Poolbeg

It was the first day of sunshine after a long long winter! Three of us from Dublin Sketchers arranged to go to Poolbeg to sketch, paint and enjoy the weather.

We met up around 10:30. And of course, I had to start with a sketch of the two chimneys at the old power station. I always associate them with falling in love with Dublin all those years ago. And still today, any time I fly home from abroad, seeing them from the plane makes my heart go boum!

At one point, there was talk of the ESB taking them down, but apparently they decided to keep them, after public consultation in 2015. Why am I only finding that out now? I clearly don't read the papers! But this (old) news makes me very happy! (PS, click on the link above for stunning drone footage from the top of the chimneys!)

And here is the classic urban sketcher shot!
(A4 Moleskine attached to coroplast board, pencil and watercolour)

Text added later for our Bloomsday sketchbook project, although I don't think these chimneys were there in 1904. But the first power station was set up on the site in 1903! (and there will be a sketch of what's left of it in a couple of days!).

After that sketch, I felt I deserved a break, and a bite to eat, and ate lovely wraps while sitting in the car. If I had attempted to eat them outside, they would have been sand sandwiches, as the wind started kicking up around that time! But more about that later!

So next time you fly into Dublin, look out for the two chimneys at the mouth of the river Liffey, in the middle of Dublin bay. I hope your heart goes boum too!