National Library of Ireland Upcoming Events

National Library of Ireland

Upcoming Events

Library Late – Stella Tillyard in conversation with Myles Dungan

Thursday, 18 September at 8pm

Stella Tillyard is a British author and trained as an art historian. She is the author of The Impact of Modernism 1900-1920: Early Modernism and the Arts and Crafts movement in Edwardian England (1988); Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox, 1740-1832 (1994); Citizen Lord: Edward Fitzgerald 1763-1798 (1997) and A Royal Affair: George III and his Troublesome Siblings (2006). Aristocrats won the Longman/History Today Book of the Year Award, the Fawcett Prize, and has been translated into six languages. The story was also produced as a film. Dr Stella Tillyard is currently with the University of London School of English and Drama. She is now beginning her research on the British experience of the American War of Independence.

Admission is free but booking is essential. Please telephone 01 603 0317 to reserve your seat.

Culture Night, 19 September 2008

Late opening until 9pm at the exhibitions:

• Yeats: the life and works of William Butler Yeats at the National Library of Ireland
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles, National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Sq, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Film Screening

Screening of the Lumière Brothers films in Ireland at 7pm in the Library’s Seminar room.

The films are believed to be the earliest motion pictures of Ireland known to still exist. In 1897, Alexandre Promio, a cameraman for the Lumière brothers travelled to Ireland and filmed his arrival in Belfast docks, the Belfast Fire Brigade, Castle Place and Queen’s Bridge. He travelled to Dublin by train and filmed various places en route. The footage of Dublin features shots of O’Connell Bridge and a display by the Dublin Fire Brigade in St Stephen’s Green. The films were first shown on 15 November 1897 for the opening of the Empire Palace Theatre on Dame Street.

The Lumière Brothers films in Ireland will be introduced by Mr Bob Monks, National Library of Ireland, an expert in the field of Irish film history.

Tours

Guided tours of the award winning exhibition Yeats: the life and works of William Butler Yeats will take place at 6pm & 8pm.

My Gentle Harp: Thomas Moore Commemorative Concerts

24 Sept, 1 and 8 Oct 2008

6.30 pm, Seminar Room

In celebration of 200 years of Moore's world-famous Irish Melodies, the Thomas Moore Commemorative Festival is delighted to present a series of three concert performances at the National Library of Ireland as part of its extensive nationwide tour.

24 Sept 2008:

Vocalists Dean Power, Raphaela Mangan

Musical Director Una Hunt

Special guest speaker Ita Beausang: “Revisiting Moore: ‘He had given voice to Ireland, he had put into her mouth a song of her own’. Stephen Gwynn”

1 Oct 2008:

Vocalists Ciaran Kelly, Anna Brady

Musical Director Una Hunt

Special guest speaker Ronan Kelly: “Mad, bad Lord Byron, the Great Dan and Thomas Moore”

8 Oct 2008:

Vocalists Rachel Kelly, Niamh McCormack

Musical Director Una Hunt

Special guest speaker Emer Nolan: “Moore and Captain Rock: the Melodies and Irish History”

Contact Details

Tel: 01 603 0277

Web: www.nli.ie

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Mr. Bush and HRH Queen Elizabeth II

A Nice little Gem for this hour of the morning. :-)
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George Bush met The Queen, and he turns round and says:
"As I'm the President, I'm thinking of changing how the country is referred to,
and I'm thinking that it should be a Kingdom." The Queen replies "I'm sorry Mr.
Bush, but to be a Kingdom, you have to have a King in charge - and you're not a
King."

George Bush thought a while and then said: "How about a
Principality then?" To which the Queen replied "Again, to be a Principality you
have to be a Prince - and you're not a Prince, Mr. Bush".

Bush thought long and hard and came up with "How about an
Empire then?" The Queen, getting a little annoyed by now, replies "Sorry again,
Mr. Bush, but to be an Empire you must have an Emperor in charge - and you are
not an Emperor."

Before George Bush could utter another word, the Queen
said: "I think you're doing quite nicely as a Country."

