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Folk Histories

 

This section contains recordings from residents (both past & present) of Dún Laoghaire borough describing their own personal stories and anecdotes. Click on an icon in the map or on the list below to listen and read information about the recording.

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A round of applause for our front line workers during the Covid-19 emergency

by Anthony Kelly
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    Sound #00104

  • Sound Title: A round of applause for our front line workers during the Covid-19 emergency
  • Duration: 02.49
  • Location: Granitefield housing estate, Dún Laoghaire
  • Date/Time: 26.03.2020, 8.00pm
  • Equipment: Sony PCMD100
  • Weather: Wind still, cold night
  • Description: At 8pm, Thursday 26th March 2020 residents from Granitefield Estate emerged from confinement to offer a round of applause in appreciation & solidarity with healthcare and front line workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic. This was just one of many gatherings happening simultaneously around Ireland that night during the Covid-19 virus emergency.

    You may also enjoy:
    Sound #00100 Blackbird sings to distant birds
    Sound #00011 Brady Family Get-Together, 1965

  • Author(s): AK
  • Photo(s): AK, Doreen Kennedy
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Blackbird sings to distant birds

by Izumi Kimura, Cora Venus Lunny & Anthony Kelly
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    Sound #00100

  • Sound Title: Blackbird sings to distant birds, with improvised music by Izumi Kimura & Cora Venus Lunny
  • Duration: 05.08
  • Location: The Studio theatre, dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire
  • Date/Time: 04.07.2019, 7.00pm
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 microphone, SD 702 digital recorder
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: We are delighted to present a very special entry for Sound #00100!

    A front door opens, footsteps. A nearby blackbird sings undisturbed to distant birds as people and traffic go by. Izumi Kimura (piano) and Cora Venus Lunny (violin) play improvised music to a field recording by Anthony Kelly. This live recording was made at The Studio theatre, dlr LexIcon during the first concert of Izumi’s residency as part of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Arts Office Musicians-in-Residence scheme 2019.

    You may also enjoy:
    Sound #00095 Blackbird sings to distant birds
    Sound #00071 Early morning birds at Silchester Park, Glenageary

  • Author(s): Izumi Kimura, Cora Venus Lunny & Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s): AK
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Giovanni Frazzetto comes to live in Dún Laoghaire

by Anthony Kelly
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    Sound #00098

  • Sound Title: Giovanni Frazzetto comes to live in Dún Laoghaire
  • Duration: 11.54
  • Location: Tivoli Terrace
  • Date/Time: 21.12.2015, 9.25pm
  • Equipment: RodeNT4 & SD702
  • Weather: conversation recorded indoors, outdoor recordings - wind, light rain, cold temperatures
  • Description: Scientist, Giovanni Frazzetto describes his experiences of coming to live in Dún Laoghaire and how it’s unique space and environment has affected him. After unpacking his suitcases one of the first things Giovanni did was to go to the pier to listen to the sound of the sea and the harbour. During the conversation Giovanni makes numerous observations about the town and it’s people. This recording was made at Giovanni’s house in Dún Laoghaire during late December 2015. There are various related field recordings interspaced throughout the short piece.

    Giovanni Frazzetto was born and grew up on the east coast of Sicily. In 1995, after high school, he moved to the UK to study science at University College London and in 2002 he received a PhD from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg. Since he was a student he has worked and written on the relationship between science, society and culture, publishing in journals such as EMBOreports and Nature. He was one of the founders of the European Neuroscience & Society Network and the creator of the transdisciplinary Neuroschools. Giovanni has also written short stories and plays and curated science-inspired art exhibitions. For his transdisciplinary efforts he was awarded the 2008 John Kendrew Young Scientist Award. His book 'How We Feel', on the neuroscience of emotions, was listed among The Guardian 2013 Best Books of Psychology. Other recent books include 'Together, Closer and Joy' & 'Guilt, Anger, Love'. He has lived and worked in London, Berlin and Dún Laoghaire.
  • Author(s): AK
  • Photo(s): DK, Bio Art Lab
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Michael Roe carves a stone and talks about his life’s work as a stonemason at Temple Hill Burial Ground, Blackrock

by Anthony Kelly
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    Sound #00092

