LE GUNNA-SCRÉACH

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Is there no end to it?

Happily, not.

Last night (28/9/2018) saw the launch of a most unusual book in the Oak Room of the Mansion House. The Decade of Centenaries (or whatever it's called) has seen the appearance of many books but this one must take the biscuit (apologies to Jacobs) for both its obscurity and its simplicity.

It covers the range of weapons used by both sides in the Rising and presents new insights into both what went right and what went wrong and reveals many ironies lurking beneath the surface.

It is published by Mícheál Ó Doibhilín's company Kilmainham Tales Teo and is a great addition to their range. Mícheál reminded us (he has told us before) that when he was workingg as a guide in Kilmainham Gaol he felt the need for books that explained Irish history in an authoritative but readable way, and this is what he has been doing for some years now. Maith thú.

I think he said this was his 25th title, but you can see the spread yourself in this display panel and go to the website to follow them up.

These occasions are great for networking and renewing old acquaintances and there was plenty of time for this while the attendance were waiting for the arrival of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Nial Ring, who was a full hour late. In fact we almost had another Rising until the order came through to prematurely break out the beer.

I'm sure the Mayor must have apologised to the organisers. It would have been nice of him to have included the audience. But as Mícheál remarked it was his house and we were his guests. Nevertheless.

Anyway, when he arrived and took to the podium he was both entertaining and brief, and he remembered to actually launch the book.

And then to the main act of the night. Kieran McMullen's talk effectively walked us through the book. Now you may think that a talk which went into the most obscure details of a wide range of weapons would end up being a bit of a bore for non-aficionados, but the way Kieran told it made for a fascinating tale and produced new insights into many aspects of the Rising.

Apart from the pure mechanics of the weapons themselves, which were really interesting, what struck me most was the intensity of the training of the Volunteers, the lack of it in the "new" British army, and the frequent mismatch between weapon and ammunition, all having serious consequences for how events played out.

I learned that there are different designs within the same calibre bullet and that the fixed sights on guns are calibrated for a particular design. Using the wrong bullet of the right calibre will have them going all over the place. This appears to have been a particular problem with the British army during the Rising. Also even very slight variations in manufacture can produce unpredictable results.

Kieran's talk was followed by some presentations. The Lord Mayor was presented with an imposing volume, the title of which I didn't catch. Mícheál assured him that it would be a great help to him in both his work and leisure.

Closer inspection revealed the book's secret.

Kieran's brother, Damon is Mayor of the village of Northport on the north shore of Manhattan Island since last April. He invested Nial as an honorary Mayor of the village, complete with imposing ID.

Kieran retired from the US army as a lieutenant colonel. He served in the Korean DMZ and in Desert Storm and went on to do a stint in the Fire Brigade and a further 12 years in law enforcement. You can read his bio and more besides on his website.

#CULTURE NIGHT 2018

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I didn't have a lot on my list for Culture Night this year - mainly the French embassy where there was something to happen which I couldn't make head nor tail of, and the National Library where they had advertised a Conversation Salon, whatever that was, and a recital by the Bach Singers who I had heard there last year.

So I started with the embassy and found it was to be some sort of laser display on the front of the building. It was near the advertised start time when I arrived but still a bit too light for the display, so I had decided to wander off and see if I could find something else in the vicinity when my eye caught the sight above.

Now I had tried to bring this to their attention many times as I passed by in recent times but that entrance was not open and the buzzer, which was supposed to connect me to reception, went nowhere. So I took the opportunity to bring it to their attention now. To my surprise they seem to have known about it but had some problem about rectifying it. I didn't succeed in pinning down the problem. Perhaps nobody was up to climbing out on the balcony and hauling it in. If they read this they may get around to organising something by next Bastille Day.

As I passed along the square I noticed the Arts Council building inviting me in. Well, the arrangement you see above was the centrepiece of the boardroom. In fact it was the only thing in the boardroom. Not being the arty type I passed on.

My next unintended visit was to the Irish Traditional Music Archive. It turned out that they were offering a concert by two young uileannn pipers. I dallied a while there but as it was nearing time for the conversation salon I set out for the National Library.

As I neared Merrion Street I heard the sound of persistent drumming. I first thought it was coming from the park itself. Then I thought it was coming from the military memorial. And, finally, I realised it was coming from outside the National Gallery.

As I approached I realised it was a percussion band. That sort of brought back memories. I was in one of those in first class in St. Louis national school in Rathmines many centuries ago. We cheated then and had a piano playing Beethoven's Minuet in G. This lot were pure percussion.

The piano's absence didn't take one whit from their enjoyment. They seemed to be all drums of one sort or another with one set of rattle bells.

I wondered where they were from and took a sneak shot of this man's back for reference. That did look like Jesus in Rio and I wondered. When I looked them up at home later they were indeed from Brazil.

