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Shebeen Chic is in trouble.

October 5, 2011 by Donal

An incredible and rather odd image above, not everyday you see United Left Alliance TDs hanging around Shebeen Chic on Georges Street I’m sure you’ll agree!

It looks like Shebeen are being evicted sadly, with an interesting report on the Irish Independent website containing more information.

“We are not going to close down. We’re going to keep working. We’re keeping the furniture, we’re keeping ourselves here. It’s business as usual as far as we’re concerned” restaurant manager Orlagh Murphy told the Irish Independent last night.

The Shebeen Facebook page has been posting this message widely, encouraging supporters to join them tomorrow as they march to the Bank of Scotland nearby:

Shebeen Chic Needs your help. We are organizing ourselves to meet tomorrow at 12 o clock to petition our landlords to Save Our Jobs. We will then be marching on to Bank of Scotland to demand why they have not responded to our letters & calls as our fate is in their hands too. Please click ‘LIKE’ below if you can join the parade.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

100.

October 5, 2011 by Donal

The great Flann O’Brien, frequenter of that wonderful establishment The Palace which now includes a memorial plaque in the ground outside to his memory, was born 100 years ago today. One of our greatest wits, be sure to mark the day in some small way. I’ve taken The Best Of Myles off the bookshelf. As the below extract from Bookhandling shows, not all books on shelves are read.

From Bookhandling:

A visit that I paid to the house of a newly-married friend the other day set me thinking. My friend is a man of great wealth and vulgarity. When he had set about buying bedsteads, tables, chairs and what-not, it occurred to him to buy also a library. Whether he can read or not, I do not know, but some savage faculty for observation told him that most respectable and estimable people usually had a lot of books in their houses. So he bought several book-cases and paid some rascally middleman to stuff them with all manner of new books, some of them very costly volumes on the subject of French landscape painting. I noticed on my visit that not one of them had ever been opened or touched, and remarked the fact.

‘When I get settled down properly,’ said the fool, ‘I’ll have to catch up on my reading.’

This is what set me thinking. Why should a wealthy person like this be put to the trouble of pretending to read at all? Why not a professional book-handler to go in and suitably maul his library for so-much per shelf? Such a person, if properly qualified, could make a fortune.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

A Random Drop Inn: UCD Student Bar

October 4, 2011 by Donal

Dear UCD Student Bar,

You won’t get away with this forever. The Undergrads might not notice, but I will. The glass is the wrong shape, the taps haven’t been cleaned in a long time I suspect and you can’t rush the thing, let it settle. I’m watching you. Please lower down the music too.

Best wishes,
dfallon.

There is nothing to add.

Posted in Pubs | 4 Comments »

Pricks And Mortar

October 3, 2011 by Donal

It’s great to see ADW has another exhibition of stencil art on the way. I’ve been following his progression and his contribution to the decorating of boring Dublin walls for some time now, and even have his ‘tribute’ to a certain Mr. Ahern framed upstairs.

This show will run only for three days, and as well as stenciled artwork it will feature 3D pieces and installations looking at Ireland post Tiger. All details in the poster above.

Facebook event page.

Those were the days, my friends.

Posted in Events, Street Art | Leave a Comment »

Jay Carax interviews Garry O’Neill (Audio)

October 3, 2011 by Sam

Front cover of the book

Last month I interviewed Garry O’Neill author of the upcoming Where Were You? photography book, a comprehensive history of Dublin’s music scenes and youth cultures from 1950 to 2000, which will be out next month.

The interview, which I used for two articles; one for Rabble and one for the upcoming issue of Look Left which is due out this week, took place in a nice quiet snug in Doyles on College Green.

Here’s a short ten minute extract from the interview where Garry talks about Dublin’s 1970s Boot Boys, Garry’s long search to find decent pictures of the legendary Bridge Boot Boy gang and the reaction after handing out leaflets, asking for photos, around pubs on Dorset St. on the days of Dublin matches.

Posted in Dublin History, Music | 2 Comments »

Rabble (Issue 1) out now

October 2, 2011 by Sam

rabble
noun
a disorderly crowd; a mob : “he was met by a rabble of noisy, angry youths.”
• ( the rabble) ordinary people, esp. when regarded as socially inferior or uncouth.


Last weekend, the poor unsuspecting population of our fair city were greeted with a new agit-prop free magazine Rabble. Think The Slate meets Red Pepper with a dash of Mad Magazine.

5,000 copies were printed and over half, in a very short period of time, were distributed right around the city – cafes, pubs, dole queues and shops.

