Thanks for the Emo, Chum via Skin Flicks
A little light relief from the ongoing abortion compromise debate.Fianna Fail's token West Brit Martin Mansergh issued a press release a few days ago on the death of some old lad who had once upon a time handed over his stately home to the Irish nation.Fair play to him. It's the rare person would give their home to the state. You'd always be fearful that Bertie Ahern might set Celia up in it or Brian Cowen would move into it, or the Greens would turn it into affordable housing for asylum seekers or something..I'm showing my immaturity here but I'm not the only one to find the concept of a gaff called Emo Court amusing, I reckon.But the best bit is the name of the former owner. You couldn't make it up:It is with deep regret that Dr Martin Mansergh, T.D. Minster of State at the Department...
4th July. Independence Day.
I’m going to CORK!
Of all the three letter airport codes Cork has the best: ORK. But thats a sidenote I’m not even taking the plane anymore.
The last time I was in Cork we went to Trabolgan though I was nine and barely remember it. I’ve been thinking about going to Cork for a few months now, yet I barely know why. I just keep hearing the words ‘technology’ and ‘web’ coming from that general direction and wanna see if they have flying cars yet or generally what it is they are all so patriotic about…
Donncha mentioned a while back a selection of events from the Cork Midsummer Festival that looked good and so I set the date of the last event, Robodock, firmly in my mind. Of course I only booked it last week,... 
Last Sunday began quite hazy, with the initially irritating, but soon quite relaxing, and reassuring, sound of the DART outside the window. It was a beautiful morning, set to be a great day. I quickly left the hostel and scurried around the streets hunting for an ATM, Red Bull and somewhere to have breakfast.
After much searching around the usual streets I decided to venture into the café with the best name in town; The Bad Ass Café. With some food in me, the camera came out and so began hours of only seeing the city through the lens.
bank of ireland
Thomas Davis statue
molly malone
didgeridooist
I went to all the usual places, shot the usual sites; the people, the buskers of Grafton Street, statues, buildings. Again. For my next trip I hope to do a little research, to venture away... 
That feeling I normally get before the blog awards of “oh my, I haven’t read enough blogs lately, or left enough comments. I will be asking everyone how they have been only for them to say ‘not been reading my blog? It’s all there.’ And I will have to say no.
on the bus to dublin
Thanks to Twitter this wasn’t the case as I met with John, Catriona, Will, Redmum, Darren, Lexia, Gingerpixel, and Nathalie and Eoghan. Twitter helps me feel more in touch when I don’t get the opportunity to read every new blog entry.
alexia, catriona, will, darren, john, davy
After meeting Davy we made our way to the Bernard Shaw Pub for the Toejam carboot sale, at the back of the Bernard Shaw Pub in the Portobello area of Dublin.
Toejam carboot sale, back of the... 
Well I live in Ireland so I can’t forget about St Patrick’s Day now can I.
I like to keep it pretty quiet - see last year’s rant for why. The plan was to take photographs of the parade as it made its way from the City Hall to to Custom House Square, but of course the two batteries I had with me quickly died. Thankfully I got a few shots of the parade - though I had other plans for the afternoon anyway.
Two friends from England were over for the weekend and so we went to Pizza Hut in Victoria Square (all-you-can-eat buffet for £6!) then to Roast Coffee (note to self: free wi-fi!) to chill.
Random Saint Patrick facts:
-There is no histrocal evidence St.Patrick ever went south of the border hence the name of Downpatrick which is abbreviated from its origianl Ulster... 
Like the majority of others in Belfast I was very excited about the opening of Victoria Square (official site is still in the future tense) having watch it grow over the last 3 years or so. Disappointingly, but also as expected, I wasn’t able to make it to the opening at 10am Thursday morning, though I did take some time to view it at lunchtime and again at 5:30pm. My first impressions were that of excitement - yes even after venturing inside. Excited to see something as architecturally beautiful as this in Belfast.
The centre/square (is a ’square’ ever really square shape) has no doors at its access points, leaving it open 24/7 as a walk-through, this part I like, though hope that it remains safe if I ever do take the chance at 3am.
The shops are plentiful, with many,... 
There had been rumours that this year would be better than the previous two, and with the addition of intros, music and a few words from George Bush it was. Once again, but very deservedly, Twenty Major won the award for best blog, coinciding with the recent release of his book the two prizes go hand in hand. Maybe it’s time to give someone else a chance next year.
