Trevor White introduces the November issue of The Dubliner...
This is a tribute to two young men who came for the cocktails. I met them at an event hosted by the magazine in the Odessa Club last week. The purpose was to find the greatest Dubliner of all time, and the format was simple: we invited various luminaries to champion one person, living or dead, who best fits that description.
Chris de Burgh spoke with passion about Oscar Wilde. The editor of the Sunday Tribune, Noirin Hegarty, nominated Arthur Guinness despite the fact that she has never touched the black stuff. A star of The Apprentice, Jennifer Maguire, argued in favour of Seán O’Casey (Heckler: “If he loved Dublin so much, why did he leave?”).
The actress Leigh Arnold said that one Colin Farrell is the greatest Dubliner of all time. And Pat Liddy claimed that the title belongs to William Rowan Hamilton. I had never heard of him. Neither had most of the audience. But at the end of the evening, when they were asked to vote for the best speech, it was Liddy – or Hamilton – who won the day.
To find out more about William Rowan Hamilton, and indeed to see the results of our poll to find the greatest Dubliner of all time, turn to page 45. To find out more about Pat Liddy, go on one of his walking
tours. A few months ago I joined this charismatic champion of the city on a tour of Jewish Dublin, organised – to its credit – by Dublin City Council, and attended by several hundred people.
I am always amazed at the number of Dubliners who attend such events, as it is often said that if we have anything in common, it is disdain for attempts to celebrate our identity as Dubliners. Whenever we organise a debate on some aspect of life in the city, at least one reader will ring up to say ‘Ah jaysus, no one cares about shite like that.’ People are so sweet.
And so I return to the two young men. During the reception that followed our event, they bashfully admitted that they only came for the drink. “We’re students,” said one. “But we really enjoyed it,” said the other. So they came for the cocktails and stayed for the culture.
I was delighted to hear that, just as I am glad that the city has advocates like Pat Liddy. For while cynicism unites all Dubliners, there is another trait that we share. Curiosity. It was evident that evening in subjects, speakers and audience. And one cocktail is a small price to pay for igniting it. Here’s to thirsty students.
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