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DoChara's Ireland Blog: Today in Ireland
Random Writings about Ireland and the Irish
Leonard Cohen at the Royal Hospital
Saturday, June 14 2008
Was up in Dublin last night for the first of Leonard Cohen's three sold-out appearances at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham. What a fantastic night! I've always been a pretty hard-core Cohen fan, but last night was something really special, a... [More]
The Best Building in Ireland
Wednesday, June 4 2008
The annual Irish Architecture awards normally tends to be something of an insiders' event, but this year the public have a chance to pick their favourite new building from a fairly diiverse range of contenders. The idea of public voting is good -... [More]
Tommy Makem RIP
Thursday, August 2 2007
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. Check out this video from the early 70's. [More]
There came a ship.......
Monday, July 9 2007
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... [More]
River Nore or River Styx?
Thursday, July 5 2007
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... [More]
The Smell of the Crowd
Saturday, June 30 2007
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... [More]
Chris Dodd's Galway Cottage
Monday, June 18 2007
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... [More]
Ireland's Cost of Living & some Property Bargains!
Sunday, June 17 2007
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... [More]
Ireland's Rich get Richer
Friday, May 4 2007
If anyone is still labouring under the illusion that Ireland is still a poor country, a quick perusal of the Sunday Times Rich List, published last week will quickly dispel it. We now have seven billionaires in our midst, and to get into... [More]
Getting Older in Ireland has Some Advantages
Wednesday, April 4 2007
It's always been a pretty cool boon of becoming a pensioner in Ireland that you automatically qualify for free travel on all public transportation - trains, buses, Luas trams, even some ferry services. It got better this week when those who are entitled... [More]
The Moon Disappears
Tuesday, March 6 2007
Last Saturday was a beautifully clear night which meant that the lunar eclipse which was visible from Ireland was easily seen and quite spectacular. Apparently total eclipses of the moon are relatively common and there have been dozens of... [More]
43-13 Magnificent
Sunday, February 25 2007
What a magnificent day yesterday was. Not just because the Irish Rugby team absolutely played England off the pitch to record a massive 43-13 victory, though that was a joy that will live with me and all who witnessed it for a long time. The... [More]
Ireland is the winner at Croke Park
Monday, February 12 2007
Yesterday's international rugby match between Ireland and France may have ended in a last minute victory on the pitch for the French, but Ireland was definitely the winner. It is difficult for anyone who didn't grow up in Ireland to... [More]
Come to Ireland for your Sunshine Holiday
Saturday, February 10 2007
I watched Al Gore's documentary the other day. I haven't much to add to the gazillions of words written elsewhere about that - it tells of a devastating truth as much as an inconvenient one. Seeing and experiencing the reality... [More]
Bring back Little Christmas!
Saturday, January 6 2007
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, the day when Christmas is officially over and a day traditionally known as Little Christmas or Women's Christmas in Ireland. Tradition dictates that on this day the women of the house should put her feet up and... [More]
Irish Pub Food
Saturday, July 8 2006
There was a time when an Irish pub serving food was as rare as hen’s teeth, now the opposite is true and even the most out of the way hostelry is likely to at least be able to offer you soup and a sandwich. Generally speaking they are not too bad... [More]
No Flying Here, It's Raining
Sunday, June 18 2006
Went outside yesterday evening after dinner to cut the hedges and found the sky filled with hot air balloons. I had completely forgotten that there was a balloon festival on in town at the weekend. Lovely. Hot Air Balloons So, determined not to miss... [More]
Blue Skies
Tuesday, June 6 2006
Take a look at this: Sky, Ireland, June 2006 Yes, it's just sky, but it's blue, blue sky and it has been like that here for pretty much a week now. I was in Boots in Kilkenny to-day and it was thronged with tourists buying up all the sun screen... [More]
The Traditional, the Modern
Sunday, June 4 2006
If the crowds at Emo Court for the National Country Fair today are anything to go by, traditional country pursuits in Ireland are not just surviving but thriving. It was a terrific family day out, with everything from Pony Club games to Cossak riding,... [More]
The End of an Era in Galway
Wednesday, January 11 2006
