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I came late to the blog wars that erupted in the Irish blogosphere recently, largely because I was doing other things, like getting drunk down under.For those of you who don't give a shit about such things, which is basically everyone reading this who doesn't have an Irish blog themselves, plus a majority of those who do, one blogger suggested that the happy-clappy community atmosphere of Irish blogging was somewhat incestuous and stultifying.They named a couple of names, and claimed that the best blogs didn't necessarily win at the Irish blog awards.Then some of those named, plus some of their pals, took umbrage and lots of people typed angrily on their keyboards for a bit until the letters C, U, N and T were worn down by the efforts.I can now hear you yawning, so I'll get to the point...

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...

These revelations just in from the Irish Blog Awards which were held last night:Sinead Gleeson travels with a permanent retinue of other female arts correspondents.Bock the Robber is a lightweight who can't handle his ale. He went home before nine o'clock last night. Which was a pity as I was hoping to meet him and call him a wanker for liking not only Munster but Scunthorpe.Irish Flirty Something has dyed her hair. I know this must be the case because I asked every redhead in the place if they were flirty or not. Yes, I did indeed get some funny looks for that.Sarah Carey and Richard Delevan couldn't get babysitters.And Twenty Major, who is a very nice, well spoken lad in real life, is off the fags. Who's smoking in Dublin bars now, eh? Well?...

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...

The shortlists for the blog awards were released yesterday. A lot of fine blogs about. I have been shortlisted for best photoblog. This year there are a few others from Northern Ireland to be shortlisted: Goodonpaper (Best Designed Blog) No Clarity (Best Arts and Culture Blog) Stuart Bailie (Best Music Blog) Alan in Belfast (Best News/Current Affairs Blog) Well Done Fillet (Best Food and Drink Blog) Slugger O’Toole (Best Political Blog) Unfortunately Gavin Mullan (headphoneland.com), winner of the best Photo Blog category last year, was not shortlisted. Hopefully we can get a win somewhere. These are excellent blogs in the running. Good luck....

As a prelude to sitting down and properly looking over the many excellent Irish blogs to be found on the long lists for the Irish Blog Awards, I thought I'd share with you some of the more unusual, but interesting non-Irish blogs I've come across recently.For Girls Who Can't Do Football - A bit of untruth in advertising here. The splendidly monikered Georgina Best strides that fine, previously unknown, line between gurly life rambling blog (second biggest blog category in the whole 'sphere apart from cat blogs) and footie fanatic blog. Quality result! The girl done well.Chatsoccer - Not strictly a blog, though it has group blog-like qualities. I mentioned them a little while ago, when they were still all new and pink with that lovely baby smell. Now they're already toasting the mainstream...

So the long list of nominees has been officially released, just behind those “leaks” that spread across the web in the last couple of days. This year I find myself nominated for: Best Designed Blog, Best Photography Blog and Best Blog. I am very pleased about this, though I doubt I will win due to the great competition I am up against in each category, but to be standing alongside these great bloggers I feel honoured. Not surprisingly, the number of blogs has increased significantly since last year let alone how much of an increase there has been from two years ago, with just far too many to count (at the minute at least). I have my work cut out for me for the next month, the little free time that I will have will be spent catching up on the blogs I know and all those that I...

According to one informed net source, this little blog has made it to the Irish Blog Awards longlist as Best Political Blog for the second year running.Once again, it's up against some very stiff opposition, in the shape of major group efforts like Irish Election and Slugger O'Toole, and the blogs of professional politicians, such as Eric Byrne and Ciaran Cuffe.From my perspective, it's great to see some of Ireland's longest running political bloggers on the list too, like Richard Delevan and El Blogador. Nice to see the less serious commentators, like Bock, rubbing shoulders with the occasionally too serious, like the Cedar Lounge boys too.It's an eclectic list, well worth delving into by anyone with any sort of political interest in this country.If there's a surprise omission, for me it...

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...