Off I set again on my trajectory for the National Library and my conversation salon. This was quite interesting for the short time I spent there.

We were four at a table, the others being Martin, a German from Brazil, Dama from Madrid and Mike from Sligo. We were given a paper with ten suggested topics and we got through three of them while I was there. However the dulcet tones of the Bach Singers were filtering up from below so I took my leave and headed off down the stairs.

The foyer has a good acoustic and I arrived to a nicely blended version of Dúlamán na Binne Buí a song I first heard from Albert Fry long ago.

Then there was a nice Bach canticle sort of number after which I was going to leave for the Alliance Française where I had heard there would be a cabaret act. But the Singers launched into a gutsy version of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus for which I stuck around.

When I finally got to the Alliance it was packed to the door. The nice girl at the desk gave me a little French flag to wave when Macron would come visiting. I wiggled my way through the crowd right up to the platform and took the photo you see above.

The cabaret act was a twosome.

Jean Yves Liévaux on vocals and guitar. He is a class act and well suited to songs/ballads from Brassens to his own compositions. His guitar work is a pleasure to listen to.

His partner, Viviane Cayol, is a very talented and versatile lady.

She sang and played guitar.

She played drums with brushes and a tambourine strapped to her knee.

I don't think I have heard a kazoo since the age of skiffle. A much underrated instrument if you know what you're at.

And adding to the atmosphere playing slide guitar.

I had originally intended wandering back to the embassy but there was no way I was leaving this pair. They were superb with their own compositions and covers.

Some of Jean Yves's delivery was sheer animal. I don't know where he got the energy over the three hours they were on.

Full marks also to the sound man who was geared up to make the pair heard over a high volume ambient noise level caused by food, drink and animated conversation among the audience. This was not a sean nós session. Couldn't be further from it.

You can follow the group here.

I got my final touch of Culture Night on the way home. I had a while to wait for a DART and while I was waiting I heard the Piano Tuner's piano being played on the opposite platform so I went over to have a look. A chap was playing away to his heart's content.

While I was watching another chap went over and sat at the piano. I don't think the guys knew one another but it wasn't long before we were hearing a slightly hesitant duet.

What a way to wrap up Culture Night.

You can check out my last year's experience here.

FROM BALLOTS TO BULLETS

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Lots of things happened in 1918. Losses on the WWI front had been so high that the UK government was seriously attempting to introduce conscription in Ireland. This was stymied as the whole country rose up in anger. Women played a significant role in this opposition and the effort was abandoned.

Later in the year we had a Westminster election with virtual universal suffrage for men and for the first time votes for women albeit it with some serious limitations. This all led to an enormous increase in the Irish electorate and to the establishment of an alternative Irish parliament.

It was also the first Westminster election in which women could stand and Constance Markievicz pulled off a double by becoming the first woman to be elected to the Westminster parliament and the first woman in cabinet, though the latter was in the new Irish (abstentionist) parliament rather than Westminster.

The "Spanish" Flu swept through Europe killing millions of which thousands were in Ireland. It was an unwelcome addition to the toll of WWI.

In January 1919 the War of Independence kicked off.

So, all in all, the years 1918 and 1919 were transformative in Ireland and this is well captured in the National Library of Ireland's current exhibition in their their National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar.

The exhibition was launched earlier this week (11/9/2018) at the Archive in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar.

I arrived a bit, well very, early & had a sneak peek around.

I have been at a number of exhibitions here, the last one being the Photo Detectives which has just finished to be replaced by Ballots to Bullets. I really like the exhibition space. There is a principal area (above) with two smaller spaces on either side and a small gallery upstairs. Then there are the bits of wall in between and above. It is an intimate and homely space but an enormous challenge to the organisers. It requires a lot of thought to present a coherent exhibition and the NLI team have succeeded magnificently, not only with this exhibition but with the others I've been at.

As I said, I arrived early and took a sneak preview. One of the first things to catch my eye was this certificate. It is a magnificent piece of hyperbole. The fact is that Mr. Hannon has pledged £50 to the anti-conscription fund - no small amount in 1918. The hyperbole is in what the fund is to do: resisting the Tyranny of Conscription and saving the Irish Race and Nation from Slavery, Disaster and Destruction. Well, maybe just a little bit over the top, but a worthy cause nonetheless.

But what really caught my eye was Ballyhaunis. Out of all the towns of Ireland they picked Ballyhaunis.

And the names Grealy, Dillon-Leetch and Waldron had me hearing the cock crow and smelling the turf. A great start to this exhibition.

And the flu. A strong potion of Oxo,

a long gargle with Venos,

and a soup spoon or two of Bovril, and sure the flu didn't stand a chance.

