Ireland

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  • IRISH RUGBY SQUADS ANNOUNCED

    ALL THINGS IRELAND
    john toher
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:17 pm
    Head coach Declan Kidney has confirmed the squad for the upcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship which gets underway in a few weeks' time.The Ireland team management have today announced two squads ahead of the 2012 RBS 6 Nations and the upcoming O2 Ireland Wolfhounds game against England Saxons.There are 24 players named in the Ireland senior squad, with six additional up-and-coming players named who will join the first week of Ireland camp in Limerick to train with the squad. The 22-man O2 Ireland Wolfhounds squad includes several uncapped players as well as full internationals. The Ireland…

  • Four arrested over phone-hacking

    The Irish Times -
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:34 am
    A serving police officer and three men have been arrested over payments to police officers in the British phone-hacking inquiry.

  • National Women's Council boss resigns after Government cuts funding

    Ireland: BreakingNews.ie
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:38 am
    The head of the National Women's Council has resigned and hit out at what she has called the Government's "scant regard" for women's rights.

  • James Downey: Austerity isn't enough: we must reinvent capitalism

    Independent.ie - Frontpage RSS Feed
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:02 am
    YOU remember Peter Mandelson. Who could forget him? Secretary of state for Northern Ireland, serial survivor of controversies and comebacks, arguably the man who invented Blairism before most of us had heard of Tony Blair.

  • Raonaid garda loses Supreme Court appeal

    Independent.ie - National News RSS Feed
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm
    A GARDA failed in a Supreme Court appeal seeking to halt disciplinary proceedings alleging discreditable and insensitive conduct by him in his role as liaison officer with the family of murdered teenager Raonaid Murray.
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    The Irish Times -

  • Four arrested over phone-hacking

    28 Jan 2012 | 5:34 am
    A serving police officer and three men have been arrested over payments to police officers in the British phone-hacking inquiry.

  • Two killed in separate crashes

    28 Jan 2012 | 5:03 am
    Two people have died in separate single vehicle crashes early today.

  • Azarenka reaches the top Down Under

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:47 am
    Tennis: Victoria Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets to claim her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and become the new world number one. The Belarusian was too strong for her Russian opponent in Melbourne, thrashing the 2008 champion 6-3 6-0 in just one hour and 22 minutes.

  • Two held over Bandon murder

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:32 am
    Gardaí investigating the murder of a man whose body was found dumped in the River Bandon have arrested a couple this morning.

  • UN considers action on Syria crisis

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:16 am
    Security forces killed over 40 people in Syria yesterday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family slain in a sectarian attack.
 
 
 
 
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    EirePreneur

  • 'Virtual worlds, real learning' webinar recording now available

    jcorbett
    20 Jan 2012 | 5:21 am
    We (MissionV) were honoured to be invited by Brian Mulligan to make a presentation for the IT Sligo / NDLR Teaching and Learning Webinar series yesterday. The recording of 'Virtual worlds, real learning' is now online.

  • For Profit: The Future Of Social Entrepreneurship

    jcorbett
    17 Dec 2011 | 8:47 am
    For Profit: The Future Of Social Entrepreneurship is an informal meetup taking place in Dublin next Tuesday December 20th - "For-profit social entrepreneurs are changing the world. They create a new model for sustainable change, one which doesn't require constant funding campaigns. We will discuss what for-profit social entrepreneurs are doing to achieve their goals and look for best practices and limits of this models through concrete examples. From our show, we've selected Uber Shelter and InVenture Fund as examples of what can be done"

  • Evernote will buy Plendi

    jcorbett
    16 Dec 2011 | 7:48 am
    Yes, that's what I said. Evernote will buy Dublin headquartered Plendi. And that's my one and only prediction for 2012.

  • Science Week on MissionV (video)

    jcorbett
    17 Nov 2011 | 8:23 am
    We have been supported by Discover Science & Engineering to run a Science Week event where students from 20 schools around Ireland are exhibiting their 'Chemistry of Life' themed projects in a massive 80 acre virtual arena. All week hundreds of students, teachers, parents and guests have been 'beaming in' to browse around and learn about chemistry from each other. The video below captures a small flavour of the activities. We think you'll enjoy seeing how they modelled the water cycle and the solar system, as well as programming an interactive quiz on the digestive system -

  • Electronics Bootcamp at miLKlabs Limerick

    jcorbett
    25 Oct 2011 | 5:44 am
    "The miLKlabs Electronics Bootcamp is an intense introduction to basic and not-so-basic electronics. Run by members of miLKlabs - Limerick's makerspace - the bootcamp will emphasize hands-on experience and practical skills, but you'll learn enough theory to be dangerous. Some of the things you'll learn:  What some electronic components look like and what they do  How to wire up some circuits  Some basic circuit theory  How useful a multimeter is  Some techniques for finding out why your circuit is broken Other topics we'll touch on include semiconductors, analog vs digital electronics…
 
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    Silicon Republic - News

  • Tech tweets of the week

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am
    “Words can change your mood, change your mind; change your heart. So listen for the right words.”-      Bill Liao, social networking entrepreneur and philanthropist“Saw a baby with a bib today that said "Dad put my cape on backwards."-      Art Jonak CEO, Network Professionals“I like when I tweet something political and people get really mean. That's fun.”-      Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief of The Verge“$13 billion in profit this quarter, Apple? I can't…

  • ‘Lumia 800 is the first true Windows Phone’, says Nokia Europe boss

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:28 am
    The last time I saw Conor Pierce it was some time in 2007 after Nokia had launched the N95 smartphone. Pierce at the time was motivated to tear Apple a new one and had hoped the N95 was Nokia's answer to the fledgling first gen iPhone. At the time Nokia was the top player in the smartphone business and seemed unassailable.All the rest is history. Needless to say the iPhone tore the entire smartphone market a new one and today the iOS and its rival Android OS from Google are currently the top dogs.Nokia since then has been struggling to regain relevancy. It has ditched Symbian and has instead…

  • Adobe to expand cloud operations in Ireland as part of Amazon partnership

    27 Jan 2012 | 9:48 am
    Initially reports suggested that Adobe’s chief technology officer Kevin Lynch said that its new Creative Cloud Data Centre would be set up in Dublin later in 2012. The comments were made after Lynch met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the World Economic Forum in Davos. However, the company has since clarified that while Adobe will be expanding its operations in Ireland as part of an existing partnership with Amazon Web Services, this will not require the creation of a Creative Cloud Data Centre. A spokesperson told Silicon Republic: "While speaking with the Prime Minister of Ireland…

  • Future laptops to get Kinect integration?

