Braywatch

White sands, coconut palms, glittering water - all components of the perfect beach. These romantic notions are probably why the nomination of Brayruit's shore as Dublin's best has met, let's just say, some antagonistic responses. But the naysayers can it a "tough sell" all they want, Bray beach is the biz and here’s why.

Served by the DART and Dublin bus, it’s a hassle-free hop from city centre but it’s also far away enough to make it seem like a proper day out. The beach itself is just under a mile long and is probably the only shore on our list that is suitable for people who don't like sand. It's stony and grey but let’s face it, the appeal of Bray beach has always been more in the kitsch ‘Brighton of Ireland’ end of things. And although the Snake Slide and Waltzers of summer’s past are now long gone, there’s still amusements and diversions to be had.

Starting at the Bray Head end if you make it past the vicious (vicious!) gorse bushes on the way up, you can join the concrete cross on top for what are pretty spectacular views on a clear day. On the way back down, haunt Star Amusements arcade for some air hockey, dance machine and hoop shooting. Or if you’re into proper gambling, the very dark and maze-like room at the back accommodates with endless rows of fruit and slot machines. As a teenage 'House of Dead 2' conqueror I can say with authority that the day can slip away quite quickly in there.

If do you manage to make it back outside before dark, you’re probably going to be hungry by then. Some lovely civilised sit-down cafes and restaurants have sprouted along the promenade, but a day at the seaside should mean fish & chips out of a vinegar-soaked brown bag. Seaside Fast Food operate out of a small window but their fresh cut chips are the best on the beach, you might have to queue on a sunny day but they’re worth the wait. The well-kept grass along the promenade is a good spot to take them. If you’re looking for ice cream or pints afterwards, there’s loads of choice. We favour a pistachio cone from Gelateria and a pint outside The Harbour Bar, but stay away from the aggro swans if you want to escape injury free on the last DART.

Best of Dublin #2

Best Early House

With light beaming in from its open and welcoming doors, Ned’s appears like an oasis on a quiet corner of Townsend Street. Opening at 7am in the morning, it caters for the city’s shift workers, those who need a drink first thing and those who just want to continue the party. A recent visit on Saturday morning saw a mixed crowd mingling amiably as a youngish gang of mates had a bit of a dance in the corner to Rihanna while some fresher faced men, straight from night duty, sank some post-work pints. As the last early house visited on our trail and with some ropey moments behind us, we were happy to find the crowd at Ned’s were friendly and easy going. With a seated smoking area out back, if they got the tap fixed in the Ladies toilets, Ned’s would be pretty perfect.

Ned’s, 44 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, 677 9507

Best Street Performers

You probably wouldn’t recognise these guys if you saw their faces, but you’d definitely recognise their music. Constantly hidden behind a shroud of tourists, Busketeers use a drum kit, acoustic guitar, bass and violin to draw listeners to their temporary turf. It’s a fairly energetic set up. Although all from Poland, the band didn’t form until they were all in Ireland and now play their blend of folk jazz to full crowds on the streets of the city.You’re most likely to see them at prime busker spots like the corner of Crown Alley or on Grafton Street interacting with a gathered mob and when you do, you can pick up their CD for a measly 10 blips. For that you get traditional Polish pieces mixed with Irish trad and Katy Perry covers. Yes, you read right.

www.myspace.com/busketeers

Best Sunday Drive

Giving your road rage a day off is a good idea. If you find yourself automatically despising everyone who drives a Yaris or a Passat, a relaxing scenic drive of a Sunday just might take the edge off things. While the coast road is stunning, it’s also choc full of semi-nude sunbathers once the first sign of sun emerges so for a peaceful escape, a meander up the Dublin mountains is just the ticket. Leaving the M50 at Firhouse, it’s a short jaunt until you’re in full on countryside, meaning fresh air, quiet roads and sunshine (hopefully). Snaking up past the Hell Fire Club, Cruagh Wood and Ticknock to across the featherbeds, there’s opportunities for hiking, mountain biking or for the less energetic, picnics and sight seeing. You even might spot an ice-cream van on the way. Word to the wise; don’t try eating your 99 while steering with your elbows on these twisty roads.

The Dublin Mountains, see dublinmountains.ie

Best Rooftop

Ireland’s a tricky one for rooftops. Since our summers can be all too brief it’s senseless for anyone to invest too much in them making them decent, considering they’ll be defunct 245 days a year (approx). But the smart folk at The Sycamore Club in Temple Bar trump the weather with their remote control roof - in yer face clouds. Under an open roof, thirteen table booths line the circumference, there’s a DJ in the corner and a bar lining one wall. Those who suffer from acrophobia, that’s a fear of heights, need not worry as it’s easy to forget you’re even on a roof - even without a few jars on you. Entrance to this three-storey members club is via a fairly anonymous black door where a red carpeted lift takes you to the top floor. With new developments and a revamp schedule for their second birthday on July 8th, The Sycamore Club will soon be open earlier, five days a week and serving food. Discreet and unique.

The Sycamore Club, 9 Sycamore Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, 4743942. sycamoreclub.com

Best Outdoor Yoga

Taking yoga out of the studio and back to nature, Stoneybatter’s Two Palms Yoga takes residence in Phoenix Park every Saturday this summer. Located right beside the Wellington Monument near the Park Gate street entrance, the sight of twenty yogis in sun salutation is a strange one. But when you consider yoga is all about being one with nature, it makes a lot more sense than a mirrored, wooden floored studio. With two other volunteers, Fiona of Two Palms Yoga takes the class through Hatha positions to suit beginners and more experienced practitioners. Fiona says, “It’s accessible to all, I’ve taught all ages from 4 year olds to 60 – 70 year olds. It’s all about the personal experience so you can take it at your own pace.” Best of all, the classes are donation based and all proceeds go to Dublin Simon Community. Get there for 11am with a mat or towel, shades, factor 15 and get bending.

