My Dublin Life

The Mom whose kids I take care of on Saturdays has asked me to come up with something for them to do this weekend. Usually, she arranges everything and all I have to do is show up and watch them.

I was thinking maybe the Botanic Gardens? I've been there before, but not at this time of years, and it's got to be pretty, with all the spring flowers come out and stuff. Thing is, they are rather -- how can I put this -- energetic kids. Some would say "destructive", but let's not go there. My thinking is that there are lots of trees, and there's lots of grass and if I get them to run in circles for a while, they'll calm down and then I'll be able to give them their sandwiches. Plus, I'd like to go. With this warmer weather, I feel like being outdoorsy.

The Poetry Now festival kicks off today! I am thinking of maybe going along this evening with some friends from collge. Because we're literature students, this is basically work, right? Even if wine does get consumed along the way :-)

Otherwise, I have two exciting pieces of news:

1)The nice man in charge of Irish Ferries has given me and a friend a free day trip to Wales! With access to a fancy lounge! I will be blogging about this next week, and plan to have lots of photos. I've never been to Wales before and although I will only be there for a few hours -- exciting!! Plus, the only ferry I've been on before goes from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, and the views are amazing. I'm really looking forward to seeing Dublin Bay from the water so that I can compare and contrast!

2) Uncle Joey, now ensconced in Wexford, has rung told me that he's coming to visit and has "something important" to tell me. I think I know what it is, but it will be interesting to see if my suspicions are confirmed ...

Mobile downloads -- don't you just love them! It took about 2 hours to see the whole parade, and I think that girl was upside for most of it!



There were performers from all over the world, so far as I could see.






There's something so fantastically...democratic about an event like the St Patrick's Parade. I mean, Irish people often try to present themselves as being a cynical bunch, but the crowd at the parade, Irish and visitors alike were hardly cynical. It was like we were all 6 again, and it was fantastic. And I'll tell you a secret. I used to be in my school band. I loved it, but when I reached about 14, I gave it up because I thought it wasn't cool. Well, after watching the parade last week, I totally regretted hanging up my trombone, because there's just something wonderful about making music as part of a group. And, honestly, who really cares what's passing for cool among a bunch of jaundiced 14-year-olds. Is it too late to start again, I wonder?

Anyway. This weekend, I'd been invited to go for a little hike in Howth, but I'd completely forgotten about my Saturday job. Fortunately, the Mom texted me the night before to ask me if I would could meet her with the kids at Cabinteely Park, where one of them was attending a birthday party. The weather was good and the kids were out of doors and I got a ride home so it was a very easy gig this weekend. And just as well, because at college, the pressure is on. I can hardly believe it's nearly April already. The end of my masters, and decision time fast approaching. I am going to have to work super-hard. Fortunately for this literature post-grad, there are some public events coming up that are at least slightly related to my coursework and research, so I guess I can at least attend those with a clear conscience. There's a poetry festival on in Dun Laoighire at the weekend and starting some time next week, Dublin's "One City One Book" thingy, which is kind of a neat idea, as the point is for everyone in Dublin to read the same book, sort of like a giant book club. And this year is really totally relevant to my work in Gothic literature because the book is the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, which is one of my favourites of all time.

Re. poetry, I have to confess that I have never been able to get into it as I have fiction. I am not a very patient person and it can be hard sometimes. But being in Dublin, it's good to have the opportunity to hear poetry being read by real poets in, after all, one of the top places for writing in the English language. I read that, years ago, the ancient Irish bards had to learn how to compose fancy poems while lying naked under a big heap of cold rocks. That's dedication for you.

I promised that I would post some pictures of the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin but the parade is so dynamic, still pictures don't really do it justice -- the variety, the colour and all the excitement on the streets. Now they're saying that 650,000 people came!

Check out this video on YouTube. Whoever put it up has done a real nice job of editing, so you get a good idea of the different elements on show!

I thought, after all the excitement, I'd be too broke and too tired to want to much this weekend, but in fact, as most of the events on were free, I'm not that broke. And as for tired? Well, pshaw. I've got Sunday morning to sleep in. There still seem to be lots of visitors to Dublin and the atmosphere outside is pretty lively. I've been invited for a hike around Howth Head on Saturday, and my thinking is that all that healthy outdoors stuff gives me free license to kick up my heels a bit... what do you think?

