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Anyone who’s been following the Blog for a while might remember this post from JayCarax about a great piece of street art done just off the Luas tracks. I’m actually suprised it stayed there that long, but eventually someone realised it’s existence and did a hack job in covering it up…

Controversial Elephant replaced by existential nothingness...

And a couple more snaps of some Dublin graffiti taken on the same day…..

Brings to mind a certain Scary Éire track..!

Located around the back of the historic Smithfield Fruit and Vegetable Markets  is this piece:

This is not a photo oppurtunity...

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Where’s the jacks?

What’s he yelling about?

Oh, he’s yelling at me. It’s the McDonald’s security man. I’m to come down those steps right away, and so is the old man behind me, and the young lad in front of me. We’ve not bought a €1 burger between us, and the blue-shirted man is a wise one, with eyes in the back of his head. ‘Buy something or get out’

So, I get out.

It dawns on me then that Dublin, a major capital city, has pretty much no public toilet facilities.

A quick look online reveals this problem is a longstanding one, with a number of issues present even when Dublin had a number of public toilets available to the public. In 1956 The Irish Times reported that the Irish Housewives Association complained that, even in light of the outbreak of polio, one had to pay 2d to clean their hands in one of the capitals public toilets. How very Irish. Still, at least they had public toilets.

The one people pass all the time (and don’t even realise they’re doing so in many cases), is the public toilet facility beside the Thomas Moore statue at College Green, opposite the Bank of Ireland. Still used as a jacks by many drunken Dubliners at the weekend (from the wrong side of a chained gate), it is one of the great ironies in the city that the man who wrote ‘The Meeting of the Waters’ would find a public toilet right next to his statue.

In Dublin, it seems we’re left with three options.

1) Museums. Of course, any visit will also involve a walk around.

2) Hotels. They say few toilets match The Weston.

3) That really, really horrible walk in the Jervis Street Shopping Centre to the jacks there. You know the walk. Feels a bit ‘Terminal 2.’

A recent visit to the Moore Street Mall revealed that the Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre mentality has crossed the Liffey, with a bloke employed to charge you 25c to use a substandard bathroom. In a city with no public toilets, can Dubliners really be expected to have to enter a commercial premises and fork out money for a product they don’t want to be allowed up the stairs to use the toilets? In fairness, it’s more than fair McDonald’s don’t want Joe Bloggs using their bathroom if he’s not a customer, but who can blame Joe for trying to sneak up the stairs past the ever vigilant security man?

For a capital city, it’s pretty shameful.

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It’s a good question for a pub quiz- How many bridges span the Liffey from Heuston Station to where Dublin meets the sea? No doubt you’ll get a plethora of answers, but you’ll rarely get the right one. You can guarantee people will forget that two bridges traverse the water at Heuston, they’ll forget about the little Rory O’Moore Bridge that has more history than most of them, or the DART Loopline at Butt Bridge. They might even forget the ugly abomination that is the East Link, the last connection between Northside and Southside before Dublin Bay separates the two…

Perhaps Dublin's best known bridge, The Ha'Penny Bridge.

The correct answer, if you want to know, is seventeen, starting at Sean Heuston Bridge and working all the way along the river to the Eastlink Bridge at Dublin Port. I’m not going to cover them all in this piece; I won’t be covering the bridges we all know, like O’Connell Bridge or the Ha’penny Bridge for that matter. What I will do is take a look at some of the ones to the west of O’Connell Bridge; ones I find interesting mainly due to who they’re named after or because of their historical importance.

-Sean Heuston Bridge (ex-King’s Bridge, Sarsfield Bridge) 1829

The first incarnation of the bridge was built in 1828/ 9 and named Kings Bridge to commemorate a visit by George IV to Dublin in 1821.  After the declaration of the Free State  in 1922, it was renamed Sarsfield Bridge, in memory of Patrick Sarsfield, leader of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1641. (I’ll talk about the 1641 Rebellion later.) In 1941 the bridge was again re-named, this time after Sean Heuston, a member of Na Fianna h-Éireann who played a prominent role in the Easter Rising of 1916.

