CLASSES DE SECONDES A ET B

Professeurs: Maja GOLJIC – Véronique BOZAJIC - Luc THUILLEAUX

96 KIL0METRES WALKING AN AVERAGE OF 15 KILOMETRES A DAY NOT MANY COMPLAINTS... VISITING – ( 13th May)

We came in our hotel at around 2pm and at around 3pm we began our visit of the capital : Dublin. As the hotel was located near the city center, we walked towards the destinations planned for the day by our teachers. The first thing we've seen is the O’Conell Bridge under which the Lifffey River runs. This bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Dublin built in the late 18th century, most notably in 1794, thanks largely to the chief architect and the designer James Gandon.

We quickly crossed the bridge and continued our walk. We then paused by the oldest pub in Ireland which goes under the name of Brazen Head and is dating from 1198. This traditional Irish pub also serves food and has a well-deserved reputation for great food, serving both traditional and contemporary dishes.

We then walked across the greater part of the Viking medieval area and arrived in front of the Christ Church Cathedral. The Christ Church Cathedral also known as The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, was founded in the 11th century. The cathedral is the elder of the capital city's two medieval cathedrals, the other being St Patrick's Cathedral.

We continued approaching to the center, as we finally got to the main street: O’Conell street, and the big monument The Spire of Dublin. The Monument of Light(as it is often called) is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 120 metres (390 ft) in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar, in the middle of the Oconell street. This is an innovative monument and was supposed to be seen from any point in the city, but that is not the case.

STRAMPUT Vuk / SAPONJIC Luka

TRINITY COLLEGE- (14th May)

About Trinity College

Trinity College, officially the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, is the sole constituent college of the , a research university located in Dublin, Ireland. The college was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother" of a new university, modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but unlike these other ancient universities, only one college was ever established; as such, the designations "Trinity College" and "University of Dublin" are usually synonymous for practical purposes.

Superstition The Campanile of is a bell tower and one of its most iconic landmarks. Donated by then , Lord John Beresford it was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, sculpted by Thomas Kirk and finished in 1853. The college tradition and superstition holds that any student who passes beneath the campanile will fail their exams, causing some to never pass under it until they finish their time at Trinity College.

The library of trinity college The Old Library and the Book of Kells - a “must see” on the itinerary of all visitors to Dublin. Located in the heart of Dublin City, a walk through the cobbled stones of Trinity College Dublin will bring visitors back to the 18th century, when the magnificent Old Library building was constructed. Inside is housed the Book of Kells - a 9th-century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world. The Exhibition also features access to the Long Room, one of the world’s most beautiful libraries, that houses 200,000 of Trinity College’s oldest books.

Park Once we finished the exhibition, we proceeded to the massive park that was set in front of the bookshop. There were many other tourists along with some hard working students. Concerning the space itself. We were dazed by the sheer size of the colossal building. The vast green space that enveloped the academic facility shined with a luminous light green color. What made the whole experience even more appealing, was the cheerfulness of Dubliners.

BOJOVIC Andrija / STOJANOVIC Anastasija – (14th May)

Howth is a small fishing village and outer suburb of Dublin. It occupies the larger part of the Howth Head peninsula, forming the north boundary of Dublin Bay. Once just a rural district, it is now a mix of suburban residential areas, wild hillside and heathland, golf courses, cliff and coastal paths.

The English place name ‘Howth’ is of Scandinavian origin, and dates from approximately the 9th century. It comes from the Norse word ‘Hoved’ meaning headland, reflecting its significance on the otherwise low coastline of North Dublin.

Once we arrived to Howth at mid-day, we had a free hour to eat. A group of us ordered fish and chips, an Irish-English specialty, and sat on a lawn for a picnic. It was behind the harbor so we were able to watch the scenery. We sat, talked and at on point had a bunch of seagulls encircle us which was both scary and funny. After we finished eating, we walked along the harbor where we took pictures. The weather was really nice, the skies were clear and the sun was shining. The hour passed and we met up with everybody else and the teachers.

We began our hike up the hill, passing through the residential area. The houses were absolutely beautiful. It was a mix of modern, traditional and some more old homes. At this point, it was very hot and we had to make a short stop before continuing off to the cliff hike.

As we started climbing a little more, we could see the village behind us and the vast Irish sea in front. We, then, went down steep hills, where we made a stop to admire the scenery. We saw a few houses with huge backyards on one side, and on the other, we saw the lighthouse. We also saw boats and ferries as well as a part of the coast.

As it is a coastal village, the air was fresh and crisp. The weather was amazing and the whole experience was lovely. That day we had walked more than 18 km and we were all really happy. Howth was our favorite place we visited and we are all really grateful we got the chance to see it.