  • Sound Title: Michael Roe carves a stone and talks about his life’s work as a stonemason at Temple Hill Burial Ground, Blackrock
  • Duration: 10.34
  • Location: Blackrock
  • Date/Time: 09.10. 2018, 12.04pm
  • Equipment: SD and Rode NT4
  • Weather: Light wind, bright and chilly weather
  • Description: Michael Roe describes his life’s work in fascinating detail while carving new names into one of the stones in Plot E, Temple Hill Burial Ground. You can hear him work away as he talks. Michael describes his working methods and lets us in on some trade secrets he has perfected over the years.
  • Author(s): AK
  • Photo(s) Doreen Kennedy
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Chris Nuzum talks to Seán McCrum about some of the wildlife at Temple Hill Burial Ground, Blackrock

by Anthony Kelly
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    Sound #00090

  • Sound Title: Chris Nuzum talks about some of the wildlife at Temple Hill Burial Ground, Blackrock
  • Duration: 4:08
  • Location: Blackrock
  • Date/Time: 30.09. 2016, 12.00 noon
  • Equipment: SD and Rode NT4
  • Weather: Wind still, bright and sunny weather
  • Description: Christopher Nuzum (in conversation with Seán McCrum) describes some of the wildlife he has observed over the years at Temple Hill Burial Ground. Grey squirrels running from headstone to headstone, a dozen colourful parquets (also known as the Quaker parrot) and other birds including sparrow hawks and magpies.
  • Author(s): AK
  • Photo(s) Doreen Kennedy
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Anne Byrne & Paddy Roche talk about performing music in Dún Laoghaire

By Anne Byrne & Paddy Roche
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    Sound #00058

  • Sound Title: Anne Byrne & Paddy Roche talk about performing music in Dún Laoghaire
  • Duration: 5:41
  • Location: Cross Avenue
  • Date/Time: July 2015
  • Equipment: Rode NT4+SD702
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: Anne Byrne and Paddy Roche recollect the days when they performed their music in Dún Laoghaire. Anne also talks about Wille Brady and some other famous locals from the borough. Anne, accompanied by Patrick Roche sings ‘Come by the hills’ one of her best known songs.

    Many thanks to the Roche family for their kind assistance with this recording. Thanks also to Shane Brady.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) Images from ‘I chose the Green by Anne Byrne with Paddy Roche and Mick Crotty
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Sea Batteries read by Daniel Wade

By Daniel Wade
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  • Sound #00069

  • Sound Title: Sea Batteries read by Daniel Wade
  • Duration: 2:16
  • Location: Haigh Terrace, Dún Laoghaire
  • Date/Time: 20.09.2016, 14.10
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + SD702
  • Weather: Cloudy, light wind
  • Description: Sea Batteries was written in tribute to the men who built the two piers in Dún Laoghaire. The piers were built with the express purpose of providing a safe harbour for shipping in Dublin Bay, following the numerous wrecks that had occurred there throughout the years. Over a thousand local men were employed in this enterprise. The granite used to build the piers was sourced and blasted by dynamite in Dalkey Quarry. As a result, I have always felt that Dún Laoghaire operates primarily as a beacon of refuge against the rage and restlessness of the world.

    Daniel Wade, March 2017

    We made this recording at Haigh Terrace in the shadows of the nearby Maritime Museum on a cloudy, slightly windy day during Autumn 2016. AK

    Daniel Wade is a 25-year-old poet and author from Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. He is a graduate of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, where he studied English and Journalism.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Dún Laoghaire Inventory read by Daniel Wade

By Daniel Wade
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  • Sound #00068

  • Sound Title: Dún Laoghaire Inventory read by Daniel Wade
  • Duration: 3:41
  • Location: Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire
  • Date/Time: 20.09.2016, 17.28
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + SD702
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: Note on Dún Laoghaire Inventory: I wrote this poem in response to the general deadness that seemed to set into Dún Laoghaire following the mass closure of much of its shopfronts as a result of the recent recession. Seeing a place for which I have always harboured great personal affection gradually wane into stagnation (this poem was written prior to the LexIcon library which arguably did a great deal to bolster the town once more) was truly distressing. Seeing it flourish again in recent years has felt like a rare mercy.