Job Oxo.

Unfortunately there proved to be a little more to it than that, but you'll always find good marketers to capitalise on any tragedy. It took many years for the virus to be understood and isolated, but for some reason the above advertisements put me in great humour.

But it's down to business and it was really nice of them to keep me a seat. I must have the required number of attendances at NLI events and a quota of inoffensive blog posts to qualify me as a VIP.

Unfortunately I had to decline the offer. A good photographer is best on his feet.

NLI Director Sandra Collins started the ball rolling.

"Ireland’s revolutionary past is complex and it’s important that we approach this period with sensitivity and inclusiveness. The National Library’s rich and varied collections offer unique archival insights. We hope the wide range of material on display in ‘From Ballots to Bullets’ will offer visitors a new opportunity to engage with our history, both the big events but also the individuals and their hopes and dreams."

She was followed by Senator Ivana Bacik who launched the exhibition.

"I am honoured to open such a striking and thought-provoking exhibition by the National Library of Ireland. Through its diverse collection of objects and artefacts, the NLI offers nuanced and sensitive insight into an intense moment of struggle in Irish history. As Chair of the Oireachtas Vótáil100 Committee, I am particularly taken by the centring of women’s experience in the exhibition and its focus on the fight for women’s right to vote and participate in all aspects of life, as told through compelling images and profiles of often overlooked female figures."

I really couldn't resist including this shot given the fortuitous positioning.

Her family name is of Czech origin. Her paternal grandfather, Karel Bacik, a Czech factory owner, moved to Ireland with his young family when the Communists began to take over private businesses. He eventually settled in Waterford and in 1947 was involved in the establishment of Waterford Crystal. [Wikipedia]

Echoing the speakers, two things in particular struck me about the exhibition.

There was a lot of material I had not seen before and which reflected the experience of the ordinary people rather than those hitherto in the spotlight. The NLI was in a great position here as it drew on its vast collection of ephemera.

Then there was the extensive role of women, which has only gradually come to light in recent years as more evidence based research has replaced the cardboard ideology of my youth.

Further details on the NLI website.

Speeches aside, there is clearly still lots to engage with at this exhibition.

The exhibition took advantage of the upstairs gallery to treat four individuals in more detail.

I had never heard of Lily Mernin who was a typist in Dublin Castle. She spied for Michael Collins and her information was key to Collins's Squad's operation on the morning of Bloody Sunday in November 1920. She was never unmasked.

I had heard of Tom Johnson, the leader of the Labour Party and President of the Irish Trade Union Congress. I was aware of him from his being caricatured by Gordon Brewster and from passing his grave in St. John's cemetery in Clontarf.

I should also mention the excellent video material in the main exhibition area.

Carol Maddock & Nikki Ralston

In her speech, Sandra Collins paid tribute to the team who organised the exhibition. It was curated by Nikki Ralston, who I had met previously. Carol Maddock is an old friend who is a great asset to NLI.

Maeve Casserly

And I am aware of Maeve Casserly's various talks as well as her role in this exhibition.

Louise Archbold, DHR Communications

Not forgetting Louise who organised the launch and brought along the frame which was a gift to the official photographer in many of his shots.

Ross was on sound. Not too demanding on this occasion you might think, but you should not underestimate the value of a good sound man on these occasions. How many times have you attended functions where you can't hear the speaker or where the feedback would pierce the ears off you. I had the experience of a live sound man myself at a recent talk in Marlay House and it was a great luxury, believe you me.

Elizabeth Kirwan & Felix Larkin

I didn't shoot many of the attendees. Too busy talking to people. But Felix is an old friend and Elizabeth is in charge of the photo archive.

Neville Wiltshire & Esme Lewis

I discussed photography with Neville whose sister in law, I think he said, is the lady of the Wiltshire photographic collection.

As for Esme, I keep running into her at things and she knows everybody, and they her.

Esme Lewis

A small tribute picture to her work in the theatre with among others Louis Elliman.

There is a good RTÉ news report on the launch here.

And before I go, I should add a note on the significance of 1918 in my own family history, or at least that part of it based in James's Street and Thomas Street.

My great-grandfather who had been a shoe/bootmaker at the Fountain in James's Street since 1868 retired and joined two of his spinster daughters at Sally's Bridge on the Grand Canal where they ran Bridge Stores for the following twenty years. He put another spinster daughter into Grangegorman Lunatic Asylum in which system she lived out the rest of her days, dying in Portrane in 1948. His son, who was to have taken over the business at the Fountain, and whom he had disinherited for joining the British army, returned from the WWI front wounded and jobless. And his son in law, my grandfather, was fished out of the Liffey at Eden Quay, dead as a doornail and having been missing for a week.

So yes, 1918 was a very interesting year in our family.