Wellington Monument, Phoenix Park, Dublin 7, twopalmsyoga.com

Best of Dublin #1

Best Place to Dump Someone

It’s always a difficult choice. But when it comes to dumping it’s all about location, location, location. While we’re not claiming to be lothario heartbreakers, we’ve seen enough tears and sad faces to know the St. Stephen’s Green is the hotspot for Dublin dumping and when you stop and think about it; it’s actually the perfect location. Now the flowers are in full bloom, it’s pretty enough to distract from the general despair of the situation. There’s solitary benches aplenty to conduct ‘the talk’ on and while it’s quiet enough to let someone down easy it’s crucially, public enough so your date can’t make too much of a show. And if a moment gets a bit too hairy, there are always people around to divert your attention. Just make sure to pick a spot away from the loved-up and handsy summer couples who litter the lawns. Oh, and one more thing, good luck.

St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

Best Place to Rollerblade

With Dún Laoghaire’s east pier coming in a close second, it’s Phoenix Park that prevails as the best spot for rollerblading in Dublin. Knowing how our earnest plans can fall by the wayside, a swift visit to Smyth’s toys for some cheapo blades was made and we took to the paths. Along lengthy avenues paved with smooth tarmac, you can take your practice that bit further up by Farmleigh and falls are cushioned by the grass verges. Not that we fell much... Ahem. It’s the location of choice by the Ride and Roll group who meet here regular to slalom (zigzag) through cones and do all sorts of crazy tricks. While their beginner lessons are out till September, they’re still holding regular meet-ups and rides throughout the summer. If we manage to get the weather, brace yourself for a lot of fun, sore ankles and a lot more respect for your ten year-old self.

Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, rideandroll.eu

Best for Tattoos and Piercings

If you’re getting something painful and permanent done, you want to be hands safer than Gigi Buffon’s. That’s where the hands of the Snakebite staff come in. But don’t let the name put you off. Having undergone several piercings in various shops dotted around Dublin in my ‘radical youth,’ only the piercing from this Middle Abbey Street shop remains. Robert, Erin, Denis and tattoo apprentice Seán make up the current tattoo team, all of which come from fine art background. They’re willing to tattoo anything, no matter how weird, although good luck beating a recent piece by Erin of a Velociraptor dinosaur brandishing a shank. Bizarre but brilliant art, coupled with friendly customer banter, sensitive treatment and fantastic aftercare are all part of the package here. Pictures of their art work are displayed on their Facebook page for the curious and if you have any queries or qualms they’re dealt with efficiently and in good humour on there too.

Snakebite, 54 Middle Abbey St, Dublin 1, 874 0011, snakebite.ie

Best Place to Style Perv

While Dublin street style blogs buzz around the art colleges and the usual clubnights, they can also be found hovering around South William Street where a slighter broader section of society is on show. With outdoor seating a-go-go, you can watch the world and his mother go by from the comfort of a café and behind the safety of sunglasses - a must to hide gawking eyes. We’ve seen all sorts here. From the more daring lamé leggings and string vest combo look, to smart business wear, the South William is a catwalk to it all. Despite the street name coming from the unfortunately named William Williams, who was not particularly known for his flair with a lace collar or glazed linen shirt, the street has thrived. With deadly shops like Harlequin, Retro and Size? just around the corner and the Powerscourt centre smack in the middle, it’s little wonder this spot is poifect for clothes pervin’.

South William Street, Dublin 2

Best Rural Pubs - Dublin

The Blue Light

Ask any biker and they’ll tell you there’s nowt better than tripping out to The Blue Light on a summer’s eve. But you don’t need to be a biker to visit; they’re still a pretty welcoming bunch. Just above Stepaside, hidden up in the mountains, this gem of a bar has one of the best views of Dublin, probably the best if the neighbours would be so kind to chop down their obstructing trees. Regardless, the bar staff are sound, the locals are friendly, the picnic benches are well placed, there’s crisps aplenty, live music and chilled cider. Just add one sunset.

The Blue Light, Barnacullia, Sandyford, Co. Dublin, 2954682

Man O ’War

We only discovered this thatched time warp a few years ago at Sibín festival, which usually kicks off the summer silly season at the beginning of May. That’s pretty late considering the deeds go back 415 years, safe to say there’s been a fair few missed opportunities. Situated just outside Balbriggan, this is a genuine old pub that gimmicky Oirish bars the world over have tried to imitate. It is a bit far out so they organise discounted bus shuttles for groups from far a field, and a local courtesy bus. Also we’ve found the local pool sharks only too happy to challenge you to a game but heed our warning; keep bets minimal, you haven’t a chance of winning.

Man O' War Pub & Restaurant, Courtlough, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, 841 5528, manowar.ie

McEvoy’s

A pint and a paddle, what more could you want? Just 2km from Celbridge, Kildare types have tried to claim this one as their own, but we’ve been reliably informed from an estate agent that the area is covered under the South Dublin Development Plan. And estate agents never lie. Nestled right up beside the Grand Canal, this is the perfect spot to while away a sunny afternoon. By white-washed walls and well kept flowers you can observe canal activities like boating, fishing and boozing. If you can boat it out - great, but if not the newly expanded Hazelhatch Celbridge train station is your best bet.

