Benny Profane takes over this edition of our regular flash fiction column, and finds himself wandering around in the shadow of the spire with a raging comedown. Sounds familiar. Coming-to on O’Connell Street. It’s 7a.m on a Sunday morning in mid-March. I can’t remember at what point I left the rave. I’m in that delirious and tenuous twilight stage of inebriation; after the high and becoming more lucid but still … Read More
Gombeen #13: The Box.
Stephen Donnelly emerged on the national scene in 2011 as a white-hot ball of suburban middle class indignation. With his shiny suits and technocratic, apolitical style, he won followers for his ability to give our ruinous old establishment a bougie-common sensical dressing down. A couple of years would pass where he let his ego lap it up, before gradually the sheen started to come off. He notably voted for the … Read More
Uptown, Top Skanking.
With Townlands Carnival beckoning this weekend, the lads at Rua Sound have put out a mix to get you into them festival vibes. It’s full of that 160 rolling goodness and features a few dubs from their extended fam. Sadly, we’ve yet to make it down to Townloands Carnival – but it’s Goat Shed, Riddim Shack and Sub Atomic line ups look bleddy ace. Save it for the car journey … Read More
Culture Vultures.
Above: Ian Hunter captures Smithfield Square over on Flickr. With plans well underway for yet another cultural qwartter in Parnell Square, Kerry Guinan warns us to be sceptical of Dublin city council’s love in with vulture fund Kennedy Wilson after the “culture” evaporated from Temple Bar and Smithfield Square quicker than the steam of piss behind the Hard Rock Cafe on Fleet Street. Past initiatives warn us that culture-led development in … Read More
All That Jazz.
New Yorkers are campaigning for the repeal of a rather miserable Cabaret Law was brought into limit illegal boozing. According to critics, it was used to target inter-racial mingling in Jazz Clubs way back and still comes down heavy on minorities. The Dance Liberation Network, founded by one the Discwoman heads, is building a broad campaign to wipe the statute off the books. There are only 100 venues in the city … Read More
Brick In The Wall.
Broadstone – Iosta Na Cloiche Leithne – is a right bruiser of a building that sits over the no-place between the north inner city and Phibsborough. Eoin O’Mahony takes a look at how we fetishise old infrastructure. It’s a terminus, a prayer place, a station in need of a train. Until recently there was a half legible wooden sign near the traffic lights, “Rosary Recited, Very [sic] Sun. at 3pm … Read More
Shadow Of The Glen.
Above: Glenmalure House in Wicklow. You need to cross a river in a car (if your beat up old jalopy can handle it…) to reach the place and it once played host to the likes of Yeats who wrote a poem about it. Tomás Lynch takes a look at the dwindling number of An Oige hostels throughout the country. On his rambles he stumbles across issues of privatisation, a fall … Read More
#rabble13 Infographic.
An infographic from #rabble13 looking at the impact of AirBnb on the property market in Dublin. Grim viewing and the state don’t give a damn.