MARTINOVIC Natalja / STANIVUK Nina

DUBLIN WRITERS MUSEUM – (15th May)

The Dublin Writers Museum was created in 1991, based on the idea of journalist and author Maurice Gorham. The Museum was established to promote interest in as a whole, and in the lives and works of individual Irish writers, through its collection, displays and activities.

The writers featured in the Museum have made an important contribution to Irish or international literature over the past three hundred years. Among those presented are , , , Johnathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats, and many others.

The Dublin Writers Museum is situated in a magnificent 18th century mansion in the north city center. The collection includes writers’ personal items, original handwritings, first editions of books or poems famous all around the world, letters, portraits, etc.

Below is a bronze portrait bust of , made by Jeanne Rynhart. Jonathan Swift was an Irish author and satirist. Best known for writing Gulliver's Travels, he was dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

The part that we liked the most was the room where the old objects that belonged to the writers were displayed, as well as their original handwritings. We found it very interesting, because it was like a throwback in time due to the combination of the 18th century house and old objects like, for example, the typing machine from the 19th century.

RAKOVIC Uros / GOLUBOVIC Vélimir NATIONAL GALLERY OF DUBLIN ( 16th May)

On the fourth day of our school trip to Dublin, on Thursday morning, we visited the National Gallery of Ireland, one of the most important cultural institutions of the country. The Gallery is located in Merrion Square, in the heart of Georgian Dublin among many other well-known monuments and museums. It’s in a Renaissance style two-floored white colossal mansion, built mid- nineteenth century.

At the moment, it’s a home of more than 16 300 works of art in its permanent exhibition. Spanning the history of western European art, from around 1300 to the present day, the collection includes well-known artists from Mantegna and Titian to Monet and Picasso.

The gallery houses many paintings, sculptures and drawings, but also a significant number of photographs, silverware and even furniture.

Shaping Ireland: Landscapes in Irish Art (13 Making their Mark: Irish Painter-Etchers & April – 7 July 2019). the Etching Revival (2 March – 30 June 2019)

Encompassing a range of artistic media and The next big exhibition we had the chance to perspectives, this exhibition examines see is based on the so-called Etching Revival different land types and uses, revealing the of the 188Os. It lets the audience see the significant role artists have played in work of early modern painter-etchers of Irish visualizing aspects of human impact on the birth or heritage (Etching, is traditionally a environment. method of making prints from a metal plate into which the design has been incised by

acid).

Nick Miller, From Cogan's Shed, 2004 Edward L. Lawrenson, Sognefjord, 1924

During our visit we had a chance to observe numerous art pieces that represent development and evolution of Irish and European art. We witnessed exhibits that represent different cultural and artistic movements, as well as transitioning period between them. More importantly, we were able to enlarge our perspective on Dublin, as we saw that this modern and free spirited city, has definitely a traditional and cultural dimension.

PETROVIC Kruna / ERIC Pavle / RADJENOVIC Teodora

KILMAINHAM GAOL -(16th May)

Kilmainham Gaol was established in 1796 as the new County Jail for Dublin. It was finally closed in 1924. The purpose of the jail was to keep the rebellions from the Irish Civil War (1922-1923) and from other rebellions detained. In some cases they were even executed there. Many prominent Irish politicians and members of the Irish Republican movement during the Anglo-Irish War (1919-21) were also detained in Kilmainham Gaol, guarded by British troops. Convicts from many parts of Ireland were held here for long periods waiting to be transported to Australia. Given the fact that Kilmainham Gaol was also a County jail, thousands of ordinary men, women and children were held there. Interesting fact is that convicts from many parts of Ireland were held here for long periods waiting to be transported to Australia.

From time to time after its abandonment in 1924, the issue of what to do with Kilmainham Gaol would arise. A group, including veterans, came together around 1960 with the goal of restoring the building as a memorial. Their initial motivation was the fiftieth anniversary of the , then six years away in 1966.

-One of the reasons why Kilmainham was a part of our itinerary is that it symbolizes the historical struggle of . Fourteen prominent Irish freedom fighters of the Easter Rising of 1916 were executed in the yard beyond.

- We were deeply impressed with what we saw. We could feel strong connection between the building we visited and painful history of Irish people. It was both schocking and scary to be in the place where many innocent people were tortured and executed. It made us think about sad destiny of freedom fighters who did not survive to see their country free.

-All the way back to the hostel we were silent because it was the first time we were inside the prison building. After this guided tour, we understood what made Kilmainham Gaol significant to the Irish struggle for Independence.

