Taking a Viking to Dublin

Poul Holm from Denmark feels privileged to work in Dublin’s Trinity College

BACK IN August 2007, Danish academic Poul Holm was in Dublin in his capacity as governing board member of Roskilde's Viking Ship Museum, welcoming the Viking ship, the Sea Stallionfrom Glendalough, back to the city of the black pool, nearly 1,000 years after it had departed. Staring into Dublin bay, as the ship made its way up the quays and enjoying the atmosphere, Holm "didn't think for a moment" he would be back in Dublin a year later as a member of Trinity College Dublin's (TCD) academic staff.

It wasn’t Holm’s first visit to Ireland. In the 1970s, working on his Master’s thesis – Vikings in Ireland – he had travelled to University College Cork to see professor of medieval history, Donncha Ó Corráin, where he’d enjoyed Cork and found Ó Corráin very generous.

Since then he’s always held “a special place in the heart for Ireland” although his research went in a different direction leaving Ireland behind for a number of years.

That research helped Holm become professor of environmental history, chairman of the Danish Research Council for the Humanities, and rector of Roskilde University. It also left him with a dilemma.

“Still in my early 50s I wondered ‘is that what it’s all about?’ I had reached the top in Denmark and I felt ‘mmmm . . . this isn’t really what I want to do’. I realised I wanted to spend the last years as a professional academic promoting and bringing out the best in the arts and humanities. I also felt that this change would be rewarding, bringing out the best in my abilities.

“So, I was delighted when Trinity announced it was building a new research institute for the arts and humanities, and was looking for an academic director.

“It sounded like a wonderful place and an unique rare opportunity with a clear mission and bold statement addressing the necessity and importance of the arts and humanities in the 21st century.

“Needless to say, I called Trinity and simply asked ‘would they consider a non-Irishman applicant?’ They replied ‘yes’, and so I applied.”

The job entailed managing TCD’s Long Room Hub, its arts and humanities research institute which was established in October 2007 with €10.7 million from the Higher Education Authority. The ‘Hub’ takes its name from Trinity’s iconic 18th-century library, and research ranges from the examination of Greek papyri to the critical analysis of the transformations of contemporary Europe, embracing disciplines from philosophy to performance studies; and from medieval literature to contemporary art.

It’s currently based in a temporary office near the top of the Apollo Building on Tara Street, off the Dublin quays, although it plans to relocate to its new €6 million ‘Hub’ on campus, opening in April 2010.

“I was delighted that a non-Irishman was even considered. That really impressed me. And, it’s really a test case of Trinity’s willingness to internationalise and an acknowledgment that the top jobs in Ireland are not only open to Irish people.

“Anyway, after applying and a competitive process, I got the job. Many of my co-patriots in Denmark were really surprised and commented ‘we would probably never have done the same thing in Denmark – we would have chosen one of our own’. It’s part of what makes Ireland an exciting place.”

Having arrived in Ireland days after the collapse of Lehmann Brothers to start his new job, Holm noticed the deterioration in the optimistic Irish mood and the onset of self-doubt and pessimism. However, a year on, he offers hope for the future.

“This country has a lot to be proud of and going for it in the coming years. It’s also a strikingly young society, whereas some of the other European countries are ageing perceptively.

“You can see it in the streets; Dublin is a very young city with the advantage of a young population. This will count for a lot in the coming years, and the creative and innovative minds are clearly in place.

“And the recent Farmleigh debate was absolutely spot-on, identifying culture and creativity as the raw energy that will pull Ireland out of the present problems.”

One would suspect that there would be differences between Irish and Danish work ethics, but Holm discounts the claim. “Both nations are very hard working. However, the one striking difference is that whereas Danes start their working day between 7am and 8am, in Ireland it happens between 8am and well 9.30am, really.

“On the other hand, Irish people stay longer in work. Whereas Danes go home at 4pm, Irish workplaces are still very busy until 5.30pm and 6pm. Since I’ve arrived, I’ve lapsed into the Irish culture which I quite like because it’s closer to my own psyche and I enjoy the fact I can work late and then relax.”

Which brings us on to the differences in how the cultures unwind. “The Irish have certainly more entertaining and I’ve always enjoyed going to the pub, because it is so easy to start a conversation and there are some great places where people can meet. Also, sports events in Ireland have much more fun, energy and dedication.

“Living in downtown Dublin, I really enjoy the people making their way to Croke Park for all the events. And I think Gaelic football is just fantastic. As for hurling, it frightens me thinking of the damage that people can inflict on each other. It just looks very dangerous.”

‘Downtown Dublin’ meaning Custom House Harbour is close to everything including Holm’s place of work, except his family, who he acknowledges he misses in Denmark.

“At the moment I have to commute. But that’s doable. I’m certainly here for the long run. My wife, Dorthe, still lives in Denmark, as our son, Kristoffer, is finishing high school. We’ll wait until he’s finished before we resettle in Dublin.

“At the moment I’m commuting from Roskilde once a month, my wife comes over once a month too, and we try to see if we can fit in an extra visit here or in Paris and Brussels if I’m travelling to a European city. It isn’t that difficult, the communications are very good with several flights everyday direct [from] Dublin to Copenhagen.”

Finally, Holm admits his strongest impressions since arriving have come from university life. “Striking a balance between excellence and friendliness is really difficult and I think Trinity has succeeded. Most other universities I have worked in either over-emphasise one or the other. Trinity is different, a truly unique workplace and I feel really privileged to work here.”

• For further information on Trinity's Long Room Hub log on to www.tcd.ie/longroomhub