    Daniel Wade, March 2017

    This recording was made in one of the side entrances of St. Michaels Church, Dún Laoghaire. With thanks to the Sacristan, Michael O’Sullivan. AK

    Daniel Wade is a 25-year-old poet and author from Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. He is a graduate of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, where he studied English and Journalism.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Mare Liberum read by Daniel Wade

By Daniel Wade
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  • Sound #00067

  • Sound Title: Mare Liberum read by Daniel Wade
  • Duration: 4:05
  • Location: Dún Laoghaire beach
  • Date/Time: 20.09.2016, 15:15
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + SD702
  • Weather: Fine, light wind
  • Description: Mare Liberum takes its title from a Latin phrase meaning Freedom of the Seas - a doctrine of international law which promulgates the right of seafarers to navigate the worlds oceans unobstructed, whether in times of peace or war. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sums it up: The high seas are open to all states, whether coastal or landlocked. This poem was read aloud at Dún Laoghaire beach during October 2016.

    Daniel Wade, March 2017

    Daniel Wade is a 25-year-old poet and author from Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. He is a graduate of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, where he studied English and Journalism. His poetry has been published in Optic, Limerick Revival, Wordlegs (e-publication), The Stony Thursday Book (ed. Paddy Bushe), HeadSpace Magazine, the Seven Towers 2014 Census, the Bray Arts Journal, The Sea (charity anthology in aid of the RNLI), Sixteen Magazine (e-publication), The Bogman’s Cannon, Iodine Poetry Journal, Zymbol, The Runt, Headstuff, The Fredricksburg Literary Review, The Lonely Crowd, A New Ulster, FLARE Magazine and the Hennessey New Irish Writers’ page of the Irish Times.

    He has also featured as a guest on Dublin South FMs Rhyme and Reason poetry program, as well as on Near FM’s Writer’s Block. In June 2015, his radio drama, ‘The Outer Darkness’, was broadcast on Dublin South FM. A prolific performer, he has also read his work at various festivals, including the Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Noeliefest and the West Belfast Festival. In October 2016, he released the album Embers and Earth, a spoken-word sequence of his poems set to music. In January 2017, ‘The Collector’, his first stage play, was performed at the New Theatre in Dublin.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Jim & Doreen Kennedy talk about the early days of Granitefield, Dún Laoghaire

By Jim Kennedy
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  • Sound #00037

  • Sound Title: Jim & Doreen Kennedy talk about the early days of Granitefield, Dún Laoghaire
  • Duration: 8:27
  • Location: Granitefield, Dún Laoghaire
  • Date/Time: 12/11/2014, 10:46
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: Jim Kennedy and his daughter Doreen talk about the early days of Granitefield, Dún Laoghaire, remembering neighbours, visiting the aunties, Watsons Nurseries, New Years Eve 1963 and the boats in Dún Laoghaire harbour sounding in the new year...
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) Doreen Kennedy
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Jim & Doreen Kennedy talk about some of the libraries in Dún Laoghaire

By Jim Kennedy
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  • Sound #00035

  • Sound Title: Jim & Doreen Kennedy talk about some of the libraries in Dún Laoghaire
  • Duration: 2:46
  • Location: Lower Georges Street
  • Date/Time: 12/11/2014, 09:20
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: Jim Kennedy and his daughter Doreen talk about their many visits over the years to local libraries in the borough of Dún Laoghaire.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) Doreen Kennedy
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Places to fish

By George Kelly
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  • Sound #00018

  • Sound Title: George Kelly - Places to fish
  • Duration: 3:15
  • Location: Lower Georges Street
  • Date/Time: 10/10/2014, 21:40
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: George Kelly, (who has lived on Georges Street, Dún Laoghaire all of his life) describes his favourite places to go fishing around the West Pier and the Coal Quay. He tells of a good days fishing with his Irish Press co-worker Jimmy Deardon when they caught almost 120 fish the day they were both out on strike during the early 1950's.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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The Eel

