Homeland Art

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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