Damien Mulley writes today that Top 10 lists and the like have the effect of cheapening a blog. He mentions this in light of the Ten Signs of a Cheap Blog entry that was posted here.

If this is to be the case, then In Fact, Ah must be the Lidl of cheap Irish blogging. However, this blog is not in the habit of saying out loud who it thinks is the Marks & Spencer.

This leads me on to what I think is a most crass and horribly sycophantic artform that some bloggers have almost made their own. It seems that arse-licking, constant referring, ego-rogering and sticky-cliquing is prevalent in the Irish Boggersphere too. There's nothing wrong with setting up groups, promoting certain ideas and organising events. It's a great thing to establish a sense of community. But when that line is crossed, the distinction between friendliness and self-promotion becomes blurred.

(To get one thing clear, this is not an attack on Damien Mulley personally. He is entitled to have an opinion, as I do on lots of different issues pertaining to blogs.)

Published by Colm.  

Why, it's the In Fact, Ah music station of course!

You may have noticed a little blue box down the right-hand side of the navigation panel recently. It's a nifty little player that allows you to stream music. This should keep the IMRO hounds away.

Only problem at the moment is that it's too wide to fit completely. And since the stylesheet for this site is stored elsewhere (and I don't have access to it), it's difficult to widen the navigation panel so that the player fits snugly.

Anyway, it's still usable until I get this fixed. I will endeavour to mix and change the music as frequently as possible.

Published by Colm.  

Nah, I'm not really going to mention ten, just this one which is pretty sweet.

Published by Paul.  

While nursing a particularly vicious hangover today it came into my head to do a gimmicky 2005 in Review quiz. There's a special Irish Boggersphere section for your enjoyment too. Don't blame me if you consider the questions too difficult; it probably just means that you're thick. There's a prize for the first person to email me at colm@infactah.com with all the correct answers. I promise that this prize will be something that blows the winner's mind away.

Section A - Irish Boggersphere

1. Red Mum is now a columnist with which publication?


2. Which two bloggers are organising the upcoming Irish Blog Awards?


3. The full name please for the Irish blogger who claimed to have leaked, to a newspaper, a copy of a letter Michael McDowell had sent to Esat’s Denis O’Brien thanking him for a IR£15,000 donation to the Progressive Democrats.


4. Who claimed not to be a "a fat-man-bashing-lesbian" in the recent feminism debate?


5. Name three of the bloggers who appeared on David McWilliams' Big Bite this year.


6. Which blog secured exclusive footage of the Eamon Dunphy's outburst during a discussion about Roy Keane's departure from Man United?


7. Which blog compiled a "Top Ten Bloggeresses" list in December?


8. Which member of Disillusioned Lefty interviews other Irish bloggers every Thursday?


9. Apart from Slugger, who according to Irishblogs.info has the largest number of "Total Hits"? (Crap question, I know)


10. Who wrote a blog entry in favour of cloning and stem stell research and foresaw a Italian clone of his being called "Venti maggiori"?
    

Section B - Politics and Current Affairs

1. Name the Irish journalist who was kidnapped in Baghdad this year while reporting for the Guardian.


2. Who was mayor of New Orleans when hurricane Katrina devastated the city?


3. Name any of the Rossport 5.


4. Which current Clare TD has announced his/her decision not to stand in the next general election?


5. DART drivers threatened to strike in (month). Why? Was it a) because of mechanical faults at railway crossings? b) because some drivers were suffering from lever cramp in their fingers? or c) because they wanted more money for driving with additional carriages.


6. Eddie Hobbs told us that Momma Harney advised consumers to do what?


7. Which European Prime Minister remarked that "The only thing they (the British) have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease"?


8. What is the name of the current promotional stout being sold by Guinness?


9. The latest budget has seen the Standard Rate Cut-Off Point for income set at what amount?


10. Which EU country is set to introduce a smoking ban on Jan 1st 2006?

Section C - Sport

1. Which snooker player threatened to sue the BBC if they didn't refer to him by his new name?


2. How much did a regular stand ticket (excluding the Nally Stand) cost for the All-Ireland finals in 2005?


3. Which Irish rugby player pulled down Alastair Campbell's trousers during a Lions press conference?


4. Where was the senior Ulster football final replay held in 2005?


5. Apart from Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan, which other team did Liverpool defeat in the knockout stages on their way to Champions League glory?


