Statements on the Tourism Industry - 19th November 2008

Statements on the Tourism Industry - 19th November 2008
Senator David Norris: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, to the House. He
comes from the same part of the world — the midlands — as my mother’s people. I think he
is a good Laois man. He does not have responsibility for this issue, given that he is a Minister
of State at the Department of Health and Children, but I am sure he will winnow out the more
sensible and trenchant remarks that are made and bring them to the attention of the relevant
Minister. He is ably assisted by two officials. I know they will examine what we have to say.
I do not want to get involved in the dispute between the motion and the amendment. It is a
classic example of the Wednesday night ping-pong that goes on in this House. Members on
one side think the Government is wrong and Members on the other side think it is right. It is
terribly boring. Good points have been made by Senators on both sides of the argument. It
stands to reason that our tourism industry has been affected by the economic downturn and
the fluctuations in currency, etc. We have held our heads surprisingly well in the circumstances.
I will speak briefly about some of the things that have happened at the James Joyce Centre,
with which I am involved, over recent years, including this year. I agree with Senator O´ Murchu´ ,
who is now in the Chair, that cultural tourism is at the heart of our tourism industry. He has
played a significant role, through Comhaltas Ceolto´ irı´ E´ ireann, in the development of traditional
music, which now has a wide audience throughout the world.
I am concerned about some of the elements our tourism agencies promote. There is a role
for stuff like key rings, mugs and tea towels, but it is all so blaringly obvious. We need to focus
on what is distinctive about Ireland. I have often said that, in addition to traditional music,
books and bricks are the two most distinctive things we have. People do not come here for the
weather because they appreciate they will not get a suntan here. Nowadays, some people come
here in their wetsuits to avail of our remarkably good surfing locations. Ireland’s weather does
not necessarily deter tourists. Many people live in very warm parts of the world, where there
is sunlight all the time. They are sick of being scorched. Such people find the rain reasonably
refreshing, which is curious. They are not as put off by it as we are. Our weather will not attract
many tourists, however. It is our culture — by which I do not mean tea towels, key rings and
drink — that will attract them. Please spare us from the drink culture. I am bored by it and
tired of it. Its promotion does no good for our country. I refer to phenomena like the area of
Dublin that was recently described as “Temple Barf”. We have had enough of that.
Joyce is an international brand name which could not be bought, and we are lucky. We are
different from the rest because we are the emerald isle, 40 shades of green were given to us
and we have James Joyce, who is known all over the world. If one mentions Joyce, people
think Ireland. If one mentions Ireland, people think Joyce. The name brings huge numbers of
tourists to Dublin.
We established the James Joyce Centre approximately 20 years ago and we managed to
repair the entire building, which was about to be pulled down by philistine authorities and the
wonderful series of ceilings used as in-fill for the Poolbeg generating station. We rescued it.
Our footfall has been consistent over the past four or five years at 17,000, which compares very
favourably with the fully supported anchors such as the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove and
the Dublin Writers Museum. The former is the setting for the opening section of Ulysses, yet
the centre still attracts more visitors.
Until recently I was on the board of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which has experienced a downturn.
It could not survive without tourists and it generates enormous revenue from them. We
should re-examine support for historical ecclesiastical buildings. I understand absolutely the
sensitivities associated with the separation of church and state, which I completely approve of,
but buildings of international significance should be looked after.
It is terribly important that the James Joyce Centre stays where it is. We have a good plan
and the Department has been extraordinarily helpful in this matter. However, the centre cannot
be looked at exclusively in commercial terms. If it was commercial, it would close tomorrow.
We have kept our side of the bargain and we have met all the required financial targets but
unless we are supported regarding the building and Bloomsday is hived off, which would also
be good for the city, with the building treated separately, the centre will be in difficulty. I recall
talking to Bord Fa´ ilte when Bloomsday was nothing. I told the officials that if they played this right, they would have an event similar to Mardi Gras. Bloomsday has evolved over 40 years
and it is celebrated all over the world. I am invited to every city and I could go anywhere I
want. I always stay in Dublin out of loyalty to the James Joyce Centre. The unique aspect of
the day in Ireland is it has expanded to Blooms week. We shifted the readings from the centre
to Temple Bar, which brings everything alive. Let us recognise it.
Genealogy is great fun. I love it but it is all hokum. I was involved in the Fitzpatrick clan
society and it was immense fun. A number of enormously wealthy Yanks came over. They had
a parchment scroll from here to Adam showing they were the kings of Ossory. One woman
said, “Well in the midst of all this royalty, I guess I am one of the ordinary Fitzpatricks. I am
Colleen Fitzpatrick. My folks left this here Queen’s County, as they called it then, to go to
New Orleans in 1847.” She was like hell ordinary, given she was a senior NASA scientist
involved in DNA testing. I rushed to the front of the room and said, “Open my veins. Take
my blood. I sacrifice myself in the name of clan.” I was despised, spurned and rejected because
they wanted mitochondrial DNA. I volunteered my cousin who sent them a lump of spit in an
envelope. It was returned and the letter was all X, Y, Z, as it were. He asked whether I
understood it and I replied that I did. He said he was a doctor and he did not. I understood
the only paragraph that mattered, which stated he was undoubtedly the last remnants of the
ancient royal and noble family. This was rubbish. We are all descended from frogspawn but
what a card to play at these gatherings. The following year I attended a gathering and the
Yanks were not present. I asked what happened them and I was told it was a bit embarrassing.
I said, “I like embarrassment. Do tell”, and I was told they may have been from somewhere in
near Asia. They were not even European. Genealogy is a wonderful card to play.
With regard to transport, the metro must proceed. I am glad taxis were deregulated because
we now have taxis all over the place.
I refer to the Abbey Theatre. My first choice for this wonderful institution was for it to
remain on its current site but apparently that was impossible. My next choice was the Carlton
site but that has been loused up by property interests. It must not be allowed, therefore, to
become a token in a commercial development on the Dublin docks. It should be in the GPO.
I was told by officials that the theatre would not fit there. I am not an engineer but I visited
DIT Bolton Street which has a school of architecture. The design of the theatre in the GPO is
the final year project for engineering students. They have completed three dimensional modelling
and have compared it with all the national theatres throughout the world. As Barack
Obama said, “Yes we can.” It would fit perfectly. They have arrangements for scene docks and
so on. Imagine the connection with the cultural revolution and the relationship between Yeats,
the theatre, Pearse and “A terrible beauty is born”. Imagine as a project for 2016 to commemorate
1916 the opening of the Irish national theatre, the Abbey, on every television set throughout
the globe, bang in the middle of O’Connell Street with the Luas, the metro, taxis, bicycles
cars and every damn thing delivering people there. What a fantastic space. Watch this space;
the people will prevail. The naysayers will be put back in their box and I hope, with the
assistance of open-minded officials and the Minister, the Abbey Theatre will be located where
it should be, on our prime street, O’Connell Street, for 2016.