Blogs

In this episode of the DCLA podcast, musician Eileen Gogan responds to stories from The Long Gaze Back and talks to editor Sinéad Gleeson. They discuss the parallels and crossovers between song writing and writing, the difficulty of choosing a title, writer’s block, influences and the parallels between poetry and lyrics. Eileen is accompanied by musician Ed McGinley.For rights reasons you will only hear clips from Eileen’s songs, to hear, including her new album Under Moving Skies visit https://eileengoganandtheinstructions.bandcamp.com/Recorded at Walkinstown Library on 9 April at 2018.  Dublin City Libraries & Archives · Notes of ChangeEileen chooses stories from The Long Gaze Back and pairs them with her songs that echo the same themes, feelings and ideas. Eileen performs Malibu Stacy, Planets, Home, Sweet Alice, Dreamtime Stories mentioned: ‘Berghain’ by Lisa McInerney ‘The Eldest Child’ by Maeve Brennan‘Somewhere to be’ by Siobhan Mannion‘The Meaning of Missing’ by Evelyn Conlon‘I’ll take you there’ by Niamh Boyce‘Infinte Landscapes’ by Roisín O’Donnell   Eileen Gogan's new album Under Moving Skies is out on 29 May 2020. Her first album, The Spirit of Oberlin, recorded with her band, The Instructions, was released to wide acclaim in 2015. Outside of her solo work, she has sung with The Would Bes’, The Revenants, The Drays and Microdisney.Ed McGinley, singer, song-writer and guitarist with The Dixons and The Winters. His first solo collection Tangled Roots & Twisted Tales was released in 2019.  You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

Get ready to be creative in the wonderful new recording studios located in Ballyfermot Library and soon to be available for library patron use! Aspiring musicians, podcasters, film makers, broadcasters even, take note, our Creative Studio is about to excite and delight! What is the Creative Studio?It is a digital maker space facilitating the creation of music recordings, podcasts, videos, digital stories and oral histories. And more besides. At the centre of this space are two recording booths providing library patrons with access to a variety of audio and video recording equipment and software.What can I do in the Creative Studio?So much! For example,Record a music track, a song, create a demo.Get some band practice in.Deliver a Facebook Live event, be it a live music performance, an interview with a local celebrity, artist, historian, or even a poetry reading.Record an audio or video podcast, could be an interview, a lecture, a group discussion.Record a video and upload to Youtube.What can I do now?Interested in using this wonderful new facility? You must first fill out the Creative Studio - Request to Use Facilities Form. We will then be in touch in due course to notify you of your scheduled induction session. You must complete the induction session and sign the Agreement Form in order to be able to book a session in one of the studios.The Studios:Creative Studio #1: 3150mm (10'4") x 2250mm (7'5") Capacity 1-6 peopleCreative Studio #2: 4950mm (16'4") x 3150mm (10'4") Capacity 2-8 peopleAbove: The smaller of the two recording booths, Studio #1.Equipment:The mix of equipment for each includes some or all of the following:-Microphones  (stand, table mounted) with pop filter shock mountsStudio headphonesBehringer AMP800 Mini Amp 4 Channel Stereo Headphone Distributor AmplifierStudio monitors (speakers)4 channel or 8 channel Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. Ideal for multi-instrumentalists, producers and small bands who want to record audio from a wide range of sources such as drums, guitars, keyboards and vocals.Cinema Camera 4K + tripodLogitech C615 HD 1080p webcamLED lightingGreen screeniMac computers, 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display.Software included - Final Cut X video editing software, Logic Pro X music making software, GarageBand, Audacity.Studio Use:A booking of a recording booth may be made by patrons aged 15 years and older with a valid public library card from any library authority in the country. Any person wishing to make a booking must have completed the mandatory induction session in advance and signed an Agreement Form.Right: The larger of the two studios. View larger image.The minimum session length is 50 minutes; the maximum 2 hours and 50 minutes. Musicians, important to note, you will need to bring your own musical instruments.Please take note also - while basic assistance may be provided, the studios are essentially self-service. You will need some level of familiarity with recording equipment, iMac computers and the software provided. We will provide you with some help files and links to further resources.Read the full Terms and Conditions...Induction Session:Attendance at an induction session is required in advance for anyone wishing to book a recording studio. The session provides an overview of the recording studio equipment and usage procedures. Upon completion of the session participants will be required to sign the agreement form in order to be added to the list of those authorized to make a booking on behalf of themselves or a group.Visit the Creative Studio main page for more information.

