Today is Budget Day in Ireland. And boy is it going to be a tough one, probably the toughest budget in Irish history. Ya see, there's a significant hole in public finances after the job and construction markets collapsed and also the banks were bailed out. The government needs to make public spending cutbacks of €4 billion. That may not sound like a lot but for a small country with drastically reduced tax intake and an economy that has been absolutely battered, that's a lot.
So where are these cuts going to come from? Well, our illustrious leader, Brian Cowan, is taking a €60,000 paycut, but he'll still be one of the highest paid leaders in Europe. So that's a start at least. Most of the cuts will likely come from paycuts to the public sector as well as decreases in social assistance payments (which again, are currently among the highest in Europe).
We found a really stinging way that the government is trying to make up some lost revenue as well. A leaflet was posted through our letterbox yesterday for a town meeting to discuss the plans a local businessman has to develop some land in the centre of town...for a bigger supermarket and apartments on top. According to the leaflet, if you want to submit an objection to any planning application in the county (may apply across the country, don't know for sure), you must include €20 with your objection. Completely ridiculous, €20 to participate in public governance?
Apparently there will be no tax increases in this budget.
Stay tuned. And don't be surprised if there is an election around the corner in Ireland.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Ways to boost tourism
An article today in the RTE website talks of strategies to boost tourism in Ireland. Apparently Tourism Ireland hopes to boost the number of visitors by 3% next year, after a 12% drop in visitors in 2009 (that's 600,000 fewer visitors!). Apparently the strategy will focus on luring British and German tourists to our fair isle.
The article also admits there was a 25% drop in visitors from Britain last year, likely as many people are opting for 'staycations' during these tough economic times.
What the article doesn't state, and I haven't looked elsewhere for reasons, is why tourists aren't coming to Ireland. I've got a few ideas, so here goes.
The exchange rate and the cost of everything. Currently the pound sterling is worth about €1.10, making rough approximations as to the cost of things fairly valid. So, with this in mind, and in general people with less disposable income, I think the question should be 'why the hell are people still coming to Ireland? Hotels are expensive and often not up to the same standards as Britain or the US, car hire is expensive, eating out fairly ridiculous, and the price of a pint in Temple Bar should send every tourist scurrying back to the airport pronto.
The inconvenience of it all. Yeah, I know I complain about the inconveniences of daily life here, and that probably comes from living in Canada and the USA for too long. But it is so true! Public transport is inefficient, the roads network is good in places and quite poor in others, shopping can often be a struggle, and government services are dated on concepts from the 70s (not that tourists see that). Some people see these inconveniences as quaint, which I suppose they could be if you're here for a 2 week holiday, but they can become annoying if you life here.
So why do people come to Ireland for a vacation? I would think two main reasons. First, the scenery. Absolutely beautiful mountains, coastlines....even the bogs are gorgeous. The cultural scenery is great too (churches, ruins etc.), but I'm not sure its anything better than they already have in the UK. Most tourist spots are woefully unprepared for large numbers of tourists though. I've taken coach loads of students on trips to the west coast, and just try finding somewhere with public toilets, or where you can get a meal for 30 people on the spur of the moment.
The second reason I think would be heritage. I've stopped counting the number of people I've bumped into (mainly Americans) who are over here seeing where their forebearers came from. Mostly older and likely with a bit of disposable income and looking for a bit of comfort on their travels. The recent economic conference at Farmleigh called on the diaspora to come home to Ireland (either physically or at least to support financially), yet there appears to be no organized effort to help this along. I think a big campaign in America to get people over here for a visit would do wonders.....let's call it Come Home to Ireland - 2012. Making it two years from now should give us a bit of time to scrub up, remove some graffiti, finish a few roads, and to allow the floodwaters to drop.
The article also admits there was a 25% drop in visitors from Britain last year, likely as many people are opting for 'staycations' during these tough economic times.
What the article doesn't state, and I haven't looked elsewhere for reasons, is why tourists aren't coming to Ireland. I've got a few ideas, so here goes.
The exchange rate and the cost of everything. Currently the pound sterling is worth about €1.10, making rough approximations as to the cost of things fairly valid. So, with this in mind, and in general people with less disposable income, I think the question should be 'why the hell are people still coming to Ireland? Hotels are expensive and often not up to the same standards as Britain or the US, car hire is expensive, eating out fairly ridiculous, and the price of a pint in Temple Bar should send every tourist scurrying back to the airport pronto.
The inconvenience of it all. Yeah, I know I complain about the inconveniences of daily life here, and that probably comes from living in Canada and the USA for too long. But it is so true! Public transport is inefficient, the roads network is good in places and quite poor in others, shopping can often be a struggle, and government services are dated on concepts from the 70s (not that tourists see that). Some people see these inconveniences as quaint, which I suppose they could be if you're here for a 2 week holiday, but they can become annoying if you life here.
So why do people come to Ireland for a vacation? I would think two main reasons. First, the scenery. Absolutely beautiful mountains, coastlines....even the bogs are gorgeous. The cultural scenery is great too (churches, ruins etc.), but I'm not sure its anything better than they already have in the UK. Most tourist spots are woefully unprepared for large numbers of tourists though. I've taken coach loads of students on trips to the west coast, and just try finding somewhere with public toilets, or where you can get a meal for 30 people on the spur of the moment.
The second reason I think would be heritage. I've stopped counting the number of people I've bumped into (mainly Americans) who are over here seeing where their forebearers came from. Mostly older and likely with a bit of disposable income and looking for a bit of comfort on their travels. The recent economic conference at Farmleigh called on the diaspora to come home to Ireland (either physically or at least to support financially), yet there appears to be no organized effort to help this along. I think a big campaign in America to get people over here for a visit would do wonders.....let's call it Come Home to Ireland - 2012. Making it two years from now should give us a bit of time to scrub up, remove some graffiti, finish a few roads, and to allow the floodwaters to drop.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
The trains are back in North County Dublin!
Well, the trains are now running again since they've fixed the bridge at Malahide. Replaced the bridge, rather. The first day back was last Monday, and now that the week is over I've been on that train 10 times. Not once has the train been on time. Not once. I think the drivers have forgotten how they work.
And now they've just announced a new schedule for the northern commuter trains (not that they follow the old schedule anymore). And of course, fewer trains during the evening rush hour. Yeah Irish Rail, that's not exactly the way to get your customers back after cancelling services for 3 months now, is it?
And now they've just announced a new schedule for the northern commuter trains (not that they follow the old schedule anymore). And of course, fewer trains during the evening rush hour. Yeah Irish Rail, that's not exactly the way to get your customers back after cancelling services for 3 months now, is it?
Ireland and the Hand of Frog
It's been three days since Thierry Henry 'handed' Ireland their exit from the World Cup, and the papers are still full of the fury. I'm not even Irish and I was raging. Catherine isn't Irish and hates football and she was mad. Accusations that FIFA wanted France to win, that Henry knew exactly what he was doing, and suggestions that the French Football Federation (FFF) should do the right thing and offer a replay are all common themes. Even the French people appear ashamed of their hollow victory (almost all of the newspapers are carrying apology letters from French people).
But something struck me about the level of upset seen in Ireland over this whole affair. It's not all about football (or soccer as the Irish call it), as none of the players even play for Irish clubs and it's not even all that popular a game here (rugby, hurling and Gaelic football are arguably more popular with spectators in Ireland). No, it's all part of a strong feeling running through the Irish these days of having been screwed over by the 'authorities' one too many times recently. The government is unpopular and doesn't listen to the people, the banks and developers conspired to get us into this economic mess, and Ireland is feeling alienated by the EU. And now we have the opportunity to feel good about ourselves for once.....and who takes it away? Another EU country, and an institution (FIFA) that appears biased and corrupt and lacking in moral fibre and sense of fair play. The FFF are also guilty of that Gallic shrug that says 'we don't care about you, we won, it may not have been fair but we are going to South Africa'. Where have we seen that attitude before? Oh yeah, the government, the banks, and the developers who got us into this financial mess.
