St. Patrick’s Day greetings! I visited a good friend’s book launch before Christmas, and this month, I enjoyed an afternoon at a gallery exhibition by a collective of women friends. When we work together, we can accomplish so much.

Shabnam Vasisht’s latest book launch was held in the LexIcon Library in Dun Laoghaire. This was my first time to visit the massive, modern library, which has five floors over an underground car park. Naturally, there are adult and children sections. Outside, there’s paving, a pool, lighting, and just across a small road is a former church which is now the National Maritime Museum. Inside LexIcon, there’s a separate event space, a charging bank for phones, stairs, lifts, seating, and restrooms. They did remember the books. You can take a virtual tour at this link.

https://libraries.dlrcoco.ie/dun-laog...


The launch was of Shabnam’s latest book combining memoir and history. Digging Up The Raj In The Attic follows on from Digging up the Raj in Deansgrange Cemetery, which featured Irish-Indian connections found at Deansgrange Cemetery. Shabnam got so much mail from her readers, telling her about their relatives, that she started arranging to visit them and photograph their records, paintings, mementoes and family photos of the past. Seeing all this material collected shows how strong the links were.
At the time of the Raj, both Ireland and India were British colonies, and Britain was determined to keep them. Irish people went out to India to work or marry, fortunes being made and lost; and Indian-born people came to Ireland as wives or children of the Irish, or as individuals.

Creative Collective held their latest art exhibition in the Red Gallery on Dawson Street, near the Mansion House. I especially enjoyed Maggie McCartney’s warm and tactile works in mixed media. Other creations included ceramics with wool inside them, branches adorned with knit woolly sleeves in the colours of lichen and moss, and two representations of Celtic interlinked circles. Ars Longa, Vita Brevis. (Art is long, life is short.)
If you are looking for something to do any day, drop in to a local gallery and see what’s on display. The artists are always glad to chat, and nobody will push you to buy anything. But you may be tempted.

This month I am making an Irish story free, appropriately. Download Murder At Irish Mensa on 16 – 20 March. This book is also available in paperback.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E5JMQP4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E5JMQP4

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www.clareobeara.ie