At 19 years of age, Seán Heuston was Captain of a twenty three strong company of men, mostly Fianna h-Éireann members around his own age, who were directed by James Connolly to take “The  Mendicity (Institute on Ushers Island) at all costs”. Their goal was to prevent British re-inforcements coming into the city from The Curragh Camp and the West. They held out until Wednesday afternoon, until they were scattered by the 10th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. One of the more striking stories of the Rebellion (or one of countless stories to tell of that week) is that of the Liutenant of the 10th Battalion, Lieutenant Gerald Aloysius Neilan who was shot and killed by a sniper from the Mendicity, while his brother Anthony Neilan took part in the Rising on the Rebel side. He was one of two Liutenants killed in Dublin that day, with another nine members of the 10th Batt. killed at the Mendicity,  as per a report to Prime Minister Asquith by General Sir John Maxwell.  Seán Houston was captured with 22 other men and executed by firing squad on May 8, 1916 in Kilmainham Jail on the charge that he “… did take part in an armed rebellion and in the waging of wars against His Majesty the king such act of being of such a nature as to be calculated to be prejudicial to the defence of the Realm and being done with the intention and for the purpose of assisting the enemy.”

 Kingsbridge Station was later renamed Heuston Station in his honour.

Nothing like this anymore of course, theres more silt than water under it, and the LUAS runs across it!

The Bridge itself was reconstructed in 2003 and now carries the LUAS from Tallaght to the Point.

– Rory O’Moore Bridge, (ex- Victoria & Albert Bridge, Queen Victoria Bridge) Watling Street to Ellis Street, 1859 (Previous structures: 1670, 1704)

“Oh lives there the traitor who’d shrink from the strife, who would add to the length of his forfeited life. And his country, his kindred, his faith would abjure; No we’ll strike for old Ireland and Rory O’Moore.” (more…)

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The Champions League; The most-watched sporting event worldwide, with an estimated 100 million viewers every year. To most football fans in Ireland, it means following the progress of an English or a Scottish team; generally one of those same six teams who appear every year with little variation. It means pubs in Dublin City Centre packed with replica jerseys and loud mouthed punters wearing them. It means people with no material allegiance crying meaningless tears for a team they’ve never seen live, and yet who they still refer to with a mythically inclusive “we.” (In my book, “supporting” doesn’t involve buying a jersey in Lifestyle sports and then sitting on your arse watching games on telly.) It means opposition like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, a long run in the competition and a feeling of unwarranted superiority for followers of the winners.

Sure wouldn't it look great in Dalymount Park

For the majority, it doesn’t set the heart racing at the thought of a trip to the town of Oswestery, in Shropshire, to take on a team once monnikered “Total Network Solutions” in the second round of the competition. Well, for those who follow glory with a British team it doesn’t. For me, as a fan of Bohemian FC, it means absolute unbridled joy, hope and living with the feeling that my chest is going to explode until the games, both home and away are over. For Bohs are set to take on Welsh Champions “The New Saints FC” on the 13th and 20th July, and I intend to be at both games. The New Saints, or TNS for short don’t exactly match up to the glamour of the Champions League. They’ve only been in existence for fifty odd years and play in a ground that seats 1,000. Their claim to fame is losing 6-0 on aggregate to Liverpool  in the same round of the competition five years ago, when Irish keeper Gerard Doherty played a blinder and Rafa Benitez claimed he was the best player on the pitch. But, this is still the Champions League, its Europe, and a level that most English Championship clubs, and never mind that, most Premiership clubs will ever again experience with the European monopoly held by a small elite. So for that I respect TNS.

