My 2025 visit to Dublin included an appointment at True Electric Tattoo, a studio on Wicklow Street just south of the Liffey. A particular tattoo artist, Luke Martin, had been recommended by one of my cousins and I was very pleased with the work he did for me.
It was a simple tattoo – my father’s first name in his own handwriting, yet it carried deep significance. With two of my cousins present, Luke painstakingly copied my dad’s signature onto my skin, doing a beautiful job while keeping the three of us thoroughly entertained with his humor and observations.
Everything about the experience delighted me.
Fast forward to last fall when an image in a graphic novel stopped me dead in my tracks. The colored panel depicted a firefly recently escaped from its Bell jar prison. Something about this picture resonated deeply within me and I shared it with a librarian colleague who quickly said “there’s your next tattoo!”
She was 100% correct in her prediction. I booked an appointment for April to return to Luke’s chair. Well, actually, I booked two appointments since my son was also interested in an ink souvenir of his own.
In the months leading up to our True Electric visit, Quinn and I each honed in on what we wanted to take home with us on our very bodies. My son landed upon an Irish phrase that resonated with him and I expressed to Luke what it was about the image that made me connect with it. Apologizing for sounding a bit twee, I told him that I found the firefly’s escape, and its refusal to have its light contained, inspiring.
He absolutely ran with it – down a rabbit hole, in fact, since he himself had never encountered a firefly. He did some research and mocked up his idea, which I quickly fell in love with.
His interpretation of the original inspiration was beyond anything I might have imagined – detailed, yet delicate, and wonderfully fleshed (sorry for the double entendre!) out.
I was thrilled.
Deferring to Luke with regard to precise placement and orientation, I sat back as he worked his artistic magic. Two hours later, he was finished and I was ecstatic with the result. It’s perfect – in both execution and message.
I’m obsessed.
We finished up with a hug and a “see you next time!” as he prepared to get started on Quinn. If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, and happen to be in Dublin, I’ve got a guy that I couldn’t recommend more highly – Luke Martin and his remarkably delicate hands. Find him on Instagram @ledhandsluke and tell him I sent you.
DelSo 