McEvoy’s, Hazelhatch, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, 6288283

Dublin's Odd Museums

Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio

Taking its name from the nickname given to Radio Éireann by Seán Lemass, Ye Old Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio has been operating from Howth’s Martello Tower since 2003. With walls lined with posters and advertising signs, and floor space and cabinets crammed with radios and gramophones, curator Pat Herbert has built up quite a collection since he started in 1954. The tower itself has historic ties with the development of the hurdy gurdy, as radio pioneers Lee DeForest and Guglielmo Marconi both experimented from there in 1903 and 1905 respectively. Last Saturday (24th April) saw visitors trek to the tower for International Marconi Day, where the team operated Morse code all over the world to distant Marconi enthusiasts. Herbert tells us, “We’ve received messages from all over – Newfoundland, Russia and European countries.” The most recent item in the exhibit is a record player but the museum is looking forward too. “We cover everything from the wireless to the web; did you look up our website?” Herbert asks. We just might.

Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio, http://ei5em.110mb.com/museum.html. open May to October: 11am-5pm daily, November to April 11am -4pm (weekends only), admission €5


The National Wax Museum Plus

Somewhere out there, a glazed Tellytubby dressed up as Stalin shares a sofa with Hannibal Lecter who is dolled up in a Marylin Monroe wig. This is probably an idealistic scenario for the waxworks and costumes stolen from the original wax museum, but we live in hope. Having reopened last year in a new venue off College Green, the National Wax Museum Plus has replaced and expanded on the missing pieces. It now encompasses a history vault, writers’ rooms, sound studio, film and music legends, chamber of horrors, Irish legends and oh, Mr. Freeze is there too. We’re delighted the robbery didn’t send him to the cooler. Bewildered visitor Oisín O’Brion from Laois gave us his verdict as he was leaving, “It was an unnerving and surreal experience, a very odd mix. They’ll probably have a Jedward statue next.” Again, we live in hope.

The National Wax Museum Plus, 4 Foster Place, Dublin 2. waxmuseumplus.ie. Tel: 671 8373, admission €7 for children, €9 for adults. Students, teenagers & concession €9. Family Ticket: 2 Adults & 2 Children (under 12) €30


The Mobile Phone Museum

This venture received a great reception (wheeey…) when it opened in January this year. From 80s bricks to the iPhone, The Mobile Phone Museum is committed to the preservation of iconic mobiles. Curator Alan Donohue worked in the industry for years before combining private collections for public exhibit - with a little help from eBay. “We’ve got a good few pieces from there too. The most we’ve paid is £600 on the Motorola Dynatac, the world’s first mobile. It’s a big collector’s item”, Donohue explains. But his favourite phone of all time is the Nokia 6310i - “the sturdiest phone ever made, there’s nothing else like it.” The world’s smallest phone, the first Bluetooth, first phone watch and the first to vibrate are all behind glass, but if you ask nicely they might let you take a snap pretending to be Zac Morris or Gordon Gekko - which ever you fancy.

The Mobile Phone Museum, 6-7 Abbey Street, Dublin 2, mobilephonemuseum.ie, Tel: 8728722, free admission


The National Leprechaun Museum

With its 30lb crock of gold and a promise to take visitors to the heart of Irish identity, this Abbey Street venture faces a hard sell. The very mention of a National Leprechaun Museum induces scoffs and sniggers, but then anyone who’s ever been asked about their existence by non-natives can see some reasoning. Hell, why didn’t anyone think of this earlier? Concentrating more on folklore than paddywhackery, the museum combines interactive experience, such as making visitors feel a third of their size in a room of giant furniture, with more a traditional exhibition showing representations of leprechauns in pop culture. Some advice, be careful not to drop your souvenir leprechaun coin in the fare box on Dublin Bus. You will be gutted, and a sympathetic but resigned shrug from a bus driver won’t bring it back.

The National Leprechaun Museum, Abbey Street (Jervis Luas), Dublin 1. leprechaunmuseum.ie, admission €10 for adults, €7 for children/concession. Family Ticket: 2 adults & 2 children) €27. A €10 ticket includes a souvenir leprechaun coin which can be kept or redeemed in the museum shop/café to the value of €3


The Revenue Museum

Everyone has been more interested in the state’s revenue since, well, we ran out, but it’s still pretty hard to get excited about this museum. Opened by then Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen in 2007, The Revenue Museum sells itself as “a graphic and interactive exhibition of Tax and Customs collection, protection and accounting from the distant past to the present.” That makes it sound quite epic. While we admit we couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm to personally road test this museum, we were not helped by the unsociable opening hours Mon-Fri 10am - 4pm. With a lengthy break down of the role of revenue in the foundation of the state and pretty much every thing since, we’re imagining a kind of Reeling in the Years without the emotive music. We asked accountant Aidan Ryan from Tallaght what he thought of the museum, “I actually thought you were having a laugh, a revenue museum? Sounds made up. Never heard of it.” You couldn’t make it up.

The Revenue Museum, Chapel Crypt, Lower Yard, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2. revenue.ie, Tel: 8635 601


St. Michan’s Church

Although it’s not in the title (we’re bending the rules a bit here), the underground burial vaults of this Northside church is a mummy museum. It’s certainly a catchier and more descriptive name. For within the dry crypts of this inconspicuous church lie mummified remains, four of which are fully open for public viewing. By tip-toeing down a narrow stone stairway, you come to limestone tunnel with narrow coffin galleries on either side. In one alcove, casket lids are removed to reveal dried bodies with leathered skin covered in a thick film of dust. The tour guide will tell you the cadaver of ‘the crusader’ is meant to bring luck and to touch his finger, but there doesn’t seem to be anything too lucky about this scenario - considering he’s stuffed in an ill-fitting coffin with people prodding his corpse. Not for the fainted hearted.

