a shorter photo essay- Four Courts to Green St & around.

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.

Custom-made Beauty. – Power, genius and intrigue, in 18th century Dublin.

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.

Autumn, when Dublin comes to Life. a little picture essay of Pearse St.

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.

Saint Patrick’s History, 4: Richard Boyle, earl of Cork, power, politics and intrigue in Elizabethan & Stuart Ireland.

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.

The Origins of Saint Patricks cathedral – part one. 430AD to the early Celtic church.

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.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, my favourite place in the world.

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.

St Brendan’s Cathedral & St Brendan Navigator.

a stone carving from a capital that adorns a column in Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Loughrea, Co Galway. The Cathedral was designed by William Byrne and funded by the wonderful Edward Martyn,  Catholic land-owner, Humanist, scholar, patron, and playwright. Martyn was an absolutely vital figure in Ireland’s Gaelic Revival,  a hugely important benefactor to the arts.  Among his many… Read More St Brendan’s Cathedral & St Brendan Navigator.