At Open House Dublin last weekend I heard loose talk of a similar event in Limerick this weekend. Well I don’t mind if I do, I thought. A bit of culture is always worthwhile.
Continue reading Open House Limerick →

The big green bus from Dublin to Limerick departs every thirty minutes from Burgh Quay in Dublin city centre. En route to Limerick, it stops to pick up passengers at Red Cow; KIldare and then on to Arthur’s Quay in Limerick. I used to take this bus quite regularly when it cost ten euro for a single ticket. In the past year the price has increased to 15 euro. As it often possible to acquire a train ticket for cheaper, I’ve switched my allegiance to the train. Continue reading My temper tantrum →

Every September just before the Autumn / Winter TV schedule begins, Ireland’s national broadcaster opens a public lottery, to win free audience tickets to its flagship Friday night chat show – the Late Late Show. This is a behemoth of Irish broadcasting, and the world’s second longest late night talk show (after the Tonight Show in the USA) having first broadcast in 1962. Originally hosted by Gay Byrne (from 1962 to 1999); followed by Pat Kenny (1999 to 2009) it is currently hosted by Ryan Tubridy. An audience ticket is highly desired for two reasons – the show can be interesting and also you’ll acquire a decent quantity of freebies  (‘One for everyone in the audience’ was one of Gay Byrne’s catchphrases). Continue reading The Ray D’Arcy television programme →

Friday 12^th October

My employer has a sports and social club that occasionally gets heavy discounts on events. Being somewhat ant-social when it comes to my colleagues I rarely participate in these. This evening was an exception. For five euros we received a ticket for the ‘All Star Comedy Jam’ at the Laughter Lounge on Eden Quay. This was a new venue for me. That evening’s line up was headlined by the Limerick comedian Karl Spain. He is phenomenally quick witted and hilariously funny. The less said about his support acts the better. Continue reading Open House weekend →

I’ve been neglecting this blog of late, thanks to how occupied I have been. Never fear however. With the amount of culture I have consumed since last weekend, I am turning into a yoghurt. To keep you all informed (and more importantly for my own record) I will give a potted summary of the last nine days. Continue reading As cultured as yoghurt…Part 1 →

I have often heard warnings not to eat cheese before bedtime. The reasons vary from causing a disrupted night’s sleep to nightmares. I have never believed these stories. A tall tale if ever I heard one I thought. Nevertheless I have always been slightly reluctant to consume this sacred, dairy product too close to my bedtime. My sleep patterns are temperamental at the best of times and I don’t need further disruption – regardless of how far-fetched and unlikely it sounds. Continue reading *Murphy investigates* Cheese dreams →

There is a woman who gets on the bus every morning who takes her six year old bespectacled son to school. She boards at the same stop each day, pushing the pram in which her infant daughter sleeps. The little boy seems very clean and neat and well spoken, but never smiles. The mother looks utterly worn out. The joys of motherhood, or so I thought. We are on the same bus each morning – getting the son to school on time coincides with my struggle to make it to the industrial wasteland of county Dublin. They disembark several stops before I do. Continue reading Take back the city. Raise the Roof →