Ireland

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    The Irish Times -

  • Six dead in Colombia bus attack

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    Six people, including two children, were killed when suspected Colombian Farc guerrillas stopped and set fire to bus traveling in the south of the country, a local state governor said today.

  • Uefa shocked by huge match-fixing ring

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    Twelve matches in the Europa League and three in the Champions League are among “around 200” games being looked at by Uefa as part of an investigation into alleged match-fixing described by one official as the biggest to ever affect European football.

  • ISPCC calls for constitutional reform

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    The ISPCC has called for constitutional reform to fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which today celebrates its 20th anniversary on Universal Children’s Day.

  • Jordan predicts Schumacher comeback

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    Formula One:Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan believes Michael Schumacher will replace Jenson Button at the newly-named Mercedes team for next season.

  • Irish pleas for a replay rejected again

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    The door appears to have closed on the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of their World Cup play-off second leg against France being replayed after the FAI’s call for their counterparts in Paris to join them in lobbying Fifa was rejected this evening.
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    Twenty Major - Still smoking in Dublin bars

  • Something to brighten up Friday

    Twenty Major
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Brilliance from The Onion (via Irish URLs). Boy Finds Own Real-Life E.T. Similar posts No Related Post

  • Depressing

    Twenty Major
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:01 am
    The last 48 hours have been depressing. Despite huge disaffection with the government, the disgrace that is NAMA, the bankers riding roughshod over the rules now that they’ve got their bailout, the public and private sector workers being set against each other, strikes and a nasty budget on the horizon, politicians that continue to steal our money with their expenses and get away with, a rotten economy, high unemployment, lack of opportunity in the jobs market, a property market still on the slide, sweeping corruption throughout state bodies with more revelations about FÁS, increases…

  • Stick to rugby, Bock

    Twenty Major
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:56 am
    Ireland went out of the World Cup last night when Thierry Henry cheated and France scored. Of course emotions run high and it’s easy to point the finger of blame at one man when that misses the big picture entirely. But it goes deeper than that. According to Bock the Robber, Thierry Henry knew before the game France would qualify. He says: He knows this because he has been told it before the game kicked off. Thierry Henry knew his team would be going to South Africa before they played one second of the first leg in Dublin. Why? Because we now know clearly that soccer has no credibility…

  • Do you know what’d be awesome?

    Twenty Major
    18 Nov 2009 | 8:09 am
    If you were a bank worker and you got wind that you were going to be subjected to one of those ubiquitous ‘Tiger kidnappings’, and using your advance warning you went and stayed in a hotel that night and filled your house with man-eating Bengals. Wouldn’t be long before the criminals lobbied to have the name changed to ‘Puppy kidnappings’. Which by their very nature would be much more playful affairs. Similar posts No Related Post

  • Have AIB just pulled a fast one?

    Twenty Major
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:26 am
    AIB announces new managing director is to be: a) appointed from within despite a search for an outside candidate that apparently found nobody suitable for the job b) to be paid more than the €500,000 per annum cap Minister Lenihan put on bakers salaries. There is uproar on the airwaves and in the Dail. “Bankers are back to being bankers after they get their bail-out”, and so forth. Today, it is announced that Colm Doherty will wear his €500,000 salary cap and assume the role of ‘managing director’ of the bank, taking over from Chief Executive Eugene Sheehy. Crisis…
 
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    The Irish Times -

  • Six dead in Colombia bus attack

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    Six people, including two children, were killed when suspected Colombian Farc guerrillas stopped and set fire to bus traveling in the south of the country, a local state governor said today.

  • Uefa shocked by huge match-fixing ring

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    Twelve matches in the Europa League and three in the Champions League are among “around 200” games being looked at by Uefa as part of an investigation into alleged match-fixing described by one official as the biggest to ever affect European football.

  • ISPCC calls for constitutional reform

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm
    The ISPCC has called for constitutional reform to fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which today celebrates its 20th anniversary on Universal Children’s Day.

  • Jordan predicts Schumacher comeback

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    Formula One:Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan believes Michael Schumacher will replace Jenson Button at the newly-named Mercedes team for next season.

  • Irish pleas for a replay rejected again

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    The door appears to have closed on the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of their World Cup play-off second leg against France being replayed after the FAI’s call for their counterparts in Paris to join them in lobbying Fifa was rejected this evening.
 
 
 
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    EirePreneur

  • Irish school making great use of Twitter

    jcorbett
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:09 am
    From the Computers in Education Society of Ireland mailing list comes this gem from Pauric O'Donnell at St. Eunans College in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal -"I set up a twitter account that several staff have access to update using the web or mobiles, it means they can quickly add news about the school - such as snow days, etc. to the feed. I then embedded the feed onto the front page of the school website so now the updates appear there live. The school also uses the feed to report live commentary from sporting events - for example goal alerts during a senior football game, updated by text by a…

  • How the unions react to critics

    jcorbett
    7 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am
    Via Damien Mulley -

  • Outvesting now seeking startup applications for €5,000 gift

    jcorbett
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:28 am
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOnline campaign seeking start-ups for €5,000 donationNEWCASTLEWEST, CO. LIMERICK - OCT 30, 2009: Outvesting.org, the online campaign which has raised a €5,000 fund through donations on Twitter is now seeking applications from Irish entrepreneurs. The entire fund will be gifted, no strings attached, to one lucky start-up after a review and voting process."We simply asked people to pledge €50 each in the hope that one hundred others would do likewise.  Those pledges came rolling in and in the space of four weeks were converted to donations amounting to the target…

  • €2.5m giveaway to Irish Social Entrepreneurs

    jcorbett
    12 Oct 2009 | 5:40 am
    From the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland website -As I’m sure most of you have heard, the Arthur Guinness Fund is currently taking applications from Social Entrepreneurs around Ireland as part of the Guinness 250 Celebration. Guinness & Co. has partnered with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland to implement the initiative, which will support projects that deliver lasting social, community and environmental benefits. It will seek to identify, support and empower social entrepreneurs who have projects and initiatives that are innovative, impactful and sustainable, and make a real difference to…

  • Over 100 pledges to Outvesting - now collecting

    jcorbett
    12 Oct 2009 | 2:16 am
    Two weeks ago, when we made the initial pledges to donate €50 to an Irish startup, we weren't quite sure what to expect. Would the fund drive get the necessary momentum to reach the target of 100 pledgers? Or would it fizzle?Happily it didn't fizzle and within a few days we'd actually exceeded the target. So now we're collecting and would like to invite all pledgers to submit their donation to Outvesting.org. Thanks again.
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    THE LIMERICK BLOGGER

  • The end of the road

    A Twist of Fate
    19 Nov 2009 | 4:05 am
    As Ireland saw their world cup dreams shattered last night in Paris, the crisis surrounding Justin McCarthy and his selection team deepened last night. 4 more high profile names have withdrawn from the Limerick Senior Hurling squad leaving next years Limerick panel looking very “green” indeed. As reported in the Limerick Leader, the latest to quit are Brian Geary, Donal O’Grady, Seamus Hickey and Wayne McNamara joining Mark Foley, Stephen Lucey, Niall Moran, Damien Reale and James Ryan in their absence from the Limerick squad.At this point it looks like the writing may be on the…

  • Reward offered for missing dog following carjacking

    Squid
    17 Nov 2009 | 3:14 pm
    The family of a lady whose car was hijacked last week are offering a reward for the safe return of their missing dog Jess who was in the car when it was stolen. When the car was hijacked in Palaskenry last Thursday, there were two dogs in the car, a male and female schnauzers. The female dog was recovered in Crecora on Saturday, but Jess, the male remains missing. Jess (pictured) is described as 20 inches in height and is salt and pepper colour. Anyone who has either seenJess, or who may have rescued him can contact Dan on 085 1740599 or 087 9775775

  • What did he do?