There's lots of public outrage in Ireland these days; I hear it on the street, in the office, on the radio, and in the pubs. This is just another instance of the little guys getting screwed and those that make the rules saying tough.
Shame on France, shame on FIFA, and shame on the FFF. And well done to the Irish team. A brilliant display.
But something struck me about the level of upset seen in Ireland over this whole affair. It's not all about football (or soccer as the Irish call it), as none of the players even play for Irish clubs and it's not even all that popular a game here (rugby, hurling and Gaelic football are arguably more popular with spectators in Ireland). No, it's all part of a strong feeling running through the Irish these days of having been screwed over by the 'authorities' one too many times recently. The government is unpopular and doesn't listen to the people, the banks and developers conspired to get us into this economic mess, and Ireland is feeling alienated by the EU. And now we have the opportunity to feel good about ourselves for once.....and who takes it away? Another EU country, and an institution (FIFA) that appears biased and corrupt and lacking in moral fibre and sense of fair play. The FFF are also guilty of that Gallic shrug that says 'we don't care about you, we won, it may not have been fair but we are going to South Africa'. Where have we seen that attitude before? Oh yeah, the government, the banks, and the developers who got us into this financial mess.
There's lots of public outrage in Ireland these days; I hear it on the street, in the office, on the radio, and in the pubs. This is just another instance of the little guys getting screwed and those that make the rules saying tough.
Shame on France, shame on FIFA, and shame on the FFF. And well done to the Irish team. A brilliant display.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
The Arctic Fox...in Dundalk?
This past weekend I did a bit of a spur-of-the-moment trip to Dundalk to do some coastal walking. What looked great on the map turned out to be a series of salt marshes that are a pain in the *ss for walking. So, I didn't explore as much as I wanted to, and ended up spending part of the afternoon exploring the lovely (?) city of Dundalk.
Not much to report about the town. Fairly large, a bit dreary, prosperous perhaps in a bygone day. But one thing did really stand out at me. Walking along some old but anonymous backstreet I spied one of those blue tourist signs attached to a building that usually designates the birthplace, deathplace (?), or former residence of someone barely famous. But this one got me excited....this run-down, fairly large house (for sale too!) was the birthplace of Sir Francis Leopold McClintock. Who? Well, a houshold name amongst those with an interest in the Arctic, McClintock explored huge areas of the Arctic in the search for Franklin in the mid-1800's, he mapped Melville Island and discovered both Price of Wales Island and Prince Patrick Island. Not bad for a kid from Dundalk.
Not much to report about the town. Fairly large, a bit dreary, prosperous perhaps in a bygone day. But one thing did really stand out at me. Walking along some old but anonymous backstreet I spied one of those blue tourist signs attached to a building that usually designates the birthplace, deathplace (?), or former residence of someone barely famous. But this one got me excited....this run-down, fairly large house (for sale too!) was the birthplace of Sir Francis Leopold McClintock. Who? Well, a houshold name amongst those with an interest in the Arctic, McClintock explored huge areas of the Arctic in the search for Franklin in the mid-1800's, he mapped Melville Island and discovered both Price of Wales Island and Prince Patrick Island. Not bad for a kid from Dundalk.
Friday, 23 October 2009
Letting the days go by....
It's been a while since my last post. Just letting the days go by I suppose. Maybe it's because I'm becoming very drained by my commuting situation. The train bridge is still not fixed so I'm relegated to the bus still.
I must say that Dublin Bus has done a surprisingly good job of putting on plenty of buses to serve our town, but it still adds 45 minutes each way to my commute and also means I have to leave an hour earlier to avoid traffic. If I arrive at the bus stop anytime past 7 am, then the traffic on the highway into town is way too heavy and it becomes a nightmare. Oh well, I'm sort of getting used to the early mornings but I do yearn for the train to come back.
On other notes here in Ireland, it looks like there will be a public sector strike coming soon. Public sector workers have been told they'll have to take a 7% pay cut to 'do their bit' during the recession. This on top of the 5-7% pension levy they also had to pay. While Ireland does apparently have the highest-paid public sectors in Europe (and by the looks of things, the most bloated), this is a bit steep. I'm not public sector but this still raise my hackles. Especially when AIB Bank, which is now effectively owned by the government and taxpayer and something like €80 billion in the hole, has just voted themselves a 3% pay rise.
I also wouldn't mind paying my share if I saw a solid government plan for getting out of this deficit. Taxing your way out of a recesssion doesn't work, neither does continually cutting wages. Let's face it, this country is in a very bad state, and the government has no clue how to get out of it. Banana Republic economics all around.
I must say that Dublin Bus has done a surprisingly good job of putting on plenty of buses to serve our town, but it still adds 45 minutes each way to my commute and also means I have to leave an hour earlier to avoid traffic. If I arrive at the bus stop anytime past 7 am, then the traffic on the highway into town is way too heavy and it becomes a nightmare. Oh well, I'm sort of getting used to the early mornings but I do yearn for the train to come back.
On other notes here in Ireland, it looks like there will be a public sector strike coming soon. Public sector workers have been told they'll have to take a 7% pay cut to 'do their bit' during the recession. This on top of the 5-7% pension levy they also had to pay. While Ireland does apparently have the highest-paid public sectors in Europe (and by the looks of things, the most bloated), this is a bit steep. I'm not public sector but this still raise my hackles. Especially when AIB Bank, which is now effectively owned by the government and taxpayer and something like €80 billion in the hole, has just voted themselves a 3% pay rise.
I also wouldn't mind paying my share if I saw a solid government plan for getting out of this deficit. Taxing your way out of a recesssion doesn't work, neither does continually cutting wages. Let's face it, this country is in a very bad state, and the government has no clue how to get out of it. Banana Republic economics all around.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Sunday in the Wicklow Mountains
We've had a visitor with us from Canada, Glen, who's never been to Ireland before. So Catherine and I figured we'd show him a few of the sights (although he was great about getting out and exploring on his own). So, early Sunday morning Glen and I headed up to the Wicklow Mountains for a bit of a drive and some fresh air. Here's a photo from the Wicklow Gap area....very pretty.
Now the town of Glendalough is quite touristy but not much else is in the area, so it's great for just wandering without the fear of packs of Spanish tourists.
Now the town of Glendalough is quite touristy but not much else is in the area, so it's great for just wandering without the fear of packs of Spanish tourists. We made it back home just in town to head to the pub for the All-Ireland Championships (Gaelic Football), Kerry vs. Cork. A cracking match and we both enjoyed it, as did the whole pub. Now that's a sport I'm going to enjoy, along with hurling. Not quite a full replacement for hockey but it's a start.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Sunshine on the Aran Islands
This past weekend was our first weekend trip with the new students. The plan was to head to Galway for Friday night, Saturday travelling through the Burren, on to the Cliffs of Moher, and then overnight in the small village of Doolin. Sunday was a ferry to Inis Mor (one of the Aran Islands) where the students were free to explore in their own way. So, it's the kind of trip that could be a complete washout in the event of rain.
But, the weather gods shined on us, boy did they ever! Each day was about 23oC and sunny and calm. Not a cloud in the sky. I even got a tan. Yep, a tan, in Ireland, in September!
The Aran Islands, when the sun is shining, must be one of the most beautiful, peaceful, scenic, cultural etc. places in Europe. Stone walls, abandoned churches, small villages, crashing waves....lovely. I'll post some pictures soon.