6. Name the last British tennis player standing in Wimbledon this year.


7. Current Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso has signed to compete for which team in 2007?


8. Name the winner of the 2005 Embassy World Darts Championship. Clue: Arjen Robben came along to watch him win.


9. Which superior and friendly three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner died this year.


10. What have the Irish cricket team managed to achieve for the first time ever?

Section D - Music

1. Why did Eminem cancel Slane? a) he had gout in his left toe b) gig exhaustion or c) organiser Lord Mount Charles** couldn't secure the services of enough sushi caterers for the event.


2. In Fact, Ah spent an evening with which celestial Canadian band in September?


3. Name the Mercury prize winner for 2005.


4. What was the best-selling album for 2005 in the UK?


5. Which British "rock" band were rocking all over Ardgillan Castle this year?


6. Where is Electric Picnic held every year?


7. Who will be Ireland's unfortunate representative at next year's Eurovision?


8. Which singer of Irish Traveller extraction won this year's X Factor?


9. The Fleadh Cheoil was held in which Ulster town this year?


10. The Gift Grub single "I think I'd better leave right now" is a take on a song originally sung by which artist?

** Not the guy blown up by the IRA

Published by Colm.  

Hi,

Merry Christmas.

If anyone out there holds Mogwai in an idol like position as I do, get the new album somewhere on the internet.

In particular, "Travel is Dangerous" is blowing me away this christmas. So, so good. Roll on the gig in January.

P.

Published by Paul.  

Happy Christmas from all the crew at In Fact, Ah.
Pig out.

Published by Colm.  

They come when you least expect them and devour all blogging networks in the process.
Yes, it's meme time again. The wonderfully mellifluent Sinéad, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person for the first time last Tuesday, has slapped this 5 Weird Habits on me.

First off, the rules.

The first player of this game starts with the topic “five weird habits of yourself,” and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don’t forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says “You are tagged” (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours.

1. I get bored easily on public transport. To remedy this, I watch and look a lot at my fellow passengers. I especially like to read what they're reading. Company documents, novels, printed emails and student notes all provide great hints in the game of working out who this stranger is.

2. Not so much a weird habit as a consumer weapon, but I research products to death on the Internet before I buy them. I need to know what other buyers thought and especially how much it costs in the various Internet highstreet shops.

3. I hold my breath around old people.

4. I rarely watch movies a second or third time (hence I don't really buy DVDs). I do a similar thing with CDs that I previously played ad finitum. Now, they only get a spin on special occasions.

5. I derive pleasure from other people's horrible habits. For example, I really dislike sounds people make with their mouths when eating, annoying tapping movements and when kids kick your chair. But at the same time I like it. Must be some sort of pleasure/pain paradox.

Instead of being cliquey (not a real word, I know), I'd like to pass this on to some new Irish bloggers. So, I've hunted down some neophytes (past 6 months) from POTB and slapped them good and hard with this meme. You're it.

Fustar
New Browne to New Born (Who've just had a new baby, congrats)
Pampooties
The Blog Chorus
Broccoli for Breakfast (who weighed in well in the feminism debate)

Published by Colm.  

If you value your sanity do not go near Grafton Street today, it is like a mental asylum. I went out for a quick 'dash' around the shops at lunch and by the time I got back I felt like I'd climbed Everest. Why doesn't everyone just use eBay?

Published by Padraig.  

I was intending to post something more substantial this evening, but I've spent enough time at the computer now replying to comments on my post regarding Chomsky, Iraq and the need for the coalition to withdraw. So this slightly more lighthearted topic will do nicely for today.

I haven't seen any Irish bloggers comment on their favourite gigs of 2005 so far, if anyone has please correct me. If you haven't, let us all know!

Anyways, the ones I'll remember in some loose order of ear-candy-goodness were:

Interpol - Oxegen
I've seen Interpol a few times now, but this time was pretty special. I've never experienced such an arrestingly emotional connection between performers and audience as at this set. Even before they came on stage the anticipation of the crowd was suffocating. I still remember people leaving the set in a kind of stunned contentment. I recall hearing a guy beside me comment that he didn't care if he never saw another live performance after this one.

