GarvanNotes: Difference between revisions

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  ''For Irish people, the gaol is remembered most for its role in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. It was the place where the failed rebels were held and where the revolutionary leaders were executed by firing squad.Most notably including the execution of the already gravely wounded James Connoly who had to be strapped into a chair to be executed as he could not stand up by himself. This scene plays out in the 1997 film Michael Collins and in the Netflix drama series Rebellion both productions use Kilmainham Gaol as the filming location. The executions at Kilmainham were an acuteturning point in Irish history. The failed rebellion had not been popular, itwas not a completely national uprising and it had been rushed. After Britainexecuted the rebel leaders, the uprising garnered sympathy. It was within the walls of Kilmainham Gaol that the detested putsch was synthesised into one of the cornerstones of the Irish national narrative and its executed leaders ascended to the pantheon of freedom fighters and folk heroes.''
  ''For Irish people, the gaol is remembered most for its role in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. It was the place where the failed rebels were held and where the revolutionary leaders were executed by firing squad.Most notably including the execution of the already gravely wounded James Connoly who had to be strapped into a chair to be executed as he could not stand up by himself. This scene plays out in the 1997 film Michael Collins and in the Netflix drama series Rebellion both productions use Kilmainham Gaol as the filming location. The executions at Kilmainham were an acuteturning point in Irish history. The failed rebellion had not been popular, itwas not a completely national uprising and it had been rushed. After Britainexecuted the rebel leaders, the uprising garnered sympathy. It was within the walls of Kilmainham Gaol that the detested putsch was synthesised into one of the cornerstones of the Irish national narrative and its executed leaders ascended to the pantheon of freedom fighters and folk heroes.''


'''Steve notes:''' Stress here that this is part of the move from toward a 'media life' for the prison. It begins by producing an image of itself in relation to its colonial history. The prison is a ''non-human character'' in an historical narrative, later it will be a ''non human actor'' in a fictional story. it would be useful to flag the process of increased mediation at this point.  
'''Steve notes:''' Stress here that this is part of the move toward a 'media life' for the prison. It begins by producing an image of itself in relation to its colonial history. The prison is a ''non-human character'' in an historical narrative, later it will be a ''non human actor'' in a fictional story. it would be useful to flag the process of increased mediation at this point. The reader benefits from seeing the argument develop and the pieces fall into place.


  ''Perceived as a betrayal by the hand of Ireland’s own, the signing of the treaty was morebitter than the unsurprising  cruelty of Britain. McAtackney notes that above
  ''Perceived as a betrayal by the hand of Ireland’s own, the signing of the treaty was morebitter than the unsurprising  cruelty of Britain. McAtackney notes that above

Revision as of 10:55, 26 January 2023

 Achievable aims ahead of next meeting (12-1-23)= fillout prison chapter, make more granular reading. Bridge to next chapter (the column)


Notes 26-1-23

Steve notes: Please write an abstract for the beginning, outlining the central thesis. The text can go in any number of interesting directions. (I would emphasise how it has been an instrument of a (post) colonial narrative which begins with imperial power, then becomes an instrument of national independence, before becoming a media celebrity.= but you may have other ideas :-)


For Irish people, the gaol is remembered most for its role in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. It was the place where the failed rebels were held and where the revolutionary leaders were executed by firing squad.Most notably including the execution of the already gravely wounded James Connoly who had to be strapped into a chair to be executed as he could not stand up by himself. This scene plays out in the 1997 film Michael Collins and in the Netflix drama series Rebellion both productions use Kilmainham Gaol as the filming location. The executions at Kilmainham were an acuteturning point in Irish history. The failed rebellion had not been popular, itwas not a completely national uprising and it had been rushed. After Britainexecuted the rebel leaders, the uprising garnered sympathy. It was within the walls of Kilmainham Gaol that the detested putsch was synthesised into one of the cornerstones of the Irish national narrative and its executed leaders ascended to the pantheon of freedom fighters and folk heroes.

Steve notes: Stress here that this is part of the move toward a 'media life' for the prison. It begins by producing an image of itself in relation to its colonial history. The prison is a non-human character in an historical narrative, later it will be a non human actor in a fictional story. it would be useful to flag the process of increased mediation at this point. The reader benefits from seeing the argument develop and the pieces fall into place.

Perceived as a betrayal by the hand of Ireland’s own, the signing of the treaty was morebitter than the unsurprising   cruelty of Britain. McAtackney notes that above
t he former cell for Sighle Humphries’ there is a plaque that denotes the year
she was imprisoned at the gaol. The plaque reads 1919-1921 (the war of
Independence) however, Humphries was actually imprisoned during the
civil war (1922-1924). This error is intentional and was designed in the late
1950s, just prior to the prison's renovation. Pro-treaty revolutionaries
pressured the restoration project to avoid any signposting of histories from
the civil war (when these pro-treaty revolutionaries where the gaolers)

(McAtackney 2016) Steve writes: In a sentence, again, stress how this is develops your argument, the prison is being built as character (along with collins, Humphries et al) shaping of modern Ireland. Stress that at this point the prison becomes a 'media instrument'.

Steve notes: The moment of the prison's reservation is very interesting. It seems it underwent an overhaul of its position in relation to the history of Ireland. Can you give more detail on how this was the moment when the prison presented an image of itself to the rest of modern Ireland (and the world)? - more on how the 'restored' prison appears on the historical picture of Ireland. Anyways, the changing meanings of the gaol seems to be the red thread here.


Steve Notes: It would be nice to see more images throughout. How the gaol is made to look is important


11-1-23 Achievable aims ahead of next meeting: Next draft of Chapter 1 to Steve by Wed (11-1-23) 

Previous feedback:

The mode of address is sound but there needs to more precision and substance around

  • the prison as an instrument of colonial power
  • How specifically the prison is translated into a media commodity. What happens at the prison (museum)- this suggests a method for other texts.
  • of Ireland as a media commodity

What happens here?: 1) Location is decontextualised - but what remains? the semiotics serve a purpose in the context of the film 2) Location substituted the location becomes "the place where X was shot"- it is meta. 3) it engenders further media products such as = city film location tours . New Zealand - lord of the rings- London-Edinburgh, Harry Potter; Northern Ireland Game of Thrones. Real places become references to fictitious places.

How is this different from Joyce and the tower in Dublin? Material relation to history and place.

Places become part of media history.


  • more reflection on the semiotics in Paddington; what is being shown; what is it signing?


https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Calendars:Networked_Media_Calendar/Networked_Media_Calendar/08-12-2022_-Event_1