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.

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.

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)

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

Merrion Square Facelift – New Memorial/Rutland Fountain Restoration

The Old Fountain is being cleaned

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

 

 

 

 

The west side of Merrion square in Dublin 2 has been undergoing somewhat of a facelift in recent weeks and months with the imminent unveiling of a new memorial to the Defence Forces and commencement of restoration on an 18^th century fountain.

 

The unveiling of the memorial, which is being erected to honour members of the Defence Forces who have died in service, was originally pencilled in for June.

 

 However, the complexity of the structure has led to delays in the realisation of the project and it is now set to be presented to the public by the Minister of Defence, Willie O’Dea and President Mary McAleese next Saturday, November 8th.

 

The monument itself, designed by the artist, Mr. Brian King, is a pyramid standing 3 metres high made primarily of granite slabs resting on a steel frame and interspaced with toughened glass panels. Inside the structure, which has just been completed at a cost of €175,000, are four bronze figures in relief representing members of the Defence Forces.

 

In a statement to the Sunday Independent a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said: “The National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces will provide a place for contemplation and remembrance, where families, relatives and members of the public can reflect on the contribution and sacrifice made by members of the Defence Forces who died in the service of the State.”

Mr King’s design was chosen in March 2007 following an open tender competition in which more than 30 artists from across Europe applied. Mr. King studied at the National College of Art and Design, where he became a lecturer and was head of its sculpture department between 1984 and 2004. He is well known for typically large-scale geometric pieces incorporating the use of metals.

 

 Just a few metres down from the new memorial, scaffolding has been erected for the cleaning and part restoration of the Rutland fountain. Dating from 1792, the fountain, designed by Francis Sandys, is a commemoration of the Duke of Rutland, Charles Manners who commissioned the piece before his untimely death at the age of thirty-three.

 

In its full glory, water poured from the two bronze lion heads on either side and from the small central conduit water flowed into a large stone conch shell at the base of the fountain. Many of the figures in the roundels that adorn the fountain have been vandalised and damaged since its building over 200 years ago and the water element has been cut off.

 

None of these features are expected to be resurrected but the work is being done in order to preserve what is left of the monument.

 

The clean up is being undertaken by Dublin based company, Interclean on behalf of the Dublin City Council at a cost of approximately €230,000 and is expected to be finished before Christmas.

 

Interclean has been responsible for many successful restorations in the past including the cleaning of the Bank of Ireland, College Green and the façade of Trinity College, Dublin.

Review-Hedda Gabler-The Gate-Saturday Matinee 11th October

There’s quite a bit of attention to detail in the Brian Friel’s version of Hedda Gabler, directed by Anna Mackmin. Lez Brotherston’s beautiful grey drawing-room gives off an impression of grim decadence and the feeling is rather cinematic. Although from an utterly different era, the atmosphere is not unlike Elia Kazan’s film version of ‘A Streetcar named Desire’.

As the focal point, actress Justine Mitchell plays the role of Hedda, a 19^th century frustrated housewife who through boredom wishes to manipulate and destroy the lives of those around her. In an effort to appear cool and calculating the character suffers from being slightly one-dimensional. For me she’s actually not really cruel enough. If she were, you would feel something towards her, namely contempt or satisfaction at her ultimate demise. But in the end, which is rather dramatic, you end up feeling apathetic towards her. She’s not quite the larger than life character she is supposed to be.

She is manipulative but she could have been so much crueler. Her idiotic and naïve husband George, played here brilliantly by Peter Hanly, is, on the surface at least, so trusting and loving that he could have been twisted into all sorts of shapes. Instead he is allowed to come and go; and although he is in the play quite a lot, it is only really for comic effect, which at times-although always funny-runs on a bit too long.

John Light as Eilert Loevborg, the focus of many ladies attention, doesn’t do much to demonstrate the reasons for their amorous consideration. And in many respects it is a pity that the sexual tension between Hedda and the Lawyer Brack, although at times somewhat adolescent, wasn’t developed more.

Andrea Irvine as Thea Elvsted is really the stand out performer here. This is in no small part down to her own talent and skill as an actress; but the fact that her character is the most complex of all the characters allows Irvine to play her part with greater depth.

The Gate is a wonderful space. This play is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend two and a half hours and well worth going to. It just suffers from having too many characters whose complexities aren’t developed enough.