    A Twist of Fate
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:58 am
    One story on the local papers caught my eye this week. The Limerick Leader carries the story of 233 complaints being received by Limerick City council concerning local authority housing. Arising from those complaints, just one person was evicted. At a meeting of the city’s joint policing committee, housing official Donal Moore informed those present that a total of 233 complaints have been received to date in 2009. 185 of the complaints had been resolved. Arising from those complaints over 300 people,  have been interviewed by council staff during investigations of the complaints.

  • “Nearer my God to Thee”

    A Twist of Fate
    3 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pm
    I drove by the Gaelic Grounds this evening and could swear that I heard the strains of “Nearer my God to Thee” coming from within. With continued unrest in the Limerick Senior hurling squad, has the band has struck up that fateful tune for Manager Justin McCarthy? A quick recap for those not afflicted with the pain of being a Limerick hurling fan. Sporting Limerick has not been very successful in hurling over recent years/ decades. Our county boards solution to this problem has been to change managers with alarming regularity. Richie Bennis, Joe McKenna, Pad Joe Whelahan, David Keane,…

  • TV3’s “Ireland’s Crime Capitals” touted long debunked “Murder Capital of Europe” claim

    Squid
    1 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pm
    The documentary, “Ireland’s Crime Capitals” broadcast on TV3 on 29th October retransmitted the claim that Limerick was once Europe’’s murder capital despite the fact that the claim had been debunked over twelve months ago. In fact, Limerick has never been the murder capital of Europe. The original claim was furst used by the Irish Independent, but was quickly proven to be false. The assumption was reached by the paper after they calculated that in the period of 2007-2008 there were seven murders in Limerick per 100,000 people. Limerick City has a population of…
 
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    In Photos dot org

  • Just Google It!

    Donncha
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:20 am
    Einstein says you should use a search engine! Shot in Killarney, County Kerry. Related PostsGoogle Picasa for LinuxScary! Scary! Google forgets In PhotosGoogle Photos Screensaver 2.0

  • Abandoned Dingle Trawler

    Donncha
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:01 am
    Right on the pier in Dingle are two trawlers that are slowly falling to pieces. The one pictured above is severely burned, windows burned out and broken. Moss grows on the deck amid the rubbish. I can’t believe it’s still there. It was there last year when we visited, and may even have been there the time before that! Related PostsYou’re a starMan on the BoatDingle

  • Bike Park

    Donncha
    18 Nov 2009 | 12:49 am
    The bike park on Patrick’s Street, Cork. Related PostsBike LaneThe Bike at the LibraryBroken bike

  • Director’s Cut

    Donncha
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:09 am
    First of all Virgin Megastore was sold off to Zavvi and shortly afterwards they had a liquidation sale and went under. Now Director’s Cut are in there and it’s a depressing store. There’s no piped music to liven the dead atmosphere, oh dear! Related PostsNo related posts

  • Pub of the year for sale

    Donncha
    16 Nov 2009 | 1:10 am
    The Woodford on Patrick’s Street Cork closed some time ago. Shame really as it was a nice pub. Related PostsPumpkins For SaleSale at Victoria’s SecretAnother sale
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    Anthony McG

  • Friday Photo – Movember

    anthony
    20 Nov 2009 | 4:50 am
    Says it all really

  • Doctor Qui

    anthony
    17 Nov 2009 | 4:58 am
    Really looking forward to seeing Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide To the Orchestra in the o2 on Saturday night. The guy is a genius. Here he is turning Doctor Who’s theme into Belgian jazz:

  • Mogey

    anthony
    9 Nov 2009 | 2:29 am
    This weekend we lost one of the family cats, Mogey. She had a good innings at 14 but it’s always sad to lose a pet you’ve grown up with. RIP.

  • Friday Photo – Halloween 2009

    anthony
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:11 am
    Went over to Gav & Ciara’s last Friday for a rocking Halloween party. I went as Marty McFly from Back to the Future, not a random lumberjack as someone thought. Pictured too are: @bngr, @nationallottie and @brenflakes

  • Friday Photo – IWA09

    anthony
    23 Oct 2009 | 9:28 am
    I’d mentioned the IWA09 night in advance but it really was top (great mates, free sweets, crisps and beer). Snapped above by Darren Byrne is host Mr Rick O’Shea.
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    Brian Greene

  • NIKETOWN

    Brian Greene
    Posted via email from web lab

  • Pirate Radio | Modern Pirates Of The Airwaves

    Brian Greene
    You don’t have to break out your eye patch or learn to preface every statement with “Aarrrrr” to be a modern radio pirate. All you really need is a computer and the desire to be heard. There is a potential audience of 1.6 billion internet users worldwide and, as the technology that enables digital broadcasting continues to evolve, its ability to compete with traditional analog radio also increases. For example, both Shoutcast and Ustream now have iPhone apps that allow listeners to receive digital broadcasts wherever they go. via filminfocus.com known as ‘the boat that…

  • Put Them Under Pressure

    Brian Greene
    Put Them Under Pressure by The Irish World Cup Squad  Download now or listen on posterous Put Them Under Pressure.mp3 (79 KB) Posted via email from web lab

  • no we won’t

    Brian Greene
    pics by ian See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from web lab

  • NewsVendor [logo] blast from the past now feeding @freenews

    Brian Greene
    Posted via email from web lab
 
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    Conor's Bandon Blog

  • In a choir? Available to sing in Bandon on Jan 29th?

    Conor O'Neill
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm
    I’ve just been contacted by a someone organising a lovely local event. They are looking for a folk choir or an upbeat church choir to get involved. It’s on 29th Jan 2010 in Bandon. They also need an audio system if you know of anyone willing to loan for the night. Mail me on conor@loudervoice.com if you want to help out and I’ll pass on your details.