    27 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am
    According to The Daily, Asus has developed a prototype netbook running Windows 8 which features a row of small sensors across the top of the screen where the webcam would usually be. The device also has LEDs at the bottom of the display.Microsoft reportedly told them that it was an official prototype of a laptop featuring Kinect sensors. It could allow users to navigate through the Windows 8 OS using gesture and voice controls.The tech giant is likely to licence the Kinect technology to hardware manufacturers to create their own Kinect-based laptops.The report comes shortly after Microsoft…

  • Solar storm illuminates the skies with auroras

    27 Jan 2012 | 8:42 am
    This year seems destined to be a particularly unusual year for the Northern Lights, with scientists predicting that people in lower latitudes might be lucky enough to glimpse them.Each year stargazers traditionally descend upon areas in the northern latitudes such as Alaska and Scandinavia to stake out the aurora borealis. But, because the sun is almost about to reach its solar maximum ( potentially May 2013) Ireland and other countries could be in with an even better chance of witnessing the aurora borealis this year.Solar maximumAnd another effect of the sun reaching its solar peak is that…
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    In Photos dot Org

  • An entertaining statue

    Donncha O Caoimh
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:21 pm
    A street performer in Galway City last September. Put money in his box and he’d shake a bit and make some noise. Only kids stopped to watch him. Adults hurried by. Related Posts The O’Connell Monument Father Mathew’s Yoyo Honeymoon Cabaret

  • The Penguin and the Man

    Donncha O Caoimh
    16 Jan 2012 | 5:27 am
    Graffiti on the Crawford Art Gallery about a year ago. There’s something weird going on with my feed here. I messed up the Feedburner redirect for a few days but fixed it and now posts from Holy Shmoly are appearing here too! I’ve disabled the redirect entirely now. Maybe that’ll fix it and my next post on HS won’t appear here. Related Posts No related posts

  • Sunset Chimneys

    Donncha O Caoimh
    10 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pm
    Chimney stacks loom over the town of Clonakilty in County Cork in November last year. PS. happy new year! Related Posts Sky High Chimneys November Sunset Chimneys

  • Yellow and Fenced In

    Donncha O Caoimh
    27 Dec 2011 | 3:05 am
    A flower or weed? A weed is only a flower in the wrong place, or so I’ve heard. This was taken at Seaside in Florida during the Automattic meetup there in 2010. Beautiful beach there, horrible humidity in September! This will probably be my last post of the year here so happy new year and I hope 2012 is a great one for you! Related Posts A Yellow Rose Yellow Daffodils Lost in Snow Yellow Spots

  • Gun Barrel and Ammo Box

    Donncha O Caoimh
    2 Dec 2011 | 3:00 am
    A heavy machine gun on display in Cork City Gaol in August last year. Related Posts No related posts
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    Anthony McG

  • Friday Photo – Cashier No. 9

    anthony
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:03 pm
    Taken at the closing gig for First Fortnight, eh two weeks ago, it’s Cashier No. 9. Superb gig and a brilliant festival highlighting mental health in Ireland.

  • Yosemite time lapse

    anthony
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:48 pm
    Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo. This is the most stunning time lapse footage I’ve ever seen. Yosemite National Park in California shot by Sheldon Neill and Colin Delehanty as part of their collaboration Project Yosemite.

  • Friday Photo – As the light declines

    anthony
    19 Nov 2011 | 6:11 am
    Snapped last week at dusk on Sandymount Strand:

  • The shared experience of absurdity

    anthony
    17 Nov 2011 | 5:23 pm
    Really enjoyed this short TedX talk by Charlie Todd from Improv Everywhere:

  • An Irishman in New York

    anthony
    2 Nov 2011 | 5:49 am
    Love this: A Year in New York from Andrew Clancy on Vimeo. “Living in New York I’d grab my Canon 7D, or S95, and shoot footage of what was going on around me. It seemed like a never ending project and you could stay filming life in New York for a long time. But eventually I put my camera down and started to edit. Here’s the end result, it’s a bit rough and ready but that’s life in the Big Apple I guess.” – Paul Clancy
 
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    Inside View

  • The First Viral Video of 2012

    insideview@podcasting.ie (Bernard Goldbach)
    28 Jan 2012 | 2:38 am
    PLENTY OF VIRAL VIDEOS will emerge in 2012 but Walk Off The Earth's work is the first one I've spotted in 2012. At its current rate of viewing, I reckon the first of March will show that more people will have watched the cover of "Somebody That I Used To Know" than the original. I spotted ten hands and one guitar on Google Plus during the first week of January when they had fewer than 3000 views on YouTube. As I blog about it on the last Saturday of January 2012, more than 40m people have watched the clip. The original by Melbourne-based Gotye has been seen by 51m people.
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    Brian Greene

  • Boycott the home tax – eirigi.org

    Brian Greene
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am

  • household tax meeting Feb 6th Donaghmede Inn 8pm

    Brian Greene
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:58 am

  • Don’t lose Leap over it #rescuez @rescuez

    Brian Greene
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:07 pm
    This is a prototype sticker tag for rescuez.com a start-up providing critical information in an emergency, contacts for next of kin, and getting the things you most cherish back to you if you lose them. We’re Rebooting Emergency Identification.

  • students: contrast & compare these two articles in the Indo today.