Not exactly the Bernabeu, this is Park Hall, TNS' home

But whilst British teams get back page spreads in Irish papers, the role of League of Ireland teams in the competition is often relegated to bit parts and side columns. And yet there have been famous victories in Europe; Bohemians alone have beaten Rangers, Aberdeen, Kaiserslautern amongst others in various competitions. Games that will be talked about for years, some, like the Rangers game, for ever. But inevitably, with the victory and joy, such as that expressed after moments like Glen Crowes goal below comes defeat and pain. Saddness. Utter dejection and humiliation. It’s all very well for those who say from the outside “Ah well, sure they gave a good account of themselves.” These words do nothing to alleviate the grief.

Last year, Bohemians were seven minutes from knocking out Salzburg, a team bankrolled by Red Bull, who play in an ultra-modern 31,000 all seater stadium and who have International players earning in a week what the average Bohs player takes home in a year. And what follows is the true meaning of joy followed by dejection. Bohs went to Salzburg, and thanks to this save from Brian Murphy, and a cracking goal from Joe Ndo went home with heads held high and an away draw. And while I didn’t make that game, the scenes of adulation in the members bar in Dalymount Park will stay with me for the rest of my life. I’ll be honest and say, yes, I cried.  The following week, Bohemians held on for 85 or so minutes, in which they had a couple of chances to put the game beyond Red Bull but (though some in the media said inevitably, I’d think otherwise) slipped up and a silly back pass meant Red Bull took away a 1-o lead and a passage to the next round. My feelings leaving the ground that night are hard to explain. I hadn’t felt that bad for years and haven’t felt that bad since. Truly heartbroken, in depths of despair, feeling pain, anguish, sorrow.

"That" goal by Salzburg. The author of this piece is just out of shot. Thankfully.

But, as they say, thats football, and hopefully this time around, results and luck might go our way. For winning this tie means at least another four games in Europe- Two in the Champions League third round, and if we fail in that attempt, a crack at the Europa cup in the final qualifiying round where we could be pitted against English or Scottish opposition. Where then will the allegiances of average Irish football fan lie? I’d like to think that a run in Europeans elite competition might do the league wonders but to be honest I’m sceptical. What I would like is for Dalymount to be packed to the rafters on Tuesday, 13th July, and should we pass through to the next round, have the same again. We’ll see.

For ticket details, keep tuned to http://www.bohemians.ie

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This graveyard hides a million secrets.
And the trees know more than they can tell.
The ghosts of the saints and scholars will haunt you
In Heaven and in Hell.

We’re fresh out of the brand new Museum at Glasnevin Cemetery, and much has been learned. It’s great, if you’re wondering.

The history of Glasnevin Cemetery is well known. It is, in popular Irish history, associated with many legends and great figures. Yet there is more to the place than that, there is also the history of ordinary people and communities. In fact, for all the talk of ‘The Liberator’, liberation struggles and more besides, it is perhaps the audio interviews with gravediggers who worked at the cemetery that was most captivating. Suitably enough, the interview was conducted over a pint in the Gravediggers pub next door.

I’d only done the excellent walking tour of the graveyard recently, and not having seen my mate in a while we decided a pint was in order. The timeless, tellyless (Publicans, take note) Gravediggers on the edge of the cemetery is one of my favourite boozers in Dublin, but you can’t ‘Randomly Drop Inn’ twice, now can you?

So, where to?

We settle for The Porterhouse. This decision is largely based on the reputation of their Chocolate Stout.

“No Chocolate Stout lads, not doing that anymore”

Hmm, bad start. I opt for the Plain (a pint of Plain, clever that) stout, and the mate goes for Oyster stout. Food is ordered, seats are taken, and we have a look around. The premises is large and spacious, the music not too loud (bit of Smokey Robinson going on…), and the food arrives quick. No food for me, but the reports were good. I’ve heard great things about the Irish Stew, but who am I to spend money when there’s dinner at home. Students, we’re like that.

The pint of Plain? Not quite your only man, but still a damn good light stout and I’m content. I’ve tried the Oyster stout before too and while it takes some getting used to, it’s a grower. As they’re quick and proud to tell you, these are award winners, and unlike in some Dublin pubs with the more famous stout on offer, you can rest assured each pint will be right here.

