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Hail to the Orchestra

Posted in Uncategorized on February 4, 2010| 1 Comment »

'Trinity Orchestra Play Radiohead'

Nice little event from the DU Orchestal Soc. in Trinity College Dublin on the nineteenth, with an 8pm start in the exam hall.

After the success of last year’s Sigur Rós performance, DU Orchestral Society are back with a full symphony orchestra and band to perform the best of Radiohead. Vocalists from Trinity will join the orchestra to perform some of the band’s biggest and most challenging songs in the Exam Hall.

Tickets are priced €5 and will be available from the SU shop closer to the time. All proceeds go to ‘Impact Romania’, helping disadvantaged families in Brasov, Romania.

Last year, the Society had a pop at some Sigur Ros. Check it.

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Jameson Dublin International Film Festival

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on February 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Moore Street Masala, David O'Sullivan

Sorry for being off the radar for the last week or so, circumstances dictated and I barely had time to wipe my nose, never mind write an article! Anyways- Just a quick check in to remind people that the seventh annual Jameson Dublin International Film Festival takes place this month, running from the 18th to the 28th in cinemas across the city; Cineworld, The Savoy, Screen and the Irish Film Institute as well as The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield and Movies@Dundrum.

Amidst the 120 or so film debuting at the Festival are a few Irish productions that look well worth seeing; Below are two I’ll certainly be heading along to!

Between The Canals, Mark O'Connor

Between the Canals follows the lives of three small- time inner city criminals, each with a different ambitions and aspirations; The JDIFF site describes it as “A heartbreaking and occasionally hilarious story of loyalty, duty and masculinity.” It’s certainly one I’ll be checking out, if only to see our man Damien Dempsey on the big screen.

Film- 21 Feb 2010 – 20:40 (79 mins) at Cineworld


 

Meeting Room, James Davis

Meeting Room takes on one of the most controversial eras in modern Dublin history; In early 1982, residents of Hardwicke Street called a meeting to address the epidemic of heroin use in the flats and the lack of action from the authorities to address the impending catastrophe. The concerned parents of the area decided to take matters into their own hands and soon had formed a group known as Concerned Parents against Drugs (CPAD) to confront the dealers and drive them out of the neighbourhoods.

Film– 21 Feb 2010 – 15:30 (72 mins) at Cineworld

Above are just two examples of the fare on offer; Check out the full line-up @ www.jdiff.com – See you there!


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Classic Dublin Albums: Finbar and Eddie Furey (1968)

Posted in Music, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on January 25, 2010| 2 Comments »

“…in 1966 Eddie and Finbar Furey won the international folk award in Tralee against eighty other groups. For this they got £170 in prize money which they say lasted about three days. ‘It went to charity’ says Eddie. The ‘Guinness charity’ says Finbar”

Finbar and Eddie Furey LP

Finbar and Eddie Furey, Transatlantic Records, 1968.

“You’ll meet a tall, dark handsome man….” she told my mother. Mrs. Furey that was, who used to tell fortunes up in Ballyfermot. “Jesus, she got that one wrong!”

I had a great time recently researching the Liam Weldon article, and got a laugh out of the images and memories it brought to mind especially for my mother. German TV cameras in the front garden, Christy Moore on the wall, a whole family at work musically. The Fureys were much the same, on Spidel Road.

Six in the family, the four boys and the parents. A musicial house to say the least. Another cornerstone of what I consider the great forgotten Trad-scene of Ireland, the Downeys acts. For all the romanticism surrounding traditional music in Ireland at the time (1968), you hear very little about Ballyfermot and what was going on there. The Furey Family, The Keenan Family , Paddy Sweeney (who did some time in the Dublin City Ramblers), The Weldon Family, and all the drop-ins you’d get on occasion for The Phoenix Folk Club, with the likes of Andy Irvine, Jim Page, Donal Lunny, Barry Moore (Better known now as Luke Bloom), Mary Black, Ronnie Drew, Mick Hanly and others. Christy Moore did a fundraiser for the folk club too, and things were really going on to say the least. You were no one without an instrument up there, with mam trying out the fiddle briefly and the father opting for the bodhran.