Bloc Party (supported by Redjetson) - Whelans during January
I first started listening to Bloc Party after noticing they were supporting Interpol in 2004 and by the time this gig in Whelans came around the hype machine was in full swing. The place was heaving and it was an awesome experience to see the Bloc Party whirlwind tear through such a great venue. To really put the icing on the cake, the support were stunning. I had never heard of Redjetson before seeing them on stage when I walked into this gig. Their debut album "New General Catalogue" became one of my favourites of the year. I can't believe these guys haven't really broken into more mainstream acceptance yet. A useful review is here.

Sleater-Kinney - Temple Bar Music Centre during August
If you don't really understand the attraction of girls with guitars, you need to see this band live. I can't think what else to say other than WOW. If you can't say it any better than it's already been said, quote:

"Despite the new song structures, guitar solos, and drum fills, Brownstein's guitar still roars wildly, Weiss's drums still thunder, and Tucker still wails with a primal urgency that is one of the most compelling sounds in rock music today." ; that from Pitchfork's review of Sleater-Kinney's 2005 album, "The Woods". It looks like they are coming back in Europe's direction around May next year, but no Irish or UK dates have been announced yet. Don't miss them.

Most disappointing gig of the year would have to go to Architecture in Helsinki at The Temple Bar Music Centre in November. Expectations were high as I really liked their new album, but they just didn't deliver a sound anything like what you'd expect from the number of people on stage.

Published by Paul.  

Raking over old blog debates, giving opinions on fellow non-present bloggers (yes, we were talking about you) and meeting Twenty Major were the highlights of last night's Irish blogger meetup in Kehoe's. Present were Kevin from Disillusioned Lefty (on a school night!), That Girl from Thinking Out Loud (who disappeared and came back with a man), Sinead from Sigla, Claire from Ginger Pixel, John from Earth and Universe and Dick from Back Seat Drivers.

Twenty turned out not to be the foulmouthed git that we expected. He's actually a nice guy.

Published by Colm.  

It was with incredulity that I watched the unveiling of Roy Keane to the Celtic faithful from a hotel room in Auckland. Probably the greatest player in the English Premiership in the past ten years, it seemed impossible to conceive that Keane would go to a mediocre team by United's standards.

Real Madrid publicly expressed interest in acquiring his talent and must have seen him as a counterbalance to the terribly shallow 'galactico' cloud that hangs over the Bernabeu. His addition to the squad would, in my humble opinion, have created the greatest collection of players at any one club at any one time in the history of football. The prospect of Keane barking at Raul, Guti and Ronaldo seemed too good to be true.

Celtic are a great Scottish side. Along with Rangers they have dominated the SPL for decades. However, Celtic are not a great European side. They do have one European Cup to their name, but at the moment they are far removed from the prospect of repeating that glorious triumph of 1967. There is no doubt that Roy Keane's presence in the team will help Celtic, but will Celtic help Roy's career?

Let's not forget Keane's indefatigable commitment to playing to full potential. He expects and invariably gets. At times, he got responses from his teammates at United that even Ferguson couldn't inspire. He showed up the failings of Mick McCarthy and managed to divide a nation. Any other player would have be castigated for telling his national manager: "I cant believe you've called a meeting about me! You were a shite player and you're a worse fucking manager". Instead, Keane was lauded for trying to keep mediocrity at bay.

So how would Roy Keane have fared in Madrid? To my mind, he would have flourished. The game is slower and the players are not used to snapping at the heels. Keane's legs are not what they used to be, but this was a suitable footballing environment for such retiring legs.

Would Real have signed Keane for 20 grand a week and no transfer fee? Of course they would. The mentality at the club is to promise a big-name signing every so often to appease the fans. Roy Keane fitted the bill but chose not to go. Keane funked the big move and the opportunity to play at the top level for the rest of his career. Was he afraid of being a smaller fish in a bigger pond?

Celebrity is a staple for the galacticos and despite his attempts to portray himself as a media-spotlight hater, he has done the exact opposite throughout his entire career. The media-attention cake slices would have been very small indeed at Madrid who have on their books some of the greatest players in the world.

Instead, Keane looks set to enjoy playing with an inferior team, a position that is at odds with his previous demands for playing football at the highest level. The likes of Cally Thistle are not the opponents that Keane ought to be facing come January.

Published by Colm.  

Radio Netherlands has an extensive interview with Noam Chomsky (transcript and streaming audio are available) dated the 18th December.

