Category Archives: When-in-Ireland

Cork City is the European Capital of Culture 2005 and despite a small budget available to the organisers they’re putting on a bit of a show this year!
Not everyone agrees with their program of activities and so the Where’s Me Culture? movement quickly became an “alternative” to the official festivities. As they put it themselves:

We believe that responsibility for celebrating Cork as a cultural city is neither the sole preserve nor the sole responsibility of the Cork 2005 office. Cultural expression is the responsibility of all.
We believe that imagination and energy and a willingness to help each other is more important than a large budget.
We believe in the cultural importance of having fun.

A walk has been organised for this weekend, and more details are available on their site. I won’t be there, but enjoy it, the Line is a lovely walk and should be fun!
If you have photographs of Cork, you might be interested in Cork Space.com. It’s a project that, “seeks to provide a space in which the urban environment of Cork can be explored, questioned and discussed through the use of images, audio recordings and moving images.” Expect to find my images up there as soon as I get around to uploading them!
(Thanks Donal for pointing me at WMC and CorkSpace!)

Deaf culture doesn’t get much of a look-in here in Ireland but here’s a petition asking for “subtitles on cinema screens for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Ireland”.
The UGC on Parnell Square in Dublin has 2 subtitled showings a week so there’s obviously a market out there for it. If you are deaf, or know anyone who is, please sign this petition!
The Sunday Times ran an article on deaf culture a few weeks back which I meant to link to. Read it, it’ll surprise you!

Megan Alexander looks like any other cool 15-year-old girl… Without trying, she embodies the values of the self-styled deaf community, proud to be who she is, saying she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I have never wished that I can hear,” she says. “Why would I?”

Mad stuff! Comedian Des Bishop has a blog!
(via Gavin)

Tsunami Victims Benefit Night
Friday, January 21, 2005
Main Room: Frank & Walters, Stanley Super 800, Fred.
Acoustic Room: Freddy White, John Spillane.
Compere John Creedon. Tickets €20.
Doors 9.30pm. All proceeds go to Tsunami Victims
Cork Musicians Gig for Irish Red Cross Asia Disaster Appeal

The cream of Cork based and native musicians will gather to perform at the Savoy Theatre, on Friday January 21st in aid of the Irish Red Cross Asia Disaster Appeal. The stellar line-up of confirmed artists comprises: The Frank and Walters John Spillane Freddie White Ger Wolfe Fred Niall Connolly Band Gavin Moore The Waiting Room Ian Whitty.
Staged in two rooms at the Savoy, the show will commence at 9.30pm(doors @ 9pm) with tickets available on the door. The ticket price has been set at a minimum donation of EUR20. RTE Radio 1 presenter John Creedon will compere the event. The Savoy Theatre is providing the venue free of charge; so all funds raised on the night will go directly to the Irish Red Cross. Deloitte and Touche, Cork will oversee fundraising and dissemination of all funds raised, on the night.
For further media information, please contact: Margaret O’Brien 086 8055307 or email: mobrien11@eircom.net
Via CorkGigs.com

If you live in Ireland please be on the lookout for Robert Holohan.
The news of his disappearance has been in the papers and on the news continuously but here’s a photo of the young 11 year old who vanished on the 4th of January:

(further description)
Update: 2005/1/13 2 bodies have been found. One was found in Midleton under a bridge and the other near Inch Strand. An examination of the body will be carried out this afternoon. RTE News has more, and breakingnews have a page devoted to news about Robert.
Later Still.. The body found at Inch Strand has been identified as that Robert. Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam.
Much Later.. A murder investigation has now been launched by the Gardai.
2005-01-19 – Student Wayne O’Donoghue was charged yesterday with the manslaughter of Robert.

DERMOT AHERN DUNDALK IRELAND – Not much on there now but apparently this blog “named and shamed” drug dealers and criminals in Dundalk and surrounding areas.
They’ve taken down all the interesting slanderous bits, but it was fairly irresponsible to put it online in the first place anyway!
You might be able to find some of the content on the Irish Republican News forum.

gometric.ie is the Irish Government’s site to inform the public that speed signs will be going metric on January 20th! It’s accompanied by a mailing campaign and advertising on radio and television so hopefully the message will get through to everyone!
“Ugh! Yeah officer, I saw the sign. It says 50mph in this area.”

From 20th January it’s kilometres for speed as well as distance.

Thanks Pronnsias for pointing out that Cork is to get a new landmark. It’ll be a 50ft bronze statue of a Quill on Lapp’s Quay. Yippee. Just get the roads fixed while you’re at it too?