Travel... Dublin Getting There Ok, so you fancy a weekend break. You can’t afford Europe, you’re sick of London and well, the countryside just isn’t your thing. You’re looking for some culture, some history, excitement, shops, fine foods and well, yes, you want booze, and lots of it. So, where better to go than Dublin? It’s just a short trip away, over the Irish Sea, plane and ferry fares are next to nothing. Situated on the south east coast of Ireland, Dublin has a reputation for being a schizophrenic city, where poverty, wealth, grandeur and deprivation live side by side, mixed together in no particular order, each feigning ignorance of the others existence. For one small city, Dublin has an extraordinarily large personality, with such a grand history of literature, religion, politics, music and war that even the likes of London would blush in comparison. James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Jonathon Swift and W.B Yeats are but a few of the literary greats spawned by the city. Michael Collins, whose actions later sparked Bloody Sunday, began his political career in Dublin.

And of course, what a different place the world would be with out those fine staples of the Irish diet - Guinness and whiskey? As you’d expect, much is made of Dublin’s history, with statues, monuments and museums dedicated to just about every famous Irish man there ever was. As such, it is almost impossible to turn a corner without bumping into something that has made its way into the guide books. From the statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square (locally known as the fag on the crag) to the World of Guinness, every particle of Dublin’s history is made accessible and welcoming to the idle traveller. The best and most entertaining way of taking in all of Dublin’s sights is to take one of the city tour buses. Several companies operate tours, each varying in quality, so be careful which one you choose. It is said that the first thing that any visitor to Dublin will notice are it’s people, their pride of the city, pride of the struggles, pride of the history and an eagerness to share it all with you. This is certainly true of the tour buses. Leaving the bus behind, some places are more worthy of closer attention than others.

If history is your bent you’ll be attracted to Trinity College, parts of which date back to 1700 and are interesting to look at as pieces of architecture alone. Looking into the Old Library, however, will give you the opportunity to see the Book of Kells, a monk’s account of the Viking invasion, which is thought to date back to around AD 800. Another important aspect of the history of Dublin, and indeed of any Irish town, is “the troubles”. The General Post Office on O’Connell Street is where the 1916 Easter Rising began and still bares the marks of gun fire in its fine outer columns. St Stephen’s Green, at the end of Grafton Street, memorial to soldiers of the Boer War, is also an area where much of the Easter Rising fighting took place. If you’ve had enough history and are in the mood for some serious shopping, then Grafton Street is the place to go. Home to the cities most exclusive (and expensive) stores, Grafton Street is a constantly flowing stream of people, so popular that you’re unlikely to find a bargain in a single shop.

Be that as it may, it’s the fashionable place to be and if you’ve not been to Grafton Street, you’ve not been to Dublin. Equally exclusive and probably even more expensive, is the Powerscourt Townhouse Shopping Centre, just off Grafton Street. Full of designer clothes and posh restaurants it is the former house of the Viscount Powerscourt, dating back to the 1770’s. If your purse strings can’t quite stretch to the extravagance of the above, then O’Connell Street is worth a look, with some good shops and more affordable prices. More alternative shops can be found in the ever popular Temple Bar area. Long ago founded as an area of ill repute, Temple Bar has retained its artistic influence of the 18th century and is now home to the bohemian shops, bars and restaurants of the city. Dublin’s musical roots are evident everywhere; every pub sends strains of traditional Irish music out into the streets and the streets themselves are full of buskers. Grafton Street is a particularly good example of this, where you’re as likely to find an aspiring Boyzone as you are a traditional folk band. This adds a wonderful ambience to your shopping experience.

Side by side with the musical acts you’ll find many artists and performers, a great favourite of which is the Yellow Buddha, who puts in an appearance every so often. Outside of the city, away from the hustle and bustle, you will find many beautiful areas to explore. Whether you take a tour bus or simply use public transport, it is certainly worth the effort of leaving the city behind for an afternoon. The Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin, are beautifully rugged, a landscape covered with streams and rivers and a sprinkling of forests. Avoca, home of BBC’s “Ballykissangel” is also an hour or so’s journey outside of the city, a picturesque village with a claim to fame, although it’s perhaps best to suspend your visit until outside of the tourist season, otherwise you’ll be sharing the views with a hundred or so other eager people. Heading back into the city, in general, Dublin offers a diverse choice in terms of eating out. For a light snack or morning coffee is Butlers chocolate café, the world famous Bewley’s and any number of pubs and café’s littering each and every street.

In the evening there is the same choice available as in any other city; oriental, French, Italian, Greek, English and, of course, traditional Irish restaurants, all eager to take your custom. The nightlife in Dublin is generally confined to the Irish pubs that we hear so much about, and they are certainly worth a look. Those with live music, such as O’Donoghuse in Merrion Row, where the Dubliners formed, and Whelan’s in Wexford Street, which is famous for its great ambience and eclectic range of live acts are popular with locals and tourists alike. Moving away from the pub scene, other areas of entertainment can be found in the National Concert Hall, Abbey Theatre, the Irish Film Centre and the Comedy Cellar at the International Bar. Dublin also offers a wide range of accommodation with anything from the cheapest of the cheap B&B’s to the U2-owned Clarence Hotel which will set you back a mere £1288 per night (for the penthouse at least!). In the middle bracket there are many very nice, reasonably priced 3 and 4 star hotels. In the Smithfield Village, a five minute walk from the main shopping district, is Chief O’Neills Hotel and Bar.

A very modern hotel, recently converted from an old whiskey distillery, Chief O’Neill’s is stylishly and comfortably decorated, with the rooms almost resembling a piece of modern art. The bar is also worth a visit, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not, featuring contemporary Irish music, live acts and a menu of both new and old Irish cuisine. Smithfield Village also offers a range of tourist attractions, from the Chimney viewing tower, which offers a 360º view of the city - excellent on a clear day, not so good otherwise - the Ceol Brace museum, the story of Irish music; the Duck Lane shopping centre, filled with Irish and international gifts and crafts and a range of café’s and restaurants. For a weekend break, Dublin has it all; sights, sounds, tastes and smells. Besides which, where else could you find a city whose unofficial anthem is about a prostitute? All together now: "In Dublin’s fair city, where the girls are so pretty I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone…" DONHEY AND NESBITT 5 Lower Baggot Street 00 353 1 676 2945 Bar favoured by politicians and hacks.

EDEN Meeting House Square, Temple Bar 00 353 1 670 53 73 Overlooking Temple Bar market, Eden serves simple dishes and is a great place for people watching. JACOB'S LADDER 4-5 Nassau Street 00 353 1 6703865; This consistently packed restaurant is run by chef-owner Adrian Roche and offers modern Irish cuisine and great views over Trinity College. Expect dishes such as cassoulette of mussels with salmon sausage, prawn tortellini, saffron and orange, or roast loin of wild boar with pea mousse and gnocchi. L'ECRIVAIN 109a Lower Baggot Street 00 353 1 661 1919; Much lauded Dublin restaurant offering a mix of French and Irish cuisine overseen by chef and proprietor Derry Clarke. The menu changes regularly as dishes are made with the freshest Irish produce. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list.

