A look back at Culture Night at Unit18
Culture Night (Sep 20th) is a national moment which celebrates culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied collective is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and everyday. This national festival is in its 19th year and has something for all tastes, with free entry into events in villages, towns and cities.
Unit18, located in Macken Street is the first dedicated physical space provided by Trinity College Dublin for civic and community engagement. It opened in September 2021 and is designed as a place for local residents of all ages and backgrounds to meet, learn, socialise and have fun. Its stated vision: “is to deliver social, cultural, education and economic benefits to residents in the area, focusing on three key strands – Employment, Education and Skills; Arts and Culture; and Civic and Community.”
Therefore it was the perfect spot to have an inaugural Culture Night, co-launched by Prof Jo-Hanna Ivers who is Trinity’s Dean for Civic Engagement, and local resident and historian, Liz Watson.
Liz’s mam, Betty Watson was always so passionate about equal access to education and was a co-founder of the Trinity Access Programme, Voluntary Tuition and the Adult Education Department in St Andrew’s Resource Centre and Liz was so honoured to be part of this special event.
‘Connections’, an open house gathering of fun to mark the occasion, showcased a full programme for the evening of various speakers and performers who had the audience captivated with their wonderful storytelling and presentations.
After a welcome chat and overview of the evening’s proceedings by Community Engagement Manager, Mary Colclough (Trinity College), the first speaker, Warren Farrell, coordinator for TAP (Trinity Access Programme) and also a former tour guide in Glasnevin Cemetery, gave a very engrossing talk about his first book, “So Once Was I: Forgotten Tales from Glasnevin Cemetery”, where he told stories of some of the people that aren’t as familiar as the better known ‘famous’ historical figures buried there, but have led interesting lives with some having tragic sad endings.
Dr Dara Downey, an English literature lecturer on the Trinity Access Programme has researched American gothic literature, mainly focusing on the housework and houses that servants were employed in. She is also an author of American Women’s Ghost Stories in the Gilded Age (2014) and the editor of The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies. Her presentation was really fascinating and had an element of spellbinding intrigue about what servants saw in that era and her stories were very thought-provoking.
Liz Watson was born and bred in Pearse Street and has a family heritage that goes back over 100 years. She has worked as a community activist for over 30 years, alongside her professional work as a social worker. Liz is also an historian for St Andrew’s Church in Westland Row and is very passionate about local traditions, legacies and ancestry. Her presentation, ‘An Enduring Presence: The History of St Andrew’s Church and Parish’, was an in depth, detailed talk that engaged the audience with her expertise and proficiency of the church’s history she knows so well.
Closing out the evening was the superb, entertaining performance of singing group Glee Club Ringsend. Launched in 2023 by multi-award winning performer, Liza Caulfield, Glee is all about inspiring through music and song and has two charity partners, with Glee kids partnering with Barnardos and Glee Ladies with Women’s Aid and all the proceeds from the Christmas concerts in St Matthews Church in Irishtown go directly to the charities.
Thanks to the continued support of the Arts Council, local authorities and cultural organisations across Ireland that make up the richness and diversity of culture and creativity in our country, which allows us to appreciate and share in the knowledge and discovery of different customs and lifestyles from these unique events for one night only.
To find out more or enquire about using Unit18, email Mary Colclough, Community Engagement Manager: unit18@tcd.ie
