Dublin, Irelands Largest and capital city:

“The term ‘celtic art’ is commonly used to describe the decoration of the Book of Kells and the Book of Durrow. The Irish monks who decorated these manuscripts in the 7th to 9th centuries were drawing on a much older pagan artistic tradition, that of the Celts. That ancient people, at the height of their geographical expansion (4th – 3rd century BC), occupied a vast area which stretched from Ireland to Spain in the West to Eastern Europe.”
-From the Walls of the Book of Kells Museum at Trinity College in Dublin.

I must admit that like many larger cities, I found Dublin hard to adjust to as well. I suppose that I had easily become accustomed to the pace of the country life in Annascaul and Dingle and was not expecting such a shock when I arrived in Dublin. There is a different kind of lonely that lures in the city life, a loneliness that constantly is interrupting your ability to digest the massive amount of information that is out there in every direction that you look. The interruptions can be useful at times, distracting you from dwelling and contemplation that can last forever when it isn’t tame. My lovesickness for Yolanda had also reached its peak in Dublin after leaving behind all of the friends that I had so quickly made while in Dingle.

Besides wandering around the city with the suitcase, things were relatively uneventful in Dublin. Even the suitcase had only a few visitors as the people in Dublin seemed socially busier and preoccupied making it more challenging to get through to their more goal oriented personalities. This was of course a little disappointing for a gallery that depends so largely on socialization to successfully serve it’s purpose. Like many other large cities, from afar Dublin seemed to hold many promises for opportunists afar that are not always well kept upon their arrival.

In Dublin though, even these opportunists seemed friendly, harboring pretentiousness in another form altogether which was very well hidden, or perhaps less existent altogether. Eye contact and acknowledgement seemed to be especially important all over Ireland, along with trust being some of the major ingredients in the social infrastructure of daily life. Even compared to some of Canada’s urban centers such as Montréal, Toronto or Vancouver, the social behavior of Dubliner’s seems less divided from it’s neighboring townships and country communities.

A few days after arriving in Dublin, my brother Robbie joined us for a few weeks of traveling after he was finished school for the year in Halifax. After his arrival we spent a few days in Dublin together exploring the streets and some museums, one being The Book of Kells museum in the famous Trinity College Library which also held much of Samuel Beckets original manuscripts and letters. It was extremely appropriate to visit this museum, and although the McCleave Gallery could not see for itself, The Book of Kells was in itself a worth while reason to be in Dublin and provided the tour with a glimpse of the history of Celtic bookmaking.