“Then, thus I turn me from my country’s light/To dwell in solemn shades of endless night.” Thus spake Shakespeare’s Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, when faced with exile from the land of his birth. But that was in Ye Olden Dayes. In contrast, the modern Irish exile finds cosseted refuge in countries where endless sun […]

I’m wondering why I have failed to greet North Korea’s recent gatecrashing of the nuclear club with appropriate foreboding. I’ve come to the conclusion that my blithe response must be rooted in the fact that my image of Kong Jong-il as a terrifying dictator has been irreparably damaged by his singing manikin manifestation in Team […]

In a previous post I grandiloquently claimed that “we will have to find Arctic meltwater lapping at our doorsteps before we jettison the freedom [of cheap air travel]”. Alas it’s not just stag parties jetting off to Prague or the bourgeoisie retreating to their weekend g�tes that are to blame. Even people who are paid […]

Yesterday’s Observer mimicked a poll undertaken by The New York Times earlier this year and asked “150 literary luminaries to vote for the best British, Irish or Commonwealth novel from 1980 to 2005”. This geographic hodgepodge mirrors the eligibility for the Man Booker Prize. But why be so coy about what makes an author eligible? […]

Generations of quaffing Trinner students might find themselves getting slightly sentimental at the following news:”STUDENTS’ drinking patterns will never be the same again at TCD.The famous Buttery Bar at the college is closing due to a sustained slump in trade.” (More from the Indo)The report also states that “authorities at Trinity are imposing rules to […]

In the 21st century, the lowest form of wit is uploading a jpg that made you smirk:

While the government remains paralyzed by crisis, the world, especially the business world, keeps on spinning. Ryanair’s announcement that it had already bought 16% of Aer Lingus’s shares and was intending to take over the company outright appeared to come from out of the blue, reported as breaking news off the wires this morning. I […]

Just after 9.30 PM, Irish time. The following has just been posted on the RTE site: RT� News has learned that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern may have bought his home from an individual who attended the controversial Manchester dinner at which he received �8,000 while Minister for Finance.Documents suggest that businessman Miche�l Wall may have sold […]

(Adapted from Merriam-Webster Online) Main Entry: 2shoddy Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): shod�di�er; -est 1 : made wholly or partly of shoddy 2 a : cheaply imitative : vulgarly pretentious b : hastily or poorly done : INFERIOR c : SHABBY , DISREPUTABLE