My second day in Dublin was a Thursday, October 3rd. I began the day with a full Irish breakfast at the Merrion Hotel, in the Garden Room. I always had breakfast as soon as possible at around 7:00 a.m. Since there was nothing scheduled until 11:30 a.m. my first objective was to see the plaque on 82 Merrion Square marking the location of William Butler Yeats’ residence when he was a senator. This can be found just around the corner of the block the hotel is on. It is a shame I neglected to find it on my first trip. However I did not find the plaque for George William Russell (AE) at 84 Merrion Square. I looked closely at the Georgian townhouses for this plaque but it was not where it should have been. I am afraid that poor AE has been consigned to oblivion! But I walked into Merrion Square (park) and found his bust. I noticed that his bust was not placed near to where he worked. I was planning on visiting the Hodges Figgis book store before the National Library of Ireland but it was close to 9:30 a.m. when the library would open so I went there first to avoid a trip back to the hotel. Seeing the Yeats exhibition at the National Library of Ireland was one of my major mission objectives. I thought the exhibit was very well done and quite extensive although it had that museum exhibit style with multimedia elements. It was also kept a little dark in there with only faint light. Among the most significant items I saw was Satos’s Sword, a famous Japanese sword given to him as a gift. This sword is mentioned in several poems. It was smaller than I imagined since I had pictured a katana. I also saw the famous Lapis Lazuli which is the subject of one of his poems. Described as a stone bearing a carving I found it be more like a small statue. It was dark blue and hard to see in the display case. I spent considerable time at the Yeats exhibition and made sure to see everything twice by going around twice, although I did not sit to watch through the videos playing on a loop. I did not see the Reading Room.
After leaving the National Library of Ireland I walked to Hodges Figgis book store on Dawson Street. I bought three books at this book store and a book bag; Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Major Works (Oxford World’s Classics), Deirdre Kinahan: Shorts (Five Plays), and W. B. Yeats Poems selected by Seamus Heaney. The Shelley paperback was a thick book but I was hoping to find this book so I bought it anyway. I am currently studying the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley. I saw his grave on my trip to Rome and always intended to follow up on this poet but never got around to it. His epic poems are going to be a challenge to read as I am not used to reading lengthy poems. I consider this to be my most significant purchase, although the Yeats book of poems is obviously significant too. This is a slim volume of his poems which I don’t really need. I bought it as a souvenir almost. The collection of Deirdre Kinahan plays came in handy since we were meeting her in the afternoon. I was tempted to mention this to the cashier but she was distracted. I think I paid in cash using my Euros. I have the receipt. I paid 58.70 € in cash at exactly 10:31 a.m.
Naturally I had to return to the hotel so I would not have to lug around a lot of books all day. At around 11:00 a.m. I saw nobody to walk the group to the Clarence Hotel so I asked the concierge to call me a taxi to the Clarence Hotel. Somebody else had the same idea so I just invited her to share my ride. I paid for the taxi with my credit card but she gave me 5 pounds. We were dropped off at the Clarence Hotel and directed to the Rose Room where only Deirdre Kinahan and Nicola Murphy were to be seen. I had the book Deirdre Kinahan: Shorts (Five Plays) with me and was not shy about showing it off so Deirdre Kinahan signed it for me. I’m proud of myself for being a little more forward. I had a cup of coffee while waiting for the others to arrive, basically following Deirdre Kinahan’s lead. After more people had arrived Nicola Murphy introduced Deirdre Kinahan and asked her questions. I must confess that I was barely familiar with her work but I did have her in my travel guide under playwrights and I read her play Crossing just before my trip. For lunch there were small sandwiches and bowls of soup. I only ate one sandwich because they seemed a little soggy. There was a photographer at the event but I think he was with the Irish Repertory Theater. They seemed to know him. He took a group photo. I took a few photos out the window because there was an excellent view of the buildings across the River Liffey. The windows were a little dirty.
After this event seemed to have concluded I left a little early and walked though Temple Bar intending to return to the hotel. I came across the iconic Temple Bar pub and took a photo to match the one I use as a Windows wallpaper for inspiration. Eventually I made my way to Gaeity Theater to take photos of the advertisements (posters) for the Tom Murphy play “The House”. However, by that time it was close to the time for the afternoon matinee so it made no sense to return to the hotel. I went into the Caffè Nero coffee shop next door and ordered an iced cappuccino. I was hoping the caffeine would keep me awake during the play. I noticed Deirdre Kinahan in the theater. She was seeing the play too. I still had her book on me. I was able to follow the play because I had read the script. The actor playing Christie showed too much grief, making him a more sympathetic character than I think was intended. I was asked about the fight scene which I said showed the potential for violence. It was a bit of foreshadowing. Reading the book “The Theatre of Tom Murphy: Playwright Adventurer” by Nicholas Grene also helped me to appreciate this play which I found very moving.
After the play was over I walked back to hotel on my own. For dinner I went to Matt The Thresher where I ordered an open crab sandwich and a cup of coffee. This restaurant is close to the hotel and very elegant so it became my favorite.
That evening we saw Exit, Pursued by Bear at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Anna led our party to the performance space. This was a very avant-garde performance which did not follow the script of The Winter’s Tale. It began with all the actors walking on stage in full bear costumes. An actress who sounded Latino used a bullhorn to provide commentary. One of the actors sang something operatic, possibly in German. One of the actresses walked with a pronounced limp and seemed crippled. At first I thought this was part of the act but she consistently walked funny throughout the play. She played the part of Hermione. I thought it lent a little tragedy to the performance. There was a lengthy flower arrangement with a philosophical monologue on time. I don’t know where that came from. They danced to a Trance song which was very familiar to me. I think it was Sandstorm by Darude. This was a bit eerie because I often listen to that song on the long bus ride home from a trip to New York City.
We went back at the hotel for after show drinks. I had a Prosecco and was asked for my room number so it could be added to my bill. I only order that white wine because I can pronounce the name but it is not bad.