Rabble’s manifesto (call to arms!) is loud and clear:

Those behind this effort know each other from alternative media and street mobilisations, from raves, gigs and the football terraces, or by just living in the village that is Dublin. We range from people raising their families in the city, to community and political activists, to artists, messers and mischief-makers.
With this paper we will  do something more than join the ad rags and mouthpieces for power that comprise most of the city’s freebies. We want to draw stories from the harsh realities of the city and sketch paths towards building Dublin as we’d prefer it. Consider this an effort to breathe new life into journalism in the city, as well as a space for emerging writers. Down the line, expect original story-telling and explorations of the boundaries between photography, new fiction, journalism and art.

rabble stands within, and with, Dublin as it struggles from below against the ghost of the Celtic Tiger and the state it left us in. We support those who fight with a new world in their hearts and encourage those who create cultures that seed hope in bleak times. Try to imagine a newspaper acting like a melting pot of connections, not just between emergent cultural scenes and everyday life, but also between social movements and power structures.

Yours truly has an interview with Garry O’Neill (author of the upcoming Where Were You? – photographic history of Dublin youth culture) on page three, which can be read here.

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Posted in Politics, Reviews | 5 Comments »

I got 99 problems…

October 1, 2011 by Sam

… and being wrapped around a lamppost on the quays with cling film is definitely one.

A scene beside Ha’Penny bridge last week.

Photocredit - Tallon

Posted in Photography | Leave a Comment »

We’re not quite Everton.

October 1, 2011 by Donal

There’s a great piece of graffiti in the toilets of The Academy venue on Abbey Street which reads Bohemian F.C will break your heart. Saint Patrick’s Athletic haven’t broken mine yet, but last night I had my heart in my mouth for periods of the game last night.

You know you’re in trouble when you can’t print tickets. Heading into Dalymount Park, there were no physical student tickets at all and the adult tickets were clearly marked ‘Friendly’ and for a clash with Everton, and not ourselves from across the Liffey. It’s a miserable night for football, such a miserable night that if they actually were playing Everton tonight I doubt Everton’s Irish faithful would even make the pilgrimage to see a glory-friendly. They’d be wise enough to stay home and not risk their health and sanity, unlike the League of Ireland faithful.

There’s not much to report from what was a rather dull clash in truth. On the pitch, the Bohemians defence showed their ability once again. We’ve put two goals past Bohs this season, but failed to beat them with nine-men and had two nil all draws as well.

While few believed a title win to be a possibility before last night, even fewer surely must believe it today. The real lesson from last night is that Bohemians are a far stronger team than many may have presumed they would be this season. I couldn’t help but look over at the Jodi stand and be reminded of the night I stood on the Connaught Stand watching Keith Fahey’s wondergoal across from a packed stand. While no club in this country (not least us!) can brag about attendances, it was sad to see such a small turnout for a Dublin derby. The diehards will of course remain, and it’s some sound when they begin to belt out ‘Gold’ across from us. Spandau Ballet are far less likely than Johnny Logan to pop up at half-time some week sadly.

There are some great snaps from the night over on the ‘A Man With His Camera’ facebook page from Billy Galligan which give you an idea of the weather conditions. A nil all draw in the pissing rain isn’t what any leaves home hoping for, but I don’t think I’m the only Saint Patrick’s Athletic fan who felt a little lucky at the final whistle to have that one point.

Photo credit to Billy Galligan/'A Man With His Camera'

Posted in Football Articles | Leave a Comment »

31b South Richmond Street, Portobello

September 30, 2011 by Sam

A door that certainly would stop you in your tracks.

This is the place to go to if your in the market for religious antiquities or “church art”. Though immediatelly beside the Rotana Cafe, it is connected to Christy Birds antiques shop the next door down.

The Crypt (31b Sth. Richmond St.). Photo credit - Jay Carax

Posted in Photography | 2 Comments »

Animal Gangs: Myth And Reality (National Library of Ireland)

September 30, 2011 by Donal

I’m pleased to announce I’ll be one of the panelists for the upcoming History IrelandHedge School
on the Animal Gangs of the 1930s. The Hedge School will take place at the NLI on Thursday, October 13 with a 7pm start. According to the NLI site, no booking is required.

I’ve discussed the Animal Gangs in the past on the Moncrieff Programme for Newstalk and 1930s Dublin is something we’ve dealt with frequently here in the past. I will post the finalised panel soon and more information as I get it.

The so-called ‘Animal Gangs’ are a staple of Dublin folklore, remembered by some as Robin Hood figures who protected the poor, or as brutal thugs whose nickname reflected their savagery. The story of the Animal Gang sheds light on the social history of inner city Dublin in the 1930s, when some of its inhabitants came to the attention of both paramilitaries and the police, and ended up passing into urban legend.

Posted in Dublin History | 5 Comments »

The Irish Times gave this four stars….

September 30, 2011 by Donal

This is why Ireland is doomed.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

MetroHerald ‘Dubliner Of The Year’

September 29, 2011 by Donal

Hmmmmmm, I don’t know about this:

1) Arthur Guinness is dead a while.
2) Some of these Dubliners are not Dubliners at all. Louis Walsh was born in somewhere called ‘Kiltimagh’ in Mayo.
3) Georgia Salpa, really?
4) They’ve omitted the entire cast of Fade Street.

What a city this is.

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

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