31b South Richmond Street, Portobello

A door that certainly would stop you in your tracks. This is the place to go to if your in the market for religious antiquities or “church art”. Though immediatelly beside the Rotana Cafe, it is connected to Christy Birds antiques shop the next door down.

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Animal Gangs: Myth And Reality (National Library of Ireland)

I’m pleased to announce I’ll be one of the panelists for the upcoming History IrelandHedge School on the Animal Gangs of the 1930s. The Hedge School will take place at the NLI on Thursday, October 13 with a 7pm start. According to the NLI site, no booking is required. I’ve discussed the Animal Gangs in [...]

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The Irish Times gave this four stars….

This is why Ireland is doomed.

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MetroHerald ‘Dubliner Of The Year’

Hmmmmmm, I don’t know about this: 1) Arthur Guinness is dead a while. 2) Some of these Dubliners are not Dubliners at all. Louis Walsh was born in somewhere called ‘Kiltimagh’ in Mayo. 3) Georgia Salpa, really? 4) They’ve omitted the entire cast of Fade Street. What a city this is.

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I’ve not seen this one in a while…

That’d be The Workman’s Club in Inchicore, not the one on the quays

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When loyalists bombed O’Connell.

The Daniel O’Connell statue on O’Connell Street is undoubtedly the grandest statue in our city centre, commemorating ‘The Liberator’ O’Connell and standing at the top of what was once Sackville Street in a Dublin gone. The statue of O’Connell himself dates to 1882, the work of John Henry Foley, and boasts some revolutionary bullet holes [...]

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The ‘B’ doesn’t stand for beautiful.

Spotted up by The Bernard Shaw drinking establishment, this will go down well with the Garda Street Art Division.

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Just Follow the Floodlights

You know that old turn of phrase “You should never judge a book by it’s cover?” I really hope it doesn’t apply to Brian Kennedy’s book “Just Follow the Floodlights,”  being launched in Dalymount Park’s Phoenix Bar after the Bohs vs UCD game on Saturday October 8th. Why? Quite simply because the front cover of the book [...]

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Johnny Eagle; Dublin’s first tattoist

Johnny Mallon (aka Johnny Eagle, born 1928) set up Dublin’s (and Ireland’s!) first tattoo parlour in the early 1960s. I reckon around 1961/1962, anyone have an exact date? His father and his uncle were both tattooists. One of eleven children, two of his brothers moved to Britain where they also became involved in the tattoo [...]

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We’ll be right back!

It’s been a busy week here at HQ we admit. We’re all off now until Monday with the Dublin St. Pauli Supporters Club to see Hamburg’s best in action. The above pint is as close as you’ll get to any Arthurs Day coverage this year, maybe that’s for the better. If you are in the [...]

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Here today, almost gone tomorrow

Spotted this morning next to the Jervis Street Luas stop. Pretty sure it wasn’t there yesterday but then again, I hadn’t had my morning coffee when I walked past the spot then. I’m of the opinion things like this brighten up dreary canvasses and make this city a more interesting place. Spotted this morning And [...]

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I reckon the stuff is nicer anyway…..

Spotted this on the Porterhouse Facebook page, can’t fault this: So we have had many many people asking over the weekend if we are giving out pints of Plain Porter on Arthur’s Day. So ok, here’s the deal, first of all congrats to our good friends down the road at St James’ Gate Brewery for [...]

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