Sir,—Sylvie Kleinman’s review of Lyric FM’s Recalling the Layers (HI 33.5, Sept./Oct. 2025) piqued my interest. I was curious to hear how the subject of the Marshalsea debtors’ prison was presented by Patricia Barker against the recent exhibition at the Irish Architectural Archive (IAA), A Form of Justice: The Four Courts Marshalsea, Dublin (4 June–26 Sept. 2025), which also investigated the extant structure alongside aspects of the social history of that part of the Liberties. On reflection, I’d say that the radio programme was more imaginative and successful.
The IAA exhibition did indeed shed some light on the ‘noble stonework of the (remaining) walls’ but in the view of this visitor fell short of its own declared purpose of exploring intertwined themes of the legacy of empire, architecture and social history. It was probably an unrealistic ambition for what was essentially an architecture exhibition, a medium that can be notoriously challenging when presenting content to a general audience. Amongst the expansive archive material on view at the IAA, the voices of local historians, archivists and curators were somewhat lost, which, I’m sure, was the opposite of what was intended. It was unfortunate that personal testimonies from past and current inhabitants of the area presented as audio in the exhibition were projected from two poorly placed speakers, somewhat diminishing the impact (the exhibition’s authors declared that it was a work in progress, ‘inchoate’ and ‘incomplete’ and inviting further contribution, which is fair enough).
Fortunately, this was the opposite of Lyric FM’s programme, in which the rich social history of the area was predominant and where the content and editing were effective in presenting valuable engagement with, and interpretation by, the local community. I’d agree with Sylvie—it was a ‘well-constructed exploration’.—Yours etc.,
LINDESAY DAWE
Holywood, Co. Down