Bloke From “Out In” Tallaght Wearing Liverpooel Shirt Shocker

In what will be seen as great news in the twin tracksuit capitals of the world, Robbie Keane from “out in” Tallaght, Dublin, has signed for Liverpooel in a €24m deal. In spite of Spurs’ valiant efforts to stop the Republic of Ireland striker making a cultural stereotype out of himself, Keane will return to his […]

Pointless Nostalgia: Puffa Puffa Rice

Generally speaking, I’m not one for nostalgia. Get a bunch of people of a certain vintage together in a living room or a bar and a strange mist descends over their eyes – before you know where you are, they’re dredging up half-memories of Spangles, Captain Pugwash, school medicals (including “the cold spoon”), Creamola Foam […]

Of Golfers, Skiers and Festival Goers…

Two of my pet hates in life are skiing and golf. If I need to give my reasons, you must be a skier or a golfer. I’m not either, and my experience of both made me wonder how anyone could try them twice. But beyond even participation in these sports (or, worse, watching them with […]

Book Review: Disquiet by Julia Leigh

Sunday Business Post, 1 June 2008 Australian author Julia Leigh’s rich novella centres upon the unsettling reunion of a fragmented family in the surroundings of a rambling French chateau. After a 12-year estrangement from her family, Olivia unexpectedly returns to the family seat with her two young children, Andrew and Lucy. The otherwise statuesque woman’s […]

TV Highlight of the Week…

The 137th Open Golf championship starts today at Royal Birkdale. This is great news for people who enjoy watching the Big Brother housemates sleeping, live, all through the night; they now have something equally pulsating to watch during the day.

Let’s Have Some Proper Global Warming

I sincerely hope that the weather has improved immeasurably by the time you read this. As I write this in July, we are being visited by the sort of apocalyptic weather conditions that give endangered species selection anxiety – I doubt it’s any coincidence that a colleague of mine has just named his newborn son […]

Yum

American… Voices

I’ve just heard that ad on the radio again: “Muse – LIVE at Mawwrlee Pawwrk, Dublin”. I’ve a few issues with it. First and foremost, the only thing I can think of that’s worse than spending a wet August night in ‘Mawwrlee Pawwrk’ is spending a wet August night in ‘Mawwrlee Pawwrk’ watching Muse. Secondly, […]

Soap Oprah

Considering I watch too much daytime TV, I’m appalled that I didn’t think of this. There I was, flicking through magazines in the Doctor’s surgery (there’s nothing wrong with me, it’s just easier and more comfortable than flicking through magazines in Eason’s), and I came across this piece of invaluable advice in Woman’s Way’s Letters […]

Ready-made Seoige & O’Shea replacement

If – Heaven forfend – Gráinne Seoige decides to follow Joe O’Shea and quit the cosy late-afternoon chat show, RTE bosses needn’t panic for too long. They simply need to poach TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick who, as the cover shot from RSVP magazine, below, shows, looks like a convenient hybrid of the two of them. That’s a proper BOGOF offer […]