St. Michan’s Church, 8 East Church Street, Dublin 3. Tel: 872 4154

Little Shop That Could

Charles Byrne Musik Instrumente has lived inconspicuously on Stephens Street for over a hundred years, but has less German history than the name suggests.

After stretching to press the door bell, we were let in and Charles Byrne himself told us about the beginnings of the shop, "The business started with my grandfather who got it in 1900 for repairing Egan Harps, so my family goes that far back connected with the music world."

Over the years the shop began selling instruments as well as repairing, until someone let fire to the building through the letterbox in 1992. His wife Maria told us, "It was a sad lost. But we were also very lucky. We could've been in the place working."

Geraldine, their daughter, added, "It was an opportunity as well. We had been here one hundred odd years and you do accumulate a lot of junk in that time. Since then there's been a lot of new things, a lot of changes. It rejuvenated the place as well."

Charles said, "After the fire Geraldine said she'd stay with us and help straighten things out. So I grabbed one arm and my wife grabbed the other and we says ‘You're in!’ and we have no regrets. She is excellent.”

You might expect a hundred year old shop to have a sort of dusty charm but Charles Byrne Musik Instrumente also have a website, blog and twitter.

On our visit, Peter Peterson from Washington State visited, “I came here for a low whistle. I've never seen them in a shop before."

But it's not only tourists that visit, Charles says, "I'm seeing grandchildren and great grand children of my first customers coming in so that shows ya I'm getting old. People make a special effort to shop here, that's how we're still in business."

"There's people who trust dad and wont go anywhere else,” beams Geraldine.

As we were leaving, being forced (ok maybe not ‘forced) to take a sweet and a calender, a German tourist inquires about the name, Charles tells her with a wink that he added the name for a laugh with a German supplier.

Urban Picnic - Restaurant Review

Starved workers have long migrated to the various establishments in and around George's Street Arcade for quick lunchtime eats. Certainly at The Dubliner, we've never been shy about our penchant of our weekly pilgrimage for a Sloppy Joe, but there is a new(ish) dog in town.

Urban Picnic resides in the space formerly occupied by The Bagel Bar with a menu that emphasises flavours from the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas. On our visit, we were greeted by cheery staff and considering the weather (horrid as usual), I ordered soup of the day (tomato and basil) with brown bread (€4.95), while my companion had a roasted vegetable and spinach wrap with pesto mayo (€5.75).

The seating is communal benches, which I'm a fan of but it is an arrangement that can be divisive - a suit at the end of the bench with his newspaper spread out seemed happy with the extra space. The food arrived quickly, the soup was pulpy, the bread was very lightly toasted, the roasted veg were crunchy and the dressing was delish. On our way out, Chef Vinny asked us for honest feedback, we were able to say we'd definitely be back.

Urban Picnic, 30 Market Arcade, South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2

Boorm Boorm!

The smiliest man we've ever seen on a Harley, Charlie Boorman, will be spinning yarns in Vicar Street on Sunday night. Still some tickets left at time of press... Amanda Kavanagh caught up with him a couple of weeks ago to talk tents, TV and touring

How would you describe the live show?
It's a kind of a Q&A session where I'll be interviewed on a stage full of motorbikes by Billy Ward, who runs biketruck.com. It'll be an opportunity to voice all the things that didn't get included in the TV show or books.

Like what?
More than anything, there's a lot stories and stuff that happened when the camera wasn't quick enough to catch it. Funny things and silly situations you get yourself in and you think, "Oh God, what am I doing here?"

Where is the most exotic place on the tour?
That's a tough one. Maybe Glasgow? That's probably the only exotic place in the UK, aside from Cornwall.

What kind of questions are you asked in the Q&A audience session?
I'm always asked what happened in the tent with Ewan [McGregor]. But you know, what happens in a tent, stays in a tent.

You started your journey to Sydney for By Any Means in Wicklow... Why?
I grew up in Wicklow and it's the place that I learned to ride dirt bikes, up in the Wicklow hills around Annamoe. There was a guy nearby called Tommy and it was because of him that I really got into motorbikes properly. He had a dirt bike when I was a kid and he let me have goes on it. So I've got him to thank for all this! Wicklow has been the starting point for so many adventures. My first was for my father's [John Boorman] film Deliverance and I haven't stopped since. I wanted to start the trip from home, where things really started for me. That was really important.

Where are the best and worst places you've been?
There hasn't really been a worst, although there were some hairy situations. The best was Mongolia on the Long Way Around. It was pretty incredible and it was difficult to get across. The people there were so warm and there you never see any waste, everything is used. They are just lovely people. Papa New Guinea was great too.

The live run is finishing in Dublin, what's next?

Well, probably a big hooley right after and then I'm heading to Jordan for a TV show, which I'm very excited about.

Charley Boorman Live visits Vicar Street, 58 Thomas Street, Dublin 2 on 28th March. Tickets €23. charleyboormanlive.com, vicarstreet.com

Welcome to Dumpsville

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, we hit the streets of Dublin to hear some the capital's worst dumping stories...


Neil Caffrey, Blanchardstown
I once texted an ex after a romantic weekend together to say I loved him. The text back read 'Sorry, I'm just not interested'.

Stephen Stewart, Malahide
When I was 17, I went down to Malahide beach to meet my mates. My girlfriend was there kissing some other guy.

Constantin Popa, Romania
She sent her mother to tell me. So, I asked her mother out for coffee. She said no.

Laura Curry, Glasnevin
I just left the country. The hardest bit was saying goodbye to his cat.

Jenny Kilday, New Zealand
Breaking up with my first love was the worst. I was still in love with him.

Sarah Meyler, Terenure
One of my friends got a text that said, ' I was going with the flow but the flow just stopped.'