 

 

Palin Biden Debate- The view from Ireland and Britain

Not so great debate

Most (sane) media are calling it a draw with Palin perhaps managing not to make too much of a fool of herself as was maybe hoped by the Democrat side. Even the ‘experts’ on Mr. Murdoch’s Sky News over here were inclined to say that although Palin didn’t make a pig’s ear of it, Biden’s knowledge of foreign policy ultimately swung it in his favour. That said, these are the glasses through which we Europeans see the American election-U.S. foreign policy. So whether or not that is as relevant for you guys is another thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The BBC’s Kevin Connolly said the following in his anaysis: “I’d be inclined to call it even, while noting that Mrs Palin perhaps exceeded expectations and even got a couple of cheeky digs in towards the end.”

 

The unfortunate thing about the debate was the rather sickening way that family history got drawn into the election again. It is unfortunate that Biden, in order to show his human side, was forced or felt compelled to bring in a family tragedy from some years back. But it seems to be part of the game. I wonder now when we will see the marriage of Palin’s daughter. Could it happen before the election day?

 

On Palin’s performance Denis Staunton of The Irish Times said the following: “Palin’s performance may have delighted the McCain campaign but it was not enough to provide the game-changer the Republican ticket needs as the election moves swiftly in Obama’s direction.”

  Trawl through most of the European press and you won’t find many saying Palin won; rather that there was relief in Republican circles that she didn’t lose.

Metamorphosis-Review-Dublin Theatre Festival (Olympia Theatre Monday 29th September)

At one point, about ten minutes into last night’s performance of Metamorphosis, the audience had a mild and satisfied smile to itself. The smile was induced by the slow realisation that the stage had been transformed. Having looked upon Gregor’s room pinned against a wall, we were suddenly, through a trick of light and brilliant set design, gazing into his room from above.

 

It was an amazingly clever piece of trickery and one that certainly gave the performance some oomph. As we followed Gregor(Gisli Orn Gardarsson) who, having been transformed inexplicably into a beetle of some sort, had to crawl his way around the house; his family’s life gradually continues in the kitchen under his room. Although his adoring sister Grete initially tries to take care of her brother her parents are not interested. Gradually, Grete herself begins to shun Gregor, treating him more and more like an animal than a beloved brother. Throughout, Gregor tries to communicate with his family for whom he was the sole breadwinner but his voice has been transformed into a loud and incomprehensible screech.

 

Over the course of the play, the family’s former hero is dehumanised and becomes referred to as vermin and disgusting. The Nazi overtones are striking and clever. When Gregor’s father, played here by the somewhat shaky (opening night nerves I suspect) Ingvar E Sigurdsson, finds a new job, which involves the wearing of a uniform, the family begin to change. The mother’s former floral attire is replaced with black clothing but most strikingly Grete’s caring and sunny demeanour is replaced by strict respect and punctuality, her innocent school uniform by a sharp grey suit and black leather boots.

 

When a potential lodger, a well to do and handsome man played by Jonathan McGuinness, comes to inspect his would be lodgings the family are beside themselves with admiration. Gregor interrupts them by crashing through the ceiling and the horrified lodger bolts out the door while expressing his disgust. The family draw the only conclusion possible and encouraged by the now frustrated Grete, Gregor’s fate is sealed.

 

 The star of this show, with Grete a close second, was the physically impressive Gardarsson. Although he did have a nice rest for approximately ten minutes during which the family try to sycophantically impress their would be lodger, he spent most of the play hanging from the wall, crawling down stairs or being thumped on the head. Throughout all this suffering he managed to keep the soft and sympathetically selfless character of Gregor alive. Perhaps his role as an actor was not as tough as the rest of the cast but he played to his strengths making his ending all the more potent.

 

This is not a word for word adaption of Kafka’s story but it is well done and stays true to the story’s main themes. And for the set and Gardarsson’s performance it is definitely worth seeing.

Kehoe’s – An Unseasonable treat – As published in Totally Dublin – August 2008

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

 

Migration is a funny and wonderful fact of nature.  In winter for example, some breeds of whale move to warmer waters to breed and give birth, moving back in the summer to the colder climes of the north to feed. Perhaps, the steak and chips are better in the northern hemisphere. But whatever their motives this is what some whales do.

 

 In the same way there are certain pubs that I don’t go to at certain times of the year and I wondered if this bent was instinctive. I had this on my mind as I went, with my girlfriend, to have a few unseasonable jars in Kehoe’s of South Anne Street.

 

I hadn’t been here for months. So I say unseasonable, because this famous pub, which sits just off Grafton Street, is a place that I associate with the winter months. It is a warm, welcoming and cosy pub, synonymous with Christmas and annual reunions. So I found it a bit odd coming here on a warm summer’s evening; a bit like a fish in the wrong waters. However, as we approached the flower-laden exterior, it dawned on me that I shouldn’t have felt that way.