But, the weather gods shined on us, boy did they ever! Each day was about 23oC and sunny and calm. Not a cloud in the sky. I even got a tan. Yep, a tan, in Ireland, in September!
The Aran Islands, when the sun is shining, must be one of the most beautiful, peaceful, scenic, cultural etc. places in Europe. Stone walls, abandoned churches, small villages, crashing waves....lovely. I'll post some pictures soon.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
A Change in the Weather...
We're making some final preparations for our weekend trip to the west coast of Ireland. Lilly is on the phone to various B&Bs in Doolin to try and find a place for our bus driver to stay, but everything seems booked out. In questioning the fifth B&B 'is there something going on in Doolin this weekend', the response from the B&B owner made us laugh.
'The sun is shining'.
Only in Ireland.
'The sun is shining'.
Only in Ireland.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Dublin's new IKEA
So, the long anticipated IKEA store opened in Dublin in late July. Apparently the store was ready months ago but the regional government hadn't done their part in finishing the roads leading to the store. Prior to this store opening, Dubs traveled in convoy to the store in Belfast, where the parking lot was filled with a good percentage of cars from the Republic.
Catherine and I had been trying to buy a new bed for a while now, and the Belfast store was either out of stock all the time or only had stock when we couldn't make it up there. So, we were resigned to waiting for the new Dublin store to open, even though prices are guaranteed to be much higher in Rip Off Ireland. We went out to the store a couple of Sundays ago....big mistake. Packed to the rafters with people who had never been to IKEA and didn't understand IKEA etiquette. You follow the arrows people, and don't block the main aisle. If you want to have a chinwag about how great the stuff is, please pull off to the side. Oh yeah, of course it was like a family outing as well, with several generations of Dubs blocking the aisles at the same time. And of course the bed we wanted was out of stock (somehow we still managed to spend €200 on things we didn't go there for).
So yesterday I took a rare day off work and took the bus to the store again, having called first to check the bed was in stock. The bus ride was an adventure in itself. First it goes through the leafy suburbs of Glasnevin, before traveling through the horror that is Ballymun. My god, people actually live there. Burned out buildings, graffiti everywhere, aimless youth just hanging around looking menacing. Grim grim place. At least they're starting to bulldoze it to start again after its been recognized as one of the worst social housing experiments in Europe.
Made is to IKEA, bought the bed, and now I'm sitting at home waiting for delivery. Then I just have to put the damn thing together!
Catherine and I had been trying to buy a new bed for a while now, and the Belfast store was either out of stock all the time or only had stock when we couldn't make it up there. So, we were resigned to waiting for the new Dublin store to open, even though prices are guaranteed to be much higher in Rip Off Ireland. We went out to the store a couple of Sundays ago....big mistake. Packed to the rafters with people who had never been to IKEA and didn't understand IKEA etiquette. You follow the arrows people, and don't block the main aisle. If you want to have a chinwag about how great the stuff is, please pull off to the side. Oh yeah, of course it was like a family outing as well, with several generations of Dubs blocking the aisles at the same time. And of course the bed we wanted was out of stock (somehow we still managed to spend €200 on things we didn't go there for).
So yesterday I took a rare day off work and took the bus to the store again, having called first to check the bed was in stock. The bus ride was an adventure in itself. First it goes through the leafy suburbs of Glasnevin, before traveling through the horror that is Ballymun. My god, people actually live there. Burned out buildings, graffiti everywhere, aimless youth just hanging around looking menacing. Grim grim place. At least they're starting to bulldoze it to start again after its been recognized as one of the worst social housing experiments in Europe.
Made is to IKEA, bought the bed, and now I'm sitting at home waiting for delivery. Then I just have to put the damn thing together!
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Rail fiasco update
Here is an update on the causes of the near disaster on the northern Dublin commuter line. It looks like scour around the bridge piers is going to take the blame, but I stand by my semi-expert opinion that this doesn't happen overnight. Spotted apparently by some boy scouts but not Irish Rail. Somebody dropped the ball on this one and should pay with their job. Of course this being Ireland that won't happen, because we all know that 'it will be grand'.
As for replacement services for commuters, I must say that I am fairly impressed with Dublin Bus and the way they've picked up the slack. From 6:30 to 9:00 am there is an express bus from Skerries to Tara Street that takes about 50 minutes. Only about 10 minutes more than the rail commute, but certainly not as convenient a drop point for my office. Evening rush hour is similar, with good fast service but inconvenient pick up points. Oh well, I can deal with that for a few (six?) months.
My main beef is that there are no express buses in the evening after 7pm. So if I want to stay in town for dinner, a pint, or have to stay in town for work, I'm kind of screwed. A nearly 2 hour ride on the regular bus is the only option. Sigh. I think Paddy Power must be taking bets on when this will be operational again. I'll give 5:1 against it being operational before Christmas.
And another thing.....the 'apologies for the disruption' signs at the station sort of cover it when there is a 10 minute delay. But for a 6 month denial of service I expect something a bit more....well, apologetic.
As for replacement services for commuters, I must say that I am fairly impressed with Dublin Bus and the way they've picked up the slack. From 6:30 to 9:00 am there is an express bus from Skerries to Tara Street that takes about 50 minutes. Only about 10 minutes more than the rail commute, but certainly not as convenient a drop point for my office. Evening rush hour is similar, with good fast service but inconvenient pick up points. Oh well, I can deal with that for a few (six?) months.
My main beef is that there are no express buses in the evening after 7pm. So if I want to stay in town for dinner, a pint, or have to stay in town for work, I'm kind of screwed. A nearly 2 hour ride on the regular bus is the only option. Sigh. I think Paddy Power must be taking bets on when this will be operational again. I'll give 5:1 against it being operational before Christmas.
And another thing.....the 'apologies for the disruption' signs at the station sort of cover it when there is a 10 minute delay. But for a 6 month denial of service I expect something a bit more....well, apologetic.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Irish Rail....again.
I know it's been a while since I last posted, but things have been busy and I've had a trip to Vermont, Quebec, and Ontario to keep me from posting.
So, last night I was on the 6:15 departing Pearse Station heading for my stop in Skerries. At about 6:30 we pulled into Howth Junction and the driver came on with an announcement. 'The causeway at Malahide estuary has collapsed, this train terminates here and there will be no further trains'. Everyone chuckled, and I managed to find two other Skerries-bound passengers to share a €40 taxi home.
The seriousness of it only came to light when I got home and checked out the news on RTE. Apparently, a train driver heading south over the estuary at 6:20 noticed the track starting to collapse under his train. He managed to cross and stopped at Malahide to raise the alarm. My train, with me in the first carriage, would have been the next over the causeway had the other driver not noticed the problem. Now pictures have appeared on news sites, and it looks very, very serious indeed. Any train passing over that would have ended up in the drink.
Now the news indicates that it will take 3 months to repair, and of course I have absolutely no faith in Irish Rail to provide alternative commuting arrangements for any commuter north of Malahide. Stay tuned.
So, last night I was on the 6:15 departing Pearse Station heading for my stop in Skerries. At about 6:30 we pulled into Howth Junction and the driver came on with an announcement. 'The causeway at Malahide estuary has collapsed, this train terminates here and there will be no further trains'. Everyone chuckled, and I managed to find two other Skerries-bound passengers to share a €40 taxi home.
The seriousness of it only came to light when I got home and checked out the news on RTE. Apparently, a train driver heading south over the estuary at 6:20 noticed the track starting to collapse under his train. He managed to cross and stopped at Malahide to raise the alarm. My train, with me in the first carriage, would have been the next over the causeway had the other driver not noticed the problem. Now pictures have appeared on news sites, and it looks very, very serious indeed. Any train passing over that would have ended up in the drink.
