tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68382517538277316642024-03-05T16:53:17.142+00:00Dublin Tour GuideThoughts of a Dublin Tour GuideAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-61279941744384645052014-04-18T08:28:00.000+01:002014-04-18T08:40:11.168+01:00Morning, Good Friday.<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘Fiction was invented the day Jonas
arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been
swallowed by a whale.’</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"> - Gabriel Garcia Marquez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">From that point on, fiction has had quite a journey. In Spanish, it stops
to admire the view twice. Notably with the 16th century Miguel de Cervantes (29
September 1547 – 22 April 1616), whose
‘Don Quixote’ is regarded as the greatest work of fiction in any language. And,
more recently, with Gabriel García Márquez, who died last night (April 17th
2014) after being treated during the month for dehydration and infections at a
Mexican hospital.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Gabriel García Márquez in Monterrey in 2007
Gabriel García Márquez" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/4/17/1397769134962/Gabriel-Garc-a-M-rquez-in-003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Gabriel García Márquez in Monterrey in 2007. Photograph: Tomas
Bravo/Reuters<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The Colombian’s significance is evident from the familiarity of “One
Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera",
works that ring a bell even for the not-so-avid readers. He won the Nobel Prize
for Literature in 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They’ll be flying the flags at half-mast all across Colombia as President
Juan Manuel Santos declared three days of national mourning. Strangely, it’s
not the first time that the world has prepared to mourn the loss of the
literary giant. In 2000, a poem was <a href="http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/marquez.html" target="_blank">disseminated</a> that convinced all that
Marquez had, or was just about, to pass away. It was a hoax, but it made many
realise how much they should treasure him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘What matters in life is not what
happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.’ </span></i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">- Gabriel Garcia Marquez<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘It is not true that people stop
pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing
dreams.’</span></i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"> - Gabriel Garcia Marquez<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘<i>A person doesn't die when he should
but when he can.</i>’ – 100 years of Solitude<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Personally, I have yet to discover the extent of the rich quality of his
works, but I will always remember him. Every year. On April 18. When I recall
the morning I learned of his passing - my 27th birthday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-49650421384615763262014-03-17T08:28:00.002+00:002014-03-17T08:32:06.314+00:00The Old Dublin custom of visiting St. Patrick's Well<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Quality Irish knitwear and crafts shops grace Nassau Street in Dublin city
centre. The Porterhouse, Kilkenny Design Shop and Celtic Note (and check the
Irish mythology wall between the two!) are some of my favourites on the street.
Well, on one side of the street. The high railings of Trinity College border the
other side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Notice how much higher the street is compared to the college? Most of the
streets are several feet higher than they were 500 years ago. Nassau street,
however has another cause besides medieval refuse. In 1685 the Thingmote was
levelled and the earth brought to fill the street and make it 'grande', as the
Wide Streets Commission saw it. Ah sure, for Dubliners, sure it was grand
already.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And it wasn't just the havoc of roadworks that should annoy denizens.
Something was covered. A sacred shrine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">An old St. Patrick's Day tradition in Dublin was to visit the holy well of
St. Patrick and immerse you shamrocks and maybe even yourself in the holy
waters once blessed by our patron saint. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2pjoPiqhZJP6a3EuVXMMDLgCdJ4kM_0-nMStC3uSAzZcWZjouK9C0pdX0oLENXqOgDHL0i5J5zTQqc2Y1eURy1t2UxtifKUHot-xIO4VGPwmv0N2KhRT5V5eqnJhqEjY6ZvkxpeZOXI/s1600/20140309_162224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2pjoPiqhZJP6a3EuVXMMDLgCdJ4kM_0-nMStC3uSAzZcWZjouK9C0pdX0oLENXqOgDHL0i5J5zTQqc2Y1eURy1t2UxtifKUHot-xIO4VGPwmv0N2KhRT5V5eqnJhqEjY6ZvkxpeZOXI/s1600/20140309_162224.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The junction of Nassau & Dawson streets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1BC7_SYNItB8WCBp0CTuZbJ_WUfBP6AAMoMEAXmDlOX6gngeYbonsP4SoFsU69NdxtKjBRDgEBroc2lXlUCKZf0inwu7Uk-RoU3-zHRHEpl5nByQCfqzWVuSUn1tLep-d7Cyvj65sF4/s1600/20140309_162248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1BC7_SYNItB8WCBp0CTuZbJ_WUfBP6AAMoMEAXmDlOX6gngeYbonsP4SoFsU69NdxtKjBRDgEBroc2lXlUCKZf0inwu7Uk-RoU3-zHRHEpl5nByQCfqzWVuSUn1tLep-d7Cyvj65sF4/s1600/20140309_162248.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the side entrance of Trinity College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXUi2tUAwj63GTOH3sW8Ija7CZsZZeYLZTRNxvjW5_wHWKodDAM_zMQ_wzLdmJ8L10qZSNKoalu3udcqrCl6Zv_tf8S-iT5YlwKEq0zl-SVN4aEpfrPThDucMS8joS2FU8pj6_YVuGjQ/s1600/20140309_162315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXUi2tUAwj63GTOH3sW8Ija7CZsZZeYLZTRNxvjW5_wHWKodDAM_zMQ_wzLdmJ8L10qZSNKoalu3udcqrCl6Zv_tf8S-iT5YlwKEq0zl-SVN4aEpfrPThDucMS8joS2FU8pj6_YVuGjQ/s1600/20140309_162315.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glimpse down through the railings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nna_bP3T9dia8pEnZHtBtEuvIWTMDDglhuOr53rXE0G1IRovYh58Vp3wMC-PWlpgOOnvsBCxJKC7FrqTNhkR_2GbjkJgF58u14bhpSqvdK6W3JQq6-zJXYWAl2vBz-xFHT19Z7cCux0/s1600/20140309_162323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nna_bP3T9dia8pEnZHtBtEuvIWTMDDglhuOr53rXE0G1IRovYh58Vp3wMC-PWlpgOOnvsBCxJKC7FrqTNhkR_2GbjkJgF58u14bhpSqvdK6W3JQq6-zJXYWAl2vBz-xFHT19Z7cCux0/s1600/20140309_162323.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the well </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote 'Verses Occasioned by the Sudden Drying Up
of St Patrick's Well near Trinity College, Dublin'. Being the wonderful
satirist that he was, the title does not betray its contents, remininscent of
'A Modest Proposal'. It was, I assume, the intentional filling in of the well
that forced Swift enraged pen. Besides his usual impressive writing, Swift
substantially demonstrates his historical knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Click <a href="http://dublintourguide.blogspot.ie/p/poetry-songs.html" target="_blank">here</a> to view the poem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I hope you read it. Read it. Now! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Good. (I hope you read it.) It's a narrative of the author and St. Patrick
basically cursing at the British. So, yes, that's why it was only published
after Swift's death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I wonder if Swift wasn't also lamenting, as a portent, not so much the
changing of the street name from 'St. Patrick's Well Lane' with 'Nassau St.'