  • LouderVoice BES 2009 (Business Expansion Scheme)

    Conor O'Neill
    15 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am
    The LouderVoice customer reviews system for business has moved into high-gear in 2009. Clients are deploying our EasyReview widget on their e-commerce sites every week. Our first US customer will go live this month along with many more Irish sites. Our second UK site will go live early in the new year. The most recent research by Internet Retailer tells you everything you need to know about how important reviews are to businesses. In order to expand the operational bandwidth of the company and aggressively pursue our channel partner strategy, we are raising finance through the tax-efficient…

  • Time to build a Cork Computer History Museum

    Conor O'Neill
    14 Nov 2009 | 9:42 am
    We have buildings all over Cork, empty. We have a recession. The hospitality industry is crippled. We need something that encourages tourism, makes use of some of that property and points the way to the future. Can I suggest a Cork Computer History Museum? What’s one of the biggest attractions in Silicon Valley? The Computer History Museum What’s one of the biggest tourist draws in London? The Science Museum. What’s one of Cork’s main tourist attractions now? The Butter Museum. Where is the biggest cluster of successful tech companies outside of Dublin? Cork. Randy…

  • Good Wine Show Day 1 Fantastic!

    Conor O'Neill
    13 Nov 2009 | 4:21 pm
    Good Wine Show We spent this evening in the Clarion Hotel in Cork attending the fantastic inaugural Good Wine Show, held by Curious Wines, Bubble Brothers and Karwig Wines. I’m not going to say much, I’ll let all the videos I took do the talking. Suffice to say that €15 to sample over 100 fantastic wines plus cheese from On The Pigs Back, bread from Arbutus and amazing smoked Duck, Salmon and Chicken from Ummera is an absolute steal. So get on over to the Clarion tomorrow from 11am and have an absolute blast. We did! Mike Kane and Joyce on the Curious Wines Stand: And 13 more…

  • Laptops at Le Web 2006-2010

    Conor O'Neill
    8 Nov 2009 | 4:15 am
    I’ve gone to Le Web every year since 2006. It’s the stand-out event for those working in the Web in Europe. Every December I head over to Paris and come back wit h a head full of ideas and plans. Ewan Spence is another regular at it and it’s pretty much the only time we see each other every year. He has a great post over on his blog about what computer to bring this year. It seems like we are all going more and more lightweight each time (well our computers are anyway). It inspired me to take this set of photos. Le Web 2006: Le Web 2007/2008: Le Web 2009: Le Web 2010?:
 
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    Grannymar

  • One Memorable Day.

    Grannymar
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    LBC Members: AshokConrad, Gaelikaa, Helen, Judy, Magpie 11, Maria, Ramana and I, Mariannawill return after a short break) have been busy, day dreaming about… One memorable day the topic chosen for us this week by Ramana. %%% Waking to the sound of a bath being drawn for me, I slip from between the sheets and into the warm luxury of bath essence that quickly and gently removes all traces of sleep from my body.  Wrapped in a warm robe, I work my magic on my autumn glory.   A full cooked breakfast prepares me for the day ahead. Once fully and comfortably dressed it is time to collect…

  • Sweets

    Grannymar
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pm
    When I was young most sweets were displayed in shops like this: They were sold in multiples of 4ozs.  I remember barley sugars, lemon drops, acid drops, raspberry ruffles, caramels and chocolate toffees. What were your favourites? Now while you think about it, I am off to chew on a square of licorice & chase the dust.  It is Friday and LBC day, I need to be back for a rest and a read at 3pm.

  • Thursday Special ~ Shopping

    Grannymar
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pm
    Nancy sent this one and I have not stopped laughing since it arrived!

  • Art with My Needle ~ Week 13

    Grannymar
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm
    Are you tired of bags yet? I have one more and a little extra. This bag was a rather last minute affair.  It was to wear with a plain dark ankle length summer suit.  I only needed something small to carry my emergency kit, a small change purse, a lipstick and a large handkerchief.  It would be an emotional day and I had kept a special handkerchief for such an occasion…. The handkerchief belonged to Jack. Fills and flounces were never my scene and a plain suit without decoration was what I was after since the proceedings involved a walk; and it was only right and proper for me not to…

  • Dance Baby Dance

    Grannymar
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:36 pm
    Last night I got this by email and shared it with a couple of friends. So what better way to begin a day that with a great big smile. Thank you Bikehikebabe. Now I am off to do my exercises….!
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    This is what I do.

  • The day I interviewed Dustin the Turkey

    Darragh
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm
    From the Boards.ie blog:Given the fact I talk to people a lot professionally, it's rare that I'm completely speechless in someone's presence. In fact, it's happened only twice recently - one when Terry Pratchett joined us for soup in Clare and the other was yesterday when Dustin started talking to me.One of the cool things about my job with Boards.ie is what it allows me to do interviews like this. I find other people's questions are always much better than what I could come up with - especially if they have an emotional connection to the subject - it's how the soccer forum members came up…

  • The Cork Flashmob from Saturday for the National Campaign for the Arts

    Darragh
    16 Nov 2009 | 3:34 am
    In support of what the National Campaign for the Arts is campaigning for. Have you signed the petition yet?(Yep, so good I blogged it twice).

  • Shooting Beauty - take a few minutes and just watch this trailer.

    Darragh
    13 Nov 2009 | 9:43 am
    Awesome. Literally awesome. The website is here.

  • The Charter for Compassion - http://charterforcompassion.org

    Darragh
    12 Nov 2009 | 10:44 am
    This site - http://charterforcompassion.org - landed in my inbox today. It's a TED initiative from TED prize winner Karen Armstrong.This is a document created by thousands of people around the world. It is capable of enabling a new dialog between the major religions and between religious and nonreligious people. Please take out two minutes to read it. It's just one page. If it speaks to you, please add your name. Here's the text of the charter.Have a look at the acts of compassion here.It's quite a worthwhile idea. I hope it succeeds.

  • "The next word is Mother Flippa" - rap and dance classes for the elderly

    Darragh
    12 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am
    Meet Marian, aka DJ Hip Op.I LOVE this video for Age Action Ireland, created by Richard Doyle over at Creative Productions. One of the funniest I've seen in ages - fo' shizzle!
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    Slugger O'Toole

  • Wallowing in recession

    Jason Walsh
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:25 am
    There can be no doubt that Ireland’s economy is suffering badly, but are some people enjoying it too much? As this is my first official contribution to Slugger O’Toole I thought I would begin by bringing up some themes that would give people an idea of where I am coming from, politically speaking. It draws heavily on my own recent work. Finally, it’s only a think-piece, not a manifesto. Wallowing in recession To some degree the Irish border has always been imaginary, or at least so functionally non-existent that porous doesn’t even begin to describe it. Despite this…

  • The speech Peter Robinson should give

    Conall
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:29 am
    Fair Deal, David Gordon and I wrote three short speeches we thought Peter Robinson should give to the DUP faithful tomorrow. Read them here.