ABOMADALALA Hisham

DUBLIN CASTLE- (15th May)

Dublin Castle is one of the most important buildings in Irish history. From 1204 until 1922 it was the seat of English, and later British rule in Ireland. The Castle was originally developed as a medieval fortress under the orders of King John of England. It had four corner towers linked by high curtain walls. The entire city of Dublin had high walls surrounding it for protection reasons. The castle was constructed on elevated ground once occupied by an earlier Viking settlement. The name “Dublin” comes from a pool of water that the Vikings named “Dark pool”, because the corals and rocks underneath were very dark. The translation in their language is “Duvlin” and was later changed to today’s “Dublin”.

It remained largely intact until 1684, when a major fire caused severe damage to much of the building. Despite the extent of the fire, parts of the medieval and Viking structures survived and can still be explored by visitors today, although there is only one tower of the four left. The castle was reconstructed and renovated many times. On 16 January 1922, the last ever Viceroy of Ireland handed Dublin Castle over to Michael Collins and the government of the newly-independent Irish state. Since that historic moment, a tradition of state ceremony has been maintained at the Castle. Successive Irish governments have continued to use it for important national events, such as state dinners and commemorations. Since 1938, each one of Ireland’s presidents has been inaugurated in St Patrick’s Hall, the grandest of the State Apartments. Over the centuries, those entertained at Dublin Castle have included Benjamin Franklin, Daniel O’Connell, Queen Victoria (on many occasions), Charles Dickens, John F. Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela and even Queen Elizabeth II in 2011.

NIKOLIC Tamara / JANKOVIC Maja

Celtic heritage

Recently we visited the city of Dublin, the capital city of the . This was part of a pedagogical trip of our school. During the stay, we saw lots of amazing sights like parks, churches, castles, colleges. One thing was connecting most of those breath-taking buildings, which was Celtic heritages. The Celts were an Indo-European tribe that lived in Europe, especially in Ireland around 1200 BC. The presence of Celtic culture is enormous in the Irish world. Firstly, the language. The Gaelic language that was used by the Celts is now one of the main languages in Ireland. Although few people speak it fluently, it is omnipresent on the streets: the signs (road sings, shop sings …) are all written in both Gaelic and English. The Gaelic language also comes first on the sings. List of Gaelic words used in English:

• Brogue : An accent • Hubbub : An exclamation or disapproval • Shanty : An old house • Smidgen : a very small bit

Since Ireland is not the only Celtic nation, many other languages like the Scottish and French used in Brittany take words from the Gaelic language. To us, the Gaelic resembled the German language. After doing some research, we found out that many Celtic tribes started in Germany.

We can also talk about culture. The Celts have left many symbols of their presence in forms of stories, myths, and cultural symbols. They have also felt behind them sports, which are in Ireland considered as a family tradition. Here are some of the major symbols that Irish people still use: These symbols were part of Celtic mythology and they are connected to multiple gods because Celts were polytheists. We have seen these symbols on everyday things like cloths or jewelry. The ones that we saw the most are the Open Triskelion and the Trinity Knot. They especially like to put these on necklaces. After seeing this we were led to believe that people maybe still believe in their magical powers, but we couldn’t find an answer anywhere. I have also noticed that the jewelry with these symbols is particularly expensive. Trees were a connection to the world of the spirits and the ancestors, living entities, and doorways into other worlds. The most sacred tree of all was the Oak tree, which represented the axis mundi, the center of the world. The Celtic name for oak, daur, is the origin of the word door– the root of the oak tree was literally the doorway to the Otherworld, the realm of Fairy. The Harp The national emblem of Ireland, the Irish Harp is one of today’s most widely recognized Irish symbols apart from the Shamrock. It is on the Irish Euro coins and is the logo for Guinness, which is considered by many as the country’s national drink. It is believed that the Phoenicians brought the harp to pre-Christian Europe from Egypt as one of their trading goods. Since the 10th century, it has been an important symbol for the Irish people, personifying the spirit of the country. In fact, the British Crown was so threatened by the harp that in the 16th century, the British ordered all harps to be burnt and all harpists executed.

The shamrock If there’s one symbol that is widely associated with the Irish, it’s got to be the shamrock. Now the national flower of Ireland. The shamrock is a small clover and was an important symbol to the ancient Irish druids because its three heart-shaped leaves represent the triad. The Celts believed that everything important in the world comes in threes. Like the three ages of man, the phases of the moon, and the three dominions of earth, sky, and sea.

In the 19th century, the shamrock became a symbol of Irish nationalism and rebellion against the British Crown, and anyone caught wearing it was executed.

Gaelic games Gaelic football

Gaelic football is played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. The primary object is to score by driving the ball through the goals, which is known as a goal (worth 3 points), or by kicking the ball over the bar, which is known as a point (worth 1 point). The team with the highest point score at the end of the match wins. This is the sport that was the most interesting to us, because it mixes many disciplines, and requires full concentration.

