It’s been another relatively uneventful couple of weeks in Dublin. There has been a noticeable shift in the weather, with the lows dipping into low 50s F / upper single digits C, and some rain although still plenty of bright, beautiful days as well. Work has picked up somewhat, which is a welcome change after a slow period from mid-August to mid-September. The news has been preoccupied with...
Muggy weather, social life highlights, eve of Dublin Pride
It’s been a warm but somewhat grey June in Dublin. Today has been one of the warmer days, with highs in the low 70s F / low 20s C, and humid – but nothing like the heatwaves that continental Europe or the U.S. have been having recently. There is no denying summer is here, now that we’re past the solstice. The sun doesn’t set until around 10:00pm these days. A well-timed photo...
Wet weekend, visit to the National Gallery, O’Donoghues pub
This is apparently my 300th blog post, which averages out to about four posts a week since I moved to Ireland in October 2020, thanks to the almost daily posts during my first six months here. Nowadays, I’m writing about 2-3 posts per week. Life has become more mundane ever since I started working six months ago, so there has been less to write about, but I still find the blog to be an...
St. Brigid’s Day / Gaelic festival of Imbolc, 100th anniversary of James Joyce’s “Ulysses”
The beginning of February brought some wet and windy weather, and also marks St. Brigid’s Day / Gaelic festival of Imbolc. A summary from Wikipedia: “Imbolc / St. Brigid’s Day is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians it is the feast day of St. Brigid, Ireland’s matron saint. The holiday begins on the evening of 1st February and ends...
Weekend visitor, 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday
My friend S., whom I had not seen since Christmas, came for a visit to Dublin for the weekend. I met him at the Spire after his train arrived in the afternoon, then we had lunch at a Japanese place, Musashi, on Capel Street — bento boxes with katsu curry, sushi and gyoza. On a whim, we decided to go see a one-man theatrical performance in the evening by Gabriel Byrne, a well known Irish movie...
“Yanksgiving”, another weekend away, and the Late Late Toy Show
Work continues to be hectic and very stressful. On short notice, our interim director’s last day was announced to be last Friday. Meanwhile, our regular director who has been out on medical leave for the past few months is returning. Each morning I dread logging into inbox to see more and more emails piling up. I’m sure it has contributed to me getting sick. For Thanksgiving this year, I...
Budget Day in Ireland, founding member and leader of The Chieftans dies
I’ve been good about getting out for walks after work so far this week. Following a relatively warm weekend, cooler air has returned, with highs in upper 50s F / low 10s C, but it’s been mostly dry. There have been more beautiful sunsets in the sky above Dublin. Grand Canal in the Portobello neighbourhood St. Patrick’s Cathedral Park Budget Day in Ireland The topic that has dominated...
Outdoor exhibit at IMMA, Gaze LGBTQ+ film festival, payroll taxes
It’s been a blustery weekend, with rain showers on and off. Nighttime lows have dipped down into the mid 40s F / around 8 C., and I definitely notice the chillier air in the evenings and first thing in the morning. It’s supposed to warm up somewhat later this week when the remnants of hurricane Sam, which is currently making its way across the Atlantic. Despite the moody weather, I spent...
Culture Night in Dublin, and a spectacular sunset
Work continues to be absurdly busy, so I couldn’t wait for the week to be over. This Friday evening was Culture Night in Ireland, described as: “An annual, all-island public event which takes place each year on the third Friday of September, Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir celebrates culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is...