Look at this. I thought you’d enjoy these wonderful mural paintings. For those who do not know them they’re in a tiny chapel called the Oratory, which is the last remaining survivor of the old Dominican Convent in Dun Laoghaire, (the town just south of Dublin where I grew up). Most of the convent… Read More The Oratory Chapel by Sister Concepta Lynch, old Domincan Convent, Dun Laoghaire (Co Dublin)
Dublin is blessed to have a number of outstanding historic libraries, jammed with literary and scholastic treasures hidden within. The superb (or rather sublime) Long Room of Trinity College, with its wonderful collection of sculpture busts, is only the best known one. (Archbishop Narcissus) Marsh’s Library, established 1701 at Saint Patrick’s cathedral is of course… Read More Dublin’s Historic Libraries & the Edmund Worth collection, at Dr Steevens’ Hospital.
Back in 2013, I invited readers of my blog to identify this mysterious looking map, below. As many people either knew or guessed, it’s a sketch concerning Ulysses, the legendary novel routinely claimed as the best or most influential tome of 20th century literature, and written of course by James Joyce (below). I had come across the… Read More Nabokov, Perec, Joyce & Bloom; Ulysses, Maps & Games.
It has been the maddest few weeks of work for a very long time… For many years now I have run cultural programs for schools and colleges, or led one-off tours for schools and language schools, of history or art history, around the city of Dublin. Sometimes I take them to the National Museum, or… Read More Exciting times… and a new start.
The last post was an epic, annotated list on the best sights & visits in Dublin. At the end is appended a few of my favorite coastal walks outside the city. Today, just a bit more detail on my favorite South side walk, from Dun Laoghaire to the end of Killiney beach, specifically the best route, via Sandycove, the 40 Foot,… Read More From the Granite to the Pebbles | Arran’s best 3- harbour walk.
This post is for all visitors and was inspired by my students. They often tell me they find it hard to get reliable information on the most interesting places to see here. This sounds a bit unlikely at first? With Ireland’s long-established tourism, you’d imagine we’re bursting at the seams with reliable, objective lists and maps,… Read More Arran’s Top Dublin Sights & Visits.
This is the companion photo essay to the recent Pearse St post. https://arranqhenderson.com/2013/02/20/autumn-when-dublin-comes-to-life-a-little-picture-essay-of-pearse-st/ This walk took place on the same Open House weekend. And our little gathering of arcitectural and social history afficianados were led by the same guide, the excellent Lisa Cassidy. We started just behind the Four Courts, at Chancellery House, (above), designed by Herbert Simms, commemorated in… Read More a shorter photo essay- Four Courts to Green St & around.
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.
Today the most visible and indeed picturesque section of the Barrington collection lines the walls on the first floor of the Natural History Museum in Dublin. It sits demurely, modestly, not vying for attention, just behind the African buffalo, Peruvian sloth, a modest, almost calming backdrop to all the bears and lions. In their neat… Read More The Barrington Collection.
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
Arran Q Henderson 