The rumours that Twenty Major had scored a two-book deal with Hodder Headline as started by Sinéad Gleeson on Wednesday night were today confirmed by the man himself in a post entitled “So, this whole book thing“. As if being two-time ‘Best Blog‘ winner isn’t enough. The press release reads: “His two-book deal will see a major expansion in the escapades of Twenty and his pals Jimmy the Bollix, Stinking Pete, Ron the Barman, Splodge, Lucky Luciano and Dirty Dave, as they wind their way around Dublin’s backstreets as they try to find out who killed their friend Jim of Vinyl Records. Music, films, television and books will all be parodied and nothing is sacred in this irreverent look at modern Dublin.” I had (honestly) been thinking of making...

I woke up with a very sore head on Sunday morning… The Blog Awards were a great success once again. More so even than last year and I reckon it will only continue to get bigger and better. I arrived at the Alexander with my cousin, Ronan, shortly after 6pm. Not sure were to go we walked towards the ‘Winners Bar’. As we walked through the lobby I noticed some people sitting at the first table. I recognised Tom Raftery among them, but they looked like they were talking hardcore computery stuff so I didn’t bother embarrassing myself, instead we sat at the back of the lobby and watched everyone make their way in, not seeing anyone I knew. After finishing drink number one we made our way to the hall and towards the free bar. Many well deserved awards were given out...

I’m fed up with all the crap maps of the Alexander Hotel that have been doing the rounds. Especially the official one and I’m not sure whats going on here. Has no one heard of Google? For those who have Google Earth (for those who don’t - get it) download a placemarker which will guide you directly to the hotel. If you get lost, well just play around and you will have no bother finding your way. Click here to download Google Earth Placemarker (click for larger image) Failing that - Google Maps Alexander Hotel Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

With the Irish Blog Awards getting closer I have been thinking about what I want to achieve by attending. I mean, I’m not going to win anything this year? So what better time than now to clarify why I even blog in the first place. As mentioned before I started blogging out of a love of photography. The photoblog was started soon after discovering what a blog is - then I uncovered the vast nature of blogs, both photographic and written. This blog was started in March 2006, originally as a place to voice my thoughts on my photography and gigs. Unfortunately didn’t get off to a great start as photography was taking up most of my time, ironically. Now that I have no camera, I have been using this space to write about whatever comes to mind. I’ve been enjoying being a part of...

All ya gotta do is leave a comment on this post; 3 commenters will be picked at random. The prize? Some very cool Feedburner merch, courtesy of Paul Browne. 1st Prize : A long sleeved FeedBurner Jersey, and assorted stickers and badges. 2nd Prize : A T-Shirt with the FeedBurner logo, and assorted stickers and badges. 3rd Prize : Just the T-Shirt with the FeedBurner Logo. He even took a picture to prove that its not just shameless marketing scam. Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

Its only dawned on me that it’s just over a week until the Blog Awards. 8 days, 20 hours, 6 minutes and 43 seconds to be precise (I like timeanddate.com), yet I still have not booked somewhere to stay. The reason I had put it off so much is that I was trying to get someone to go with me for this weekend of would-be adventures in Dublin’s Fair City. Unfortunately no one I know cares enough about blogs and Ireland so I may be going on my own… I have been trying recently to get a good friend blogging, though it isn’t going too well. The internet just isn’t something he does. It was hard enough to get him to use it in the first place, though it wasn’t even me who managed to do that - it was the necessity to check mail for important Camp America updates,...

I would like to congratulate all the bloggers who have been shortlisted for the 2007 IBAs. Although I am not among them I am pleased to be judging two of the categories. I will be accepting paypal money transfers between now and Friday from those who wish to receive my vote. Failing that, good luck to all. Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of those wonderful people who voted for me for best Photo Blog (or best personal blog, but still voted for my Photo Blog, I love you even more) - I love you all. To those who didn’t vote for me. I know where you live (ever heard of an IP address?)! I will accept apologies in the form of comments and pints at the awards. I will be there. And I will find out who did not vote for me! Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

Voting closes at 5pm this evening! In one last attempt to WIN I am going to ask everyone who reads (or stumbles across) this blog to VOTE FOR ME. Its so easy. Go to THE VOTING PAGE Fill in your name and email address Scroll down a little until you find ‘Best Photo Blog’ Select Iced Coffee Submit And you’re done. You will make me very happy :) Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

Since I started this blog, one thing has truly baffled me, which is the routes people take to get here. I don't mean physically - a quick look at the Clustermap to the right indicates that you all come from all over the place, from Hawaii to Reykjavik, from Tromso to Cape Town.And you're all very welcome!No, what I mean is the search engine terms people use that result in them finding this little blog about Ireland, politics and my anger issues.Among the more - ahem - startling routes taken to Skinflicks has to be the lad (I suspect it's a lad) who daily searches Google for 'Posh Spice upskirt' and keeps ending up here. Now, I don't know about you, but I'll leave whatever's up Posh Spice's skirt to David Beckham, thank you very much.The fella from Birmingham looking for 'Jade Goody big...

