Category: Uncategorized
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Michael
Cancer is an unfortunate part of life. And although the human body is something of a miracle, there are times when it inevitably gives way. And so Michael died. Far too young. On ski trips from years gone by we used to call him ‘Kamikaze Man’. Michael didn’t do fear. In more recent times the…
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St. Stephen’s Green East
Hanging a sharp right at The Shelbourne Hotel and Merrion Row takes me onto the eastern side of St. Stephen’s Green which carries on up to Leeson Street. Bookended on both sides by banks, this stretch of the Green is notable for the fact that it has no restaurants, cafes or retail outlets along it.…
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St. Stephen’s Green North
Numerically St. Stephen’s Green kicks off at its northern end, running from the top of Grafton Street all the way across to Merrion Row. The first premises of note is the Stephen’s Green club, housed in number 9. On the go as a private members club since 1840, it remains an ongoing mystery that My…
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Parnell Square
Located at the northern end of O’Connell Street and originally known as Rutland Square, Parnell Square acquired its current name in 1933, named after the man who went close to achieving Irish independence by peaceful means in the late 1800’s. Unusual for Georgian Dublin in that it does not have a park at its centre,…
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South by Southeast
Burgh Quay kicks off the eastern stretch of the Southside Dublin quays. For many years the dominant feature here was Irish Press Newspapers, publishers of the Irish, Evening and Sunday Press. Founded by Fianna Fáil leader Éamon de Valera, the Irish Press was first published in 1931 with its final edition going out on 25…
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Are Sweden right?
Famously, Sweden is one of the few European countries that did not go for a nationwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 crisis, opting instead for limited adjustments to daily life. The Swedish Public Health Authority are driving the policy. So are they right? In terms of deaths per 100,000 people, the count for Sweden…
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South by Southwest
The Southwestern stretch of the Dublin quays kicks off with Aston Quay. For many years Mc Birneys department store was at the heart of Aston Quay. Established in the early 19th century, it held a strong place in the hearts of many Dubs until its closure in 1984. Virgin Megastore then took over the premises…
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North by Nortwest
O’Connell Bridge is generally seen as the dividing line of the Dublin quays. The western half of the North quays runs from Bachelors Walk down to Wolfe Tone Quay. Named for the man who developed this area of the city in the 1670’s, in my younger days Bachelors Walk was something of a derelict site,…
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Sheriff’s and Mayor’s
Sheriff’s and Mayor’s usually go hand in hand. Both are upholders of the law, or at least are meant to be. And so it is the case, to an extent, in the Fair City of Dublin. Sherriff Street and Mayor Street are right beside one another. Yet they are worlds apart. The Belgian Boy had…
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How did they do it?
Vietnam has a population of over 95 million people. It has an 1100 kilometre border with China, where COVID-19 first surfaced last December. It has a creaking health system and is far from being a wealthy country. Yet it is reporting no COVID-19 deaths and only 268 infections. How can this be? Of course there…
Blind light 