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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
The bicycle played a rich role in Ireland's past. Now it is key to our future
The front pages in Ireland were splashed with yellow last week after Ben Healy became the first Irish cyclist in 38 years to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. While those who cycle sometimes make a point of separating its two forms – sport and transport – they are deeply interlinked, and bumpy streets on the island of Ireland have played a part in that. In 1888, John Boyd Dunlop developed the pneumatic tyre to help his son cycle around Belfast more comfortably. The technology was first used for racing bicycles and then manufactured in a factory in central Dublin before it was brought into widespread use. The combination of the pneumatic tyre and the safety bicycle led to a boom in cycling. This new model was the iPhone of bicycles at the time, replacing earlier bikes including the penny farthing with its impractically large front wheel. Having played a crucial role in everything from grocery deliveries to the 1916 Easter Rising that put Ireland on the path to independence, bicycles have left their mark on Irish history. One of their most significant impacts has been an increase in social connectivity and less rural isolation. At its Museum of Country Life in County Mayo, the National Museum of Ireland features an exhibition on cycling and its transformative effect on Irish life, outlining how, by the 1930s, 'bicycles became the key mode of transport in every parish in Ireland, dramatically changing the social life of ordinary people'. A number of first-hand accounts are on display, including memories of cycling tens of miles to dance halls. Peggy McLoughlin recalled: 'When the dance was over, we headed on our homeward journey on our less-than-roadworthy bicycles. Only a few of us possessed lights, the girls with flash lamps positioned themselves four abreast on the road in front, with the dark unlit beings cycling half hidden in between. At the back, you'd have your fingers crossed that you wouldn't encounter any Garda.' The long distances people cycled on country roads 70 years ago put today's cycling debates in perspective. Many claim that bicycles are not practical because of distance, even when the journeys made by car within most towns and cities are much shorter than those that many of our parents or grandparents cycled. But times changed. The Celtic Tiger years brought a different boom: car ownership and usage. By the time of the financial crash in 2008, the number of cars on Irish roads had doubled in 16 years. The impact on cycling was stark. The number of secondary-school students travelling to school daily by bicycle declined from a peak of 50,648 in 1986 to 6,592 in 2011, a fall of 87%. In the late 1980s, more than 19,000 teenage girls cycled to school. That figure had fallen to only 529 in 2011. By the time the tiger was truly dead, five times as many secondary-school girls drove themselves to school than cycled. SUVs, the high bonnets of which are a deadly threat to children, have become more common than bicycles at school. But there has been a resurgence in cycling. When I started transporting my youngest child in a cargo bike in Dublin more than a decade ago, it would always turn heads. Now, cargo bikes – which can be seen as a type of indicator species – are not just a common sight in most of Dublin but are regularly spotted in Cork, Limerick and Galway too. On-street bike sharing, which improved public access and awareness of cycling in Dublin, has now spread to towns such as Athlone, Bray, Carlow, Castlebar, Kilkenny, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Sligo, Tullamore, Westport, Wexford and Wicklow. Before Covid, cycling was already on a gradual rise in the capital, a trend that was boosted by quick-build cycle routes and the protection of some existing cycle lanes with plastic bollards, which received a mixed reception. After this, the latest census in early 2022 showed that despite a significant increase in working from home, all Irish cities recorded a rise in commuting by bike. In Dublin and its suburbs, the proportion of commuters who cycle to work or education is now 8.3%. It has clearly helped that the last government – a centrist coalition that included the Green party – pumped €360m a year into walking and cycling infrastructure between 2020 and this year. The scale of this funding can be seen in context when compared with the UK, where the government allocated £300m for active travel in England in 2025 – spending less money in a country with a far higher population (57 million versus Ireland's 5 million). But inflation means that €360m doesn't go as far as it would have done in 2020. And there were other potholes along the way, including the challenge of ramping up projects and the teams to run them around the country, and what campaigners called out as questionable metrics for success. Five years on, a number of local authorities are starting to make substantial progress on joining cycle routes together