The Dublin Community Blog

I’ve come over all showbiz pap after going to TV3’s Autumn Schedule launch last night. There were all sorts of famous faces there, like eh Eric Pollard from Emmerdale, Donal MacIntyre and Shayne Ward who, it appeared anyway, performed for all the ladies in the audience. Here’s some pics from the evening, the others I can’t show because it was free drink all evening and it wouldn’t be fair

The annual Peoples Photography exhibition is on this weekend around St Stephens Green. A mix of amateur and professional photographers this exhibition always has something to catch the eye. I promising myself that one year I will chance my arm and enter it and each year I chicken out and just go in to see much better photographs than mine.

Blocks are allocated around the North, East and South of the Green, there are none on the West where the Luas is. If you are in town and have the time don’t forget to walk to the South side of St Stephens Green. Each year I felt sorry the exhibitors there, whose photos are as good as anyone else’s but they are a little isolated from the main crowds on the North side.

Marlay Park will be rocking this weekend. Saturday sees Damien Rice headline with support from KT Tunstall, Guillemots, Willy Mason and Fionn Regan. Gates open at 2pm. Sunday the Kaiser Chiefs headline with support from The Fratellis. Gates open at 3.30pm.

Tickets are still available for both concerts from Ticketmaster.

EDIT (Daragh) If you want to get away with having to pay the extortionate Ticketmaster handling fees, I have three tickets for Damien Rice tomorrow for sale at face value – EUR50 each. If you are interested in buying them from me, drop me a line to tickets@daraghmcg.org

Wellies optional!

This weekend sees a return to Dun Laoghaire of the exciting Festival of World Cultures. Check out the website for a full events listing and a downloadable timetable and map. The weather forecast doesn’t look too bad either, with sunshine promised for Sunday.

Don’t forget to visit Teddys for the yummiest ice cream cones in the country.

Enjoy

On our way to Lemon Crepe & Coffee Co. (Dawson Street) for lunch the other day, we noticed a new restaurant across the street called The Farm. After taking a quick look at the lunch menu, we decided that the pricing seemed reasonable and it would be good to try something new. Turns out, it was a great decision!

The Farm boasts all natural, organic food on the menu, including a coffee bar with organic Bewleys brand espresso drinks. I decided to go with the hamburger off the lunch menu (admittedly, not a very adventurous choice) and I must say, it was probably one of the tastiest burgers I’ve had. I don’t know if it was the seasoning they used or the organic nature of the beef or a combination of both, but the flavour of that simple hamburger will have me going back for more! My wife had a pasta dish (penne) with meatballs and really liked it as well.

Between the two of us, our lunch bill came to about €28, which included a half pint of Heineken for myself and a bottle of fruit juice for my wife. Considering that most organic food vendors slap a premium price on the “organicâ€? label, I’d say it’s a great value. The staff were also very friendly and helpful, which is always a big plus.

As impressed as I was with The Farm, however, it’s not to say that the Calzone crepe at Lemon will lose it’s place in the top rankings of my favourite lunch meals in the city!

There’s a brilliant outdoor “sculpture gallery” in the Dublin Castle courtyard this month featuring the work of Duthain Dealbh. As you wander through the massive sculptures, it doesn’t take long to notice the Irish literature theme. (Last year’s theme was the five senses.) There are also information posts for each of the sculptures to give you an idea of what the artist was aiming for with their particular piece. Get there soon, though. The exhibition only lasts through the 27th of this month.

Jurys Hotel Ballsbridge and the nearby Berkeley Court closed its doors today at lunchtime for the last time. Both hotels have been open since the early 70’s and were sold to property tycoon Sean Dunne in 2005 for €260m and €120m respectively.

Jurys and the Berkely have been home to many famous faces over the years. They were also popular watering holes with rugby and football fans before and after matches at Lansdowne Road. Jurys was also famous for its 23-hour Coffee Dock where late night/early morning Dublin revellers could get a fine feed before heading to bed.

I think its a sad day and going to matches in Lansdowne will certainly be a different experience in their absence.

The contents of both hotels are being auctioned off in Jurys ballroom on Friday next. Full auction details can be found here (pdf).

If only the walls could talk …

Eamonn is in his late 20’s and runs www.flowersmadeeasy.ie, a dublin based florist and flower business.

He has been blogging at www.eamonngrant.org since 2003 and is a big fan of Web 2.0 technology.

He has just launched a new “Behind the Scenes� blog about his business which will of interest to tech heads, flowery individuals an business professionals. http://blog.flowersmadeeasy.ie/eamonn

Currently Eamonn’s interests include work, work and more work. When he does have the time, he is a big Irish Rugby and Dublin GAA supporter as well as a keen outdoor sports enthusiast, continuously trying his hand at everything from Surfing, Diving, Kayaking, Climbing and Mountaineering.

Eamonn’s ambition is to grow his business into a highly successful brand.

It appears that Derry have announced an unchanged team to face Dublin at Croke Park this afternoon. Hopefully the sun will cut through to produce some of that Dubs magic in what will hopefully be a great day out for the boys in blue.

Last weekend, I went to go see the DaVinci exhibit at the Chester Beatty Library. The exhibit contains manuscripts written by DaVinci  about his observations of nature with illustrations along with the text.    In this text, he was particular interested in water and the moon.  It also has other texts that discuss similar topics or influenced DaVinci.  It is a really interesting exhibit and free!  You do have to book a time to see the exhibit but it is free.