Oooh.

Very posh.

Slightly Bemused writes:

I did promise to update once my new bathroom was done. I know I am out of day, but if anyone is interested, here are a few pics (above) of my new bathroom. No more burgundy hell. Apparently grey is the new ‘in’ colour, but my landlady held out for the warmer sand colour.

The tilers were incredible, 3 walls and the floor in less than 5 hours. The slabbers (who put up a waterproof wall covering and repaired my collapsed kitchen ceiling) took about the same time, all the while being bombarded by my questions. Turned out the electrician went to school with my brother, and I with his. This is truly still a small town.

For all the inconvenience of not having a convenience, it was truly a joy to watch masters of their craft at work.

Previously: Toilet Humour (Slightly Bemused)

Gulp.

Steve writes:

Further to your “View to Achill” item yesterday, I was looking for the location in Google Maps and stumbled across this nearby item of interest – an aircraft overflight.

However, when in 3D view, it gets a bit distorted, making it look like it’s on a low-level bombing run of Achill Island…

Yesterday: View To Achill

South William Street, Dublin 2

Before you leave…

Pre-booking is required where a distance of two metres between tables cannot be maintained.

A maximum limit of six people will be able to sit at each table and they can all be from different households.

Their time there will be limited to one hour and 45 minutes though, unless the tables are spaced two metres or more apart.

Multiple table bookings for the same group will not be allowed, ruling out the holding of Christmas parties or events.

One member of each party will still have to give their name and contact details for potential contact tracing if required.

No live music or loud music will also be permitted, nor will live performances.

Venues that are serving food and beverages will have to be cleared of all customers by 11.30pm and nightclubs and discos will remain shut.

Late Late Show and Deliveroo so.

Restaurants, cafes and some pubs reopening (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Kevin Higgins.

You’ve read his poetry.

Now wear it.

Sweden-born artist Gunilla Andersson, whose photograph features on the cover of poet Kevin”s latest book, has made jewellery – brooches, earrings, and necklaces – featuring lines from Kevin’s poems.

This jewellery is now on sale, with 100% of the proceeds going to Galway Cope Homeless Services.

Gunilla says:

“I met Kevin at a poetry reading in a wine cellar in Galway late 90s when I was spending a summer working with Macnas, preparing for the Arts Festival. We have been friends ever since and somehow now was the time for a collaboration. He needed a cover picture for his latest poetry bundle and I suggested randomly adding his words to my pictures, printing them out, and cutting them up to see what happened. This jewelry is the result.”

kevin says:

“We are selling each brooch, necklace, and pair of earrings for €20.This offer is specifically available to those in Galway and surrounding counties as you should contact me on 087-6431748 to make an appointment to choose and collect your favourite necklace, pair of earrings, or brooch. As well as being something you might wear, these could become collector’s items for poetry aficionados.”

To purchase a piece of the jewellery, and a copy of Kevin’s book see here.

Irish-made stocking fillers to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘irish-made Stocking Fillers.

Recent examples of street art in Dublin including Liberty Lane (above) in Dublin 8

Dublin Street Art.

Harry Warren writes:

I love walking around Dublin and discovering new street art Frequently I will take a quick photo of a new piece of art as you never know how long it will be there. Art isn’t just for stuffy institutions and galleries. Street art can simply be a visual treat on its own merit, or for many artists, it is also a creative space for political and social commentary.

Dublin is lucky to have a vibrant bunch of urban artists, street artists and muralists. Their creativity and vitality are accessible to one and all and it brings a much-needed brightness and soul to many areas suffering from bland architecture and monotonous design.

To name but a few, not forgetting that there are artist collectives as well, the creativity by artists like Canvas, Solus and Maser are always a joy to behold. Aches is a master of colour and perspective. Emma Blake‘s artwork “Not Asking For It” painted in Dublin at what was the Bernard Shaw pub in Richmond St is a thought provoking example of social and political commentary in a very accessible form.

If you would like to see some excellent examples of Dublin’s vibrant street art scene, take a stroll along Liberty Lane, it is an alleyway that connects Kevin St to Camden Row in Dublin and it features a continuously changing canvas of colourful street art and graffiti. If you are lucky you may catch one of the artists hard at work on their latest masterpiece.

In the past Liberty Lane extended all the way to Portobello and led to the long-gone St Kevin’s Gate, that was the entrance to the Liberty of St Sepulchre but that’s for another story. Follow the route up Camden Street and check out the side streets of Grantham St and Pleasants’ Place that also feature some excellent work. Continue towards Portobello and you will find more excellent art around the environs of the old Bernard Shaw pub.