    Brian Greene
    21 Jan 2012 | 3:52 am
    Charlie Weston: ‘Poor rich’ earn over €100,000 but can’t meet home paymentshttp://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/charlie-weston-poor-rich-earn-over… James Downey: House tax just one battle in fight to end our woeshttp://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/james-downey-house-tax-just-one-ba… Students please wear your News Filter Goggles (NFG) this is the Irish Independent with Charlie Weston, James Downey & a touch of Karl Deeter.

  • me on dublin city fm xmas 2011

    Brian Greene
    20 Jan 2012 | 1:44 pm
    breakfast show on 103.2 Dublin City FM 27-29 December 2011
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    Bock The Robber

  • Enter title here

    Bock
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:22 pm
    Enda Kenny told us in December that the financial crisis is not our fault, but yesterday he told the rest of the world that we're all mad, so which is it? Are we blameless or are we mad? Maybe Enda is saying that it's both.  Maybe he's saying that we did it, but you can't [...]

  • Enter title here

    Bock
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:39 pm
    If you were in charge of a criminal investigation into the collapse of a bank, how many people would you put on the job? Hmm.  Now there's a tough one.  If it was the collapse of a piggy-bank, I suppose you'd do it yourself and blame Mr Nobody for pushing it off the shelf.  You [...]

  • Enter title here

    Bock
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:13 pm
    This site has a fairly liberal comments policy, but there are certain limits that everyone is asked to observe, the most important of which is the requirement to respect other commenters. You might imagine that the most important is not to piss off the site owners, but that's very much a secondary objective, as long as [...]

  • Enter title here

    Bock
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:24 pm
    As I flipped idly through the Forbes list of billionaires, alternating between astonishment and sheer, venomous resentment, I found myself searching for some kind of relief from the endless carousel of staggeringly-rich people, every one of whom is not me.  Please, I urged the non-existent higher powers.  Give me a sign that these people also [...]

  • Enter title here

    Bock
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:07 pm
    In a joint operation with itself, the Garda Bilocation Unit has carried out simultaneous arrests of Ivor Callely in Dublin and Cork. Supt Peadar Pio, joint head of the unit explained how the operation was carried out.  It was a double strike, he said. That's right, he agreed.  A pincer movement. Pincer movement, nodded Supt [...]
 
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    Grannymar

  • Openings ~ 23

    Grannymar
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:01 am
    Joy’s Entry – What a lovely name. It is very narrow and connects Ann Street to High Street. Home to several pubs, such as McCrackens Cafe Bar. The Entry takes its name from the Joy family who were prominent 18th Century residents of the city. Francis McCracken, shipowner, married Anne Joy, daughter of Francis Joy. The Joy family made their money in linen manufacture and Francis Joy McCracken was founder of the Belfast Newsletter in 1737. It was first printed here in Joy’s Entry. Henry Joy McCracken, a grandson of Francis, became interested in radical politics and joined the…

  • Simplicity

    Grannymar
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am
    Would you like some Ice? Following the 7th July 2005 London bombings, the Emergency Services found mobile/cell phones in pockets or lying around amongst the carnage with no idea of the holders name. Unfortunately some of the phones were all that remained. Some of these phones were used in order to discover the identity of some of the victims. Not an easy task. I bet you have at least one mobile/cell phone. Let us play a little game…. Imagine for a moment that you have… collapsed in the street/fallen under a bus/are in the middle of an explosion… You are unable to help the…

  • Thursday Special ~ The Pharmacist

    Grannymar
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    A man walks into a pharmacy and asks for a pack of condoms. As soon as he has paid for them, he starts laughing and walks out. The next day, the same performance, with the man walking out laughing fit to bust. The pharmacist thinks this odd and asks his assistant that, if the man returns, to follow him. Sure enough, he comes into the store the next day, repeating his actions once more. The assistant duly follows. Half an hour later, he returns. “So did you follow him?” “I did.” “And…where did he go?” . . . “Over to your house!” I cannot…

  • Names

    Grannymar
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    Yesterday I was listening to a BBC radio programme about Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was one of the most versatile and adventurous engineers of the 19th century, responsible for the design of tunnels, bridges, railway lines and ships.  The name has a certain ring to it, but it was certainly not on my list when expecting a baby. In the flow of comments on this weeks Food Monday recipe post, Tee O The Old Fossil informed us of his good lady wife’s name: Mary Alice Arlene Mildred Louise Roena Knickerbocker. I wonder if she was an only child, or the first of a new generation? If the latter,…

  • Bucket List…

    Grannymar
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am
    It came in an email from Brighid. The idea was to:- Hit forward and place an X by all the things you’ve done, remove the x from the ones you have not, and send it to your friends. So being a good sport, I am prepared to share it with all of you: This is your life: ( ) Shot a gun (X) Gone on a blind date. ( ) Skipped school (X) Watched someone die – alas, more than one Visited any of the following: (X) Europe - I live in Europe and have visited quite a few countries ( ) Africa ( ) Asia ( ) Australia ( ) Antarctica ( ) Canada ( ) North America - Massachusetts ( ) South America (X) Flown…
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    Slugger O'Toole

  • Six Nations 2012 Prediction Contest

    Dewi
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:22 am
    Ok – it’s that time of the year. Same rules as usual which are: 1 point for a correct home win, 3 points for a correct away win, 7 points for a correct draw. This year we need the top try scorer. 3 points if it’s one bloke, 2 if it’s joint, 1 if it’s shared by three. Any more than 3 top try scores it’s nowt. Tie breaker is total points scored. Here’s the fixtures: 1  France v Italy 2  Scotland v England 3  Ireland v Wales 4  France v Ireland 5  Italy v England 6  Wales v Scotland 7  England v Wales 8  Ireland v Italy 9  Scotland v France 10 …

  • Unreconstructed Unionism in Cookstown: Whither catholic outreach?