Sleepover : Back to top THE WESTIN DUBLIN College Green 00 353 1 645 1000 This 163-room hotel comprises one 19th-century bank and half of another converted into a luxury hotel that attracts both business and leisure travellers. The location is unbeatable, next to Trinity College and close to the shops on Grafton Street and the financial centre across the river. The hotel suffers a little from corporate blandness: the décor tends to be rather generic and the bedrooms lack individuality. THE MERRION Upper Merrion Street 00 353 1 603 0600; fax: 603 0700; Four converted Georgian terraces furnished in period style, plus a large modern wing with bedrooms and a spa. The service is exemplary; the staff take pains to ensure that guests are comfortable. The two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud for contemporary French cuisine; Cellar Restaurant for modern European. The x factor? The collection of Irish paintings and the richly detailed public rooms, many of which are works of art in themselves.

THE MORGAN 10 Fleet Street, Temple Bar (00 353 1 679 3939; fax 679 3946; This Anouska Hempel-inspired hotel is in an enticingly hip area and boasts stylish, minimalist rooms equipped with Molton Brown toiletries. It is also within walking distance of Trinity College and Christchurch Cathedral. Getting There : Back to top AIRPORT Dublin airport is six miles north of the city centre (00 353 1 814 1111). AIRLINES FROM THE UK Aer Lingus 00 1 353 818 365000; , British Airways 0870 850 9 850; , British Midland 0870 607 0555; , and Ryanair all serve Dublin. Dublin's a Feast for the Literary Pilgrim [Fall in love with Dublin] Dublin's a Feast for the Literary Pilgrim [Fall in love with Dublin] Newhouse News ^ | 9/5/2006 | Laura T.

Ryan Posted on 09/06/2006 7:54:07 AM PDT by Incorrigible Irish writers Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett were known to bend the elbow at M.J. O'Neill's, one of several bars featured on the pub crawl. (Photo by Laura T. Ryan) Dublin's a Feast for the Literary Pilgrim BY LAURA T. RYAN DUBLIN, Ireland -- Even before the wheels of our Aer Lingus jet lifted up off the runway at New York's Kennedy International Airport, Ireland's literary legacy made its presence felt. There, stitched into the upholstery of the seatback in front of me, were the words of Oscar Wilde ("We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars"), William Butler Yeats ("I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree"), as well as James Joyce, John Millington Synge, Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw, Ezra Pound, Flann O'Brien and Samuel Beckett. As the plane flew through the night, across the Atlantic, we slept in a cradle of Irish words. And the stage for a literary odyssey was set.

The tapestry of Irish storytelling traces back to early Gaelic civilization, when poets and monks used the oral tradition to pass on stories and customs. Today the small nation is proud to have produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Ireland's capital, Dublin, has multiple claims to literary fame. The magnificent illuminated manuscript the Book of Kells is on display at Trinity College. Dublin provides the setting for what the Modern Library in 1998 declared the 20th century's greatest novel in English, "Ulysses" by James Joyce. Oh, and those four Nobel laureates? Dubliners, all. Beckett, Yeats and George Bernard Shaw were born in the capital city. And poet Seamus Heaney, who won the prize in 1995, hails from Northern Ireland but now lives in Dublin. As a traveler gazes out at the River Liffey or scuffles across the cobbled courtyards of Trinity College, the ghosts of Swift, Joyce and Beckett seem to lurk around every corner. Here's where the literary paths of Dublin lead: -- Dublin Writers Museum, .

Located in a Georgian mansion dating back to the 18th century, the museum features two gallery rooms filled with photographs, letters, first editions, portraits and assorted writer memorabilia (including a copy of "Ulysses" signed by Joyce, Beckett's telephone with a large red button to block incoming calls, and the typewriter Brendan Behan famously chucked through a pub window in a drunken rage -- or so the story goes). Visitors slowly stroll past the glass display cases, listening to a digital audio guide available in six languages. The first room traces the history of Irish poetry and storytelling and the international literary contributions of such 18th-century masters as satirist Jonathan Swift (author of "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal," who also served as dean of Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral); dramatist William Congreve ("The Way of the World" and "Love for Love"); essayist and poet Oliver Goldsmith ("The Traveller" and "The Deserted Village"); and dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan ("The School for Scandal").

Nineteenth-century writers featured include novelist Maria Edgeworth ("Castle Rackrent"); poets Thomas Moore, James Mangan and Samuel Ferguson; and Gothic novelists Sheridan Le Fanu ("Uncle Silas") and Bram Stoker ("Dracula"). And no exploration of 19th-century literature would be complete without an examination of the wit of Dubliners Wilde -- who wrote essays, poems ("The Ballad of Reading Gaol"), plays ("The Importance of Being Earnest") and novels ("The Picture of Dorian Gray") -- and Shaw -- literary critic, novelist ("Cashel Byron's Profession") and dramatist ("Caesar and Cleopatra" and "Pygmalion"). In the second room, visitors learn about the giants of the 20th century, including poet and playwright Yeats, who helped found the Abbey Theatre with poet and translator Lady Augusta Gregory; dramatist John Millington Synge ("The Playboy of the Western World"); Joyce ("Dubliners," "Ulysses"); playwright O'Casey, many of whose plays were influenced by the 1916 Easter Rising; Samuel Beckett ("Waiting for Godot"); and Behan ("The Hostage" and "Borstal Boy").

The museum also has a bookshop filled with specialized books and souvenirs. -- Jameson Dublin Literary Crawl, In summer, Dublin actors lead nightly walking tours of pubs (short for public houses) famously frequented by some of Dublin's best-known writers, including Behan, Wilde and Beckett. The tour takes about two hours "depending on how slowly you walk or how quickly you drink," actors Derek Reid and Donagh Deeny told us. About 40 of us followed Reid and Deeny from the Duke Pub to M.J. O'Neill's Public House, the Old Stand (where Behan supposedly tipped a few, as did Irish revolutionary Michael Collins) and Davy Byrne's (where Leopold Bloom stopped in for a glass of Burgundy and a Gorgonzola sandwich in Joyce's "Ulysses"). We spent 20 minutes in each pub, more than enough time to order a "pint o' the plain," also known as Guinness.