Now the news indicates that it will take 3 months to repair, and of course I have absolutely no faith in Irish Rail to provide alternative commuting arrangements for any commuter north of Malahide. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Race day
The post below was put up after the Friday practice at the Skerries 100. Now it's a few days after the Saturday race. Again, mega impressed by the skills and courage of these guys. Somebody told me that the big bikes reach speeds of 175 mph down the main stretch. Nuts. And the crowd, perched on embankments, also take major risks (I didn't....I managed to find protected areas).
Saturday morning was a bit rainy, so that slowed things down a bit but I managed to find a few great spots (on top of hedges basically) to watch the action. The crowd was out in full force, many sporting t-shirts commemorating Martin Finnegan, a local boy who died in a similar race last year. It dried up after noon and the later races, many of the big bikes, took place under dry conditions.
Overall a great day, and what a great event for little 'ol Skerries.
Saturday morning was a bit rainy, so that slowed things down a bit but I managed to find a few great spots (on top of hedges basically) to watch the action. The crowd was out in full force, many sporting t-shirts commemorating Martin Finnegan, a local boy who died in a similar race last year. It dried up after noon and the later races, many of the big bikes, took place under dry conditions.
Overall a great day, and what a great event for little 'ol Skerries.
Friday, 3 July 2009
The Skerries 100 !
Big weekend in Skerries...it's the Skerries 100 motorcycle race. So the local Loughshinny Motorcycle Club holds the races every year, TT-style. The track is composed of various roads between Skerries and Lusk....you know the type, one lane each way with a massive hedge along the border. Winding, lots of blind bends, up and down, spectators standing beside the road....yep, perfect place for a motorcycle race. Only crazies need apply.
I went along to the practice sessions today. The first bikes out were the classic reconditioned ones....so I was very impressed with the speeds they managed on these winding roads. Quite crazy actually. And then the 750cc bikes came out, and I must say that I was blown away by the balls these riders have. These guys were doing about 140 mph down these narrow country roads, unbelievable. Here are a couple of pics from today, but they don't actually capture the speed.
The actual races are Saturday, and Catherine is coming along then. I know she'll think it another example of utter Irish madness.
I went along to the practice sessions today. The first bikes out were the classic reconditioned ones....so I was very impressed with the speeds they managed on these winding roads. Quite crazy actually. And then the 750cc bikes came out, and I must say that I was blown away by the balls these riders have. These guys were doing about 140 mph down these narrow country roads, unbelievable. Here are a couple of pics from today, but they don't actually capture the speed.
The actual races are Saturday, and Catherine is coming along then. I know she'll think it another example of utter Irish madness.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Summer weather
How come everyone complains about the weather in Ireland? This isn't too bad, highs about 24oC, generally fairly sunny, bit of a wind etc. Far, far better than those hot muggy summers I'm used to. But, as the Irish will never stop telling you, the past 3 summers have been horrible so maybe we're getting a nice one to make up for it. It certainly has been rather nice, and I've even got some colour on my skin. And you know what....it's even a bit hot for the little doggies, so it must be warm.
Last weekend was great (well, Saturday was), so Catherine and I went down to Bray, south of Dublin, to walk the coastal trail to Graystones (photo of Bray Head trail below). And what a lovely little walk it was, and at the end of our exercise we found a lovely little pub to relax for a pint before taking the train home.
While on the topic of Graystones, what I saw was a lovely little seaside community with great houses, great view, lots of little shops, restaurants and pubs....basically a fantastic seaside community that would be great for commuting to Dublin. So what the hell is that oversized monstrosity they are building in the marina area under the banner of 'regeneration'?
The walls blocking off the harbour for the construction are filled with images of yuppies enjoying a 'lifestyle', you know a glass of wine and a giggling blonde, the incredibly handsome man tying up his boat, squeaky clean kids shopping with their mother and using all of the new amenities this development will bring. It looks shocking in its scope and ambitiousness, and in this economic climate, seems destined to fail miserably. Looking online it seems there was a huge fight from the community about 4 years ago when the plans surfaced, and accusations of overbuilding, councillors in the pockets of developers etc., ruining the nature of this quaint town.
Can't say I'm really surprised. And now, last night Catherine and I were talking to the head of our sailing club, and there may be plans in the works for a similar thing in Skerries. I only hope the complete economic downturn puts them off of ruining our lovely village.
Last weekend was great (well, Saturday was), so Catherine and I went down to Bray, south of Dublin, to walk the coastal trail to Graystones (photo of Bray Head trail below). And what a lovely little walk it was, and at the end of our exercise we found a lovely little pub to relax for a pint before taking the train home.
While on the topic of Graystones, what I saw was a lovely little seaside community with great houses, great view, lots of little shops, restaurants and pubs....basically a fantastic seaside community that would be great for commuting to Dublin. So what the hell is that oversized monstrosity they are building in the marina area under the banner of 'regeneration'?
The walls blocking off the harbour for the construction are filled with images of yuppies enjoying a 'lifestyle', you know a glass of wine and a giggling blonde, the incredibly handsome man tying up his boat, squeaky clean kids shopping with their mother and using all of the new amenities this development will bring. It looks shocking in its scope and ambitiousness, and in this economic climate, seems destined to fail miserably. Looking online it seems there was a huge fight from the community about 4 years ago when the plans surfaced, and accusations of overbuilding, councillors in the pockets of developers etc., ruining the nature of this quaint town.Can't say I'm really surprised. And now, last night Catherine and I were talking to the head of our sailing club, and there may be plans in the works for a similar thing in Skerries. I only hope the complete economic downturn puts them off of ruining our lovely village.
A new favourite newspaper!
I never feel quite right on weekends unless I can sit down with a coffee and read one of the great weekend edition newspapers.
In London it was the Guardian on Saturday that I read religiously (formerly the Manchester Guardian). Sometimes I'd pick up the Guardian during the week but found it was far too much about politics. The Saturday version is much more rounded, with great sports, travel, and review sections. Once in Dublin I still kept reading the same Guardian, but was feeling a bit strange reading a UK paper with no Irish content.
But hey, problem solved, and I now have a new favourite newspaper. I still read the Guardian cover to cover on Saturdays, but now Sunday mornings are reserved for the Sunday Times, Irish edition. The Guardian is considered a centre-left paper, and the Sunday Times centre-right, so I figure in the end I'll have a balanced view of the news.
Far better than any of the papers in the USA or Canada....way, way better.
In London it was the Guardian on Saturday that I read religiously (formerly the Manchester Guardian). Sometimes I'd pick up the Guardian during the week but found it was far too much about politics. The Saturday version is much more rounded, with great sports, travel, and review sections. Once in Dublin I still kept reading the same Guardian, but was feeling a bit strange reading a UK paper with no Irish content.
But hey, problem solved, and I now have a new favourite newspaper. I still read the Guardian cover to cover on Saturdays, but now Sunday mornings are reserved for the Sunday Times, Irish edition. The Guardian is considered a centre-left paper, and the Sunday Times centre-right, so I figure in the end I'll have a balanced view of the news.
Far better than any of the papers in the USA or Canada....way, way better.
Friday, 19 June 2009
House prices....again....
I stumbled across this blog post today that seems to make a lot of sense about the crazy nature of the Irish housing market, and the fact that people still aren't understanding that prices must continue to fall. The bubble was mere speculation, and it has gone.
It makes a lot of sense, and using his estimate that house value should be 12 to 14 times annual rent, then the place we rent should cost about €160,000. But, an identical house is currently on the market (and has been for 8 months) at €440,000. Ridiculous, and another reason why we'll keep renting for now.