    Chris Donnelly
    27 Jan 2012 | 4:24 pm
    Whilst the unionist unity debate rages on, Mick’s thread linking to an article by Michael Shilliday, a vocal opponent within the UUP to the idea, is interesting for highlighting both the dangers of the aspiration for a unified unionist (or nationalist) voice and the gulf between the infrequently lofty rhetoric of the DUP’s Peter Robinson regarding his party’s vision of a unified community and the words and actions of his own fellow party members (more on that here and here.) The policy of DUP councillors in Cookstown of refusing to stand for a minute’s silence…

  • David McNarry resigns from UUP Assembly Group after Tom Elliott cuts him out of education committee role

    Alan in Belfast
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:22 pm
    The News Letter and UTV’s Ken Reid have been tweeting tonight what looks like being the latest episode in the UUP-DUP united unionist soap opera. David McNarry has resigned from the UUP Assembly group after Tom Elliott withdrew him as vice-chair of education committee, though stopped short of taking away the party whip. The BBC add: Mr McNarry said he spoke to the party leader on Friday evening by telephone. And Mr Elliott told him he was being disciplined as a result of an article that appeared in the Belfast Telegraph last Monday. Although Mr Elliott said he would not be removing the…

  • Newt Gingrich: a space cadet with ideas that are out of this world?

    Alan in Belfast
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:26 pm
    By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American. (Newt Gingrich) It certainly qualifies as a BHAG – Big Hairy Audacious Goal for anyone lucky enough not to be fluent in management speak. An injection of ambition and cash into the state space industry would be a big sweetener to people listening to Newt Gingrich’s message at his Florida campaign rally. We will have commercial near-Earth activities that include science, tourism and manufacturing, because it is in our interest to acquire so much experience in space that we…

  • Questions for Ulster Protestants

    Ruarai
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pm
    Assuming – for the sake of discussion – Scottish independence happens in the next 5-50 years: 1. What would be in the best interests of Ulster Protestants in a post-union (i.e. post-U.K) Northern Ireland and why? 2. For centuries most Ulster Protestants have had a series of reasons for being both a. pro-Union and b. opposed to a unified, one-person-one-vote independent Irish state. Notwithstanding your views on the continuing present day validity of perspective (b), what would it mean to be pro-Union in the advent of an independent Scotland breaking up the U.K as we know it? 3. If…
 
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    Splintered Sunrise

  • Tom Kerry: “If Ever You Surrender Your Right To Criticize, You’re Dead!” (1979)

    splinteredsunrise
    3 Jan 2012 | 7:40 pm
    Comrades, I take the floor despite my vows not to do so. I’ve had it. I’ve had it up to here. The decision I would have to make would be either to stay home, to stay away from the branch meetings, or to begin to speak and express an opinion. I’ve had some experience in the party, for forty-five years. I’ve even been an industrial worker. Would you believe it! And a nonindustrial worker. Let me divert. I don’t get this about the industrial worker. What is it about being an industrial worker that endows the individual with qualities which require other individuals…

  • From the archives: The Panel System of Election and Bolshevik Tradition (1945)

    splinteredsunrise
    31 Dec 2011 | 3:59 pm
    Note: The following document was first published the Revolutionary Communist Party’s Internal Bulletin No. 4 (October 1945). It does have some obvious historical interest but also – and we note this document was recently circulated by Alex Callinicos on Facebook – may serve to clarify certain questions of current interest. At our recent (1945) National Congress the new Central Committee was elected by a method which has apparently puzzled some comrades. After discussions had taken place between the majority of the old CC and delegates to the Congress holding the minority…

  • Guest post: On the historical experiences of IS and SWP with factions

    splinteredsunrise
    29 Dec 2011 | 4:25 pm
    Note: The following essay has been submitted by an SWP member who would prefer to remain anonymous, and is intended to shed some historical light on questions of current interest. In his essay On Party Democracy John Molyneux correctly remarked that the formation of factions in democratic centralist parties and organisations like ours is part and parcel of our tradition. He also made clear that he is uncertain as to whether they are an appropriate part of party democracy today. This essay argues that in most conceivable circumstances they are not only conceivable as an important mechanism by…

  • Apropos of absolutely nothing at all

    splinteredsunrise
    28 Dec 2011 | 11:46 am
    Shattered Glass (Dir: Billy Ray, 2003) “After all, we are in the entertainment business.” Rupert Murdoch, after the exposure of the Hitler Diaries forgery. I blame Konrad Kujau and Robert Harris. Actually, probably Orson Welles too, having been bowled over by his classic, and criminally overlooked, F For Fake. But anyway, as some of you will remember, Konrad Kujau was the ebullient forger behind the 1983 Hitler Diaries scandal which led to some of the world’s biggest news organisations handing over huge sums of money for sixty-odd volumes of fake Führer diaries. More than that, what…

  • A paperboy’s tale

    splinteredsunrise
    27 Dec 2011 | 2:21 pm
    Paperboy by Tony Macaulay (Y Books, 2011) See me? See this book? This book is deadly crack, so it is. At which point you, the reader, will be asking for why it is deadly crack. The thing is, if you look back at that category of books one could class as “Troubles memoirs”, they do tend to be unremittingly grim. So it’s with immense joy that we come across a memoir of 1970s Belfast that wouldn’t easily fit into WH Smith’s “Tragic Life Stories” section. Indeed, one that’s pure brilliant at bringing out the dark humour of our city. To do this takes a child’s perspective. And in…
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    The Cedar Lounge Revolution

  • This weekend I’ll mostly be listening to… New Order, Movement

    WorldbyStorm
    28 Jan 2012 | 3:50 am
    Let’s wind back to 1981 (and ignore, if we can, the news of the most recent split in the ranks of New Order – you can find Peter Hook and his band touring the two main Joy Division albums while New Order tour without him). After the death of Ian Curtis Joy Division had collapsed, but Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris soon regrouped as New Order with new member Gillian Gilbert and dragged Martin Hannett back for one last time to produce them and generate this curious amalgam of what they were and what they would be. Granted, this is little off the beaten track in terms of…