into useful networks. And despite the baseless claims made by online commenters and sometimes by politicians that cycle lanes are empty or underused, there are promising signs that more people are cycling in areas where significant improvements have been made. However, the Greens lost all but one of their seats in last year's general election. With mostly rural independent members of parliament replacing them in the governing coalition, will the momentum now be lost? Will funding already spent on planning projects be wasted? Attitudes to cycling are not as polarised in Ireland as in the UK or elsewhere, but opposition to changes on streets and roads, including bus priority and pedestrianisation, is loud. Dealing with objections is a huge part of the job that councils have. There's a greater culture shock and backlash in some smaller towns, where little has changed in decades. Exaggerated claims about the alleged destruction of the fabric of towns and cities are routine. A recent examination of entry points into Dublin city centre found that just 6% of them gained notable cycling improvements in the past decade. People who cycle – and those who try it before giving up – often complain about cycle lanes that are too narrow and disconnected. Faster delivery and more focus are needed in many areas to join up routes. Ben Healy won't be in the top spot when the Tour finishes on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, but he has lit up the greatest bike race in the world with his energy and enthusiasm; something we would do well to carry over into everyday Irish cycling, to make it a truly mass-participation activity again. To borrow an old Irish election slogan: a lot done, more to do. Cian Ginty is editor of
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Museum unveils 1,300-year-old monk doodles revealing surprising complaints about hangovers
Advertisement Newly displayed 1,300-year-old doodles suggest that medieval monastic life wasn't all about solemn chants and holy scripture. Now on view at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, the scribbles are part of the 'Words on the Wave: Ireland and St. Gallen in Early Medieval Europe' exhibit until October 24. In a release shared with Fox News Digital, the museum confirmed that the medieval-focused exhibition features over 100 objects and free admission for visitors. Seventeen ancient manuscripts, on loan from Switzerland's seventh-century Abbey Library of St. Gall, will be on view for visitors. Advertisement One of the exhibit's most curious books is called Priscian's Institutiones Grammaticae, which contains 'thousands of scribbles in the margins by monks in the Old Irish language,' according to the museum. 4 Museum officials Matthew Seaver, at left, and Maeve Sikora, right, are viewing a medieval manuscript. National Museum of Ireland 4 The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology at Dublin. Kit Leong – Though the book was written in the sixth century, the doodles were penned most likely by northern Irish monks in the 850s. Advertisement '[They] offer us a rare and very real glimpse into the daily lives and personalities of early medieval Irish monks.' 'It was probably written in the monasteries of Nendrum or Bangor in the North of Ireland but was on the Continent within a decade of being written,' the press release noted. The museum also said the books feature 'witty banter' – but you'd need to understand Old Irish to get the jokes. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Advertisement Curator Matthew Seaver shared some of the highlights of the doodles with The Guardian. One monk wrote that he was 'ale-killed' — or having a hangover. Other friars scribbled complaints about cold weather and poor-quality materials. 'New parchment, bad ink. O I say nothing more,' one humorous scribbling reveals. 4 Other friars scribbled complaints about cold weather and poor-quality materials. Stiftsbibliothek, St. Gallen. In another entry, a monk worried about a Viking raid. The writing reads, 'Bitter is the wind tonight, it tosses the ocean's white hair: I fear not the coursing of a clear sea by the fierce heroes from Lothlend.' Seaver noted that the scribbles are 'full of human voices, humor, frustration and resilience.' '[They] offer us a rare and very real glimpse into the daily lives and personalities of early medieval Irish monks,' the historian said. 4 Seaver noted that the scribbles are 'full of human voices, humor, frustration and resilience.' Bridgeman via Getty Images Advertisement Also on display is an 8th-century brooch, a Viking sword and Ireland's oldest and largest container of sacred books, called the Lough Kinale Book Shrine. In a statement, NMI chair Cathal O'Donoghue said he was 'honored to be entrusted with such a significant loan.' 'This is the most significant exhibition at the National Museum, Kildare Street in decades,' O'Donoghue said. 'The exhibition of the manuscripts provides a unique context for the display of artifacts from our own collection, many of which have recently been conserved and are on public display for the first time.'