but the fact that since Irish Independence we have neglected to revert the
name. Most Dubliners have no idea, it seems, that 'Nassau St.' was named after
King William III, a member of the House of Orange-Nassau.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">So if you want to want to visit the well, you'll have to ask Trinity
authorities to gain access. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCMcgwIFLlGXGCVZtJj-hShhTP0DDus9K1dhAZ9wBC2kfMvDpe0hVMNHe1uTTso4R254jOLJxZXmTRRVazw9KPvcld5RjK_SHUm8Re3ekTFAiBxBUMX-131eR3D2DMy6hY5w80vWewOE/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCMcgwIFLlGXGCVZtJj-hShhTP0DDus9K1dhAZ9wBC2kfMvDpe0hVMNHe1uTTso4R254jOLJxZXmTRRVazw9KPvcld5RjK_SHUm8Re3ekTFAiBxBUMX-131eR3D2DMy6hY5w80vWewOE/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgian-era brickwork*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkt3a-9tdIBsWha7nORddyNfEt-wW0a-fM41gCchKNVMFWnjgYZOeq97yD79fieXVPXRuKt9i7j3o4R38iMAeNV1uevkIPNSVyjHsstLnDy5M9WJzyI97BCFzvkMlfoShE7lT2yuxuNGY/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkt3a-9tdIBsWha7nORddyNfEt-wW0a-fM41gCchKNVMFWnjgYZOeq97yD79fieXVPXRuKt9i7j3o4R38iMAeNV1uevkIPNSVyjHsstLnDy5M9WJzyI97BCFzvkMlfoShE7lT2yuxuNGY/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underlying ancient stones*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelos9wMYGboHt7BlcEA97uAHGgBRFfgwKMFIlsKE0wDW4H3CjAzOGMaRXgCPZQac6KcTx6kC9Me1H_AfUZB-AB6BhWQoGshmjB05iFikfocUNIcgaGE28TO0LZmQ2et9gADmUPRW0yEA/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelos9wMYGboHt7BlcEA97uAHGgBRFfgwKMFIlsKE0wDW4H3CjAzOGMaRXgCPZQac6KcTx6kC9Me1H_AfUZB-AB6BhWQoGshmjB05iFikfocUNIcgaGE28TO0LZmQ2et9gADmUPRW0yEA/s1600/St.+Pat's+Well+3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick's Well - thought to be once up to 20ft deep now roughly a mere 4ft*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">At least it's much more accessible than Dublin's OTHER St. Patrick's Well,
buried under the park beside St. Patrick's Cathedral. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Sure, we couldn't have
just on</span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">e.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*<a href="http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055615605&page=2" target="_blank">Photos by Degsy</a></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0Nassau Street, Dublin, Ireland53.3427359 -6.2569373999999753.3403659 -6.26197989999997 53.3451059 -6.25189489999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-77539578341868111572013-08-25T20:19:00.003+01:002013-08-25T20:24:11.009+01:00Time<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGsOzHk0TCx5_pTUuJmxY6BxYiu-qqPtDE_44HNrskSiD5346GZxkfZ_ZrCGmCwaA6o7x2f5aeHTlq-VFKR97iwROMfIc7NFeZsggnTUG0SXKMBJxWVWnTqchLlMeKGUvUJYnNUKAcII/s1600/alarm_clock-840x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGsOzHk0TCx5_pTUuJmxY6BxYiu-qqPtDE_44HNrskSiD5346GZxkfZ_ZrCGmCwaA6o7x2f5aeHTlq-VFKR97iwROMfIc7NFeZsggnTUG0SXKMBJxWVWnTqchLlMeKGUvUJYnNUKAcII/s320/alarm_clock-840x420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">As a tour guide, my work day is never routine. I may have a tour in the
morning then nothing for the whole afternoon, as many as three in the one day,
or none at all! But I'm always in tour guide mode: walking the streets of
Dublin, reminded of the history on every street with every step; a tweet here,
a Facebook photo there; a frequent glance at my to do list. Even looking at the
time reminds me of work. But in a different way than what you might think.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It's 19.13 now, and I just put on the washing. (Most people would just say
'quarter past seven', but accuracy is a tour guide's calling card / pet peeve,
so when I say 'I'll be there in 5 minutes', I mean 5, not 6. Well, ok, not 7,
anyway!) This time of the day reminds different people of different events. For
some it might mean they've already missed the start of their favourite show.
For others, simply that they're overdue for dinner. But for me, for me it
reminds me of Jim Larkin and the Lockout in the year 1913.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Having watched Odyssey, the 1997 film today, it inspires me to persevere
and keep reading the 'modern' modern dead tree version. And so, feeling a bit
Joycean, I wish for you to join me through one day in the life of a tour guide
in Dublin:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">If I wake up in the morning in Dublin and the Vikings have already
established it, t'will not be the most productive day. During my coffee break,
I'm enjoying the last century before the Normans come to Ireland, but before I
know it they've already built St. Patrick's Cathedral according to my watch.
Give or take a minute or two.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">"Oh, look it's '1:23'", a girl on Grafton st shares with her
friends. I look at my watch. 13.25. Damn! I missed the match. Scotland were
playing England on Irish soil. They both lost. Oh, and Ireland lost too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The start of Irish dinner time. The best time to be in Dublin. No fresh
pizza today so should be a longer process than the Irish Houses of Parliament,
but hopefully not as complicated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I try to make sure I'm somewhere else when it's quarter to seven. Ah, sure
I'll do a bit of planning for me travels. Little more than half an hour later
and I'm already in Germany gift-wrapping some presents for the lads back home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">"Should have thrown out this fruit!" It's rotten. Been here too
long. "Wait, sure I only brought it home seven hours ago!" And it
drips all over the floor. Some cleanup!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It's 20.13.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The washing must just be finished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Only took a hundred
years.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-57259249613694943162013-03-07T11:13:00.000+00:002013-03-07T11:13:09.568+00:00I used to think it was gold. <br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The orange part of the flag, that is. I thought it was something like
‘green for the 40 shades’, ‘white for the sky’ and ‘gold for the all gold’ (or
Golden Age of Irish monasticism, would be more fitting). And when I found out it
was ‘orange’, I was in denial. I refused to give up the lustre of gold for the
rust of orange. Of course, I really had no idea what the Irish tricolour
actually meant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u27Q7ol7HF5Kjp_9FFjSWhQi4nPRUtvh06Zl839HLCY-dMvdsDV3n0w2e163jMsz1X0TB1_lHmF70JJuskhuVYRGSAvRdujHh4QJosfOuJ2A9HL9rIcYY2WgHW0hH2n1zyTTfdu2BoA/s1600/Flag+of+the+Irish+Republic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u27Q7ol7HF5Kjp_9FFjSWhQi4nPRUtvh06Zl839HLCY-dMvdsDV3n0w2e163jMsz1X0TB1_lHmF70JJuskhuVYRGSAvRdujHh4QJosfOuJ2A9HL9rIcYY2WgHW0hH2n1zyTTfdu2BoA/s1600/Flag+of+the+Irish+Republic.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"> </span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">For those still favouring gold, you should know that ‘green is for those
who regard themselves as Irish on the island of Ireland’, ‘orange (after
William of Orange) is for those who regard themselves as British on the island
of Ireland’, and ‘white is for the peace between them’. Some would say that
it’s more so a religious divide than a cultural one, but some would also say
that the white is not peace they share but ….</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The story of the flag is that it was inspired by that of France, which
similarly has disputed symbolism. White represents the clergy, red for the
nobility, and blue for the bourgeoisie. That just gave me an idea to add to our
list of symbols for the Irish flag: white is the church that has separated the
two groups. Ah, tis all a bit political for me. Personally, I would prefer a
different flag:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGHzlojqypSMFybGPKP07QVxXXM4LpkI0IZuJemuJKGTIl1BA0CvHS1pfdSagcn36pas5U-zhydbVajmFK4zNEzos3suJbE0JDtYmnIS93J_UMXz80YJuLNHXr3VCI8OfUk1s_gBOL4g/s1600/Flag+of+Leinster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGHzlojqypSMFybGPKP07QVxXXM4LpkI0IZuJemuJKGTIl1BA0CvHS1pfdSagcn36pas5U-zhydbVajmFK4zNEzos3suJbE0JDtYmnIS93J_UMXz80YJuLNHXr3VCI8OfUk1s_gBOL4g/s1600/Flag+of+Leinster.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This flag </span><i style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">does</i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> have gold. Hurray! But it’s more than just that. The golden
harp has been a symbol of Ireland for around a millennium (see <a href="http://www.askaboutireland.ie/learning-zone/secondary-students/music/special%20study-turlough-ocarolan/the-harp-a-symbol-of-irel/">here</a>).