Reid and Deeny also took us onto the campus of Trinity College, stopped at the Dublin Tourism Centre (housed in a former church), regaled us with stories of the city's literary history, performed a scene from Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" and described the trip Wilde once took to a Colorado silver-mining town, to deliver a talk on "art and aesthetics." The miners tried unsuccessfully to drink the Irish dandy under the table. -- Trinity College, The school -- founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth and situated on 40 acres in the middle of Dublin -- educated many of the world's great wordsmiths, including Swift, Goldsmith, Wilde and Beckett. A visitor can walk the same cobbled courtyards as those masters or stop in at the college's Old Library, whose awe-inspiring Long Room houses bookshelf upon bookshelf of early, leather-bound manuscripts. The collection includes the papers of dramatists Synge, Beckett and J.B. Keane and novelist John Banville. But the college's biggest tourist draw by far is the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels, painstakingly produced by monks back in A.D. 800.

Informative exhibits explain how the holy craftsmen imported pigments from as far afield as Afghanistan to produce the manuscript's bright colors. -- Kilmainham Gaol Historical Museum Numerous political prisoners died within the jail's cold stone walls between 1796 and 1924 -- including 15 leaders of the ill-fated Easter Rising of 1916, in which revolutionaries took over the General Post Office and read a proclamation announcing the establishment of an Irish republic under a provisional government. The rebellion was swiftly put down by the British, but word of the nationalist leaders' executions at Kilmainham galvanized the Irish people's call for independence, which finally came in 1921. The events surrounding the 1916 uprising not only influenced the Irish literature that followed (including the drama of O'Casey and Yeats' poem "Easter 1916"), it also cut short several sources of such writing. Among the leaders shot down by firing squad in Kilmainham's stone-cutters yard were poets Patrick Pearse and Joseph Plunkett and playwright Thomas MacDonagh.

-- James Joyce Centre, Here visitors -- experts and the uninitiated alike -- can immerse themselves in the life of Dublin-born Joyce. Situated in a restored 18th-century Georgian townhouse, the museum displays such interesting artifacts as the door to No. 7 Eccles St., the home of Leopold Bloom in "Ulysses," and furniture from the Paris apartment where Joyce wrote much of his 1939 novel "Finnegans Wake." The museum's bookshop sells various editions of Joyce's works, as well as posters, mugs, films, T-shirts, umbrellas and postcards. -- James Joyce Museum Located eight miles south of Dublin, in the tower featured in the first chapter of his masterpiece novel set in Dublin, "Ulysses," the museum houses letters, photographs, first and rare editions and personal possessions of Joyce, as well as items associated with the Dublin of "Ulysses." -- Abbey Theatre Established in 1904 by Lady Augusta Gregory and Yeats, Ireland's national theater continues to mount productions of plays from the Irish repertoire, classics from international theater and new plays.

A bit of trivia: Synge's "The Playboy of the Western World" caused riots when it was first staged there in 1907. -- Shaw Birthplace, Peek into the first home of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Shaw, which, according to the Web site, has been "restored to its Victorian elegance and charm, and has the appearance that the family has just gone out for the afternoon." -- Monuments Statues of Wilde (Merrion Square), Joyce (North Earl Street, across from Spire of Dublin), Thomas Moore (College Street) and Patrick Kavanagh (along the banks of the Grand Canal). -- Bloomsday If you happen to be in Dublin on June 16 of any year, you're in luck -- that's the day the whole city celebrates Joyce's "Ulysses." This year's enormous list of events included Bloomsday breakfasts, a Bloomsday plunge in the Forty-Foot bathing place beside the Tower in Sandycove where character Buck Mulligan swims in "Ulysses," readings, dramatizations, walking tours of Joyce's Dublin, pub visits, and servings of Burgundy and Gorgonzola cheese at Davy Byrne's.

Many events were canceled this year, however, because Bloomsday coincided with the funeral of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The taoiseach (pronounced TEE-shock) is Ireland's head of government, much like a prime minister. DUBLIN AT A GLANCE Population: About 1.1 million (Dublin City and County) Currency: Euro Tourism information: Visit one of the city's many official Dublin Tourism offices, including the main branch on Suffolk Street, housed in the former St. Andrew's Church. Online at . Getting around: Dublin Bus ( ) operates the city's bus routes. I heartily recommend the line's convenient Hop-On/Hop-Off sightseeing bus tour, which stops at many of the locations listed in the story, as well as attractions of general interest, including the National Gallery (filled with objects of art dating back to the 14th century), the Natural History Museum (affectionately called the "Dead Zoo" by locals), Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Zoo and Guinness Storehouse (where you learn the 250-year history of the dark brew and taste a pint). Sept. 5, 2006 (Laura T.

Ryan is a staff writer for The Post-Standard of Syracuse, N.Y. She can be contacted at citynews@syracuse.com .) Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only. ping lessness 4 posted on 09/06/2006 8:06:05 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible Oh, and those four Nobel laureates? Dubliners, all. Beckett, Yeats and George Bernard Shaw were born in the capital city. And poet Seamus Heaney, who won the prize in 1995, hails from Northern Ireland but now lives in Dublin. Just curious but were any of them Catholic?

5 posted on 09/06/2006 8:12:33 AM PDT by aculeus [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible You can stagger around the Temple Bar section of Dublin and not remember the week -(adjasent to Trinity College & the Liffey). The Brazen Head - claims to be Dublins and Irelands oldest elbow bending establishment. But don't forget Limerick City (stab city and 'Limerick you're a lady') the home of two of our most famous heavy hitting elbow benders .... Peter O' Toole and Rich Harris. (I really don't want to but in fairness have to mention, those two stains on our culture... The M'Court Brothers. 6 posted on 09/06/2006 8:17:33 AM PDT by IrishMike (Democrats .... Stuck on Stupid, RINO's ...the most vicious judas goats) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible; Happygal Leaving for Ireland Oct.19 looking forward to visiting the Mrs. family.

Also got pheasent, duck, and red deer hunting planned. I'll have to stop by Fox's in Dublin for a good cigar. The countdown has started. 8 posted on 09/06/2006 8:25:50 AM PDT by TEXASPROUD To: IrishMike "Stab City" always cracks me up! My grandmother came from Limerick and never talked about her family and never returned despite a few opportunities to do so! She would have been the same age as Frank McCourt's mother so who knows! 9 posted on 09/06/2006 8:30:47 AM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies ] To: TEXASPROUD My in-laws prefer to come visit us. Warm, sunny beaches and big amusement parks are of significant interest to my teenage nieces and nephews. Ireland has changed quite a bit over the past 20 years. Even the west of Ireland.

11 posted on 09/06/2006 8:33:43 AM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.) To: Incorrigible; Physicist; RadioAstronomer; Irish_Thatcherite; Happygal Okay, so I'm a philistine in one respect . . . I find James Joyce unreadable. I would rather read Moby-Dick aloud to prisoners than read Ulysses in the privacy and comfort of my home. 12 posted on 09/06/2006 8:35:19 AM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.) To: Borges I've always thought that Wilde is tiresome and overrated. Snarkiness for snarkiness' sake will not put you in the first tier of authors, especially not in Ireland, where every author is witty. As tiresome as Wilde can be, he cannot rival his fanbase for the title.

