The Dublin Community Blog

The Irish sandsculpture group Duthain Dealbh have created four incredible sandsculptures in the courtyard of Dublin Castle to compliment the Dublin Viking Festival which is happening in Wood Quay this weekend.  The sculptures, based around Norse mythology, are being exhibited until the end of August.  Despite the rain we’ve seen since the beginning of the month the figures have managed to avoid turning into a sandy puddle and are still attracting lots of visitors.  There is no entrance fee involved so call over for a look if you’re in that part of the city before they are torn down at the end of the week.

Duthain Dealbh consist of three DIT graduates who design sand, snow and ice sculptures across the world.  See their Facebook page for more details and photos of other works they’ve created.

Far outshining his creepy crawly cousins in the beauty stakes, the delicate butterfly is perhaps the most welcome insect in our gardens.  But what do we really know about our fluttering friends and how can we encourage them to decorate our gardens?

To find out more about the butterfly population in Dublin then why not pop along to the Garden Butterfly Workshop tomorrow from 12-2 PM.  The event takes place at the Robert Emmet CDP Garden at Bridgefoot Street and is aimed at both children and adults.  The workshop will provide a  practical hands on experience and overview of the butterflies that coexist with us amongst the urban landscape of Dublin. A talk and demonstration will outline butterfly life cycle and habits, while gardening tips for encouraging and supporting their presence will also be  revealed.  Accompanying all things butterfly will be light refreshments, face-panting and a relaxed atmosphere.

Further Information:

Contact Robert Moss.

Tel: 086 3579663

Email: robcontrolaltdelete@yahoo.com

Last month Dublin became the fourth city in the world to be named a UNESCO City of Literature, following in the footsteps of Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa City.  With a town so steeped in literature (in both the past and present) it’s not surprising that the Dublin City library service decided to lead an application for the award last year.  Their success was announced in July by Dublin’s Lord Mayor Gerry Breen and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova.

It is a wonderful recognition of the rich literary culture that has been cultivated, not just in our capital city, but in all parts of the country throughout our history.  With our ogham stones, illuminated manuscripts, silver tongued poets & playwrights and even chick lit luminaries we have gained a world wide reputation as a country of artful wordsmiths and it is a pleasure to see that acknowledged with Dublin now included as one of the world’s only Cities of Literature.

See the Dublin UNESCO City of Literature website for more details and information on upcoming literary events in the city.

Over on Boing Boing Sean Bonner has posted an article describing his recent trip to Dublin. This is a good read for two reasons.

First he records his trip from Paris to Dublin with some great photographs. Somehow he managed to get through Dublin Airport in 5 minutes an impressive feat of fast walking, I dont think I’ve ever done in in less than 15. Then he made it into the city center and to a coffee shop in 36 minutes using the Aircoach, who needs a Metro?

Secondly, he writes about a subject close to the heart of The Dublin Community Blog down through the ages, coffee and where to get the best cup. I like the reason he gives for visiting Dublin when asked by airport security “I heard they have really good coffee in Dublin”

His recommendation for a good cup

Third Floor Espresso isn’t just another coffee shop. It’s run by Colin Harmon who has a shelf full or trophies that includes the recent addition of 4th place at the 2010 World Barista Championship.

and who can argue with those credentials? I think I know where I’ll be going for my next cup of coffee. Coffee wasnt the main reason for his visit as he attended a photo exhibition as part of the recent Photo Ireland Festival. Go up to Boing Boing, read the post, admire the photos and tell me you dont want a nice cup of coffee

On Sunday afternoon I was lucky enough to spend a couple of hours in the RDS at the 2010 Pet Expo.  If, like me, you’re a sucker for a playful puppy or a lop eared rabbit then this annual pet show is a wonderful way to while away a couple of hours and it certainly won’t disappoint.  It’s got something for all sorts of animal enthusiasts from eagles to owls, reptiles to baby seahorses, you might even be lucky enough to hold a hedgehog or bet on a ferret!

One of the first things I noticed was the fact that when walking through the crowds you not only have to be careful not to bump into fellow human beings, but you also need to keep your eyes on the ground to avoid stepping on a tiny paw or tripping over a leash.  Plus you may just bump into a Great Dane or St Bernard who’s literally almost as big as you!   I also discovered that the words ‘Cat’ and ‘World’ can strike fear in many people (however, not to be missed by feline lovers!).

