I forgot anteaters exist
I forgot anteaters exist is a series of ‘info-dump’ sessions allowing us to learn about the world through the special interests of others. Each session invites someone new to come and share their knowledge on a topic of their choosing. It could be related to their usual area of expertise or it could be their current side-quest down the rabbit hole network.
You can get a radio licence
Getting on the airwaves as a radio amateur sending Morse code or voice to other radio amateurs in the modern day is perhaps an obscure hobby, but the licence process is open to everyone. This info-dump is for anyone curious about amateur radio—what it is (it’s not pirate radio!) or how to get started. James will recount his recent experience getting his licence and call sign, more specifically, the Morse code exam, with some live Morse code to demonstrate!Â
Accessibility note: Morse code beeps can be fairly high-pitched, but the live Morse portion of the presentation will be brief. In real life, some users use automatic de/coders to ‘type’ and read Morse as text. Morse can also be represented by flashing lights/vibrations in the same patterns.
James Heslin
James Heslin is a man for whom “too many hobbies” lost its meaning many years ago. At a minimum he is technically a musician, artist, game developer, and web developer. Other hobbies would inflate the bio unnecessarily. He just recently got his amateur radio licence (call sign EI6LJ). You can find his quite dated website linked below.
Friday 12th December 2025
7:00pm – 9:00pm
A4 Gallery & Garden (BYOB)
€0.00 – €10.00
This event is masked and takes place in our gallery which is wheelchair accessible and is seated. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Our full access information is below.
7:00pm: Arrive and get comfy in our gallery or have some pre chats in the garden.
7:15pm: Main Info-dump with a guest speaker. 30 – 45 mins.
8:00pm: Mini sessions. Open floor for 3-5 mins info dumps by anyone that wants to participate.
8:30pm: Post chats in our garden if there is more to discuss!
Format
This is an experimental space and we will play with the format until the right fit emerges. We’ll do our best to make the room feel cosy and informal, no stage, comfy seats and for those who prefer to lie down to listen we have some hide away spots with screens.
Who?
The series is open to everyone who loves a good rabbit hole. It is an open informal platform to share knowledge and share in the joy of the interests of others.Â
Want to Info Dump Too?
Do you have a special interest and would only love a chance to ‘dump’ that information on people? Following each guest talk there will be a space for anyone who wants to to share their interest with us! Would you love to do a longer talk? Get in touch with us via the interest form below!
Session Archive
Week One: BATS
Bats
Bats are just mice who are into leather. During lockdown Mice Hell realised that there are bats everywhere even in the city centre. She will show us what they sound like (with her own recordings) and what they look like (with other people’s photos). Irish bats are very small and lovely.
Mice Hell
Mice Hell is an artist & illustrator from Dublin. She has made several Bat-themed shows for Dublin Digital Radio, usually broadcasting around Hallowe’en. Her previous rabbit holes include A History of Costume in Ireland (which took 9 years to complete & spanned 10,000 years of history), radio shows about 1980s German post-punk on Dublin Digital Radio, and collecting tartan trousers.
Week Two: THE ROYAL CANAL
The Royal Canal
The Royal Canal runs a (fairly) straight route from the River Liffey to the River Shannon. Aideen’s fascination with it and where it has led her does not. Aideen has lived near the canal and cycled along it for most of her life. Using photographs she has taken over the past decade, she will talk a bit about canals in general and then focus specifically on the Royal Canal. She will discuss the layers of infrastructure that get built along it, what gets dredged out of it, what has been carried by it, what lives alongside it, and what has led her to make art about this route.
Aideen Farrell
Aideen Farrell is a Dublin-based artist working in sculpture and installation. Her work responds to industrial landscapes and infrastructural ruins, focusing on processes of ruin, extraction, and transformation. Farrell engages with remnants through cyclical processes—gathering, sorting, documenting, making, and assembling. She often works with found materials, clay, drawing, and photography
Her exhibitions include solo shows at Custom House Gallery (2023), Pallas Projects/Studios (2019), and Linenhall Arts Centre (2018), and recent group shows at A4 Sounds (2025) and The Complex (2024). Her practice has been supported by Fingal County Council and the Arts Council. Aideen completed her MA in Fine Art at TU Dublin in 2024 and her BA at NCAD in 2017. Her practice has been supported by Fingal County Council and the Arts Council. She was awarded the Fire Station Artists’ Studios (FSAS) residential award for 2025.
Week Three: YOU CAN GET A RADIO LICENCE
You can get a radio licence
Getting on the airwaves as a radio amateur sending Morse code or voice to other radio amateurs in the modern day is perhaps an obscure hobby, but the licence process is open to everyone. This info-dump is for anyone curious about amateur radio—what it is (it’s not pirate radio!) or how to get started. James will recount his recent experience getting his licence and call sign, more specifically, the Morse Code exam, with some live morsing!
James Heslin
James Heslin is a man for whom “too many hobbies” lost its meaning many years ago. At a minimum he is technically a musician, artist, game developer, and web developer. Other hobbies would inflate the bio unnecessarily. He just recently got his amateur radio licence (call sign EI6LJ). You can find his quite dated website linked below.
Week Four: EVOLUTION
Evolution
This session will take place on Friday 16th Jan 2026 @7pm
Information coming soon!
The Common Thread
The Common Thread forms part of our WOWTE Programme. It is a series of experiments and happenings that serve as an ongoing public discussion, drawing out shared themes and engaging audiences in an ongoing conversation about the goals and strategies of social change: what kind of society do we want and how should we get there?
Access Information
Our building is situated off Upper Dorset Street approx 14 mins from The Spire.