13 posted on 09/06/2006 8:37:16 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies ] To: Xenalyte I'd take MD over Ulysses anyday. It's hilarious! If you read it without the whaling chapters its quite awesome. 14 posted on 09/06/2006 8:39:12 AM PDT by Borges To: Xenalyte Joyce is my favorite author of fiction, hands down. But you have to "get" him - and it's not a matter of being intelligent or being unintelligent - it's a matter of finding his sense of humor amusing.

15 posted on 09/06/2006 8:39:40 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) To: Incorrigible Frank McCourt's mother (poor woman) A lot of your grandmothers generation never returned, had no desire, they left hunger and poverty. Families were split, Australia, Europe, England and the States. At one time 10% of the American population was Irish emigrants. Back to the McCourts, born in America, during the great depression, alcoholic Protestant father, originally from the North (during the era of the black n Tans), and he leaves America to raise a family in catholic Limerick city. WTF was in his mind !! 16 posted on 09/06/2006 8:40:35 AM PDT by IrishMike (Democrats .... Stuck on Stupid, RINO's ...the most vicious judas goats) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies ] To: wideawake He's more a symbol then a great literary figure. H.L.

Mencken had him pegged when he said that his inverted sayings and epigrams eventually become just as mechanical as a preacher spouting platitudes. 17 posted on 09/06/2006 8:40:53 AM PDT by Borges [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ] To: wideawake; Borges Maybe that's it . . . I should add that it's been almost 15 years since I even attempted Joyce, so it's entirely possible that my literary palate has matured, so to speak. Yes, Borges, I'm gonna go give MD another try, mostly because of the aforementioned palate issue. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out I like it. (But I bet them prisoners wouldn't cotton to 45 minutes of me going on and on and ON about the whiteness of the whale.) 18 posted on 09/06/2006 8:41:05 AM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . .

if you can count.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies ] To: Xenalyte The whiteness chapter is of course one of the whaling chapters. I want to reread it and skip those (though they are of course metaphorical and are filled with jokes). It's the same with 'War and Peace'. Tolstoy's endless philosophical essays on history are easily skipped. 19 posted on 09/06/2006 8:42:41 AM PDT by Borges [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies ] To: Xenalyte; Incorrigible; Physicist; RadioAstronomer; Irish_Thatcherite; Happygal All of this phenomenal literary activity is directly traceable to the advanced Energy Policies of the Irish Republican Government. It is based on a combination of Peat and Ethanol. One for warmth and the other for inspiration. And thank God for them both.

21 posted on 09/06/2006 8:44:11 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (What does it matter if weï¿½re all dead, as long as the French respect us.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ] To: Borges I remember really digging "Anna Karenina" except the discourses on the Russian steppes and their emotional and philosophical implications. Unfortunately, in grad school they don't let you skip the boring parts. Now, though, I can read what the hell I want! Woohoo! (BTW, I was most promiscuous at the bookstore over the weekend. I now have reading through the end of the year.) 22 posted on 09/06/2006 8:45:31 AM PDT by Xenalyte (Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.) I find James Joyce unreadable Even with the James Joyce Interpreted open to the same passage.

23 posted on 09/06/2006 8:48:52 AM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible We trade out on visits. I've been visiting Ireland since the early 70's, and I've seen the changes in the past 30+ years. Infrastructure definitely has improved radically. I'm looking forward to some of the simple things like joining my brother-in-law at a small shebeen off the road to Castlecomer, visiting the placid peaceful surroundings of Glendaloch, and talking politics with my radical nephew at Bewley's in Dublin. 24 posted on 09/06/2006 8:49:49 AM PDT by TEXASPROUD [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible My great-aunt was the matriarch in the family who came to America at 16 to work as a seamstress in Manhattan. She was from rural Mayo.

She never went back to Ireland and never made a nostalgic comment about it. She died at the age of 92. Her children invited her again and again to visit Ireland with them and she usually responded by saying: "Why would I want go there? I'm an American!" or "I'll go, but not by plane. I'll drive to meet you when they build the bridge." Both comments delivered in her heavy brogue, of course. 25 posted on 09/06/2006 8:51:17 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) He's more a symbol then a great literary figure. We'll never agree on that one. H.L. Mencken had him pegged when he said that his inverted sayings and epigrams eventually become just as mechanical as a preacher spouting platitudes. (1) One reason why Mencken didn't like Joyce is the pro-Jewish sentiments in Ulysses - Mencken despised Jews, as his personal journals revealed.

(2) Mencken himself repeated inverted platitudes ad infinitum just to be cantankerous and contrary, so perhaps he was also jealous that Joyce both preceded and exceeded him in his metier . Mencken delighted in mercilessly satirizing the land of his birth and in mocking the serious utterances of those dear to the "booboisie" using portmanteau words of his own devise. He was a second-rate Joycean in the guise of a critic, not a creator. (3) Mencken thought John Fante was the greatest writer of the 20th century, so his general taste in fiction leaves much to be desired as well. 27 posted on 09/06/2006 9:06:33 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) Conservative book reviews. He gets rather strident with Modernist stuff. 33 posted on 09/06/2006 9:54:18 AM PDT by Borges To: Borges Never saw it. Thanks for the link. That Ulysses For Dummies link was hilarious.

34 posted on 09/06/2006 10:05:22 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies ] To: Incorrigible I'm convinced Joyce is only meant to be read aloud. His writing is more like impressionist verbal music rather than coherent thought or story. I do blame him for the academic captivity of literature. Wilde's children's stories are among the best I know. I haven't touched his plays since my unfortunate aesthetic phase in college, I would like to revisit them. 35 posted on 09/06/2006 10:30:21 AM PDT by Dumb_Ox ( To: Incorrigible; Colosis; Black Line; Cucullain; SomeguyfromIreland; Youngblood; Fergal; Cian; ... Wow! Talk about falling in love with Dublin! I went nearly ten years without visiting Dublin, then I had my head injury - suddenly I had gone 4 times in 6 months!

:P It's been a while since I've flown "Air Fungus" (which is finally being pushed out of the government nest!) so the literary upholstery is a new one on me! I hope they will privatise Aer Lingus... Bertie Ahern has only short amount of time to U-turn.... again....... 36 posted on 09/06/2006 11:41:39 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?) Irish Republican Government of Ireland. - fixed that! :P It is based on a combination of Peat and Ethanol. One for warmth and the other for inspiration. And thank God for them both. LOL!! Good one! 37 posted on 09/06/2006 11:44:49 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?) To: Xenalyte I tried reading Portrait of The Artist, it was boring - so I concur!

