Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Ireland Countryside
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Ireland Countryside
Ireland CountrysideIreland CountrysideIreland CountrysideIreland CountrysideIreland CountrysideIreland CountrysideIreland Countryside
Ireland Castles
Imagine a harsh, eerie moonscape with sporadic vegetation sprouting in bizarre places. The visitor’s center describes plant species ranging from artic to sub-tropical thriving within the cracks and crevices of this hostile, rocky terrain. Efforts to cultivate this land resulted in unending rock walls lining the narrow roads that were truly meant for horse and cart … not modern vehicles. Somehow, the cattle, sheep, and horses graze among the rocky fissures that were formed beneath the sea a million years ago. On the southwestern edge of The Burren, the Cliffs of Moher drop dramatically to the Atlantic Ocean and extend for five miles along the coastline. During north Atlantic gales, the pounding surf rivals nature’s drama seen along California’s Big Sur.
Visitors to Ireland expect to hear traditional Irish folk music and only the early-to-bedders will be disappointed. In Doolin, a village famous for Irish music, the musicians start playing around nine o’clock. We listened to live Irish music in Killarney, Limerick, Dublin, and places in between and it’s late before the entertainment begins.
In Limerick, we stumbled on the best Irish music during our trip. The Locke had an incredible band that creatively blended traditional Irish with Bluegrass music. Anyone familiar with Riverdance will understand how the first influenced the second. Dolan’s Pub featured various local musicians who came to jam with fiddles, flutes, guitars, banjos, even spoons. They treated us to great, spontaneous Irish music and we loved it. Dolan’s also owns a concert hall that offers a litany of performances by famous groups.
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland CastleAt O’Shea’s in Dublin, just north of the River Liffey, we enjoyed live Irish music as well as great, impromptu dancing from visitors staying at the hotel. A gracious, talented gentleman helped me kick up my heels during an easy-to-follow Irish dosey-doe. At An Pucan in Galway, we listened to an entertaining guitar player from Virginia until ten o’clock when an Irish band finally set up to play. They opened with a polka and we left.
Despite the enthusiasm for traditional Irish music, Americans won’t get homesick for their familiar tunes. When the musicians are absent, good old rock ‘n roll, blues, country western, and Motown are pervasive in pubs throughout the country.
If the Irish approached every aspect of life with the same fervor as their sports, the country would undoubtedly become a world superpower. We think our NFL players are gladiators. HAH! Watch rugby or hurling. Irish players are hard-bodied, zealous athletes who bring new meaning to the term physical contact. Rugby reminds me of American football without protective equipment or rules … any rules. Hurling is similar to rugby with the added advantage of a stick used to inflict more harm on an opponent. Imagine football, ice hockey, and lacrosse being played at the same time. That’s hurling. The Irish are passionate about their teams and entire towns turn out for the local rugby and hurling matches.
Perhaps their involvement in physically demanding sports keeps most Irishmen strong and sinewy. On the flip side, the women are full-bodied … built to give birth and suckle their young until the first pint of Guinness. Without a doubt, Irish women have breasts. Unlike the FDA-approved chests many American women proudly display, these puppies are the real McCoy! They have no need to dress like a pop-singing tart. Just a mildly scooped neckline reveals a lovely hint of healthy cleavage. I thought I had ample breasts; in Ireland, I felt like Twiggy. When hubby caught me scowling at my chest, he kindly suggested that any more than a handful is a waste. Kindness like that keeps marriage alive; ours is pushing thirty years.
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Driving in Ireland is a sport all its own. American auto insurers will not cover a rental car in Ireland; rental companies mandate their own insurance and it’s expensive. In a small car with manual transmission, I concentrated on opposite-side driving while trying to master Ireland’s answer to intersections … the infamous roundabout! Despite the awkwardness of left-sided driving, I soon became adept maneuvering through roundabouts because I encountered one every quarter mile in the city. On the open highway, drivers can travel almost five miles between roundabouts. Just to keep things interesting, some roundabouts also had traffic signals. Adding to the driving challenge are narrow roads through small towns where drivers park wherever they choose… halfway on the street… halfway on the sidewalks. Few cities have bypasses to circumvent traffic around the downtown area. Hour-long backups are typical in places such as Waterford where major cross-country routes funnel all traffic across a single two-lane bridge in the heart of city. Stretches of national highway are curvy, two-lane roads with no shoulders. Regardless, the speed limit is one-hundred kilometers per hour (62 mph) until drivers reach the next roundabout on the outskirt of a town or village.
