Author Archives: Nick Kelly

Dublin Castle, early 1922

Was it for this?

Partially.

FIGHT!

The Handover of Dublin Castle: A Centenary Conference (Eventbrite)

RTÉ Archive

This morning/afternoon.

Via BBC:

Ikea has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who need to self-isolate because of Covid exposure and in some cases for workers who test positive.

The retail giant acknowledged it was an “emotive topic” but said its policy had to evolve with changing circumstances.

…At Ikea unvaccinated workers, who do not have mitigating circumstances, who test positive will be paid in line with company sick pay.

Unvaccinated workers, without mitigating circumstances and required to isolate owing to being identified as a close contact, could now receive as little as £96.35 a week – the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) minimum.

Ikea cuts sick pay for unvaccinated staff forced to self-isolate (BBC)

RollingNews

Dublin.

The capital of cargo plane painting.

Gulp.

Sweary.

Earlier: New Balls

Meanwhile…

This guy.

Fly The Nest – Old Street Lovers

He’s as free as a bird now.

Hailing from the Dublin suburb of Ballinteer, Stephen Cooper (top) is spreading his wings as Fly The Nest.

The single above was one of the standout tracks of last year – and top marks too for the video. Now Stephen has just released the follow-up Say Hello, produced by Pete Doherty.

He also writes music for an advertising company in LA.

Stephen says of the new single:

“Something doesn’t work out, and you’re waiting for that person to come back – you could nearly be waiting till you’re an old man. It gets into that.”

Nick says: May the Nest man win.

Fly The Nest

Brevner – More Of Us

Singing truth to power.

Matt Brevner (top) is a rapper from New Westminster in British Columbia, Canada, and now based in Vancouver.

This is his powerful cri de coeur calling out Covid cult-like behaviour.

Who says the devil has all the best tunes?

Nick says: Are you listening, Mr Trudeau?

Brevner

Thank Frosty it’s Friday.

And a happy new year to all you good good people.

With snow falling on cedars and other trees today, there can be only one theme to this week’s voucher-less music chat: what’s your favourite song about or featuring snow?

Here’s mine.

Please include video links if possible.

Lines close on Saturday at Midday.

Meanwhile…

The Pogues & The Dubliners – The Irish Rover

Last month, I asked you for your favourite drinking song. Goldenbrown won my esteem with this entry:

“A great drinking song about the drink – and a great tale – I wanted it to be a true story LOL. And it’s my party trick when I’m out on the jar.”

Nick says: Thanks Goldenbrown and all who entered.

Pic: Freebird, Dublin

This afternoon.

Fleet Street Car Park, Dublin 2.

Musicians – above from left: Bridin (on harp) with members of Kila: Colm O Snodaigh, Brian Hogan, Ronan O Snodaigh, and Dave Hingerty – perform an impromptu live session in the car park next to the Oliver Sty John Gogarty pub to mark the launch of TradFest Temple Bar 2022, running from January 26-30.

Tradfest 2022

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Car park, you say?

Anyone?