It makes a lot of sense, and using his estimate that house value should be 12 to 14 times annual rent, then the place we rent should cost about €160,000. But, an identical house is currently on the market (and has been for 8 months) at €440,000. Ridiculous, and another reason why we'll keep renting for now.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
A new hockey rink coming to Dublin
There is no real ice rink in Dublin. But there is in Dundalk for some reason. Sometimes they put up these temporary things in parking lots around Christmas (there was one in Howth last winter), but it's hard to believe there is no permanent rink here. Until now that is! Apparently they are building one attached to Charlestown Shopping Mall on the north side fo the city. They're even starting up a hockey team to be based there!
I'll have to check this out at some point.
I'll have to check this out at some point.
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Skerries from Shennick Island
Once in a while when the spring tide is at its lowest you can walk out to Shennick Island with the water only to your calves. Lovely little spot, with its own martello tower. Of course you can only spend an hour or so there or you have to get rescued by the lifeboat people. As several people had happen to them a couple of weeks ago.
Smithfield, Dublin...stuck in a rut
I'd been hearing about this part of town called Smithfield quite a bit. Well, apparently there is a 'market' there and there's quite a bit of new development and a couple of galleries.
The Motor Tax Office is in the area, so I managed a look around last week. Hmmm, not sure what the fuss is about, but there's something drastically wrong in Smithfield. Lots of new housing developments, mainly 5 story apartment blocks, looking out over a large public square. Commercial units on the ground floor of all of the buildings. So why are there no commerical outfits occupying these spaces? It seems like a bit of a vicious circle...lots of vacancies in the apartments, so the shops never really opened, and because the shops didn't open then nobody wants to live there. The place was deserted. There was a Subway open, but many of the other shops looked half finished or in suspended occupancy. Even the large hotel facing onto the square has closed. An ambitious development that just ran out of steam.
Looks like another failure in urban planning in good old Dublin.
Here's another bloggers take on it.
The Motor Tax Office is in the area, so I managed a look around last week. Hmmm, not sure what the fuss is about, but there's something drastically wrong in Smithfield. Lots of new housing developments, mainly 5 story apartment blocks, looking out over a large public square. Commercial units on the ground floor of all of the buildings. So why are there no commerical outfits occupying these spaces? It seems like a bit of a vicious circle...lots of vacancies in the apartments, so the shops never really opened, and because the shops didn't open then nobody wants to live there. The place was deserted. There was a Subway open, but many of the other shops looked half finished or in suspended occupancy. Even the large hotel facing onto the square has closed. An ambitious development that just ran out of steam.
Looks like another failure in urban planning in good old Dublin.
Here's another bloggers take on it.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Fingal or Dublin?
So, I have to admit that I'm not quite sure where we live. North Dublin is a strange place in terms of municipal services. Our postal address is County Dublin, but we are served by Fingal County Council. Some services come from Dublin Regional Authority, and some from Fingal County Council. Finding out which is which can be a nightmare.
When I first arrived back in August I had to get a PPS number, which is your work permit / tax number. The address on the government website said go to Balbriggan Social Services office, so off I went. Got there and they told me that it's been handled by Dublin County for the past 3 years. Great, thanks for updating the website. So off I went to the city, no great hassle.
Last week I had to visit the Motor Tax office to get my driving learner permit. I walk in to the main office in Dublin (near Smithfield, but that's another story) and there's a big sign saying you must apply for the license in your home county. Seeing as I really have no idea what my home county is, I took a number and sat down. Lo and behold I was in the right place, and now I have my very own Irish driving permit (provisional).
Anyway, here's what Wikipedia has to say about the local government structure...'At present, many organisations, state agencies and sporting teams continue to operate on a "County Dublin" basis. Subsequently, much confusion exists around the legitimacy of the new counties - though they do have administrative county status, the only protected recognition of a county within the Republic of Ireland. County Dublin is now defined in legislation solely as the "Dublin Region" under the Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993,[1] and this is the terminology officially used by the four Dublin administrative councils in press releases concerning the former county area.
Yeah, I'm still confused.
When I first arrived back in August I had to get a PPS number, which is your work permit / tax number. The address on the government website said go to Balbriggan Social Services office, so off I went. Got there and they told me that it's been handled by Dublin County for the past 3 years. Great, thanks for updating the website. So off I went to the city, no great hassle.
Last week I had to visit the Motor Tax office to get my driving learner permit. I walk in to the main office in Dublin (near Smithfield, but that's another story) and there's a big sign saying you must apply for the license in your home county. Seeing as I really have no idea what my home county is, I took a number and sat down. Lo and behold I was in the right place, and now I have my very own Irish driving permit (provisional).
Anyway, here's what Wikipedia has to say about the local government structure...'At present, many organisations, state agencies and sporting teams continue to operate on a "County Dublin" basis. Subsequently, much confusion exists around the legitimacy of the new counties - though they do have administrative county status, the only protected recognition of a county within the Republic of Ireland. County Dublin is now defined in legislation solely as the "Dublin Region" under the Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993,[1] and this is the terminology officially used by the four Dublin administrative councils in press releases concerning the former county area.
Yeah, I'm still confused.
Monday, 25 May 2009
Weekend in Skerries
Well, the weather certainly cooperated this past weekend in North County Dublin. Sunny and warm (well, it's all relative). This Sunday was the final stage of the Ras, an 8 day round-Ireland cycling race that ends on Skerries main street. The town was out in full force for the race. I didn't recognize any of the names of the riders, but apparently there were a few stage winners from the Tour de France in the 160 rider field.
Oh, and a shot of the harbour and restaurants / pubs. Taken from the balcony of the Skerries Sailing Club.
Oh, and a shot of the harbour and restaurants / pubs. Taken from the balcony of the Skerries Sailing Club.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Just some photos....
Catherine with the doggies on the beach in Skerries. Adder was going through one of his biting phases, hence the facemask.
The harbour in SkerriesA plug for Irish Immigration
Well, as much as I whine about life in Ireland, I do really love it here. The whines are really only about some quirks, not about the overall place, people, or quality of life.
But I must put in a positive note for the Irish immigration service, known as GNIB.
So, when we decided to move here, as I have an EU passport it was really easy. Catherine doesn't and in most countries that involves a huge amount of preparation, advance form-filling and months of waiting. But not Ireland. No advance paperwork needed, just turn up at your point of entry, and as long as one of the couple has an EU passport you both get to stay. Sort of a 'we'll deal with it when you get here' kind of attitude. There are a series of registration steps that involve a few trips to the dreaded GNIB office in Burgh Quay (it smells of farts), but nothing too onerous. In fact it's all a bit quaint....some of the forms you have to fill in are 5th generation photocopies and of course finding the right information is a bit of a nightmare.
We passed the final hurdle for Catherine this week, when they approved her right to live in Ireland for the next 5 years.
US immigration could take note of this ease of access for legitimate spouses. Just imagine turning up at the US border with your foreign spouse and announcing you're 'here to stay'. Yeah, right. But, in Ireland the response was, 'oh, that's grand, I'm sure you'll like it here'!
But I must put in a positive note for the Irish immigration service, known as GNIB.
So, when we decided to move here, as I have an EU passport it was really easy. Catherine doesn't and in most countries that involves a huge amount of preparation, advance form-filling and months of waiting. But not Ireland. No advance paperwork needed, just turn up at your point of entry, and as long as one of the couple has an EU passport you both get to stay. Sort of a 'we'll deal with it when you get here' kind of attitude. There are a series of registration steps that involve a few trips to the dreaded GNIB office in Burgh Quay (it smells of farts), but nothing too onerous. In fact it's all a bit quaint....some of the forms you have to fill in are 5th generation photocopies and of course finding the right information is a bit of a nightmare.
We passed the final hurdle for Catherine this week, when they approved her right to live in Ireland for the next 5 years.
US immigration could take note of this ease of access for legitimate spouses. Just imagine turning up at the US border with your foreign spouse and announcing you're 'here to stay'. Yeah, right. But, in Ireland the response was, 'oh, that's grand, I'm sure you'll like it here'!