38 posted on 09/06/2006 11:47:00 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?) Alas, the Floozie has departed O'Connell Street. I'm not sure if she's shown up elsewhere. They've replaced her with a prick!! :P 41 posted on 09/06/2006 12:41:58 PM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?) To: Incorrigible Molly Malone: The Dish with the Fish and The Tart With the Cart 42 posted on 09/06/2006 12:46:29 PM PDT by Andyman (God loves you just the way you are . . .

but too much to leave you that way.) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies ] To: Andyman The ill-fated Millenium Clock, which was supposed to shine up through the water of the Liffey: The Chime in the Slime! 43 posted on 09/06/2006 12:52:21 PM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?) To: Cacique btt 44 posted on 09/06/2006 4:42:40 PM PDT by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est )) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

annaweinkouff | Just another WordPress.com site annaweinkouff Posted on October 30, 2011 by annaweinkouff page visited 30-10-2011 The statue of the Irish writer Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square Park, Dublin, has caused quite a discussion, because of its untraditional and provocative way to portray an important historical person. Artistically seen, his shiny surface, the use of complementary colours and of course strange posture, makes us notice him right away. It has the ability to draw attention and cause discussion exactly like Wilde himself. His flirtatious and flamboyant posture could very possibly reflect his homosexuality. This caused the local Dubliners to give the statue various nicknames as: “the fag on the crag” and “the queer with the leer”, clearly mocking the statue. It has been deeply criticized, because his posture almost invites people to mock it. The effect of this statue has been that his flamboyant personality and homosexuality is more interesting than his work. However, this is only one side of the reception; some people find that the statue praises him rather than mocking him.

The untraditional statue forces us to see him as a unique person, because it clearly stands out from the other statues. Maybe it perfectly captures his genuine personality, but the spectators choose the wrong focus? Of course, it’s important to remember that this man is one of the most famous writers of all time, and the statue fails to give us that perspective. The artist could instead have chosen only to show him as a great writer, and then people could instead criticize him for not showing his famous personality. Nevertheless, when you are to analyze the statue and its effect, the message will be Oscar Wilde’s unique personality. Then it is up to the spectators whether this is the accurate form of portraying him. It all comes down to how you choose to see Oscar Wilde: as a famous personality or as an exceptional writer? And when the artist chose to portray the first, he lost the support of those who saw Wilde primarily as a great writer. Therefore, it is only natural that this statue is highly discussed. I believe that one’s reaction comes down to one’s personal relationship with Wilde, and how you interpret and feel about his personality and works. Field study in Clontarf Our field study took place in Clontarf a coastal suburb on the north side of Dublin.

– This is mainly a family’s area with good children’s schools and sports activities. It is about ten minutes from Dublin, so a lot of people who live in Clontarf work in Dublin. – It is a middle – high middle class town with parks and churches. The streets are decorated with trees and the gardens are well kept. The houses are quite large and he cars are relatively new and big which again could indicate that this is a high middle class area. – However, it is not the best area for young people; the job opportunities are not good and further education must be taken in Dublin. Also, most of the teenagers who grew up in Clontarf, moves into the city to get an education and find jobs. – page visited 30-10-2011 Posted on October 30, 2011 by annaweinkouff Monday: – Started off with a very early flight and a long journey where we had to switch planes In Copenhagen in order to get to Dublin. We arrived in Dublin at 10.20 in the morning, and went off to explore the city. – Dublin is definitely a city with a lot of social variety.

Poor streets lie close to the city centre and popular shopping streets, but most notable is the difference between the north and the south side of the river Liffey. The government buildnings, Trinity College and other attractions are mainly on the south side, which is considered to be the rich side. We also spent most of our time on the south side. – In the evening we visited St. Patricks Cathedral which is a protestant cathedral. The ministers performed an evensong which is rather different than a Danish service. Obviously it upholds a lot of tradition because most of the service is actually sung and you kneel when you say a prayer. It was almost as traveling back in time which also shows Ireland’s strong bond with the church. Tuesday: – In the morning we were divided into groups where we were to explore some of the areas around Dublin. My group went to Clontarf which could be characterized as a suburb. It is located in the coast to the east.

This is mainly a family’s area, with schools and sports activities, but not a place for young people, which I will describe furthermore in a “Clontarf-post” – In the afternoon we went to see Kilmainham Jail which is very important to the Irish people, as it is connected to the Potato Famine and the Easter Rising which both are parts of the very fundament of Irish Identity. Kilmainham is very dear to the Irish people because it almost allows us to get in physical contact with these events. Therefore, it was a rather surreal experience to visit Kilmainham Jail. – In the evening were to have an Irish dance lesson at a local pub. This was a mix of history, dance and music which also helps us to understand the Irish identity. Obviously dance and music is a great part of their culture because the style is so significant. Kilmainham Jail, east wing Statue of Molly Malone, also known by the song “Molly Malone” Wednesday: – We spent the entire day in Wicklow Mountains which is a spot for film locations, a medieval town and celebrity mansions. Wicklow Mountains is also a great part of Irish nationality.

It is mainly popular because of the films that have been shot there; “Braveheart” and “P.S I love you” among others. Also because of the celebrity mansions; Bono, Van Morrison, Michael Jackson, which have helped Wicklow Mountains become a tourist attraction. The Glendalough ruins sort of stand out because it is more a part of Irish history. – Ireland is also known for its fantastic nature and Wicklow Mountains was indeed very beautiful, and gives us an image of Irish nature which is also connected to its nationality. ”Sugar Loaf”, Wicklow Mountains Thursday: – We started off with exploring the city in groups where we were given some questions. These could only be answered by visiting the thing in question and talking to the local Dubliners. This was a fun way of learning about the city and it was primarily about Dublin’s history, culture and inhabitants which again helps us understand Irish nationality. – In the end of this task we visited Trinity College and the Book of Kells, which is a very important artifact in Irish history. Trinity College is also very important and popular as its former students include: Samuel Beckett, Bram Stoker, and Oscar Wilde among many others.

The book of Kells is located in the library of Trinity College. It is one of Ireland most important national treasures. Trinity College Friday: – We visited Trinity College once more, and handed out questionnaires in order to find out some more about the young population of Dublin. We got a lot of different answers, mainly because some of the students weren’t Irish and had a lot of different opinions and aspects. However, we did find some Irish students whose answers fitted the knowledge we had about Irish culture and nationality. – Next we visited a Viking museum where we learned of early Irish history which is also connected to Denmark. This was quite educational, and gave us a picture of early Irish art and culture which is still seen in modern Ireland. The relation between Denmark and Ireland is often mentioned because of Viking history. Posted on October 30, 2011 by annaweinkouff Results of questionnaires at Trinity College – In order to understand the young people of Ireland we spent half a day handing out questionnaires. Here’s what we found out: – 6 girls and 4 boys Average age: – 7 out of 10 is irish Planning to get married?

