Come Here To Me!

Me neither.

This is where Saint Patrick’s Athletic of Inchicore find themselves on Thursday. Despite my ambitions of following the lads on a European trip this year, a Euroasia trip is out of the question. Still, there is always the home leg Thursday week in Inchicore!

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G.F Handel’s pub on Thomas Street sat closed for a long, long time.

Above its door, the sign above which read G.F HANDEL included the man himself, undoubtedly a man who gives Dublin one of its most unusual chapters of cultural history in the form of the world premiere of the Messiah on Fishamble Street.

The pub, after sitting desolate for so long, is back in business. Now however it’s named Arthurs. This is wise, with it being the closest pub to the Guinness Brewery.

What’s happened to Handel above the door? Well, I noticed he’s still there! G.F Handel below is painted out, but the ‘eighteenth century fella’ remains. What do you think, Arthur and George? I can’t see the resemblance myself! It could be anyone next.

…..Jesus.

The things people will do for a free pass these days. I would advise Amandra Brunker to stick to the journalism, but she’s not exactly a shining light in that field either.

‘Thanks for 20 years in Temple Bar’ reads the sign in the window of Borderline.

That great yellow record shop is as old as the hills and an institution of Temple Bar. Like so many other vinyl specialists in the city but, its days are sadly numbered and there is currently a huge sale on in the shop. The vinyl above, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others by The Smiths, was picked up today at 50% off. I’m going to miss popping in and just browsing through the rares, bootlegs and classics.

Best of luck to the lads involved in the shop on whatever road they go down. Vinyl will never die!

What a night last night in Inchicore.

European nights are what following Saint Patrick’s Athletic is all about. We’ve not been the most successful club on the go in recent years, but we’ve seen some excellent European nights. Hertha Berlin, IF Elfsborg, Krylia, Celtic, Valetta and eh…..Zimbru. There is a buzz on European nights which can not be beaten. Along with the diehards, a much larger chunk of southside Dublin emerges on these nights, along with a few club legends and faces of old.

ÍBV hammered our goal out of it towards the end of last nights match, and I’m amazed I’ve ANY nails left to chew on at all. Still, the 2-0 result, which puts us through at 2-1 over the two legs, was probably fair. Paddy Power offered me odds of 11/2 on this exact result, and once I publish this post I’m off to collect the winnings. What a strange and unusual feeling that is!

Where to from here for Mahons Army? Kazakhstan. I know nothing of Kazakhstan, beyond what I learned from Borat. I imagine this is akin to saying ‘I know nothing about Ireland beyond what I picked up from Father Ted’, so mankinis are out of the suitcases. Not that there will be many of them, beyond the team its unimaginable any fans will make the trek.

Still, if Israel are in the Eurovision why not Kazakhstan in the Europa League? I’m hopefull. Ireland’s European Team go marching in.

New location too.

Great videos here from Youtuber Sebastian Dooris.

In recent weeks I’ve noticed a man sitting on the O’Connell Bridge most days joined by a dog, which isn’t at all unusual on the streets of Dublin. What is unusual however is the fact that alongside the dog is a rabbit.

These videos have surfaced from yesterday showing the man retriving the rabbit from the River Liffey. Just another day at O’Connell Bridge eh?

This one has been getting better and better in recent seasons.

While the ultra scene in Ireland ain’t what she used to be, with the SRFC Ultras and Shed End Invincibles both marking ten years this year the two groups have been among the most active on the island. I arrived into Tallaght Stadium seconds before kick off and both sides of the stadium were prepared. The home supporters raised a ‘ONE LOVE’ banner, while in our end dozens of streamers rained down onto the pitch, in red, white and yellow. Classic and simple, and visually as good as it gets.

Second half displays are to be expected with two groups like this coming head to head, and when the teams re-emerged onto the pitch following half time these two efforts went up. The SRFC Ultras banner is a response to the ‘NEVER RELEGATED’ banner at St. Patrick’s, while the Shed End Invincibles banner pokes fun at the manner in which South Dublin County Council recently attempted to name a stand in Tallaght Stadium after Robbie Keane.

Isn’t football great?

SRFC Ultras

Shed End Invincibles (SEI)