  • Mathematicians organising “Occupy Elsevier”

    Tomboktu
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:05 pm
    Timothy Gowers, professor of mathematics at Cambridge, has suggested that mathematicians should boycott leading journals published by Elsevier. He lists four reasons: 1. It charges very high prices — so far above the average that it seems quite extraordinary that they can get away with it. 2. One method that they have for getting away with it is a practice known as “bundling”, where instead of giving libraries the choice of which journals they want to subscribe to, they offer them the choice between a large collection of journals (chosen by them) or nothing at all. So if some Elsevier…

  • Bit’s and Pieces… Understatement on Mitt Romney’s income, Newt Gingrich, teachers and social media, self-employment and more…

    WorldbyStorm
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:30 am
    Let’s start with some appropriate understatement. On KCRW’s To The Point, in interview Brody Mullins of the WSJ answered the following question: Tell us a little bit more about his income over two years… where does it come from? Really just from investments.. he gives a couple of speeches a year and from that earns a paltry $500,000… but most just investments… some from overseas… and that’s why he enjoys such a low tax rate… Bush era tax cuts, income derived from investment is taxed at 15% whereas regular income is taxed much higher up to 30%. Who says Americans don’t do…

  • More on Enda Kennys “We The Irish caused it all!”

    irishelectionliterature
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:25 am
    Enda explains the global financial crisis to the world in Davos – no Lehman’s, no sub-prime lending, no unregulated global banking sector… We The Irish caused it all!

  • 98.3%

    WorldbyStorm
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:47 am
    That’s the figure of those who haven’t paid the household tax quoted last night at a campaign meeting on North Strand [of which more later]. Even if it’s gone down a little that’s still an huge figure and although the big guns of government will no doubt be trained on the electorate ['we all partied' - natch] it provides a strong basis for the current campaign. Is there some way of finding out online what the figure is on a continuous basis?
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    le craic

  • The Line King – a very clever TY project from Students in Limerick

    aj@lecraic
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:07 am
    I love nifty ideas, and thankfully I spotted this one on Twitter last night. The 4th year students of Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom, Co.Limerick have set up a mini business as a transition year project. It’s called ‘The Line King’ and it sets out to solve a problem for accountancy and business students in Ireland (and presumably further afield as well). Here it is : It’s a stencil that a student can use to turn any standard lined page into an accountancy record book, thereby saving money that would otherwise be spent on buying pre lined accountancy books. I know from my…

  • Downton Abbey & Twitter interventions

    aj@lecraic
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:45 am
    You’d want to have your head stuck in a bucket of treacle not to have heard about the TV Series ‘Downton Abbey’. It’s been wildly successful since it first hit the screen back in September 2010. According to the well known online encyclopedia website ‘Wikipedia’, in 2011 : ‘it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most critically acclaimed English-language television show” for the year, becoming the first British show to be so recognised’ It’s not the sort of programme I’d watch normally, but my chance to see…

  • Christmas tree robberies in 1962

    aj@lecraic
    21 Dec 2011 | 6:10 am
    Once upon a time in Ireland (1962 to be exact), it was the theft of Christmas trees that made headlines. In the Ireland of 2011, it’s the theft of a baby Jesus statue that grabs our attention. Love this old video, especially halfway through when the Sergeant says “element of surprise”…

  • A Personalised Christmas Card for you

    aj@lecraic
    4 Nov 2011 | 12:37 pm
    If you can guess the hair, eyes, nose and mouth on the Fluffybutton Facebook page. Here are the Personalised Christmas Card designs you can choose from if you should be the winner.

  • RTE Player App for iPad and iPhone on the way

    aj@lecraic
    27 Oct 2011 | 3:03 pm
    Update : 21st December 2011. The app is now available. Search for RTE Player in the App store. Worth the wait. I rarely watch TV programmes at their scheduled broadcast time. I guess most people are the same. Sky+ , web catchup services and iPad/iPhone/Android apps have totally changed the broadcasting landscape. As an Apple device owner, I miss the ability of being able to catch up on RTE programmes due to the lack of Adobe Flash support on the device. To a collective “hurray” from iPad and iPhone owners, RTE today announced they will launch a Player app for Apple devices…
 
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    Sour Grapes

  • Bubble brothers finds a new voice

    Lar
    16 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    When Julian Alubaidy (now @curiousjulian) left Bubble Brothers, I felt they had lost their soul, their online one at least. Julian wrote what I think was the first (and finest) wine blog in Ireland and after his departure, it fell silent. I’m sure they were getting on fine offline, but there was certainly a void for wine drinking digital natives. So, I was delighted to see them take on Paul Kiernan, one of the most entertaining wine writers of the new generation. Where others assume tacit knowledge, Paul manages to inform while being entertaining. Thus, a terroirible beauty was born.

  • Chinese wine: Chang Yu Cabernet d’Est 2010

    Lar
    6 Jan 2012 | 2:55 am
    While most of the stories we read about wine in China centre around their thirst for Lafite, Mouton and other top-end Bordeaux, there is another side to Chinese wine. China is set to become (if it hasn’t already) the largest wine producing country in the world. While most of it will go to their growing middle class, we’ll undoubtedly start to see some of it move in this direction. TxB have one of the most geographically diverse portfolios and having recently added a wine from China, I was really keen to try it. It was the Cabernet d’Est from the Chang Yu winery. The grape A…

  • What’s in your wine? Channel 4 Dispatches (from 2008)

    Lar
    4 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am
    This is an oldie (2008) but a goodie to watch. If you have the interest and/or patience to watch it, I’d be interested to hear your tuppence worth, particularly wine drinkers – does it surprise or scare you. I’ll hold off on my commentary here. Hat-tip to Blake Creedon for spotting the video online.

