
Haunted house? Dracula author's Dublin birthplace available for €400 a night on Airbnb
short-term lets
sucking the lifeblood out of Ireland? The
debate rages on
, with a new data point to consider: you can now rent
Bram Stoker
's house on Airbnb.
The Dracula author, the only true northsider among Dublin's 19th century literary greats, was born at 15 Marino Crescent, beside the aptly named Bram Stoker Park at the point where Clontarf, Fairview and Marino join.
The Crescent, built in 1792 by the enjoyably named Charles Ffolliott as a means of blocking his enemy's view of Dublin Bay, is a pleasantly curved street of classic Georgian houses that seems a nice enough place to spend a Dublin holiday.
The Airbnb listing is disappointingly light on references to Count Dracula, citing instead 'elegant sash windows' and 'fresh towels' as selling points of the three-bed.
READ MORE
Halloween is already unavailable, but a sample Thursday-to-Sunday stay in September would set you back €1,641. That's €413.67 a night plus a €400 fee for professional cleaning – which seems a lot, but vampirism can be a messy business.
Seo libh canaig'
'Have modern fans lost their respect for true Gaels past?' Photograph: Ryan Byrne/ INPHO
One of the more curious aspects of attending matches at
Croke Park
these days is the lecture that precedes the playing of the national anthem, chiding people for any cheering they might be tempted to do before the final word is sung.
'When we sing our national anthem before we play our national games, we take pride in our unique identity and the culture that has been entrusted to us,' says the disembodied voice of the GAA. 'We all have a duty to honour that tradition and to set an example for others and for future generations to always give our anthem at our games the respect it deserves.'
Have modern fans lost their respect for true Gaels past, fallen under gunna scréach and lámhach na bpiléar? One other possible explanation: they don't know the words.
Sinn Féin TD Conor D McGuinness has pointed out that Amhrán na bhFiann isn't actually in the curriculum for Irish children, at primary or secondary level, something he considers 'shameful', 'outrageous' and, of course, a 'disgrace'.
In response to a parliamentary question from McGuinness, the Minister for Education
Helen McEntee
suggested that 'curricular frameworks provide clear pathways for schools to include Amhrán na bhFiann'. They 'might choose' to teach it in primary school history class or 'could choose' to teach it under the heading of Song Singing in primary music class.
Secondary school history 'enables study' of the anthem at various points, and in Junior or Leaving Cert music, students 'may wish' to sing the anthem as part of their practical performance exam.
Which is all to say that, no, it is not on the curriculum.
'Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are actively undermining Ireland's republican heritage,' McGuinness said, citing also the possible conversion of the GPO into a shopping centre.
'Amhrán na bhFiann should be taught to every child in every school. It's a basic expression of national identity and civic belonging.'
They could include a 'no whooping during the second last line' rule on the curriculum while they're at it.
The rocky road to Dublin
Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly arrives to a count centre in Salthill during a previous election. Photograph: Joe O'Shaughnessy
Meanwhile,
Catherine Connolly
, the left-wing independent vying to inherit the Áras, is no stranger to the trappings of power. Though seen more often these days sailing through Galway on her trusty bicycle, the firebrand was once used to a more opulent mode of transport.
In 2004, as mayor of Galway, she racked up a bill of €650 – €900 or so in today's money – on a trip in the mayoral car to see the county's minor hurlers win the All-Ireland at Croke Park. Leaning on the services of Limo Corporate Hire Irl Ltd, as the Galway City Tribune reported at the time, she was paying a rate of €25.20 per trip, plus €34.98 for waiting time.
Her markedly unsupportive deputy mayor at the time, Padraig Conneely, noted that it would have been cheaper to fly to Los Angeles – although the Galway minors weren't playing there at the time.
Trips to Croke Park to see her county should be cheaper if she wins the presidency: it's well within cycling distance up the North Circular Road.
Never say never
RTÉ's Dáithí O'Sé, 2012 Rose of Tralee Nicola McEvoy and Leo Varadkar, then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, on board a replica Famine ship for the Gathering. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
With choppy waters ahead and the Ireland's small boat at risk of being capsized once again by global waves, the Government has kept an important lifebuoy on hand. Remember The Gathering?