Highlights of the night include Robin Blandford’s mum collecting his prize on his behalf, Kieran Murphy of Ice Cream Ireland’s dress sense, Nialler9 winning once again, Grannymar and Grandad sharing the same stage.
The award for best photoblog this year went to Claire of Gingerpixel and with her blog being filled with so many brilliant photographs, especially her great portraits of people she has stopped in... 
We awoke early on saturday morning, in true tourist style. I took my first photograph of the day by 9.20am, of Andy eating his very tasty croissant in a small café down by the quay. After breakfast we began taking photos for real. Heading to Temple Bar, Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green.
Walking really is tiring, so we found a nice bar called Sinnotts underneath the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. Sat down, found free wireless and used their facilities whilst contemplating what we were going to select from the menu, not realising that it was 11:45 and we had to be at the Spire in 15mins for the photo meet.
We left the bar, grabbed an Abrakebabra on Temple Bar which tasted terrible, then met Red Mum, Ellybabes, John, Owen, Ryan, Gingerpixel, and Keith. We headed... 
It’s 2am and I’m on Andy’s lovely laptop in the hostel. Having spent almost 4hrs on the bus from Belfast we were pretty tired and in desperate need of restroom facilities, so grateful of the fact that we had to get a separate bus from the airport to the city centre.
Once we arrived we headed to a small pub by Trinity college called Bowes Pub where we met Niall and Aoife for a few drinks, before heading to the hostel, then to an Italian restaurant on Temple Bar for Pizza and wine.
After the meal we got back to the hostel where I continued to read Twenty Major’s book book which arrived in the post only this morning.
So far I’m enjoying reading it. There are some great one-liners.
The plan for tomorrow is to head to the Spire for a photo meet-up, get... 
Show 6 of Imeall Geal - Irish language music and culture show. I didn’t spend any time in the studio during recording so I can’t comment on how it went, or how much crap they talked in the links - all I know is that the two acts who performed are superb.
I have been meaning to hear more of Foy Vance’s music other than the two songs on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack; Gabriel and the Vagabond and Homebird. Both incredible songs. I have wanted to see him playing for some time now. Unfortunately while at the recording of Imeall Geal yesterday afternoon I was not able to be there at the time he was playing, though being the super-nice guy that he is he agreed to a quick photo shoot.
I returned to the Arts Centre a couple of hours later for lots more coffee and reading... 
That mountain over yonder always look appealing. I often stare at it from my work on the 9th floor, I stare at it when I’m walking in the street and on the bus. Its always there, just outside the city, looking all natural, vast and full of nature - yet I never get very close to it.
So on Wednesday afternoon, having left work early, I had enjoy the shining sun before heading home, and always in search of something different I decided to take a trip on the 1b bus along the Antrim Road.
First stop, Bellevue Arms. I always remember this bar as I pass it going along the motorway, generally on my way to Portstewart throughout my childhood, and I have always wanted to get up to where it is, as it is beside the bridge the road goes under. As I got closer to it I actually felt excited to... 
I wouldn’t normally be one to be too negative about things that try to bring arts, culture and music of Northern Ireland to the forefront of traditional media, such as television, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Who am I kidding, in N.I. most ideas like this don’t work. Then again it is the BBC - they don’t provide a budget for local talent to be seen and heard through T.V. or Radio.
Yes there are exceptions, yet not enough. Those exceptions don’t have any sort of decent budget like they should either. Not to get boiled down in such a heated issue right now. The point is, they have actually gotten something semi-right.
The Show in question is Imeall Geal, the new oddly titled Irish Language show, which in English translates as ‘Bright Edge’,... 
Tomorrow Belfast band Mary’s Great Idea will be on the new Irish language chat and music show from BBC Northern Ireland called Imeall Geal, which translates as ‘Bright Edge’. Last Sunday they performed in front of a live studio audience in Newry’s Sean Hollywood Art Centre along with Dublin band Director.
The idea being that each week two bands perform, one an unsigned band from Northern Ireland and the other a bigger name band from throughout Ireland. Other acts to perform in coming weeks include Ruby Colley, The Delawares, Olympic Lifts, Henry McCullough, Foy Vance, and The Winding Stair.
Click here to view a short interview with Mary’s Great Idea.
Imeall Geal is on BBC Two Northern Ireland each Thursday at 10pm... 
The date is January 4th 2006, nominations have just opened for the very first Irish Blog awards to be held in Dublin on March 11th at the Alexander Hotel.