The smoking area is sizeable, but I’m not one to stand around smoking areas. It’s large, it’s covered and it’s heated. Three boxes ticked if you’re that way inclined. The staff are friendly and talkative, and seem to be engaged with what sound like regulars. My friend picks up on the menu in front of us, which boasts that “Our beer kills fascists”. Not entirely sure what they’re getting at there, but why the hell not.

The place is quiet enough, though it is 4.30 on a Wednesday. A few large screens around the place and the variety of both booze and grub makes me think this wouldn’t be a bad spot to catch a bit of the World Cup.

The Porterhouse, for what it does, isn’t too pricey. It’s worth a venture to any of the Dublin pubs to try something new, but be warned that the two city centre pubs are tourist hubs at the minute. A worthwhile visit, with a ‘we’ll only be 10 minutes’ trip turning into an hour out of nowhere.

On our way out, we pass a Christmas tree of beer bottles.

Bit late for that, or are they just early?

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An incredible post from Circumliminia most worthy of your time, showing just how the “regeneration project” is going over in Ballymun.

At every level of interaction with the state, Ballymunners have come to realise that their options are to keep their heads down and suffer, or resist and suffer more

“It shall be the first duty of the Government of the Republic to make provision for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the children, to secure that no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing, or shelter….”

Democratic Programme of the First Dáil, 1919.

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I’m a huge supporter of community events. Street parties, town festivals and the like are essential aspects of life in any community in my own opinion, and I’m often horrified by responses when I ask people how much they know about their own neighbours.


“Joe Bloggs next door? Asked me to turn down the music once, never really spoken to him since.”

Both Palmerstown (where I currently walk the dog) and Ballyfermot have a strong sense of community, and I never took that for granted growing up. It is the basis of any community, and transcends age, nationality or any other factor. The community that gets on is a happy community.

Word of community events is something I love to receive here at Come Here To Me, and Palmerston Place across the Liffey gave me great hope recently when I heard they’re approaching their 12th annual street party. Wonderful. The event takes place this Saturday, and Met Éireann looks positive.

The whole thing kicks off in a style that should appeal to Come Here To Me types, with the launch of a plaque at 16 Palmerston Place to mark the spot where Fenian John O’ Leary edited ‘The Irish People’, before being arrested in 1865. The plaque will be unveiled at 7pm, by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emer Costello. I spend about half my free time giving out to people about the lack of plaques outside the city centre, so this is something I’m excited about and hope to attend.

The Fenian leader John O' Leary

The event also includes music from a band made up of local children, all 13 years of age, The Un4seen who will be followed on stage by Seven Days, a band lined up to play Oxegen.

It’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Burgers), and a glance over the comments and stats here reveals plenty of Northsiders to be among our readers, not least the Bohs faithful. If it’s your corner of the world, drop down.

More of this in Dublin, please. Enough talk of the Rare Oul’ Times, let us get back to basics. I might even cross the Liffey myself.

The Hendrons site in the area, which was due to become the home of a massive 'Celtic Tiger' development defeated due to local pressure.

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Loves You

Things are a little bit hectic this weekend. A trip to lovely Derry awaits Friday and Saturday, and Sunday sees my local David take on the northside’s Goliath. In plain English, that’s Glenville Football Club of this very suburb going head to head with League of Ireland Champions Bohemian F.C.

Still, were it not for that, I’d be at the event advertised above. A great cause, and great art to boot. I’m hoping Maser does the same with the ‘They Are Us’ project down the line.

Today, I’m speaking at the ‘Blogging The Humanities’ event being hosted by Pue’s Occurrences, so expect a post on that in the coming days. Us bloggers, we have to stick together.

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Greed is the knife and the scars run deep...