In it Chomsky touches on various topics including the elections which have just been held in Iraq. I was particularily interested in Chomsky's response to the question: 'In your opinion, what is the US's next likely international move?' Chomsky discussed the political situation in South America at the moment as being of acute interest to The White House. Since he gave this interview Evo Morales has claimed victory in Bolivia's election. Evo Morales' victory ticks pretty much all the boxes for making Condi Rice's breakfast reading uncomfortable this morning. I can't wait to see what the response is from Washington on this one.

Incidentally, in the Chomsky interview I linked to above, one question is put to him from an Irish listener named "Mark Humphreys" in the transcript. Mark contributed to the interview thus:

"The 'anti-war' movement destroyed Vietnam, and far from being ashamed of it, they are proud of it, and they want to do the same thing to Iraq. They want to abandon Iraq to the Jihadis and the Baathists and civil war. All they care about is that no white people are involved."

I'd like to think there isn't more than one Mark Humphrys in Ireland with views as imperialist and arrogant as that, thus I'm hoping the Irish contributor in question was a former lecturer of mine from DCU who has quite a substantial sideline in neoconservative political musings.

Published by Paul.  

During my travels, I had the pleasure of making acquaintence with Brett Milan Gajda, a singer/songwriter who lives in San Francisco. He had recommended the BayHouse Cafe for food which is located in the NW of the south island. And he wasn't wrong. It was an outstanding dining experience.

Check out Brett's Web site at www.brettmilan.com.

Published by Colm.  

I'm back. So you can all exhale now. But credit must go where credit's overdue. The boys did a fantastic job and managed to garner more exposure for In Fact, Ah in the space of two hours than I had managed in the previous five months. We sat atop of the Irish boggersphere for more than two days as a result. And it was all down to our exclusive footage of Eamon Dunphy's rant on Roy Keane leaving United.

Thanks guys.

Published by Colm.  

If you believe it, the ban on smoking in places of employment has lead to an increase in parents smoking in the presence of their children. Not being able to smoke in the pub has apparently provoked parents into staying at home instead where they can smoke to their children's hearts' discontent.

The report that has reached these findings was carried out by economists at University College London. From economists you say?

It goes on to suggest that children from the poorer socio-economic group are more likely to suffer from increased secondary smoke resulting from a total smoking ban.

From my viewpoint, there is nothing more disgusting to watch than a parent lighting up in close proximity to their progeny. They may as well kick them in the stomach. What sort of other selfish action exists that could rival such an insidious habit? Some of the pushchair manufacturers ought to take advantage by making cigarette holders for the parent. It would be a market-leading feature to add to their products.

It seems irresponsible parent smokers (are there any responsible ones?) need to be guided in such a way that prevents their children from inhaling their secondary smoke. If need be, offer them vouchers to incentivise the prospect of going back to the local. That way they might die from liver failure, but a failed liver never damaged the health of their kids.

So John Reid's proposal for a partial ban on smoking was the correct one after all. It had nothing to do with maintaining the flow of excise paid on cigarettes that comes into the government's pocket. It's a calculated move to protect the kiddies from developing respiratory illnesses.

Published by Colm.  

I know a lot of bloggers have already posted about this but for anyone who hasn't read it yet, do take the time to read Harold Pinter's Noble acceptance speech. In a remarkable, impassionate and eloquent speech, he delivers a blistering critique of US imperialism and foreign policy over the past 50 years. He summarizes brilliantly every article or book you've ever read on the subject.

Alternatively, if you would like to watch the video you can view it here.

Published by Padraig.  

Running the gauntlet of perfume sellers is a hobby for most travellers in the Kuala Lumpur satellite terminal. And I'm no exception. I'm tired after the 10-hour flight from Auckland but the threat of missing the flight home dismisses any chance of catching forty winks. For a minute the thought did cross my mind to go into one of the Muslim prayer rooms and take a kip on a comfortable rug on the floor. Piano music is ringing in my ears, the type that Sam would play at the Casablanca. A fat Asian kid is tugging at his mother's dress and making a feral-type sound (corrected horrible misspelling, I'm truly ashamed). The paging of passengers is endless and the Starbucks coffee tastes off probably due to the rank-tasting milk they use. Few eateries take credit card and the toilets have long hoses in the cubicles that scare me. A meal of fish and chips costs the same as 200 cigarettes and I feel like I need a shower.

Only four more hours to go until gate C19 opens.

Published by Colm.  

Myself and Padraig went along to see Stars at The Village on Tuesday night. If you don't know them you'll find some explanation here from the last time we saw them a few months ago in The Sugar Club.