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Tilt shift photography
This is kinda cool.... a website that takes your photos and plays with the focus in such a way they end up looking like minature models. The website is here and below are a couple of my photos, one from Hong Kong and the other from Connemara, Ireland.
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I miss hockey (ice hockey that is....)
Well, the Stanley Cup playoffs are on so I'm itching to watch a bit of hockey. It's been 2 years since I've seen a game, live or on TV! I was going to subscribe to the NASN channel here that shows hockey, but didn't like the looks of the playoff matchups, and with most games on at midnight Irish time, I never thought I'd get to really watch.
But last weekend there was a Sunday afternoon 2pm game, which is 7 pm in Ireland. So, I trundled down to the local pub, seeing if I could convince them to put it on the tube. Place was nearly empty, they had some mind-numbing quiz show on the tube, so I asked the barman if they could put it on one of their two large TV's.
What was the response? Hockey....that's a girls game.
No, I explained, it's a fast-paced sport played by real men on a frozen rink with a frozen piece of rubber whizzing about at 100 mph....only one of the toughest games known to man, graceful too! It is a religion in my home country. Entire cities grind to a halt during the playoffs, women are termed 'hockey-widows', and every kid aspires to be the next Wayne Gretzky. I'd be happy to explain the rules to any of your fine customers. Who knows, in time your establishment could become known as the home of ice hockey viewing in north County Dublin!
His response? This pub shows footie, rugby, and GAA, nothing else.
Damn.
But, at least I have the Hockey Night in Canada theme song as my ringtone.
But last weekend there was a Sunday afternoon 2pm game, which is 7 pm in Ireland. So, I trundled down to the local pub, seeing if I could convince them to put it on the tube. Place was nearly empty, they had some mind-numbing quiz show on the tube, so I asked the barman if they could put it on one of their two large TV's.
What was the response? Hockey....that's a girls game.
No, I explained, it's a fast-paced sport played by real men on a frozen rink with a frozen piece of rubber whizzing about at 100 mph....only one of the toughest games known to man, graceful too! It is a religion in my home country. Entire cities grind to a halt during the playoffs, women are termed 'hockey-widows', and every kid aspires to be the next Wayne Gretzky. I'd be happy to explain the rules to any of your fine customers. Who knows, in time your establishment could become known as the home of ice hockey viewing in north County Dublin!
His response? This pub shows footie, rugby, and GAA, nothing else.
Damn.
But, at least I have the Hockey Night in Canada theme song as my ringtone.
The Irish Motor Tax Office
I find myself in a quite strange situation here. Having driven for over 20 years, I never thought I'd have to take another driving test. Hell, I give tests, I don't take them!
But, in Ireland you can't just swap your existing drivers license for an Irish one, unless you are from the EU or a strange list of selected other countries, which includes South Korea, Japan, and South Africa, but not the USA or Canada.
If your license is not from one of the 'recognized' countries, you have to take the theory test, apply for a learners permit, wait 6 months, and then take a road test for the full license.
I first took the theory test about a month ago. You need 35 / 40 to pass, and I got 34 /40. How depressing, sitting there in a test room with a dozen spotty 17 year olds taking the test, and actually being nervous about it. Oh well, not too many of them passed either. I was too cocky about it and didn't study. Still, it made for a great story to my class the next day on the perils of not studying for exams.
I retook the test on Monday and this time, after only a bit more studying managed to get 39 /40....a pass!
So now onto the next step, that is applying for the learners permit. Go online to download the forms, right? Yep, there's the form the optometrist needs to do the eye test, there's the form for the medical (which I don't need), but where is the actual application form itself? Oh, they don't have that online yet is the response. How difficult is it, when all the other forms are online, and there's an obvious place on the website to put the actual application, to actually put it there?
So now I have to go and visit the Motor Tax Office, in bloody Dublin 8 or some such backwater, to get the paper form. Sigh, a country that in some senses is racing full steam ahead into the 21st Century, and in other places is back in some 1970's timewarp.
But, before I end this rant I must give a shout out to the website http://www.citizensinformation.ie , which has just about the most complete guide available for getting stuff done in Ireland. A great resource!
But, in Ireland you can't just swap your existing drivers license for an Irish one, unless you are from the EU or a strange list of selected other countries, which includes South Korea, Japan, and South Africa, but not the USA or Canada.
If your license is not from one of the 'recognized' countries, you have to take the theory test, apply for a learners permit, wait 6 months, and then take a road test for the full license.
I first took the theory test about a month ago. You need 35 / 40 to pass, and I got 34 /40. How depressing, sitting there in a test room with a dozen spotty 17 year olds taking the test, and actually being nervous about it. Oh well, not too many of them passed either. I was too cocky about it and didn't study. Still, it made for a great story to my class the next day on the perils of not studying for exams.
I retook the test on Monday and this time, after only a bit more studying managed to get 39 /40....a pass!
So now onto the next step, that is applying for the learners permit. Go online to download the forms, right? Yep, there's the form the optometrist needs to do the eye test, there's the form for the medical (which I don't need), but where is the actual application form itself? Oh, they don't have that online yet is the response. How difficult is it, when all the other forms are online, and there's an obvious place on the website to put the actual application, to actually put it there?
So now I have to go and visit the Motor Tax Office, in bloody Dublin 8 or some such backwater, to get the paper form. Sigh, a country that in some senses is racing full steam ahead into the 21st Century, and in other places is back in some 1970's timewarp.
But, before I end this rant I must give a shout out to the website http://www.citizensinformation.ie , which has just about the most complete guide available for getting stuff done in Ireland. A great resource!
Friday, 1 May 2009
Umbrella Wars....
Well, you'd think that Dubliners would be quite deft with umbrellas, considering the amount of time they spend with one firmly gripped. So why is it that I got stabbed today, not once but twice, on the 12 minute walk from the train station to the office?
First was a guy just behind me coming out of the station when he decided to open his monster umbrella firmly up against my leg. You know I've been here too long because I actually apologized for the temerity of my leg occupying the same space as his umbrella.
Second was a young lady up the street who, with umbrella already open and lethal, decided to do a rapid about-face, leading with the brolly, while I was two paces behind her. I felt like I was in a fencing match, and the little buzzer on my chest went 'bzzzzzzzzz'. This time she apologized, and I just muttered under my breath.
Luckily it's cleared up for the afternoon, or I really would have lost it at the sight of another umbrella being even remotely threatening within 20 feet of me.
First was a guy just behind me coming out of the station when he decided to open his monster umbrella firmly up against my leg. You know I've been here too long because I actually apologized for the temerity of my leg occupying the same space as his umbrella.
Second was a young lady up the street who, with umbrella already open and lethal, decided to do a rapid about-face, leading with the brolly, while I was two paces behind her. I felt like I was in a fencing match, and the little buzzer on my chest went 'bzzzzzzzzz'. This time she apologized, and I just muttered under my breath.
Luckily it's cleared up for the afternoon, or I really would have lost it at the sight of another umbrella being even remotely threatening within 20 feet of me.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Around Skerries
Just a few pictures for family that haven't been here yet. These are along the coast in Skerries.
Lovely Easter weekend
Easter weekend here was fantastic. The weather was great and I had 4 glorious days off from work. Sunday we went to the Gaelic football match at Parnell Park (up the Dubs!), but for the rest of the time we just hung out at home and in Skerries.
Now Easter weekend is a strange thing here. No booze can be sold at all on Friday (stores or pubs) but all of the other stores are open. Monday the stores are closed but the pubs are open. Strange.
Oh, and Irish people (yes, all of them) seem to have spent the entire weekend washing their cars. Over, and over again. Then they vacuum the interior. Then they wash again. Fixated with clean cars these Irish.