– 10 are planning to get married Do you want any children? – – 9 out of 10 want children How Many children? – – 7 want 1-2 children, 2 want 3 or more. What kind of family are they from? – 7 traditional – 9 out of 10 know of the Easter Rising 5 out of 9 feel that Easter Rising means something to their identity. Relationship between Ireland and England – 5 say: good – 2 say: bad – 1 says: very good. Do you drink? – 8 out of 10 drink How often? – from 4 times a week to once a month – mainly twice a week. What do they drink? How much money do they spend on alcohol per week? – 20-40 euro – Mostly pubs, Clubs, What do they know about Denmark? – Small county, it’s in Europe, it’s north of Germany, we have a queen (monarchy). Posted on September 18, 2011 by annaweinkouff William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1865.

He is considered to be one of the most important English writers of 20th century. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His greatest inspiration was Maud Gonne with whom he was greatly in love. She had such deep impact on his poems and life, that she is now considered to have been his muse. However she married another man which caused a darker period in Yeats’ writing. Notable works – The winding Stair and other poems (1929) Style – He was a symbolist poet, in that he used allusive imagery and symbolic structures throughout his career. Unlike other modernists who experimented with their writings, Yeats mastered the traditional forms. George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) was an Irish playwrighter. He wrote many articulate pieces of journalism. Shaw studied education, marriage, religion, government, health care, and class privilege. He was a socialist and was greatly interested in the rights of working class and women.

Is especially known for his play Pygmalion, which was adapted into a musical: My Fair Lady Notable works – Pygmalion (1912) also known as My Fair Lady Style – He used satire to criticize and study society. Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. He became one of London’s most popular playwrighters in the early 1890s. Today his works are remembered for their epigrams (is a brief, clever, and usually memorable statement) especially seen on The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest. Also, known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress, and glittering conversation, Wilde had become one of the most well-known personalities of his day. These quotes are taken from his famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray – The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself. – Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success.

Notable Works – The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) – The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) James Joyce (1882 – 1941) was an Irish novelist and poet. He considers being one of the most influential writers in the modernist of the early 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922), a landmark novel.

He invented the style “stream of consciousness”, which is a text, that uses no punctuation whatsoever, but is a flow of thoughts Excerpt from Ulyssses – the old windows of the posadas 2 glancing eyes a lattice hid for her lover to kiss the iron and the wineshops half open at night and the castanets and the night we missed the boat at Algeciras the watchman going about serene with his lamp and O that awful deepdown torrent O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and the pink and blue and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and cactuses and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel

 my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.

Notable works – Ulysses(1922) – Dubliners (short story collection – 1914) Samuel Beckett (13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwrighter, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a tragicomic outlook on human culture, often paired with a dry sense of humor. Notable works – Waiting for Godot (1953) Style – Highly influenced by James Joyce, and also used the stream of consciousness in some of his works Roddy Doyle was born in 1958, Dublin. He is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. Several of his books have been made into successful films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. He won the Booker Prize in 1993. He established a creative writing centre, “Fighting Words”, which opened in Dublin in January 2009. Notable Works – The Barrytown Trilogy (1987-1991) which are made into movies. Style – He wrote primarily about working-class Dublin.

Bram Stoker: one of Ireland’s classic writers, most known for his horror novels. For 27 years he worked for famous actor Henry Irving and met famous writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was highly interested in mythology and studied stories of vampires, which made him write Dracula. Bonus fact: He married a woman, whose suitor was Oscar Wilde. Excerpt from Dracula, Jonathan Harker’s Journal. ” Suddenly, away on our left I saw a fain flickering blue flame. The driver saw it at the same moment. He at once checked the horses, and, jumping to the ground, disappeared into the darkness. I did not know what to do, the less as the howling of the wolves grew closer. (…) Once the flame appeared so near the road, that even in the darkness around us I could watch the driver’s motions. He went rapidly to where the blue flame arose, it must have been very faint, for it did not seem to illumine the place around it at all.” Welcome to WordPress.com . After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard ) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post . Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting page you read on the web. Make some changes to this page , and then hit preview on the right. You can always preview any post or edit it before you share it to the world. The boy is back in town The boy is back in town Sat, Aug 13, 2005, 01:00 A bronze statue of Phil Lynott, the singer from Irish rock band Thin Lizzy who died in 1986, will be unveiled in Dublin next week - and all it needs now is a name, writes Rosita Boland Guess who's coming back to stay? Philip Parris Lynott, star of Thin Lizzy, who died in 1986, will be reappearing in central Dublin. Next week a life-sized bronze of the late singer will be installed on a public site on Harry Street, close to Bruxelles Pub. The statue is still in the foundry, and is being kept well out of sight of the media until it arrives on site next Friday evening.

Thin Lizzy had the distinction of being Ireland's first internationally successful hard rock band. It was formed in the late 1960s by bassist and singer Lynott. In the overwhelmingly Caucasian-populated city of the time, Lynott, whose father was Brazilian and mother Irish, stood out with his arresting looks and strong personality. The band's first significant hit was Whiskey in the Jar in 1973. Their first album to make an impact was Fighting, but it was Jailbreak that was their real breakthrough album. It contained that urgent, thumping, insistent classic, The Boys Are Back in Town, a hit single that made them a worldwide name. In 1980, Lynott went solo. But he had been struggling with drug addiction for some time, and he died aged only 36. He left behind his wife, Caroline Crowther, and their two small daughters, Sarah and Cathleen. He had written songs for both his daughters: the tender, delighted-sounding Sarah is one of his classics.

Dublin's newest statue is the result of extensive and prolonged fundraising efforts on behalf of the Róisín Dubh trust, set up in 1994 to commemorate Lynott's life and achievements. Two of the trust's directors are Lynott's mother Philomena, and Audrey O'Neill. Ever since the trust was established, it has been aiming to put up a statue in memory of Lynott somewhere in central Dublin, preferably around Grafton Street, where Lynott often hung out - although it's a fair bet to say he would hardly recognise the street today, two decades later. ADVERTISEMENT Philomena Lynott is quite possibly the only Irish mother who will see a statue of her child be put up in her own lifetime. "The initiative for the statue came from the Róisín Dubh Trust," explains Jack Gilligan, arts officer with Dublin City Council. Even more important than the idea was the fact that the funding was in place for the statue. While Gilligan doesn't know how much the life-sized bronze cost to commission, since all monies were raised independently by the trust, bronze is not a cheap material.

Dublin City Council considered the proposal along with members of their public art advisory board, who include Barbara Dawson, director of Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, and Gilligan himself. "To be considered for a statue, or public acknowledgement in some way, a person must have made a significant contribution to the life of the city," Gilligan says. "You have to look at how history will judge it in 50 or 100 years time - will it have any relevance then? It's now 19 years since Phil Lynott died and a whole new generation has been inspired by his music." Cllr Brendan Carr was a key supporter of the project and proposed that the council support the Róisín Dubh Trust, and place the statue in a prominent position in Dublin. The trust then began the process of inviting artists to submit proposals. The council, along with the trust, looked at the submissions and, later, at the models and maquettes of those short-listed artists. The selected artist is Paul Daly; this is his first major commission. Dublin City Council, which owns the space on which the statue will be placed, is facilitating the installation of the statue.