I've just come back to the apartment for a little break in the revelry and to pick up a jacket for this evening, and to tell anyone out there to book their tickets for next year! There's such an atmosphere of goodwill and friendliness on the streets right now, and the parade was magnificent. There were giant statues -- I don't know what the technical names is -- and people in costume, and pipe bands and it was all the most curious mixture of staid and sexy, absurd and gorgeous! My greengrocer gave me a tip; he said to make my way to Clanbrassil Street at the end. That's where the parade ends, and where the performers take off their costumes and pack them away. I saw everything up close, because there aren't many onlookers there. Fabulous. I've got some pictures on my camera that I'll put up here soon, but no time now coz I've got some friends waiting anxiously outside the door and we're going to have fun!

I'm perched on my windowledge with a cup of coffee on the radiator and my laptop on my knee, peering out at the river Liffey. It's only 10.30, but there's already a lot of people wandering about, and a general air of expectation. The sun is not "splitting the stones" as some people had predicted, but it's quite warm, and I think it's going to be a fantastic day. I'm gonna get dressed now, find a way to attach my (real, live) shamrock to my label and head out. I'm meeting some friends, and we're going to kick the day off with a big, greasy Irish Breakfast. Because whatever you do on St Patrick's Day DOESN'T COUNT!!!

What a great saint, absolving sins even as they happen ;-)

All over the world, cultures celebrate spring, and Ireland is no exception. Of course, St Patrick's Day is also about the man himself, Ireland's patron saint, and all the legends about him but it is also about Irish people hanging up their winter coats (OK, even if it still is a bit chilly) and celebrating spring. It's been more or less like a party everywhere since Friday and while I guess some of the locals might be a bit used to it or even jaundiced, it is nice to see so many people having a good time. There seem to be lots and lots of Spanish and Italian tourists nattily dressed in winter gear wandering (and wondering) about town in a state of bemused excitement. With their usual touch for the surreal, the Irish have been holding odd but great events. Like the Flash Tea Party, in Merrion Square, attended by yours truly and a couple of friends. Great stuff, as the Irish say. Tomorrow, I'm going to a mass ceili in Stephen's Green.



Here's a picture I took of the fountain in Stephen's Green a week or two ago. The smart money is on at least some of the revellers ending up IN the fountain! Hopefully, it won't be me.

I've just realised, anxiously, that I don't actually HAVE any green clothes. Maybe it won't matter? My greengrocer is selling live shamrock plants so I guess I'll buy one of those and carry it about, or pin a bit to my lapel. Well, it is all exciting and I actually wish I had someone visiting from back home right now so that I could be more unashamed about how worked up I'm getting!! With my Irish buddies, I have to be all like, "Oh yeah, might wander out, see if there's anything going on..." while in actual fact, I am pretty sure I will hardly be able to sleep with excitement!! Not to mention all the noise drifting up from the street :-)

And then of course there's the noble Irish tradition of being able to eat or drink in abundance whatever you gave up for lent. Apparently, most Irish people still give stuff up, even if they're not religious. Well, I didn't give up anything. But I think I'll eat and drink too much anyway, seeing as how it's the thing to do 'n all!!

Because there's a lot going on, I've had to prioritise and choose what I think I'll like best. But if anyone is reading this and making last-minute plans there are some great sports events in Croke Park. I've seen Gaelic Games before, and even as someone who's not that sporty (ice-skating aside) they are pretty damn exciting -- and they date all the way back to the Iron Age, which is quite something.

If you're in Dublin, watch out for an overexcited Newfoundlander in black with a large, green shamrock plant safety-pinned to her coat. That's me. And if you're going for a pint, I'll have whatever you are having.

Dubliners often think of County Wicklow as their playground and, while I guess this must be annoying to people from Wicklow at times, I'm no exception. Whenever you find yourself on the top of the slightest hill in generally-flat Dublin there are the Wicklow Mountains, right to the south. I love the view from the Rathmines Bridge with the city buildings and the mountains as a backdrop. When you've access to a car, as I sometimes do, and it's not the commuters' rush hour, you can reach the wild mountains from the city centre in less than half an hour.

All of this is a long-winded introduction to something I read in the paper this morning.

This weekend, there's what has got to be the coolest festival EVER, and it's on in Wicklow; it's a festival of silent and "lost" films, and it's going to be held in a big, old, stately home. I am desperately trying to figure out a way to get to it, because it just sounds fabulous. I hate to say it, but I'm even sorry I accepted an invitation to the rugby match, because this is so much more my thing.



It's called the "Kilruddery Film Festival". Check it out. It looks so amazing.