This coming weekend I'm taking my class to Marble Arch Caves in Fermanagh, right on the border. Should be fun!
Now Easter weekend is a strange thing here. No booze can be sold at all on Friday (stores or pubs) but all of the other stores are open. Monday the stores are closed but the pubs are open. Strange.
Oh, and Irish people (yes, all of them) seem to have spent the entire weekend washing their cars. Over, and over again. Then they vacuum the interior. Then they wash again. Fixated with clean cars these Irish.
This coming weekend I'm taking my class to Marble Arch Caves in Fermanagh, right on the border. Should be fun!
Monday, 6 April 2009
Monday, 23 March 2009
You have to love the geology of this country. Everywhere you turn there is stunning scenery, and as a geologist I tend to dig a little deeper and get my thrills from the strange landforms, faults, folds, exposures and drumlins. I'll just leave this post at that, with a picture of some limestone at the Burren in the west of Ireland that had been smoothly shaped by the waves.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Yuppy (?) apartments
The above photo, from the Shankill area of Belfast, may point out much of what is wrong with the housing situation in Ireland (of course when I say that I include the North). Much of the recently-built housing stock is of course yuppy apartments. Irish people have been sold (and bought!) a lifestyle. Unfortunately it is one that comes without proper transportation networks to get those yuppies to work, nearby shops, or places for kids to play. Ireland made these same mistakes that America made with the development of their suburbia, but at least in America suburbia came with land and distance from your neighbours. Ireland now seems to rely on the car, and a report on the radio last night indicated that Dublin has the lowest usage rates of public transport of any major city in Europe. Ahhh, so that's why traffic is so gridlocked!
But now, many of those recently completed yuppy housing estates are lying empty, the developers are going bust, and the places are being sold off at fire-sale prices. They're still far more expensive than they are worth, but you won't find me living in any of those Adamstown, Swords, Lusk, Balbriggan-type 'villages' anytime soon. Most self-respecting yuppies that I know wouldn't dream of living in these Legoland villages.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Irish Rail idiots....
Yep, it's confirmed. The mahem I predicted (see previous post) for St. Patrick's Day owing to the incompetence of Irish Rail certainly came to pass. Not only had the bright sparks there decided to run a Sunday service on possibly one of the busiest days of the year, but shockingly they also put on short trains only. That means fewer carriages for the passengers.
Catherine and I got on the train at about 11 am in Skerries only to find the train already very packed. Fair enough, we got on at least. The platform at the next stop, Rush and Lusk, was full of passengers, all of whom seemed to get on but it rendered the train completely full. Nobody from any of the next 5 stops could get on. Hundreds of families, kids all painted and dressed up for the parade, were left on the platform with no way into town. I just wish the head of Irish Rail was there on the platform to see the dejected looks on the kids faces.
Apparently 600,000 people were in the city centre for the festivities, and if the people at Irish Rail can't predict that it would be a major day for passengers (and therefore revenue) then they should be fired for complete incompetence.
Catherine and I got on the train at about 11 am in Skerries only to find the train already very packed. Fair enough, we got on at least. The platform at the next stop, Rush and Lusk, was full of passengers, all of whom seemed to get on but it rendered the train completely full. Nobody from any of the next 5 stops could get on. Hundreds of families, kids all painted and dressed up for the parade, were left on the platform with no way into town. I just wish the head of Irish Rail was there on the platform to see the dejected looks on the kids faces.
Apparently 600,000 people were in the city centre for the festivities, and if the people at Irish Rail can't predict that it would be a major day for passengers (and therefore revenue) then they should be fired for complete incompetence.
Monday, 16 March 2009
Our first St. Patrick's in Ireland
Tuesday will be the first St. Patrick's Day that we've spent in Ireland. Sounds great, but there are a few things that most of the world probably doesn't know. First of all, the Irish don't take this all that seriously. It's just another holiday to many people I know, and those out partying on the streets are more likely to be American tourists or Italian exchange students. Apparently the Dublin accent will be a rare thing in Temple Bar on the day. Oh well, can't hurt to give it a chance.
It seems like loads of Irish would prefer to travel to New York or Boston for the celebration. It's much more of an expatriate event celebrated all over the world except in Ireland. I can't think of any national holiday that is more celebrated outside of that country than inside. Imagine if the UK went crazy on July 4th?
Still, it would be a shame not to try it out, so we'll be in town and ready to celebrate (back in my yoof I would have said 'pppaaaaaaarrrrrty'). Expect a report here on Wednesday.
It seems like loads of Irish would prefer to travel to New York or Boston for the celebration. It's much more of an expatriate event celebrated all over the world except in Ireland. I can't think of any national holiday that is more celebrated outside of that country than inside. Imagine if the UK went crazy on July 4th?
Still, it would be a shame not to try it out, so we'll be in town and ready to celebrate (back in my yoof I would have said 'pppaaaaaaarrrrrty'). Expect a report here on Wednesday.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
It's all about the economy
The economy and its sad state is all people here seem to talk about. When the Celtic Tiger was roaring all the Irish could talk about was how much money they were making. Now they've all realized what a deep hole they have invested themselves into. The banks made loans that only fueled the rise in house prices past what the average person could afford, and of course, nobody now can afford them, banks have stopped giving loans, and the whole housing market has stagnated.
Let me give some kind of idea as to the scope of the problem.
A good wage here would be € 40,000. The cheapest property for sale in my north County Dublin town is a 2-bed, 1 bath apartment in the not-so-nice part of town for €230,000. The cheapest stand-alone house is €250,000, and that's for a 1 bed 1 bath shack. The cheapest 3 bed property is €300,000, and that's for a townhouse. So when the cheapest property that becomes acceptable is around €400,000 Euro, which is 10x the average salary, well, we have a problem.
In the heady days of banks awash with money to lend, people were taking out 100% mortgages for up to 8x their salary. They are now well and truly screwed as many are losing their jobs and being driven into negative equity by declining prices. Many can't sell even if they wanted to. I want to buy, have a salary significantly above average, but can't get a mortgage (note that I haven't tried but haven't build up enough credit here yet). So who the hell can get those mortgages needed to get the market rolling again?
For now we'll rent, and the good news is that rental prices are dropping a lot too.
Let me give some kind of idea as to the scope of the problem.
A good wage here would be € 40,000. The cheapest property for sale in my north County Dublin town is a 2-bed, 1 bath apartment in the not-so-nice part of town for €230,000. The cheapest stand-alone house is €250,000, and that's for a 1 bed 1 bath shack. The cheapest 3 bed property is €300,000, and that's for a townhouse. So when the cheapest property that becomes acceptable is around €400,000 Euro, which is 10x the average salary, well, we have a problem.
In the heady days of banks awash with money to lend, people were taking out 100% mortgages for up to 8x their salary. They are now well and truly screwed as many are losing their jobs and being driven into negative equity by declining prices. Many can't sell even if they wanted to. I want to buy, have a salary significantly above average, but can't get a mortgage (note that I haven't tried but haven't build up enough credit here yet). So who the hell can get those mortgages needed to get the market rolling again?
For now we'll rent, and the good news is that rental prices are dropping a lot too.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Doggie bragging...
We may think of the difficulties that adults or children have when moving to a new country or setting, but we don't often give thought to how our pets adapt. So, let me just put in a plug for our dogs, Adder and Neely, as they have adapted brilliantly. In the past 3 years they've lived in four countries, Canada, USA, England, and now Ireland. In all of those locations we've been lucky to have great local places for them to run and exercise, but none better then in Ireland.
We live 100m from the beach, so they get their daily trip to sniff stuff and pee on the sand. They've also become much better at dealing with other dogs seeing as there are so many around this town. I think they're happier than they've ever been, as are Catherine and I.