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Ireland's food history is explored in a brand-new companion book
British prime minister Winston Churchill was hostile to Ireland's neutrality during the Second World War, a period Ireland referred to as the Emergency. While the rest of the world was embroiled in a war, the fledgling Irish state's neutrality enraged Churchill, who attempted to hit the Irish where it hurt — their stomachs. With no merchant navy, Ireland was reliant on the benevolence and protection of its neighbour for many of its critical food imports. Despite Ireland's friendly status, Churchill and his cabinet often applied pressure. However, Ireland had some leverage. On one occasion, then minister of supplies, Seán Lemass, withheld the export of Guinness bound for troops in Northern Ireland, forcing the British, in turn, to release agricultural products. This is just one of hundreds of fascinating tales and anecdotes from the recently published Irish Food History: A Companion, edited by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading With the help of 32 contributors, this beautifully realised publication examines our relationship with food and drink, from prehistory right up to the phenomenon that is Ballymaloe House. 'Food is a point of access to history,' says food historian Dorothy Cashman. 'We wanted to introduce a new readership to a different way of viewing history. Sometimes, people are put off by overtly political history or are exhausted by social media. This is a different way of viewing it, and it's maybe slightly more accessible.' While, at 800 pages, this book is not meant for one sitting, its accessibility stems from the endlessly fascinating stories and characters that suck the reader in to one or a series of its 28 chapters. A 2,325-year-old bog butter weighing almost 13.5kgs recovered from Rosberry in County Kildare, dated 360 to 200 BC, alongside the keg it was found in. Image copyright of the National Museum of Ireland. The scope of topics is remarkable, from bog butter, beekeeping, and banqueting in the medieval castles of Gaelic chiefs to examinations on Irish state dining, the co-operative movement, and pub food. 'One of the amazing things we found was how far back cooking goes in Ireland,' says Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, senior lecturer in the School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, Technological University Dublin. 'The earliest evidence we found was from around 33,000 BC. We found that all the way through there's a great importance attached to hospitality and to being a good host. That carries on from the Gaelic and medieval period, right through to the 1950s or '80s and today. When someone comes into your house, no matter what you have or how bad times are, you still offer them a cup of tea and a biscuit or a sandwich. This long-standing tradition of hospitality is so ingrained in our psyche that we don't notice it until it's pointed out to us.' This hospitality was even afforded to the dead. One remarkable chapter talks us through an account of a wake at Dunquin, in Kerry, where 'wake goods were taken from the carts' and set out around the corpse, laid out on the table in the middle of the room. Tea and bread were served around the deceased, while a barrel of porter flowed freely. Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire & Dorothy Cashman. Not everyone benefitted from this apparent goodwill. A chapter entitled Hunger and Starvation in Modern Ireland is less celebratory. 'The narrative that we tend to get in school is that lots of people died during the famine, but that by the time we had our independence that was the end of people dying of starvation in Ireland,' says Máirtín. 'Ian Miller's chapter shows us it's not. He gives us some shocking examples. He has a story of a Protestant family down in West Cork who had been quite well-to-do, because they used to supply food to the British navy. Post-independence, that contract had gone and they found themselves down on their luck. When they went to look for help, they were deemed to be too wealthy. So they went home and didn't come to look for help the second time. They were found starving in their home and died in the poorhouse three days later.' Food is found in our art, music, poetry, placenames, and our native language. 'The simplest example is 'bóthar',' says Máirtín, 'The Irish word for road. The road had to be big enough for two bó, the Irish for 'cow', to pass each other.' 'There is so much knowledge tied in to the Irish language and culture. It's really important not to forget what's hidden in plain sight: Centuries of inherited wisdom of our forefathers that's held within the Irish language and heritage,' says Máirtín. 'In this time of ecological change, we need to understand nature and the traditions of working with the cycles, as our ancestors did. I think there's a new generation of chefs tapping in to that heritage now. The likes of Cúán Greene and Mark Moriarty and people like that. 'In some ways, it's influenced by the recent innovations in Nordic cuisine. Many of the graduates from Cathal Brugha St have worked in those countries and have picked that up.' Traditional Irish soda bread made from whole grain and rye flour. THE IRONY is that much of the influence for this Nordic revolution can be put down to Myrtle Allen, of Ballymaloe fame. 'One of the pioneers of that movement came to Ballymaloe as part of a Euro-Toques gathering,' says Máirtín. 'He saw how this woman in East Cork was serving simple mackerel and locally gathered Carrageen moss and questioned why they couldn't do the same in Denmark.' That pioneer was Claus Meyer, co-founder of the now world-famous Noma restaurant in Copenhagen. After his visit to Cork, he returned to Denmark and challenged his peers to do away with the truffles, foie gras, and other trappings of Mediterranean-style foods and create a Nordic cuisine using locally sourced food and traditional knowledge. When Myrtle Allen started out, not only was she challenging the fashions of the time, but also government policy. The Irish government's first programme for economic expansion (1958–63) advocated the application of scientific methods to agriculture and to food production. Traditional reliance was at odds with the desire to promote a more industrialised food industry, with increased mechanisation and increased productivity. Myrtle's menu was all about using produce that was locally sourced and cooked in a simple, respectful way. When Myrtle died in June 2018, at the age of 94, she was referred to by Georgina Campbell as 'Ireland's greatest food hero'. Few would argue. And that this publication closes with a chapter dedicated to 'the matriarch of modern Irish cooking' is a fitting tribute. 'She was so ahead of the posse, What is the zeitgeist at the moment, she was doing 50, 60 years ago and doing so unapologetically,' says Máirtín. Were she still with us today, she would, no doubt, take some pride in having partly inspired this wonderful history of what is finally becoming a rightfully celebrated cuisine. Irish Food History: A Companion edited by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman 'Irish Food History: A Companion' is available on open access from EUT+ Press. The second print run will be available to purchase from and bookshops from the end of February. 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RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
How do you get your hands on All Ireland final tickets?