 Any regular readers will know that we’ve been following the Maser/ Damien Dempsey project very closely; And on Sunday I came across my favourite piece from the project so far. Located between the Point and the Port Tunnel,  and spanning close to fifty feet are the words “Greed is the knife and the scars run deep,” lyrics taken from one of my favourite Damo songs, Colony. Youtube it, the song sends shudders up my spine every time. The raw anger in his voice when he sings the line “But if you’ve any kind of mind, you’ll see that all of humankind are the children of this earth, and your hate for them will chew you up and spit you out” will forever be one of my favourite lyrics. Amazing. Just… Amazing.

We’ll continue to keep you posted with pictures of the pieces as we find them; Rumour has it a new one has gone up at the Bernard Shaw. Anyone who spots new ones, please give us a shout on here.

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The Tolerence of Crows

Death comes in quantity from solved
Problems on maps, well-ordered dispositions,
Angles of elevation and direction;

Comes innocent from tools children might
Love, retaining under pillows
Innocently impales on any flesh.

And with flesh falls apart the mind
That trails thought from the mind that cuts
Thought clearly for a waiting purpose.

Progress of poison in the nerves and
Discipline’s collapse is halted.
Body awaits the tolerance of crows.

Charlie Donnelly b. 10 July 1914, d. 27 Feb 1937

I’m not cheating here; I know Charlie Donnelly wasn’t a Dub, but he lived here for many years, and studied at UCD as JayCarax covered here in his Hidden History Blog. He was a complex character; a college drop-out, political activist and member of the national executive of the Republican Congress. And a poet. A very good poet.

And for while we have a history of revolutionary poets in this country, most of them fought in the years 1916 to 1922. Charlie wasn’t born in time for that revolution but travelled to London in 1936 where he joined the International Brigades. On the 23rd December of that year headed to Spain where he fought on the republican side against Franco’s Counter Revolution.

On the 27th February, 1937, in the rank of Field Commander, he was sent with his unit to launch a frontal assault on the Nationalist positions on a hill named Pingarron. They were pinned down and Donnelly was hit by three Nationalist bullets- One to his right arm, one to his right side and an explosive bullet to the head that killed him. He uttered his oft repeated words “even the olives are bleeding” during that assault. His body lay prone for four days before it could be recovered by Irish brigadier Peter O’Connor.  His body was buried in an unmarked grave. He was only 23 years of age.

His story, along with the stories of so many others who fought and died in that war never cease to move me; Absolute selflessness from people united against Fascism. While Spain is a stones throw across the water now with it easier (and probably cheaper) to get a flight there than a taxi home from Dame Street on a Saturday night, back then it meant getting a boat to England, and then another one from there to France and then the long trek down by train, bus and foot. Yet you wonder would people do it these days.

Absolute Legends. Picture by Asile, from Indymedia

Right. The reason for the article. On the 27th February this year, family and friends of Charlie Donnelly unveiled a beautiful memorial to him in a park in Rivas. The story of how the memorial came to be is one could not do justice to, but you can read about it here. The memorial consists of a stone from the 32 counties of Ireland and was paid for by donations not only from Ireland but from across Spain also. Next Friday, in the Teachers Club on Parnell Square, sees the launch of a DVD that tells the story  of the project and promises to be a night to remember. Titled “Stones to Remember: Charlie Donnelly and the XV Brigade” there will be music, song, poetry and I’m sure, plenty of tears. Admission is €5 and it kicks off at 8.30. I hope to be in attendance to pay homage to the man himself.

Details and the poster for the event can be found at: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/96544

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With the government set to introduce measures to tackle the growing problem of ghost and unfinished estates that have blighted many parts of the country, I’ve been musing over a few pieces that discuss how many vacant or half built estates there are out there. And to be honest, the result is shocking; It does go someway to explaining why the economy has gone arse over tits, when it placed it’s future on a building industry that was obviously over-supplying a demand that was sure to run out; A recent report by the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Planning estimated that there were over 600 “ghost estates” and a figure of 300,000 empty, newly built properties in Ireland. Mainly located in the midlands and west of the country in towns that were heralded as “commuter” and “gateway” towns like Mullingar and Tullamore, they were built to serve a steady stream of workers who, rather than pay the extortionate property prices in Dublin, preferred to pay the slightly less extortionate prices and commute the couple of hours every day. Madness.