  • The official Sourgrapes.ie Christmas Wine Guide

    Lar
    11 Dec 2011 | 4:28 pm
    So, it’s Christmas. What wine should you be drinking? Sherry, of course. And probably Port too. Talking to some wine merchants, and this is the only time they sell any of the stuff. If I were to pick one, I’d go for a Sherry. The great thing about Sherry is that you can go from bone dry to sweet, it’s literally a world of discovery. I’d go with a dry Puerto Fino sherry, perfect as an aperatif and available just about everywhere from independent wine shop to supermarket. Look out for Lustau. Bubbles must make an appearance. There’s plenty to choose from. Tattinger…

  • Wine of the Week: Honoro Vera, Catalyud, Spain

    Lar
    15 Nov 2011 | 2:14 pm
    Drogheda, a town in county Louth, stretching across the border into neighbouring Meath, is becoming a bit of media darling. Featured recently on national television, it’s no longer just a town you bypass on the way to Dundalk but somewhere worth stopping. And if stop you do, then stop you must at Quintessential Wines on the Dublin Road. There, you’ll find a modest but carefully selected range of wines on the shelves. One that stands out is a Spanish wine, Honoro Vera. She stands out initially because of her elaborate postpunk label, worthy of a place on thedieline.com But…
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    Head Rambles

  • Now it is my fault

    Grandad
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:47 am
    It’s funny how things change. Last December, our Glorious Leader, Dane Enda gave a State of the Nation speech.  One thing he was definite about – it was not the People who caused the financial crisis. Later on, he expanded on that.  It was not the People; it was the banks, crap government and developers.  The only one he missed there was the Financial Regulator who was fast asleep at the wheel.  At least it wasn’t our fault.  He wasn’t blaming me. Yesterday he was asked yet again what caused the crash in Ireland. What the fuck? No mention of builders?  No mention of the…

  • No shit Sherlock

    Grandad
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:24 am
    I am appealing to my Irish readers. Well, that’s not strictly true as the vast majority of you are not living here [lucky sods], so most Irish don’t find me appealing. Anyway, this is for the few who do live here. You may have heard that one of our ministers [a little cunt by the name of Sherlock] is trying to implement a bill that will effectively hand over control of the Interweb to our gubmint and the music industry.  It is essentially the same as the American SOPA thing in that they can shut down a site if they don’t like its content.  Seeing as our shower are just puppets…

  • Duty my arse

    Grandad
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:50 am
    What kind of fucking eejit wants to give away money needlessly? Apparently the Irish do. Today our gubmint is parting with €1.25bn to gamblers without any compulsion to do so.  Yup – €1,250,000,000 that might as well be going up in smoke. But it’s not just the gubmint. The fucking people of Ireland are at it too. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard people being interviewed and saying that they know the property tax is “necessary” or “fair” or even “right”.  They say they “accept that Ireland is in a mess” and then go on to say they are…

  • Sheer spite

    Grandad
    24 Jan 2012 | 7:34 am
    It’s an interesting concept. An organisation whose primary aim is supposed to be the health and welfare of the nation is forcing smokers not just to leave hospital buildings but is now forcing them out onto the road. There is no logic behind this move, as even those who believe in the myth of Environmental Tobacco Smoke will have to admit that smoke outdoors poses no health risk whatsoever?  Those same people will have to admit that standing by the side of a road in one’s pyjamas on a cold winter’s day is not exactly the healthiest of actions?  Even some of the more…

  • Finding Cavan

    Grandad
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:53 am
    People do use the strangest queries to arrive on this site. I had one a few minutes ago – “where is Cavan”. There are two things that are strange about this query.  The first is why they ended up here.  Presumably in a moment of pure insanity I must have written about the place but I can’t think why. The other strange thing is that anyone would want to know where Cavan is in the first place. One of the few lessons I remember from my schooldays is that Cavan in on the Drumlin Belt.  For those of you who don’t know what the Drumlin Belt is, it’s a glacial thing where…
 
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    Paddy in the Big Apple

  • Around the World in 5 Minutes

    9 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm
    How many places have you been? Tags: .Around the World in 5 Minutes,Speeding Around The World in Under 5 minutes Time Lapse If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click herePaddy in the Big Apple

  • Proof that Hot Dogs are bad for you..

    6 Jan 2012 | 10:55 pm
    Proof that Hot Dogs are bad for you. Tags: .Proof that Dogs are bad for you..If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click herePaddy in the Big Apple

  • How far can you run on an 'EMPTY' tank of gas?

    3 Jan 2012 | 11:02 pm
    I'm all about deals and bargains these days cos' of the economy don't ya know. I stumbled upon a u$d19 per day Hertz car rental rate a while back so I block booked every weekend from October 2011 to June 2012 with the option to cancel and/or extend the weekend rental for as long as I like. Since we hadn't made concrete plans for Christmas / New Years I decided we would extend the 2 day rental to 16 days and drive from New Jersey to Florida (1,250 miles / 2,000 Kilometres) x 2 for the journey back. The trip was great and escaping the cold North East Winter for the warmth of Florida beaches was…

  • Happy New Year!

    30 Dec 2011 | 10:53 pm
    Highlights from 2011 Positive - My teeth are in great shape.  The number of times I visited the dentist became a running joke in work (20+ visits) and I now have 3 shiney gold teeth (not a joke!) - apparently they are more durable. Negative - I need to work 3 more years than originally planned to pay off my dentist Positive - I am no longer dependent on public transport Negative - I only have a bicycle -- Positive - The bike only cost u$d100 Negative - The lock and 4 punctures (burst tire) have already cost me u$d300 -- Positive - My Dad turned 80 years old Negative - He still kicks my…

  • Lunch with Johnathan Ross

    28 Dec 2011 | 7:07 pm
    So me and the missus have been driving around East Florida for the holidays and today we stopped into an organic cafe called 'The Jungle' for lunch in the middle of a no name town called Melbourne cos' herself is a part time vegan when she's not tossin' a cow on a barbie.  It was hard not to notice the family at the table next to us, what with each of them having hair color a different shade of the rainbow and more body piercings than 'The Sex Pistols'.  The missus says to me in a low whisper - "Do they not know Halloween is over?!" We paid little attention to them after that…
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    The Irish Diaspora