Hurling Hurling is a stick and ball game played by teams of 15 on a rectangular grass pitch with H- shaped goals at each end. The primary object is to score by driving the ball through the goals or putting the ball over the bar and thereby scoring a point. Three points is the equivalent of a goal. The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins. It is over three thousand years old, and is said to be the world's fastest field game, combining skills from lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball in a hard-hitting, highly skilled game. This sport was by far the hardest one to do correctly because we didn’t find it quite natural to play with a bat. The bat was also very heavy, which made the task harder.

Gaelic handball

Gaelic handball is a game in which two players use their hands to return a ball against a wall. The game is similar to American handball. This sport really resembles squash, except there is no racquet. It is therefore very interesting to people which are skilled in tennis.

Zdravkovic Luka Djokovic Luka

Architecture in Dublin First of all, during the trip to Dublin, we had the occasion to discover a different type of architecture. The medieval style is really present in this city: The Christ Church cathedral is one of the most historic buildings in Dublin.

The Victorian style is essentially composed of red bricks. The first thing that we noticed was those small houses, all the same and symmetric. Their doors were usually colourful. We found that really traditional, and special, no other cities have colourful doors like this. In Dublin we observed that there are lots of green spaces, and a lot of flowers. Dubliners pay attention to their city, everything is in order, they put plants in their garden, they decorate...

Palladianism is a philosophy of design based on the work of Andreas Palladio, an Italian architect of the 16th century who tried to recreate the style and proportions of the buildings of ancient Rome. Palladian architecture first appeared in Ireland in the early 1700's, and its philosophy was widely imitated throughout Europe, and particularly in 18th century England.

Anne Delsol , Gina Bihorac, Auguste Brousse

Green spaces in Dublin While in Dublin, we visited national parks and green spaces. Although we didn’t visit all of them, we visited the biggest and most important ones. The biggest park, called the Phoenix Park, left an impression on us. The sheer size of the park was astonishing. It has a 7km2 surface area, which is enormous for a green space. It is considered one of the world’s largest parks. It is so large, in fact, that it contains several cricket and polo arenas as well as a motor-racing track! The size of the park also makes it perfect for joggers, who are many despite the constant far from perfect weather. The Phoenix Park is also home to the residence of the Irish president and the embassy of the United States. Inside of Phoenix Park grounds is the Dublin Zoo, which is world famous for the deer that can be found resting in the park; unfortunately we didn’t get to spot any!

Merrion Square Park is known as the most elegant and well-kept park in Dublin. The park is surrounded by Georgian houses with doors full of crazy colors. The square was laid out in 1762 and it borders the national gallery on one of its sides. A statue of Oscar Wilde also stands in the northern side of the park.

St Stephen’s Green is another popular park in Dublin. The park was designed by William Sheppard. It was opened to the public in 1880 and it is adjacent to the biggest shopping street in Dublin, Grafton Street.

Konstantin Andjelkovic , Petar Vukosavljevic , Victor Billon

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)

Main entrance to the IMMA History of the site : Before becoming a modern art museum, the IMMA used to be a royal hospital founded by James Butler of Kilkenny Castle who was inspired by Les Invalides building in Paris. This Royal Hospital was meant to be a grand scale, classical layout and continental style place for pensioner soldiers but also a building of distinction. The hospital also once belonged to the famous Phoenix Park. It remained a soldier's home until 1927 after which it slowly transitioned into the modern art museum it is today.

The drummer – Barry Flanagan Our opinions on the museum :

The Irish Museum of Modern Art was very inspiring for all of us. We were very impressed by the diversity of the artworks: videos, sculptures, paintings, photographs etc... Of course, some masterpieces have impressed us more than others, like the Letters to Susan and Stains that we found particularly interesting (see the pictures below). There were two wings, East and West which held several well-known artist’s expositions like A Vague Anxiety, Acts of Mourning or A Fiction Close to Reality. We actually found complicated to interpret the artworks in fact, Abstract Art as a concept was not very familiar to us. This visit has brought us new points of view and new ways of appreciating art in general. This artistic approach was very positive to us and opened new paths. This visit to the museum has taught us mostly that art is subjective. It can be interpreted in a million different ways by a million different people using their creativity and imagination. That’s what makes visiting museums like this one (or any modern art exhibitions) a very personal experience.

The Artworks : Some pieces have marked us more than others. Among them, Stains. Stains is the title of an animation video created in 2001 by Nalini Malani, an Indian artist. The video lasts 8:30, and is accompanied by a special soundtrack. The video was initially very improbable and meaningless. We watched it several times before we finally began to understand. Stains is a single cell animation, constructed with accretions and erasures marking the trajectory of life and death pulling in the vagaries of the human psyche. We found Stains a little disturbing at first, but managed to understand it in the end and were glad that we had a chance to see it.