The 2013 'initiative' largely entailed the diaspora being wheedled into coming to Ireland and spending money in order to lift the economy out of the doldrums.
Despite not offering anything in particular other than the general idea of welcome to affluent third-generation Irish-Americans, it did actually work. Fáilte Ireland's final report found that around €21m of Government and third-party cash was spent to make an estimated €170m for the flagging economy, with 250,000 more tourists than would otherwise have been expected.
Like many a figure from folklore, The Gathering disappeared from view once its job was done, but it remains ready to creak back to life when it is needed most. The company set up by the Government to run it is still alive, filing accounts, dormant but available if needed by tourism chiefs or ministers.
Its directors, according to its accounts, are Deborah Nolan and Michelle McEvoy, heads of operations and finance respectively at Fáilte Ireland, and it has assets, liabilities, income and expenditure of zero. For now.
Grimefighter
Signsy is a masked man who has taken to cleaning up graffiti and grime. Image: Signsy/ YouTube
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a council worker? No – it's Signsy, a masked man who has taken to cleaning up graffiti and grime on the streets of
Northern Ireland
.
A version of Superman who is more concerned with the cleanliness of the public realm than crime per se, he uses WD40 and the superpower of being willing to actually do it himself to return obscured road signs to their shining-metal glory, among other amazing feats.
'I've become a hero in disguise cleaning signs, graffiti and maybe even fixing some of the potholes that seem to be everywhere,' he told Belfast Live this week. 'I may do it at any day any time in the cover of darkness to remain hidden.'
He uploads his resulting clean-up and repair videos to YouTube with his voice disguised and his face covered. He doesn't have a cape 'yet', he says. He even pledges to tackle spray-painted slogans that 'cause division within our community'.
A positive force for his locality no doubt. If he tires of anonymity, that combination of unity rhetoric and pothole-fixing ability sounds like electoral dynamite.
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The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Cork hurling captain Robert Downey praised for selfless act amid All-Ireland heartbreak and WhatsApp rumour storm
FOR the second year running Cork returned from an All-Ireland hurling final without silverware. But the manner of this year's second-half shocking collapse against Tipperary has only added to the deep pain for their 2 Robert Downey of Cork showed up at a kid's hurling camp to help out after a heartbreaking loss in last Sunday's All-Ireland final 2 A post was shared of the Cork skipper on social media at the camp earlier this week Credit: INSTA @tomken81 The Rebel county boards also During the week, speculation swirled on WhatsApp, suggesting a significant dressing-room bust-up at half-time. Amid the noise and rumours, Rebels captain Robert Downey has earned praise for a classy gesture during what must be a difficult week. The skipper turned up to help coach at a local kids' Cúl Camp. read more on hurling A photo was posted to Instagram by former Cork star Tom Kenny from the Grenagh GAA Cúl Camp. The snap showed Downey chatting and coaching the next generation of hurlers - despite the heartbreak of the previous weekend. A caption on the "Thanks to Rob Downey for calling after a tough sporting week for him. Well done boys and girls. Thanks to all the coaches, assistants and volunteers." Most read in GAA Hurling One particularly touching image shows Downey in deep conversation with a group of children as they don hurleys in their hands. The post was later shared by O'Connor Hurleys – a company co-owned by two-time All-Ireland winner Ben O'Connor – who used the moment to condemn the unfounded dressing-room claims circulating online. Liam Cahill's BBC interview gatecrashed by Tipperary GAA stars after All-Ireland final A further post stated: "To anybody ignorant or stupid enough that helped spread a rumour this week, what have you done to promote the game this week?" "This is what Rob Downey did this week after the heartache of losing an All-Ireland final. "Shame on anyone that promoted those horrible stories about our young men this week. You're not supporters, nor are you good opponent. You're lower than low.' It's not clear who runs the O'Connor Hurleys social media page, but the message pulled no punches. Regardless, Downey's decision to attend the camp was a powerful and selfless gesture that hasn't gone unnoticed in many quarters after such a challenging week for the Cork skipper.


Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Donegal and Kerry showcase football's Wild Atlantic Way
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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
The community oven built at an Irish festival, heading for Palestine
What's better than a great party? A great party with a purpose. The Great Oven Disco Cantina is a new event at this year's All Together Now festival from July 31st to August 3rd at the Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford , bringing together big names in food, music and art with a brilliant objective – to send a community oven to Palestine . This new stage and tent will feature food from Tang restaurants, the sounds of Palestinian radio station Radio Alhara, sets from the global electronic music platform Mixmag and surprise Irish artists. Everyone is coming together to raise funds to support an initiative by the Great Oven to set up their first base in Palestine. Founded by chef and TV producer James Gomez Thompson, the Great Oven is an organisation that builds giant, decorated community ovens in refugee camps, conflict zones and informal settlements. He first heard stories of community ovens as a child from his Spanish mother and grandmother. While filming a BBC series in Lebanon with Nigel Slater, he discovered similar ovens being used there. Lebanese producer Nour Matraji shared stories of her grandmother baking bread in a community oven during the civil war, and the pair joined forces to create a community oven in Tripoli with peace-building in mind. It led to an epiphany, Gomez Thompson says, 'that it shouldn't just be a thing for television, it should be an organisation that really exists'. The Great Oven was born in 2019, starting in Lebanon. READ MORE 'It was the peak of the Syrian migrant crisis and then the Beirut port explosion. But we realised we could put ovens in refugee camps and use them for emergency disaster relief.' They wanted to offer an alternative to traditional food aid and handouts, which can be temporary and impersonal. 'People need a place to cook for themselves, there's a simple dignity in the ritual of preparing your own food or sharing food,' says Gomez Thompson. The ovens are built from steel and refractory bricks; they are generally made in the style of the country in which they are built; they have made a number of Lebanese-style Manakish ovens. They can weigh up to two tonnes, and run on gas. 'A lot of people look at them and think you can just do bread, but we do everything in there. We tend to do lots of big shared tray bakes, we work with the food available.' Local artists are invited to decorate them. 'The ovens become safe spaces around which culture starts flourishing too,' says Gomez Thompson. 'People care more if they feel ownership.' The ovens become hubs for cooking, teaching, sharing and bringing people together. The Great Oven team member Ehab Olbe cooking at the Beirut headquaters Cooking at Geitawi Beirut at Nation Station after the Beirut blast So far, Great Oven has set up nine ovens in Lebanon and South Africa and is now expanding to Palestine, which is where one of the ovens from the Great Oven Disco Cantina at All Together Now will end up. The festival event is acting as a springboard and fundraiser for the Palestinian project, which aims to build a cultural bridge between Palestine and Ireland. Gomez Thompson has been based in Ireland in recent years, where he says he has found a strong connection between his work and the country's outlook. He also has family connections here. 'I'm half Spanish, half Irish. I spent a considerable amount of my childhood here, so it's great that Ireland has become such a sanctuary for this project.' The two decorated ovens, which are central to the Great Oven Disco Cantina event at All Together Now, have been decorated at the Irish Museum of Modern Art by Irish artists Maser and Aches. The food cooked in them at All Together Now will be from Tang, who are closing their Dublin restaurants for the weekend and sending their team to Waterford to run daily five-course banquets and an all-day barbecue. The menu has been created by Gomez Thompson and Tang chef Keith Coleman, featuring recipes from Great Oven refugee cooks. And there will be plenty of dancing. Music has played a big role in the Great Oven's story – early on, they turned a damaged Beirut venue into a community kitchen with a dance floor, connecting with an online Palestinian station Radio Alhara. DJs from the station will play at Great Oven Disco Cantina across the weekend, and Mixmag (the UK online dance music magazine) will host Ireland's first Mixmag Lab set, which will be streamed globally. The Great Oven co-founder James Gomez Thompson Once the festival ends, the real journey begins and the ovens will be taken to their new homes. One will go to the Wonder Cabinet creative hub in the West Bank. The other will live at Bohemian Football Club in north Dublin where it will be central to a new programme of community events – a collaboration between Gomez Thompson and Seán McCabe, Bohs' head of climate justice and sustainability – including dinners, pop-ups and possibly match day food, and involving local migrants and economically vulnerable people. 'We want to bring everything we've learnt in some of the hardest places in the world, and see how they can be applied here,' says Gomez Thompson. 'We want to make it a safe space for people from different backgrounds to start cooking and dining together. We want to do community-building banquets, very much like what we are doing at the festival. Food is the great equaliser between people.'