Author Archives: Bodger

A motion put forward by Independent councillors Cieran Perry, Nial Ring, Christy Burke, John Lyons, Noeleen Reilly and Sinn Féin

RTÉ reports:

Dublin City Councillors have voted to boycott the ceremony to commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police.

The motion described the event planned to be held in Dublin Castle on 17 January as “obscene”.

It pointed out that this force identified those to be executed after the 1916 Rising.

It stated “only a subservient government suffering from a post-colonial state of mind and ashamed of our revolutionary history would encourage this disgraceful event”.

The motion was passed by 38 votes to 10 – those voting against included Fine Gael councillors.

Dublin City Council votes to boycott RIC ceremony (RTÉ)

Varadkar defends holding RIC commemoration amid boycotts of event (The Irish Times)

Free next Thursday week?

January 16, 2019, at 6.30pm.

In Phizzfest’s The Space, an arts and culture venue in Phibsborough, Dublin 7,

They write:

“Phizzfest The Space is delighted to present ‘Another Ithaca’: an evening of poetry, prose and conversation, which celebrates cross-cultural artistic collaboration as it considers the issue of direct provision in Ireland.

‘Another Ithaca’ comes out of Correspondences, an acclaimed anthology edited by Stephen Rea and Jessica Traynor, that pairs writers, photographers and visual artists in the direct provision system with Irish writers and artists (all proceeds to Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland).

…contributors Katie Donovan, Incaf Yalsinkaya, Jessica Traynor, Marwa Zamir, performance poet Mimmie Malaba and others to be announced will read from their work and discuss the remarkable artistic journey of cultural intersection and mentorship that led to the anthology – along with the wider issues around direct provision.”

Another Ithaca – a cross-cultural evening of literature (Facebook)

Correspondences (Stinging Fly)

Earlier: “The More People You Have In A Centre, The More Money You Can Make”


This afternoon.

Met Éireann issued two Status Yellow wind warnings for tomorrow.

One is for counties Donegal, Mayo and Galway, valid from 1am tomorrow until 8pm tomorrow evening.

The other is for counties Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo, valid from 6am tomorrow until 8pm tomorrow evening.

Via Met Éireann

The first Irish JYSK store in Naas, County Kildare

This afternoon

Danish interiors giant JYSK announce 7 new stores to open in Ireland in the first half of 2020.

Emer writes:

The retailer is set to open 40 JYSK stores in Ireland over the next three to five years.

The next two stores will open in Waterford on Thursday, 27th February, and Limerick on Thursday, 26th March.

Following this, JYSK has its sights set on opening stores in Sligo, Carlow and Dublin, plus two stores in Cork city, during summer 2020. JYSK will create more than 70 full-time jobs with the opening of these new stores…

Pic: Andres Poveda

Last night.

On RTÉ’s Room To Improve, gardener Diarmuid Gavin, above right, teased architect Dermot Bannon, above left, about having pampas grass in his garden.

On the show, Mr Bannon is renovating a property he bought for him and his family in Drumcondra, Dublin 3, and the final results of the makeover will be revealed on RTÉ One next Sunday night.

Pampas grass?

In 2017, the UK Independent reported:

Pampas grass sales have plummeted due to their particular sexual connotations.

Once a common plant outside suburban houses, pampas grass became known as a sign that the residents were swingers.

The plant, native to South America, serves as a signal to passers-by.

Meanwhile…

Maeve O’Hair, in Tipperary, tweetz:

Morto here after Diarmuid Gavin‘s revelations on Room To Improve with Dermot Bannon. Full frontal pampas grass and I as innocent as the day is long…

Pampas grass sales drop due to swinging connotations (UK Independent, May 2017)