Stains – Nalini Malani This artwork is displayed in the West Wing of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, in an exhibition called A fiction close to reality. We learn that this exhibition has, by emerging both artists from Irish and other origins, created a unique collection of modern artworks representing everything from political questions, environmental ones, mental health, gender identity etc.. Conclusion The best thing about abstract art is the multitude of possibilities of interpretation. Possibilities that leave us a vast field of sempiternal reflections. Every masterpiece, even with defined intentions (or not) allows everybody to escape to a universe full of divergent thoughts. Unusual pieces can confront us to ourselves and approach us from the answers to our questions. This museum taught us not only the subjectivity of art but also the feelings it gives us, the wide range of emotions. We think that from now on, we won’t see art the same ever again.

Millier Zoé, Nikolić Tea et Guerguinov Nina

Social life in Dublin

Hi guys! This time we are greeting you from Ireland. We just got back from Dublin and we’re about to share how it went and mainly talk about Dublin’s social life. The Irish people Let’s start off by saying that we didn’t meet the people thoroughly so our judging cannot be seen as fully right. Nevertheless, we will base our thoughts on their outlook and short conversations we had with them. Dublin has got a multicultural vibe, thanks to its flourishing tech industry. In general, most people we encountered were kind and friendly. You’ll hear strangers smiling and waving at you on streets. You can have a quick chat in the bus, in a pub, waiting at train stations. They’ve got a positive attitude towards life. The bus drivers, lady at the supermarkets, people in shops will smile and greet yo Hanging out and socializing Among 666 pubs in the city, and God knows how many there are on the Emerald Isle you should be able to find an appropriate place for yourself. Pubs are not places where you just get out and drink. There is a variety of pubs. Some pubs are heavily oriented as sport pubs, where you can watch live sports on big TV screens, others are more intimate places to sit and talk with friends, some are more quiet places where you can read a book and enjoy your pint of beer or whiskey. Or both.

The pub still plays the role of the living room. People usually hang out in the pubs. Most people will meet at the pub after work or on the weekend. You will find kids, families, drunks, and just about everyone else there. We noticed that smoking isn’t allowed in pubs or restaurants which is honestly a sign of progress.

If you’re into outdoor activities, there is a range of hiking and walking tracks surrounding Dublin. Also, Dun Laoghaire is a beautiful spot for a walk on a good day. You can walk across the mountain tracks in Howth and Bray, which is in County Wicklow, just a short train ride from Dublin City Centre. We were lucky to visit the Fisherman village, which was astonishing, especially the beautiful houses and the view

The unique sports like Gaelic football, hurling and camogie (the fastest field sport played by women) are popular as are more recognised sports, like hill walking, sailing but especially horse racing (and betting).

Jelena Trifkovic, Helena Popovic

WORKS OF ART EXPLAINED BY OUR STUDENTS

Jack B. Yeats, Irish, 1871-1957 Title: About to Write a Letter Date: 1935 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 91 x 61 cm

This is the first and the most sensational painting I saw, when we were entering the National Gallery. I have chosen this painting because it seems interesting, the colors and the contrast attract me. The red color is very striking and that is the reason why I even noticed it. The green color in the background with the red in the forefront are the perfect match. This painting is very different from everything I saw before, it seems to me a little bit dark and mysterious, A man standing in the center seems not to be the main point of the painting, because for me the table is more noticeable than him, which I find very unusual, and fascinating. (STOJANEVIC Anastasija )

In mystery the Soul Abides is a medium-sized white marble sculpture by Oliver Sheppard, an Irish-British and French trained artist and sculptor, made in the beginning of the twentieth century, precisely in 1913.

It represents a nude woman sitting-down and curiously ˝looking˝ straight the audience. The pose is unusual and complex even somewhat awkward, while the lines are still smooth and delicate. Gazing into space, deeply absorbed in thought, the face expression that is worrying. The sculpture is aesthetically very pleasing for its neat lines and color, and the whole set-up attracts the visitor’s eye and makes the sculpture memorable for those with a developed sense for the aesthetic. (RADJENOVIC Teodora)

For my work of art, I chose the painting of Jack Butler Yeats, For the Road. The moment we walked into the showing areas I, immediately, saw this painting. My favorite animals are horses so there is no surprise to why I was captivated instantaneously. I really like the fact that, even though it’s a relatively dark painting, there is still a sense of light and brightness to it. This is a more minor detail, however, I think the frame that was chosen also fits really well with the image because it has layers to it that match the layers of the painting. Sometimes frames aren’t chosen well and it sort of ruins the look of the image itself, which is a shame. His way of representing the horse in such an outstanding way, there are no harsh lines, everything flows with the rest and it makes for a very contrastive work of art. (MARTINOVIC Natalja) During our visit of National Gallery I came across many beautiful and interesting art pieces, some of them were in conservative and traditional style, while others resembled more abstract and modern art. However there was one piece that I particularly liked. It’s called Decoration and its work of Irish artist Mainie Jellett. As I am no expert in arts, this painting firstly attracted me because of its unusual and specific shape, as well as because of its thin golden frame which reminded me of something that can be easily found in a nicely decorated modern day home. (PETROVIC Kruna)

