Culture Night is still a few more days away and already I am anticipating an evening of cultural entertainment. I do realize that the Landing Project should be my paramount concern, but Culture Night comes but once a year (just like Christmas only less expensive) and is not to be missed.
I have been scanning the programme and trying to work out how many items I can feasibly fit into the evening (allowing time for refreshments of course). High on my list of priorities is a tour of the Freemason’s Hall, which is one of the decreasing numbers of yet unvisited places of interest in Dublin. I tried to get to see it last time it was opened to the public but the queues snaked down the road and round the corner. I am quite clearly not the only nosy (I mean cultured) person in Dublin.
I was thinking of sticking to the South Georgian Quarter this time round, but who knows what might happen when I get the cultural bit between my teeth once again. It did occur to me while planning this year’s activities that I written a short piece for the Reader Review column of the Independent newspaper (UK) in 2007 when Culture Night was still in its infancy. I managed to dig out a photocopy of the newspaper cutting to scan into the blog (my technological skills increase with every passing day). It is clear from looking back to 2007 how much the event has grown in five years, even spreading far beyond the confines of Dublin.
Independent newspaper (2007)
I wrote a piece this week for the Irish News Review about the up-coming 2012 event in which I mentioned that this year sees 134 venues participating in Dublin alone. It is a tribute to the hard work of all of the institutions, venues and organisers involved that this event has gone from strength to strength as it has. I will be out doing my bit to support the event on Friday evening (with a book in my bag of course!).
There will be a return to book talk for the next Landing post, but if you do get out and about for Culture Night, wherever you are, drop me a line and share your culture fix.