Anyway, the album.

An amazing array of instruments. Whistles, pipes, bodhrans, guitars, whatever you’re having yourself. Finbar and Eddie were sweeping awards from a young age, with several junior championship awards for pipes under both belts, and the Ulster Senior Trio championship taken along with the father, Ted.

The Spanish Cloak
Come by the Hills
Sliabh Na Mban
Dainty Davy
Tattered Jack Welch
The Flowers in the Valley
Pigeon on the Gate
Graham’s Flat
Leezy Lindsay
Piper in the Meadow Straying
The Curragh of Kildare
Eamonn an Chnuic (Ned of the Hills)
This Town Is Not Your Own
Rocking the Baby

Come By The Hills:

“Eddie’s first song was written by Scottish TV producer Gordon Smith. The words are set to the traditional Irish air Buchal an Eire”

The Curragh of Kildare:

“Sometimes called the The Winter It Is Passed and was said by Dean Christie (Who included it in his collection of traditional ballad airs in 1876) to have been written about a highwayman called Johnson, who was hanged in 1750 for robberies committed on the Curagh, the pen heathland that stretches to the East of Kildare”

Enjoy these two. While currently away in Belgium, nothing makes me long for a Downeys pint like this LP! More on the way friends, more on the way.

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I know a man…

Posted in Social History, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on January 23, 2010| 18 Comments »

I’m not sure if the same situation carries here in Dublin, it probably does up in North County anyways, but the mother said something today that put the notion of it back in my head… When I was younger, much younger, you’d hear tell in the house of “Oh, she has the cure for the croup” or “He has the cure for the shingles, he inherited it from his father.” This mysterious cure, administered in secret in the homes of even more mysterious septuagenarians was spoken of in hushed reverent tones in households and bars all over town, and was seen as a gift or a burden, or in some cases, a bit of both. The “man” or the “woman” was generally a bit… odd, and more often than not would be quite pious, but fond of a drop at the same time, their methods for ridding you of whatever they had the cure for, secret to only them.

Old People: They can cure you.

Old people: They can cure you.

My first memory of hearing something like this was many moons ago and was a story about the Da, who for thirty years had been burdened with a wart on his thumb the size of an old penny. On his rounds, this caused him great discomfort, be he tweaking at cars, fixing a lock, or replacing a door for the woman down the road or whatever job he was doing in his job away from a job, he often came home with his hand covered in blood. Not nice for him, and not nice to hear about either. One day, my brother in law stopped by for a cuppa on his break from work and said “Jaysus Dick, would you ever get that looked after. I know a man down in Caseys who said to write your name on a bit of paper and give it to him; he has the cure for the warts.” So, with that, the Da wrote his name on a bit of paper and gave it to the brother who went back to work that evening and passed it on to “the man.” Now, I’ve absolutely no idea of what the hell happened after he got the bit of paper, but within a week, that wart of thirty years was gone. Sounds mental, I know, but it’s true.

I could dismiss it as myth and superstition, had I not experienced it myself, having had a similar, though much, much worse ailment to the Da. This time, though, it meant a visit out to a whitethorn bush in an ancient, crumbling graveyard around 12 miles outside of Mullingar. Three visits, dipping your hands in a little pot of water in the middle of the bush each time, and the warts would be gone. Now I’m not superstitious in the slightest; but after three visits, the warts shrinking each time, and a week after my last visit, they were gone. I won’t shock you by telling how many there were but, to say losing them was a relief would be the understatement of the century.

