Other reasons for being in the capital

Circulation  was a lucky chance but equally lucky was the fact that another event took place in Graphic Studios just around the corner from Monster Truck and three -quarters of an hour later:

 

This was a show by Brian Lalor called 'Drawing  James Plunkett's Dublin'  -an evocation of the 1913 Lockout through views of the 1970 city. This was followed by 'Who Fears to Wear the Red Hand Badge? - The Songs & Poems of the 1913 Lockout'  conducted by Francy Devine & Fergus Russell with very enthusiastic accompaniment by all present. It was a thoroughly amazing evening.

 

The next day I went to visit the National Print Museum in Beggars Bush - a place I didn't even know existed till Mary Plunkett told me of it at the letter- press demo a couple of weeks ago. Believe it or not, every time you see the Labour Court on the news you are almost looking at the museum because it is in the old barracks Chapel behind the Labour Court building. It is a remarkable place containing a least twenty fully-operational presses of one sort or another - here are a couple of beauties:

 

.....a Hopkinson and an Albion.

 

The one thing that really fascinated me was the Linotype machine and at some time I will have to get there when there is a demo.

 

But there are lovely oddities to be seen also:

 

I love Victorian Aluminium.

 

The rest of my day was inspired by Brian Lalors printwork; one of these in particular, reminded me to visit a place I would regard with the same intensity as Keem Beach in Achill:

 

 

The South Wall, Dublin Bay

 

This is a remarkable artifact and allows one to walk right out into the middle of Dublin Bay

 This is the Half-Moon Swimming Club

 

This is on the side of the Poolbeg Lighthouse which ends the wall.

 

On the way back

 

Many of the images acquired on this walk will, I think be appearing later in other areas.

 

Here's something not seen for a while:

 

 

...but what makes this notable (and the next one ) is what you see when you lift your eyes:

 

 

and

 

.........

 

Ground print with a difference

 

 

And now for something completely.......

 

These are the final prints from the first effort at home screenprinting: am already in the throes of another multi-stencil print which I will show in entirety when it is finished.

 

 

To finish here is another in the burgeoning collection of very odd holes: