Ireland

JAMESON CASKMATES THE NEW CONCEPT

January 25, 2024 by infomatique

COMMERCIAL STREET ART ON CHANCERY STREET

Back in 2014 I attended the launch and in 2016 I began to notice advertising in the form of Street Art such as that in this photograph taken on Chancery Street.

The Jameson Caskmates release is a unique whiskey that has been made with the help of Cork’s Franciscan Well brewery. Barrels that had been previously used for Jameson whiskey were taken to the Franciscan Well Brewery to use in the ageing of their full-bodied craft stout. Once used for beer maturation they were sent back to the distillery where Jameson whiskey that had already been aged was filled into them for a finishing period.

Background Story: When the Jameson Master Distiller met the Master Brewer from Franciscan Wells for a drink, a plan was hatched to send a few Jameson casks to their brewery down the road for them to age their craft Irish stout. The time came for the casks to return home and our Master Distiller saw an opportunity which piqued his curiosity. He re-filled the stout-seasoned barrels with Jameson Whiskey, and Jameson Caskmates emerged; a whiskey that retains all the triple distilled smoothness of Jameson Original, with a truly unique finish. The subtle suggestion of hops, cocoa and coffee are signposts that it has bumped shoulders with stout; however, Caskmates is undeniably a member of the Jameson family.”

THE YEW CIRCLE AT ST ANNE’S IN APRIL 2016

July 22, 2023 by infomatique

WHEN THERE WAS STILL A WATER FEATURE

Please be aware that these photographs were taken on the 16th April 2016 and that the circle has been restored but the water feature has been infilled. I plan to publish more recent photographs later in July or August [2023].

Back in 2015 I was getting more than worried about the future of the “follies” in St. Anne’s park as most, if not all of them were in very poor condition.

When I visited in April 2016 there was still a basin at the Park, minus its central statue however the hedges were no longer in an overgrown state.

An account from 1873 (W. Heale, 1873) describes the yew circle in detail: “On the east side of this [Dutch style flower] garden is an amphitheatre some 150 feet in circumference; the outer portion is a well-kept Yew hedge with five entrances; equidistant from each entrance are four marble statues representing Europe, Asia, Africa and America; Australia is not yet represented. The centre is a costly marble basin with fountain and stocked with gold and silver fish.‟

In a quarter of the walled garden was a circular yew hedge with alcoves and arches in which stood allegorical Italian statues representing the five continents. These statues were reflected in the great circular marble basin which occupied the centre (Malins and Bowe, 1980). The 1939 auction catalogue included these statues: “Lot 1471 – 4 carved stone figures representing the continents, on square bases with carved mouldings‟ (Adam, 1939).

The description below refers to the Yew Circle as it was prior to my visit in April as it was anything but overgrown when I had visited in April of that year. The yew trees had been cut back to what appeared to be to an extreme degree.

The Yew Circle at St Anne’s Park in Dublin was created in the 1830s by Benjamin Lee Guinness, a member of the famous brewing family. The circle is made up of a circular yew hedge that was originally planted with five alcoves, each of which contained an Italian statue representing one of the five continents. In the centre of the circle was a fountain, which is now no longer extant.

The Yew Circle was part of the formal gardens that were once located at St Anne’s House, the Guinness family’s mansion on the site. The gardens were designed in the Italianate style, and they included a number of other follies, such as a Roman-style viewing tower and a cast-iron floral temple.

The Yew Circle fell into disrepair after St Anne’s House was demolished in 1939. However, it was restored in the 1980s, and it is now one of the most popular attractions in St Anne’s Park. The circle is still overgrown, but the five alcoves and the fountain base are still visible.

The Yew Circle is a fascinating example of 19th-century garden design. It is a reminder of the time when St Anne’s House was a grand estate, and it is a popular spot for visitors to the park today.

Here are some additional details [that no longer apply] about the Yew Circle:

The yew hedge is about 100 feet in diameter.
The five alcoves are each about 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep.
The fountain base is about 10 feet in diameter.
The statues in the alcoves represent the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia.
The Yew Circle is located in the northeastern part of St Anne’s Park.

A QUICK VISIT TO THE GROUNDS OF DUBLIN CASTLE

January 18, 2023 by infomatique

WELL WORTH A VISIT

Many tourists become somewhat disappointed when the see Dublin Castle because it is not is as they may have imagined it … John Cornforth described the Castle as “not even a work of architecture” but “a piece of English make-do and mend”.

The complex of buildings is usually open to the public, except during certain state functions. The crypt of the Chapel Royal is now used as an arts centre, and occasional concerts are held in the grounds of the Castle.

The castle complex also hosts the Chester Beatty Library, in a purpose-constructed facility, with a café, the Garda Museum, in the Treasury Building, and the Revenue Museum.

The former site of the “dark pool” on the Poddle was remodelled into a garden, with a water feature that commemorates fallen Gardaí, and a helipad.

GREYSTONES HARBOUR ON A WET AND WINDY DAY

January 11, 2023 by infomatique

AS IT WAS 15th APRIL 2016

Greystones Harbour Marina opened 2013 with just 100 berths and has grown rapidly to 200+ berths.

The harbour has beaches on either side with stunning views across Bray Head to the north, the Sugarloaf and Wicklow Mountains to the West and on a clear day when looking across the Irish Sea to the east, the west coast of Wales can be spotted.

Hailed as one of Ireland’s most challenging civil engineering contracts, a £300 million marina and housing development at Greystones in County Wicklow is revitalising the town’s Victorian harbour which had fallen into disrepair. The PPP Greystones Marina project was delivered by Sispar, a joint venture between John Sisk & Sons and Park Developments, and comprised of a new harbour, construction of a marina, commercial units, luxury apartments and a new coastguard station along with significant reclamation and coastal protection works.

GREYSTONES HARBOUR ON A WET AND WINDY DAY