Even though we did not make it into the final round of the IBA’s this year, we are still looking forward to the festivities in Galway next weekend. Red Mum (nominated for Best Photo Blog! ) and my humble self will be there to represent the Dublinblog, and will update you via our own Twitter-accounts and the Dublinblog-Twitter.

In the meantime, I’ll try to lay my hands on a nameplate that says “Hi, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father.” and will also try to get a shitty haircut. See you next Saturday.

image via.

Being snowed in can have it’s advantages. After doing the laundry and cleaning the living room, I will no try to summarise the year 2009 on the Dublin Community Blog.

Gloomy January showed us that the recession is in full swing, as Dublin indie institution Road Records was forced to close its doors (which thankfully re-opened later due to massive support from many a successfull Irish musician) and Dublin Bus announced massive cutbacks, laying off 200 staff. Add some snow causing massive disruptions to traffic and you had a very bleak start into the new year.

February then brings more positive things: we are awarded the Best Group Blog at the Irish Blog Awards,

and my experiences as a volunteer help me to gain insight on the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.

Positiveness prevails in March, as Ireland wins the 6-Nations-Rugby-Championship. A well deserved boost. And as if to make up for the bad weather in January, St. Patrick’s Day 2009 is sunny and warm.

April then brought us all the full impact of the recession again as the 2009 budget was announced, and Dublin Bus drivers went on strike.

Sunny (almost tropical) May has temperatures of +25 Degrees Celcius, another Docklands Festival, a new bridge over the Liffey, some controversy on the media and last but not least an American expat rejoining the Dublinblog-team.

June sees the World’s best street artists returning to Dublin to battle it out at the annual Street Performance World Championship on Merrion Square.

We also start our regular musical feature for up- and coming Dublin bands and artists, Discovered in Dublin. And our biking-expert Roseanne starts blogging about bikes (amongst other things) on the Dublinblog.

Dubliners are as shocked as people all over the world about Michael Jackson’s untimely demise, so our first post in July is a sad one. Thankfully July also sees us publish Karen’s brilliant A Visitor’s Guide to Dublin to cheer us up and help tourists find their way around town without getting squashed in traffic.

Disaster almost struck in August as the Malahide Rail Bridge collapsed and all commuters to and from the north had to rely on buses for longer than expected. A more positive thing in August was the incredible illumination of Liberty Hall as part of the Playhouse project during the 2009 Dublin Theatre Festival. Very impressive.

After the summer holiday season Dublin town kicked up a gear in September as the Dublin Bike Scheme was introduced, and in our very own Dublinblog-recession-buster we showed that it is possible to get by in Dublin on 15 € a day and still have fun. Given that Twitter is working Also kicking up a gear was the driver of Dublinbus who tried to cross the street before the Luas and failed miserably:

October then was the month of festivals: Darklight X, the Oktoberfest, HWCH, DEAF and the Temple Bar Chocolate Festival showed us that the month definitively needs more days. And Daragh struck up some controversy with his suggestion that Dublin should grow up. Instead of out.

As everywhere around the world, Dublin also had its worries over the Swine Flu epidemic in November. And while RTE reported that more Irish people than ever are planning to emigrate to Australia and Canada, I felt it my duty as citizen to express my love for this dirty old town.

While everyone was preparing for the Christmas holidays in December, we welcomed two new Dublinbloggers and celebrated the fact that it is now possible to reach The Point errr the O2 by Luas. And also gave some valuable book-shopping tips for last-minute presents. And ended the year with way more snow than expected.

And there we are with even more snow now in January. And if the country does not come to a complete deadlock next week I think we all will survive this emergency as we survived others in the past. So, from all of us here on the Dublinblog a Happy New Year, with hoping for loads of great things for Dublin town. I’d like to end this post with a quote by one of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman:

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

Over the last couple of days a tribute to Michael Jackson has been growing outside HMV on Grafton Street. I was passing it last night and although Grafton Street was quiet it was still drawing a crowd, I imagine it is a busy spot during the day. You can see more pics on Flickr.

ANYONE with an interest in photography will be interested in this post, its something I am late coming too but I figure better late than never. Every now and again a gang of us have photomeets which are not only a great way to meet people and take photographs but they are also a great way to discover new techniques, tips and just have fun with photographs.