I know of an old friend, crippled with shingles so much that he had to be carried into an old ladies house three times in a week, for “the cure.” He went from being crippled, to being up and about, though having shed four stone in the two weeks he was sick, (I jest not; he wasted away,) it took a lot longer to recover fully. But he went from being laid out in a bed in his kitchen, in so much pain it hurt to blink, to walking around again, it was close to a miracle. Now, I never would have thought this lady was one of the religious types of faith healer, she was closer to the mad cat lady type, but this “cure” worked anyways. The Ma had a similar complaint shortly after the Da passed away and went to the same lady and she described to me how it worked. On each visit, the woman would welcome the Ma into her home, take off her wedding ring, bless it, and touch the inflicted part of her body (In my Ma’s case, it was around her ear) with it, while muttering a few words, of prayer or what, I don’t know. She would do this for a few minutes, and then sit you up and talk the head off you apparently. She was a mine of knowledge, and would describe the healing properties of various common garden plants and herbs, lamenting the fact that a lot of the weeds and herbs are much harder to come by these days, and harping onto the Ma about the wonders of apple cider vinegar . I’d love to get an interview with this woman, the Ma says she’s a wonderful lady; sure we might have a look into it in the future.

My nephew, who is now in his eighteenth year, gave us many a sleepless night in the first year of his life, a small little thing but his body was wracked with croup (Think of the cough you hear from auld lads down the pub, forty a day and ten half ones before bed and put that cough in the body of a wee baba. The cough now IS probably from forty a day and ten half ones before bed but thats another story.) This went on for ages though, the medicine given by the doctor not having the slightest bit of effect, nor the nights of boiling kettles in the room, hoping the steam would clear the chest out. So “the man” was called upon to administer “the cure,” which, if I remember correctly involved him laying a hand on his chest and muttering a few words. Within a week, the cough was gone. I know, again with the jiggery pokery but…

Now it’s an odd tradition, I know. And certainly not one with my political persuasion I should have any time for. But whether it’s a psychological thing or whatever I don’t know, and to be honest, care; it’s an interesting one. So whether it’s a cough that ails you, or you have a wart you need rid of, give me a bell. I know a man.

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Reading On a Jetplane.

Posted in Uncategorized on January 23, 2010| 2 Comments »

Brendan Behan decided to go to Spain- and you must remember this was General Franco’s Spain- on his holidays one time. Now Brendan was high spirited enough when he was working, but when he was on his holidays- well! In any case he arrived at Madrid Airport and the police had obviously been advised and were waiting for him when he went to the passport place.

‘What is the purpose of your visit to Spain, Mr. Behan?’
I have come to attend General Franco’s funeral.
‘But the Generalissimo is not yet dead.
‘In that case’ says Brendan, I’ll wait’

From ‘Sez He’,Part 5 on Ronnie Drews autobiography.

Finally getting around to this book thanks to some good old Aer Lingus time in the air, and felt the above was most worthy of sharing. Now, lets see if I can get around this and An Béal Bocht in a few days!

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A Random Drop Inn: The Bernard Shaw

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on January 22, 2010| 1 Comment »

dfallon will be away for a week or so, publicans may relax.

The Bernard Shaw, 12 South Richmond Street, D2

Nothing like cabin-fever, or January exams.

With minimal effort, I’d roped two friends into having a look at the W.D Hogan photo exhibition in Temple Bar.

“You’ve feck all else to be at” can win the day on occasion, and Simon (Previously mentioned in the now infamous battered Mars Bar pursuit) along with Mícheál, a Maynooth student like myself, were in the mood for a quick trip to town.

Of course, us Dubs, we can’t do much without requiring a pint. Looking at photographs from 1922 can be exhaustive. “Jesus, I’m wrecked. I reckon that was worth a pint.”

Handy enough, because so do I. Simon proposes a local favourite, the Hop House. Mícheál is new enough to this big smoke business and will settle for anywhere with taps. Personally, I fancy the idea of somewhere new to ourselves, and now we’re on the southside- why budge? The Bernard Shaw it is.

Like the earlier-mentioned Hop House, it’s a bit of a late opener is this. 6pm on the dot, and not a moment earlier. 6.30, walking in the door, and the house is still getting ready.