 

  Around about the time RTE newscasters were getting ready to give us more doom and gloom recession news, we ambled through the rather relaxed crowd that was lapping up the sunshine underneath the pub’s well-known neon-sign and strolled into the bar, where punters anxiously watched the gee gees on the box. A convivial atmosphere is never far from this spot and this evening, albeit a Monday, was no different.

 

 We ordered our drinks, a pint of Guinness for myself at €4.60 and a Heineken for herself at €4.95(a bit hefty?), and headed straight for the snug- a small and comfortable room just off the main bar (mind your head).

 

As we sank into the small leather couch and chatted about the day’s events, we took in the atmosphere of the place that has given both of us quite a few memories, and blackouts, over the years. We both agreed that there has always been a good mix of people in here. Both country-folk and rugby jocks in their suits mix quite freely with the musos and arty types. All groups hang about on a Friday or Saturday night looking at themselves, and others, in the many mirrors that adorn the walls and the warm mahogany interiors.

 

For our second pint we went up the broad, creaky stairs to the living room area, which wasn’t too busy at all. Save for the very courteous barman and what seemed to be an admirer of his twirling her hair, we had only ourselves and framed calendars recalling Ireland’s sweet and sour history for company.

 

Half way through the pints we decided to go up to the smoking terrace -and it is just a terrace- where we spoke about the good weather and how it can transform this city. We spoke a little bit about whale migration too, until we figured it was time to eat.

 

“Fish and chips?” I suggested.

 

“Sounds good to me,” said my missus and we headed for the chipper, safe in the knowledge that Kehoe’s is a good spot all year round.

Dublin Theatre Festival Preview – As published in September’s Temple Bar

The Cast of 'Black Watch'

By Jonathan deBurca Butler

In 1957 the Dublin Theatre festival opened with Tennessee William’s controversial ‘The Rose Tattoo’.  Garda reports at the time, spoke of some “objectionable passages” and scenes that were “lewd, vulgar and offensive”. Alan Simpson, who ran the Pike theatre with his wife Carolyn Swift, was arrested, somewhat bizarrely, after the show ended its run. The charges against him for his part in “producing for gain an indecent and profane performance”, were eventually dropped but his theatre was ruined and his marriage collapsed due to the pressures surrounding the bad publicity.

It is unlikely that such real life drama will be played out at this year’s festival, and unlikely the authorities, in an effort to protect our morals, end up ruining a marriage. But such is the rough and tumble world of the arts that you just never know.

 The line up for the 2008 Dublin Theatre festival may not prove to be as controversial as the inaugural festival. However, if the (allegedly) increasingly obese, soap-opera obsessed couch potatoes of this fair city decide to get up of their posteriors and go to see one or more of the plays on offer, they should be royally entertained.

Last year was a record year for the festival, taking in over €1million for the first time in its 51-year history. Attendances were up by twenty three per cent on 2006 and the organisers are hoping for a similar turnout this year. Inevitably, as with every sector of Irish life these days, the economy may have a part to play in the number of rumps on stools, but judging by the fact that Michael McDowell’s utopian café culture seems to be still thriving (heck not even the Italians know what all these different Italian coffees are), the festival organisers shouldn’t have too much to worry about.  

One reason to attend this years festival will be the appearance of Vanessa Redgrave in Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. The production, which centres on a woman’s efforts to deal with the sudden death of her husband, is taking place at the Gaiety and is a massive coup for the festival, considering this is only one of three cities where the play is to be staged this year. The 71 year- old star, famous for her roles in films such as Blow up and Venus, has won acclaim for her powerful performance from both the media and her peers and tickets for this show are expected to go quickly.

 Other eyebrow raisers are plays and performances based on the work of Virginia Woolf (Waves), Fyodor Dostoevsky and F.Scott Fitzgerald(Gatz) as well as fresh interpretations of Albert Camus’ ‘Caligula’ and Beckett’s ‘Happy Days’.

But perhaps one of the most intriguing productions of this year’s festival is an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s freakishly dream-like short story ‘Metamorphosis’, a collaboration with Iceland’s Vesturport Theatre Production and the Lyric Hammersmith of London. This darkly decadent treat promises to be very physical and vibrant, using as it does climbing cables and a split stage to heighten the drama and tension; it also features music by Nick Cave and long-time collaborator Warren Ellis.

There are, of course, many home productions to choose from over the two-week period. The Gate Theatre, which is celebrating eighty years this year, is putting on Brian Friel’s new version of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.

Druid’s Irish premiere of Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan directed by Garry Hynes- the first woman to win a Tony award for direction- takes to the stage at the Olympia from the 6^th October, while at the Helix Fishamble are doing a new play by Irish playwright Robert Massey called Rank, which deals with Dublin’s transformation over the last ten years. Including, I assume, our uncanny ability to mispronounce Bruschetta.

