Literary Dublin - Dublin - page 445

Literary Capital
Before Dublin was even a glint in a Viking's eye, Ireland was the land of saints and schol-
ars, thanks to the monastic universities that sprang up around the country to foster the
spread of Christianity and the education of Europe's privileged elite. But for our purposes,
we need to fast-forward 1000 years to the 18th century and the glory days of Georgian
Dublin, when the Irish and English languages began to cross-fertilise. Experimenting with
English, using turns of phrase and expressions translated directly from Gaeilge, and com-
bining these with a uniquely Irish perspective on life, Irish writers have dazzled and de-
lighted readers for centuries. British theatre critic Kenneth Tynan summed it up thus: 'The
English hoard words like misers: the Irish spend them like sailors.'
Dublin has as many would-be sailors as Hollywood has frustrated waitresses, and it often
seems like a bottomless well of creativity. The section given over to Irish writers is often
the largest and busiest in any local bookstore, reflecting not only a rich literary tradition
and thriving contemporary scene, but also an appreciative, knowledgeable and hungry local
audience that attends readings and poetry recitals like rock fans at a gig.
Indeed, Dublin has produced so many writers, and has been written about so much, that
you could easily plan a Dublin literary holiday. A Literary Guide to Dublin , by Vivien
Igoe, includes detailed route maps, a guide to cemeteries and an eight-page section on liter-
ary and historical pubs. A Norman Jeffares' Irish Writers: From Swift to Heaney also has
detailed and accessible summaries of writers and their work.
In 2010 Dublin was named a Unesco City of Literature - one of six cities in the world to receive the accol-
ade, along with Iowa City, Melbourne, Edinburgh, Norwich and Reykjavik.