  • “the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed”

    Pete Baker
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am
    RTÉ reports FIFA’s official response to the FAI request to replay their World Cup play-off match against France.  From the RTÉ report.FIFA said in a statement: ‘FIFA has today 20 November 2009 replied to the request made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to replay the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off match held on 18 November 2009 between France and the Republic of Ireland in Paris. ‘In the reply, FIFA states that the result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed. As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches,…

  • New blogger: an introduction

    Jason Walsh
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:50 am
    As I have joined the Slugger team I thought I should introduce myself. Otherwise, this post is of no particular account. So, I am the latest addition to the Slugger team. My name is Jason Walsh and I am a freelance journalist based in Dublin. As a jobbing journalist of no particular account, I have contributed to the Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Daily Ireland, the Sunday Business Post, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the CS Monitor (Boston) and the Independent of London, some of which has been tracked by journalisted. I contribute regularly to spiked, Comment is Free and, in my spare time,…

  • Blogtalk 5

    Conall
    20 Nov 2009 | 7:40 am
    This week’s show features my fellow Sluggerer Chris Donnelly, Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) and Brian Crowe (Burke’s Corner). Blogtalk (episode 5) from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.
 
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    Splintered Sunrise

  • You see, Richard, building a revolutionary party is very much like making love to a beautiful woman…

    splinteredsunrise
    19 Nov 2009 | 10:19 am
    …you always have to make sure it’s you doing the screwing and not getting screwed. I’m guessing that most readers will already have seen the Indymedia story about resignations from the SWP in Belfast. On that thread, Cllr Gino Kenny has confirmed that there have been departures, and I’m told by my own sources that the broad thrust of the story is correct. There has still been no word from the people concerned, however, so that’s a lacuna. Here are a few thoughts. The first thing to note is that the three individuals named do not have a reputation for questioning the party line. All…

  • Ruairí passes on the baton

    splinteredsunrise
    18 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am
    Two issues in the world of republicanism to be tackled today. Firstly, Sinn Féin Eile held its Ard Fheis at the weekend, whereat Ruairí Ó Brádaigh stood down from the party presidency he has occupied for the past 23 years. Some shit-stirring from the Sunday World notwithstanding, there’s no evidence that Ruairí’s decision wasn’t on the stated grounds of age and health – remember, he’s in his late seventies and hasn’t had the best of health in recent years – and the handover seems to have been amicable. The report in the Irish News indicates the, not merely respect, but the…

  • Fixed and consequent

    splinteredsunrise
    16 Nov 2009 | 9:48 am
    For the last week or so I’ve been turning over some thoughts about the passing of Chris Harman in my head, trying to get a clearer picture. There’s no doubt of course that Chris’ sudden death leaves an enormous hole in the leadership of the Socialist Workers Party; beyond that, it’s a loss to the entire left, which is not overburdened with people like Chris. And, although I was never personally close to Chris – even had I had more contact with him, he wasn’t the easiest person to get close to – it’s almost like losing a member of the family. Cliff was Cliff and was uniquely…

  • Pootsiemander!

    splinteredsunrise
    14 Nov 2009 | 4:50 pm
    Hmm. For all the talk of double jobbing between Stormont and Westminster, perhaps more attention should have been paid to the fact that a large majority of Stormont MLAs are also district councillors. With these guys calling the shots, the reduction of the number of councils from 26 to 11 was never going to run smoothly. Although when it comes to some elements that are attractive to the political class but less so to the punters – such as pay-offs to retiring councillors or the elimination of by-elections – there has been remarkable harmony amongst the parties. This is of course now a…

  • The fall of the House of Paisley

    splinteredsunrise
    12 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pm
    “I have a sentimental weakness for my children, and I spoil them as you can see; they talk when they should listen.” Don Corleone in The Godfather At the moment, you can’t see the big hole in Cromac Square where the road has collapsed. The Roads Service have it cordoned off until it can be repaired. But this flags up an uncomfortable truth for us. There’s a sort of historical myth that the industrial development of Belfast was down to the natural harbour. Fact is, even though the city lies at the head of the lough and it became a busy port, there was no natural harbour – the city…
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    Red Cardinal

  • Irish Travel Websites Leaving Money On The Table

    Richard Hearne
    15 Nov 2009 | 11:40 pm
    Last week I was the guest lecturer at the ITAA/DMI Diploma in Online Marketing course. My lecture, titled “Website Architecture – Building A Great Website for Search Engines & Visitors”, covered best practices in front-end architecture with a focus on the travel niche. I wrote last week about my experience with Falcon Travel’s lack of public email addresses, and I found many other cases that led me to the conclusion I draw in this post – the Irish travel niche is not leveraging the web anywhere near its potential. Irish Travel Agent Websites Good CRM and…

  • How Would You Let Them Know? Broken Website, and No Email Contact

    Richard Hearne
    8 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pm
    I’ve been lecturing at the Digital Marketing Institute since its inception, and this week I’m due to talk about website architecture with members of IATA. As I was doing some prep work I came across a fairly broken webpage on the Falcon Holidays website: Broken Falcon Holidays Page When I come across problems like this I try to report them to the site owner. It normally only takes a second or two, and I’ve always believed that one good turn begets another. But how do you deal with this when the site in question has no online contact methods: Online travel agent with no…

  • Can Video Comments Explain Why Phone Numbers Matter in Local Search

    Richard Hearne
    3 Nov 2009 | 2:12 am
    Something odd happened yesterday. Well I thought it was odd… odd in a very positive way. Something happened that made me really realise that in future we’ll rely less and less on the written word online, and instead consume content like this blog post as video. So yesterday I was delighted to receive 2 comments on my recent Google Local 7 Pack post. So what’s so odd about that? I’m generally very lucky that people do comment on my posts, but these comments were different: Richard and everyone else, Anyone have any ideas how this happened????

  • What Google SERP Reload Error Messages Say

    Richard Hearne
    2 Nov 2009 | 3:54 am
    For sometime now I’ve noticed some sort of message flashed on my screen when hitting the back button to a Google SERP. It doesn’t happen all the time, but certainly enough to have me wondering exactly what it says. The message normally disappears instantly (you only see it flash), but today one of those messages got stuck: Google SERP Back Button Error And the text reads: An error occurred. This page will be reloaded shortly. Or press the “reload” button now to reload it immediately. Yep, a piece of useless trivia, but it’s been bugging me for ages to know what…

  • Enterprise Ireland Podcast on SEO Search Engine Optimisation

    Richard Hearne
    28 Oct 2009 | 3:19 am
    Two weeks ago myself and John Ring were invited to discuss SEO for a forthcoming Enterprise Ireland Podcast. Ralph Averbuch was our host for the day guiding the conversation from topic to topic, and I have to say Ralph did a lot of homework which really made things easy on the day. Both John and I had a great time talking with Ralph, and while we really only touched on basic high level issues I think the discussion is useful for any SME considering Organic Search as a marketing channel. You can listen to the Podcast by visiting this page: Enterprise Ireland SEO Podcast. If you do listen…
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    Pat Phelan: Bits, bytes and telecoms

  • Twitter lists, I am not bothered

    Pat Phelan
    1 Nov 2009 | 2:58 am
    Lists, Lists and Lists It appears to have set the world on fire, me? I am not bothered Maybe its just me but I really don’t understand the excitement over lists, I have the feature and played with it a few times and that’s it. Scoble makes a lot of sense, Chris Brogan makes no sense and Todd Zeigler is of the opinion that the more lists you on on the more important you are, I have just added him to my “people that make no sense list” This is just going to be another circle jerk in my opinion, can you hear it now? How many followers do you have? Well you beat me, How…