The National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Black Watch, based on interviews with soldiers from the regiment of the same name and their time in Iraq, will be staged at the RDS. Having just gone on a sell-out run in Edinburgh, this production is expected to get a lot of attention not least for its strong language and somewhat contentious if relevant subject matter.

 Mark Donford-May’s reworking of Mozart’s The Magic Flute moves the 18^th century opera to a modern township setting in South Africa and offers something a little different for supporters of opera.  CoisCéim Dance Theatre will present Dodgems transforming the O’Reilly Theatre in Belvedere College into a fairground where a real bumper track is the stage for the clashes of lives and personalities that take place during the show.

This year’s festival also includes some workshops and panel discussions. The pick of the bunch is Vanessa Redgrave in conversation Colm Tobin. Perhaps they’ll talk about the development of the lewd, vulgar and offensive in today’s theatre.

Whatever the topic of their discussion, like all the festival, it’s sure to be quite memorable.

By the way the prices vary quite a bit from €20 to €45 but there are student stand-by tickets from about a half hour before the show depending on availability and OAPs also get a discount. Bear in mind that if your booking they’ll charge you €2 per ticket, so book on the net.

Vanessa Redgrave

Be sure to come back September 30th for  a review of Metamorphosis

Books in the Park

This Saturday September 13th a host of acclaimed Irish authors including Derek Landy and Marita Conlon McKenna take their books and their brilliance to Marlay Park for a free fun day for all the family. 

Books in the Park, is sure to be a lively day out, featuring a host of top authors and lots of other activities including face painters, jugglers, balloons andchildren’s entertainment.

 

If books aren’t your thing, there’s the ever-popular CoCo Market which produces delicious farmers fare.

 

In June, a similar event took place in Cabinteely Park and proved to be very popular.

 

Kick off is at 1pm and the authors will be there until 5pm. So go early to make sure you get the best of the food and meet the writers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Beggars Bush-A pint in the hand is worth two in the bush- By Jonathan deburca Butler – as published in Totally Dublin June 2008

Tasty pints

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the Rough Guide, the Beggars Bush was considered by the British to be  “ a lawless area on the edge of Dublin.”  Things have changed a lot over the years and these days the price tags on houses are the only criminal element still resident in the borough.

      

        So right in the middle of this fairly affluent part of Dublin 4, it is heart-warming to find a boozer that doesn’t rob your eyes and come back for the lashes.

      

        When I told my Spanish mate Xavier that a pint of St. James’ Gate finest was only €3.80 in here he looked at me as if I had just told him I wanted his babies. Xavi, a newcomer to our shores, has no experience of that time, not so long ago, when any combination of drink, crisps, fags etc. cost less than a fiver. He has come to Ireland in an era when it is impossible to enter a bar with less than five bills in your pocket, unless your poison is Pringles.

       

          Go to the Beggars on Friday after work and the place is buzzing. The front courtyard is packed with all sorts: the young, the old, the pleasantly tipsy and the chilled observer.

        

           Inside is a nice, clean, simple bar that doesn’t seek approval. The pint is world class, poured expertly by a staff that are positively sound. The whole place has an atmosphere and smell of proper pub [The aroma of farts does not constitute a proper pub smell]. Add to that, that this is one establishment where the Celtic Mutt (eat that McWilliams) has yet to cock its capitalist leg to leave the foul stench of class division, and you have a classy classless classic Dublin pub. You’ll see the lads from the taxi trade exchanging pleasantries and banter with the chaps from the medical profession in here.

        

           I sat down with Alan and Noel, two regulars. They told me that the original owner’s family still runs the place.

      

           “That’s him up on the wall there,” said Noel pointing at one of the many photos that add a real sense of history to the place. “Jack Ryan.  He was from Tipperary originally.”

        

            Between them Noel and Alan went through a whole history of the place.

        

            “ They were going to build a concert hall here in the 60s and name it after JFK but the OPW ran out of money,” said Noel.

           

             “ Thanks be to Jaysus,” said Alan lifting his eyebrows over his glasses.

           

              I had to agree with Alan. The JFK Concert Hall instead of the Beggars Bush? Now that would have been criminal.

Broken Angel on William Street South

While I was out for a ramble the other day, I spotted this piece of work on William Street South in Dublin’s City centre. It struck me as very beautiful.

 It is quite a large piece and stands out as somewhat unusual for Dublin. It’s really rather poignant but I can’t decide if she’s frightened or seductive. She seems quite vulnerable but the size of it gives her an uncanny power.

It is done by a guy called Eelus who, it turns out, is from Wigan. His website tells us that he has been living in London for some time and is now a full time graphic artist.