The Dublin Community Blog

Dublin’s Mansion House (the Lord Mayors residence) has been evacuated this morning by Gardai investigating a security alert there.

There is no word on the reason behind this yet, more news as and when it comes through.

UPDATE 13:30:
Latest reports are the search began last night for a possible loyalist bomb planted there 25 years ago. Further information here.

Damien Rice is generally regarded as more of a singer than a performer and last night, in front of a capacity Vicar St audience, he proved that point. He didn’t bother with the frivolities of talking to the crowd but concentrated on singing his songs with passion. His songs seem to take on a far greater power with the wonderful vocals of Lisa Hannigan and the accompaniment of the brilliant cellist Vyvienne Long. I truly believe that these talented musicians are not merely his back-up band but are an integral part of his unique sound and he himself would not be as talented without them.

Rolling Stone magazine, in a 2003 review of “O”, said that he “crafts songs that attack the heart strings like an angry bee”. Judging by the new songs he played, this is still the case. “Older Chestsâ€?, “the Professorâ€?, “Eskimoâ€? and “Cold Waterâ€? were particular highlights for me.

Apart from the odd idiot shouting to Lisa and Damien’s vocal annoyance at camera phones during “the Blowers Daughter�, there was mostly a reverential feeling amongst the audience.

Despite the heat (what happened to the air-con Vicar St?), and Damiens lack of interaction with his audience, this was a great gig and I’d be there tonight if it wasn’t sold out.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photo. I was standing behind the tallest people at the gig

If you need to ride the Nitelink tomorrow or get to Wexford after 7pm, you can relax and take comfort in the fact that Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann will provide the same reliable service that they do every night.

The announced strike has been cancelled. Minister Cullen apparently met with representatives of the National Bus and Rail Union and put their toys back in the pram. I mean, assured them that the government would honour all commitments regarding buses.

The National Bus and Rail Union have called a strike for this Thursday starting at 7pm. There will be no Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann or Nite Link services that evening. Services will resume again on Friday morning.

The union is claiming it has called this strike in an attempt to improve the service to customers. I’ll leave it up to your own judgement and experience of previous public service strikes to say if you believe them or not.

DART Delays

Originally uploaded by DjMagra.

The DART’s (light rail) around Dublin are a broken mess this morning! It took me over an hour to do a trip that normally takes 20 minutes, to say I’m not impressed this morning would be an understatement. If you’re planning on taking a Dart this morning, forget about it!! Grrr!

In front of a 20k crowd Radiohead rocked Marley Park last Thursday night. Generally regarded as a Greatest Hits tour since there is no album to promote, they performed songs from all albums including “My Iron Lung”, “Just” and “Karma Police”. They included a few new ones also, the most notable for me being “Bangers and Mash”. Although it was a great gig, it confirmed to me that I’m more of a Pablo Honey, Bends and OK Computer kind of fan rather than their more recent sounds. Sadly they didn’t play my favourite, “Fake Plastic Trees”, however they ended with “Creep” which was a great ending to a great night.

I last saw Radiohead in Sydney in 1998. Hopefully it won’t be as long before I see them again!

The Italian Job hit Temple Bar on Saturday evening! Ok, not quite, but still a bit of fun!

Oh dear, oh dear, it’s half time and Dublin are behind to Mayo 1-5 to 0-9. It may be just 1 point but it’s not following the script. Despite popular belief in Dublin circles their name may not actually be engraved on the 2006 section of Sam just yet…

Update: Dublin have lost! Mayo 1-16 Dublin 2-12. What a match. No one deserved to loose, a replay would have been the fairest result.

Croke Park will close tomorrow for renovations and wont reopen until next summer…

The annual Festival of World Culture is on at this weekend in Dún Laoghaire. Having earlier gone into the city center to see Peoples Photography at St Stephens Green I got to it late yesterday so most of the shows were ending. I did get to see the deadline act on the main stage, Enzo Avitabile & Bottari. Bottari are barrel beaters from Southern Italy, their drums are made from wooden barrels and they get great music from them. Enzo Avitabile is a more traditional artist who plays the saxaphone and sings (in Italian but you dont need to understand the lyrics, it’s not exactly a ballad). Playing together they put on a good show and the crowd really enjoyed it.