The harp is our national emblem and I interpret its place on this flag as
representing not only the importance of the harp in Irish history, but the
importance of music in general, and, with that, all the arts. All the arts of
Ireland: Irish music, poetry, song, story - our heritage. These are what have
made our country unique. The gold symbolising our culture’s richness. That, not
political boundaries, was what united our country.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The green is a deeper, solemn shade. A shade for wisdom. For centuries’
learning of our monks, our brehon’s (judges) 20 years of aural memorisation of
every detail, poets’ and story-tellers’ ability for something new nearly every
day of the year, for education for Catholics after O’Connell abolished the
Penal Laws. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">All that speaks to me more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">So why isn’t the flag of Ireland? Well, because it’s already the flag of
Leinster. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80H5ONarOJwwLCY36-voOynlE6JtSpQVyQZUfT3fs26F73CK96qMoY9R9mBVD46kp4spp5ivFidicD0sQlnkBNkI6oRxZRNuJNxfeBKBshKZOspz8FUbJ7S_hfvsvM6t-VIDsXxXrw7E/s1600/Flag+of+the+Irish+Provinces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80H5ONarOJwwLCY36-voOynlE6JtSpQVyQZUfT3fs26F73CK96qMoY9R9mBVD46kp4spp5ivFidicD0sQlnkBNkI6oRxZRNuJNxfeBKBshKZOspz8FUbJ7S_hfvsvM6t-VIDsXxXrw7E/s1600/Flag+of+the+Irish+Provinces.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You see, during the Eleven Years’ War, a self-governing body was
established in Kilkenny which remained loyal to the British monarch throughout
its duration. From 1642 to 1649, the Irish Catholic Confederation governed most
of Ireland and basically wanted freedom for Catholics in Ireland under the
crown of England, as opposed to free from it. Their flag was a gold harp on a
green background, supposedly incited by Owen Roe O’Neill (one of the
descendents of the ancient Irish ruling dynasty of Uí Néill) who flew it from
his ship’s mast and who would become the Commander of the Confederate Army.
Thenceforth, it became associated with Kilkenny and its province, Leinster.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Our tricolour was first flown in public on the Mall in Waterford City on
March 7th 1848. And we commemorate its anniversary today. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So it’s a more suitable day than most to buy a wee Irish flag.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Don’t know which one, though. ;)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-84181704211999241132013-01-21T09:22:00.001+00:002013-01-21T10:10:37.162+00:00Anniversaries - reasons to celebrate. <br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Or to commemorate. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Or… not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">In Ireland we have important anniversaries every week of the year. Things like the birth or death of Irish martyrs or battles or the first time an abortion will be legally rendered in this country. But, generally, it seems, Irish people don’t like anniversaries. We have far too many – a result of having <i>too much</i> history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Furthermore, as a whole, the Irish nation does not celebrate its history or identity. (St. Patrick’s Day is the exception, of course, but even on that one day of the year when we openly celebrate our Irishness, I’m sure many Irish people celebrate our thirst instead.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br />
</span> <img src="http://www.techacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/celebrate-irish-tradition-american-beers-st-patricks-ecards-someecards-300x167.png" /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The Irish have an inferiority complex: having been told by the English for so long that our language, customs, dress, law, society, manners were second to theirs, we believed them. And though it seems like the oppression of the English has been gone 81 years, we still have that sense of inferiority, that lack of pride in our nation. It had been inculcated for so long that it still remains for the next generation. Albeit, this sense of inferiority is subconscious, hidden, but, to an outsider, puzzlingly evident in an apathetic form – Irish people don’t know why, but they don’t seem to want to celebrate their Irishness as much as they should. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The Irish language is the best example. Terrible primary school teachers aside, the Irish language should be thriving in Ireland. People don’t want to speak it, not because they can’t or are afraid of making mistakes, but because, deep inside, they’re ashamed of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Like the generations before us, speaking Irish was a symptom of your poverty. Those who held onto the language could not represent themselves at court, could not be employed by the landlord, and would die in destitution and starvation. And, in order for the Irish to survive in this English-engineered world, they <i>had to</i> regard their language and culture negatively. It was necessary. We were able to survive, to raise ourselves up by pulling the Irish language down, under us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/282952_154778328003983_1566276900_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/282952_154778328003983_1566276900_n.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Then there’s the whole ‘if you celebrate the Easter Rising with anything more than a nod, I’ll consider you a radical and a Sinn Féiner’ – another consequence of The Troubles. But hopefully this will dissolve when the 100-year anniversary of the 1916 Rising in celebrated.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As for the other anniversaries that should be celebrated, time will tell.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-70407313113327031442012-12-03T23:34:00.001+00:002012-12-03T23:40:17.166+00:00Holidays!<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Or vacation - whatever you want to call it. I have it. No more working for
a while. The tourism season is over. But unlike a teacher on her summer
holidays, I don't get paid for those holidays, and my 'summer' is in winter. Still,
I took a holiday so to speak and spent a good month in New York. Rather than
reflecting on the entire sojourn with you like a September 'what I did on my
summer holidays' essay, I'll skip to the end.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The second half of my US trip would bring me to Albany New York. Or so I
thought. “It's a good thing you didn't start walking to downtown Albany,
Garvan, as we don't live there anymore.” “Great. So where are ye living.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I've never heard of Troy, New York. At least, I can't recall the city. So,
what have you got to offer? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Many notable people were born or resided in Troy. Hermann Melville,
Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president and James Connolly. Wait, what? Is this
an American James Connolly, you know like that Irish Rebel who went to the moon
with Neil Armstrong?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">No. <i>The</i> James Connolly lived in
Troy from 1903-05. Couldn't believe it when I found out! What chance!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gW_q80bnDYK06gYH5tIZttgKjfM71waqxHZiiHxVXBFkgtc8bAA4nPsQn5LFyCrFoHy9RMNbK3s1tFhnVa31-rHlmdMROMjVaqa7EoDuP_HR8vBV07dHUawjyPNeMCtwGUeYiDfh7VE/s1600/IMG_1093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gW_q80bnDYK06gYH5tIZttgKjfM71waqxHZiiHxVXBFkgtc8bAA4nPsQn5LFyCrFoHy9RMNbK3s1tFhnVa31-rHlmdMROMjVaqa7EoDuP_HR8vBV07dHUawjyPNeMCtwGUeYiDfh7VE/s320/IMG_1093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Apparently, the Irish martyr lived in Troy from 1903 to 1905. To support
his family of six, he worked for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. He
continue to be active in pursing socialism and advocating the ideals he was to
die for in 1916. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">His bust is only a few metres away from that of Uncle Sam whose statue is…
well, different, shall we say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTBBU0UALqO8vu_KDoHHETm9L7qU-6XjTu3295JA6_0bywS-4bXmythOMTECVqP9Ch1rGaWaJDThn55eJ5ROxnCPp4HwjyyIEJcuMRf4GjZbRcP-OBdpwaqPUTb_EV3Sdqxdk9mYsZw8/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTBBU0UALqO8vu_KDoHHETm9L7qU-6XjTu3295JA6_0bywS-4bXmythOMTECVqP9Ch1rGaWaJDThn55eJ5ROxnCPp4HwjyyIEJcuMRf4GjZbRcP-OBdpwaqPUTb_EV3Sdqxdk9mYsZw8/s320/IMG_1089.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Uncle Sam and Connolly, however, aren’t as dissimilar as their tributes
may denote. They’re both personifications and heroes for their respective
countries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And just like his statue in Dublin, I cannot pass by Connolly’s bust