If you are looking for Irish books online - old or new - then the place to go is Kenny's Bookshop, a veritable treasure trove for any book lover. While the website is great it can never be a patch on the experience of browsing though the famous Kenny's... [More]
Message in a Bottle
Sunday, October 9 2005
This is kind of exciting! Last January while on holiday in West Palm Beach in Florida my then 6 (now 7) year old, with the aid of the good friend with whom we were staying, carefully prepared a message and put it in a bottle. Launching the bottle proved... [More]
Changing Times
Monday, September 19 2005
This weekend I spent a little time sweeping leaves from gutters, picked the last of a bumber crop of apples from the three tiny trees in the garden, wore a sweater indoors and lit a fire. Summer is gone. Another reliable sign of the passing of the seasons... [More]
Yakkity Yak
Saturday, September 3 2005
I got a spam email this morning from Euphony Telecom trying to interest me in network marketing their products (ie selling them door to door). According to their website I need no special skills and it could "significantly expand your circle of... [More]
Dingle Dilemma
Tuesday, July 19 2005
The story of the 'abolition' of Dingle goes on. You may be aware that, officially, Dingle no longer exists. Many of it's citizens are less than impressed by the change in their address to An Daingean and want Dingle back. They are now to... [More]
Tall Ships and Good Humour
Wednesday, July 13 2005
Down to Dunmore East on Saturday to see the tall ships race begin - or not as it turned out, since there was no wind at all. The day was warm, if a little dull and misty, and the ships were glorious and majestic, truly queens of the sea. The place was... [More]
Buying Irish
Wednesday, June 29 2005
Irish language enthusiasts have had cause to celebrate in the last while. There is the business with all the signposts in many of the busiest tourist destinations going monolingual, and the rise and rise of the Gaelscoileanna, [say: gale-skull-enna],... [More]
Green, green grass of home
Friday, June 24 2005
I took this photograph about 5 minutes ago (at about 9.30pm) from an upstairs window, just because everything looks so intensely green this evening. You can almost hear plants growing, like a quiet fizz. The grass was cut only a few days ago but is... [More]
Too Many Jobs?
Friday, June 10 2005
Ireland now has more or less full employment and a record number of new jobs being created. The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that we have never had so many people in employment. There was 4.2% unemployment in the first quater... [More]
Lost in Translation
Wednesday, May 4 2005
There is a risk that this Summer could see hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors to Ireland wandering forlornly about parts of the West, North West and South West and other Irish* speaking areas, completely lost. Even those with maps are not safe,... [More]
Monkey see, monkey do
Friday, April 29 2005
Next week the primary school my 7 year old attends has a meeting with parents about the school's substance abuse policy. Thankfully this is not in response to any known problem in the school, but simply to fulfill a statutory requirement - all schools... [More]
One door closes, another door closes
Wednesday, April 20 2005
The reaction here to the elevation of "God's rottweiller", Joseph Ratzinger, to Pope has been less than tumultuous to say the least. While his teachings and writings might have had resonance in 1950's Ireland, they sit uncomfortably... [More]
Sunday Rituals
Sunday, April 10 2005
It's a sunny Spring Sunday and all over Ireland children are gathered, cleaned and packed into cars as families set out on the short journey to join other families and individuals in observing a familiar ritual. Some of the children resist, but are... [More]
Welcoming Strangers
Saturday, April 9 2005
The doorbell rang this afternoon and I opened the door to find three very tall and handsome rugby-type men standing there. "We are arrived!" said one happily. And they all smiled, evidently expecting me to be delighted with this news. I was... [More]
Mourning the Pope
Friday, April 8 2005
All this week the radio has been alive with demands that today, the day of Pope John Paul's funeral, be a national day of mourning. The main argument has been that as a Catholic country it is something we should do. The government refused, but schools... [More]
Being Prepared for Irish Weather
Thursday, April 7 2005
This morning was lovely, sunny and bright with a real feel of spring, though with a little bite in the air still. I went into town full of the joys of it but of course no sooner had I arrived than the dark clouds rolled in and it started to rain. Heavily.... [More]
Blah, Blah ..... Blaa
Monday, February 28 2005
Benjamin Franklin it was who said "Fish and visitors smell in three days." If that is the case then this place stinks, since we have been favoured by successive waves of visitors non-stop for more than 3 weeks now! In truth it has been fun,... [More]