During our school trip to Ireland, we visited the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) where we found a lot of interesting and bizarre installations, sculptures and paintings. There were a lot of strange and simple exhibitions with profound meanings and senses. The one that I admired the most was the exhibition called Plegaria Muda by Doris Sacaledo. It is an installation in the corridor that comprises 28 tables. Each unit consists of two tables and the middle section is made from cement and earth through which thin blades of grass grow over time. This installation has inspired me because it has a very deep full meaning behind it. There are two parts in this table. For me, the part above, where the grass grows, represents life. The grass blades represent humans that live, breathe and grow. On the other hand, the part in the middle with earth and cement, represents death. When people die they are being burried in the ground and we slowly start to forget them. This installation isn’t pretty but it sends a message. Human life is like a plants life. We breathe and grow and then we die. It’s the cycle of life. ( STANIVUK Nina)

‘Where the White Lilacs Bloom’ (IMMA) is painting that took my intention first of all because of its size, second of all because of its colours and finally because of all different kinds of painting methods used. The painting is very colourful, yellow dominate in one corner, blue in the other and pink and violet in the middle.

It is hard to identify things and objects on this painting but what I see is a few kids, mostly playing, but also different parts of some vehicle, I’ll say car.

I find this painting very interesting because of its confusing but also at the same time colourful and modernistic nature. (NIKOLIC Tamara)

Connemara Girl is an 1865 painting by the Irish artist Augustus Nicholas Burke (1838 – 1891). It hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland. It is one of the most popular paintings in Ireland. I like this painting because it is beautiful and universal. It depicts an Irish girl, but it also gives the impression that it can be a girl from many other places in the world. It is a traditional, 19th century painting, but at the same time, the girl has a modern expression as well. (RAKOVIC Vuk)

Above the Fair – Jack B. Yeats I chose to present to you a painting by Jack B. Yeats, called Above the Fair that we had the chance to see in the National Gallery of Ireland during our trip to Dublin. Jack B. Yeats was an Irish artist and Olympian medallist that lived from 1871-1957. One of the themes that he frequently used in his paintings were Irish fairs like the one represented on this canvas. He also loved painting horses, which can be seen on this piece as multiple ones are present in both the background and foreground.

This painting was one of the more interesting ones from the collection by Jack B. Yeats, because of the technique used which manages to create an illusion of people and animals (especially horses) using thick brush strokes. These images are not obvious at first glance. After some observation, the thing that becomes obvious is the horse situated in front, on the far left with a blonde haired person riding it. Then a crowd becomes apparent, behind the horse. We can then identify other horses (like the ones on the far right or the ones behind the crowd with riders), other faces and even buildings. Finally, the whole picture comes together with the background plains and mountains to form this scene representing a fair, as indicates the title of the painting. NIKOLIC Tea

Acts of mourning by Doris Salcedo

I have chosen to write about the sculpture Acts of mourning. To me, this was an amazing art piece, not in terms of beauty but how simplistic things can be made complicated. The author of the artwork used a simple cloth fabric to express deep feelings that a person feels. I have only admiration for people like these because I find their way of thinking as something amazing, out of this world. To explain clearly why I chose this artwork I will have to guide you through my way of thinking. Firstly, why the cloth? The author chose the cloth because I believe that she wanted to say that something that is supposed to stay straight can be bent multiple times. This is a metaphor of the human soul: it should constantly stay straight and normal, but in situations as bad as mourning it can completely bend itself. Explaining the word mourning is also important: grief over someone’s death. I would also like to point out another thing: this is not a classical sculpture and it cannot be transported, so we are led to believe that Doris Salcedo probably made it directly in the exposition room. That also brings us to the fact that the whole room is empty, metaphorically representing the human soul as being alone during that hard times. To conclude, I can only admire the whole Mourning collection. For me, Doris Salcedo is an amazing thinker and artist, being capable of using simple objects to represent complex ideas. I am glad I had the chance of seeing this artwork.

