James Joyce, the Dubliners and the Pipe

[marlinspike]

In St. Patrick's, where Jonathan Swift was the dean, he is buried in the Cathedral beside his longtime woman friend; can you imagine that today in any religious forum?

I've read that Swift was fairly careful in his public life about being seen with her, but this may be a reflection that, as always, there's a morality that is expected that the common folk observe, but that their "betters" aren't obliged to.

I agree that Dublin is an interesting place to visit. I had a friend who grew up in Dublin in the '60s/early '70s, and his view of the city was that it was a backwater dump then, and he wasn't sentimental about it.

 

[madox07]

I've read that Swift was fairly careful in his public life about being seen with her, but this may be a reflection that, as always, there's a morality that is expected that the common folk observe, but that their "betters" aren't obliged to.

I agree that Dublin is an interesting place to visit. I had a friend who grew up in Dublin in the '60s/early '70s, and his view of the city was that it was a backwater dump then, and he wasn't sentimental about it.

Interesting view, I mean it always depends on what you compare it with. If you compare Dublin with London or New York, perhaps it may seem that way, but if you compare it with an even more back water dump, for say the place I come from Dublin may seem as a nice cosmopolitan place. And trust me I have seen my share of back water dumps of a city in my life :D

 

[marlinspike]

Interesting view, I mean it always depends on what you compare it with. If you compare Dublin with London or New York, perhaps it may seem that way, but if you compare it with an even more back water dump, for say the place I come from Dublin may seem as a nice cosmopolitan place. And trust me I have seen my share of back water dumps of a city in my life :D

I hasten to clarify that this was his view, not mine! I've enjoyed every trip I've made to Dublin. His view was that of a person who grew up in pretty dire economic circumstances, during a time when Dublin, as a city, was struggling economically itself. One of my former co-workers came of age in the Bronx during the '70s, and he isn't a bit sentimental about that area then, either.