  • Donal Óg Cusack out of the closet and into the clover

    Pat Phelan
    21 Oct 2009 | 4:10 pm
    As a sports addict who would support any type of game I could not help but hear the story of Donal Óg Cusack over the last few weeks. Donal is the goalkeeper for the Cork Hurling team if you didn’t already know that and has just told the world that he is gay, I admire his decision 100% and fair play to him. It stops there though. In what I see as an incredible cynical move Donal timed this announcement with the launch of his book “Come what may” and thus ended Cork’s worst kept secret, I mean in fairness lads the dogs on the street knew Donal was gay (not that it mattered a jot to…

  • Free money here

    Pat Phelan
    13 Oct 2009 | 11:45 am
    I have a friend whom I haven’t heard from for a while, a fantastically decent chap, we soldiered together when neither of us had a bean between us. His business is gone slow and he has been looking for other “opportunities” I should add that he has zero internet and computing experience. He has been hanging out with these “nice folk” and now these “lovely people” are going to help him get rich or should I say help him to get them rich. These fantastically talented human beings are going to make him rich beyond his wildest dreams in fact one of them…

  • UPC Broadband, wonderful service unless you want to work at the weekends.

    Pat Phelan
    11 Oct 2009 | 9:52 am
    I switched to UPC Broadband a few weeks ago and was at first thrilled with their service, 17 megs downstream out of a possible 20 megs, always on, no download limits but it has now become possibly the worst broadband service I have ever used. I again have no connectivity for the last two hours and yesterday no connectivity for 3 hours (just back up 8hrs downtime) I am now on almost first name terms with their customer service team who appear to have the knowledge of gnats regarding broadband. 3 weeks in a row I can now almost guarantee it will be down again next Sunday as the company appears…

  • MAXroam goes Dutch, Spanish and WiFi

    Pat Phelan
    1 Oct 2009 | 7:47 am
    These multiple releases are now part of our strategy moving forward with lots more to come next qtr. We are delighted to announce a number of new partnerships today. MAXroam Spain is now open for business in conjunction with our partner Dr Sim a fantasic company which helps Spaniards reduce their mobile bills. A special word of thanks here to my friend Loic as I first met Dr Sim at Le Web last December. (Highly recommended event) One item that is constantly requested by our users is WiFi deals, we examined a number of options provided by global companies and went with Trustive. They have been…
 
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    The Cedar Lounge Revolution

  • Huh? What’s that the CSO says about earnings? Seems a bit off message.

    WorldbyStorm
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:46 am
    Figures, released today from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), reveal… …hourly earnings including irregular bonuses rose 4.2 per cent from €20.35 to €21.20 per hour in the second quarter of this year. Hourly earnings including irregular bonuses in the financial sector fell by 11.9 per cent, from €32.96 to €29.03 per hour during the same period. The drop was due mainly to a fall of 69 per cent in irregular earnings which fell from €5.90 per hour in second quarter of 2008 to €1.83 in 2009. Average hourly earnings including irregular bonuses and payments for managers,…

  • Calling all stations… the Cedar Lounge and its political stance

    WorldbyStorm
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:07 pm
    Okay, time for some solipsistic reflection so apologies in advance. On the other hand for those who post and comment or just visit here and for whom it provides a bit of entertainment or even better some utility perhaps it’s good every once in a while to explain what’s going on and why. The discussion on the MOPE post by Garibaldy is fascinating and one that I think is very important. I have to state that I don’t have a problem with Garibaldy’s contribution and I should also say it’s not ‘my’ blog either even if by dint of circumstance I tend to write…

  • This weeks postings on the Irish Election Literature Blog…

    WorldbyStorm
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:06 pm
    Thanks again to AK for the following: For me [writes AK] two entries in particular stand out A Socialist Labour Party Recruitment Leaflet which I’m sure will be of interest to many. “Politicians on the Fiddle:Vote Them Out.” from the ‘Campaign for Honesty in Politics’ 1991 local elections. It gives a nice summation of the planning corruption on Dublin County Council at the time. It also asks voters to vote for the smaller parties. I would love to know who was behind the leaflet. Aside from those… Some Democratic Left Tony Wright hands over to Fiachra…

  • More political material from Roscommon Historical Research.

    WorldbyStorm
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:53 am
    Another and very welcome addition to the world of Irish political ephemera is the Roscommon Historical Research website available here : Liam Byrne the webmaster has amassed a range of materials not merely political but more broadly about Roscommon and its history. It’s another resource. There are posters, information on elections and all manner of donations from various individuals. With luck more of the materials will be fully scanned, but there’s sufficient to be getting on with for the moment. I think, and I know I’ve said this in relation to the Irish Election…

  • File Under… I wouldn’t go looking for advice from them.

    WorldbyStorm
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:41 pm
    Sent in by EWI… “Do not defer ‘painful’ reform of public finances, warns E&Y” Of course, the same E&Y: “Anglo Irish Bank In January 2009, in the Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy, EY was criticised by politicians[20] and the shareholders of Anglo Irish Bank for failing to detect large loans to Sean FitzPatrick, its Chairman, during its audits. The share price fell by almost 99% and the Irish Government had to subsequently take full ownership of the Bank.[21] The then Chief Executive of the Financial Regulator told a parliamentary committee…
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    le craic

  • Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

    aj@lecraic
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:35 am
    Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at a photograph of some children having fun in treacherous conditions in Arklow, Co. Wicklow. It’s from this week’s Wicklow People report about weekend storms in the county. The photo appears under the headline “Arklow lashed by stormy conditions”. So if you’re a parent in Arklow and want to keep the kids occupied, the best place to do that is down by the seafront where they could possibly get washed into the sea. The paper reported : While the high waves breached the sea defences over the weekend they drew plenty of people to the sea front and…

  • 11 awesome things you can do about the France Ireland result

    aj@lecraic
    19 Nov 2009 | 3:52 am
    Yes, the result of the match was bad but you don’t have to sit there in silence. There’s lots of positive things you can do, so why don’t you? 1. Write to your TD expressing your outrage. Request a special Dail sitting to discuss this matter of national importance. Just say you’ll forgive them for the mess they’ve made of the country if political pressure can be brought to bear and change the result. 2. If your town is twinned with one in France, write to the local chamber of commerce and express your complete and utter disgust at associating in any way with that…

  • 2012 and all that stuff

    aj@lecraic
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    December 21st 2012. That’s a significant date in the Mayan Calendar because that’s as far as they count up to. Can’t be too many people who haven’t heard something about this. The release of the film means that anyone who hasn’t will soon start to get curious. Having only a cursory smattering of facts myself about the whole thing, I decided to do a little reading on the topic. To what end you might ask? Very good question – allow me to explain. Basically, my thought process is that by being informed I could go to see the film and sort out the fact from the…

  • Ireland needs to ditch the Euro NOW…

    aj@lecraic
    17 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am
    I really miss the old Irish banknotes. The new Euros don’t have anything on them that allow you to make a money face. Money faces are fun to do. Why not do your own money face and post it on the information superhighway so everyone can see it?