DJOKOVIC Luka,

Harry Kernoff, RHA (1900-1974) A Bird Never Flew on One Wing (1947)

When we were in Dublin, Ireland, we visited museums, a bunch of them, but there was not one painting that I liked, that attracted me. I took a picture of some of the paintings and the art that we saw, none of which I really liked. But when we visited the Dublin Castle, I was surprised to see any art there, and when we looked at the paintings, I just stared at one particular painting that I found so intriguing and quite fascinating. And yes, you guessed it, it was this one. When I first saw it, I saw two men drinking Irish beer and it was just one ordinary painting but then moments after I realized something that was not even written on the internet when I looked it up afterwards, no one else saw it so I had to explain it to a couple of my friends who were really quite shocked that they didn’t get it at first.

The two men on the paintings are total opposites to each other, I mean first of all, the man on the left is old and the man on the right, well you guessed it, he is young. Now, they’re both drinking beer that they’re holding in opposite hands, and they both have a different kind of hat on, but you may say that it is just a simple coincidence. So let’s look deeper, at their faces. The man on the left has floppy ears, the man on the right has pointy ears. The man on the left has a nose that’s kind of going on the inside, the man on the right has a nose that’s quite large and that is the total opposite of the left man’s nose. The man on the left also has raised eyebrows and does not have a smile, his mouth is kind of falling down at the sides as opposed to the men on the right who has a weird smile and a weird eyebrow positioning where the eyebrows are lowered, he is making a weird mad/grumpy face. The man on the right also has a weird type of haircut, but he has hair as opposed to the other man who is old as mentioned before and has no hair on the upper part of his head. I mean even the eyes are different because the left man’s eyes are almost closed but the right man’s eyes are quite opened. GINA Bihorac

The Fisherman’s Mother

The Fisherman’s Mother is a painting that was painted by Helen Mabel Trevor in the year 1892, 8 years before her death. Today, the painting can be found in The Nation Gallery of Ireland. In the painting, the old woman is represented as a guardian of tradition. She looks stopped, with a fixed expression. Her old hands and face are proof of her being an old woman which means that she has a lot of experience in life and that she knows a lot of things about life. The crutch is also a sign of a person being old and not being able to walk without it. Since the painter was an old woman which would die shortly after the painting, it could have also been a self-portrait of her or because she was old, she was inspired to paint older people, older woman. We can see a ring on her finger which probably means that she is married and that the woman has kids, which is very likely since the paintings name is ‘’The Fisherman’s Mother’’. Her lifeless look and the sadness on her face can be explain if her husband has died and/or her kids have left her alone. She looks like she is from a village so her kids maybe left and went to live in a city but I don’t think that is truth because they are or he is a fisherman.

I really liked this painting at first because it looked like it was painted very realistically which caught my attention and I took a photo of it. From a distance it looked like it was a photo but when I approached, I saw it was I painting.

Marko VUKASINOVIC

A Convent Garden, Brittany by William John Leech

During our visit of the National Gallery of Ireland, this painting immediately attracted me: not only did I recognize the traditional Breton outfit, since I come from Brittany, but I was also charmed by the palette of colors that used the artist. I am happy to have seen it in real, because painting does not release the same vibe through a digital screen.

Reading the description of the painting, I realized that the author, William John Leech, had a special connection with my native region, just like with Concarneau, a city I know and in which I have already been several time, since I used to live not far away.

I was also amazed by the beauty of the poser, Elizabeth Saurin, and her face in particular. The pose she took seemed to me angelic, and the features of her faces, fine, were perfectly enligthened. The mastery of the artist was obvious, even for me, who’s far to be a specialist.

I looked more closely at the picture, when we still were at the National Gallery, and I could not see any features, no pack. Everything blended perfectly together, and the effect given to the flowers in the foreground only reinforced that sensation.

This painting definitely is the painting that I have most appreciated of all the exhibition, not only by it beauty, but also by it emotional link that connects it to me.

To see that an artist as talented as William John Leech was that much interested by the place I come from really pleased me, and I'm glad to have known this artist through this painting.

Zoé Millier

An Actor between the Muses of Tragedy and Comedy

This painting was made by Thomas Hickey. It depicts an actor torn between the muses of tragedy and comedy as its name says. Painted in 1781, it is nowadays exposed in the national gallery of Ireland. We can see that the comedian is more favourable to go on the frivolous path of comedy. No need to specify that the woman on the left represents tragedy in a dark outfit, and the girl with pink dress is a comedy. As the genres themselves, tragedy is somewhat resigned to the decision of the artist but comedy is more insistent. This artwork is another allegory of the dilemma between vice and virtue and inspired, as many other pieces, of Hercules at the crossroads, caught between the figures of Virtue and Vice.

I really liked this painting because it is an unusual allegory of the decision between vice and virtue. In addition, I felt personally touched by the approach because I play theatre since the class of 4ème. The choice of colours is appealing in my opinion. Indeed, it is all pastel tints but still, we can see the separation of the sombre side and the brightest one. This division is also visible by the different paths. In fact, tragedy leads into a cave and comedy to a radiant field. As a conclusion, I would say that it is a very good approach of the dilemma. It is one my favourite pictures of the gallery. The sweetness of the comedy put beside the serious of tragedy describes in my mind the wide range of the theatre options from one extrema to the other.