So here's a couple of photos I took of them during their morning walk today. It also gave me a chance to play with my new camera.
Adder is above, Neely at right; both are miniature wirehaired dacshunds.
Friday, 6 March 2009
I hate pebble dash!
I promise this blog won't be continuously negative, but there is one more thing that I must get off my chest.
I hate pebble dash*. Really, really, really hate it.
Unfortunately the 1960's were not kind to Irish architecture. While the rest of the world was building concrete brutalist structures such as the Barbican in London or my former high school back in Canada, the Irish were pebble dashing (if that's a verb) everything in sight. The suburbs are full of the stuff. It collects dirt, and in a wet country like this, mould and moss.
Wow, I rarely express such strong hate for anything, but this week's 'thing I hate' is pebble dash.
* pebble dash is type of house exterior wall finish where the surface coating is of small stones, chips of stones or gravel that are thrown at a coat of wet plaster while it is still 'soft'.
I hate pebble dash*. Really, really, really hate it.
Unfortunately the 1960's were not kind to Irish architecture. While the rest of the world was building concrete brutalist structures such as the Barbican in London or my former high school back in Canada, the Irish were pebble dashing (if that's a verb) everything in sight. The suburbs are full of the stuff. It collects dirt, and in a wet country like this, mould and moss.
Wow, I rarely express such strong hate for anything, but this week's 'thing I hate' is pebble dash.
* pebble dash is type of house exterior wall finish where the surface coating is of small stones, chips of stones or gravel that are thrown at a coat of wet plaster while it is still 'soft'.
Irish Rail.....
This is the first of what will prove to be many posts about the state of Irish infrastructure.
Most countries that went through boom times spent a lot on infrastructure such as public transport, roads, public buildings etc. Not Ireland. Considering how they had 10-15 great years, the state of public transport is appalling.
I commute in every day from north County Dublin, a train ride of about 40 minutes. Three separate services use the two tracks (one for each direction). There is the DART system extending as far north as Malahide, the Commuter Rail system as far as Drogheda and Dundalk, and then the full intercity system, with trains heading north to Belfast and beyond. You'd think with those three services sharing the one track each way they'd figure out some good timing system. It's especially critical as the DART stops at every station. But no. The number of times the commuter train gets stuck behind the slow moving DART is crazy.
But hey, at least I live on a train line. Most commuters are stuck with the dreaded Dublin Bus system, with an indecipherable schedule, crappy website, strange system of fares, and surly drivers.
Today I stood in Pearse Station and read a poster that made me shake my head in frustration. St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday, but also a day when a huge number of people will be heading into the city centre for a bit of fun. The poster even warns this will be a busy day for transport. So, what do they do? Put on extra trains? Keep the trains running late into the night? No, the bright sparks at Irish Rail are announcing that day will only offer Sunday service, which means a 2 hour gap between trains, and the last train leaving the city at about 9 pm. Unbelievable.
Most countries that went through boom times spent a lot on infrastructure such as public transport, roads, public buildings etc. Not Ireland. Considering how they had 10-15 great years, the state of public transport is appalling.
I commute in every day from north County Dublin, a train ride of about 40 minutes. Three separate services use the two tracks (one for each direction). There is the DART system extending as far north as Malahide, the Commuter Rail system as far as Drogheda and Dundalk, and then the full intercity system, with trains heading north to Belfast and beyond. You'd think with those three services sharing the one track each way they'd figure out some good timing system. It's especially critical as the DART stops at every station. But no. The number of times the commuter train gets stuck behind the slow moving DART is crazy.
But hey, at least I live on a train line. Most commuters are stuck with the dreaded Dublin Bus system, with an indecipherable schedule, crappy website, strange system of fares, and surly drivers.
Today I stood in Pearse Station and read a poster that made me shake my head in frustration. St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday, but also a day when a huge number of people will be heading into the city centre for a bit of fun. The poster even warns this will be a busy day for transport. So, what do they do? Put on extra trains? Keep the trains running late into the night? No, the bright sparks at Irish Rail are announcing that day will only offer Sunday service, which means a 2 hour gap between trains, and the last train leaving the city at about 9 pm. Unbelievable.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
My previous life as a blogger
So yeah, I'm not all that new to blogging. I did have a blog going for one of my classes at St. Lawrence University, but I've actually lost the password and login is no longer valid.
It was for a class on environmental issues in China, a class that came complete with a 3 week trip to China for the students.
Oh well, here it is in all its glory.
http://sluchina2007.blogspot.com/
It was for a class on environmental issues in China, a class that came complete with a 3 week trip to China for the students.
Oh well, here it is in all its glory.
http://sluchina2007.blogspot.com/
So, why am I (we) here?
I must be crazy. My wife and I emigrated six months ago to a country, Ireland, that everyone seems to want to leave. Many of the eastern Europeans have gone home, and the newspapers are full of stories of recent graduates picking up and going to either Australia or Canada. The economy is in the toilet, I can't afford a house, and as much as people have this romantic image of Ireland it is only marginally true. I gave up a tenured and endowed professorship in the US to move here. Most of my American colleagues called me crazy. Am I crazy? I don't think so. Obviously I wouldn't have moved here if I didn't have a guaranteed job, but in this economy is any job guaranteed?
Yeah, this country has a lot of problems. So why did we move to Ireland?
That's actually very difficult to answer as there were many, many considerations. But overall, I've always had itchy feet, love the next challenge, and didn't feel comfortable in the US. When I got tenure I saw it as been there, done that...what now? Most tenured people see it as being secure for the rest of their lives. I guess I'm not most people.
My wife and I spent a year in the UK where I was a director of a study abroad program for my former university. A one-year gig, then back to the main campus. Well, that one year was like a homecoming to me. I was born in England and spent quite a bit of time there in my youth, and only on this trip did I realize that it (well, English-speaking Europe) could be my (our) home. I never did make it back to the main campus except to clear out my office.
So the ideal job came up doing the same thing (basically) in Ireland for a different American college. I applied, was interviewed, offered the job, and with very little hesitation here we are. It just felt like the right thing to do. Six months in, it still does.
This blog will chronicle life in Ireland from the perspective of an outsider, or 'blow-in' as they call them here. I think I can evaluate and comment on this country, its ups and downs, having lived at various times in England, Canada, the USA, and now Ireland. It will talk about the rubbish public transport system, the wonderful scenery, the complete lack of convenience in anything you want to do, and the amazing people.
Six months in and I still love it!
Stay tuned, Stephen
Yeah, this country has a lot of problems. So why did we move to Ireland?
That's actually very difficult to answer as there were many, many considerations. But overall, I've always had itchy feet, love the next challenge, and didn't feel comfortable in the US. When I got tenure I saw it as been there, done that...what now? Most tenured people see it as being secure for the rest of their lives. I guess I'm not most people.
My wife and I spent a year in the UK where I was a director of a study abroad program for my former university. A one-year gig, then back to the main campus. Well, that one year was like a homecoming to me. I was born in England and spent quite a bit of time there in my youth, and only on this trip did I realize that it (well, English-speaking Europe) could be my (our) home. I never did make it back to the main campus except to clear out my office.
So the ideal job came up doing the same thing (basically) in Ireland for a different American college. I applied, was interviewed, offered the job, and with very little hesitation here we are. It just felt like the right thing to do. Six months in, it still does.
This blog will chronicle life in Ireland from the perspective of an outsider, or 'blow-in' as they call them here. I think I can evaluate and comment on this country, its ups and downs, having lived at various times in England, Canada, the USA, and now Ireland. It will talk about the rubbish public transport system, the wonderful scenery, the complete lack of convenience in anything you want to do, and the amazing people.
Six months in and I still love it!
Stay tuned, Stephen
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