Analysis: All you need to know about where those 82,006 tickets for Croke Park go on All Ireland final day As we approach the two biggest and busiest days in the GAA calendar, the hunt is on for All Ireland final tickets. With Cork meeting Tipperary in the hurling final and the football finalists to be decided this weekend, more than 160,000 spectators are expected to descend on Croke Park across the two finals later this month. 'The All Ireland final is the most coveted ticket of the year,' says Dr Siobhán Doyle, historian, author of A History of the GAA in 100 Objects and a curator at the National Museum of Ireland. But unlike the rest of the season, tickets for the two finals don't go on general sale to the public. So how can you secure your spot at game day? This is how it works. Every year the GAA allocates more than 82,000 tickets to various bodies across the country. Figures from 2024 show over 10,000 of them were earmarked for corporate and premium, while around 12,000 were distributed across smaller entities, like Croke Park Residents, staff, referees, press, overseas groups, camogie, ladies football, and so on. The remaining, and largest, chunk are allocated to supporters through the county boards, with the competing counties receiving the most significant allocations. These are then filtered down to their clubs and subsequently the club members, with clubs offering tickets to members through a draw. It follows that the best chance you can give yourself to nab a golden ticket is by being a GAA member or buying a season ticket at the start of the season. Some might be tempted to argue that tickets to the finals should be put on general sale, but there's a good reason the GAA has stuck to its guns on that front. The GAA will always maintain a grassroots stance of wanting to give back to the people in the clubs and counties, says Doyle. 'We've seen what happens when tickets go on general sale for events that are in huge demand. We've seen the controversy over things like Oasis and the price of tickets, the mayhem and stress that involves. "You can see both sides for do's and don'ts of general sale, but the GAA would always err on the side of: the All Ireland final day is not just for the two competing counties, it's the whole of Ireland. That's why each club has designated tickets. It's supposed to be a day that's a celebration, a coming to an end of a successful season that is to be celebrated by everyone across the island,' she says. 'But obviously there's going to be more demand from the competing counties." The process of trying to get a ticket can be hard and stressful. As a club member, you're at the mercy of the draw and demand typically outstrips the club's allocation. After that, the scramble to ask around to anyone you know begins. On a very rare occasion, like in 2016 and 2019, a small amount might end up on general sale. 'From someone that in a previous job has had to deal with a lot of GAA-related queries from the public, there is a lack of understanding of the process of obtaining an All Ireland ticket,' notes Doyle. This is especially true, she says, of counties that are relatively new to All Ireland finals, "counties that are beyond the traditional strongholds that don't qualify as often as, say, Dublin or Kerry in football, or Kilkenny or Tipperary in hurling." Doyle's advice to anyone desperately looking for a ticket is just let everyone know that you're looking for one. "In some instances, say for example if Tipperary are in a hurling final, you might actually be better off going beyond Tipperary to try get tickets. Contact your cousins in Antrim or contact your work colleagues in Louth, or in Kerry, because there'll be less of a demand for those tickets in clubs than there would be in competing counties. Since the price hike last year, a ticket will set you back €100 for the stands and €55 for the terrace, which is a €10 and €5 increase respectively on 2023 prices. The price increase was the first since 2019 and the second in 14 years. The cost of attending a final has steadily risen over the last three decades. CSO figures based on the consumer price index highlight how prices have changed through the years, adjusted for inflation: the All Ireland hurling final between Offaly and Limerick in 1994 cost £9 (€21.60), while the final between Cork and Clare in 2013 cost €80 (€98.64). Meanwhile, the All Ireland football final between Down and Dublin in 1994 also cost £9 (€21.60), but the 2004 final between Kerry and Mayo cost €60 (€83.95). In 2024, tickets to both finals cost €100. From RTÉ Archives, Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald and cabinet members not issued VIP invitations by GAA to the All Ireland Hurling Final as a protest in 1986 But when you're left sitting at home watching the game on TV, the 10,000 tickets that go to premium and corporate sponsors might be galling to some people. ''There's