I posted some pictures to flickr and added them to this blogs flickr group, if you have some photos go ahead and add them as well.

I know its late on Sunday but if you have nothing else planned for today (and don’t want to spend the afternoon watching Dublin V Mayo) then you can still make it to Dun Laoghaire to catch the last few shows today.

After living in Chicago for ten years, Peter Cox decided it was time to move back home and pursue his dream of becoming a landscape photographer. A year later, he’s built up an impressive portfolio, which will be on display this weekend at the People’s Photography exhibition.

Q.When you think of landscape photography, you think of the wind-swept wilds, not cities. What sort of opportunities does Dublin offer a landscape photographer?

A. Dublin is one of the best places on the east coast for landscape photography, as perverse as that sounds. Wicklow has its mountains, but in terms of coastal photography, Dublin Bay can’t be beat. It’s a fantastic natural resource offering everything from the cliffs of Howth and Bray Heads to the sandy beaches of Killiney. It has the largest collection of islands on the east coast too, including – Lambay, Ireland’s Eye and Dalkey Island.

The city itself can be included in photographs to great effect. It has only a few tall buildings and particularly when being photographed from the north it makes a nice complement to the Wicklow Mountains beyond.

My favourite place to shoot is probably Dalkey – the coastline is among the most spectacular in the area and you have the Killiney Hills nearby. Dalkey Island is a particular favourite. Malahide and Howth are equally good, and the South Bull Wall is one of Dublin’s hidden treasures.

Q. What makes a photograph stand out?

A. Two elements – composition and light. Because photographs are so ubiquitous in our lives, in order to stand out an image has to be really spectacular. The only way to do this is to have the discipline to seek out the best composition of a particular scene and the patience to wait for the right light. Different light suits different subjects, but I tend to gravitate towards the ‘edge’ of light – the time around sunrise and sunset particularly, but the light you get with a clearing or approaching storm is equally good. These are all transition times where nature is moving from one state to another – it’s there that the best images are made. It’s even possible to use long exposures at night to capture great images too.

Q. The age old question: Digital or Film?

A. Both! Each have their advantages, although digital is gaining fast on film. I shoot primarily digital with a 13 megapixel Canon 5D – this looks like a regular 35mm SLR, but produces images on a par with medium format film, which has long been a mainstay of professional photographers. The primary advantage of this camera is flexibility and speed. I have total control over the images I make with it and I’m not limited by how much film I can haul around with me. Plus I get to check every exposure I make to ensure it’s properly focussed and exposed, right there at the location.

I also use a 4″x5″ large format view camera. If you can’t picture it, think of the old movies where the guy uses a camera with a bellows and a cloth over his head. The very large negative size means I can print images made with it much larger than I can with my digital. I can also move the lens in relation to the film which allows me to have much greater control over perspective and focus in the photograph. Its disadvantage is that it’s slow to set up is very heavy and cumbersome to carry. The image quality is worth it, though!

Q. What advice do you have for amateurs and aspiring pros? What are some of the must-have shots of Dublin?

A. Take lots of pictures. Become so familiar with your equipment that it’s all second nature – that way when you’re presented with a five-second opportunity to capture that astounding photograph you won’t be fumbling for the correct setting. By taking lots of pictures you will train your eye to see the best composition so you’ll be able to take full advantage of the moment.

Must have shots of Dublin – that’s an interesting one. There are so many, and it depends on what you like to shoot. I have hardly any images of Dublin city itself, but there is wealth of fantastic architecture to photograph. I’d say the must-have shot of Dublin is the one you seek out. What about Dublin excites and interests you? How can you convey that feeling in an image? If you can manage that, you have a real winner.

Q. Where can people find you this weekend?

A. I have two shows running this weekend – in Dublin on Saturday and Sunday I’ll be at the excellent People’s Photography exhibition on Stephen’s Green. Look for my stand about 100 feet past Kildare St as you walk towards Grafton St. I will also be exhibiting at the Cork Art Fair in Cork City Hall from Friday to Sunday. You can find me there in the Millenium Hall, stand 58. Of course, you can always find my work on my web site: http://www.petercox.ie.