Come Here To Me!

There’s a quite a number of historic spots around the city that fall between the ‘this really deserves a plaque’ and ‘let’s keep it our little secret’ categories. Obviously no one wants a city where every building is covered with two or three plaques. This, of course, would only belittle the importance of the plaques. On the other hand, there’s lots of alluring stories, kept alive by walking tour guides and Dublin pub quizzes, which should be given the importance that they deserve.

One of the best, in my mind, is the old Finn’s Hotel building on Leinster Street, the eastern extension of Nassau Street. Small (with only twelve rooms) and shabby but respectable and central, Finn’s occupied the first two of the row of red brick eighteenth century houses that forms part of the wall around Trinity College. ^[1]

Front of the old Finn's Hotel

On the afternoon of the 10th of June 1904, James Joyce first laid eyes on his future wife Nora Barnacle as she stepped out of Finn’s Hotel where she worked as a chamber maid.

This single event changed the course of Joyce’s life.

They had their first date six days later and he cast the action of Ulysses on that day, 16 June. As such, Bloomsday is always celebrated on this date.

A ghost sign for Finn's Hotel

So, there you go. Impress with your friends next time you pass the Hotel with that anecdote.

Do you know of any another important Dublin tales that aren’t remembered by plaques?

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[1] Brenda Maddox, Nora: The Real Life of Molly Bloom (New York, 1988), p. 24.

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Orson Welles (1915–1985), the celebrated American filmmaker, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, visited Dublin at the age of 16. Here, he made his professional theatrical debut at the Gate Theatre.

Following his graduation from The Todd School for Boys, Welles left for a tour of Ireland. For a brief (and depressing time), he traveled about the countryside (including a visit to the Aran Islands) on a donkey and spent his time painting “a lost Eden rich in romance and bounteous beauty”. ^[1]

Finding himself in Dublin, Welles visited the Gate Theatre, which had been founded three years previously. He fell in love with the atmosphere of the theatre, describing it as a place where “everyone works for the joy of working, the phrase ‘nobody works for money’ being particularly applicable” ^[2]

He presented the manager Hilton Edwards with an audacious note that proclaimed:

“Orson Welles, star of the New York Theatre Guild, would consider appearing in one of your productions and hopes you will see him for an appointment.” ^[3]

Welles's sketch of himself standing before the Gate Theatre in Dublin (1931).

Welles read for the part of the evil Duke Karl Alexander in an adaption of Lion Feuchtwanger’s Jew Suss and did enough to impress Edwards and partner Micheál Mac Liammóir that he got the part. His first night was marred by mishaps but he won a standing ovation in a brilliantly erratic performance. ^[4] Mac Liammóir later wrote that Welles’ put on “an astonishing performance, wrong from beginning to end but with all the qualities of fine acting tearing their way through a chaos of inexperience.” ^[5]

The Irish Times. Wednesday, October 14, 1931.

Review of Welles' performance. The Irish Times. Wednesday, October 14, 1931

He had earned his place as a bone-fide member of the company of the rest of the season and later went on to play Cldaius and the Ghost in a production of Hamlet. Apparently, he received some some bad reviews for Cladius but some very good ones for the Ghost.

While in Dublin, Weelers also wrote a ‘Chitchat and Criticism’ column for a weekly paper under the pseudonmyn Knowles Noel Shane. ^[6] Anyone know which paper?

Welles was unable to repeat his success in either London or New York and in March 1932, some eight months after leaving, he returned to Chicago.

Between October 1931 and February 1932, a teenage Welles played in five Gate productions; Jew Suss, Hamlet, Death Takes A Holiday, The Dead Ride Fast and Czar Paul. An experience which undoubtedly helped to shape and his professional career.

There you go.

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[1] Charles Higham, The films of Orson Welles (London, 1971), p. 6
[2] Richard France, Orson Welles on Shakespeare: the W.P.A. and Mercury Theatre playscripts (New York City, 2001), p. 7
[3] France, Orson Welles, p. 7
^[4] Higham, The films of Orson Welles, p. 6
^[5] Orson Welles and Mark W. Estrin, Orson Welles: interviews
(Mississippi, 2002), p. xxvii
^[6] Michael MacLiammoir, All for Hecuba: an Irish theatrical autobiography (Boston, 1967), p. 129

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