The Dublin trip wasn’t just about attending the Pushing Boundaries private view.
We took the opportunity to spend another day and a half just walking around this wonderful city. Many years before, I had visited Dublin but had no real recollection of the place. No, I wasn’t drunk! That trip was for a business presentation then I was working for a design company. We flew in, were whisked straight from the airport to the meeting in a taxi, and breezed right out again in the same manner. All I got to see of Dublin were glimpses of quite nice looking Georgian buildings through tinted glass.
So, I was determined that we should see as much as we could, and the best way to do that (as with most cities), was to walk and use public transport. Within a short walk of our hotel was St Stephen’s Green, a nice Victorian park that sheltered us from the noise of the traffic. At one edge of the park, three stick-like figures drew us over for a closer look…
Famine Memorial, by Edward Delaney. St Stephen’s Green.
At another entrance, a larger-than-life figure almost barred the way. Apart from Wolfe Tone’s historic significance, the textural detail of the sculpture’s surface with its scratches and ‘drag’ lines were fascinating.
Statue of Irish revolutionary figure Theobald Wolfe Tone, by Edward Delaney. St Stephen’s Green.
Later that day, we followed the tourist trail and entered the historic grounds of Trinity College Dublin. We wanted to see 9th century Book of Kells, Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure and the world’s most famous medieval manuscript. However, the queue was too long for us, so we moved on.
Sfera con Sfera (Sphere within a Sphere) by Arnando Pomodoro. Trinity College Dublin.
Guinness Storehouse
Our last stop for the day was The Guinness Storehouse – well, we had to, didn’t we? Apart from the truly fascinating facts on the history of its production, and the rise of its popularity and innovative advertising, what struck me was the typography on and around the exhibits. In the right scale, and for the appropriate subject matter, I just love that strong, all caps-based stencil lettering.
Here’s just a hint…
I’ll make one last post on the Guinness Storehouse and our last morning in Dublin in a day or two.
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