It was a nostalgia-laden occasion for Roddy Doyle as he celebrated the selection of his Barrytown Trilogy for Dublin: One City One Book for 2015 surrounded by mementos from his writing career.
Standing at the Parnell Street entrance of the Rotunda Hospital- birthplace of The Snapper during that famous scene from his 1990 novel- the proud Dubliner gave a typically tongue-in-cheek appraisal of his latest recognition.
“It’s great, and they didn’t wait until I was dead which is lovely- I can enjoy the moment.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the One City One Book initiative, which aims to highlight some of the great literary works which have become synonymous with the city throughout its history.
Although it is now almost three decades on from the release of The Commitments, the first instalment of the trilogy, he firmly believes that little has changed for the residents of Ireland’s capital despite the events of intervening years.
“People still get pregnant I think, don’t they? People are still unemployed, young kids still form bands, they still talk in much the same way they used to. The city has changed but it’s still the same place,” he said, as colleagues and contemporaries posed for photos beside a mobile chip shop symbolising the ill-fated vehicle from The Van (1991).
Books from the recession
“The books came out of a recession. We didn’t use that word back then, it seemed like normal life in Dublin. The difference with this recession was that we had seen what life could be like so it came as an almighty shock.
“I think it took a while for the city and country to catch up with its sense of humour, there wasn’t much laughter in the first couple of years. Hard times seem to give birth to good humour,” he added.
Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke congratulated the Booker Prize winner for the invaluable contribution his novels have made to the city's rich literary heritage.
“He’s a credit to the literary world, a credit to the city of Dublin, and he’s an ambassador too. I’m a great believer in education, and I’m a great believer in people joining libraries and reading books, and if this lifts people and it makes people enthusiastic and wanting to read this book that in itself would be a job well done,” he said.
Doyle follows in the footsteps of writers such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and Jonathan Swift whose works have previously been nominated for the One City One Book promotion.
Dozens of events will be taking place in venues across Dublin which will centre around the various components of the Barrytown Trilogy, including talks, film screenings, and the erection of a “Welcome to Barrytown” sign at Kilbarrack Dart station in reference to the fictional suburb in Doyle’s tales.
"People will know the films, we want them to read the books now and engage with the 60 events that are happening over the month of April. This is a fun book, we want people to read it and not be intimidated by it. It's a book that will appeal to everybody," said Jane Alger from Dublin City Libraries.