The Bernard Shaw Pub- Photo taken by Flickr user spareme66

The Bernard Shaw is also known as one of those “freebie centrals” where before you even see the barman you have the last three copies of Totally Dublin, two Connecteds and a handful of freebie zines under your arm. Brilliant for sitting around a Dublin pub table. “That looks good” “Not that Rosanna Davidson one again” “Five stars for that shite?” etc.

Around at the bar, and quick eyes notice the “10 X 10” deal that has made Twisted Pepper so much fun is also available here at The Bernard Shaw. Essentially, for a tenner, you can avail of one of ten booze promotions. Two cocktails, three pints of Social Welfare (or eh…Beamish), three Coronoas, whatever you’re having yourself really. Still, this is a pub review damn it, and pints of (Dublin) plain it is.

€4.50 a pint of Guinness. I’ll admit, it’s not the best priced pint in Dublin (Or on the street, the fantastic J. O’ Connells a stonesthrow up the road serves a near-perfect pint at €4 on the dot) but it is a fine pint none the less. I’m in good company tonight as far as the black stuff goes, so nods of approvement will suffice.

Having had a cheeky ‘quick one before The Bernard Shaw opens’ up in J. O’ Connells (i.e eh… two pints) the rush for the toilet was on.

“The jacks!” says Mícheál, on returning from his visit. “They’re like an art gallery!”.

Sure enough, so they are.

IF NOT YOU- WHO
Eh, my ma…
IF NOT NOW- WHEN
She can do it tomorrow!

Not an inch of the toilets without a marker, biro or key-scrape added. Great character and (that word I hate again…) banter. Every sticker in Dublin I’ve ever stopped for and gone “what the…?” over makes an appearance too. LOOK! It’s that one with a lamp on it for some reason etc.

The barstaff in The Bernard Shaw are among the nicest I’ve met in this city to date. Chatty types, always good. Having worked in a pub, bar-staff ultimately have a job at hand and can’t engage everyone in conversation, but at 6:40PM (when you only opened the door at 6) and things are quiet, you can engage with the punters. When you’re not a regular punter too, it’s always nice.

Out in the (well heated) smoking area, The Bernard Shaw has a pool table. Unusual in a Dublin pub. I think Frank Ryans, which hxci picked out for his pubcrawl, was the last Dublin pub with a pool table I was in. Out here, they also have another DJ box. I can imagine a good night out here. By about half eight (From our eh…one pint 6:30 visit) there is a good enough sized crowd relaxing out here, watching Simon and Mícheál, at the pool. Brilliant.

A Bottle Of Moosehead Is Your Only Man

The 3 for 10 promo is a tempting one.

First of all, we try Moosehead. A Canadian lager, and by no means a regularly cheap one. Mícheál comes back with three bottles, and won’t take a cent for them at first. Great drinking with non-Dubs on one of their first city centre sessions, it’s like the recession never happened.

“It’s nice” Simon says, the man who has experience in the area of Lager I wouldn’t dare question. “It’s the kind bottle you’d order in a restaurant though, rather than find in a pub. Top back shelf of the fancy off licence stuff” He describes it as a dry lager, but overall the review is a good one. Thumbs up.

Before we know it, shots of Jagermeister appear. Devilish stuff. Another tempter from the specials list. For three Guinness drinkers this is gone like an Abrakebabra ad, with full international tastes.

The music is in full swing from the Saoirse Sounds lads, and is exactly my kind of thing, not a million miles removed from JayCaraxs choice cuts this stuff. Fantastic Trojan Records stuff, Ska, some classic dub-reggae, brilliant. A poster suggests this is a regular Wednesday occurrence, making the Bernard Shaw a tempting proposal for future visits.

The last trip to the bar results in three pints of unfaultable Beamish. At €3.50, this is a bargain pint. Well served too, and popular enough we’re told with the regulars. There can’t be that many Cork students in exile up here, they must have turned some of the natives…

Something to fix? Well, the pub has something I LOVE to see in any bar. A sort of ‘community noticeboard’ on route to the jacks. Sadly, it hasn’t been updated in a while, and photos from the launch of Bob Byrnes (very good) Mister Amberduke are still sitting there. I’m sick of nightclubs/pubs tagging me on Facebook, a nice proper board like this is a great thing to see in a pub. As for the jacks themselves, you couldn’t complain. Clean and fine.