  • Stop SOPA Ireland

    diaspora
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:17 am
    Sean Sherlock, Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation Ireland, has announced he intends to enact a radical new law that could result in restricted access to websites in Ireland, without a vote in the Oireachtas. The intention is to sign a statutory instrument into law without the appropriate debate.The Minister has stated that he is obliged to introduce the legislation to comply with EU law.There are many reasons to be concerned about this proposal, not least the lack of publication of the wording of the enactment, but the one area we’ll draw attention to is the effect it could…

  • Titanic 100 Cobh 2012

    diaspora
    1 Jan 2012 | 7:56 pm
    Emer and Rory Murphy, official launch of Titanic 100 Cobh 2012 This year sees the 100th anniversary of ‘the only ship everybody knows’.It was on 11th April 1912 that the Titanic left Cobh, its last port of call on its maiden voyage to New York, just three and a half days before it was to tragically find its way to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.123 passengers joined her at Cobh and they symbolise Irish emigrants of the time, often poor and on a single ticket to start a new life in another country. They joined a number of irish already on board the Titanic and most were lost on…

  • President Michael D Higgins – Inauguration Speech

    diaspora
    11 Nov 2011 | 2:25 pm
    Inauguration Speech 11/11/2011Muintir na hÉireann and friends of Ireland at home and abroad, there can be no greater honour than to have been elected Uachtarán na hÉireann – President of Ireland. I thank you the people of Ireland for the honour you have bestowed upon me and I accept and appreciate the great responsibilities of that office.Citizens of Ireland, you have chosen me to be your ninth President, to represent you at home and abroad, and to serve as a symbol of an Irishness of which we can all be proud.An Irishness which is carried by every citizen and which we must recall…

  • Poetry In Motion

    diaspora
    28 Oct 2011 | 5:43 pm
    Congratulations to Michael D Higgins, 9th President of Ireland, and a man who will continue to bring vision, integrity and honour to the highest office of the state.       “The President is Ireland’s face to the outside world, and should highlight the best on which our international reputation is built.This includes excellence in culture and the arts, creativity in business, pride in our heritage, respect earned through our record in humanitarian work and in peacekeeping, and the important contributions and connections made by our diaspora in so many…

  • Taking The Boat

    diaspora
    22 Sep 2011 | 7:41 pm
    I found this video recently and it poignantly captures the Irish backdrop to 1950s emigration. Our own parents left Ireland during this period, and their parents, like many thousands of others, saw their children ‘take the boat’. It’s a reminder of the hardships of the time…The start of the 21st century sees a new generation of talented people leaving Ireland – emigrants by definition, and potentially ambassadors by choice.Are we ready to accept the idea that our citizens abroad can be part of the national discussion, considered equal and worthy of political…
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    Brian's Blog

  • Nama: Additional Disclosures based on Par Value of Loans

    Brian
    23 Jan 2012 | 5:35 am
    As readers of this blog will know, I have been concerned about the accounting method used by Nama and have campaigned for more transparent accounts based on the par value of loans acquired (€74 billion) and full disclosure of written down/off loans and interest. My campaign included writing to Nama's board, Minister for Finance, EU Commission (twice) and, more recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) and Public Accounts Committee (PAC). See Nama's Accounts and the Comptroller & Auditor General and linked items. At its meeting on 1st December 2011, the…

  • Don't Pay Anglo Bondholders

    Brian
    15 Jan 2012 | 5:57 am
    I wish to protest at the planned redemption at par value of a €1.25 billion bond on 25th January by Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, formerly Anglo, Given that this unsecured, unguaranteed bond traded at less 60 percent of par within the past year, why is the Government redeeming this bond at par notwithstanding that the issuing bank is insolvent and being liquidated?The proposed payment is equivalent to the salaries of 5,000 extra nurses for five years; or one-third of the cuts and tax increases in the 2012 budget: or the full cost of TWO new national children's hospital. Instead, the…

  • Another Message to TDs about Anglo Bonds

    Brian
    5 Jan 2012 | 3:49 pm
    I sent the following email to all TDs today regarding the next redemption of Anglo bonds: Dear DeputyI wish to protest at the planned redemption at par value of a €1.25 billion bond (ISIN ref. XS0283695228) on 25th January by Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, formerly Anglo, Given that this unsecured and unguaranteed bond traded at less 60 percent of par within the past year, why is the Government redeeming this bond at par given that the issuing bank is insolvent and being liquidated?The proposed payment is equivalent to the salaries of 5,000 extra nurses for five years; or one-third…

  • Budget for 2012

    Brian
    17 Dec 2011 | 4:26 am
    Given that the Minister for Finance has claimed on numerous occasions that all the low hanging fruit has been picked, why doesn't he start plucking some of the ripe, plump fruit off the highest branches? He could also give the tree a good shake and make substantial saving by cutting off dead branches and pruning back at all levels.For example, he could introduce a third tax band for salaries above €100,000, apply a salary limit of €150,000 across the entire public sector and limit pensions in the sector to half that. Such measures would be much fairer than increasing VAT, introducing new…

  • Nama's Accounting Methods and the Comptroller & Auditor General

    Brian
    15 Nov 2011 | 9:57 am
    Over the past year, I have expressed deep concern about Nama's accounting methods to Nama's chairman and board, EU Commissioners and the Minister for Finance in a series of letters - see Nama and Creative Accounting for details. My complaint is that Nama is using an accounting method which effectively "buries" the losses incurred (aka the "discount") on loans acquired from the covered banks. The furore over the recent "discovery" of €3.6 billion in the national accounts is nothing compared with the "disappearance", I reckon, of about €50 billion (i.e. €50,000,000,000)…
 