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RTE's New 24 Hour News Service

Image via Wikipedia

Ok a 24 hour news service would suggest to me, that it is news 24 hours a day. However in true Irish style, RTE's new 24 hour News service is rather a re-run of the previous news bulletin! That is not a Digitial 24 hour news channel! Putting a ticker underneath the news bulletin also does not make it a Digital 24 hour news channel! Somebody get them onto the BBC and show them what a proper Public Broadcaster does with a Digital 24 hour news channel!

Watch RTE News Now! here.

See Mulley here:

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Labour Conference: Human Trafficking & the Sex Industry

Image via Wikipedia

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Via Equal-L
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Dear Colleague,

Due to the interest in a Human Trafficking event Labour Women hosted some time ago, Labour Women will again be hosting an Open Event on Human Trafficking & the Sex Industry to highlight and raise awareness about what is really happening in the Sex Industry in Ireland.

Human Trafficking & The Sex Industry

Open event

hosted by

Cllr. Veronica Cawley & Labour Women

Date : Sat 14^th June 2008 12noon

Venue : The Glasshouse Hotel, Swan Point, Sligo (off O’Connell St)

Everyone welcome! For more information and RSVP contact Kirsi Hanifin Labour Party 01-6784721 / 087-6258043 or Kirsi.hanifin@labour.ie. RSVP by 12^th June for us to have an idea of numbers, you are welcome to attend without RSVP.

Kirsi Hanifin

Women and Equality Officer

The Labour Party

17 Ely Place

Dublin 2

Tel. 01-6784700

kirsi.hanifin@labour.ie

www.labour.ie/women

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The Problems with Mary Coughlan

Image via WikipediaAs of last week, Ms. Coughlan T.D., was elevated to the position of Táinaiste in our dear little Republic. Ordinarily one would be congratulatory of such a move. The distinct lack of female role models in Dáil Éireann, by comparison to our European counterparts is shocking; 13 out of 166 TD's in the last General Election. That statistic is something which needs to be examined by the major, and minor Parties and seek to encourage more participation within the Political process.

So what is my problem with Mary Coughlan. Well nobody will deny that she has done a pretty good job in Agriculture. Between the pro-activeness following the outbreak of Blue Tounge in the UK and the measures that were enforced here, as well as beginning the World Trade Talks and the usual jaunts to and from Europe. She has been a relatively reliable safe bet for those who need her to be just that.

No my issue with the new Táiniste is her track record to date regarding LGBT issues. Ms. Coughlan's previous role in the Department of Social and Family affairs (Thats the one that Mary Hanafin got shifted to, from Education). In the early 2000s, a particular case went through the Equality Tribunal regarding a bus pass extension for a gentleman's partner in Dublin. Social and Family Affairs rejected this and a case was brought through the Tribunal on the grounds of discrimination on the Sexual Orientation. As there was nothing up to that point in law which warranted the Department's actions, the case was deemed a prima facia case and it proceeded in the Tribunal.

However by the time it came for review in the Tribunal it was in 2002/early 2003 when Ms. Coughlan was Minister for Social and Family Affairs. Realising the possible implications from loosing the case, it was settled out of court with a discretionary action by the Department which resulted in the Injustice committed being resolved and thus not setting a precedent in the Tribunal.

Coughlan came into Social and Family Affairs at a time when some €500 million worth of cut backs needed to be instigated. The vast majority of this appeared in the Social Welfare Miscellaneous Act 2003. What also appeared in that act was the stipulation that any benefits accrued to spouses of benefit recipitants was within the confines of Marriage. This was the first definition of what marriage is in Irish Law, as defined as one man and one woman. I might also so add, that despite precedent in the High Court of defining marriage as such, including Revenue's Oxford Dictionary definition; The Ultimate Interpreter of the Irish Constitution is the Supreme Court who have not yet been asked to define what marriage is, either positively or negatively.

This also meant that under art 14.1.a of the Equal Status Act nobody will be able to take a case to the Tribunal on these grounds again. 14.1.a exempts any law which is already enacted, regardless of whether this is a discrimination measure.

Perhaps it is the case that Ms. Coughlan has changed her ways, whilst she was in Agriculture. Perhaps I shaln't hold my breath too much. Perhaps she was not the instigator and it was some random Civil Servant who noticed the loophole and didn't realise the consequences. Then again perhaps not. I will live in hope that perhaps she has changed. We shall wait and see. We will also wait and hope she doesn't screw it up.


