Posted in great irish bands, irishness, irish culture, Irish music on Sep 29th, 2007 1 Comment »
I noticed on Cathal Coughlan’s website that a retrospective of Microdisney has just been released. This seems as good a time as any to post up a video from Microdisney. So. Here’s ‘Birthday Girl’, live on The Tube.
Enjoy.
Posted in Zaragoza, irish culture, Spain, Ireland on Sep 27th, 2007 3 Comments »
Los libros están encima de la mesa. Yo tengo un telefono móvil gris. Las profesoras de Gregory se llamas Paula y Linda. Is mise Conor. Is maith liom Pollo.
It happens all the time. Today, my teacher asked me the Spanish for ‘window’, and I answered, ‘fuinneog.’ With each class, I’m re-discovering aspects of the Irish […]
Posted in History, politics/Ireland, Bertiegate, Politics on Sep 27th, 2007 12 Comments »
Probably the only thing I knew for sure about Alexis De Tocqueville and his book Democracy in America prior to reading an LRB review of Hugh Brogan’s recently published biography was that he was a French man who traveled through America in the 19th century describing the political process as he saw it and thus, […]
Posted in Iraq, politics/world on Sep 26th, 2007 5 Comments »
Taxi drivers get a lot of stick, mainly because they’ve a tendency to pontificate about things that they don’t fully understand yet still try to make out that they are the ‘world’s foremost authority’, to quote Tony Soprano. They’re a bit like Desmond Fennell actually.
Whenever I find myself in a taxi with an opinioned […]
Posted in RTE, muppets on Sep 26th, 2007 1 Comment »
I know it’s a serious topic, but really, they could have phrased this a bit better….
Full story here.
Posted in Property, Ireland on Sep 25th, 2007 No Comments »
Immigrant. immigrants, everywhere. Well they were on telly last night, at least. TV usually holds few surprises and even fewer delights, but last night saw a stack of decent programs clashing annoyingly. The last installment of Prosperity, maligned and defended here, featured the ups and downs, mainly downs it seems, of a Nigerian immigrant in […]
Posted in Irish Middle Class, Irish Society, Irish Working Class on Sep 22nd, 2007 24 Comments »
The middle class has had a decidedly mixed experience. Some professionals, lover-level managers and small business owners have lost ground. These tend to be people more closely associated with the working class - social workers, teachers, store owners in working class neighbourhoods, community college faculty. Others have prospered dramatically - corporate lawyers, sophisticated tax accountants, […]
Posted in Fianna Fáil, Irish property bubble, Economy, Irish Society, Irish housing, politics/Ireland on Sep 22nd, 2007 10 Comments »
This post arose out of a discussion over on Irish Election with Simon on Michael Taft’s C’mon Ye Know-Nothings, (18 September 2007). Fianna Fáil has produced an abundance of tax incentives to aid the construction industry. One of these schemes, the Rural Renewal Scheme 1999 (PDF FILE, 887KB), is set to run until 31 July […]
Posted in music on Sep 21st, 2007 2 Comments »
More music, this time a little bit more up-to-date, not that I’m trying to down with the kids, you understand. If the Internet is good for anything it is to prove to me how completely behind the times I am with regard to whichever the latest tasty music thing is getting young people all […]
Trophy: Play Now | Play in Popup Reverend Green: Play Now | Play in Popup Mystery Brethren Vironment: Play Now | Play in PopupPosted in music on Sep 21st, 2007 3 Comments »
Through Sinead Gleeson I found out that Mick Harvey, sometime member of the Bad Seeds and original member of The Birthday Party, was the first act to play in Whelan’s this week to inaugurate the reopening of the live venue since its closure a couple of months ago for refurbishment. The reason for his appearance […]
69 Erotic Year: Play Now | Play in Popup Bonnie and Clyde: Play Now | Play in Popup Harley Davidson: Play Now | Play in Popup Lemon Incest: Play Now | Play in Popup The Barrel of My 45: Play Now | Play in Popup