There was a much bigger crowd this time and unfortunately the gig was not as impressive as last time out. I think there were a couple of contributory factors here, Stars had been in Dingle the night before with Horselips recording Other Voices for RTE. These Canadians like to party! Patrick, Stars' drummer told me they were accosted while trying to leave whatever party they were at in Dingle around 6am with the line 'Ah sure stay a while and have a wee drink' which they thought was quite hilarious at that hour of the morning.

Also it was the last night of two months on the road and constant gigging away from home for them and they were definitely looking forward to the break, I think this showed in their set. They weren't nearly as tight and focused as they had been last time around in the Sugar Club. Also of course The Village is not exactly the premium spot in Dublin for live music; as always there was constant cacophony coming from the bar area.

Despite all this, I think people seeing them for the first time were mighty impressed and everyone enjoyed the night. They're taking a break when they get back home but are planning to tour Europe again in April and I get the feeling they are really genuine when they say Ireland is their favourite spot to play.

Anyways, here is some video of the second half of "Ageless Beauty" from the gig. (19 MBs AVI, right click, save target as)

Stars third album 'Set Yourself on Fire' is one of my favourites of 2005 and is available in your record store now. You can stream their most recent performance for KCRW Radio here (realmedia video).

Published by Paul.  

Like many others, I've failed to understand why Wayne O'Donoghue killed Robert Holohan. Throwing a few pebbles at a car doesn't warrant the retribution that O'Donoghue (20) carried out on the 9 year-old boy. That said, this death can only be considered an accident in light of what we heard from the court proceedings.

From the Independent ...

"Robert, will you ever grow up?" he shouted, before going over and putting his right hand around the boy's neck and jerking him away from the car.
"I released the grip with my right hand, but I was still holding him by the scruff of the neck with my left hand. Nothing was said between us at this stage. I then moved my left hand up to his Adam's apple and said, 'Will you stop with the f***ing stones'.

Published by Colm.  

It’s a good thing I wore a long-sleeve shirt this morning, because now I can role my sleeves up. Michael McDowell is in hot water again but you just get the feeling he’ll ride it out and continue to abuse his power. His latest crusade has been directed against the newly-established Centre for Public Inquiry, and more accurately, against journalist Frank Connolly. Connolly has been one of the most prolific journalists in Ireland and has been credited with uncovering stories which have led to the establishment of the Morris and the planning tribunals. His Centre for Public Inquiry has former head of the planning tribunal, Justice Fergus Flood, as its chairman.

There can be no doubt that the Centre for Public Inquiry’s intention was to be a thorn in the side of those in power, to hold them accountable and to uncover stories that are in the public interest. What is so dangerous about this? Shouldn’t all ‘healthy’ democracies have such bodies? Apparently McDowell doesn’t think so. He’s claiming that this body are subversive and could gravely undermine the authority of the state. So prove it Michael. Surely Frank Connolly is entitled to due process and the opportunity to state his case? Instead, he has been subjected to a trial by media which is becoming a commonplace occurrence in this country.

The nail in the coffin came when US billionaire Chuck Feeney’s organisation, ‘Atlantic Philanthropies’, withdrew €4 million euro of funding which it had previously promised. McDowell reckoned it was his duty to the state to inform Mr. Feeney that Frank Connolly had travelled on a false passport to Colombia in 2001 for subversive purposes. The proof? A photocopy of a false passport application. That’s all. Justice Flood has stated that he intends asking Mr. Feeney to reverse his decision but this eventuality is unlikely. Frank Connolly cannot take action against McDowell due to Dail privileges, but it may be possible for him to take action on breach of privacy grounds. I, for one, hope he does because it's high time someone seriously challeneged our Minister for Justice.

Published by Colm.  

Just to add to the snowball, That Girl has suggested a Christmas get together. It's sounds like it would be an entertaining evening, especially if United Irelander turns up.

Published by Colm.  

Stars play The Village in Dublin tonight. They're another Canadian band, with bucket loads of talent....yadayadayada, which means they must be fantastic. Haven't listen to them all that much myself but I'm tagging along based on the recommendations of a few other contributors to In Fact, Ah. Colm and a few of the lads caught them the last time they were in Dublin and ended up on an impromptu session with the band afterwards. The In Fact, Ah crew invited them along to The Village and clearly they were mightily impressed, so much so that they've decided to return rather promptly.

Published by Padraig.  