Such issues as access to underground services and public safety all have to be considered when an object is given a permanent place in a public area. The fact that Phil Lynott was an influential and successful musician is not in question, but some Dubliners may wonder why he is being given a statue while there is nothing similar for other deceased Irish artists, such as Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett. "It's not a question of one over the other," Gilligan says. "They are two totally different people and have made different contributions. Sometimes it's the obvious choice - put up a statue. But it's not always necessarily the best way to commemorate someone." He points out that the new pedestrian bridge across the Liffey is named after Seán O'Casey. Samuel Beckett, while he does not have a statue, does have a theatre named after him in Trinity College Dublin. Gilligan also makes the point that there is nothing to stop interested members of the public forming their own fundraising group to publicly and permanently honour someone such as Beckett. Once the image of Thin Lizzy's most famous member is put in place on Friday, it will surely only be a matter of time until Dubliners find a nickname for the most recent addition to their streets.

Given that it's going to be placed outside a bar, any takers for the Dub by the Pub? Famous Dubliners without statues: Séan O'Casey, Samuel Beckett Famous person we regard as a Dubliner with a statue: Jim Larkin (born in Liverpool), on O'Connell Street Famous Dubliners with statues: James Joyce, on North Earl Street, known as the Prick with the Stick; Oscar Wilde (right), in Merrion Square, known as the Quare on the Square and the Fag on the Crag Fictional Dubliner with a famous, much-photographed statue: Molly Malone, on College Green, known as the Tart with the Cart, and the Dish with the Fish ADVERTISEMENT Fictional Dubliner with a statue that was removed due to its overwhelming unpopularity: Anna Livia, previously on O'Connell Street, and known variously as the Floozie in the Jacuzzi; the Hoor in the Sewer; the Viagra Falls; and the Mot in the Pot Dublin: city of writers | afr.com Dublin: city of writers Share on Reddit of Toner’s is said to be the only pub in Dublin the poet W.B.

Yeats ever visited and these days is the haunt of actors Gabriel Byrne and Colin Farrell. Photo: AP by Joe Aston All the foremost cities of the world have had their literary muses. Victor Hugo, Guy de Maupassant, Huysmans and Colette were heroes and villains of Paris. After the Great War, so too were a Lost Generation of American writers – Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Stein. London can boast Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens and Woolf. New York had Miller, Mailer and Capote. Such riches of talent are to be expected of an international metropolis. But, like for like, could the same have been expected of Dublin, Ireland? Dublin, which began the 20th century with a population of 290,000 and ended it with 490,000, numbers four natives as Nobel laureates in literature – William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney (raised in Northern Ireland but moved to the Irish capital 40 years ago). Dublin is the birthplace of Jonathan Swift, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. Is there something in the water?

If the human endeavour most attributable to the Irish is writing, then their default human instinct must surely be melancholy. “Tread softly because you tread on my dreams," Yeats wrote.“Ever tried. Ever failed," Beckett lilted. “No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better." Related Quotes View all announcements Is it the weather that feeds the gloom? At high noon there’s a clear sky but at eight degrees the wan Gaelic sun hardly troubles the thermometer. Shop windows fog up long before the summer dusk fades at 10pm. All up, perfect conditions for a long, introspective traipse around town. Dublin’s proud, lettered history is easily navigable on foot. From where Joyce opened (and closed) Finnegans Wake – “from swerve of shore to bend of bay" at the mouth of the River Liffey, which runs through the capital – it’s an easy stroll south to St Stephen’s Green, a public park given to the city in 1880 by beer baron A.E. Guinness. It’s a natural starting point.

On its grounds is an abstract statue of Yeats by sculptor Henry Moore, and a bust of Joyce facing south-west towards Newman House across the street – the original campus of (the Catholic) University College Dublin, where Joyce was a student between 1898 and 1902. At the north-eastern corner of the green sits the Shelbourne Hotel, where William Thackeray stayed during his visit to Ireland in the 1840s and where Michael Collins drafted the Irish Constitution in 1922. More recently, the property was fecund with sex and shotguns in Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film Haywire and Benjamin Black (nom de plume of Booker-prize winning local John Banville) romanticised its place in 1950s Dublin in Christine Falls. “He stood on the broad pavement under the trees, smoking the last of a cigarette and looking across the road at the girl on the steps of the Shelbourne Hotel." This afternoon, the hotel’s plush No. 27 Bar is brimming with financiers, parliamentarians, local socialites and a generous smattering of Russian money.

According to the late Irish author Elizabeth Bowen, it’s where “women with a past met men with no future". Poets’ watering holes I head east down Baggott Street, to find where Patrick Kavanagh drank himself to death. The late great poet’s local watering hole is James Toner’s pub. Toner’s is also said to be the only pub in Dublin Yeats ever visited. Legend has it he quaffed one sherry, turned to his publisher and declared: “I have seen a pub, now take me home!" (Yeats’s aversion to public bars, however, is exaggerated if not apocryphal; while based in London in the 1890s he regularly met his fellow poets at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street.) These days Toner’s is a regular haunt of native actors Gabriel Byrne and Colin Farrell. I order a nip of Redbreast, the whiskey of choice in these parts, the publican assures me.

It’s 12 years aged in sherry barrels, redolent of a brandy and the perfect warming tipple to take into the private “snug" area, shielded away at the end of the bar behind swinging saloon doors, and set with cold, hard seating like church pews. Not 100 metres away on Merrion Street is the opulent Merrion Hotel, birthplace of the Duke of Wellington (hilariously, he described it as an “Irish stable") and on whose walls you’ll find art by Dublin portrait artist Louis le Brocquy and Jack Butler Yeats, William’s brother and Ireland’s first ever Olympic medallist – he won silver at the 1924 Paris Games not for swimming but for his painting, The Liffey Swim. Merrion Square is lined with pretty Georgian homes, now mainly offices. Yeats lived at No. 82 where he is said to have celebrated news of his 1923 Nobel Prize by frying up sausages. No.

1 is the childhood home of Oscar Wilde, facing which sits a brass sculpture of the subversive playwright referred to locally as the “quare [queer] in the square" or the “fag on the crag [rock]". His 1891 play Salome was inspired at least in part by Caravaggio’s depiction of her receiving John the Baptist’s head, which Wilde saw regularly as a boy at the neighbouring National Gallery. Home of the vampire Oscar’s father was the prominent eye surgeon, Sir William Wilde, and his mother, Lady Jane Wilde, hosted salons at their home for Dublin’s gothic writers Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. “It’s incredible the number of people – including one of his publishers – who never knew that Stoker was Irish," says Jane Alger, a former chief librarian at Dublin City Library and now director of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature – so designated in 2010. “There was a very strong Gothic tradition in 19th-century Dublin, thanks to Charles Maturin and then Le Fanu’s Carmilla, which Stoker was influenced by.

