Ripping Cowen apart may have been a rip too far

There were two winners last night in Ryan Tubridy’s interview with Brian Cowen. Undoubtedly, Tubridy’s assault on the Taoiseach will have earned him some respect among his doubters. But I wonder, and only time will tell, whether by ripping the Taoiseach apart did he rip a little too far and show up the soft side of the underfire Fianna Fail leader. There was a sense of sympathy for the man by the end of the interview. A sympathy which was aided in no small portion by the crowd that was nervously giddy and similar to the angry mob from the Simpsons. At one stage there was a look on Cowen’s face and you could see it running through his mind-maybe I should tell these people to stick their job and retire to Barbados or something . It’s hard to blame them though, Tubridy in fairness to him was asking questions that everyone has wanted to ask for months but hasn’t, to the best of my knowledge, asked. The question about Cowen’s drinking was a real, wo there, moment but one that the Taoiseach handled admirably. Bertie never got a question like that and I’m sure he didn’t get that big  red snout on him from being out pruning his roses in the garden.  By the end of the interview I think he actually won the audience over. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if his ratings were to climb after this. It was pretty compelling stuff.

Lovely day for a stroll#3

There was a short gap there. A gap of maybe an hour. The day timed it perfectly. And I took the chance to get out for a walk down the Shelbourne Road and beyond. Stopping into Roly’s to get the brown bread for the morning-ostensibly to be generous but really because I knew I couldn’t be arsed to make it and figured that it wasn’t fair to expect Ciara to do the same.

I kept going.  The silence on  Elgin Road’s tree lined street with its lovely protestant church was interrupted by a family of boxers being taken for a walk by their very proud (maybe a little precious) owner. Judging by its straight tail and unrelenting barking, the dalmatian up the road is not a fan. Silence was soon restored and the road belonged to me and an invigorated but sunny wind. 

A wood pigeon cut in with that soothing rhythmic coo-my favourite sound and even the magpie’s gurgling cackle didn’t sound too bad. Easy to see, even today, how Patrick Kavanagh found the streets around here so romantic with their regal houses and leafy boulevards. Even the usual bustling Baggot Street seemed quite calm today and the folks outside Smyth’s of Haddington Road were taking advantage of the dry spell.

It looks like it’s going to rain now. The day timed it perfectly.

Kutiman

I saw this some time back.  But got myself reacquinted with it. This guy, from what I can gather, is some Israeli guy who takes/poaches/steals/gives exposure to various different (as you will see) talented people and mixes it all together creating a cohesive song. And altogether it’s wonderful.

Sinead’s Hand

I’m probably way behind on this but I think it’s class. Hugh O’Conor is such a great actor. Good footballer too.

Lockerbie-Why in the name of God?

I don’t know whether or not the Lockerbie bomber is innocent or not. But I do know that he was convicted and whether rightly or wrongly he has been sent home to Libya without his sentence being overturned. And I’m sure that for him that sticks in his craw a little; if of course he is innocent.

Officially then, a guilty man has been sent home on compassionate grounds. But he now faces, according to Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, “a sentence imposed by a higher power”.

 Why should God be burdened with this affair?

 Does Mr.MacAskill feel that God is less compassionate than the Scottish Justice system?

I can’t shake off the feeling that Mr MacAskill’s words are like those of a snooty class captain in a school telling a naughty little boy that he is really annoyed with him but that when the principal comes along he is really in for it.

I wonder is it not a bit patronising to the rest of us to put himself and God on the same level. Is he in touch with this “higher power”? How does he know that this higher power is even bothered with what we do on earth? What if any of the people that died on that plane were atheist? Would they find comfort in such a statement?

 Should it not be up to us humans through the proper systems to judge. By saying that the decision has now been taken by God, actually demeans Western democracy and the systems of justice that are in place. It is in fact positively medieval to even mention God in the same breath as human justice.

Why does a higher power have to come into it at all? The man was found guilty and convicted by us. He has been let go by us. Using God and the ’sentence of cancer’ to justify these actions  is a cop out. But what is worse is that it is wrapped up as compassion. What package is under the wrapping paper?

Lovely Day for a Stroll#2

At three hours long and several climbs of over 100 metres this jaunt from the Glendalough carpark  up through the Spinc forest and around the back of the Upper lake is not exactly a stroll.

Bring plenty of water, a rain jacket, chocolate and some sambos and get ready for a little bit of hurt, that is if you are not used to it. It’s worth it though. After about an hour and a half you will come across the wild deer that nose and nibble their way over the heather covered mountains. The views from behind and above the miner’s village are wonderful and as you make your way down you will see billy goats munching grass beside the waterfall. It was a Saturday when we went but although it was busy, there was plenty of room for everyone.