without placing a respecting palm upon the cold bronze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOISK02cpv5jjLQlhGf1VVdmzAABE2lFXM58GEZH8NtzwKRQbfMaabcW5qOXaJ-VB58yWW5_Kr1qH7RQMDTqvTiDwTiyXTc5IltHRT1i6L3SpFzDeu4_b9BIo5dBZVLQMT0or8LM4-ipc/s1600/IMG_1091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOISK02cpv5jjLQlhGf1VVdmzAABE2lFXM58GEZH8NtzwKRQbfMaabcW5qOXaJ-VB58yWW5_Kr1qH7RQMDTqvTiDwTiyXTc5IltHRT1i6L3SpFzDeu4_b9BIo5dBZVLQMT0or8LM4-ipc/s400/IMG_1091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-26122452779885793742012-10-16T16:56:00.001+01:002012-12-03T23:39:14.819+00:00Dare cross Joyce?<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">In ‘Eveline’, a short story in Joyce’s ‘Dubliners’, the protagonist aspiration of taking a trip to Buenos Aires with her lover is meant as a metaphor for wanting to escape to a different world, a different life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">When Joyce said ‘daulphin’, ‘oldun’, ‘Tumplan’ and ‘Doubtlynn’ in Finnegans Wake, he actually meant the city of Dublin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And when Joyce set the scene of Ulysses in Dublin, he actually meant Zurich…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Well, there is truth in my reference to Finnegan’s Wake (don’t forget, though, the other 247 or so phrases for Dublin), and my inclusion Eveline is a weak point due to its forgettability , but my Ulysses remark is completely ludicrous. Well, not completely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA32KK1nbhVyMcSYtUTfsasuIAcua88Nema0R63hk_cSe0OXb33Ao14fF1AI5j9eNHzXMFTycBJ8X6YN95tn4D3HOmyh_5Ffs2WVuTR3YOCMU1I01NfY4HfaQrYk9lkrurq9jcOV6SWQ/s1600/IMG_0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA32KK1nbhVyMcSYtUTfsasuIAcua88Nema0R63hk_cSe0OXb33Ao14fF1AI5j9eNHzXMFTycBJ8X6YN95tn4D3HOmyh_5Ffs2WVuTR3YOCMU1I01NfY4HfaQrYk9lkrurq9jcOV6SWQ/s320/IMG_0134.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joyce's grave in Fluntern Cemetary</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Joyce lived in Zurich in 1904 and then from 1915-19. And it was his first stop on his self-inflicted, or self-endowed, exile. He was supposed to teach English at the Berlitz Language school (I actually saw an ad on tram 6, going back into the city from Joyce’s grave, for Berlitz’s language school!) there, but was sent to Trieste instead. He returned to Zurich in 1915, and wrote ‘Exiles’, quite fittingly.</span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">‘A Portrait of the Artist as a young Man’ was published, and he began really getting into ‘Ulysses’. It is difficult to consider that his adopted city could not have inspired him in at least small ways during his time writing there.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">One piece of quotable Joycean eloquence said of Zurich is along the lines of Bahnhofstrasse is so clean that you can drink minestrone soup off of it. True, the place is ridiculously clean. Admirable, in a way, but this quality deflates in my eyes when I’m reminded of a TripAdvisor reviewer saying ‘Zurich – world’s most boring city?’. Nah, I don’t think so. But I did have a mission, of sorts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">After seeking and finding his grave in a logical and direct manner perhaps typical of Zurich, but definitely not of our Dubliner, I headed to one of his former residences in the city. And I noticed this on the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHEsBv0gz46UfqnRNEqaVifEiD-26r4oLL08-PKUxf_J-BuJxWc8b9rQlG6dUWRn5R0aaQuyuk22jfDyZnUOfEtqe450R1D0SVr74mYmsDl_WjXbbPanxtnMQ-bQ9E03m_9mzczg3I4w/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdHEsBv0gz46UfqnRNEqaVifEiD-26r4oLL08-PKUxf_J-BuJxWc8b9rQlG6dUWRn5R0aaQuyuk22jfDyZnUOfEtqe450R1D0SVr74mYmsDl_WjXbbPanxtnMQ-bQ9E03m_9mzczg3I4w/s400/IMG_0136.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Granted, he lived here for less than a year (Jan 1918 - 26 Oct 1918), but I’d have to be some mad fan to trace all the residences in Zurich. Joyce’s tendency to not stay put mirrors his writing style well. Notice how in German ‘novel Ulysses’ translates as ‘Roman Ulysses’ – as opposed to ‘Greek Odysseus’? The house is on Universitatsstrasse, just up the road from… yes, the university. I can imagine the number of literature students who gain inspiration from Joyce’s historic presence in their town – well, those who notice the plaque anyway!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But Joyce is not a forgotten ghost of the Irish diaspora. He is regarded as a citizen of the city: there is a James Joyce Foundation in Zurich, I’m happy to say. As the biggest Swiss city, juggling French, German, Italian, and occasionally English, is a daily occurrence – I recall that having resolving an issue with a clerk at the railway station that I had used all four languages in our conversation – so I suppose the Joyce fanatics of Zurich <a href="http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/specials/extraordinary_exiles/Spirit_of_Joyce_still_roams_Zurich.html?cid=12828"><span style="color: #f2f2f2; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">are the best suited to dissecting sections from Finnegans Wake</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Going over my photos from my recent Swiss sojourn, I noticed I had accidentally captured one of Joyce’s favourite restaurants/pubs, <a href="http://www.pauldoolan.com/2010/04/james-joyce-and-zurichs-fair-city.html"><span style="color: #f2f2f2; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Restaurant Augustiner</span></a>.. You can see the illuminated sign on the right. I’ve put it in B&W so that we can try imagine it being taken ca 1915, and that that’s Joyce standing right outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgritwBS59n3XQaTEd2ZX1pI-PZwaQ6-4JZk5OKK_w1K2lFLb9IU8RCPrcUyXW1kO0dyWO9riDmkijKSYn_CZzZpWPk3SOf6rHVIciL-vbmL2Nfvfi1xhC4YZ_fqdv55Mx6O9_SC7tMQ4U/s1600/IMG_0157+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgritwBS59n3XQaTEd2ZX1pI-PZwaQ6-4JZk5OKK_w1K2lFLb9IU8RCPrcUyXW1kO0dyWO9riDmkijKSYn_CZzZpWPk3SOf6rHVIciL-vbmL2Nfvfi1xhC4YZ_fqdv55Mx6O9_SC7tMQ4U/s640/IMG_0157+-+Copy.JPG" width="600" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-964550344027484512012-09-19T18:09:00.000+01:002012-12-03T23:38:15.574+00:00<br />
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<u><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Dublin Castle<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<u><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">An image blurring in its menacing secrecy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Cold stone, dripping fresh rain from above - the castle’s sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With every wash, more filth surfaces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Rising in this place, as the ascendency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">For, I have always seen it, through the black and white<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Of a past page, two words written with a trembling clasp;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Under, the castle is deluged. Deluged with ‘traitors’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Men who were made to wear the devil’s mask. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Mocked for the wrongs, they thought rights. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Two colours appear different in diverging eyes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The castle. Dublin. Ireland. Éire. A Kingdom of… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Servants, sinners, stones and our helpful spies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">A place of high standing - It touches the sky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Not piercingly, but as a plague, an infection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">A knife is easily removed, and replaced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But it seeps, and all are under our subjection <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It owns the sky; sky around it, around this island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Overcast, stalking closer to those people there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Storms and tumults to evict their warmth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Torture’s echoes captured in this courtyard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Do chill each footfall that is caste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With the chocked last words of scandal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">From martyrs now at last de-masked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">~ Garbhán Ó Ruis<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">19/9/12<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-69451927069475940212012-09-18T19:42:00.000+01:002012-09-18T19:42:32.344+01:00We Saw a Vision<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">On this day, September 18th, in 1914, the Government of Ireland Act had
reached the statute books in Westminster. This act was set to give Ireland Home
Rule; something that the Irish politicians and the Irish people had been aiming
towards for decades. But, as is natural in Irish history, bad luck has to mock
the wishes of the downtrodden Irish (as if Father Time and Mother Éire had had
a very difficult divorce. This probably originated in the early Middle Ages
when Ireland refused to experience the Dark Ages. )<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">World War I shook the Home Rule Bill off the table in Westminster. And it
would only be back on the table after the conflict had ended. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">“Hmmm, lunchtime, maybe? If not, then surely by Christmas?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Eh, no. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And so, frustrated by this, the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood) met to
decide the fate of Irish republicanism. The Easter Rising was the ultimate
result of this meeting. In commemoration of the importance of the site (north
Parnell Square), the Garden of Remembrance was opened in 1916, on the 50th
anniversary of the 1916 Rising. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><i>For those
who gave their lives in the fight for Irish freedom…</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP5yMHS5v3kTaD4lpzOluSFcf1GXSc3F3a4HXor4Otm7JB3l6vhtMxPxlAHA6Zq7WhLGb8PEPBIFW1ZeCXeMJrQtfnsrkcLf9lfYhFUs7PMPJQWr-QHZdWHBzHKZFch_T1HYHJiMQMDg/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP5yMHS5v3kTaD4lpzOluSFcf1GXSc3F3a4HXor4Otm7JB3l6vhtMxPxlAHA6Zq7WhLGb8PEPBIFW1ZeCXeMJrQtfnsrkcLf9lfYhFUs7PMPJQWr-QHZdWHBzHKZFch_T1HYHJiMQMDg/s400/IMG_0668.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Incidentally, also on this day, in 1922, another bill rose to attention.