Plenty of Maser artwork in the area of The Bernard Shaw, like this on the roof.

For all the talk of the clientele pubs like this attract, it’s (by and large) bollocks to be honest. I could see myself even suggesting this one for an early pint with one of the folks, it has a nice little hiding spot to chat up beyond the bar, a quiet enough ‘front bar’ and the 3 tables by the gallery space are good for a chat too. I think I’ll need to return at a later date and , more importantly, time to be absolutely sure- but on the back of a nice pint, nice staff, nice surroundings and A POOL TABLE I would advise a trip. For a ‘5pm, home by 6:30pm’ trip to turn into this was unplanned but most welcome.

I’m exhausted now, reckon that’s worth a pint.

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Andy Irvine, Jape, Glen Hansard and others do their bit for Haiti.

Posted in Music, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on January 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I’m a big fan of Foggy Notions. I picked up a pretty old copy a few days back and thought to myself: This has to be the only magazine in Ireland with the Junior Boys, Joanna Newsom, !Kaboogie and Planxty within its pages. Leagues O’ Tooles book Planxty too blew me away, and is probably the best “wasn’t expecting that” Christmas pressie of the last 5 years.

They’ve organised two fantastic short-notice fundraisers for Haiti, with another on the way from Whelans in the form of Glen Hansard (ticket information at bottom of post)

Andy Irvine has long been one of my favourites. Literally, across the room from me, are copies of Timedance, The Woman I Loved So Well, the self titled album and other Planxty odds and ends. Planxy excite me in a way I don’t think many other Irish bands ever have.

I’ve seen Andy now in Downeys pub of Ballyfermot and even at the National Concert Hall. A good Wobbly, and a master of the Buzuki, I’ve always found Andy as capable of taking on a song of revolution as one of romance, or of a song of medievil times as opposed to one of getting sloshed in O’ Donoghues. As far as variety go, Andy is unmatched in this country.

—

Jape are a little newer to my MP3 player. In the student-bar, I believe they would be reffered to as “so hot right now”. Well, Richie does have a Choice Music Award on the mantlepiece now. I got into The Redneck Manifesto a little later than my peers. Still, much as I loved both Oppenheimer and Lisa Hannigans offerings, it was nice to see a lad from Crumlin take the big prize last year.

“When I hit puberty I just listened to American hardcore punk: The Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Black Flag and all the SST bands, so there’s a real mix in my musical background.”

-Richie Egan, Irish Times March 6th 2009

Word.

I’ve only noticed today Whelans have added a third concert, featuring Oscar-winner Glen Hansard. I won’t pretend to know a thing about his music, all I know is he once used the Cupla Focal at the Oscars and I once said hello to him in Tower Records and he seemed a nice bloke. Sin é.

Sunday 24th January 8pm Glen Hansard (solo)

Sunday February 14th 8pm Andy Irvine (Planxty), The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, Mumblin Deaf Ro, The Hounds & Big Monster Love

Wednesday February 17th 8pm David Kitt, Jape (solo electronic), Legion of Two, Patrick Kelleher & Goodtime John.

I’ll be the nerd with Leagues O’ Tooles book on Planxty under my arm waiting to ambush Andy Irvine on the 14th, I look forward to seeing you there.

http://www.tickets.ie//WAV box office at 1890 200 078

—-

With regards Haiti, there are no words. All I can say is I’m immensely proud to be a Dubliner when I walk into any local shop, pub, club or even just walk down the street and I see somebody take the time to raise money for people suffering in a manner we will never even be able to comprehend.

