Last night.

The Green Room with Ivan Yates Christmas Special on Virgin Media.

Sponsored by Paddy Power.

Good times.

Gidget (left) and Kenny in 2017

Gidget (right) and Kenny this afternoon

‘sup?

John P Muldoon writes:

Gidget (right) and Kenny are back this year. Gidget first appeared in your fine publication in 2015 but seems to have missed a couple of years (2018 and 2019).

Anyway, we live in the Boston area and dogs in the neighborhood get very jealous when Gidget and Kenney are featured in a renowned national/international publication such as yours…

Previously: Gidget Spinner

Earlier: Santycipation

 

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE at a press briefing today

This afternoon.

Dr Henry said the HSE had seen an extraordinary growth of infection in the past week, beyond what even the more extreme versions of modelling would have predicted.

Dr Henry said it had not seen this level of concern since the beginning of the pandemic. The five-day rolling average was now 714, up around 100% since last week.

….If the current growth rate continued on its current trajectory, he said there would be 1,000 cases a day by the end of this month and by the end of the first week in January it could be 1,500 cases a day.

But don’t be fearful.

Or stressed.

FIGHT!

Transmission levels of Covid-19 ‘very serious and dangerous’ – HSE

Earlier: Strainuinely

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Meanwhile…

Um.

‘The Six Lamps’ by Maxi celebrating Dublin GAA football’s six in a row

The votes are in.

Two days ago, with a ‘Six Lamps’ A3 print by Maxi from Dublin’s Jam Art Factory to giveaway, we asked you to tell us the most Dublin thing you’ve ever done.

Bleedin’ loads of you entered.

But there could be only one winner.

Runners-up:

Ray: When I said “ah heyor ma ger rup ow ra da ya bleedin spanner and me a bowel of bleedin coddle”.

Scottser: Keeping sketch while me da stroked me a bag o Tayto from the offo.

Winner:

ReproBertie: Ah sure c’mere till I tell ya, weren’t meself and Anto getting the bus from Dollyer into town and who did we meet only Ronnie, Philo and Bang-Bang heading to the Foggy for a few and sure how could we say no? But we were just settling into our sixth round when word came in that Heffo, Jayo, Dessie, Gilroy and all the lads were in the Boar’s Head with Mick and Carla and they all toasting Sam and Brendan. Well we were out the door like Lugs himself was after us an’ all an’ anyways. You should have seen the bleedin’ head on Anto the next morning. Some craic though.

Thanks all.

Jam Art Factory

Behold: the Nissan GT-R(X) 2050 – a radical conceptual vision of the existing GT-R and how it might appear 30 years from now.

Starting life as a design thesis by Jaebum “JB” Choi, the 3m long, 61cm high GT-R(X) is a car to be worn rather than driven.

The ‘X’ refers to the driving position: the driver lies prone with arms and legs extended in an ‘X’, wearing a close-fitting suit and helmet relaying commands to the car via a ‘direct neural link’.

The ‘purest’, presumably most terrifying driving experience imaginable.

uncrate

The Olympia Theatre Ghosts.

Harry Warren writes:

Christmas time has long been associated with magic and supernatural happenings that have no rational explanation. During the mid-winter solstice when the veil between this world and the afterlife grows thin, Dublin has many ghost stories to tell. None more so than the wonderful old-world theatre, The Olympia on Dame Street.

Originally known as “Dan Lowrey’s Star of Erin Music Hall”, the theatre opened in 1878.It changed ownership over the years and in 1923 it emerged as The Olympia Theatre. Artists from Laurel and Hardy to Noel Coward and Alec Guinness or Obi-Wan Kenobi for Star Wars fans, have all performed there, but apart from an annual Christmas pantomime performance it is now mainly used as a music venue.

It has seen performances from Adele, REM, Barenaked Ladies, Big Country, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Florence and the Machine, Foo Fighters, OMD, Radiohead and Kraftwerk to name but a few of the superlative performers that have graced its stage.

The Olympia does have a disquieting side. Over the years there have been many well attested, reports by staff, of an unearthly presence on the third floor of the theatre, along with phantom orbs of light being witnessed. Poltergeist activity has been rife over the years.

When closed for the night the upper circle bar has suffered unearthly disturbances with glasses and bottles being knocked over. There are tales of knocks on doors, ghostly footsteps echoing throughout the empty theatre and even the violent destruction of a dressing room by a discarnate entity. Most disturbingly cleaning staff have heard the sound of a child crying when the lights are low and the theatre is unoccupied.

A few years ago, an electrician friend of mine was working on a step ladder on the upper circle wiring some light fixtures, apart from the floor he was on, the only other thing lighting the theatre was the appropriately named “ghost light” an electric light that is left switched on the stage of a theatre when the theatre is closed to prevent accidents as otherwise it would be completely dark. It also allows a stage hand to navigate the theatre to find the lighting control console.

My friend was working away in the dimly lit theatre when he saw from the corner of his eye a gentleman sitting in the circle balcony facing the stage. He said a friendly “Hi” to him but had no reply, thinking nothing of it and assuming the gent was a security man he then continued working until it was time for a coffee break.

Afterwards he returned to the now empty circle, finished his job and was then joined by the theatre manager to close the premises. He asked about the other individual and the manager looked at him puzzledly and assured him he was the only one present on site. They walked the theatre from top to bottom checking all the locations and they definitely were the only ones at least, visibly there.
So, the next time you visit the Olympia and you are the last one leaving the building, look behind you and that shadow you see in the corner may not be a shadow at all.

All pics by Harry Warren

Broadsheet.ie