A homage and insight into literary Dublin
Famed for its cultural richness and architectural elegance, Paris’ Latin Quarter has long been regarded as the jewel in the crown of French intellectualism and the cradle of all artistic genius. But what if Dublin could offer something similar?
It may not have the quaint, cobblestone streets or the world-renowned reputation of the 5th arrondissement, but make no mistake, this is not some mythic district. Dublin absolutely has “its own special colony of Bohemia, its Latin Quarter”, as the author and artist Olivia Robertson once remarked.
This little south Georgian enclave deep in our capital city, which stretches out from Baggot Street and has as its main artery the Grand Canal, comprises “an artistic quarter to match La Ville Lumiére, Bloomsbury or Greenvillage any day of the week”, claimed one former resident, the inimitable Brendan Behan. But just as we are fortunate in this country to have such deep and storied literary heritage, we are also lucky to have a writer like Brendan Lynch. The Toomevara-born journalist possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of literary Dublin. He has produced several books on the subject, and this latest publication, 'Dublin’s Latin Quarter - A History and Guidebook', is evidently crafted by the hand of a man who has a deep connection to both the city and the characters it has produced, created and fostered.
In many ways the book is revelatory. It unearths so much of the hidden history of this particular part of Dublin and sheds light on the creative process of so many of Ireland’s foremost writers and artists. Take the aforementioned Behan, whom Lynch knew personally. The bilingual Dubliner, who died at the age of 41, was a regular customer in Parson’s Bookshop, described by Lynch as “the inspirational opmhalos” of the area. He wasn’t the only one. A multitude of academics, writers, artists, politicians and churchmen, from Patrick Kavanagh to Garret FitzGerald frequented the store. It was a different universe, “a beacon of culture” that “radiated enlightenment from its lofty emplacement on the crest of the Grand Canal Bridge from 1949 to 1989.”
A fluency to the narrative
Like any guidebook, Lynch’s publication is dense with information, but it is not foisted upon the reader carelessly. Rather, there is a fluency to the narrative. The chapters merge into one another, and frequently intersect. There are so many different characters and so many fascinating anecdotes that the book reads somewhat like a who’s who of Irish literature. At one point or another, it seems that almost every single eminent writer or creator this country has produced called the Latin Quarter home, as if there were some kind of magnetic attraction between their artistic flair and the city’s Georgian streets.
While some of these individuals originated within the city, a huge proportion of them hailed from outside it. The poet John Montague, for instance, was born in Brooklyn and raised on a farm in rural Tyrone. After his marriage in 1956, he moved into 6 Herbert Street with his wife Madeleine. Somewhat like Patrick Kavanagh, the earthy fields and harsh lifestyle of his upbringing never really left him. The underlying themes of both men’s poetry are heavily influenced by the elemental features of rural life, and yet each chose to ensconce themselves in an urban jungle. Why? In truth, there are probably many answers, but inspiration was never far away. On page two, while describing the Quarter geographically, Lynch writes that “like Virgil’s Mincio, one of its outstanding features is the Grand Canal which channels the countryside into town and whose leafy groves Patrick Kavanagh described as his Parnassus.”
Exhaustive and inclusive
One of the beauties of this book is the fact that it is both exhaustive and inclusive. Writers and artists feature prominently, but Lynch does not exclude other notable figures from the world of humanities and the arts. From Thurles-born designer Irene Gilbert to stained glass virtuoso artist Harry Clarke, the author forgets no-one. Similarly, every street is explored in extensive detail, from its architectural qualities to its one-time inhabitants.
Of course, no guide to literary Dublin would be complete without a reference to the modernist writer who penned his very own informal guide to the city, which is celebrated every year on June 16th. Published in full in 1922, Ulysses is among the most revered and perhaps the most cryptic novels of the 20th century. Its author, James Joyce, is widely celebrated as one of the most influential and indeed greatest writers of the period. The slender Dubliner features in Chapter 16, with Lynch providing a succinct biography of his life and times. Apparently, Lynch informs us, Joyce once remarked that if he could “get to the heart of Dublin, he could get to the heart of any city in the world.”
It’s a quote that seems rather applicable to this very book. In formulating this publication, Lynch has achieved exactly what Joyce has set out. He has “got to the heart of Dublin,” and provided a wonderfully detailed, historically accurate guide to this little enclave in the middle of the city. This book is both a manual for visitors and literary enthusiasts, and indeed a “celebration of the writers, artists and musicians who enlivened Dublin’s Latin Quarter in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.”