All posts by midnightmurphy

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Midnight at the Cat Lounge

July 2, 2018Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

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I mentioned briefly on my last post, about my trip to the Cat Lounge in Smithfield after the Pride Parade on Saturday. This is a volunteer run cat sanctuary on Smithfield Square where members of the public can take a half hour from their day. For a small fee (€5) they can hang out with some felines. There are sofas and armchairs present to relax in. Once ensconced the cats will approach you and demand attention in that persuasive, penetrating, shrill cat manner. Continue reading Midnight at the Cat Lounge →

Pride makes me happy

June 30, 2018Dublin, Gay, Pride, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

pride

It is such an uplifting feeling to march with thousands of your own kind, through the city streets, dressed in all our gaudy finery, with our fists in the air, celebrating our strength. Continue reading Pride makes me happy →

Cold, hard, dirty cash with the Dublin Bears

June 29, 2018Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

Social media can occasionally do wonders for your wallet. Not often, granted, but it has been known to enable the acquisition of a crisp, 50-euro, cash-money note. Continue reading Cold, hard, dirty cash with the Dublin Bears →

Bookworm: ‘The Sparsholt Affair’ by Alan Hollinghurst

June 25, 2018Books, Gay, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

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‘The Sparsholt Affair’ by Alan Hollinghurst is his first book since 2011’s ‘The Stranger’s Child’ and his sixth overall. Having won the Man Booker Prize for his masterpiece ‘The Line of Beauty ‘ in 2005 the expectations every time he releases a book are high. His books are about the lives of gay men, but such is the beauty and power of his writing, they transcend that limiting categorization, and get placed in the General Fiction section of the bookshop. Continue reading Bookworm: ‘The Sparsholt Affair’ by Alan Hollinghurst →

Wastelands Pride

June 21, 2018Dublin, Pride, Travels to work, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

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*UPDATE* June 1st 2022 – the following post is from 2018. Last year for Pride, some male managers dressed up in drag – remotely. I shudder to think what this year will bring.

The rainbow flag fluttered proudly in the breeze as I approached the office. I entered the building. Someone had been busy overnight. The lobby was festooned with rainbow flags and balloons. Gay Pride had reached the Wastelands and my office was celebrating. Continue reading Wastelands Pride →

‘Labels are for bottles, not for people’. Oh Vomit.

June 20, 2018Gay, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

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Happy Corporate Pride everyone. In the ever surreal landscape of life in the wastelands, my multinational employer is having a Pride day this week. I ought to be thankful that it is making an effort, but for some reason – despite my glued on smile – I find it quite bizarre. Thursday is ‘Rainbow’ day – a day where we are encouraged to wear our brightest clothes to ‘celebrate diversity’ and to ‘show our pride’. Hurrah. Yet I am not actually that celebratory. Such ungrateful behaviour on my part. Continue reading ‘Labels are for bottles, not for people’. Oh Vomit. →

Theatrical: ‘The Snapper’ at the Gate

June 19, 2018Books, Dublin, Film, Theatre, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

Currently in preview at the Gate Theatre is the stage adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s book ‘The Snapper’. The official opening is on Wednesday 20^th June. Theatrical etiquette rules that reviewers don’t review plays until opening night. Preview shows are intended to allow the director and the cast to iron out any last minute issues with the play. I am going to ignore that rule – for the simple reason that I paid full whack for my preview ticket (no freebies for regular audience members). As the show I saw, was the fourth preview performance, if they are not about 99% stage ready by this point then they never will be. Continue reading Theatrical: ‘The Snapper’ at the Gate →

Showbiz trooper

June 17, 2018Bloomsday, Dublin, Gay, James Joyce, Theatre, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

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Friday evening was spent at the theatre – the final evening show for ‘25/The Decriminalisation Monologues’ at Outhouse. Having written one of the monologues – ‘The Number’ – I had found it very difficult to watch my own piece initially. I was feeling a touch self-conscious and insecure about it. Not by Friday however. I had gotten over my nerves and was able to sit back and enjoy the entire show. It was a privilege to be included in this project. It is important to remember how different this country was in the very recent past – how cold, hard and cruel it was to anyone who fell outside the boundaries of what was considered ‘normal’ by mainstream society. How it crushed many people. But how people resisted and pushed back, eventually transforming the social landscape. I hope there will be continued life in ‘The Decrminaliation Monologues’ as it gives an insight to young people about those who fought, although their struggle is largely unknown to younger people. Continue reading Showbiz trooper →

‘Fast Forward’

June 14, 2018Dublin, Ireland, Theatre, Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

Yesterday evening, for the 2^nd time this week I attended the theatre. For my delectation on this occasion, was ‘Fast Forward’ by Firedoor Theatre. Written by Jason Coburn – who wrote last year’s ‘The Lover’s Guide to Losing your Mind’ – this play was inspired by the ideas of the Firedoor Theatre Devising Group. Continue reading ‘Fast Forward’ →

Burning up

June 11, 2018Uncategorizedmidnightmurphy

To celebrate my forty year anniversary as a Type 1 diabetic, today I went to the clinic. While I am not certain of the exact date of my diagnosis I know that it was in June 1978. Therefore I am declaring today to be the official anniversary. I was still basically a toddler, not having started primary school. For my improvement I was meeting a dietitian who was going to explain the wonders of carb counting to me. Continue reading Burning up →