Update: 6.00pm on Tuesday 07.01 – commemoration cancelled as predicted.
Readers from outside Ireland are probably unaware of the political controversy currently engulfing Ireland. It is quite the tale, so buckle up and concentrate… Continue reading ‘Come out you Black and Tans…’
This weekend gone by saw me in Inishowen in Donegal. Inishowen is the most northerly peninsula on the island of Ireland (although it is part of the Republic, and not Northern Ireland). My specific location was the historic market town of Carndonagh. The reason for my presence was to attend a birthday party. Continue reading Happy birthday J.R.
Set in the 19th century ‘Shadowplay’ by Joseph O’Connor is a fictionalised account of the life of the author of ‘Dracula’ – Dubliner Bram Stoker. Continue reading Bookish: ‘Shadowplay’ – the revenge of the author
‘The Madonna of Bolton’ is the third novel by Matt Cain. Having been rejected thirty times by publishers – apparently because the main protagonist of the book Charlie Matthews is gay – it was finally published through a crowdfunding campaign which reached its target within a week. Continue reading A book: ‘The Madonna of Bolton’ by Matt Cain
For my last theatrical outing of the year, I went to the Project Arts Centre this afternoon for the matinee performance of ‘Well that’s what I heard’ by the Breadline Collective. Written and directed by Thommas Kane Byrne (who I’d seen acting in ‘Dublin will show you how’ at the Complex in April), this show originally ran in 2018 at Theatre Upstairs before its revival in the Cube space at the Project this week. Continue reading Theatrical: ‘Well that’s what I heard’
It’s the time of year that the year’s ‘best of’ lists are popping up. I am partial to a list myself, so I decided to compile one of my theatrical excursions this year. The year 2019 has seen my attendance at more theatrical events than any other year in my life to date. I’ve been averaging a play a week Whether such intensity can be maintained in 2020 is to be seen – thus far I have only eight show booked for 2020. Without further ado may I present my review of 2019 and the reviews where I wrote them. Continue reading Theatre 2019 – a year in review – the list
When I receive visitors from out of town, I like to take them to a museum or a gallery. Ideally I’d visit Kilmainham Gaol, but this tends to get booked months in advance due to the limited capacity and widespread popularity of the guided tour. When I checked availability for Kilmainham this weekend all tours were fully booked. I had an idea. I would check availability for a guided tour of the 14 Henrietta Street Museum. There was space on the tour so we selected the 2pm Saturday slot. Continue reading 14 Henrietta Street, Dublin
It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the theatre. When the aim of the show playing is not to educate the public, or to revolutionise the theatrical artform, but instead to please the masses with accessible, entertaining shows. Attending the theatre as often as I do, has shortened by patience for ‘brave’ or ‘groundbreaking’ works – despite the best intentions the results can be very lacklustre. Not so the Christmas shows – these tend to be long running productions that are required to appeal to a wide audience for extended runs. And to set the playhouse up with a healthy budget for the year ahead, no doubt? Having been impressed with the hilarious ‘Drama at Inish’ in the Abbey a few weeks ago, my expectations of the Dickens’ seasonal classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Gate were high. Continue reading Theatrical: ‘A Christmas carol’ at the Gate
The Irish Museum of Modern Art is currently hosting a retrospective of the life and work of British artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman. Continue reading ‘Derek Jarman: Protest!’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art
I have written before about the Fine Gael Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy who has overseen the explosion of the homelessness crisis into a national catastrophe (read about him HERE). I’ve also written about the culture of greed and entitlement by elected Fine Gael politician Maria Bailey who upon receipt of legal advice by Minister for Culture Josepha Madigan, tried to fraudulently claim insurance from a hotel when she drunkenly fell off a swing while holding two bottles of booze in her hands (read about her HERE).
Now it is time to focus our attention on an even worse example of corruption in the Fine Gael party – an individual from the Cork North-Central constituency called Dara Murphy, who has spent the last several years with his snout in the trough of taxpayers’ money with the knowledge and approval of his party and its leader Leo Varadkar. He is the human manifestation of a pig from George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Continue reading Dara Murphy – another Fine Gael hog with his snout in the trough.
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