I recently posted on an event that runs in Dublin November each year called Open House, dedicated to architecture by helping to educate and inform us all about the history and practice of that great art, and by giving the public access to some of the best buildings in the country. It’s one of my… Read More Custom-made Beauty. – Power, genius and intrigue, in 18th century Dublin.
Every autumn, there are two wonderful events in Dublin. The first, in September is called “Culture Night” which is pretty self-explanatory but covers all the arts. The second event is called “Open House”. It aims to interest and engage and to give people direct access to architecture, from old medieval and Georgian buildings, to the latest bits of… Read More Autumn, when Dublin comes to Life. a little picture essay of Pearse St.
The Natural History Museum was founded in 1856, It was constructed to accommodate the large collections of bird, animal and geological specimens belonging to the Royal Dublin Society, the RDS. For overseas readers, the RDS by the way, is a venerable and prestigious institution dedicated to the promotion of learning industry, agriculture, arts and scholarship,… Read More The Dead Zoo
In a series of three seperate earlier posts, we’ve looked at the history of Dublin’s cathedral of Saint Patrick’s, from the early Christaina era, in one post, to the Viking ear in another, and finally to the Anglo-Normans, and “the story of the two cathedrals”. It’s all a long, immense, complex web of religious and… Read More Saint Patrick’s History, 4: Richard Boyle, earl of Cork, power, politics and intrigue in Elizabethan & Stuart Ireland.
Important Note 2: Note on photography, maps, and image credits. all photographs in this article are by the author, unless otherwise noted. I’m not precious about it but if you wish to use an image please contact me and if I provide permission naturally I’d like to get a basic acknowledgement and credit and please provide a link… Read More The Origins of Saint Patricks cathedral – part one. 430AD to the early Celtic church.
As an architecture and history obsessive, I often discuss with my students their favorite Dublin visits and “sights”. The great medieval Cathedral of Saint Patrick’s came up in class conversation the other day. I was a little mystified, not to say horrified, when one of my students shrugged her shoulders, and said it was “so-so” ! … Read More Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, my favourite place in the world.
We asked readers to try and identify four architectural details, from buildings around Ireland. If you have not seen the quiz yet, you can find it here. Or, if you just want the answers, and a bit of additional detail, here’s the answer to picture 1. (below) This fierce and fabulous sea creature is… Read More Answer 1… Dolphin House, & the influence of John Ruskin.
A small set of curious pictures, just four today, for readers to puzzle over. In a break with tradition, these images are not all from the capital. Two pictures are from Dublin, but the other two from elsewhere in Ireland, from much further afield. Enjoy, and please feel free to share with friends or colleagues.… Read More Four details… four pictures from Dublin and around Ireland.
Doors of Dublin quiz, results and reflections. It has to be acknowledged again this was a tough quiz. Too tough for most it seems. Over two hundred people read the post, but only around 1o people had a crack at answering the picture questions.. less than 1 in 20 readers ! That’s a… Read More Results of Doors of Dublin Quiz.
Here, at last, are the answers to the Doors of Dublin Quiz. They were delayed until now because replies were still trickling in until just a few days ago. It’s probably also necessary to repeat a word of apologetic explanation, to readers who replied to the quiz but did not see their responses appear (until tonight).… Read More Answers to the Doors of Dublin Quiz.
Arran Q Henderson 