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    ALL THINGS IRELAND

  • HEINEKEN CUP TIES ANNOUNCED

    john toher
    22 Jan 2012 | 1:51 pm
    Munster will host Ulster and Leinster will host Cardiff Blues in the quarter-final round of the Heineken Cup. Munster ended the pool stage as top seed, with Leinster finishing as second seed, guaranteeing both provinces home quarter-finals.Ulster secured the second-best pool runners-up spot and qualified for the quarters as the last seed.Munster will host their quarter-final at Thomond Park, Limerick, while Leinster will most likely play their last eight tie with Cardiff Blues at the Aviva Stadium.Edinburgh host Toulouse and Saracens host Clermont Auvergne in the other quarter-finals.The…

  • CONNAUGHT DEFEAT HARLEQUINS

    john toher
    20 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pm
    In a famous night for Connaught rugby, Eric Elwood's side claimed their first win in their maiden Heineken Cup adventure on Friday evening by 9 points to 8 at the Sportsground in Galway.Three penalties from the boot of Niall O'Connor was enough to earn the Westerners their first win in 15 games this Season.Harlequins could only muster a Sam Smith try early in the first-half and one penalty was all they could produce in the second period.Conor O' Shea's Premiership side knew that a victory was a must in order to qualify for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup but they came up…

  • IRISH RUGBY SQUADS ANNOUNCED

    john toher
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:17 pm
    Head coach Declan Kidney has confirmed the squad for the upcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship which gets underway in a few weeks' time.The Ireland team management have today announced two squads ahead of the 2012 RBS 6 Nations and the upcoming O2 Ireland Wolfhounds game against England Saxons.There are 24 players named in the Ireland senior squad, with six additional up-and-coming players named who will join the first week of Ireland camp in Limerick to train with the squad. The 22-man O2 Ireland Wolfhounds squad includes several uncapped players as well as full internationals. The Ireland…

  • IRELAND'S DARREN GIBSON SIGNS FOR EVERTON

    john toher
    13 Jan 2012 | 3:26 pm
    Ireland's Darren Gibson has joined Everton from Man Utd on a four and a half year deal today.The fee is believed to be only £500,000 which is very low even though the Derryman had failed to make the breakthrough at Utd."I realised the time had come for a change", said the midfielder."I want to get into the Ireland team for the Euro's so I need regular football, which I will get here at Everton".On hearing the news Giovanni Trapattoni said simply: "At last!".Hope it works out for Gibson at his new club and he begins to show his true potential.

  • CONNACHT 13-15 LEINSTER

    john toher
    2 Jan 2012 | 4:05 pm
    Connacht let one slip at the Showgrounds last night as Isa Nacewa's 100% place-kicking return was the difference between the sides as Leinster squeezed past their provincial rivals Connacht in the RaboDirect PRO12.Although Connacht had the better of a slow-burning first half, three penalties from man-of-the-match Nacewa nudged Leinster into a 9-3 lead at the break.Connacht took advantage of sin-binnings for Isaac Boss and Leo Cullen as they created tries for Tiernan O'Halloran and South African Ethienne Reynecke.But Matthew Jarvis and replacement Miah Nikora missed both conversions, with the…
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    Irish American Mom

  • County Antrim – Spectacular Coastline And Charming Glens

    Irish American Mom
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:50 pm
      County Antrim boasts a magnificent coastline. The Causeway Coastal Route spans its ocean perimeter, passing through some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Ireland and Europe. Today I have chosen to share a few photos of this beautiful county. There are many sites I have omitted since time and space only allow a “wee peek” at County Antrim’s splendor. )County Antrim Image Credit Situated in the northeast corner of the island, Co. Antrim is part of the nine counties of Ulster, and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, and part of the United Kingdom. Man…

  • The Night Of The Big Wind

    Irish American Mom
    26 Jan 2012 | 3:18 pm
        Have you ever heard people using the term windfall to describe unexpected good fortune, especially financial gain? The word windfall traditionally refers to a piece of fallen fruit, knocked down by the wind.  The use of the word to describe unforeseen pennies from heaven may trace its origins to a terrible storm which struck Ireland on the night of January 6, 1839. Storm Off The Irish Coast Image Credit This infamous night is often referred to in Irish folklore as the “Night of the Big Wind”.  All who experienced the event remembered the chaos and sheer terror…

  • Ireland’s Thirty-Two Counties

    Irish American Mom
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:29 am
    When two Irishmen meet the first question asked is usually:   “What county are you from?”   Irishmen find identity in their county of origin, always believing their county to be the best.  No matter where an Irishman wanders across the globe, his heart sings when he connects with a fellow Irishman, and especially a fellow county man (or woman as the case may be). Image Credit A satellite view of Ireland reveals no divides and markings, just one beautifully green island.  Yet Irish people love their counties with zeal and passion This innate love of county one would…

  • Did Irish Immigrants In America Ever Return To Their Homeland?

    Irish American Mom
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:00 pm
    Immigrants have traveled from Ireland to America for over two hundred and fifty years.  This traffic is usually thought of as one-way, flowing in a westerly direction across the Atlantic ocean.  Today I wish to challenge that assumption! As I read more stories of the Irish in America, I have come to realize, not every immigrant stayed in their newly adopted land. Image Credit Frank McCourt’s book Angela’s Ashes tells his parents’ tale of immigration to America, where he was born. Their return to Ireland was prompted by the unexpected, tragic death of their daughter in…

  • Yorkshire Pudding – A Classic British Side For Roast Beef

    Irish American Mom
    21 Jan 2012 | 8:33 pm
      Traditional roast beef dinner was usually accompanied by Yorkshire pudding in our house.  It is made from batter and usually smothered in gravy, to compliment the roast.  This side dish originated in Yorkshire, England, hence the name. When meat was scarce during the two World Wars, Yorkshire pudding was served extensively to help stretch the beef a little further. Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 3 large eggs 6 teaspoons canola oil The ingredients are very simple pantry staples. Add the flour to a large mixing bowl.  I like to use my batter bowl…
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