Last weekend Phil from Iced Coffee organised a photomeet in Dublin so we all met at the Spire before heading up to Dublin Castle via the boardwalk and Temple Bar. Course a visit to Temple Bar on a Saturday involves a visit to the Food Fair in Meeting Town Square, which inevitably involves everyone getting something to eat before heading onwards.

From Temple Bar we mosied up to Dublin Castle, then Christchurch and then finishing a couple of hours later in the pub. All in all I cannot think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon and the fact that despite the weather reports, the sun shone perfect for a day hanging about the city.

So now that the days are longer, brighter and sometimes warmer even, there will be more photomeets and I’ll be sure to let you know about them here when they are organised. In the meantime here’s some of the pics I took during the day and you can check out everyone else’s on Pixie.

THANKS to Pixie a gang of us had great viewing spots on the parade route yesterday, needless to say such a vantage point meant I took about 1,000 pics which will take me a good few days to sort through. In the meantime here’s a taster of some the pics, with more being uploaded to the St Patrick’s Festival group on Pixie as as when I finish them.

Hope you all had a great day, it was absolute bedlam in Dublin, crazy, I have never seen so many people hanging about the streets after a parade, mostly due to the wonderful weather I suppose. Anyway it is my intention to write more about the parade when I get a chance but for now here’s some images from the day.

YESTERDAY a small gang of us went with my two and a half year old Goddaughter to the Denny Big Day Out at Merrion Square organised as part of the St Patrick’s Festival.

The whole way to Merrion Square all the little one could talk about was the big wheel so that was the first thing we did and the fearless little dote wasn’t in the slightest bit afraid, not at all, in fact she absolutely loved it. Once we were done we set off among the crowd to see what we could find. Unfortunately it wasn’t really ideal for a child of her age (it was more geared towards kids that bit older) but she did really enjoy some of the music and made us stay to hear it all. We finished off the afternoon in the sand pit, as you do.

Next up in my St Patrick’s Festival calender is the parade tomorrow (from a special viewing platform no less thanks to Pixie), I’ll be uploading my photographs to Pix as will loads of other people, so do check out the St Patrick’s Festival group pool and do check back here as, I said in the previous post, other Dublin Blog members always post their images here too.

WELL the funfairs up in Merrion Square and all sorts of events are happening around Dublin as part of the annual St Patrick’s Festival 2009. We were one of the first to get on the ferris wheel and the views over the city at night were fantastic.

There are loads and loads of things happening, culminating in Tuesday’s St Patrick’s Day parade. I’m going to be there in a special viewing area on O’Connell Street where I’m hoping I can get some great shots of the parade without the back of someone’s head, all thanks to Pixie who have managed to secure all sorts of fantastic passes for people to cover the parade. I will upload some pics here for those of you who will miss out n the day. Also keep an eye on the Pixie festival pool of pics for a flavour of the festival. And why not upload your pics of everything too.

So if you are in Dublin over the next couple of days you’ll find something for everyone. Check out the different events on the St Patrick’s Festival website. And keep checking back here as I am sure the Dublin Blog team will be out in force over the festival. Have fun and remember its St Patrick’s/Patrick’s/Paddy’s Day NOT Patty

While I am sure there are many drivers who will think this an awful plan, it seems to me appropriate that Dublin City Council is looking to ban all cars from College Green thereby making the city centre accessible only to public transport. The plans which you can read about in today’s Irish Times involve banning cars from entering Dame Street through College Green and will feature a public-transport only gate at Trinity College.

The plan is to allow preliminary work on the Metro North rail line to Dublin Airport. When the ban on  cars came into O’Connell Street I welcomed it and often wondered why it wasn’t extended so I think it is great that the Council is looking to do this.The plan is to be implemented from autumn and a three-week consultation process will begin next month.

What do you think, good move/bad move?

I CAN’T seem to pass O’Connell Bridge (incidentally which is as wide as it is long) or indeed the Quays at night without trying to snap something. Each time I do I resolve to get the tripod out and have some real fun. As it is I always forget and end up using a wall or something to steady the camera, this was steadied using the wall and my hat. It’s amazing just how resourceful you can be when you have to. I WILL get the tripod though as I’d love to do some really long exposure night time shots.

I have been meaning as well to share a slideshow with you of all the recent demonstrations being held in Dublin against the Government’s mean Budget which hit all sorts of vulnerable people, people who for a multitude of reasons have already been struggling. Anyway here it is.