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I started about four years ago. I came here on a tour on Heritage Week and I’ve been ringing ever since. I love it. I’m hooked.
We were looking for something different to do. I was like, I’d love to see the bells in Saint Pat’s. So we came up, there was a group of us, and we got to watch and listen to the band ringing the bells. And this lovely lady came over to me with a clipboard and she asked me would I like to ring the bells. I never in a million years thought that, coming up and watching and listening to the bells, that I could be a bellringer. So I was like, yeah absolutely. And I started coming on a Saturday morning to the practice, and I’ve been hooked ever since. It was the best decision I ever made.
I like historical things. I guess it was the people; everybody was so friendly and encouraging. So even though I was banging away at a dreadful rate, everybody encouraged me.
I’ve always enjoyed the element of challenge and sort of development and discovery. I always enjoy the mental stimulation of it.
It’s just such an unusual thing to be doing. I just find the social side of it is great. The satisfaction I get from knowing when I’ve done a little bit right maybe, it’s great. I’m looking forward to learning a lot more.
I just love the challenge and the sense of achievement. And then meeting all the other bellringers.
Like, I love talking about it with people because usually the reaction that I get from people when I say I’m a bellringer, it’s like, you’re a what?! And then I explain to them what it is and people are really fascinated because I think most people think that they’re automatic and they don’t realise that there’s people here ringing the bells, you know, every Sunday. Yes, it’s just fascinating, I just love it.
It was lovely to come to Saint Patrick’s because we have such a fantastic set of bells here.
You can start very simply and then it can become more and more complex. So in the end you choose your own rate of development and level of complexity, which is very satisfying.
The wonderful thing about it in most cathedrals – certainly in this one – we’ve got some really good, patient people, who put up with the likes of us newcomers and are really encouraging.
The thing that surprised me was that I was able to ring these bells that have been here for hundreds of years and they’re part of the fabric of dublin. To me, it was like going into a museum and being able to touch the exhibits.
You have to be curious and we have to listen to each other, to make sure we’re all playing in the round. We have to make sure that everybody is on the same page.
It’s like driving a car: with the right tuition, a little bit of perseverance, and some really supportive, experienced bellringers, anybody can learn it, including me.
It starts off to be a science, because you have to learn it, and as you get more experience and you learn to listen to the sound of your own bell and other people’s bells and you hear all these great, experienced ringers, you realise what a beautiful art it is.
It’s that sense as well that you’re continuing on a tradition that’s centuries’ years old. You feel like you’re part of a living history.
Then you get emotionally attached to the place and once you know the people, you just get linked with this place.
I didn’t think I could become a bellringer, but after a couple of months, you start to get control of your bell and you move on from there and you’re able to ring in the band.