  • A Christmas gift hint from me

    aj@lecraic
    17 Nov 2009 | 12:15 am
    Family members tell me from time to time that they read here the odd time so… See that book above? It’s from the genius behind Information is Beautiful. You know the way no one ever really knows what to buy me for Christmas?… It’s a US edition so you won’t find it in any bookshop locally but Bookdepository have it for a steal at €15.37 including p&p. Luvvly jubbly.
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    Sour Grapes

  • There are only two types of wine

    Lar
    17 Nov 2009 | 4:19 am

  • The Corkscrew Winter Wine Fair

    Lar
    13 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm
    If you’re planning on skipping the rugger this Sunday, then you could do a lot worse that paying a visit to the Westbury Hotel where The Corkscrew are running their Winter Wine Fair. Like their summer fair, this is for a good cause, the IAS, the Irish Association of Suicidology. The wines There are over 100 Different wines to sample from all across the wine world, reds, whites, roses, sparkling, fortified & dessert, with discounted prices for purchases made on the day. Nice. When, where and how much? Sunday 15th of November from 1pm –6pm, The Westbury Hotel. To get a ticket…

  • Tickled Pink

    Lar
    13 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pm
    For glamorous girls (and boys) who just love to dazzle (I just love dazzling, don’t you?), Pink is the sparkling wine to be seen with, okay that’s a bit much, but for 16 yoyos, you can’t go wrong with this little pink number. This one is a blend of  Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, produced by Yellow Glen in South Australia. I’m being absolutely honest in saying this is actually a very decent bottle of bubbles. It’s fresh, bright, cheerful and  refreshing. Light pink colour nice soft strawberry mousse flavoured, and quite delicate. Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness…

  • Curious Wines New Zealand Tasting, Dublin

    Lar
    11 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am
    Second of my visits to the Antipodes in a week. First Australia, now New Zealand. Curious wines and Joyce Austin (from New Zealand Boutique Wines) presented a great range of New Zealand wines on Friday evening. Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinotage. Whodathunkit? But we drunk it. Anyhoo, Curious wines know how to put on a show and Joyce gave a fantastic overview of the wines and the industry in New Zealand. Blind tasting There was also a blind tasting of four wines, which made for a lively exercise for all attendees (wines were tasted without knowing grape, label or price). When we…

  • Landmark Australia: The Tutorial Experience comes to Ireland

    Lar
    9 Nov 2009 | 12:39 am
    While Australia and Chile battle it out for the hearts, minds and wallets at the “entry-level” in supermarkets, there’s a little bit of work to do to convince punters to reach for an Aussie for that special occasion, whether as an anniversary gift, father’s day etc. or when out for a nice meal. So. that’s the challenge facing Australian wine and a challenge which has been met head on. Last week, John McDonnell of Wine Australia hosted a tasting with Dermot Nolan (Master of Wine). The theme was Landmark Australia and Dermot talked through some of…
 
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    Head Rambles

  • World Cup my arse

    Grandad
    20 Nov 2009 | 3:27 am
    This country is one sneeze away from bankruptcy, and the IMF are camped just outside the door. Next week we are about to enjoy the next best thing to a general strike. Over four hundred thousand people are out of work. To say the country is in a crisis is like saying that Everest is a bit of a hill. And what is our government worried about?  Questions in the Dáil, and representations by Biffo to the French government? A fucking football match! For fuck’s sake – get a grip! This is a game we are talking about.  Nothing less and nothing more.  A game where a few nancies…

  • In Limbo

    Grandad
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:17 am
    There are times when I wonder where I fit in this world. I saw a video thingy on the Interweb this morning where Stephen Fry and a couple of geeks and nerds were all talking about the future of the Interweb.  Now I have a huge respect for Mr Fry as an orator and an actor, but he leaves me a bit bewildered when he starts on this “Social Media” thingy.  However bewildered he leaves me, is nothing compared to the couple from Twitter and LinkedIn though.  I hadn’t a fucking clue what they were on about.  One was waffling about the transition from “web one oh to web two…

  • How do you spend half a million?

    Grandad
    18 Nov 2009 | 4:37 am
    One thing that has baffled me for a long time is this desire people have to earn massive amounts of money. I’m not talking about a reasonable living wage, rather the obscene amounts that bankers, politicians and The Plank fight over. Take for example this latest claptrap about Doherty becoming the boss of AIB, and the government saying he isn’t allowed a salary of over €500,000.  The poor chap has had to take a drop of €133,000. But what the fuck does anyone want even half a million a year for?  That is nearly ten thousand a week.  That is €1,300 plus change a…

  • Regularity and routine

    Grandad
    17 Nov 2009 | 5:05 am
    Since I gave up work, I was a little worried that I would lapse into a life of random actions with no routine at all. What has amazed me is the level of routine I have unconsciously maintained even though there is no need for it. The first thing that surprises me is the regularity of the time that I wake up.  Without fail, every morning I awake between seven and eleven, on the dot.  Isn’t that amazing?  I find that level of regularity quite astounding. When I get up, I always get dressed.  Except of course for the mornings when I couldn’t be bothered.  The point…

  • Enjoy your depression

    Grandad
    16 Nov 2009 | 4:54 am
    Just when you think they can’t stoop any lower, they manage to pull another flanker and amaze us all. Not content with trying to remove medical cards from the elderly, the government are now talking about charging us for prescriptions. Their justification for this, apart from trying to bleed us of every last red cent we have, is to try to reduce the number of prescriptions! Is there no end to the arrogance and incompetence of that insufferable Harney?  A fucking school teacher is telling us we are taking too many medications?  Who the fuck does she think she is? Maybe some doctors are a…
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    hidden-dublin.com

  • Irish Sayings

    (1.11.09). Two types of 'grinds' (actually three, but this is a family website!); when somebody is 'waltzing around the place'; what 'doing a line' means, depending on your age, and how you can 'play your cards right'.

  • Dublin and Irish Links

    (1.11.09). We're delighted to link to lookaroundireland.com, who provide a lot of information about travel Ireland.

  • Irish job visas and applying for work

    (1.10.09). Advice for non-EU residents on applying for work in the Republic of Ireland, and how to get a work visa.

  • Irish Sayings

    (1.10.09). Who is the fool? See the guest sidebar on the right-hand side.

  • Driving tips for Ireland 2

    (6.09.09). Explanation of the pedestrian crossing in Ireland for road users; what is looks like and how it operates
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    Everyone's Journal Posts - Diddlyi Irish Dance and Music

  • The Diddlyi Christmas Catalogue Is Here!

    Paul @ Diddlyi
    I think we can safely start looking forward to Christmas now with just over a month to go. I personally get excited for Christmas a good 5 months beforehand, but that's another story! We thought it would be a great idea to contact a bunch of your favourite Irish Dancing, Music and Culture vendors to see what they have in stock for the Holiday Season. We are going to feature here a range of fun gift ideas for Irish Dancers and will have some great prizes to give away too. Check out the Christmas Catalogue! (Are you a vendor and want to have your gifts listed? Read more here.)

