplished etcher.

The 75 prints on display include portraits, self-portraits, landscapes and biblical scenes. Charles Horton, curator of the library said, “the quality of the etchings is superb. Anyone who thinks of a print simply as a reproductive work will be amazed when they see these prints. It is like looking over the shoulder of a master”.

The library will also host a series of events, including demonstrations with print artists from the Graphic Studio, Dublin.  For more information look at Chester Beatty Library website.

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Well, this has been a very interesting experience of building a website dedicated to irish art and developing it.  If you are thinking of going down this route (I mean any type of website) I have a little bit of advice:

Hire good people. The two areas I’m talking about are:

Building Your Site

Building the actual website is easier said than done and off course it’s easier to comment on it looking back than it is as you are about to jump into it. Dan from Impact Design built my site and I have to say, he was fantastic. I would highly recommend him and his company. Excellent knowledge and response time was second to none.

Web Development

I wouldn’t wait until after your site gets built before you think about web development and Search Engine Marketing. I have used a few web development companies and you have to be very careful in this area. Go with the wrong crowd and they could do serious damage to your site’s future prospects. If you want to use the best in the business talk to Aaron Wall. He runs a company called SEO Book. There is no one better.

There is my honest opinion and by the way I’m not paid for this. If anyone was starting out I would these are the 2 points of advice I would give them.

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Art lovers in Dublin were excited on Thursday night with anticipation of the unveiling of Ronnie Wood’s pieces of art at Gallery Number 1 on Castle Street, Dublin 2.Some people were disappointed that the Rolling Stone didn’t show up to unveil his “Paint it Black” series but people were really impressed with the works of art.

Not to worry, the show went on with David Douglas, the gallery’s owner, announcing Ronnie’s work. “The reaction we’ve had is amazing. People love Ronnie” David said on the night.

 While Ronnie is best known for his musical abilities, he has been painting since he was 12 years old and his latest collection is a series of prints of the Rolling Stones on tour. Prices started from €460, climbing to over €41,000. In total the 40 piece collection is valued in excess of €650,000.

Ronnie told the gallery that he will pop in at some stage before the event closes on July 6th. That shouldn’t be a problem for him since it’s not that far from his plush Co. Kildare stables where he breeds horses.

You can see Ronnie’s work on display at Gallery Number One’s website after the exhibition is finished, so if you want to see the work now, go to the gallery on Castle Street, Dublin 2.

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As you may have heard, Ireland voted “no” to the Lisbon Treaty. It has really upset the politicians from the mainstream political parties in Ireland and members of the European parliment. All of the other European countries were expected to pass the treaty (because the parliments in each country were to vote on it rather than putting it to the people in a referendum). It was expected to pass easily in all the countries, including Ireland (up until the last few days before the irish referendum anyway).

Why did the people vote “no”?

1. The Lisbon Treaty is a complicated document. Apparently it’s more interesting to watch paint dry than to read the treaty. Even our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) admitted he didn’t read it. They gave it to a bunch of lawyers to break down and summarize the main points. I started to read that broken down version and frankly I decided I needed to go to the shops before I finished. So, people decided to vote no because they did not fully understand what they were asking to endorse.

2. The Irish population did not like being told what to do by an out of touch, arrogant government.

3. There are a lot of things the population are unhappy with (including health care, our justice system, transport) and they wanted to send the governemnt a message.

So, we are entering “unchartered territory”, as the government puts it. By law the Lisbon Treaty is dead if it is not ratified by all of the member states. So they are all busy scratching their heads in Brusells. The Irish people are not anti-Europe by any means. We have benefited greatly from being part of the EU, arguably more than any other member state, but in my opinion the campaign by the goverment to educate the people was a disaster. They were over confident and complacent.

So, we are entering interesting times. Tired of reading about politics? Check out some great Irish Art!

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There are two main areas in Dublin’s city centre where people come to shop for Irish gifts. One area, on the northside of the River Liffey is Henry Street and it’s surrounding streets and the other area is Grafton Street and Stephen’s Green. The two areas are quite close. It is about a ten minute walk between both. The easiest route to take is over the Ha’penny Bridge, which crosses the River Liffey.

Northside
Henry Street has apartment stores such as Arnott’s aswell as an assortment of popular clothing and footwear stores. The Ilac Centre and the newer Jervis Street Centre are both here. The traditional Moore Street market is also here where fish and vegetables are sold daily from stalls with sellers announcing their presence regularly. The sellers have great voices and you will hear them before you see them as they nearly sing out: “ten for a fiver”. Nearby, Dublin’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street is just around the corner. Clerey’s department store and Eason’s book store are located here.

Southside
Grafton Street is the main shopping area on the southside. Located between Trinity College and Saint Stephen’s Green. Brown Thomas is located here. It caters to many designer showcases both international and local. Bewley’s Cafe is also located here. Every time I am on Grafton Street I stop on for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. The exclusive Weir’s jewellery store is also here. The nearby Powerscourt Towncentre is a very unique, small shopping centre is located just around the corner.

After all that shopping there is nothing more you would deserve more than a thirst quenching pint of Guinness. I recommend McDaid’s pub. You can see it from Grafton Street. Half way up Grafton Street, walk right onto Harry Street and i’s just there on the left. There is a great bronze statue of Phil Lynott just outside.

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