This was the <i>Constitution of Saorstát
Éireann Bill</i>, which W. T. Cosgrave (the first Taoiseach/Prime Minister/</span>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">President of the Executive Council of
the Irish Free State) introduced to enable the implementation of the Treaty between
Great Britain and Ireland. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And its successor is still on the table. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">In Dublin, not Westminster. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-6182029570241669452012-09-14T23:46:00.002+01:002012-09-18T19:54:09.874+01:00Blogging-silence<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Well, it has been the longest time without blogging. Yes, I feel terrible.
They say you should blog every day or at least every second day. I feel that
such blogging would diminish the quality of my blog posts - though I don't see
this one winning any awards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The life of a tour guide is a very varied and irregular one. Why did I
choose it? I like my routines. No, I love my routines; the very few routines
that I actually maintain. I have reminders set so that I do my 'daily' to-dos:
'recite poem', 'quotes of the day', 'work, work, work!'. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Truth is, this year has been really good. I mean this work year. I've been
relatively busy (is the blog paying off?). I consider myself lucky, even though
I did put the work and preparation in. Hey, Napolean used to emphasise the
importance of 'mastering luck' in order to achieve his aims. My sister is the
lucky one. I stay away from gambling as much as I can, despite my recent
success at the dogs at Shelbourne Park. Beginner's luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I do, though, find the topic of luck fascinating. So much so that I
decided to my philosophy undergraduate thesis on it. Unluckily, (ironically)
the topic of 'moral luck' was suggested, and thus the implication that my
supervisor would be that most incomprehensible and therefore ridiculously inept
professor/teacher/child minder/night light I have ever experienced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But, hey, if I didn't lose the silicon head of one of my earphones, I
wouldn’t be angered enough to feel the need to have a beer at The Gypsy Rose
whilst waiting for my bus home. And this blog post would not have existed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">So, thank you bad luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-52106935623695272602012-08-01T22:55:00.002+01:002012-08-01T22:55:59.545+01:00<br />
<div id="TA_selfserveprop394" class="TA_selfserveprop"><ul id="Fmqv7iQOq" class="TA_links piyhlKCv"><li id="BABCVN1coVX9" class="m0PMduJxLM">1 reviews of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d3216547-Reviews-Dublin_Tour_Guide_Day_Tours-Dublin_County_Dublin.html">Dublin Tour Guide- Day Tours</a> in Dublin</li>
</ul></div><script src="http://www.jscache.com/wejs?wtype=selfserveprop&uniq=394&locationId=3216547&lang=en_US&rating=true&nreviews=4&writereviewlink=true&popIdx=true&iswide=true&border=true"></script><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-45490146336081927982012-06-03T22:31:00.000+01:002012-06-03T22:31:29.317+01:00New place, new faces, same old Dublin<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’ve finally settled down.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">No, not marriage. I mean that everything was quite hectic there for a
while. Having returned from living in France, I took to house-hunting in Dublin
on the following day, found a place by the fifth day, moved in on the sixth,
and had my first tour of the season on the seventh! I hadn’t seen my family
since January, so after that tour, I got the bus home. More hecticness –
packing the rest of my stuff to bring down before my next tour!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Just in case you’re thinking I’ve been having a bad time so far, I’ll tell
you I’m happy to back in Dublin, scumbags and all. Colour, chat, variety,
mischief – traits that Grenoble blatantly lacked, and some say Dublin has too
much of! Tea. Cadbury’s chocolate. Excellent beef. Guinness. They’re all still
here! Thank God! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But changes are inevitable, as my good university buddy Heraclitus was
always saying. New shops, restaurants, transport ‘improvements’ (which have
exacerbated services), buskers on Grafton St., <a href="http://www.worldirish.com/listening-post/view/google-maps-release-new-aerial-perspective-of-dublin-1178">ways to see Dublin</a>,
Starbucks (sigh) on the original site of the Bewley’s Café, and, most
importantly, new beers! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Tom Crean, the Irish Giant, is known to Irish people as the fella from
Kerry who had quite a walk in Antarctica. Those guys who fabricate those
fantastic Guinness TV ads succeeded in recalling his achievements to Irish
minds about ten years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Funnily, his connection with Irish beer has now become real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The ‘<a href="http://dinglebrewingcompany.com/">Dingle Brewing Company</a>’ has
created a beer in honour of the great man. Simply named ‘Tom Crean’s’, the
smooth lager is something I’d choose over the boring, predictable common lagers
you find everywhere, and I'm not just talking about this country. I think I’ve seen it in
three Dublin pubs so far. For a huge, and frequently updated, selection of
beers on tap, O’Neill’s on Suffolk never lets me down. Well, except for their
removal of Curim on tap. </span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Georgia; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">L</span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://dinglebrewingcompany.com/wp-content/themes/dinglebrewing/images/logo_page.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dinglebrewingcompany.com/wp-content/themes/dinglebrewing/images/logo_page.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Georgia; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘<a href="http://www.eightdegrees.ie/">Eight Degrees Brewing</a>’ has been in
half of the pubs I’ve been in since I’m back. Granted, I mainly go into pubs in
search of new wonderful inebriating beverages, so that fact is not as startling
as would first appear. I‘ve only tried the ‘Sunburnt Irish Red’ (on draught in
O’Neill’s on Suffolk St.), but I was mightily impressed – probably my favourite
red ale now. It’s rich in flavour and body, two things which 8 degrees
obviously knew were desperately lacking from the common Irish red ales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.eightdegrees.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/20110714-052536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.eightdegrees.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/20110714-052536.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">(I’m still suffering
withdrawal symptoms from having worked four months in Belgian beer pub. It’s
not all bad; there are places to get Belgian beer here in Dublin, but this post
is already too long.)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-4741474642331678202012-05-04T16:09:00.001+01:002012-05-04T16:26:14.039+01:00Know your Capital Cities<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Besides the oh-so-often confusion that Irish people speak English and,
therefore, must be, for all intents and purposes, English, French people are
sometimes surprising ignorant of Ireland. I’m not saying that Ireland is an
equally important country, in economic terms, as France for the French, but,
hey, it’s a country, with a capital, and a distinct heritage that should be
universally acknowledged. That’s all I ask.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">[If you’re an economist, or economically-minded, this will either help you
with geography or completely confuse you! Either way, it’s interesting]</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdReh4le7x0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I mentioned this to a customer in my pub (there I go again saying ‘my’).