Christina Daly, Stepaside
I dumped a boyfriend over the phone because he was too clingy. He said it was the cruelest thing I could've done, but I had been tempted to just text him.

Sylvia McArdle, South Circular Road
I brought him to the cinema, whispered in his ear... and left.

Luke Collins, Bray
The best way is to score someone else in front of them.

Alexander Jones, Clontarf
I called my ex 'ugly' and watched her walk away.

Hazel Boundy, London
I've been married for 40 years, so I'm not really qualified to answer that one!

Deirdre Flynn, Rathfarnam
I texted my friend bad things about guy I had a date with. Only I sent it to him by mistake.

Joern Huelsmeier, Harolds Cross
I've been dumped by email. It's not too bad as you don't have to respond right away.

Selenge McClave, Phibsboro
I faked my address on the walk home after a date. He couldn't find me again.

Tom Kilroy - Before the Critics

Playwright Tom Kilroy tells up about Christ Deliver Us!, a play inspired by a 19th-century German tragedy that tackles abortion, rape and suicide, and which gets its world premiere at the Abbey this month.

What did you take from Frank Wedekind's 'Spring Awakening'?

It started out as a straight adaptation, but as I went on it moved further and further away from the original and eventually become an Irish play rather than a German play. The central story is about teenagers in a very repressed society, and I reset in Ireland in the 1950s, my own schooldays.

When did you write it?

I finished writing it during these rehearsals. I was still writing when we were rehearsing. it was originally written six or seven years ago but I went back to it again. I think I improved it.

How are rehearsals going?

They're going very well. I like to leave the actors alone and stay away from the rehearsal room while they are trying to work it out creatively themselves. I think it gives them freedom. It's a chance for me to work with young people, We have a brilliant young director, Wayne Jordan and some wonderfully talented young actors, boys and girls. That's been a great pleasure for me.

Tell us about the main characters.

Mossie and Michael are buddies, Michael gets involved with Winnie and they have a relationship, so it's a love story as well as everything else. Although it's a tragic love story. Mossie is one of these characters who's very vunerable, sensitive and troubled with a very unhappy family background. So the story is essentially the three of them.


The play has been tagged as highlighting the hypocrisy of a society under the thumb of the Church...

It's a play that was written before the Murphy report, but I see it as a play behind the clerical scandals. It's not about sex abuse, it's a play that deals more with physical abuse. There was a great deal of physical abuse in schools when I was growing up, so it has that. It's about the hypocrisy of church and state in dealing with young people.

And you've written a play about William Blake?
Yes, I've written it, but it hasn't been produced. It's a difficult play to do, again it's a large scale play. It's about his relationship to his wife, she was a remarkable life. She was an illiterate person but she understood this strange man that she was married to. It's about their relationship more than anything else.

'Spring Awakening' was made into a musical, any plans yourself?

Ha ha! Musicals? Well I don't know about that. Spring Awakening was a rock musical, I didn't see the musical version but I know about it, and it's very successful apparently.

Christ Deliver Us runs at the Abbey Theatre, Abbey Street, Dublin 1 from February 16 - 13 March.€38/€28, abbeytheatre.ie

Precious - Film Review

With exec producer Oprah Winfrey at the helm of the publicity drive, potential audiences for Precious might expect O-style subject treatment - downtrodden people overcoming stuff, redemption, spirituality. The trailer only adds fuel to these expectations. But there's no self-affirmation or inspirational positivity to be found here. The truth is, it's bleak. Really bleak.

The film opens on an unruly classroom in Harlem 1987, at the back sits poker-faced Claireece Precious Jones. With a glazed expression Precious reveals little to the world around her but we are afforded access to her thoughts via voiceover. Between daydream and reality, we soon learn that our hero is sixteen, pregnant for the second time (by her father) and now, suspended from school.

Aswe are given snapshot of her homelife -cats, grease, abusive mother, - we get an insight to the litany of physical and emotional abuse that Precious is subjected to. Fantasising a new life, Precious attends an 'alternative' school to help her illiteracy and attempts to build a support system around herself.

The film's story obviously has emotional appeal, but it refuses to take the easy road and pull on the heart strings with guaranteed tear jerker cliches, as you might expect. The trailer sets you up for a film of slow motion and montages, but this is not the case, and aside from one or two comments from teacher Blu Rain, Precious is neither preachy or patronising.

Its grim social realism is broken only with short bursts of fantasy, which can be jarring but thankfully become less frequent as the film progresses. This conflict of genre is a bold move by director Lee Daniels who has taken several risks with Precious. In terms of talent, the mix of newcomers, typecast and slated actors seems like a move destined for failure but it somehow works.

Gabourey Sidibe makes her debut as our hero with a low key performance that is restrained and pitch perfect. Elsewhere, it's easy to see why M'oNique won the Best Supporting Actress gong at the Golden Globes for her powerful portrayal of Precious' mother Mary, a surprising turn from the actress better known for her sitcom roles. The casting divas Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz was a gamble that paid off with understated but strong displays from both.

For the most part Precious makes uncomfortable viewing, but it is genuine and surprising. Just don't see it if you're feeling a bit blue.

Dublin, 1961

Armed with a Ford Zephyr, a Contax II camera and his wife Jean, amateur photographer and businessman Charles W. Cushman chronicled Americana in vivid colour from the 1930s to the 1960s. Travelling the length and breath of U.S., Cushman witnessed and captured key changes in the modern age. His images of abandoned buildings in former mining towns, Texas cotton farms and crowded ghetto streets formed a visual slide show of mid-century history and society. In the sixties the couple began travelling to Europe and in June 1961, the Cushmans arrived in Dublin.

