Dead Air

The epitome of the recession radio ad happened all over my ears last night.
There’s nothing more important than family. – fair enough so, good opener. You’re making a statement, putting yourself out there.
At Bury McBodies funeral home we know you want the best for your loved one…. – or words to that effect.
Seriously? We’re advertising [...]

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On bringing city folk home for Christmas

/ Drivey drivey drivey.
City Boy: Question?
Sinéad: Mmm?
City Boy: How does a farmer know his own sheep?
Sinéad: eh, they spray paint them
City Boy: Ok
/drivey drivey drivey
/drivey drivey drivey
City Boy: Sinéad?
Sinéad: Yes?
City Boy: Isn’t that a bit dangerous?
Sinéad: What?
City Boy: Spray painting sheep?
Sinéad: City Boy, have you ever seen an entirely spray painted sheep? Like pure red [...]

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We need to fashion something…

It started out modestly enough. Housemates and friends who can cook were co-opted and coerced into agreeing to the making of Christmas cake and mulled wine. The Da, advised that it would a ‘total shamer’ for a chef’s daughter to be party to a Christmas hootenanny that was a culinary non-event agreed to stump up [...]

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Oh, those crazy Spin kids

I love how Spin1038 is basically tabloid news in radio form. This morning, both they and Newstalk had the story of the 8,000 jobs that are to go at Sony around the world. 
What I remember of the Newstalk coverage are the facts. 8,000 jobs. 850 million saving. 1 in 10 manufacturing plants to close. 
Spin? I [...]

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Babe 3: The Cull

Last night we went down to Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt to do the weekly shop. The pork shelves were devoid of produce.

Fiona was pretty upset.

Devastated, if we’re honest. If that picture could paint a thousand words, six of them would be “I really crave a rasher sandwich”. Yeah, we can have Danish pig all we want, [...]

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A blogger having a bitch about 02, talk about groundhog posting

I got myself one of those 02 dongles in October. I like small mobile things. I was drawn to its infinite portability and the fact that it would allow me to have broadband when I went home to Wicklow at weekends. I got it on the 20th of October and by November 1st I got [...]

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An English Spine?

Last night, I ended up at the launch of a poetry book by a man called Patrick Semple. He used to be a Rector and it was launched in the Unitarian Church on St Stephen’s Green. There were jokes.
It was supposed to be launched by Frank Kelly (Fr Jack)  who was sadly ill and couldn’t [...]

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Booking the trend, trending the book…

Last week I found myself at Children’s Books Ireland and CLE’s Children’s Publishing Seminar in Liberty Hall, listening to terribly lovely and smart people talking about Irish publishing and where it’s at and where it’s going.
It is largely if not entirely due to the many books that I was given as a child that I [...]

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