Author Archives: Bodger

‘We Need To Talk About Ross’

A documentary about Paul Howard directed by Adrian McCarthy.

Karina at RTÉ writes:

This revealing and entertaining documentary spends time with Paul Howard, the man behind Ross O’Carroll-Kelly (top).

Described by the Irish Times as ‘Ireland’s pre-eminent satirist’ and by the Irish Independent as ‘one of the world’s funniest writers’, this documentary attempts to get inside the complex mind of workaholic wordsmith Paul Howard, a writer at the top of his career.

The exploits of his greatest anti-hero creation Ross O’Carroll-Kelly have been the subject of hundreds of weekly newspaper columns penned by Howard over twenty years, as well as eighteen ‘Ross’ novels, selling well over a million copies….

‘We Need To Talk About Ross’ at 9.35pm on RTÉ 1.

Illustration: Alan Clarke

This morning.

Further to the costly enforcement of licencing by traders of all sandwich boards in the city….

David O’Grady tweetz:

It’s not really about sandwich boards and accessibility at all is it Dublin City Council?

The one [above] is practically a wall accross the pavement on Lower Liffey Street….

Fight!

Previously: You’ll Miss Them When They’re Gone

At the border between Newry and Dundalk

The dossier marked “official-sensitive” prepared for the EU Exit Negotiations Board is dated 28 August.

It details how the findings of all advisory groups informing the government on the Northern Irish border are being kept deliberately under wraps to try to avoid hampering Britain’s intended renegotiation of the backstop agreed to by Theresa May.

…..Border solutions the report deems as having the most potential are listed as:

Regulatory and industry assurance schemes.

Trusted trader schemes.

Smarter risking (a technological solution that involves data sharing).

A Northern Ireland sanitary and phytosanitary zone to track contamination and disease.

There were significant concerns about an artificial intelligence option, which experts felt might not detect disease and chemical contamination of food.

Onboard vehicle technology which could track the location, weight and temperature of goods was also considered risky if a lorry might suddenly be taken out of service and goods offloaded into a non-registered vehicle.

Physical goods checks through mobile units could take weeks and involve lengthy periods of quarantine, the report found. The units could also be vulnerable to “targeting” and staff could be at risk, it said….

Irish border after Brexit – all ideas are beset by issues says secret paper (The Guardian)

Rollingnews

Saturday.

The National Women’s Council of Ireland tackles the scourge of uncomfortable ‘sexy bras’ aimed at men.

At least someone had the courage to say it.

It’s 2019 – we need to talk about why most bras are still so terrible (The Guardian)

This morning.

Via The Martie Keating Foundation:

A new prostate cancer campaign has been launched today urging men to WATCH for any symptoms that could be related to your prostate health, TALK with family and friends about their prostate health and ACT by going to see their GP if they have any concerns and over 50 or when they are over 45 with a family history.

The Marie Keating Foundation’s ‘Stand Up for Your Prostate’ campaign is looking to empower Irish men to be more open and comfortable discussing their health.

…Six men, including broadcasters Tony O’Donoghue and Matt Cooper (whose campaign video is above), politician Senator Neale Richmond and rugby legend and journalist Tony Ward, who have all been affected by cancer in some way, are backing the campaign, encouraging men not to put their health on the long finger.

Stand Up For Your Prostate (Marie Keating Foundation)

Hurricane Dorian slams into the Bahamas (CNN)

From top: Maiden Radio in East Side Tavern, Dublin 2; Nick Cave in Kilmainham, Dublin 8; Just Mustard at the All Together Now festival

Free this weekend?

Looking for a print?

The People’s Photography Exhibition takes place outside St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, this Saturday and Sunday.

The three excellent music-based live photos above form part of the collection of Joe Kelly who will be exhibiting them for sale over the weekend alongside dozens of other amateur photographers.

People’s Photography

Pics: Joe Kelly

Or should we say, go hailinn?

*lights clay pipe*

Old Ireland In Colour

This afternoon.

Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Celtic folk chanteuse Andrea Corr launched the annual ISPCC Brown Thomas Fashion Show with an exclusive preview of the new Autumn Winter 2019 international collections from The Designer Rooms at Brown Thomas,

Above from left: Aine O’Gorman wears Bottega Veneta dress €2500; Bronwyn Kenny wears Paco Rabanne dress €650; Andrea Corr, in a 16 Arlibgton dress price unknown; Abby Harris wears Stella McCartney gown €4500 and Thalia Heffernan wears Bottega Veneta coat €3300.

Gulp.

Regarded as a highlight of the ‘season’s social calendar,’ the luncheon is now in its 19th year and has raised nearly €1.3 million to date for the ISPCC.

In fairness.

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Ah here.

Via GMHD:

With Hobbs & Shaw, the latest movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, tearing it up at the box office, one of Ireland’s largest insurance brokers GMHD.ie has determined that The Rock’s character Luke Hobbs would be subject to an annual premium of €32,928 to be insured on Irish roads.

The whopping figure was derived based on a 2015 Ford Focus (costing €15,000) and took into account Hobbs’ reckless driving in the franchise…

The Fast And The Curious:  How Much Would It Cost To Insiure Hobbs On Irish Roads? (GMHD)