Very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Karl Sigfrid-Swedish politician takes a pop at the new blasphemy laws

I was interested to see that a Swedish politician has spoken out against the recent introduction (or is it reintroduction or indeed amendment) of our blasphemy laws. I think it may be worth while considering tranfers for politicians. Just like in football. Perhaps we could have an Italian as Minister of Defence, a Dutchman or woman as Minister for flooding, a Dane or a Swede as Minister of Common sense etc. Who would be the Ronaldo of a transfer market like that I wonder?

Anyway, Mr. Karl Sigfrid brings up some very valid points according to this report. There is a problem with the report though. Is it being reported because no Irish politician has said the same or because he is foreign and we are more inclined to listen to foreigners, in the ‘jaysus Maire look at dat, sure we’re that  brilliant they’re talking about us in Sweden’ sense?

Or do we just not really care about this kind of thing here and they really do in Sweden? Read on Mac Duff. 

http://news.ie.msn.com/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=149235590

Lovely Day for a Stroll#1

The South Wall, Dublin

 
It may not look like much on the way to it and be sure to keep your car windows up while you speed past the stench from the waste treatment plant. But just beyond the pigeon house is surely the city’s number one walk: The South Wall.
Built in the 18th century over a period of roughly 80 years its function was to alleviate problems with sandbars and swells for ships arriving into Dublin port. Today you can watch the boats cruise safely past you on their way towards the Liffey as you walk out into the middle of Dublin Bay.
It’s a 45-50 minute jaunt up to the red lighthouse and back. The summer heather on Howth head is just lovely and on your right the Dublin mountains unfurl themselves down towards the dollhouse like sails twinkling off Dun Laoghaire. If you’re lucky a member of the half-moon swimming club might accidentally flash you a full moon.

The Bay City Stroller

The South Wall, Dublin

New bus corridor College Green Dublin

For the next two weeks An Garda Siochana in association with the drivers of Dublin are putting on free entertainment around College Green. Yesterday I grabbed myself a coffee and went down to have a look at the opening day.

16:59 (College Street) A minute away from kick off and no sign of An Garda Siochana at the junction of Pearse Street and Tara Street. Great big sign tells traffic to divert. The big question is, will they?
17:03 Ah! There they are. Two Gardai- one at The Irish Yeast company, and the second a little further on just in front of the traffic island. Both are directing traffic to their left up towards Westmoreland Street. Remarkably few cars.
17:05 Garda number 2 is delighted with himself when an RTE cameraman asks to film him in action. He’s no T.J. Hooker but he does a fine job.
17:06 Man in a blue Lexus stops to ask what’s going on as a helicopter hovers overhead. I wonder if the day U2 are playing to 80,000 people is the day to roll this out but it seems fine so far.
17:09 A third Garda strolls over to ask something and goes away. Two skinny lattes are on their way perhaps.
17:14 (Dame Street) This poor fella got the short straw by the looks of it. He’s charged with telling traffic to U-turn just in front of the Bank of Ireland, College Green. Nightmare. He looks very serious. No messing with this tulip.
17:16 Man in a white lorry is told to shift in no uncertain terms, curses, then blows a taxi-driver out of it as he swings into the road going the other way. A bit dangerous. It’s quite warm.
17:17 Garda takes his eye off the ball for a second as a leggy dark foreigner embraces her friend right in front of him. Can’t say I blame him.
17:19 Man in a red lorry, dressed like a camper van driver, holds up a piece of paper-no joy. Is forced to do a U-e. Viking Splash tours let out there customary roar as they pass Trinity. Doesn’t help the tension.
17:22 An irritated rich kid in a silver BMW demonds an explonation roight. The garda’s hands say it all. Stop-a-nnoy-ing-me. Turn your car and get on your way
17:25-17:35 In this 10 minute spell I count 45 cars that are made to turn.
17:25 Woman who looks like she’s on her way either to or from an audition for the latest Tango ad pleads with the Gard to let her through. No dice.
17:28 Here’s trouble- an ambulance. No it’s OK. Going the other way. Close one.
17:30 Action, action, action. A yellow sports car uses a van as cover, blindsides the Garda and slips through. The Gard sees it and pursues. Should he stay? Should he go? Maybe others will do the same and then there will be chaos. He stops her, admonishes her but lets her continue. A red Ford Fiesta carrying two rotund young ones gets the brunt of his ire. He points vigorously at the sign and angrily gestures them to turn the car. They gesture him back but they turn quickly enough. Girl in the passenger seat calls him something unprintable. Tempers are frayed a smidgen.
17:35 A colleague approaches him and asks if he’s OK. The poor chap gives a wry smile. The new Garda pitches in with one or two fairly flamboyant waves (perhaps he’s Italian) and strolls off again.
17:36 Hot stuff in a fancy silver Merc tries her luck. Not even Angelina Jolie would get past this guy. He’s good.
17:38 The taxi-drivers are loving it all. A grey haired man sits calmly under the statue of Henry Grattan and watches proceedings. Grattan would have made a fine traffic warden by the looks of this exuberant statue.
17:45(Back at College Street) Black Bmer slips through. Government official perhaps?
17:50 Not nearly as busy or as much hassle over this side. Notifacation into College Street is good. Motorcyclist points out to Garda the Silver Ford that has just passed them both by on the wrong side. Garda shrugs.
17:57 (College Green) Substitution back at College Green. The older and slightly grumpier fella is replaced by a younger chubbier chap.
17:58 Nearby, charity fundraisers do there bit to divert pedestrians.
17:59 A trickle of rain? This could be interesting but I ain’t going to stick around. No crashes, no incidents. Worth all the hassle? Not sure.