He didn’t know the capital of the Republic of Ireland. Quite offensive, you
must agree, if someone doesn’t know something very important about your
country. The capital city, after the name of the country and where it is
located, is pretty important. Turns out he didn’t know many European capitals -
I was no longer offended.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The smaller the country, the more its people concern themselves with other
countries and the rest of the world. The bigger the country, the less they have
to. I think we are all familiar with the great Australian clip where the
stunning worldly ignorance of many US citizens is proven – and then, to counter
this attack, in hilariously ironic, yet stereotypical fashion, some US citizens
travel to Britain to show the English (whoops, not the Australians!) how
ignorant they can be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The strength that is self-sufficiency has a weakness in self-dependency. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">France isn’t regarded
as world-renowned beer-producing country. So, let’s just say I’m glad the pub I
work in helps the French learn more about Belgium!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-21963911239535663252012-04-20T15:27:00.000+01:002012-04-20T15:27:31.762+01:00On the nineteenth day of April<br />
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Oops, meant to post this yesterday:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">On the nineteenth day of April<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Their gallant ship set sail,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With fifty-five brave Irish lads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">True sons of Gráine Mhaoil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They landed safely in New York<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">On the nineteenth day of May,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">For to meet their friends and relatives<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">All in the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Their relatives did meet them there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">As soon as they did land,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With many a bumper drank their praise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">As they clasped hand in hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Though some of them had few friends there,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Their hearts were light and bold<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And by those swaggering Yankees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They could not be controlled!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">As six of our brave Irish lads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Were going down Charles Street;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">One of these Yankee gentlemen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They happened for to meet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">He brought them to an ale house,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Where he called for drinks galore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I’m sure such entertainment <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They’d never seen before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The ale it flowed full fast and free<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They had a jolly time,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Which was more than they expected<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Upon that foreign clime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But when he thought he had them drunk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The Yankee then did say:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘You are listed in the army now<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">To fight for America.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They looked at one another<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And then to him made plain:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘It is not for this that we came here<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Across the raging main,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But to earn an honest livelihood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">As thousands did before,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Who emigrated from their homes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">By the dear old Shannon shore.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Six of these Yankee soldiers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Came dressed without delay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They said: ‘Now lads you must prepare<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With us to come away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">This is our esteemed office<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Who listed you complete,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">So do not strive for to resist<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">We can no longer wait.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The Irish lads hopped to their feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Which made the Yankees frown;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With every blow that they did strike<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They brought a soldier down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">That office and all his men<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">They left in crimson gore,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And proved themselves St. Patrick’s sons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Throughtout Columbia’s shore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">A Frenchman of great fame had seen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">What the soldiers tried to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">He said: ‘I will protect you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">From the Yankee criminal crew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I will take you to Ohio,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Where I have authority,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And keep you in employment there<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Till you leave this country!’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">So now to conclude and finish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Let young and old unite,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And offer up a fervent prayer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Both morning, noon and night<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">In honour of the Lord above<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">To help you hold your sway<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And keep you from all danger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">When you go to the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">That was a poem I found in ‘My Father’s Time’, a collection of stories by
probably the best Irish <i>seanachai</i> or story-teller
of the last fifty years. Although I missed the 19<sup>th</sup>, the date of my
post is still apt. The 20<sup>th</sup> April is my father’s birthday, indeed, I
posted ‘in my father’s time’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-48483772146001453492012-02-29T13:17:00.000+00:002012-02-29T13:17:49.823+00:00How to live to be 120yrs old<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">120 years old. That's the age St Kevin reached before God called him to
heaven. Sounds familiar, right? A holy man who devotes his life to God and just
happens to live an extraordinarily long life. Too familiar? Cliché even?
Unbelievable, right? “I mean how could someone live so long, especially back in
those days?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">St. Kevin lived an isolated life as much as he possibly could in the
valley of Glendalough. An ascetic, he maintained a lifestyle of minimal
sustenance: his shelter was a stone-framed beehive cell, he wore a single layer
of clothing and ate only what he could find - berries, roots and fish. When I
first learned of these details, I wondered, as have many since his time, 'how
could he live on so little?' especially under Ireland’s climate!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">On Tuesday, I fasted. I'm not talking about your 'only fish on Friday'
fast, I mean no food for at least 24hrs. Why? Explore <a href="http://www.allaboutfasting.com/benefits-of-fasting.html">this website</a></span><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"> to learn the reasons behind and the
benefits of fasting. I did this not solely for religious reasons but for
physical and psychological reasons as well. I didn’t view it as a chore or as ‘work’.
I was actually really excited about the idea and looking forward to the fast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">If nothing else, it was a challenge and made Lent a little different this
time around. I had had the conviction to abstain from all chocolate during the
Lenten season. Not very creative or original, but a respectable vow nonetheless
given my preference for the smooth delicacy. Deciding to fast every Tuesday of
Lent (from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday) only materialised after extensive
reading on the risks, benefits, concerns, preparations and how to break a fast.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I really enjoyed fasting – no, I didn’t actually spend it twisting in agony
from hunger pangs! It’s an enlightening experience. And that goes for simply
reading about fasting too. Intrigued? <a href="http://www.allaboutfasting.com/fasting-quotes.html">Here</a>’s some quotes from notable figures
throughout history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">After my 24hrs were up, I thought that I might as well go a bit longer for
added benefits. I ended up fasting for over 38hrs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I don't think I could manage to do it every week until I'm 120, though!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-53987578078182289422012-02-28T12:14:00.000+00:002012-02-28T12:14:03.525+00:0010 Things I didn’t know about France and the French people<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Most things are closed on Mondays</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">They love comics</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Culture and tradition over innovation and convenience, which means you can
only buy your shopping at certain, in my opinion, tight, hours and never just
at one place.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">They pay for everything, from setting up a bank account to insuring a
rented property</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Even though they produce a lot of cheese, it’s still damn expensive</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Having a drink at the pub is pretty much the same as having a coffee at a
restaurant. In other words, they don’t have a laugh and become merry to let off
steam while drinking.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Clothes are expensive. In contrast, the clothes we buy in Ireland are so
cheap that I can only assume thousands of people in some far away country are
getting paid next to nothing to manufacture them.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Get-togethers and private parties/meals are nearly a weekly occurrence for
the French. I like this.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Most of the showers do not have ‘showerhead holder’ fittings as standard!
Only one free hand in the shower which means longer showers.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">They think ‘Anglo-Saxon’ refers to the English speaking world rather than
simply the English people and culture.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-62064218409154524732012-02-07T02:28:00.001+00:002012-02-07T02:34:51.434+00:00What are the odds?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Today, in Grenoble, I saw someone who I thought looked familiar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I thought she was a girl to whom I had given a Dublin tour about two years
ago. Weird, I know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">She (and her boyfriend and mother) stayed in the pub where I work for
about an hour, I’d say, during which time I perceived one or two quizzical
glances from her. </span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lesberthom.fr/images/accueil/visu-accueil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://www.lesberthom.fr/images/accueil/visu-accueil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With those, my intuition seemed more probable, but it wasn’t
until they were about to leave when I realised…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Her boyfriend came up to the bar and ask me, in French: ‘are you Irish?’,
‘did you use to give tours in Dublin?’. Smiling uncontrollably in knowing, I
‘yessed’ his eager asks. He was about to ask me another question, or pose
something <i>assez</i> verbal or <i>assez</i> physical to me – quite a jealous
guy, I reckon – but he held back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Then, the girl (I say ‘girl’, she’s in her 20s) and her mother came up to the
bar and wanted to confirm it for themselves. Needless to say, they seemed less
fraught in asking. As it happens, a girl and her mother to whom I gave a tour,
and subsequent pub crawl, about two years ago, in Dublin, find me, working in a
bar, in Grenoble, as she starts her Erasmus semester as a psychology student in
Grenoble. It’s difficult to believe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">On the other hand, I <i>have</i> given tours to a few thousand people so I
suppose such a ‘coincidental’ occurrence was bound to happen sometime!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">No doubt it’ll happen again – I can’t imagine too many people thinking ‘Is
that the guy who gave me a Dublin tour a couple years ago? Nah, I’m sure there
are loads of people who give Dublin tours, from Donegal, over 6ft3, with an
unmistakable accent, and long, flowing red-golden curls?’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ok, maybe the last
part was a little too detailed.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-72137682731701613842011-12-01T08:51:00.002+00:002011-12-04T18:19:33.921+00:00Ba, c'est un Irlandais!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">Well, I’m heading out of the country </span><i style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">again</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">.