I see google have just announced 600 new jobs in Dublin over the next few years. Good news in a bad week for the government I suppose. Micheal Martin was of course making the most of the announcement claiming, "This decision yet again demonstrates that Ireland is by far and away the primary location for the digital media industry in Europe"

John Herlihy, Google's European Director of Online Sales and Operations said: "Basing our European operations here in Dublin has proven to be a great decision" And indeed it has, a few weeks ago the Irish Times reported that last year, Google Ireland had a turnover of €603 million and remarkable only paid €1.6 million in corporation tax to the exchequer. That is less than 0.3% of its Irish turnover. The massive gap exists not because Google Ireland is performing poorly but because over €300 million in royalty payments which are not subject to tax were written off as expenses to another of its subsidiaries. Ultimately these subsidary payments filter back into Google Corps. bottom line profit. In fact, Google has managed to reduce its entire tax bill worldwide from 39% to 30% in 2005 thanks to its operation in Ireland.

No surprise those new jobs are coming our way then! We should be grateful, right?

Published by Padraig.  

The big scandal at the moment here involves allegations from former pupils that David Benson-Pope MP abused them in the most bizarre ways when he was their teacher in the 80s. Some of this allegations maintain that he "stuffed a tennis ball in a student's mouth and taped his hands to a desk, threw tennis balls at students' heads, caned a student until he bled, and smacked a student in the face with the back of his hand on a school camp, making his nose bleed."

The second scandal involved Immigration Minister David Cunliffe who has had to apologize for what was deemed "racist behaviour" in parliament a few weeks ago. MP Pansy Wong, who moved to Aotearoa from Hong Kong in 1974, was told to "wead" rather than "read" a particular document. It is claimed that her colleagues laughed and passed notes as she spoke.

One can only presume that Cunliffe is a good friend of Conor Lenihan.

Published by Colm.  

As you may have noticed, this editorial is somewhat obsessed with Keano, see here and here.

It now seems I was most probably wrong when I commented in one of the above posts that we had seen the end of Keane playing at the highest level. Keane's agent Michael Kennedy and Real Madrid have both this morning participated in the ornate dance woven in the press which inevitably preceeds a high-profile transfer like this. Kennedy rubbished reports that Keane had already passed a medical for Madrid, while Madrid for the first time officially signalled their interest in signing him. I would love to see Keane play for Madrid (even though I think they are have become a parody of themselves in recent years).

Joining the misfiring circus that is Real Madrid would be an enormous challenge for Keane, but I suppose if it is only for 6 months initially it's not a big commitment in case things don't turn out rosey.

I'd be very interested to know Beckham's real feelings about joining up with Keane again. He has made some broadly welcoming comments on the possibility so far. I'm sure he'd be nervous about any loose boots lying around the dressing room if son-of-Fergie were to arrive.

I'm not a Man Yoo fan, but I can't help but express my opinion that Sir Alex has made a huge blunder in letting Keane go. It ranks up there with his treatment of Jaap Stam. Fergie, it seems, is not afraid to cut off his proboscis to spite his face. I think things will get much worse for United this season before they get better and watching Keane play with the Galacticos will only sting the open wounds at Old Trafford more.

Published by Paul.  

I've been looking forward to the Heineken Cup all week and it's started with a thrilling game at Ravenhill as Ulster put themselves a step closer to getting out of their pool. Over the past few seasons Ulster have appeared laboured among Europe's finest. Their achievement of being the only Irish province to win Europe's elite club competition has looked more like a millstone around their neck than a confidence booster.

Slowly the tide seems to be turning back in their favour. They have a wealth of talent coming of age all through the field, many of whom have already made their full test debuts for Ireland.

Tonight in particular Simon, Neil and Rory Best, Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe really shone. They were ably marshalled by the rock solid boot of Humphreys who landed a stunning conversion in the dying minutes to put Ulster two scores ahead.

The conditions were terrible and this was reflected in a first half which was littered with errors from both sides. Ulster settled to their task in the second half however and only in the final 10 minutes did they assert their superiority. Saracens thought they were playing basketball during a three minute period which saw Castaignede and Matt Cairns both sin binned for deliberate knock-ons. The Ulster players were incensed as both occassion were penalty try candidates. The men in red and white gritted their teeth and closed out the game in the final ten minutes against 13 men with a try for Rory Best and that fabulous conversion from Humphreys floating just inside the near post.

