A City Imagined: Loose ends undermine a quirky and unconventional Belfast story
The third volume of Gerald Dawe’s memoirs is a summing-up exercise that feels too thin to be satisfying
MEMOIR
A City Imagined: Belfast Soulscapes
By Gerald Dawe
Merrion Press, €16.95
In 1967, the poet Gerald Dawe visited Dublin for the first time on a school trip with his art class. The 15-year-old Belfast Protestant’s initial impressions were unfavourable, as he watched children with no socks playing cards and begging on the steps of Connolly Station. At the RDS and National Museum, however, he was overwhelmed by the cultural riches on display.
“That trip ...