I’m writing this in a dash, just to let anybody know who isn’t already aware there’s a wonderful 1916 book- a joint project of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Irish Academy (and published by the Royal Irish Academy)- called 1916: Portraits and Lives. The book is 42 short biographies of key figures… Read More a Gift to the World: Beautiful 1916 images, & text, free (Read this now)
Citizens in Conflict, 1916. What better place for a 1916 exhibition than on Pearse Street? Patrick Pearse, 1916’s most iconic leader, and the man who read the Proclamation outside the GPO, was of course reared almost across the road from the library, at his father’s stonemason workshop and the family home, both on what was… Read More Citizens in Conflict, 1916 exhib’ Dublin Library & Archive
A History of the Easter Rising in 50 Objects. By John Gibney historian. Some if not most readers may be familiar with Ireland in 100 Objects, a wide ranging history-through artifact book helmed by Fintan O’Tooole. Here in A History of the Easter Rising in 50 Objects, historian John Gibney (who I know, formerly… Read More A History of the Easter Rising in 50 Objects. By John Gibney historian.
A vast amount and variety of events take place in Dublin this year to commemorate the Easter Rising of 1916. Most historical walking tours naturally focus on the GPO building O’Connell Street and it’s area. As every Irish schoolchild knows, the GPO was occupied by the key battalion of Easter Rebels including Pearse, Clarke and… Read More Easter Rebellion 1916 in Dublin 4 | a Dublin Decoded walking tour
I nearly called this post “Before the Roads”. That’s because road widening schemes have been one of the biggest enemies of old Dublin. Literally hundreds, thousands, of old historic houses have been pulled down to allow for the huge road schemes. Of nowhere is that loss more acute, more extensive, or sadder than the very… Read More Tour old Dublin – High Street, Christ Church, Wine Tavern & the Irish House.
Killarney & Tullamore as Paris & Rome: Frank Gibney’s Grand city plans. A quick mention for this superb talk (Thursday 21st January) given at the Irish Architectural Archives (Merrion Square) by Fergal MacCabe, on surprising aspects in the work of Frank Gibney. Frank Gibney 1905-1978. Gibney was a well known and successful architect. During the… Read More the Grand Dreams of Frank Gibney: a talk at the AAI
“A Year in the Life”: 2015 in pictures – photos from research for our historical and architectural walking tours and of course, from the tours themselves. Thank you to everyone who came on 2015 Dublin Decoded tours and/or who supported us in 2015. Here’s our year, looking around churches, old factories, the former sites of… Read More “The Things We Saw” Dublin Decoded: 2015 pictures.
a walk with old friends earlier this evening, and their children, (you can spot one of my God-daughters at one point) along the Devil’s Glen, in County Wicklow. None of us had ever seen the river or the falls like this before. Thought you’d like to see it too. The photos are one thing, but… Read More the devil’s in the glen…
I was delighted to stumble across this event on Facebook this afternoon, especially as I believe it will only run for 2-3 days. It’s a Projection/ installation, celebrating the winter solstice, by the artist, animator and film maker Ronan Coyle, using that lovely circular window on the old Kiosk by Leeson Street bridge, now a… Read More a temporary art installation, on Dublin’s loveliest small building..
Four best books on Dublin, for your Christmas list. Often after giving a talk or a tour, guests ask me to recommend a good reference book or two on Dublin. People, with their curiosity piqued or revived, naturally want to learn more. I’m flattered to be asked, and usually recommend the same books I use… Read More Great books on Dublin, for your reading pleasure.
Arran Q Henderson 