  • Shane's Blog - September

    Shane @ Diddlyi
    Hi everyone, Right, I know, it has been waaaaaaay too long since I last wrote a Journal post here on Diddlyi. How terrible of me... Anyway, the reason I havent been writing is because I have been off travelling around, keeping myself busy and gathering experiences to share with you here so I havent had a chance to actually write them down!! But, never fear! I always get around to doing things eventually, and look, here I am again! So, it has been a pretty crazy couple of weeks and although there is usually a bit of travelling to be done, from September up until now it has been paticularly…

  • 2 Days till Western U.S. Region Oireachtas

    Rebecca @ Diddlyi
    This week Shelly Hathaway* shares her thoughts with us in anticipation of the Western US Oireachtas this weekend. See Shelly's latest here in the Magazine. *Shelly Hathaway is an Open Championship Irish dancer from the Shelley School of Irish Dance in Utah. This series will cover her training for the 2009 Western Region Oireachtas. Shelly is also a graphic designer and enjoys photography, music, and film. Visit ShellyHathaway.com ____________________________ ♣ Related Links Shelly Hathaway's Series in the Magazine All Irish Dance Related Stories in the Magazine

  • Terrific Time Two Weekends Ago

    Dylan Cook
    Dear Everyone I had a terrific time last weekend at my granddad's 90th birthday. He is in good shape for his age except for his eyes. He never complains about his ailments which is amazing to me. I am such a whimp when I am sick. Anyhow I saw a Keb Mo concert which was fabulous and went for a walk in Greenwich the following morning. It was bright, warm and sunny out. The neighborhood has interesting houses from all walks of life, from mansions to more lower class. I gave my granddad a cd of my music which I had written for Christmas. It was an abridged version because I didn't have time to…

  • Ireland vs. France Match

    Marisa Feliciano
    Just got back from an PJ McIntyres, an Irish pub on the west side of cleveland. It was one of the only places we could find that was showing the Ireland vs France match but it worked out well because its a BEAUTIFUL pub. Im sure its super expensive to get the match over here in the US anyway. Today was my first real European football (i call it soccer) experience. Thankfully my Irish brother-in-law did was nice enough to explain all the rules and details. He also did a great job conveying the importance of this particular match. i used to think soccer was super boring but today i was on the…
 
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    Maxi Cane

  • Women, can’t live with them, can’t smother them with cushions and get away with it

    Maxi
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Dear Maxi, I’ve been having a problem lately.  I don’t quite know how to put this delicately, especially as it could end up printed in a newspaper, but it’s my boyfriend.  He just doesn’t understand me, or my need for cushions.  He simply fails to see that even though I have many cushions already, I still need more.  I need cushions to go with my curtains.  I need cushions to go with my carpet.  I need cushions to go with my couch.  I need cushions to match my paintings.  I need cushions to match my slippers. Is it just men in general who don’t understand the need for…

  • Wankathon ‘09

    Maxi
    18 Nov 2009 | 2:33 pm
    I used to work with a guy who once said that he had wanked 7 times in a row out of pure boredom.  7 times!  I wasn’t convinced so I tried it for myself.  Didn’t work, couldn’t even finish the first one.  Can’t blame him really, I was just tugging away, no kissing or anything.  Maybe I should have told him how pretty he was, y’know make him feel comfortable. Then it occured to me that I’d have more success if I tried it on myself. So that’s what I did. I sat myself in front of the lap top, dropped my drawers and hung them out the window for a…

  • Career re-think

    Maxi
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:21 am
    I had a post all ready for you loverly people to read, but instead I have to deal with some bad news. I usually don’t like to add to the world of bad news that people deal with everyday, in the news or their own lives.  But today I have to burden you. I got an email today that saddened me. I had applied for a job and had gotten part way through the interview process, having 19 interviews in total. I charmed them with my wit.  I told them I’m good at hiding things like paper trails.  I said that I have no real idea of how to deal with large amounts of money.  I was honest, to a…

  • Alright class, settle down

    Maxi
    16 Nov 2009 | 5:53 pm
    Today we’re going to talk about hermaphrodites. Hermaphrodites, as you will all know from every Lady Gaga video, are ladies who have man bits.  Or if you watch Telly Bingo, a man with lady bits. Think about this for a minute: A hermaphrodite wanks furiously into a plastic cup, sucks up the hermy goodness with a turkey baster and paints her vaginy insides with said goodness. I then ask you this: Would she make herself pregnant? Would it be incest? Discuss…..

  • What cold showers are for

    Maxi
    15 Nov 2009 | 6:41 pm
    You know when you have just worked a 20 hour shift, because two staff have called in sick even though you know they’re just hungover and you have to deliver breakfast in bed to the newlyweds in the honeymoon suite? No? It’s a proper cunt let me tell you. Nothing but contempt for all customers fills you at that point because even though it’s 10am you’ve just cleaned and closed the bar because the guests acted like they are never let out. You want to curl out a steaming pile of that contempt over their free range scrambled eggs just to let them know about it when they…
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    Skin Flicks

  • The French are cheats

    18 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm
    Did anyone doubt that the French would cheat their way to the World Cup finals?Well, consider your naivety shattered tonight.The inevitable happened - Ireland won the game and were cheated out of the World Cup final by a combination of Thierry Henry's legendary lack of sportsmanship and FIFA and UEFA's desperate desire to rig the finals to ensure that the French (and their large TV audience) attend the World Cup.Thierry Henry, as anyone who watched the diving petulant scumbag in the premiership will know, is an awful inveterate cheating arsebag who'd throw his granny in front of a train to…

  • Antwerpen Luchtbal

    11 Nov 2009 | 6:56 pm
    What can be mined from this dead time,stuck between stations at Antwerpen Luchtbal?Stalled like white noise in the sodium zoneamid the greenblue dusk haze,pylons hang heavy with a web of wire,one shorting now, sparking on the builders' rubble.Under bridgework, graffiti whispers to the coming night.La Grande Europolis not far behind, the shadowof its curved concrete cliffs - Avenue of the Law -fall first from heart of Empire across this brownland.Ahead, the North Sea, Port of Amsterdam,city state of sold sex, drug dreams,a half-sunken masterpiece, Imperial satellite.And we, strung along a line…

  • The Big Bollix

    20 Oct 2009 | 5:12 pm
    I was in the queue at Ben Gurion airport when the Israeli security forces finally caught up with me. Probably, I should have listened to that little voice telling me to exit via the West Bank and Jordan, but I simply didn't have the cash to hand to do it.So I risked exiting as I came, and they pulled me aside.First, I was taken to a side room and strip-searched. Then they went to remove my bag. I protested, as images flashed before my eyes of getting fitted up for heroin smuggling or the like. Eventually, unable to remove my hands from the bag, they agreed to let me dress and search it in…

