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You may recall yesterday’s Easter Fun Pack competition?

Bertie Blenkinstop, Spaghetti Hoop and Condor (hijack attempt by andyourpointiswhatexactly duly noted) will be sent a fun package (above) worth €7.50 containing Clonakilty Chocolate and a toy from Clonakilty-based Little Green Dot handmade toys.

Thanks all.

Available to buy HERE

Previously: Have We Lost The True Meaning of Easter?

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What you may need to know:

1. It’s the final feature directed by Ken Loach, who’s retiring from movies at 77. He says he will continue to make the odd documentary.

2. Loach directed Poor Cow (1967), Cathy Come Home (1966), Kes (1969), Hidden Agenda (1990), My Name Is Joe (1998) and The Wind That Shakes The Barley (2006). He’s a right and proper legend. And a bit of a genius.

3. Jimmy’s Hall was filmed in Leitrim and Sligo Ireland last summer – it tells the true story of political activist Jimmy Gralton.

4. It stars Barry Ward, Simone Kirby, Andrew ‘Moriarty’ Scott and Bishop Len Brennan himself, Jim Norton.

5. Broadsheet Prognosis: Ken Do

Release Date: Summer

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The Army Bomb disposal unit at Rathfarnham Garda Station this morning after an investigation of a suspicious package addressed to Justice Minister Alan Shatter got under way. The package was intercepted at a Dublin Post Office.

Suspicious package to Alan Shatter prompts evacuation of Garda station (Irish Examiner)

Pics via House Hatcher and Cathal McMahon

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The Battle of Clontarf.

Stop blaming the Vikings.

Mick Liffey, of the HistoryHub.ie, writes:

With the millennium celebrations of the Battle of Clontarf coming up in the next few weeks your readers might be interested ina History Hub video which takes a close look at 1014. It features UCD medieval historian Elva Johnston who explains why Brian Boru was an important figure; what the battle was about; who fought it; and how the story of the battle was reshaped by Brian’s descendants.
Elva argues that the Battle of Clontarf was an internal struggle between rival, though closely related, power bases from within Ireland itself, rather than an Irish effort to repel a Viking invasion. Brian Boru’s two main opponents at the Battle of Clontarf were Máel Mórda (King of Leinster and Brian’s brother-in-law) and Sitric (Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin and Brian’s son-in-law). The graphic (above) shows how closely related the main figures on both sides were to each other….”

HistoryHub.ie

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The Wellington Monument Testimonial, Phoenix Park, Dublin this morning.

Vinny writes:

“Chaps hard at it cleaning off the steps and facade of the Wellington Testimonial just now. They’ve covered it over but it looks fairly substantial.”

Update:

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The Testimonial testimonial yesterday.

Via Jackrants (thanks onetwothreefour)

Update:

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Splutter.

Atticus writes:

“Funnily enough I was there [Wellington MonumentTestimonial] on Sunday for an evening stroll and took this pic. Wellington’s column eh?”

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[Top: Kurt Cobain outside Old Grand Parade Hotel, Grand Parade, Cork City and (above) a flyer for the Sonic Youth/Nirvana gig at Sir Henry’s]

Nirvana played support to Sonic Youth at the 750-capacity Sir Henry’s in Cork on Tuesday, August 20, 1991.

Yesterday journalist Brian O’Connell (on RTE’s Today with Seán O’Rourke), asked former Sir Henry’s manager Seán O’Neill how many actually attended..

“On the night, we didn’t actually sell-out, it was a Tuesday night, this was Sonic Youth gig, really more than Nirvana, which was the support band. I would say probably we had about 300 at the end of the night. My recollection, I think there was about 14 people watching Nirvana at the start, now a few joined afterwards all right but nothing like what people say. People who weren’t even at the gig are now at the gig, you know, or now were at the gig and foresaw everything that was gonna come down the line.”

Oh.

Related: When Nirvana Came To Town (Des O’Driscoll, Irish Examiner)

Previously: “I Didn’t Know Until This Year That The Name Cobain Was Irish”

Pic: Kcobaindaily

Broadsheet.ie