Some folk see street art as vandalism. I personally draw a distinction between a type of tagging and street art i.e. those mere scrawlings that are motivated by a desire to mark territory. It is disappointing to see tagging scribbled over a street artist work or mural, or when I see the gable end of houses, walls and apartments defaced with bad tagging.

More effort and encouragement should be put into encouraging the tagging brigade to develop their self-expression away from tagging and into more artistic efforts. Real street art is urban culture in action and more designated wall space should be given over to it.

I hope you enjoy just a few of the many photos I have taken of Dublin Street art. If any Broadsheet readers have any favourite street artists or know of some good locations to visit please let us all know in the “replies” section.

Anyone?

Pics by Harry Warren

Caribbean Rum Cake

By popular demand.

Bring de rum.

Janet writes:

Just in case you’re dreaming of the sun and turquoise waters this is a Christmas favorite from somewhere a little warmer, boozy and lush but not as heavy as puds, transform that dusty bottle of maybe not great rum at the back of the cupboard into something that lasts 24hrs max in our house.


Janet’s Caribbean Rum Cake

Ingredients:

125 g fine semolina
1 liter of milk
75 g caster sugar
15 sugar cubes or 15 tsp ( for caramel)
3 eggs
75 g of blond raisins
4 tbsp. dark rum ( I like to use a spiced ginger one, I just add ginger and cinnamon to the bottle ( sometimes red chilli) and let it rest for a week or so).

Preparation:

In a saucepan with a thick base, put the pieces of sugar on a medium heat.
Let it melt, shaking the handle of the pan often.

As soon as the caramel turns blond, pour it into a mold (preferably high and fluted, but a loaf tin works grand, silicone is handy for the turnout), tilt it in all directions to evenly distribute the caramel on the bottom and the edges.

Preheat the oven to 160 ° (th 5/6).
Put the raisins in a bowl with the rum, let them swell.

Break the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks. Put the yolks aside for now.
Beat the egg whites until stiff.

Heat the milk and powdered sugar in a saucepan.
When simmering, throw the semolina in and stir with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes, so that the semolina swells.

Off the heat, add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring thoroughly with each addition.
Add the raisins , mix again.

Then add the egg whites delicately.
Pour the preparation into the caramelized mold and bake for about 30 minutes.

Take the mold out of the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes, then turn out the semolina cake on a serving dish and let it cool. Serve warm or cold. It’s nice with ice cream, or fresh cream and stewed peaches or pineapple.

Feel free to pour on a little more rum.

Hic.

Previously: Millie’s Chrismas Eve Brownies

Janet’s Steamed Clootie

McGwire House

This morning.

Gardaí are investigating the deaths of two homeless men whose bodies were found in a hostel in Waterford city yesterday evening.

Via RTÉ:

It’s understood that the emergency services were called to the hostel, McGwire House, on Bath Street in Waterford at about 4.45pm.

They found a man, aged in his early 40s, who was unresponsive and subsequently pronounced dead.

While at the scene, they found another man, also aged in his 40s, in a bed and he was also pronounced dead

Two men found dead at hostel in Waterford city (RTÉ)

Pic: CJ Falconer

Yesterday.

During the Georgia Senate Government Oversight Committee looking at voting irregularities during the 2020 US Presidential Election.

Video footage from a count shows suitcases apparently filled with ballots pulled from under a table after supervisors told poll workers to leave and four people stayed behind to allegedly keep counting votes.

Meanwhile…

Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp roused the ire of President Trump in recent days for not doing more in response to reports of election fraud in his state. But that may be changing now that Gov. Kemp is calling for a signature audit after CCTV footage was presented on Thursday showing election workers purportedly unloading suitcases of hidden ballots.

Hours after the hearing, Gov. Kemp is reportedly now calling for a signature audit to be conducted in the state.

Georgia Governor Changes Tune After Trump Lawyers Present Troubling Video of Alleged Fraud (Town Hall)

Meanwhile…

Good times.

Behold: the “Zip Fastener Ship’ a sleek silver vessel created in 2004 by Japanese artist Yasuhiro Suzuki parting the surface of Tokyo’s Sumida River. The launch, inspired by a view of the river from a plane flying overhead, has been an annual event since 2018. Suzuki sez of it:

The undertow of the boat, which travels back and forth between Azuma-bashi Bridge and Sakura-bashi Bridge, opened up the water like a zipper to connect the other side of the river. (I hoped) that it would change the way we look at the city landscape.

colossal

Broadsheet.ie