The diaspora, colonial experience, architecture, and insular art 
---- New York and Ireland

by Luchia Lee-Howell

A view from IMMA window

Ireland won its independence from the United Kingdom in 1922. It has a population of 4.7 million people in an area of 84,000 km², (compared to 23.55 million and 40,000 km² for Taiwan) Ireland has been through many rebellions against the English over the past 600 years, before the successful war for independence. Many elites have joined as activists, leading revolutions which ended in death, causing deep suffering to their family members. A renowned poem by “Pádraig Pearse before he was executed in 1916 for his role in an unsuccessful revolution, runs:

The Mother[1] by Pádraig Pearse

I do not grudge them: Lord, I do not grudge

My two strong sons that I have seen go out

To break their strength and die, they and a few,

In bloody protest for a glorious thing,

They shall be spoken of among their people,

The generations shall remember them,

And call them blessed;

But I will speak their names to my own heart

In the long nights;

The little names that were familiar once

Round my dead hearth.

Lord, thou art hard on mothers:

We suffer in their coming and their going;

And tho' I grudge them not, I weary, weary

Of the long sorrow--And yet I have my joy: My sons were faithful, and they fought .

 IMMA to the Phoenix part

This reminds us of the Taiwanese song The Orphan of Asia, which starts  “The orphan of Asia was crying in the wind，Black eyes had white phobia, Western wind in the east was singing sad songs…..”

The orphan of Asia was crying in the wind

Black eyes had white phobia

Western wind in the east was singing sad songs

Orphan of Asia was crying in the wind

No one wanted to play fair game with you

Everyone all wanted your beloved toys

Dear Child, why were you crying?

How many people were pursuing that unsolved question^[2]?

 In talking with new Irish immigrants, reference has been made to the diaspora in the UK, US, and other countries. There were some interesting things that happened when artists exhibit in London, where all artists seek the chance to exhibit and hope their art works will be collected. Artists can make weird changes to compromise and thus please the audience in London. For example, they can change the work title to avoid disturbing British prejudices against Ireland. Despite anti-British feeling in Ireland, city development in Dublin has followed the stereotypical British format, such as city planning or the Victorian and Georgian architecture styles. There was an important cultural revival movement in late 19th century. Since Christianity has influenced this island, society has divided into two groups - Protestants, and conservative Roman Catholics. [The Roman Catholics are a large majority.] 

Irish elites acted as propagandists, organizing a movement to celebrate Irish heritage from multiple cultural angles, politically and artistically. The activities involved documented historical architecture, topography, art, literature, publications and politically skillful propaganda. The efforts moved forward and eventually successfully changed the political environment. Thus, today in Ireland there is a very clear identity and culture. This movement not only brought a strong identity to Ireland, but also a significant cultural revival. There were several important figures. Such as Dr. William Stokes, and his daughter Margaret, Architects, such as Deane and Woodward, artists such as George Petrie, and later William B. Yeats and his brother Jack Yeats and sisters Susan and Elizabeth Yeats. politicians such as Daniel O’Connell, and others.

Over one million Irish people left emigrated to America during the Great Famine of the 19th century. These immigrant groups lived in New York, and many other states in US. They built up a very strong Irish community in New York City with their significant icons such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue and the annual St Patrick’s Day parade. Interestingly, Irish-Americans strongly show their patriotic feelings for their home country. The Dublin National Theatre was just renovated and had the first concert in January 2018. We have found the patrons listed in the lobby; on the top in larger font is clearly marked “United States.” John Kennedy, the former US president, was of Irish descent, and his visit to Ireland was a large event.

One big difference between England and Ireland is that the Romans conquered and ruled England for many centuries, but Rome never conquered Ireland.

Investigate the national treasures in Ireland back to the early Medieval period, when missionaries From Rome had spread out over Europe, as far as England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. These monks carried manuscripts with them, and copied manuscripts or requested them from the Pope, and the missionaries gradually divided into groups. Most followed the rule from Rome, while those in Ireland became independent because they were so far from Rome. One of these monks, Columba, was born in Ireland of a royal family. He became a monk andhile later founded a monastery in Iona - west of Scotland and not far from Ireland. The monastery at Iona become the command center of a chain of monasteries founded by Columba, some in Northumbria (in northeast England), and others in Ireland.

Insular manuscripts are those from Ireland and England, and this term has not been applied anywhere else in Europe. But when not capitalized, “insula” is simply the Latin word for “island” and can be also used in more generally. Observing and doing research within these islands has provided much extended perspective of what is significant in keeping national icons and identity in a small country.

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[1] Patrick (Pádraig) Pearse (1879-1916) was born in Dublin and had a great interest in the Irish language and spent many summers in Rosmuc in Galway learning Irish. At first he just wanted a parliament in Dublin rather than total independence from Britain. However, he later decided to start a rebellion and fight for independence. He established a school for boys, St. Enda’s School, where children could learn about Irish culture and language. During the 1916 Rising, Pearse was in charge of the General Post Office (G.P.O.). When the British army overpowered the Irish rebels, it was Pearse who ordered their general surrender in order to save further loss of life. He was tried and executed by a firing squad in Kilmainham Jail on the 3rd of May 1916. His younger brother Willie was also shot.

In addition to being a teacher and a revolutionary, Patrick Pearse was also a poet and a writer. One of his famous poems is called The Mother. It was written the night before his execution and describes his mother’s thoughts on the death of her two sons.

[2] The Orphan of Asia is novel by Wu Zhouliu. The book reflects Taiwan’s wandering-orphan status through time not only in its political content, but also in its publishing history. The book was written in the late Japanese colonial period (1895-1945; at the time, the controls over speech and writing were pretty strict, so, the novel had to be clandestinely penned, and it was not possible to publish the book. After the Pacific War, Taiwan was the governed under the Chinese Nationalist 9KMT) immigrants, Mandarin Chinese became the national language, and the novel which was written in Japanese was again facing unpublishable status and the feelings Taiwanese people through the metaphor of an orphan abandoned by its parents, the book evoked a tremendous response from readers. Its English translation was made possible in 2005. Wu, Zhuoliu. 2006. Orphan of Asia. translated by Ioannis Mentzas. New York: Columbia University Press.

Old Library, Trinity College Dublin

Brian Boru Harp