Its that time of year again, for the 2nd time. Voting has begun for the Irish Blog Awards, and those nominated are using a variety of tactics to get through to the shortlist. Theres the The negative approach, the prepared, the cleavage, helping others, pleading, singing, shock, honest, subtle, animated, non-existent, pity, stunned, grateful, child marketing, the cynical, and lots more begging. And of course, that wonderful logo is emblazoned across many blogs As for me. I’m not really expecting much this year unfortunately. My site Iced Coffee has been nominated for best Photo Blog, though I’m not expecting a win unfortunately. The reason being due to my super-sporadic posting over the last few months. Although, if you can have some sympathy for me and show understanding of...

It seems that the popularity contest that is the Irish Blog Awards is now well and truly underway.If this pans out like most Irish elections, we can expect plenty of back-stabbing and pavement-pounding between now and February 16th, not to mention large posters stapled to every tree and lamppost on the island, most of them probably of Kav or Dario.Then, since this is an e-voting exercise, presumably there will be Nora Owen-esque tears from the losers and someone will abscond with €50 million of state funds.But unlike most Irish elections, which are popularity contests between Tweedledum, Tweedledee and assorted mini-Tweedles, all of whom are the sort of power-crazed middle-aged men you'd flee from in the pub, the candidates for the Irish Blog Awards are really good, mostly.The long list...

It seems that the popularity contest that is the Irish Blog Awards is now well and truly underway.If this pans out like most Irish elections, we can expect plenty of back-stabbing and pavement-pounding between now and February 16th, not to mention large posters stapled to every tree and lamppost on the island, most of them probably of Kav or Dario.Then, since this is an e-voting exercise, presumably there will be Nora Owen-esque tears from the losers and someone will abscond with €50 million of state funds.But unlike most Irish elections, which are popularity contests between Tweedledum, Tweedledee and assorted mini-Tweedles, all of whom are the sort of power-crazed middle-aged men you'd flee from in the pub, the candidates for the Irish Blog Awards are really good, mostly.The long list...

I certainly don’t have anything to lose. Starting at zero does give me an advantage. So click the many feed links on this page to subscribe. Copyright Phil O’Kane © 2006-2007This feed is indended for personal use only. If you are not reading it in your feed reader please let me know....

In a feeble attempt to get more readers and join in the fun many others are having in the run up to the Irish Blog Awards I have decided to join Feedburner. It started out with a friendly game of “first to 100 subscribers“. Since then the stakes have been raised. Cue Round Two “The person who gets the biggest % increase in FeedBurner subscribers between now and the Irish Blog Awards wins” Of course, like most new things I try out, I have come across a few problems. Having joined and navigated my way around the site I found the FeedCount Chicklet: Then I subscribed to my own blog. To test it out of course. Thats when I noticed problems. Apparently my site was last updated on Sun, Jan 14 2007 3:23 AM, and the last post was on Fri, Jan 12 2007 1:21 PM. Even if it...

In a world where entire squadrons of failed English cricketers can get MBEs, where even Scousers, amateur golfers and cycling historians are granted gongs, surely it is time to reward your humble servant JC Skinner with a blog award?Yes, it's that time of the year when the Irish Blog Awards seek nominations of the good, the bad and Twenty Major for their annual recognition of Irish contributions to the blogosphere.And that means it is also the time of the year for my shameless plug and undignified begging for your nomination.Feel free to go here and give me a nomination before the 26th of January. Or I'll come round your house because I know where you live.**May not actually be......

Nominations are now open for the Irish Blog Awards, being held at the Alexander Hotel, Dublin, on 3rd March. 15 days 22 hours of voting time. Share......