(Dietze) Dubliners 2012

“The belfry of St. George’s Church sent out constant peals and worshippers, singly or in groups, traversed the little circus before the church, revealing their purpose by their self-contained demeanor no less than by the little volumes in their gloved hands." 

 

As described above in from the story The Boarding House, St. Georges Church is displayed as a picturesque 1900's church. It still stands today in Hardwicke Place just passed the boarding house, beautiful and strong, though I did not hear any ringing bells or singing worshippers. The tiny circus in front of the church was exchanged for street pedestrians meaninglessly walking by without even glancing up at the church's magnificent structure. It was however a very delightful day outside and I could feel a "fresh breeze blowing" as described in that summer day in The Boarding House. I've read that St. George's is no longer a church and was changed to a theatre, then for a brief time, a night club. Where worshippers used to pray and sing, drunken party goers formed their own type of "circus" in its front. St. George's Church is a miraculous sight still, and the architecture is gorgeous, but those looking for the model church spoken of by Joyce, is in for a little let down. 

Next, I ventured to North Richmond street, described as Araby in "being blind", it was most certainly that. The bleak, vacant road held only a few drab and apartment complex-esque homes. It was strikingly run down and, a contrast drastically different in what I have seen of Dublin thus far. "Forever Young" was carelessly blaring loudly from one of the lower complexes which I found ironic to its environment which was rugged, old, and fairly inactive. Also, contradicting Joyce's description -- "the other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them", they seemed completely unaware of their own surroundings, let gave a though about the persons next to them. It was "quiet", besides for the music and seemed an eery street for someone to have passed away on like the priest had, paralyzed. Such was the draggy North Richmond street, completely frozen, not growing or evolving. 

The people I passed on the streets seemed moody and uninterested. It gave me an uneasy feeling. Underneath the street sign there was a bright blue trashy sign stating in loud capital letters "DUMPING PROHIBITED", all ready setting the tone for what was to come. Joyce was accurate in describing it as "blind", and with that in the back of my mind I noticed several observations pertaining to the adjective. It was very closed off from the rest of the houses and the rest of the world as well. The yards were mostly unkept, and despite the few flowers, looked lifeless.