Angel of Harlem

Here in my apartment in Dublin 2 and Bono and the lads are soundchecking for tonight’s gig in Croke Park, Dublin. He’s in fine voice by the sounds of it. It’s going to be damn loud tonight, if I can hear it all the way over here on Fenian Street. Anyway, sounds like ‘Angel of Harlem’ is on the set list……now he is just doing a few oo oo oo’s, you know the high pitched ones that he does (14:04)

Cafe Novo-Dublin-As published in The Dubliner

By Jonathan deBurca Butler as published in The Dubliner

 

A sleek and modern eatery, Café Novo, beside the Westbury hotel, isn’t unlike walking onto the bridge of the 1960s Star Trek series with its white, oval shaped plastic lampshades hanging long from the exposed warehouse like ceiling-it’s all steel girders, nuts and bolts. Open since October of last year, there’s ample room for buggies, so it’s ideal for young families, without being poky, making it perfect for that quick business meeting or a good girlie chinwag.

 

We recommend the fish cakes (€8) for starters, followed by the Beer battered hake with chips (€12.95). Swill it down with a €7 glass of Sauvignon Blanc or if you’re feeling healthy try the many fruity alcohol free cocktails they have to offer and watch the world go by as you sit beside the large open windows looking onto Clarendon Street.

 For dessert we tried and can recommend the crème catalan (€8), a lemon and cinnamon take on the classic brulle . Inexpensive, well-located with quick and friendly service. We think that this one boldly goes where none have gone before.

The Leeson Lounge

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

 

Judging by the photos on the wall the owner of the Leeson Lounge is a big fan of GAA and particularly hurling. Unsurprising then that it’s a bit of an oasis for country folk in Dublin

 

Sit up at the long counter and watch the football, hurling or darts on the TV that’s perched up in a corner or hideaway in one of the many comfortable couches for a heart to heart with the missus. We’re not sure who did the decorating but there is a red hue in this pub that’s reminiscent of some 1950’s private members club in London’s Soho. But far from being seedy it’s lulling.

 

The atmosphere is quiet but chatty. If you’re feeling peckish we can recommend the excellent toasted sandwiches. Wash that down with a very fine pint, sit back to watch Match of the Day or get an aul’ game of darts in-we think we’re going to enter the regular Monday night competitions.

 

Scores 180 on all fronts.

 

Morrisey’s, The Leeson Lounge, 148 Leeson Street Upper, Dublin 4

Mc Daid’s – As reviewed in The Dubliner magazine

Mc Daid’s

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

The large tiled decoration behind the bar proudly declares that McDaid’s of Harry Street has been on the go since 1873. The portraits of Dublin’s literary greats are particularly poignant as most of them frequented this old Victorian haunt. It’s not hard to imagine Behan or Joyce sitting at the ‘h’ shaped bar or tucked under the stairs at the back.

We love the sublime details; the high ceilings painted a deep red wine, the four small arched windows above the door are wonderfully colourful and would be fit for a Parisian Cathedral, the large and grandiose mirror opposite the bar, and the bookcase high up on the wall must be as old as the dusty books it holds. And all of this under the electric light of two modified gas lamps which dangle lazily looking over the patrons whose Italian leather shoes and high heels clack on the wooden floor.

A Dublin gem.

Mc Daid’s, Harry Street, Dublin 2 6794395