DETAILED DIRECTIONS
Walking & Wheeling
O’Connell Street: 14 mins from The Spire (directions)
Phibsborough: 11 mins (directions)
Bus
Luas
Parnell Stop (Green Line): 10 mins (directions)
Dominick Stop (Green Line): 12 mins (directions)
Broadstone Stop (Green Line): 12 mins (directions)
Abbey Street (Red Line): 17 mins (directions)
Dart
Drumcondra Station: 13 mins (directions)
Tara Station: 24 mins (directions)
Connolly Station: 28 mins (directions)
Car
There is onsite paid parking nearby our building, with a larger carpark located at The Mater Hospital.
Mater Hospital Carpark: 4 mins (directons)Â
Accessible Parking
There are 30 accessible parking spaces nearby our studios between 2 and 8 mins away.
Parking 2-3 mins away:
- Nelson Street:Â 1 space, 210m
- Hardwick Place:Â 1 space, 220m
- Eccles Place:Â 2 spaces, 220m
- Eccles Street:Â 3 spaces, 230m
- Hardwicke Place:Â 1 space, 220m
HEALTH PRECAUTIONS
What We Will Do:
Provide FFP2 masks at the door for all visitors.
Air purifiers with HEPA filters will be running in the gallery.
A CO2 monitor will be at the gallery door.
Doors will be opened regularly to ventilate the room.
All staff will take an antigen test on the day of the event.
What You Can Do:
If you feel newly unwell, or have been in contact with someone who has been sick in the days before the event, please stay at home.
If you can afford to, please take an antigen test before coming to the event.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or the flu, please stay at home.
If travelling by public transport or taxi please wear a mask for your journey.
Ensure to wear a mask indoors at all times.
OUR BUILDING
Arriving Here!
When you arrive at the gallery there is a kerb outside as part of the pavement which you may need to navigate depending on the direction you arrive.
There is a small slope at the entrance at the desk where the material of the floor changes from cement to a tiled surface.
The door will be open and there will be a staff member to greet you at the front desk.
The front desk will be immediately in front of you approx 1m from the front door.
The Gallery
Our gallery is located on the ground floor and is accessible.
It is located about 5m from the front door.
There is a small ramp into the gallery space.
The floor is currently suspended wood.Â
Our garden can be accessed via the gallery.
The Garden
The door to the outdoor area is straight across from the gallery door, and a distance of approx 5m.
The outdoor area has heating which can be turned on and off to suit your needs.
The outdoor area has a garden with a covered seating area with wooden benches, wooden and plastic stools.
There are additional wooden benches is covered with an awning. This area may offer less protection from the wind or rain.
There are a number of wind breakers installed around the garden to offer some protection from the cold in winter.
To the back of the garden there is a mezzanine which is accessed by approx 15 steps with wooden benches
BATHROOMS
Ground Floor Toilet
All bathrooms & toilets are gender-neutral.
There is one accessible toilet in our outdoor garden area. It is a portaloo.
First Floor Bathrooms
All bathrooms & toilets are gender-neutral.
There are three indoor bathrooms which are not accessible.
The indoor bathrooms are located on the first floor via a flight of stairs (approx 22 steps) so may provide difficulties for folk with movement impairments.
EVENT INFO
Seating & Comfort
Seating
There will be a selection of seating including 6 soft chairs, and plastic canteen chairs with chair pads.
If you require a comfortable chair please let us know when booking your ticket.
We will reserve comfortable seating for anyone that lets us know at the time of booking.
You can also email us via indigo@a4sounds.org or let us know on the night. Please note we can not guarantee a comfortable seat on the night due to the limited number available, bue we will do our best to accomodate you.
Beds / Laying Down
There is a large structure which has 4 large beds with screens to view the presentation while lying down.
There are two capsules at the bottom on the structure with beds, and two additional on top with beds which can be accessed via approx 6 steps.
The top level may be difficult to access for persons with restricted mobility.
Blankets & Cushions
There will be additional blankets and cushions throughout the gallery.
Lights & Video
Lights
The room will be dimly lit with LED spotlights .
Lights may be turned down during the talks.
There will be no flashing lights.
Video & Slide Shows
Slides will be played on a large screen using a projector.
There will be no flashing or glitching video
Sound
Sound
At some points Morse code sounds will be played on a PA system.
Morse code is beeping sounds
Morse code beeps can be high-pitched, which may be uncomfortable for some folks.
The live Morse portion of the presentation will be brief.
The volume will not be excessively loud.
Â
HOW TO BOOK A TICKET
Page 1
First, select your preferred date and time to visit from the drop down menus. You can find them on the right handside of the page underneath the description of the event.
Next, if you have accessibility needs, click the box inside the pink area underneath accessibility needs section. Skip this section if it is not applicable.
Next, if you would like to make a donation, please enter the donation amount inside the box in the section marked pink
Next, click the add to cart button which is located below the total amount.
The screen will refresh. Now you will see a ‘view cart‘ button on the top right of the screen. You can also click the shopping cart icon on the top banner area.
Page 2
There is no shipping required for this booking, so please click the ‘continue to check out’ button
Page 3
Fill out your billing information in the pink box.
Next, the subscribe to our newsletter button is automatically checked. If you do not wish to do this uncheck this box. It is just below the pink box
Important
Next, if is the if shipping details are different to billing details. Please click the heading of this section so it closes and no longer requires details to be inputted. This is important to be able to check out without errors.
Next, scroll down and check the I have read the terms and conditions box
Next, check the I am not a robot box
Finally, click the place order button.
Confirmation Page
You will now come to a confirmation page. You do not need to do anything further. We will have your name ready at the door to check in.