By George Kelly
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  • Sound #00017

  • Sound Title: George Kelly - The Eel
  • Duration: 4:01
  • Location: Lower Georges Street
  • Date/Time: 10/10/2014, 21:05
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Fine
  • Description: George Kelly, (who has lived on Georges Street, Dún Laoghaire all of his life) describes the day during the early 1940's that he and his brother Christy caught a large conger eel near the Ramparts at the back of the West Pier in Dún Laoghaire.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Digging the bait for fishing

By George Kelly
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  • Sound #00016

  • Sound Title: George Kelly - Digging the bait for fishing
  • Duration: 5:42
  • Location: Lower Georges Street
  • Date/Time: 10/10/2014, 20:30
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Fine
  • Description: George Kelly, (who has lived on Georges Street, Dún Laoghaire most of his life) describes his experiences digging different types of bait for catching flat fish and mackeral during the early 1940's.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Stephen Downey at The Baths

By Stephen Downey
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  • Sound #00014

  • Sound Title: Stephen Downey at The Baths
  • Duration: 6:32
  • Location: Scotsmans Bay
  • Date/Time: 23/09/2014, 15:40
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Fine
  • Description: Stephen Downey, past resident of Dún Laoghaire describes some of his early childhood memories of visting The Baths and how his Grandfather wagered him ten shillings to swim a length of the outdoor pool
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s) AK
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Brady Family Get-Together, 1965

By Unknown Recordist
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  • Sound #00011

  • Sound Title: Brady Family Get-Together, 1965
  • Duration: 2:04
  • Location: Rosary Gardens
  • Date/Time: 1965, 20:00
  • Equipment: Reel to Reel Tape Recorder
  • Weather: Indoors
  • Description: "The Brady family were well known in the borough of Dún Laoghaire for their music hall performances in the Pavillion Theatre and in various productions for the local convent and St. Michael's Hospital. Among their rank were the well known Irish performers Willie Brady and Anne Byrne who both had a national and international following in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This track highlights their harmonising skills and gives a taste of the performances that local audiences would have appreciated at the time. It was recorded at an impromptu get-together by a friend of the family who worked in RTE and had access to recording equipment. The people included on this track are: Thomas (Pop) Brady, Willie Brady, Brigid (Queenie) Brady, Dolores Brady, Rosaleen Brady, Patsy Brady and Anne Byrne." Jay Roche, 16th March, 2015
  • Author(s): Unknown - Family friend who worked at RTE
  • Photo(s) Unknown
  • Image sound 00011b

"The Brady family were well known in the borough of Dún Laoghaire for their music hall performances in the Pavillion Theatre and in various productions for the local convent and St. Michael's Hospital. Among their rank were the well known Irish performers Willie Brady and Anne Byrne who both had a national and international following in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This track highlights their harmonising skills and gives a taste of the performances that local audiences would have appreciated at the time. It was recorded at an impromptu get-together by a friend of the family who worked in RTE and had access to recording equipment.

The people included on this track are: Thomas (Pop) Brady, Willie Brady, Brigid (Queenie) Brady, Dolores Brady, Rosaleen Brady, Patsy Brady and Anne Byrne."

Jay Roche, 16th March, 2015

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Artist and film maker Simone Corr talks about the fog horn

By Simone Corr
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  • Sound #00009

  • Sound Title: Artist and film maker Simone Corr talks about the fog horn
  • Duration: 6:38
  • Location: Harbour Road
  • Date/Time: 06.03.2015, 11:45
  • Equipment: Rode NT4 + PMD661
  • Weather: Fine, light wind
  • Description: Artist Simone Corr talks about her film 'A Tribute To A Sound', the decommissioning of the foghorns & lighthouses around the Irish coast and her ongoing relationship with Dún Laoghaire.
  • Author(s): Anthony Kelly
  • Photo(s): AK
  • Image sound 00009