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DoChara's Ireland Blog
Random Writings about Ireland and the Irish
Thursday
August 2 2007
Tommy Makem RIP
Just heard the sad news of Tommy Makem's death. He was a true gentleman and a giant of Irish music and had a great way with a song. May he rest in peace.
Thursday
August 2 2007
Great Idea or Pie in the Sky?
A cable car high over the River Liffey connecting Hueston Station and the Docklands, giving tourists panoramic views over the whole city. That's the proposal that a private consortium have submitted for planning approval.
They are apparantly planning to call it 'Suas', which means 'up' and of course rhymes with Luas, the name of the existing Dublin tram system, although its purpose isn't transport - it's aimed squarely at tourists. The plan is to charge about €15 for a 20 minute one-way journey.
What do you think? Would you take a trip?
Wednesday
August 1 2007
Is this the best value in a restaurant in Ireland?
Finding good value in Irish restaurants can be a bit of a thankless task. For sure the food on offer has vastly improved, but it often comes with a very high price attached. So Key Largo in Kilkenny, where I ate yesterday evening, is a rare gem that deserves to be applauded for offering great value without any compromise on quality. For some reason I'd never eaten there before, although I had heard good reports about it.
We landed in, four hungry adults and a fussy child. at 6.30pm, which was at the last minute for availing of the early bird menu, which offers two courses for €10. Two started with really good Gauacamole, there was a hearty and tasty vegatable soup and a large swiss salad with cheese, bacon and an exccellent tangy dressing.
The menu is a mix of Mexican and Italian, with a few other styles for good measure - somewhat eclectic. There is nothing very fancy on the early bird menu, but everything we ate was obviously freshly prepared and cooked by someone who cared about producing a good dish.
Our mains included Vegetable Burritos, two Penne with Seafood, great dishes which definitely did not skimp - there were plenty of mussels, huge juicy prawns and a yummy creamy tomato sauce, and a bowl of good and plentiful tagliatelle with chicken and mushroom sauce which was probably the most ordinary of the dishes we chose.
All of this was washed down with an eminently drinkable if somewhat unexciting bottle of Chilean Chardonnay. Add a bowl of rice and some chips for junior accompanied by two glasses of 7up and a HUGE ice cream dessert, and excellent expressos all round for the adults, and it was a very enjoyable and satisfying meal indeed.
The decor is pleasant, with well spaced tables and we were not rushed, service was efficient and friendly and we had great views over the river from a window table. It was truly a pleasure.
And all that cost €76. If you've found better value anywhere in Ireland, I want to hear about it!
Sunday
July 8 2007
There came a ship.......
I wasn't a very good student of Irish but I always loved the poetry and am surprised at how much of it has stayed in my memory. Every now and then something happens that brings forgotten lines to mind, and this week it was the chance event that led to customs official hauling cocaine from the waters of West Cork by the bale. Those white things are 3ft x 2ft bales of high purity cocaine. They...Full Post >>
Thursday
July 5 2007
River Nore or River Styx?
Someone in their wisdom has decided that it's a nice idea to float flower bedecked barges on the River Nore in Kilkenny, one on either side of John's Bridge in the centre of town. They first did it last year when Kilkenny was an entrant in the Entente Floral competition, so I assumed it was a one off. Frankly I thought it looked a bit tacky, not greatly helped by the prominent...Full Post >>
Monday
July 2 2007
Vikings Return to Dublin
On the 14th of August this year, if all goes well, a Viking longship will sail with its crew up the River Liffey and into Dublin. On this occasion the people of Dublin be out with flags, music and a very friendly welcome, quite a different reaction to the one which met ships which took the same route about 1000 years ago. The 30m longship, Sea Stallion from Glendalough, was painstaking created...Full Post >>
Saturday
June 30 2007
The Smell of the Crowd
It's over three years now since Ireland's pubs changed forever with the introduction of the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces. Next week in England and in parts of Australia a similar ban is being introduced, greeted, as was the Irish one, with howls of protest from some quarters. The dust has settled here on all the predictable brouhaha about civil liberties and freedom...Full Post >>
Tuesday
June 19 2007
Holidaymakers Come, but Mostly They Go
For the first time people leaving Ireland for a holiday abroad exceeded the number arriving here on vacation, according to figures released to-day by the Central Statistics Office (PDF). Apparently 1.47 million people visited Ireland, up 6% on the same time last year, while 1.57 million trips abroad were made, an increase of 17%. Well, we do like a little break away. Photo by Paul Watson...Full Post >>
Monday
June 18 2007
Chris Dodd's Galway Cottage
However he fares in the presidential race, Democratic US presidential hopeful, Christopher Dodd, certainly has an eye for property. In his financial disclosures lists among his property a cottage in Co Galway, to which he assigns a value of between $100,000 and $250,000 - or between €75,000 and €185,000 in local money. Now maybe Mr Dodd has not had time to keep up with...Full Post >>
Sunday
June 17 2007
Ireland's Cost of Living & some Property Bargains!
Mercer have just produced their annual Cost of Living survey, which compares how much it costs to live in various capital cites around the world. Dublin came 16th, still well behind London in 2nd place, a little behind Paris in 13th and just barely less expensive than New York. Here's a quick look at some of the comparisons they make: DublinLondonParisNew YorkSydneyMoscow...Full Post >>