  • Stephen Gately RIP, but let's not pretend he was Gandhi

    18 Oct 2009 | 10:36 am
    Stephen Gately was a moderately talented singer and disco dancer.He was not Gandhi, or Martin Luther King, or Jesus Christ.The cult of celebrity that led to firstly the virtually state funeral he had yester with thousands outside the church and secondly the wall-to-wall coverage of his death is to me sadly symptomatic of a society in thrall to fame.Let's not forget, another man was buried yesterday - a man who was a talented athlete, who volunteered at his local scout troop, who was immensely talented at his job, training our air corps pilots and who tragically died last Monday.Yet on RTE's…

  • Cliftonville FC 3 Glasgow Celtic 0

    13 Oct 2009 | 7:02 pm
    No, that's not a typo. It really happened.North Belfast part-timers Cliftonville wallopped mighty Glasgow Celtic 3-0 last night and it could actually have been easily 6.Few things on Earth are likely to unite the loyalist denizens of Ibrox and the Irish republicans of Ardoyne. But this astonishing victory by Ireland's oldest club over the famous Glasgow Celtic just might.Fair enough, it wasn't quite Celtic's first XI. But there were numerous players on display for the Scots whose individual alleged values far exceeds that of Cliftonville's entire team, and Solitude stadium too.My suggestion?
 
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    McAWilliams.com

  • Reflections on the Liffey

    McAWilliams
    11 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pm
    So last Sunday I went into town with plans to take some photos of things without people in them, my reason for this? well of late I have felt a lot of the images I have been posting seem to be of people. Dont get me wrong people are amazing subjects to take photos of, but I was finding myself getting into a rut of sorts and felt this was all I was able to take pictures of, so Sunday was a challenge. I failed! but I do love this image taken of the bridge near Capel Street, the reflections of the pedestrians really caught my eye, I do hope you like it too!

  • Jenny Greene and The Electric Disco Album

    McAWilliams
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm
    Ok I am not going to say what a bad blogger I am or anything, but when you forget your password to your blog it is a worrying thing! Anyhow even though I may not have posted much lately I have been out and about taking pictures. The day after Damiens superb web awards, I was asked to do a photoshoot by Jenny Greene, 2fm DJ and all round great mate. She has an album out this Friday called “The Electric Disco” its a 2 disc compilation of some great auld tunes, but the main reason to buy it would be because one of the many images I took has made it onto the album sleeve. I am well…

  • This is Damien Mulley and my Irish Web Awards Post.

    McAWilliams
    12 Oct 2009 | 3:21 pm
    So the Irish Web Awards were on last Saturday night and I would like to convey some opinions I have of the event itself. This is its second year running and to be honest, I found the whole evening awfull, I shall go more into that in a while, but it may help to know more about the preceeding weeks beforehand. The guy above is some guy called Damien Mulley, he runs a blog (click the link if you are bothered) and seems to organise awards too, one for his mates in the blog world called the Irish Blog Awards and then this crap the Irish Web Awards. It seems anyone who wants can be nominated for…

  • Vodafone 360 and Dita Von Teese

    McAWilliams
    24 Sep 2009 | 3:38 pm
    Well what a day, busy in work but the excitement for me was at 2pm today, where I was invited as a blogger to the launch of Vodafone 360. What an amazing device it seems to be, totally down my road since it is a social media whore on a very nice samsung phone. But as a photoblogger why would I be excited, well Dita Von Teese was going to be there too. Happy days for my camera, or at least that wa the plan, its a shame though that one of the PR companies for Vodafone did not want me to take any photos of the event itself which for me as a photoblogger took all the fun out of it. Ah well I got…

  • Mondello Park Japfest Photowalk

    McAWilliams
    9 Sep 2009 | 5:18 am
    Well where did all my August posts go, oh thats right I hardly touched my webpage during August, due to the fact as many know I was busy decking the whole of my garden by myself, but anyhow you dont really want to know about that since you are here for pictures. So from one photowalk picture to another photowalk picture, this time with an incredible story to boot. Over the past year or so I have been followed on Twitter by John Fair who is the corporate and sales manager of Mondello Park, Irelands national motor racing track. Now I dunno why he followed me initially but over time I found out…
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    Paddy in Buenos Asia

  • Hand of the Devil

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am
    In case you didn't hear - Ireland got knocked out of the World Cup by a cruel stroke of 'cheating' last night - full story here - P.S. Henry old chap - It's called FOOTBALL not HANDBALL! - Silly Boy! P.P.S. As they say in Chinese Mandarin "Cao ni zu zong shi ba dai" = Fuck the 18 generations of your ancestors! Tags: ..Thierry Henry handball.. If you like what you've read, why not subscribe to updates click here Paddy in Buenos Aires

  • Hong Kong - Warning(s) in Force

    16 Nov 2009 | 1:15 am
    This made me chuckle. I guess the term 'cold' is relative to the 'norm' - I suppose I better put some underwear under my shorts and tee-shirt for the hike tomorrow ;-) Warning(s) in ForceCold Weather Warning The Cold Weather Warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 4:20 p.m. The Hong Kong Observatory is forecasting cold weather in Hong Kong tomorrow. The minimum temperatures in the urban areas for tomorrow will be around 12 degrees Celcius. It will be a couple of degrees lower in the New Territories. As Hong Kong will be affected by a cold winter monsoon in the next few days,…

  • Hiking Sharp Peak, Sai Kung, Hong Kong

    13 Nov 2009 | 7:01 pm
    I'm always up for a challenge and like to push the envelope at least as far as hiking is concerned. This is what greeted me on my recent trek to the summit of Sharp Peak. Showing me this is akin to telling a fly to stay away from a freshly laid hot steamy pile of dog shite. I was not to be deterred.This is the summit in the distance. It looks a tad intimidating but it's only 468 metres to the top.As I turned a bend I bumped into a four legged hiker taking a break. There are quite a lot of these 'wild' cows in Hong Kong. This was to be my only encounter with a living breathing thing for…

  • Hiking Stage 9 of the Wilson Trail, Hong Kong

    7 Nov 2009 | 7:01 pm
    Seems like I upset a few Irish peeps with my last blog post and I had some vocal (by way of email not comments) 'unsubscribers' for my apparent 'anti-Irish' stance. I hate to lose readers and I don't think I'm 'anti-Irish' but I'm certainly not singing Ireland's praises either - to be sure. Alas, so be it and onto the more important stuff.So I realise I'm blogging a lot about hiking recently but I simply can't help it. Sorry if it doesn't 'rock your boat' but it does rock mine and this my mindless rant of a blog after all so I can do what I want. I'm discovering more incredible trails every…

  • Ireland - Back to the Arsehole of Nowhere

    4 Nov 2009 | 6:53 am
    My bloggy friend Thrifty posted a link on Facebook -'Ireland is a disaster . . . leave now and enjoy your life'which is an article from the Irish Times about the recent HUGE exodus of Irish people from the Emerald Isle. I've ranted about my love hate relationship with Ireland before -> here. When I first read the stories I thought to myself, shite - this is identical to my own set of reasons for leaving Ireland in 1988. I felt sorry for the new generation who would have to retrace my steps to find a better life. Ireland is fucked yet again - despite being the strongest economy in Europe only…
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