At the time Elvis Presley and Del Shannon topped the pop charts and The Capitol Showband toured America during lent season, when the Irish ballrooms closed. Cinema goers in Ireland saw 'The Misfits', 'Victim' and 'Whistle Down the Wind' in one of the fifty cinemas of Dublin city and its suburbs. 1961 also saw John F. Kennedy become president of the United States, Ireland applied for full membership of the EEC and Telifis Eireann launched at the end of 1961 with an opening address on New Years Eve from Eamonn De Valera. This was the period captured by Cushman's Contax II.

Although little is known of intricacies of the Cushmans' visit, we know they arrived on a British European Airways flight and visited Arklow, Drogheda, Dalkey, Glendalough and Avoca. However the bulk of Cushman's photographs focused on Dublin's city centre, particularly College Green, Dame St, O'Connell Brige, Dublin Castle, South Great George's St and the spectacular views from room 519 in the Shelbourne.

The pictures printed across these pages show a very different Dublin from what we know today. From a motorist's point of view, you could drive down Grafton Street, you could nestle your Morris Minor or Austin Devon up beside Henry Grattan on College Green and your Ford Prefect or Austin A40 next to Daniel O'Connell on O'Connell St. Clampers weren't even a twinkle in their mothers' eyes.

As a cyclist you wouldn't have to worry about being clipped by a car if you were riding inside this swarm of beige on Dame St. Over on Georges St, it looks like little has changed at The Long Hall while the red and white flags hoisted outside Cassidy's celebrated the visit of Prince Rainer & Princess Grace of Monaco. The royals' visit caused chaos as an estimated 30,000 people took to O'Connell street to try get a glimpse of the couple, who attended a ball in the Gresham Hotel on the 12th June. It was the beginning of an exciting decade which saw many other famous visitors to Ireland including Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, The Rolling Stones, Jayne Mansfield and The Beatles. Sadly, Cushman himself never returned.

See the entire Cushman collection at: dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman

The Dubliner's Top Ten - Alarm Clocks

1. Star Wars R2-D2

As far as robots go, C-3PO ranks up there with the most annnoying. Imagine waking up to, 'R2, you shouldn't be so polite,this little rebel is going to be late.' Nag nag nag. So it comes of little surprise to learn that C-3PO has never had a solo career in the alarm clock industry. R2D2's, on the other hand, is going from strength to strength. It began with the 1977 original C3PO and R2D2 alarm clock duo, but R2 later ditched the dead weight for a collect-the-labels promotion with 7UP in the nineties. Argos are selling this similar model, although bigger and with clearer projection for €34.84.
Argos, Parnell Mall, The Ilac Centre, Dublin 1.

2. Clapperboard Clock

Ever wake up feeling like Tom Cruise? Nah, us neither. It's at least 11am before we start talking to bottles and jumping up and down on the sofa. But with this clapperboard alarm clock you can feel like movie star every day. The LCD clock wakes you up with an alarm that can only be silenced with a swift snap of the clapper – shrill yelling of “action!” is optional, but recommended. You'll be out of bed before you can say, “I'm ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille.” €49
B Cool Gadgets, Unit G15A, The Pavillions Shopping Centre, Swords, Dublin. 8075742.

3. JML Colour Touch

If forever-in-our-hearts 'Changing Rooms' (RIP) taught us anything, its that accessories are a handy way to bring character to any blank room. Team JML were also listening and the proof is in their new Colour Touch alarm clock (€5). The two leading features are in the name - it can change colour and it turns off if you touch any part of it. But it doesn't stop there; there is also a calendar function, temperature display and a countdown timer. It's being sold as the everyman clock. The ad shows two children gleefully pouring over it in a tent as Mr JML tells us, 'Even the kids can take their clock on their little adventures!' Chuck out that DS then.
Heatons, 200 The Park, Carrickmines, Dublin 18. 2943160.

4. Clocky the Runaway

'Toys for Big Boys' listed this renegade wheelie clock as one of their 'Top Ten Essential Gadgets' late last year. On a list that also included the Slanket, it's no mean feat. Clocky is a runaway alarm clock that puts an end to multi-snoozing. You can set yourself to a limit of snoozes from 0 – 9 minutes, depending on how your self discipline is - or how optimistic you're still feeling about 'the new you' post-new year. Clocky will jump up off your nightstand and run away beeping and booping droid-like until you get up. The manufacturers claim Clocky can jump 3 feet, which means in animal terms Clocky is an armadillo.
www.pressieport.ie €49.99

5. Dekad

Ikea don't give us a nostalgic spiel about the timelessness of the Dekad clock or the romance of rituals. They just lay out the facts. Swedish style. They point out it's 'good to know' the clock should be wound every 24 hours. The clock frame is steel, the face is paper, the backing is plastic, the front is glass and the handle is aluminium with a powder coating. That's all you need to know really, oh and it's pretty. €4.99
IKEA, Margaret's Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11. 1890 987 938.

6. BeoTime

BeoTime is the Bang & Olufsen alarm clock that is visually more like a futuristic wand. Designer Steffen Schmelling was apparently inspired by Mozart's The Magic Flute and the conflict between light and dark within it. You can choose to wake up to the BeoTime Chime, radio station or piece of music – whether that's Mozart or Miley Cyrus. The best bit is you can use the flute/wand/clock to control other Bang & Olufsen appliances like the TV, loudspeaker or lights. Although, this assumes you have a gaff full of expensive B&O a/v equipment. You can't play it like a flute though.
Bang & Olufsen, 6 Bachelors Walk, Dublin 1. 2602404.