So we’ve been reclaiming Stoker for Dublin." Last year was the centenary of the author’s death and there were moves to name one of the major traffic bridges across the Liffey the Bram Stoker Bridge. (The city council went for a trade union activist.) I meet Alger at Fixx Coffeehouse on Dawson Street (the site was once Gray’s confectioner’s where, in Ulysses, Leopold Bloom helped a blind man cross the road). Two doors away is St Ann’s Anglican church where, in 1878, Stoker married Oscar Wilde’s former love interest, Florence Balcombe, much to Wilde’s displeasure, before absconding with her to London. The prestigious (and Protestant) Trinity College – Wilde’s alma mater – is not 200 metres from his family home on Merrion Square and 100 metres from St Ann’s. Of his peers there, Wilde sneered that “they thought of nothing but . . . running and jumping". Joyce, who never went there, described the university as “set heavily in the city’s ignorance like a dull stone set in a cumbrous ring" in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Wilde was preceded there by Stoker and, long before him, Jonathan Swift. Beckett was at Trinity in the 1920s and perhaps even bettered Wilde’s dim view of students, describing them as “rich, thick and full of clots". That comment notwithstanding, Trinity opened the Samuel Beckett Centre – its drama school and theatre – in the 1990s. All of them (bar Joyce), my guide Mia Craig assures me, would’ve spent many hours reading in the Long Room of the Trinity College Library, among 200,000 books, including the 9th-century calfskin manuscript of the four Gospels, the Book of Kells. Today, the building is boxed in by a brutalist concrete quadrangle terrorised by squawking gulls. Literary pub crawl Duke Street is the starting point for Colm Quilligan’s must-do literary pub crawl, where Davy Byrne’s “Moral pub" in Joyce’s Ulysses remains at No. 21.

This is where Mr Bloom, shortly before his chivalrous interlude with the blind man, lunched on a Gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of burgundy (in Ulysses, Duke Street was called Cambridge Corner). Across the road was Burton’s, which Bloom entered, was disgusted by the clientele “wolfing gobfuls of sloppy food", and promptly left. It is now the trendy Bailey restaurant, so no risk of a repeat. A few doors down is Cathach Books, where a 1922, hand-bound first edition of the novel, published in Paris by Shakespeare & Co’s Sylvia Beach, will set you back more than €40,000 ($60,400). At The Duke pub alongside the shop, order a pint of Guinness and you may find yourself sharing a spot at the bar with John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) or Anne Enright (The Gathering). Do not wander back into the bookstore after a few drinks unless your Amex remains next door in the bartender’s sheath. Around the corner on Harry Street is McDaid’s, the post-war literary pub, on the site of the old city morgue.

Regular patrons included Kavanagh (when he wasn’t at Toner’s) and drinking partner Brendan Behan (when he wasn’t in prison), as well as playwright Louis MacNeice and (a then very young) poet Michael Longley. On the other side of Trinity’s grounds, by the Liffey on Fleet Street, is Palace Bar – another favourite of Kavanagh and Behan (they got around), of fellow scallywag Brian O’Nolan (aka Flann O’Brien), and where famed editor of The Irish Times, Bertie Smyllie, long held court. Not much about it has since changed. The barmen wear their neckties and the bar is subdivided by timber privacy screens. Live folk music emanates onto the street, where a Narnian lamp post stands, alongside barrel tables in summer. The Palace and McDaid’s are a 10-minute stumble from the other – indeed, after this much Guinness you can almost float.

Then there’s Kennedy’s, a favourite haunt of Beckett’s – who once lived upstairs from his father’s offices on Clare Street, where he wrote his first novel More Pricks Than Kicks – and until recently, the poet Seamus Heaney, who died this year. In Ulysses, Joyce’s alter ego, Stephen Dedalus, passed the pub, then operating as Conway’s, on his way to visit “shady Mary", a lady of the night. On the same block is the old Finn’s Hotel, where Joyce’s future wife Nora Barnacle worked as a chambermaid. Joyce met her on June 16, 1894 – a date immortalised by Ulysses. Finn’s’ signage is faded but remains visible on the brick façade. Having been a life-long teetotaller, George Bernard Shaw’s name is an unlikely one to adorn a licensed establishment. But it does, and the Bernard Shaw is a decent taxi trip (or a brisk 30-minute walk) south of Trinity.

This is as close to a hipster hang-out as one can expect to find in this city, and with French, Spanish, Italian and German chit chat, there’s no doubting the new indivisibility of cultural Europe. Imagine a proliferation of Doc Martens, piercings and flannelette sufficient for a remake of The Commitments set in a decrepit beer garden with a snooker table and a big blue bus being used as a pizza kitchen and diner. This week, your pizza is free if your name is Cian or Emily, but sadly for all those Cians and Emilys out there, the names rotate each week. More Redbreast is consumed by your correspondent, followed by more Guinness, before the caravan moves on. Revolutionary times On the north side of the Liffey, is the major and historic thoroughfare of O’Connell Street. The Foot Locker there today was once Graham Lemon’s confectionary shop. In Ulysses, Bloom passes schoolgirls devouring sweets and imagines the King of England sucking the life out of his colonies.

Further along is the Gresham Hotel, where, in Joyce’s short story The Dead, in his collection, Dubliners, Gabriel Conroy and his wife Gretta spend a relatively normal night of marital bliss – she has an epiphany about her dead love and he decides to abscond west. The property was damaged during the Civil War, like the rest of the street, when the British Army blew out most of the windows. The Easter Rising of 1916 began when the magnificent Georgian Post Office was captured by the rebels. The poet Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic aloud. The 1916 rising is called the “Poets’ Revolution" because there were seven signatories to the proclamation and three of those were writers. A statue of Lord Nelson stood outside the GPO, but was destroyed by the IRA in 1966. A bronze statue of Joyce – known derisively by locals as “the prick with a stick" remains nearby, around which deros and junkies loiter, bumming cigarettes and whiling away the afternoon. It’s an ignominious fate for the nation’s favourite literary son, but not necessarily one Joyce would’ve been too perturbed by.

After all, he left Ireland for the Continent in 1904 and, besides two brief visits, never returned. Beckett left Dublin young and spent the rest of his life in Paris. Shaw spent most of his life in England. Wilde did, too, and after his release from prison in 1898, pointedly moved to Paris, where he died two years later. “It wasn’t necessarily that they fell out with Dublin, that’s just where work and life brought them," says Alger. “Joyce did fall out with Dublin," she concedes, “but at the same time he wrote about nothing else. Maybe that’s what happens when you exile yourself? I don’t know."

Question: Whose statue, in Merrion Square, is known to irreverent Dubliners as “The Fag on the Crag”?
Answer: Oscar Wilde