We couldn’t resist posting these pictures from our Wednesday afternoon trip out. This week we visited the Freemason’s Grand Lodge on Molesworth Street. Our guide is pitcured above in the Templars chapel of the lodge. As he guided us through the cermonial rooms he dispelled many of the myths surrounding the Freemasons and did a fantastic job of answering all of our questions. It was a very interesting afternoon and an excellent tour.
We were very excited about our trip to Kilmaingham Gaol which took place last week! Our tour guide, Liz, navigated us around the two prison wings imparting much eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century political and social history. We having been learning about some of the soldiers stationed in Beggars Bush Barracks including the auxiliaries who were stationed here during the War of Independence. Liz told us all about the political prisoners locked up by these soldiers during the 1916 rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War which provided a great contrast for us especially as we are beginning to study this period of history in class at the moment. Ricky was, as ever, on hand to take pictures and has provided these wonderful shots.
Thanks for the excellent tour Liz!
Everyone at the museum would like to say a big congratulations to our former course trainees who are taking up courses at third level institutions in September. Well done to Chris McDonagh, who will be studying Humanities in Dundalk Institute of Technology, Luke Lyons who will be studying Arts in NUI Maynooth and Terence Mullally who will be undertaking the TAP programme at Trinity College Dublin. Please come back after your first term and tell us all how you are getting on!
As part of our work experience module we undertake work experience. For the next three weeks we are working at a variety of cultural, heritage and educational institutions throughout Dublin: Ricky is undertaking his work experience at St Patrick’s Cathedral; Jackie is at Kilmainham Gaol; Katherine is at Jig; Laura is at Rush Library; Dorina is at the Fingal Archive; Terry is at the Maritime Museum; Gillian and Caoimhe are at the Natural History Museum (Store) and Georgina is staying at the museum to undertake an archiving project. We are undertaking work experience during Heritage Week 18-26 August so we are looking forward to getting involved and helping out with activities for the week in each of our institutions.
When we return we will share with you some of the activities that we undertook over our work experience.
Rothe House is a sixteenth century merchant’s home built in 1594. It consists of 3 separate town houses, 3 courtyards and a restored garden. Presently it is home to the Kilkenny Archaeological Society housing a museum, library and a local family history service. Rothe House is considered to be nationally important as it features a wide range of post- medieval elements which have survived in exceptional condition.
The Rothe family were merchants by trade but were also involved in politics. They built the house around the 1590s on a burgage plot acquired by John Rothe (Fitz Piers) as he was one of the city’s leading citizens. Read more
During our trip to Kilkenny we went to view the exhibition at the Butler Gallery, took a tour of Kilkenny Castle and had a look around St Canice’s Cathedral. We also undertook projects on buildings around the city including the Tholsel, the Black Abbey and Rothe House which we will be posting over the next week.
When we visited the Distillers press in NCAD back in May Sean Sills told us about a poem that James Joyce wrote in 1912 about a printer who refused to print Dubliners. We were reading the book at the time so have since sought out the poem and read it in class and we thought we would share it with you. We hope you enjoy it, thanks Sean!
Gas From a Burner by James Joyce (1912)
Ladies and gents, you are here assembled
To hear why earth and heaven trembled
Because of the black and sinister arts
Of an Irish writer in foreign parts.
He sent me a book ten years ago. I
read it a hundred times or so,
Backwards and forwards, down and up,
Through both the ends of a telescope.
I printed it all to the very last word
But by the mercy of the Lord
The darkness of my mind was rent
And I saw the writer’s foul intent. Read more
We have been very busy for the last fortnight with school tours at the museum. This means that our newer team members Gillian, Caoimhe and Barbara have been perfecting their printer’s hat. Here’s a nice instruction guideline we found online.
We are now in the second term of our course and have completed six of our nine modules including Work Experience, Local History, Communications, Folklore, Archeology and Reception Studies. We have also just finished Dubliners so our reading group is moving on to Dr Jekll and Mr Hyde the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson which was first published in 1886.
This week we are carrying out research for our local history projects. We are visiting the National Archive and Dublin City Library and Archive as well as undertaking research in our own local library, the Pembroke Library. Aside from hitting the books we have also been looking at history blogs and good history sites for our research. Here are some of our favourites.
1. Come Here to Me: A brilliant blog on all things Dublin- this looks at everything from Dublin’s history to graffiti. We were
lucky enough to have Donal Fallon come and talk to us before we set our blog up.
2. Cork Heritage: With a list of Heritage Events in Cork city throughout 2012 this is a great site for those living in the city or just visiting Cork. There are some great historical walking tours suggested and Kieran also has articles on Cork History.
3. Dublin City Public Library Blog: This is a great scholarly blog based at the heart of Dublin cities libraries. They also have some great posts on books including this one on bookbinding here and this one on shopping for books in Dublin in 1782 here.
4. South Dublin Libraries: This is great for Local history blog that looks at the history, folklore and trivia of south Dublin.
5. South Dublin History: This is an amazing website that looks at Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle, Palmerston, Rathcoole, Rathfarnham, Saggart, Tallaght, Templeogue. It includes modern and historic maps for each area, bibliographies, a history of each area, a chronology, list of famous people who lived in the area and
other resources. Very useful! This is one of the best sites on the local history of Dublin and has won some awards.
Cultural and Heritage Studies Course at the National Print Museum 