For more information on the new Minister for Justice, Noel Ahern see Maman Poullet's here:

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Beyond the Pale: National Photographic Archive

Image via Wikipedia

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned I was going to go to the Beyond the Pale exhibition in the National Photographic in Templebar. So Jeff and I had some time last week, so we popped in before Lunchtime to see what the was all about. For those of you who don't know where the Archive exhibition space is, it is located opposite the Information Centre in Templebar, behind the IFI.

So the exhibition. Well as the title itself suggests Beyond the Pale is to do with displaying images from the Lawerence Collection in the National Library of Ireland. The Lawerence Collection has been with the National Library since the mid 1940s and is one of the foremost photographic collections of Irish Social life at the turn of the 20th Century. This exbo however deliberates uses images from around the country from the late 19th and early 20th Century and hence the name "Beyond the Pale".

The cities featured in the exbo are Limerick, Derry, Belfast Cork, Galway and Waterford. It also features the town of Kilkenny (Yes I know I know but Kilkenny is not really a city and I'm writing this and I don't really care what the 2006 census says, it is not a City!). Overall Exbo is pretty well laid out and really easy to follow. Highly reccommended Viewing. Even if it is only placing streets in a modern context and trying to work out where everything goes now. Also alot of the images are crystal clear and save for the obvious dress differences with the subjects in the pictures, they could be quiet easily be confused for a picture which was only taken two weeks ago.

• Linky: NPA's 'Beyond the Pale'

One Nation Under CCTV

Image by Thomas Hawk viaOk I like some of Banksy's work and he did it again over the weekend, whilst being watched by CCTV... One Nation Under CCTV...I likes it alot!

The Daily Mail (ick) has the story...

Banksy pulled off an audacious stunt to produce what is believed to be his biggest work yet in central London.

The secretive graffiti artist managed to erect three storeys of scaffolding behind a security fence despite being watched by a CCTV camera.

Then, during darkness and hidden behind a sheet of polythene, he painted this comment on 'Big Brother' society.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

TV Documentary: BBC; Meet the Immigrants, Monday 14th April.

For those of you who have BBC, you may want to set your SKY+ boxes/VCR's for the following (Yes, they still exist and until a more affordable DVD Recorder comes onto the screen, the VCR will remain!!!) . Even though it will be from a British immigrant standpoint, it will be interesting to see if any similarities in the Experiences of Immigrants can be mirrored here. This is of interest given the current debate regarding the Immigration, Residency and Protection Bill 2008, whose contents is currently being hotly challenged by many NGOs and community groups, as well as some statutory agencies such as the Law Society.

Meet the Immigrants

Beginning Monday 14th April at 10.35pm on BBC ONE, running each Monday for six weeks.

Meet the Immigrants is a new, six-part observational documentary series, co-produced by The Open University, which looks at the lives of several members of the new wave of inward migration into the UK.

Narrated by David Morrissey, of Sense and Sensibility and Viva Blackpool, the series shows all sides of the real experiences of migrants in 21st century Britain; the daily challenges they face in arriving and surviving here, and providing welfare and economic security for their families, be they in the UK or overseas.

Meet the Immigrants also reflects the ongoing national debate on immigration and explores the common themes; industrious newcomers performing unskilled jobs that Britons won’t do, or opportunists in search of an easy life, attracted by the Britain’s flexible laws and systems.

On Open2.net there is an exclusive interactive world map which highlights key migration trends for selected countries across all continents. It displays which countries migrants to the UK come from, along with the issues they face there and the factors that made them decide to leave.

For more information about the series go to http://www.open2.net/immigrants/ or contact Polly Frazer on 01908 652 777 or mailto:OU.viewerandlistenerinfo@bbc.co.uk.

via Equal-L list.

Was that you darling or did the Earth move again?

erm apparenlty, well theres no apparently in it, there was an Earthquake in the UK tonight measuring 4.7 on the Ricter Scale. Now before that Israeli MP gets all excited again, will somebody please tell him that no the gays did not cause the Earthquake this time, it was merely a glitch in the new time-machine that Britain is building with Norway in order to return the world to its original state, which they were getting help from Dr. Who who accidently dropped his sonic screwdriver and pressed it around the Hull area and well kinda set off the whole chain reaction.....