always going to be the inevitable frustration of the people in corporate boxes on All Ireland final day that haven't been to a match every year, and that's unfortunately the reality of any mega event", says Doyle. "It's a fair chunk, but at the same time that can be a lot of the bread and butter for the GAA, it's the commercial side of things. I know GAA is all about grassroots and volunteers but it doesn't pay for itself either. If the GAA has to progress and develop and be a commercially attractive association for these companies and sponsors to invest in, you have to schmooze them on All Ireland day. "Many would argue it's against the ethos of the GAA, but in a modern sporting landscape like this you have to keep up with the commercial side of things as well so you can continue to provide this product at a high level - and by product I mean the stadium, the facilities, the media coverage, the clothing, how it looks and feels, the spectator experience as well. It all feeds into that." From RTÉ Archives, Demand far greater than supply for the 1984 All Ireland Football Final between Dublin and Kerry How much are ticket sales worth to the GAA? Helpfully, the GAA publishes their revenue figures annually, giving us an insight into how valuable ticket sales are to the organisation and local GAA communities. The latest report shows the GAA reported a consolidated revenue of €132.9 million in 2024 with a consolidated surplus of €6.3 million. That figure of €132 million represented an increase of €20.9M in consolidated revenues compared to 2023. Gate receipts were worth €39.1 million, an increase of €600,000 from 2023, even though League and championship attendances dropped by 10%. The revenue from ticket sales, however, pales in comparison to income from events held at Croke Park. In 2024, the venue generated revenues of €46 million, which was an increase of €15 million on 2023's figures, thanks in part to the six concerts held there last year (Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, and Coldplay). Meanwhile, commercial income was €24.9 million, an increase of €3 million on 2023. The GAA also received €13.3 million in state funding, a decease of €1.2 million on 2023. All other income stood at €9.5 million for the year, up €2.8 million from 2023. The report also highlighted that for every euro generated by the GAA, 82 cents was reinvested directly into the development of the Association across clubs, schools, counties, and provinces. €18.3 million was distributed to county boards, €15.2 million was invested in Coaching and Games Development, €15 million went on match day and competition costs, €10.5 million was invested in capital grants for county and club developments, €9.3 million was invested in Player Welfare, and €6 million went to club supports and sister associations.
Irish Examiner
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Portrait of last Battle of Britain pilot handed over at National Museum
A portrait of the last Battle of Britain pilot, John "Paddy" Hemingway, was handed over at the National Museum of Ireland on Thursday. Group Captain Hemingway, originally from Dublin, was the final surviving member of "The Few", who took to the skies in 1940 to defend the British against Luftwaffe attacks in what became a pivotal moment of the Second World War. He died in March this year, at the age of 105. His portrait will find a permanent home at the Irish National Gallery. The portrait, unveiled by Mr Hemingway at the British Embassy in Dublin last year marking his 105th birthday, was painted by Welsh artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, 44. He was the last living pilot from the Battle of Britain and would have been 106 on July 17. Mr Llywelyn Hall is known for numerous portraits, such as the British Queen, Shane MacGowan, Amy Winehouse and other public figures. Mr Llywelyn Hall said: "I am pleased for the portrait of the Last of the Few, John Hemingway, to be a legacy for the public in John's native Ireland. "It's especially meaningful this portrait will live in Dublin as it was John's home and held in great affection. "This portrait serves as both a record of remarkable life and a testament to the rich personality beyond the uniform." Brenda Malone, curator of Irish Military History, said: "We are delighted to accept this generous gift from Dan, and are particularly happy to record John Hemingway's story, through his portrait, with us. "The National Museum collects and preserves the history of Irishmen and women's experience of military service around the world, especially in times of conflict. "John's story stands as a representation for the many Irish people who served in the Royal Air Force during WWII. "His portrait and history will form a valuable part of our collections which we hold in trust for the Irish people." Read More AI helps find formula for paint to keep buildings cooler