I was very excited, I had lots of visitors to my photoblog at the time. I was in with a chance. I expect to win, but I knew I had a chance.
The day before the ‘ceremony’, Friday 10th March 2006, my camera arrived in the post. My first digital SLR. After ripping the box open, I headed to Dublin City, having barely any idea what I was doing with the camera, sticking to ‘auto’ much of the time, I snapped away through the busy streets.
The next day I met Gavin and we both snapped all around us, he having received an SLR for Christmas a few months prior. Some of these photographs I still like today.
We arrived at the... 
A photograph of mine has been printed in today’s copy of The Ticket, the entertainment section of The Irish Times!... 
The day I had been looking forward to for 2 years arrived on Friday; my photographs framed and exhibited in a public place. Friday was the launch; the first day of the exhibition, and the ‘Out to Lunch’ festival which is running until 27th January. I was down early to clean a few of the frames, and generally get things organised.
Rachel, who had helped me hang them, turned up first shortly before 6, followed by Ronan and Ciara of Kitty and the Can Openers, who, after technical difficulties and three different sound guys trying to work out the problems, played a few songs towards the end of the night in front of an intimate crowd.
There was a wine, some mingling, the parents - oh the parents’ with their (well mother’s) “hasn’t he gotten so tall”... 
Yesterday was the official launch of the ‘Out To Lunch‘ festival - a mini festival as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival - which runs in January 2008.
What better time then to announce that I will be exhibiting a small selection of my work with local bands and musicians throughout the festival which launches at 7pm Friday 4th January 2008.
This is my first exhibition and I am super pleased, excited and extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity. I have so many people to thank, so many people who have been supportive of what I do and helped me, by often just being awesome. I have so many great people all around me whom I love with all my heart.
My friends who have been there for me and helped me; supported me through the good times and bad times, and put... 
What’s that rule again? Oh yeah, never cry in front of a girl. But there was, or at least I thought at the time, a very good reason.
We had decided to take a day trip. Portstewart was suggested and agreed to. The train left Botanic Station at close to 1pm, arriving at around 2:30pm. Trains are awesome.
Very hungry when we arrived we searched for a good 20 minutes, maybe more, for a bar/restaurant to get something decent to eat. Eventually we found Wetherspoons across the bridge at the top of a hill. After a satisfying lunch and pint, we decided there was nothing to do in this ghost town - so we headed to Portrush.
Sundays, it has been discovered, are not the day to go on day trips. Almost everything is closed. People did seem to be milling about the town centre, unbeknownst where... 
What a relaxing weekend. Much of my time was spent at the parents house, chillin’
When there is a purpose for taking photographs it always makes it so much easier. Especially when my purpose is to show to people who have [probably] never been to Ireland. I try to think like this most of the time but it can be hard. To start to look at things a lot differently, through the eyes of someone who has never seen it before.
When I got back from the USA 2 years ago I did see everything differently. Looking forward to the day my friends would come to visit, I ended up seeing so much that they would find interesting. Through understanding that so much of what we take for granted is so unique to us comes the ability to see things in a different light and capture them.
So this afternoon I set... 
So rumour has it the people of the UK and Ireland like to talk about the weather a lot. I would agree with this. When its sunny, its beautiful. Most of the time its not. I don’t want to whine on about it too much, ‘cos I’m going to the sun soon anyway.
The Guardian yesterday posed the question: Is summer over? It seems that already conkers have been spotted, as well as holly berries, its cold and wet and the shops are full of summer clothes. I am still undecided on this ’summer over’ thing, though correct me if I’m wrong, is it not always cold and wet here? And since when did we determine the seasons according to when shops bring in new stock?
Plants have been tricked into thinking winter is on the way because of record high temperatures in spring,... 
Friday was, as is the norm, not without plenty of drink and photos to go with it. A truth revealing, thought provoking, musical night; of course I slept on the sofa again.
Before the afternoon arrived, I found myself at home, watching Heros; my latest obsession. Tonight I finished watching episode 12. Over the next few days I plan to get through the following 11 episodes, completing the first series, and all that has been aired so far.
The highlight of the day, however, was the Italian BMT I had in Subway.
My brother and father recently discovered a love for a fairly unusual hobby: archery. I have never seen either of them play before, so today I went along to watch my father taking part in a competition, which he didn’t win in the end.
Whilst there, we found some very tasty...