If you fancy bringing your pet along then you can enter them into one of the many competitions or drop your canine buddy into the Puppy Play Area while you watch the miniature horse display or munch on a Belgian waffle.  Or if (again, like me) you’re petless then it’s a great opportunity to get some petting in and convince your other half / parents / flatmates that having a hamster really is a good idea!

It makes a great day out, especially if you have kids (although they may just pester you into getting a cowfish or a bunny!) as there is plenty of entertainment and lots of friendly animals & their humans to meet.  If you’re looking for a pet then it’s an excellent place to talk to animal charities who are rehoming rescued animals, reputable breeders and a variety of pet shop staff from all over the country.

Don’t miss the 2011 Expo, keep an eye on their website for details.

Remember the friendly guys from Friend?, one of the first bands we featured in the Discovered in Dublin-series? The 5-piece has intensively toured in the last year, and has also secured a deal with local label Eleven:Eleven. And they are playing in Whelan’s this week. On Thursday, to be more precise. Together with two other Alternative/Rock bands from the North, Kasper Rosa and Axis Of.

So, if you are interested in getting a glimpse of the next generation of Irish alternative hopes from both sides of the border, why not head to Wexford Street on Wednesday – even to celebrate the German win over Spain after the game on Wednesday. To whet your appetite, here are Axis OF with the video for their new single “Port Na Spaniagh”:

Every now and then we put out a call for people who are interested in joining up with the team here at Dublinblog. Today is one of those days. If you like what we do, you love Dublin and you want to write about it, let us know!

You don’t need to have a blog already (though that certainly helps!) to join the team, nor do you have to commit to a certain number of posts etc.

So, if you are interested, drop us a mail to authors@dublinblog.ie explaining a little about yourself and why you would like to join up.

The good people of Dublin hit the streets of Dublin in their thousands over the weekend to check out the Street Performance World Championships. We made it along but not quite in time to participate in the world record attempt. From what I read on Twitter it seems like too many people hopped along! Congratulations to all who particpated in this wonky bit of history!

Congratulations too to the staff and volunteers at SPWC for organising another great free festival. We managed to catch JP Koala, Dr. Kaboom and Thom Sellectomy. We couldn’t get next or near last year’s winners, USA Breakdancers, but had we managed to catch them we would have missed our favourite this year, Dr. Kaboom so all’s well. Like last year the Festijeux were a big hit with three generations of our family and I eventually had to drag my father away!

If you haven’t already made plans for next weekend I would advise you to get yourself into Merrion Square, the earlier the better. Last year myself and my family had a great day out at the Street Performance World Championships in Dublin. It was so good on the Saturday that we went back for more on the Sunday. This event happens over 2 weekends – the first took place yesterday and Saturday in Fitzgerald park in Cork and from the tweets seemed to have been a big hit, regardless of the weather.While it was very busy last year, particularly on the Sunday, we were nearly always able to get a good view and we didn’t feel crowded.

Apart from the contiortionists, sword swallowers, breakdancers and acrobats SPWC are organising a world record attempt which we can all participate in on the Sunday. If you would like to break the world record for the number of people bouncing on space hoppers at the same time, your dream can become a reality on Sunday at 2pm. You just have to register by emailing worldrecord@spwc.ie.

The competition kicks off at 12pm on Saturday and the last performances are scheduled to take place at 6.30pm on Sunday. While most of the performers don’t take the competition too seriously, you can vote for your favourite act throughout the weekend. Make sure to bring along plenty of fivers or change to pay the performers. They do not get a penny except what they can persuade you to part with after their performance. Some of them are very persuasive!

The SPWC website includes maps (don’t worry about not being able to print it – they have plenty available at the event), timetables and lots of info about the competing acts. A favourite with the kids last year were the wooden games so we’ll see you there and challenge you to best us!

You’ve probably heard the cringe worthy advert currently running on national radio stations in relation to MenuPages.ie giving vouchers for restaurants. The advert might be annoying, but the offer is definitely worth a look. The value from each restaurant varies considerably. From taking a quick scan today, I noted good deals by Buenos Aires Grill and Cafe en Seine.  Should you find yourself on Dublin streets accompanied by hunger pangs, these vouchers might come in use. The majority of offers cannot be used during the weekend, however, dining out on school nights is more fun anyway.