Who would have thought that in its 99th year after independence Dublin Castle, along with many other museums and historic sites, would go partially digital? We can still walk in it, experience it with most, if not all, of our senses, but this time we can do it from anywhere in the world. Turning a crisis into an opportunity is not just a cliché, it’s a reality. And there is nothing virtual about that. The Digital Castle is a platform that we can travel from.
We continue our collaborative journeys to new ways of engaging with art and architecture, we discuss history, question buildings, address challenges of the present through critical exploration of the past and we keep creating inclusive and diverse communities through diverse practices.
We invite you to enter through a new door: ISL | Dublin Castle.
And if this doesn’t bring you far enough, you can explore more by clicking or tapping on the WHAT’S ON, ABOUT, EDUCATION and Blog tabs and by visiting our SoundCloud and YouTube channels. We organise regular online workshops and link with diverse groups to deliver learning activities and exchanges, so don’t hesitate to send us your request. DublinCastleEducation@opw.ie
On site or on line, keep the conversation going!
Image: View of Dublin Castle from Charles Brooking’s map of Dublin, c.1728
Open daily 10am – 5pm in the Coach House Gallery.
Conceived to commemorate the tercentenary of the birth of Piranesi in 2020 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the OPW presents the international exhibition For the Love of the Master, 25 artists fascinated by Piranesi to celebrate the legacy of this versatile Roman artist in the 21st century.
Between his birth near Venice in 1720 and his death in Rome in 1778, Giovanni Battista Piranesi became renowned as an etcher, engraver, designer, architect, archaeologist and theorist. A fascination with Piranesi continues to influence architects, artists and designers long after his death. Twenty-five artists from eleven countries were selected to pay homage to Piranesi’s drawings, engravings and reassembled antiquities in a variety of media.
James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont (1728–1799), met Piranesi during his Grand Tour travels in Italy. The friendly relationship between patron and artist was short-lived; their falling-out over the earl’s withdrawn patronage became a public scandal. Nonetheless, Charlemont’s fascination with Piranesi and the artist’s influence on the rise of Neoclassicism remained and eventually led to the building of the Casino at Marino, which today ranks as one of most beautiful neoclassical architectural gems of Europe.
At the Coach House Galleries in Dublin Castle, a copy of the original four-volume folio Antichità Romane, the commission that caused the public quarrel and rejection by the Earl of Charlemont, is on public display for the first time in Ireland’s capital city thanks to a generous loan from the Armagh Robinson Library. These volumes are juxtaposed with contemporary ceramics, glass, prints, drawings, and photographs. At the Casino at Marino, the neoclassical architecture provides the style and atmosphere of the 18th century as a backdrop for the contemporary artworks.
HANDELFEST 2022: TICKETS AVAILABLE MAY 20th FROM: https://www.dublinhandelfest.com/handelfest-events
THE HIBERNIAN MUSE: MUSIC FOR IRELAND BY PURCELL & COUSSER
Friday July 15th | 7.30pm | St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle
Irish Baroque Orchestra | Sestina | Peter Whelan
Cousser ‘The Applause of Mount Parnassus: Serenata for Dublin Castle’ (1711)
Purcell ‘Great Parent, Hail’ (1694)
Presented with kind permission from the Office of Public Works
The opening concert of Dublin HandelFest 2022 features two works inspired by Dublin landmarks; Cousser’s ‘The Applause of Mount Parnassus’, written for Dublin Castle in 1711, and Purcell’s ‘Great Parent Hail’, written for the centenary of Trinity College Dublin in 1694. These two works demonstrate the musical context in Dublin in the first half of the 18th century, and Handel would have been aware of the fantastic reputation of Dublin Castle’s musicians when he travelled to the city in 1741.
This concert coincides with the launch of the Irish Baroque Orchestra’s new album ‘The Hibernian Muse’ featuring the works performed. Copies of the disc will be available to purchase at this event.
WALKING TOUR: THEATRES AND CONCERT HALLS IN HANDELIAN DUBLIN
Saturday July 16th | 2pm | Departing and concluding from outside the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle
Led by Stuart Kinsella, Research Advisor at Christ Church Cathedral (and IBO’s Company Secretary!) this tour explores the Dublin music venues that would have existed during Handel’s time in the city. Wear comfortable shoes and prepare for an entertaining and informative journey!
Approximate Duration: 90 mins
YOUNG ARTISTS SHOWCASE: IBO APPRENTICES
Saturday July 16th | 6pm | Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle
The future of historical performance is in safe hands! Members of the IBO Apprentice Scheme 2022 present a programme charting the development of music in England from the Renaissance to Handel’s time. Featuring music by Handel, Dowland, Locke and Purcell. Approximate Duration: 1 hour
‘MESSIAH DISCOVERY DAY’
Sunday July 17th | Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle
Irish Baroque Orchestra | Peter Whelan
HANDEL’S ITALIAN SKETCHBOOK FOR MESSIAH, 2pm
Aisling Kenny, soprano | Laura Lamph, alto
Handel Chamber Duets, ‘A mirarvi io son intento,’ HWV 178, ‘No, Di Voi Non Vò Fidarmi’ HWV 189, ‘Se tu non lasci amore’, HWV 193, ‘Tanti Strali al sen mi scocchi’ HWV 197
Percival Cantata for Soprano and continuo, ‘Dove sei dolce mi vita’
Handel’s youthful trips to Italy provided an unlimited source of inspiration which fuelled the composer throughout his working life. Here we explore some of his stunning early Italian duets with thematic links to Messiah. Our programme also features Philip Percival’s only surviving cantata, ‘Dove sei dolce mia vita’. Percival was the Director of the Irish State Music, responsible for the high standard of music at Dublin Castle in the early 18th century and was a close personal friend of Handel. Approximate Duration: 1 hour
‘CHAMBER MESSIAH’, 7.30pm
Aisling Kenny, soprano | Laura Lamph, alto | Rory Lynch, tenor | William Gaunt, bass
Handel ‘Part the First’ from ‘Messiah’
Hear ‘Messiah’ afresh in this scaled-down version in the intimate surroundings of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle. With single strings and just 4 solo voices, we breathe new life into part one of this epic work.
www.dublinhandelfest.com