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Nominate ‘Come Here To Me’ – 2010 Irish Blog Awards

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on January 20, 2010| 2 Comments »

We’re asking readers to nominate us for ‘Best Group Blog’ catergory in the 2010 Irish Blog Awards. You can do so by visiting this page.

First fill in your name and email address and then go to the ‘Best Group Blog’ catergory. We’re using ‘Sam’ and ‘matchgrams(at)gmail.com’ as the blog contact details. Finally, just click ‘submit nominations’ at the bottom of the page.

Nominations will close on the 5th of February at 3pm.

Thanks.

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Fundraising night for Haiti

Posted in Uncategorized on January 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Bohemian FC are holding a fundraising night for the people of Haiti in the Phoenix Bar, this Friday, 22nd January, and we here at CHTM will almost certainly be in attendance. The night will be headlined by ska band Special Brew, and will also feature Dublin indie band Vasco Junior, ex-Brilliant Trees guitarist, Tony Barrett, and special guests. Admission is €10, and all proceeds on the night will be donated to Haven. For more information, contact the main office on (01) 8680923

Bohemian FC Fundraiser for Haiti

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A Random Drop Inn: Downeys Pub

Posted in Pub Crawls, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2010| 3 Comments »

Downey’s Pub, Ballyfermot Road, Dublin 10.

“I remember when they did this place up, in the mid 1980s, there was music playing in the jacks then. They tried to ban jeans and all, it was never going to work. Anyway, in I go to the toilet, and there’s an old lad swinging forward and back at the urinal, scuttered and on another planet. ‘New York, New York’ is playing over the music system.

‘Jesus, they really have done this place up’, he says to me. ‘Frank Sinatra wouldn’t be seen dead taking a piss in Downeys last year!’

Christ what a pub. The above story, is from lfallon (the da) who used to frequent Downeys and another pub or two up this stretch. Still, it’s safe to say that Downeys was always the local best. No better man to enlist for the day then.

Downeys of Ballyfermot is, amazingly, the only pub Google image search never heard of.

Sunday night. Straight past the ‘Bar’ door. “The locals drink there” says lfallon, and “…the piano music (Not eh…literal piano music) stops when a new face walks in”. You might review the odd pub on the internet young lad, but here you’re a newbie. Watch and learn and all that. The lounge it is. The bar will happen soon, we won’t try swim before we can walk.

The lounge is jammed. Good luck finding a seat. “They’re up! Grab it!” I grab the seats, lfallon grabs the pints. They drop them down and all. They’re €4.20 (quite reasonable in this part of the world) and look as good as a pint of Guinness can. These are top class pints.

We’re not long into it, in fact she’s still settling, when the dad launches in to a story. A local punter and Ballyfermot character, previously employed by the great Arthur Guinness and Sons, used to pop in here every morning to ‘clean the pipes’. The pints were said to be the best around, no bollocks pints of stout. Still are.

The telly’s are on. All three of them. They’re not loud though, the volumes down and the locals are deep in conversation. (and believe me, these are locals- everyone looks like they’re paying rent on the seats but still remain friendly and one gets the impression this small club is always looking for new members) You hear snippets of it. The neighbours this, D’ya remember that. Great stuff.

It’s not long before you’re buying raffle tickets. This is a real community pub. Only half an hour later, and you’re putting money in the box for the local old folks. The ‘banter’ (and God, I hate talk of ‘the banter’) is actually there.

The raffle goes ahead, and Team Fallon, naturally, win fuck all. Nevermind that. The pints are coming in thick and heavy now, and all is well. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone in the place, from the 20something year old females at the table opposite to the local old lads by the bar, is on the black stuff. Yer only man around here it seems.

Liam Weldon, just one of the characters you'd often find at the Ballyfermot Phoenix Folk Club back in the day

Upstairs, hidden away, you used to find the Ballyfermot Phoenix Folk Club, in fact- the music is back by all accounts. Only a few months back I was here myself, to see the wonderful Andy Irvine of Planxty fame. A great spot. Back in the day I’m told everyone from Liam Weldon to Mary Black, The Fureys to Jim Page would be found here. It was one of ‘the’ folk clubs. If the atmosphere upstairs was anything like that in the 2010 lounge, the place must have been electric up there.