7. iPod Dock

We couldn’t make a top ten alarm clock list without including an iPod docker. You can get thousands of pointless iPod compatible accessories these days, including the iStethoscope, iBreathalyzer and iTable, but an iPod alarm docker is actually useful. This Gear 4 CRG-70W has a compact minimalist design with detachable speakers which can be positioned around the room or in the base tray. It will charge an iPod or an iPhone and gives you the option to wake up the iPod, radio or a buzzer. We don’t recommend leaving ‘Time’ by Pink Floyd to prompt you out of bed. €59.99

HMV, 65 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. 6795334.

8. Pink Floyd Twin Bell

You can’t call Pink Floyd sell outs for bringing out an alarm clock. After all, their homage to time on Dark Side of the Moon called er, ‘Time’ gave antique alarm clocks a significant airing in its lengthy introduction. This little beauty is a classic twin bell with quartz accuracy, the face picture is the lake postcard that came as an insert with the album ‘Wish You Were Here’. Floyd fans might prefer to wake up to an actual song but when you consider the lyrics of Time which include “one day closer to death, every year is getting shorter”, it’s probably best you don’t start your day in complete despair. Also avail in Led Zeppelin. €24.99

Asha Boutique, 212, St Stephens Green, Shopping Centre, Dublin 2. 4781396.

9. Sony ICF-C205

This is the alarm clock we imagine Zac Morris would’ve used. Ok so the ‘Saved by the Bell’ theme tune doesn’t sell it very well, he did miss the bus after all. But we reckon it was because he spent too much time giving himself ‘a look’, so it wasn’t the alarm’s fault. This Sony ICF-C205 is retro in a seemingly unconscious way. It boasts an FM/AM analogue tuner, 0.7 inch green LCD, a single alarm and a sleep timer. There’s no bells and whistles here (excuse the pun) but it’ll wake you up with the radio. Maybe even in time to do ‘the sprain’ with Lisa Turtle. €19.99

Peats World of Electronics, 25 Parnell Street, Dublin 1. 8727799.

10. Disney Princess Glow Time

Who better to persuade little girls to go to bed than Sleeping Beauty? This alarm clock is a nice alternative to a poisoned apple. The face changes between day and night according to when you set the sleep and wake alarms - Sleeping Beauty represents night naturally, and Cindarella represents day. Go Glow’s aim is to help form a sleep routine and this is really its only function. It is not an education tool to help learn the time - it doesn’t even have a minute hand. But it might buy you a few more minutes in bed. €23

Hamleys Toys, Pembroke District :: Level 1 Unit 51, Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin 14. 2924900.

My Dublin, James O'Neill

James O’Neill, Bitches with Wolves

Outdoors

I love The Iveagh Gardens on Hatch Street. It’s a gorgeous Victorian park. We play rounders there in the summer, its loadsa fun.

Eating

My favourite restaurant in the city has got to be Millers on Baggot Street; their gourmet pizza are obscenely delicious. I also love Copperinger Row; they’ve a great selection of tapas.

Food

I’ve recently started cooking at home, I’m beginning to get good at it but I’m not quite there yet. I make these cheese masterpieces where I have four different types of cheese. I go to the Harcourt Street food market and the market by the canal by Baggot Street, where I stock up on all my cheeses. I also love Fallon & Byrne; they have an amazing cheese deli.

Bars

I obviously go to WAR every Friday in Spy because that’s my night. I love Seomra Spraoi, which is a kind of speakeasy off Mountjoy Square that’s really cool. I also really like The Bernard Shaw, The Button Factory and Twisted Pepper.

Shopping

It was Circus but Circus is closing so I’m in a rage about that. I like shopping in Lucy’s Lounge in Temple Bar because it’s one of the only good vintage stores in the city. I also go to Indigo & Cloth on South William Street, BT, American Apparel and Topshop and Brown Thomas are always deadly.

Ups

The best thing about Dublin is that it has a great community element to it. No matter where you go you seem to know some body. I think there’s a lot of creativity going on in the city right now, which is amazing.

Downs

The shopping isn’t that great, it can be very expensive and the selection isn’t that good. There are not many interesting boutiques, it’s all quite generic. Also, people who wear fake tan and pile their hair up on top of their heads like a bird nest with black panda eyes.

Area

I love Portobello, all the Victorian terraces are really beautiful, as well as the Powerscourt Townhouse. I think what they’ve done with the docklands on the Southside it’s really great. The Grand Canal Theatre is the most amazing building.

Sports

I don’t do sports, are you on drugs? I watch the odd rugby match in the pub, but it’s more of a social thing.

Heroes

Andrea Horan is my Dublin hero, she is a gay icon. She does loads of shows around Dublin and when I was really young, she took me under her wing. She’d be one of my heroes. I know Senator David Norris isn’t from Dublin, but he’s an honorary Dublin man and he is an incredible person. I like Ivanna Bacik too, she’s sexy.

Villains

The drinking laws are absolute villains, they are scourge to the city. Also taxi drivers who don’t know where they going, they drive me nuts.

Hobbies

I don’t really have any hobbies. I kind of just work and dance. Just rounders in the summer, I don’t think anyone has the time for hobbies these days.

Press

I am an avid of The Sunday Times and I love reading The Sunday Independent for its hilarity. The Life section is gas, especially the Day in the Life. I read Una Mullally’s column in the Tribune, that’s always brilliant. Magazine-wise I read Social and Personal, Image and The Dubliner, obviously.

Music

I really like Simian Mobile Disco and I’m an unashamed Britney Spears fan. She’s been brilliant especially since she had the break down. On my iPod at the moment are Goldfrapp, Roisin Murphy and Chromeo, Madonna and Marina and the Diamonds.