If I said that twenty years ago, you would have the impression that I was a
successful businessman with a mythical travelling lifestyle. Nowadays, it can
cost as much to go to Warsaw from Dublin as it does to Limerick.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’m not going for a short break, or a holiday, or even a wedding. I will
be embracing one of the oldest and strongest Irish traditions. After rebelling,
the favourite activity of the Irish is leaving the country. And that’s usually
the chronological order it takes as well. I’m going to France. But don’t worry,
it’s just for the winter season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Oh, the histories I could tell you of Irishmen going to Gaul/France. I
could start with John Scotus Erigena, a great 9th century Irish philosopher
whose career culminated with service at the court of the French King. He is
regarded as Europe’s greatest philosopher of the early Middle Ages. And then
you’ve got Irish mercenaries sighted in France in the 14th century. But Irish
holidays to France really took over in the 18th century.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wiki-images.enotes.com/thumb/0/0e/Irish_Farewell_Banner_(Drapeau_d'_Adieu).png/200px-Irish_Farewell_Banner_(Drapeau_d'_Adieu).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wiki-images.enotes.com/thumb/0/0e/Irish_Farewell_Banner_(Drapeau_d'_Adieu).png/200px-Irish_Farewell_Banner_(Drapeau_d'_Adieu).png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In the 18th century, the number of Irish soldiers leaving for France
reached its peak. They didn’t just go over there because of this mysterious
season called ‘summer’, no. For the previous two centuries, at least, there was
a great link between France and Ireland. It began as a religious link, with
Irish students studying in France (before the Celtic Tiger in Ireland,
generally if you were studying at university level, it meant you were studying
for the priesthood!), but then blossomed into a military link with numerous
brigades of the French armies composed of men of Irish descent. In some cases,
an Irishman would join the very same brigade of the French army as his
grandfather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The reason France is not speaking a Gaelic tongue now –the reason for the
decline of the strong Irish-French connection – is because the British army
lifted its ban on recruiting Irishmen. And they lifted it well! By the end of
the 19th century, there were, apparently, more Irish commanding officers
serving in the British Empire than there were Welsh, Scottish or even English
commanding officers! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And the axiom is still holds true today – Irish people become more
successful abroad than in their own country. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, come on Grenoble, give me a commanding position!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My flat there is a
penthouse, does that count?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-25775961153585052972011-10-14T13:55:00.000+01:002011-10-14T13:55:50.291+01:00‘… a grey eye will look back’<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">I picked up Human Chain today. It's a book of poetry written by Séamus
Heaney. I picked it from my bookshelf where it had been sitting for a few
months. I'm not a big reader.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Though I do enjoy poetry. Once in a while. It enriches words again and, in
doing so, enriches and clarifies the passing of time. Poetry is well-thought
meaning-rich words. Talk is cheap these days. It's always been. Though, it
seems to be getting cheaper with every advertisement, and every figure who has
said too much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Here's one of his poems from 'Human Chain' to reinvest the meanings to
words that are, like nearly everything in this financially-vacuous state, in
need of reinvestment:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">‘Colum Cille Cecinit’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">1. Is scíth mo chrob ón scríbainn<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">My hand is cramped from penwork.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">My quill has a tapered point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It's bird-mouth issues a blue-dark<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Beetle-sparkle of ink. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Wisdom keeps welling in streams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">From my fine-drawn sallow hand:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Riverrun on the vellum<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Of ink from green-skinned holly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">My small runny pen keeps going<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Through books, through thick and thin,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">To enrich the scholars' holdings - <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Penwork that cramps my hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">II. Is aire charaim Doire<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Derry I cherish ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It is calm, it is clear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Crowds of White angels on their rounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">At every corner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">III. Fil súil nglais<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Towards Ireland a grey eye<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Will look back but see<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Ever again<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The men of Ireland or her women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">11th-12th century</span><br />
<br />
<img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01702/heaney-m_1702845f.jpg" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-9500532578888416472011-08-27T12:14:00.000+01:002011-08-27T12:14:28.218+01:00Let’s go Dutch<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It’s coming into autumn in this, the fourth year of our recession. Things
are still looking pretty bleak. Hundreds of suggestions have been made in order
to get our country out of this mess. I just thought of one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Bring back Monto. Monto was, essentially, the red-light district of
Dublin. In its heyday, 1860-1900, there were up to 1,600 prostitutes working in
Monto at any one time. Religious campaigns, as well as the departure of the
British army, led to its eventual decline in the 1920s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Where was this magical place? Well, it wasn’t magical: it was described in
1901 as ‘one of the most dreadful dens of immorality in Europe.’<span> </span>The name Monto derived from Montgomery Street
(now Foley Street) which runs parallel to the lower end of Talbot Street on the
way to what was Amiens Street Railway Station (now Connolly Station). But the
heart of Monto was Mecklenburgh Street Lower (now Railway Street) and the
surrounding lanes and alleyways - many of which are gone. Not all the streets
were renamed to hide the history of the area. One street seemed to undergo a
reversed process. Little Martin’s Lane was renamed Beaver Street!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">If we brought back Monto, it would definitely return some identity to the
area. As well as that, it would be great for tourism. If we learned from how
the red-light district is run legally and competently, it could go very well
for us, especially if we were able to convince potential Amsterdam visitors to
come to Dublin instead. Ah, let’s through in a few coffeeshops there as well.
Good timing – the Dutch are limiting coffeeshop purchases to Dutch nationals
only in 2012, so Dublin would be happy to take that type of tourist. If you’re worried
about criminality, there’s a Garda station nearby – that helps the argument.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It could become the Temple Bar of the northside! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Ah, em, not sure if
that’s a good thing. But, we need the money.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-55519132497461030422011-07-19T22:27:00.000+01:002011-07-19T22:27:59.300+01:00The Croppies Acre<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">Primordial have released a new album. Actually, it’s been out for quite a
while now. Upon initial listen, it doesn’t sound like their best work. But then
I recall how it took me no less than a year of occasionally listening to
Primordial before I realised how brilliant the band is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">This new album is called ‘Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand’. Now, for
those of you who are familiar with Irish history you will at once be reminded,
upon reading ‘puritan’, of that darkest of figures in Irish history, Oliver
Cromwell. Obviously, the title imbues the notions of redemption from someone
closer to God and His will, and of death at someone’s hand. As is Primordial’s
style, they have never mentioned the English outright and, rather, prefer to
simply allude to them. Hence, their songs are metaphorical, sometimes ironical,
and often include very rich imagery and intense emotive expressions, which all
make their songs, for all intents and purposes, poems (you rarely say that
about any genre of music, let along metal). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">The first song ‘No Grave is Deep Enough’ has the chorus ‘O death! Where
are you teeth? That gnaw the bones of fabled men. O Death! Where are you claws?