The ‘last orders’ lights are flashing now.

Palmerstown, in so many ways, is very close to Ballyfermot. Still, the lesson learned tonight is this- never leave home at 9pm to visit a pub like this. You’d want to be here earlier me thinks. Pubs like this fill up on a Sunday night for a reason.

You can learn so much from your old man if you can get him to his own old local, and God I learned plenty here. It’s hard to fault this place (The Guinness remains top-notch, the place as clean as when that fancy reopening occurred in the mid-80’s, and the punters as friendly as you’ll find anywhere), but it’s a hard pub to leave. Straight into the chipper next door, and the chat begins.

“When can we go back?”

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Snapshots Of A Troubled History.

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on January 16, 2010| 1 Comment »

A WD Hogan snap of a Dublin Republican barricade

An interesting exhibition in Temple Bar, of the photography of W.D Hogan taken between 1920 and 1923, taking in the Tan War and the Civil War. During work experience as a youngster in Collins Barracks I got a unique insight of the Cashman Archive, taking in the work of Joseph Cashman in the ‘revolutionary years’ with fantastic images from Dublin in particular at the time. Cashman got many great shots of the personalities and forces of the time, including both the Citizen Army and the Irish Volunteers.

This exhibition, opening on the 16th of January, is of different stock. Here, there is a particular emphasis on the ordinary people of the city and country, as war raged around them. Hogan was given the official sanction of Sinn Féin during the Tan War, and later that of the state army.

The National Photographic Archives site observes that

The 167 photographs featuring in the exhibition were compiled by Captain Rev Denis J Wilson, Chaplain to the Free State army during the 1920s.

Interestingly, the exhibition contains photos of state-forces entering Cork after the fall of the ‘Munster Republic’, the last stronghold of republicans holding out against the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and photos of the burning of Balbriggen by Black and Tans, along with shots of iconic events like the burning of the Custom House and the assault on the Four Courts.

Opening Hours (Runs until May 24th)
National Photographic Archive, Temple Bar

Mon – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 10am – 2.00pm

Fantastic images of the 1913-22 period can be viewed at the National Library Digital Collection

Spot Kevin Myers Grand Uncle, Captain Myers of the DFB

Businss As Usual, 1922

Dublins YMCA ablaze in '22

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“Here is the Arts Block, where the orange people go”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on January 13, 2010| 1 Comment »

Despite being a Dubliner, I’m slowly earning my degree in Maynooth ‘across the border’. Like all Dubliners though, I must walk past Trinity College at least twice or three times a week, and seize any opportunity to go for a walk within its grounds. Me, the Americans, the hidden UCD scarves and the odd Trinity student running across the grass late. I used to get lucky and spot Brendan Kennelly or David Norris with good frequency, but the last ‘famous person’ I spotted inside the gates of Trinity was a Fianna Fail Junior Minister getting the walkabouts.

Trinity College Dublin

So today, while doing the usual third level exam thing (Of eh…sitting on Facebook for a few hours.), I spotted this.

‘Overheard at Trinity College Dublin’. A new venture, it has already attracted over 900 students (Well, I can spot at least 4 NUI Maynooth students along with myself having a look) and the submissions are flowing. Some great Dublin wit in there, and some stuff that just made me laugh out loud for various reasons.

Some gems:

“”no like i actually scored the ents officer last year…. he brought me up to his office!”

“And has anyone heard that story about the BESS student who asked, in a tutorial, if Karl Marx was a follower of Hitler’s?”

“Ok, to find the determinant of a…what’s it called again?”
“I think it’s called….a two box”

An American tourist to me, outside the Arts Block- “can you tell me where Kellys Book is?”

Give it a look. Hopefully Belfield, Maynooth and other campuses will follow.
The stuff I’ve heard in Maynooth, I could write a book.

The Trinity Ball, apparently.

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