I've got to mention the crowd also, who delivered a sizziling second half atmosphere. There was a real sense of momentum around Ravenhill following Ulster's victory over Munster in the Celtic League last weekend. I expect to see Ulster go from strength to strength this season and beyond.

I hope the rest of the weekend lives up to tonight's spectacle. A certain Mr. Lomu is turning out for Cardiff Blues tomorrow. The other two Irish provinces in the competition have it all to play for in their respective pool games tomorrow also, while Connacht take on Worcester in the European challange cup.

Engage!

Published by Paul.  

I have just returned to work following the march against Irish ferries. Apparently, over 100,000 people took part, which was a bit of a surprise to me really. One very noticeable aspect to the march was the age profile. Apart from a few student groups, there was a definite absence of young workers - the majority of the protestors were middle-aged and well used to fighting for workers' rights in the past.

So where were all the 20 and 30 somethings, the drivers of this economy as we are often told. I would say most of them were doing just that, 'driving the economy' in their places of work. I would also suggest that the majority of them were more concerned with the venue for tonight's session rather than the current crisis engulfing Irish Ferries.

Our generation have never had to fight for pay increase, most of us have never been on strike, in general our working conditions and pay agreements are excellent. I think it's got to the stage where young workers are completely apathetic to social issues and politics in general. As long as the good times continue to role why would we even care if a few ship workers jobs are getting outsourced ... It couldn't happen to me, I've got a degree and sure they don't even have computers in Latvia!

Published by Padraig.  

We've stumbled across the ideal stocking filler for your blogging loved ones this festive season.
I'm thinking in particular it could be useful among the Irish female blogging community who seem to be in open civil war at the moment.

Girls, just sign this puppy up to your enemy's RSS feed, wipe, flush and hey presto, instant satisfaction.

Published by Paul.  

What I'm about to write below will leave me wide open to allegations of being a "republican sympathiser". However, I feel it necessary to draw attention to this particularily because of the role the media have played in it.

Yesterday it was revealed that the trial of three Sinn Féin men on charges of spying in Stormont had collapsed and the men were to be acquitted. Cast your mind back to October 2002; a massive police raid on the Sinn Féin offices in Stormont resulted in the arrest of Sinn Féin members Denis Donaldson, Ciarán Kearney and William Mackessy. This precipitated the collapse of the Northern Assembly and the resultant three year hiatus which is still ongoing.

The most baffling and shocking statement was made yesterday by the prosecuting QC, Mr. Gordon Kerr: "The director has concluded that having regard to the materials placed before him and his duties as a public authority under the Human Rights Act 1998, the prosecution for the offences in relation to the accused are no longer in the public interest". No longer in the public interest? You mean the "crime" that brought down the first semblance of meaningful devolved government in the North is not of the public interest? Not only this, but the QC seems to be saying that to continue the trial with such little evidence would be against the Human Rights Act 1998. Does anyone see a problem with this? Why isn't anyone crying out for the reinstatement of the Northern Assembly?

Now for the media. Admittedly, there has been the budget and Ivor to deal with over the last two days. However, this is surely at least front page material for the IT. No mention until the inner pages. Likewise, RTE have largely ignored it leaving it well down the running order in the bulletins.

It seems that when it comes to Sinn Féin, good news is no news and bad news is headline news. To reiterate, I am not in the Gerry and Martin fan club but do have an interest in media representations espacially with regard to Northen Ireland.

Published by Colm.  

As anticipated, Junior minister Ivor Callely has tendered his resignation from Government this morning. Poor old Bertie must be fuming, he's been waiting weeks for budget day to boost the beleaguered Fianna Fail ratings with another election buying budget and then Ivor comes along and overshadows the whole affair.

It was a rather unexciting budget anyway. No increases in booze or smokes, bugger all changes in tax and they got rid of a few tax loopholes that should have gone years ago. Most of the commentary seemed to be about the additional money being given to parents with children under 6.

This doesn't affect me personally but I imagine throwing €1100 a year at parents with young kids isn't necessarily the best means of improving childcare. Surely there is no guarantee that this money will be spent on the welfare of the child? Perhaps this is an age old problem with all childcare payments but would it not have been more beneficial to give free medical care to children under 6 or subsidise child minding fees through tax breaks? Im sure the government spent plenty of time deliberating on these issues but they always seem to end up with the same solution of aimlessly throwing more money at the problem.