What does this have to do with “Dublin Life & Culture” I hear you ask? Well, for while the Irish landscape is littered with ghastly looking ghost estates, we have ghostly looking mansions, castles and buildings of historical importance that are left to the throes of time also. “Abandoned Ireland” is a website I’ve been championing for a while now. The website is a personal project, started in June 2008 by Tarquin Blake. The idea is to document these buildings before age and rot erase them from our landscape forever. The website has the tagline; “Record it. Document it. Before it’s gone; Touch nothing. Take nothing. leave only footsteps.”

Bolands Mill, as Dev left it? Credit: Tarquin Blake, Abandoned Ireland

Phoenix Park Magazine Fort. Credit: Tarquin Blake, Abandoned Ireland.

I’ve spent hours trawling this website, there are some fantastic pictures here, covering everywhere from Bolands Mills and the Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park Magazine Fort (two examples above) to abandned mines in Wicklow. You wonder somehow, in two hundred years, will the ghost estates of Dublins sattelite towns induce the same sense of wonder as the buildings AI is documenting? Somehow I doubt it.

Check out www.abandonedireland.com.

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Three years ago, rumours surfaced that Samuel L. Jackson, one of the coolest men on the planet (Snakes on a Plane aside) was a lifelong fan of Bohemian FC.
The information initially came from a paragraph on his Wikipedia entry which read:
Jackson is an avid basketball fan, and especially enjoys the Harlem Globetrotters and the Toronto Raptors. Jackson is a lifelong fan of Eircom League soccer side, Bohemian F.C, and he can often be seen at home games at Dalymount Park with his family. He is well-known and respected among the club’s staff and fans.
Within a week, there was a media frenzy; The Biography channel took this information as fact and mentioned it on an hour long special dedicated to the Pulp Fiction actor. Irish radio picked up on it fairly quickly and ran competitions with questions like “Where do Bohemian FC play?” The Sun featured a half page article and a photo-shopped picture of Jackson wearing a Bohs hat and scarf. Even the Teflon Taoiseach got in on the act and piped up that he’d be attending the next Bohs game. A Bohs spokesperson was forced to admit they were unaware of any link at the time. (Rumours abound that Shamrock Rovers were set to announce Danny Glover as a lifelong fan were never confirmed. )

A Scouser? Don't make me laugh...

But others were not so quick to believe. The statement disappeared from Wikipedia, and with Jackson set to appear on The Late Late show, an intrepid Bohs fan made contact with one of the researchers on the show and asked about bringing the subject up. The response was:
” The audience, least of all Samuel L. Jackson, wouldn’t know who or what Bohs is.”
As Johnny Logan has proved several times (see here and here) since then without need of prompting, this statement is complete rubbish. A letter appeared in The Irish Independent saying Jackson could not be a Bohs fan, as he had never been seen in the stands at the home of Irish football, Dalymount Park. One sharp Bohs fan living in Belgium retorted with:
“He can still claim to be a Bohs fan in the same way thousands of Irish people claim to be fans of British clubs like Manchester United, Celtic or Liverpoool, and yet have never set foot in Old Trafford, Parkhead or Anfield. Maybe Samuel watched Bohs in an Irish bar in downtown Washington  decided that makes him a “fan”. “
It’s been a long time coming but maybe heres the proof that the naysayers need; A poster on www.thebohs.com provided us with a picture this week that closes the argument once and for all- Samuel L Jackson is indeed a Bohs man. (Or if he wasn’t, he certainly is now!)

Proof at last that Samuel L. Jackson is a Bohs man. Photo credit LA Bohs.

(A big shout out to all at thebohs.com for the info for this piece!)

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