In this podcast, 'On Raglan Road; Great Irish Love Songs and the Women who Inspired Them' writer and poet Gerard Hanberry explains the inspiration behind well-known Irish songs and ballads. Have you ever wondered who the ‘Galway Girl’ was, or if there was a real-life ‘Nancy Spain’. Would you like to discover the inspiration behind Brendan Graham's hugely successful and much covered 'You Raise Me Up'? Learn the often surprising, sometimes bittersweet but always absorbing stories of the real women who inspired some of the world’s finest love songs.Gerry Hanberry is a writer, poet, musician. Read more about the stories behind great Irish love songs in Gerry's new book On Raglan Road, published this September.On Raglan Road - Irish Love Songs and their Inspiration - TranscriptRecorded on 23 August 2016 at the Central Library as part of our Heritage Week 2016 Programme. 

Mary Louise O’Donnell gave a talk and recital titled "Ireland's Harp: shaping a nation's identity" in the Central Library, Ilac Centre on 12 March. Her talk traces the history and evolution of this treasured national emblem and glorious musical tradition. You can listen to a recording of the event below or download to listen to offline.The image of the harp – symbolic of the political and cultural landscape of Ireland for centuries – evokes strong sentiments in the collective Irish imagination. This iconic instrument became the emblem on Irish coinage in the sixteenth century. Since then it has been symbolic of Irish culture, music, and politics – finally evolving into a significant marker of national identity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.TranscriptMary Louise O'Donnell holds a doctorate from the University of Limerick and is a former Irish Research Council postgraduate scholar and postdoctoral fellow. Her first book 'Ireland's Harp: the Shaping of Irish Identity c.1770 to 1880' was published by UCD Press in 2014.Book DescriptionThe harp became the emblem on Irish coinage in the 16th century. Since then it has been symbolic of Irish culture, music, and politics - finally evolving into a significant marker of national identity in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most important period in this evolution was between 1770 and 1880, when the harp became central to many utopian visions of an autonomous Irish nation, and its metaphoric significance eclipsed its musical one. Mary Louise O'Donnell uses these fascinating years of major social, political, and cultural change as the focus of her study on the Irish harp. 

The Lockout 1913 inspired many poems, ballads, songs and rhymes. Many of which were published in The Irish Worker. These poems and ballads provide a vivid portrait of the conditions faced by Dubliners during the Lockout, the battle between the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union and the Dublin Employers’ Federation and the key personalities of the time.As part of the City Hall Springtime Lectures Francis Devine and Fergus Russell performed ballads and songs of the 1913 Lockout. Songs include 'Freedom's Pioneers' by James Connolly and 'The Red Hand Badge' by AP Wilson.Right: Image from A Capital in Conflict, Dublin City and the 1913 Lockout. Copyright: Dublin City Library & ArchiveFrancis Devine's accompanying historical commentary gives the background of the Lockout and the songs featured here. He discusses The Irish Worker newspaper, women and the Lockout, Bloody Sunday, victims of the Lockout and figures such as Jim Larkin, William Marting Murphy, Divisional Magistrate E.G. Swifte (aka "forty bob") and Rosie Hackett after whom the newest bridge over the River Liffey was recently named.Listen to songs and poems of the 1913 Lockout with historical commentary by Francis Devine.Read the transcript.Recorded by Dublin Community Television on Tuesday 2nd April 2013 as part of the Spring series of City Hall lectures. The City Hall Lectures are organised by Dublin City Archives.Further ResourcesDublin Commemorations 1913-1916 Sources available at Dublin City Archives.The Reading Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street holds a wealth of material on the history of Dublin, including books, pamphlets, journals, street directories, and almanacs.Browse books on the 1913 Lockout in the Library Catalogue. Dictionary of Irish Biography: Over 9,000 signed biographical articles. Includes many figures from 1913 Lockout mentioned in this talk such as James Larkin, William Martin Murphy, James Connolly, Delia Larkin, Countess Markievicz, Helena Moloney, WP Partridge.The following online resources can be accessed free of charge at your local library (access links via our NetVibes portal). Ask library staff for information and assistance.Dictionary of Irish Biography: A comprehensive and authoritative biographical dictionary for IrelandIrish Times Digital Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Times from the mid-nineteenth century until the present.Irish Newspaper Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Independent and a range of other newspapers.The Ireland-JSTOR Collection: This online archive of academic articles can also be accessed free of charge at your local library.