I wonder does Ivor have a few sprogs under 6. Maybe he could pay his dues to that painter with the extra childcare dosh he'll be getting next year.

Published by Padraig.  

United go out with a whimper, Liverpool cruise to top spot in their group and continue to defy the asinine predictions from RTE's footballing pundits. Last year Dunphy and Giles wrote them off and they did similar at the start of this season.

Oh, they laughed at Peter Crouch playing up front for Liverpool. United looked so lacking in goals this season in the CL that they should consider buying Djibril Cisse.

Published by Colm.  

The finest of rib-eye steak and shark ceviche (yes, it was raw) ever tasted at the stunning setting of Cape Foulwind, Tauranga Bay on a beautiful NZ summer's day.

Consumed at the Bay House Cafe were:

3 fresh fruit smoothies
1 glass of local Pinot Noir
1 serving of garlic chilli bread
1 shark ceviche
2 rib-eye steak
1 side of mash
1 cappucino
1 latte

The entire bill came to $102 NZ dollars - that's 62 Euro.
It makes me sick to think what the bill would have come to in an Irish restaurant.

Published by Colm.  

It seems these tips for deciding on the year's best albums came too late for In Fact, Ah.
Shit.

Via Sean Conrad, here's "How To Make A Hip End of the Year 'Best Albums' List".

Published by Colm.  

I'm glad to see Richard Burns' passing has got some look in over the past week in the media. A couple of Irish Bloggers have even mentioned it. The imbalance in the volume of media coverage devoted to these two sportstars in the wake of their deaths seems grossly unfair to me.

I have a great amount of respect for what George Best delivered in his short career on the pitch. However, for me, Best's greatest gift to the game was not his skills. When I look at what Best could do on the pitch, while breathtaking, it's just in the same ballpark as what Cantona could do for Utd. When I look back at what I have seen and read of the great players of all time, Best would not come out near the top of a list of names including Eusebio, Pele, Maradona, Puskas, Beckenbauer, Platini, Cruyff and Di Stefano.

I believe Best's greatest contribution to football was in blazing a trail as a media icon. The type of celebrity Best enjoyed at such a young age was unprecedented in football at the time. Unfortunately Best was not afforded protection from the potential pitfalls of his fame, protection which is taken for granted in the game today. Any of our very young contemporary players certainly owe a debt to Best in this regard.

Burns' for me was the more tragic passing. He finished second in the World Rally Championship in 1999 and 2000 and went on to win the World Rally Championship in 2001, the only Briton to do so. He was taken from his sporting career literally while at the wheel of his car when he passed out en route to Rally GB 2003.

Published by Paul.  

It's December, it's a Friday evening, the weather is shocking outside. Are you ready to face this?

Traffic congestion in Dublin is now so bad that the average speed in some areas is 7mph. At that speed my granny would get from one end of O'Connell street to the other faster in her wheel chair than the 123 bus would in rush hour traffic. And as for Operation Free Flow, the only thing that appears to be flowing is overtime dosh into Garda back pockets. I reckon the only viable solution is to give everyone jet packs powered by recycled nappies or something.

Best of luck to anyone hitting the roads this evening, I on the other hand am off to the pub.

Published by Padraig.  

The recent coverage of Rome's ban on homosexuals entering the priesthood is, for me, baffling. Why do we care? There was extensive comment in the broadsheets, TV and radio when it seems to me that it's a non-issue. The Catholic Church believes homosexuality is an "intrinsic moral evil". They couldn't be clearer about it and they are entitled to that opinion.

So why the surprise when they ban these people from joining the priesthood? I think what is at play here is not a crusade for gay rights, but more another front opened in the battle to consign the Catholic Church to the bin of history by portraying it as an archaic, outmoded institution.

Personally, I'm all in favour of that. However, I would rather attack them for their blatant contradictory practices throughout the centuries than attack them for rigidly enforcing their moral code.

Published by Colm.  

Wellington
It's as if the seasons know when it's their turn. December 1st marked the beginning of summer here and it couldn't have been sunnier.



Tararua mountains

Published by Colm.  

Eyebrowy produced a hugely popular cartoon this year after Electric Picnic, "Eyebrowy's Alternative Guide to Electric Picnic". You may have noticed Electric Picnic in the news again recently as tickets for 2006 (3 days, 175 Euro) are now on sale. Never one to miss an opportunity, here is Eyebrowy's slant on this recent development.

Published by Paul.