TV/Radio

Spin 1038 play the really trashy pop that I love. It’s my guilty pleasure. I also like the Alison Curtis show. On TV, I’m obsessed with Glee and True Blood. Summer Heights High is the best show ever - Mr G is like ecstasy. I also Coronation Street, I was devasted when Blanch died.

http://www.myspace.com/bitcheswithwolves

Classic Album Review

Marvin Gaye 'What's Going On?'

A basement office lit by fluorescent bulbs seemed like an inappropriate venue to road test a Marvin Gaye album. Commonly linked to songs for sexy times in Valentine's day polls, I assumed it was for some sort of topical tie-in. An assumption quickly dismissed when I was handed 'What's Going On'.

The opening title track set me straight, talk of pickets lines and picket signs situates the album immediately in its social/political concept, as it explores poverty, war and prayer.

Although released by Motown Records it doesn't fit the usual Motown mould, what with it being a conceptual album with social commentary and all. Liberal use of flute, jazz piano and soft strings in 'Right On' makes it the stand out track, clocking in an epic seven and a half minutes.

But as Marv says himself in the sleeve notes: "[i]f you like the artist well enough to buy his or her album, you don't have to be told how groovy it is, or which tunes you should dig, or how great his or her majesty is."

Not recommended for seduction. Unless you're trying to seduce a hippie.

Free Wi-Fi in Dublin

We've all been there. Pressing your back against the closest wall to your web endowed neighbours, about the peruse the delights of thedubliner.ie only to be blocked by the words 'Security Enabled Network'. The jerks had finally cottoned on. What to do? As the saying goes there's no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as free internet access, read on as The Dubliner shares the best Wi-Fit mooching spots in the city.


1. Dylan Bar in The Dylan, Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4.

If you're looking for five star treatment with free Wi-Fi, look no further. Despite its hyper modernity, the Dylan bar is deceptively comfortable and for those needing quiet time, it's relatively kiddie free. As of last month, the new bar menu offers soup of the day for €5.95. Disclaimer: By 'five star' we mean luxury, not the flamboyant brother and sister singing group best known for their 1986 hit 'System Addict'.
The Dylan Bar, Eastmoreland Place, Dublin. 6603000, dylan.ie


2. The Market Bar, Fade St, Dublin 2.

This old sausage factory is now best known for its tapas, but the real USP of The Market Bar for Wi-Fi moochers is that it offers a heated and covered beer garden. Admittedly it's more of a beer cavern, but it means you can eat tapas, have a smoke and use your dry laptop to go online. Result. Tapas plates start at €8 and the outdoor tables are relatively wobble free.
The Market Bar, 14 Fade Street, Dublin 2. 6139094, marketbar.ie


3. McDonalds, Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin 1.

Alongside Grafton street, this little eaterie was one of the first McDonalds to open in Ireland back in 1977. Now open 24 hours, this branch also houses a McCafe following refurbishments that saw the gaudy cream and pinks being replaced by dark wood and fast broadband. With the Euro Saver menu expanding to include €2 coffee and €1 hamburgers, one question still baffles, does anyone have the apple bags instead of fries? Anyone?
McDonalds Restuarant, 50 to 51 Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. 8720050, mcdonalds.ie


4. Green Nineteen Cafe, Camden Street, Dublin 2.

Shepard Fairey's stencil portrait of Obama, that's the 'Hope' poster to you and me, greets visitors to this Camden Street caff. It's a pretty ambitious first impression, but the attention to detail in all aspects of Green Nineteen just saves it. The wide tables can fit laptop and a lunch comfortably and the Soup of the Day comes in at €4. We also like that the menu points out Tap Water cost €0.
Green Nineteen Cafe, 19 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2. 478 9626, green19.ie


5. Stir Cafe in the Maldron Hotel, Smithfield, Dublin 7.

Smithfield Plaza is surprisingly scant for free Wi-Fi opportunities. But through extensive research and common sense we have learned, where there is a hotel, there is generally free Wi-Fi. Smithfield's Maldron hotel houses the Stir Cafe & Bar, although the decor is a bit clinical and the atmosphere formal, the Wi-Fi is reliable and speedy. Soup of the Day €4.90 or soup and any sandwich for €6.99.
Maldron Hotel, Smithfield, Dublin 7. 485 0900, maldronhotels.com


6. Insomnia, IFSC, Dublin 1.

All Insomnia cafes with the flying cup logo above the doorway provide free Wi-Fi for customers, we like this one for simultaneously web browsing and people watching. Nearby neighbours Starbucks have a card systems for internet access but it's instant connection in Insomnia. Hosted by Eircom, you won't be able to access piratebay.org but you can console yourself with their famous Lily O'Brien's Hot Chocolate (€3.10).
Insomnia, IFSC, Dublin 1. 6720320, insomnia.ie


7. Bia Bar, Lower Stephen Street, Dublin 2.

Bia Bar does food as the name suggests, but it also does free Wi-Fi as the name does not suggest. A lunchtime visit sees some solitary suits eating lunch and few laptops lingering about. Noticeably and most interestingly, there is a couple having 'the talk'. It seems like a good venue for it, quiet but not too quiet, discreet and without harsh lighting. If you're feeling particularly callous, you could use the Wi-Fi and dump them on Facebook. Soup of the Day €3.95.
Bia Bar, 28-30 Lower Stephen Street, DUBLIN 2. 4053653, biabar.ie


8. Cafe Bar in The Morrison, Ormond Quay, Dublin 1.

Paul McCartney might not approve, but the leather couches and armchairs in the Cafe Bar are worth the visit alone. With plenty of natural light, you won't do your eyes too much damage and if you look past your laptop the view of the Liffey can be soothing. The Dubliner's patented 'Soup of the Day' index, sees it come in a hefty €6.95, but remember those chairs.
Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1. 8872400, morrisonhotel.ie