That haul me from the grave.’ and ends with a great lyric: ‘Rise, my brothers,
rise from your graves. No grave is deep enough to keep us enchained.’ I just
had the thought that this could so easily refer to the Croppies’ Acre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Croppies’ Acre is an enclosure situated in front of Collins Barracks in
Dublin city centre. It was in this small patch of ground where hundreds, some
say over one thousand, of Irish men were buried in one mass grave after the
1798 rebellion. They were mercilessly tortured, marched out to their soon-to-be
graves in heavy chains, before being executed for ‘being’ rebels. Then, their
corpses were thrown into a mass grave. Made an example of by the British
authorities, buried in unconsecrated ground, their memory erased, forgotten
about by not only the British but also the Irish themselves, the souls buried
underneath that patch of grass are still very angry. I’ve been told by psychics
that many of those souls have not yet passed on into the next world. Such was
the injustice served to them that they can only but wait for those wrongs to be
righted, or avenged. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I, as well as many
others, remember them. We have not forgotten. I believe they know this. And I
hope they also know that no grave is deep enough to keep them enchained.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3inuxn9xrA4/TiX2xgAZ0QI/AAAAAAAAAJc/DT3WZgqqdFk/s1600/217384_10150529745270707_618035706_17914147_7657050_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3inuxn9xrA4/TiX2xgAZ0QI/AAAAAAAAAJc/DT3WZgqqdFk/s320/217384_10150529745270707_618035706_17914147_7657050_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-4394822515931788282011-07-08T23:37:00.000+01:002011-07-08T23:37:20.802+01:00Online profiles<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This really going to be more of an update, or news report than a blog. I
know, it's a shame - I haven't blogged in quite a while. The reason is simply
because I'm busy with all the tours I have - a nice complaint to have. It's the
high season; if i'm not busy now, I don't stand much of a chance of making any
money!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Anyway, just wanted to let you know that my online presence can be found
in myriad places:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.localguiding.com/en/tour-guides/ireland/garvan-rushe/479"><img alt="View Rob's tour guide profile on LocalGuiding" border="0" height="32" src="http://www.localguiding.com/badges/badge_viewmy_170x32.png" width="170" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">toursbylocals.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">tourguides.viator.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">LinkedIn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Viamigo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Facebook<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This blog, of course!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Any comments or suggestions would be very welcome. Thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-7391846703468746662011-06-04T23:10:00.000+01:002011-06-04T23:10:39.020+01:00A destiny unfulfilled?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">On this day, June 4<sup>th</sup>, in 1798, Lord Edward Fitzgerald died in
Newgate Jail, Dublin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">He was born at Carton House, Maynooth, Co. Kildare (a place I know well!),
on 15<sup>th</sup> October 1763, of the first Duke of Leinster. In the 1790s,
he visited France, adopted revolutionary ideas and renounced his title. In 1976
he joined the United Irishmen and his home, Leinster Lodge, in Kildare town
became a meeting place for the members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">With his military training (having served in Ireland and north America),
he was well-suited to his position as military commander of the United
Irishmen. Politically, he was influenced by French revolutionary ideas and
endorsed thinkers like Paine and Rousseau – believing in liberty, equality and
fraternity and the Rights of Man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Of course, he’s best remembered as one of the leaders of the 1798
Rebellion, a Rebellion that in many ways failed before it began. The United
Irishmen was banned and Fitzgerald went into hiding. Eventually he was found at
a house in Thomas Street, Dublin. He, naturally, resisted arrest, resulting in
him being wounded in the right shoulder, and in the death of a militia officer.
He was brought to Newgate Jail, where he later succumbed to his wounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I often find myself reflecting on Irish history with a ‘what if?’ thought.
What if the organisation had not been infiltrated? What if Lord Fitzgerald and
his comrades had succeeded in achieving their aims? Well, the Act of Union
probably wouldn’t have happened. Dublin probably would have continued to amass
wealth, and we probably wouldn’t have suffered the Famine, yet perhaps we
wouldn’t have had a 1916? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And what if Hugh O’Neill had won the Battle of Kinsale?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">You could contemplate so many historical events which, had they had
different outcomes, may have resulted in a better present situation. But the
trials and tribulations are what define a people. And, as much as I would have
preferred Irish independence to come sooner, I’m glad it came at all. And, as
much as I am haunted by our tragic past, I know that I, and all Irish people,
would not be who I am today without it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IE; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I’m looking forward
to the time when St. Werburgh’s Church finally finishes its renovations so that
I can visit Lord Edward Fitzgerald’s final resting place. I NEED to pay my
respects to a man whose deeds have not been forgotten. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-82371785372003318312011-04-29T21:38:00.000+01:002011-04-29T21:38:25.626+01:00What happened today?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;">Arthur Wellesley, aka The Duke of Wellington, aka the guy who defeated
Napoleon, was born on this day in 1769. Unfortunately (in his eyes
nonetheless), he was born in Ireland.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Now there are many greats in Ireland's history that were born in Ireland
but whose parents, or at least one of them, were English. Take some literary
figures for example. Swift, Wilde, Yeats and Stoker are not strikingly obvious
Irish names (I bet ALL of them are not Irish names), yet we definitely count them
in the list of great Irish literary figures. Heck, I'm one of the few who would
even count Shakespeare in the list! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">But, we don't know for certain which, if any, would actually prefer NOT to
be counted in such a list. Wellington definitely did not really regard himself
as an Irishman, or if he did, he resented such a tag. We don't care. If he
didn't<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>want to be one of us, we don't
want him to be one of us! So there, Wellington! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">That's the way I see the 'label' of 'Irishness' - you can claim or deny
Irishness, but only with legitimate principles: and "it's St. Patrick's
Day, I'm Irish" is not legitimate! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">I bring up this issue on today of all days because there's a royal wedding
happening in London. It will be watched by a couple billion people around the world,
among them many Irish. Nowadays, we Irish have a strange relationship with the
British monarchy (a relationship that will get even stranger, I bet, once and
after the Queen arrives for a visit) - many Irish bought 'Candle in the Wind'
after Diane's death, and, doubtless, thousands have tuned in today to watch the
royal wedding. I am not one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I wonder if many people in
Ireland today have done 'a Wellington'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6838251753827731664.post-27389385269199922272011-04-26T01:18:00.002+01:002011-04-26T01:18:50.667+01:00Easter Monday 2011<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">It is, or was, Easter Monday, the anniversary of The Rising. What did I do
to celebrate? I don’t know? Did I celebrate subconsciously? Did I mark the day
when Irish people stood up and said ‘I did not sit idly by while...’ by sitting
idly by? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Did you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">How do we celebrate such things? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Our ability and our want to celebrate such undeniably celebratory
anniversaries are both frustratingly unquantifiable (for reasons I won’t go into
right now). We don’t know what we should do. We don’t know whether doing
something significant is too much, especially when we notice that most
people.... do something insignificant – something having more resemblance to
doing nothing than doing something special.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">Today, as we were driving through my beautiful, wild county of Donegal, we
passed by an obvious procession. A commemoration by a concrete cross. I sensed
that it was something significant. Something celebrating the importance of this
day, of this date, of history. Something I should stop for, witness, reflect,
embrace, respect. Yet, we didn’t. We drove by. We drove by, somewhat convincing
our ‘ignorance’ – as I would call it, I suppose – that we shouldn’t stop simply
because we did not know what was going on or we didn’t know that such a thing
would be going on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">And I thought: of all the sites we saw today; the great views, the
harbours, the grassy roads, of all the permanent sites that make the place,
what most connects us to this place is what we, as a people, have done here. We
didn’t make these views, we didn’t form this inlet, we didn’t grow this grass.
But, we erected this cross. Not because of the landscape. We erected this cross
in this landscape to celebrate a unique occurrence and not a universal
permanence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #f2f2f2; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-themecolor: background1; mso-themeshade: 242;">We should have stopped. For, if I were to return tomorrow, the grassy road
will still be there, as will the cross... but the commemoration has passed. And
I had missed it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08508575714701933910noreply@blogger.com0