GUERGUINOV Nina

JOSEPH PLUNKETT’S LETTER TO HIS WIFE

When we were visiting the former prison, Kilmainham Gaol, in Dublin, we heard about different prisoners that were held in it. , James Connolly, Tom Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh and Joseph Plunkett are some significant people in Ireland, who were leaders during the Easter Rising (April 1916). One of them, Joseph Plunkett, caught my attention as I was wandering in the prison’s museum. He was an Irish nationalist, republican , poet, journalist, revolutionary and a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising . The Easter Rising was an armed insurrection, launched by Irish republicans to end British rule in Ireland and establish an independent Irish Republic. Most of the rebels were arrested and detained in Kilmainham Gaol. Joseph Plunkett was imprisoned after the rising and he was sentenced to death penalty. He was executed at the age of 28, in Kilmainham Gaol. The ‘art piece’ that I’d like to present is a letter that Joseph Plunkett wrote to his wife Grace Gifford. Their love story is beyond touching and it’s simply beautiful. Plunkett wrote many letters to his wife, from which I chose the one where he’s asking her to marry him (written 02/12/1915). Seven hours before his execution (04/05/1916), he married his sweetheart Grace in the prison chapel. What I found so romantic and unreal was that Grace never married again after Plunkett’s death. The letter says: ‘Darling Grace, You will marry me and nobody else. I have been a jammed fool and a blind imbecile but thank God I see. I love you and you only and will never love anyone else. Your love, Joe ‘ This letter shows their passionate love story. They were so young which in my opinion, made them so optimistic, strong and brave. The relationship that they had proves that love isn’t a myth and that true love is real. This is where Joseph Plunkett was shot mercilessly by firing squad on 4 May 1916. I chose this letter because it is extremely moving and I think Grace Gifford was such a mighty woman who was loyal to her man. Their story made me so vulnerable and I was about to tear up. I enjoyed our visit to the prison because it affected me in a lot of different ways. I picked this letter, not only because of the words in it but because of the story behind it.

Jelena TRIFKOVIC

There once was a girl called Molly Malone There she was, right by the docks, a beautiful young All the boys loved her, she was never alone lady whose name was unknown. She was an honest Everyday selling mussels in the streets of the town and hard-working lass tr ying her best to make a living Always so jolly, she’d never look down. off her small fishing business that she inherited from Jankovic Maja her parents. Saponjic Luka

EXTRACTS FROM ESXTTURDAECNTTSS F’ RSOTOMR IES That tender, yet raw appearance was local SATRUODUENNDT ST’HS E fishmonger Molly Malone. Everybody knew her SETMOBRLIESM AARTOICU ND as a witty girl with big green eyes and the cutest TFHIGEU ERME BOLFE MATIC blond locks that framed her healthy face in an F IGURE OF angelic and divine way. MOLLLLYY MALLONEE Petrovic Kruna

Everyday, she would go to Grafton street With her fish cart and would sell all sorts of There was a long journey ahead of them but Molly seafood. C harmed by her beauty, all the men would go to her cart, chat with her and try Always looked on the bright side and always told her to seduce her. Mother : ‘don’t you worry, right will always prevail Stanivuk Nina Over wrong.’ Pavle Eric

Molly came from a poor family, her mum was A fishmonger while her father, Winston, was an Alcoholic. He was an evil and unbalanced man, I Always had that impression that Molly wasn’t his Daughter. Rakovic Uroš

She didn't have close friends simply because Molly, who lived in the 17th century is considered She didn't have time for friendship. She was by many as a fiction, part of the Irish folklore. Others dreaming about romantic love with a mysterious think that Molly Malone really existed but that she was man who would suddenly appear in her life and not actually selling mussels. save her from troubles and failures. Stanojevic Anastasija Abomadalala Hisham

She was the youngest of four kids ; She had two sisters and a brother. Her brother was the only child to attend school while she and her sister helped around the house. Martinovic Natalja

By day, she was an innocent seafood seller, always smiling and liked by her customers. She talked to everyone and gave her best to make everyone smile, We met at the school, in the second grade, and since the from young children who ran their hand through her golden day one, we were best friends and till the last day, we were locks, to old and abandoned man with whom she commented too but not as close as we used to be. Back in the day, we on the weather and her predictions about it. were known as Molly and Steve. Radjenovic Teodora Nikolic Tamara

Her presence makes Dublin’s men tremble in awe For they have never seen a beauty so raw She twirled around the streets of the city Sowing her charm, oh she was so pretty Bojovic Andrija