Wait! There’s more. I thought the national highways were narrow until I traveled on regional roads. Oncoming carsNarrow winding roads bordered by rock walls or hedgerows are found throughout Ireland cannot pass without squeezing up to a hedgerow or a rock wall delineating the edge of the road. There is no space on either side of the road… zero, zippo, none. Fortunately, vegetation covers many rock walls. When a car brushes against vines, a driver knows that further yielding will cause serious vehicular damage. This is particularly helpful when the approaching vehicle is a tour bus, a sixteen-wheeler, or an oversized farm tractor pulling a flatbed full of hay. While the roads are riddled with hairpin curves, shared with bikers and pedestrians, used for cattle and sheep crossings, the typical speed limit is eighty kilometers per hour (50 mph). Years ago, visitors drove for miles without seeing another car. Those days are long gone, the current road system cannot handle the traffic, and the allowed driving speeds add to the danger. The next time you seek a thrill, forget the latest mega-ride at Six Flags. Just rent a car and go for a drive in Ireland.
Visitors to Ireland expect to hear traditional Irish folk music and only the early-to-bedders will be disappointed. In Doolin, a village famous for Irish music, the musicians start playing around nine o’clock. We listened to live Irish music in Killarney, Limerick, Dublin, and places in between and it’s late before the entertainment begins.
In Limerick, we stumbled on the best Irish music during our trip. The Locke had an incredible band that creatively blended traditional Irish with Bluegrass music. Anyone familiar with Riverdance will understand how the first influenced the second. Dolan’s Pub featured various local musicians who came to jam with fiddles, flutes, guitars, banjos, even spoons. They treated us to great, spontaneous Irish music and we loved it. Dolan’s also owns a concert hall that offers a litany of performances by famous groups.
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland CastleAt O’Shea’s in Dublin, just north of the River Liffey, we enjoyed live Irish music as well as great, impromptu dancing from visitors staying at the hotel. A gracious, talented gentleman helped me kick up my heels during an easy-to-follow Irish dosey-doe. At An Pucan in Galway, we listened to an entertaining guitar player from Virginia until ten o’clock when an Irish band finally set up to play. They opened with a polka and we left.Despite the enthusiasm for traditional Irish music, Americans won’t get homesick for their familiar tunes. When the musicians are absent, good old rock ‘n roll, blues, country western, and Motown are pervasive in pubs throughout the country.
If the Irish approached every aspect of life with the same fervor as their sports, the country would undoubtedly become a world superpower. We think our NFL players are gladiators. HAH! Watch rugby or hurling. Irish players are hard-bodied, zealous athletes who bring new meaning to the term physical contact. Rugby reminds me of American football without protective equipment or rules … any rules. Hurling is similar to rugby with the added advantage of a stick used to inflict more harm on an opponent. Imagine football, ice hockey, and lacrosse being played at the same time. That’s hurling. The Irish are passionate about their teams and entire towns turn out for the local rugby and hurling matches.
Perhaps their involvement in physically demanding sports keeps most Irishmen strong and sinewy. On the flip side, the women are full-bodied … built to give birth and suckle their young until the first pint of Guinness. Without a doubt, Irish women have breasts. Unlike the FDA-approved chests many American women proudly display, these puppies are the real McCoy! They have no need to dress like a pop-singing tart. Just a mildly scooped neckline reveals a lovely hint of healthy cleavage. I thought I had ample breasts; in Ireland, I felt like Twiggy. When hubby caught me scowling at my chest, he kindly suggested that any more than a handful is a waste. Kindness like that keeps marriage alive; ours is pushing thirty years.
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland Castle
Ireland CastleDriving in Ireland is a sport all its own. American auto insurers will not cover a rental car in Ireland; rental companies mandate their own insurance and it’s expensive. In a small car with manual transmission, I concentrated on opposite-side driving while trying to master Ireland’s answer to intersections … the infamous roundabout! Despite the awkwardness of left-sided driving, I soon became adept maneuvering through roundabouts because I encountered one every quarter mile in the city. On the open highway, drivers can travel almost five miles between roundabouts. Just to keep things interesting, some roundabouts also had traffic signals. Adding to the driving challenge are narrow roads through small towns where drivers park wherever they choose… halfway on the street… halfway on the sidewalks. Few cities have bypasses to circumvent traffic around the downtown area. Hour-long backups are typical in places such as Waterford where major cross-country routes funnel all traffic across a single two-lane bridge in the heart of city. Stretches of national highway are curvy, two-lane roads with no shoulders. Regardless, the speed limit is one-hundred kilometers per hour (62 mph) until drivers reach the next roundabout on the outskirt of a town or village.
Wait! There’s more. I thought the national highways were narrow until I traveled on regional roads. Oncoming carsNarrow winding roads bordered by rock walls or hedgerows are found throughout Ireland cannot pass without squeezing up to a hedgerow or a rock wall delineating the edge of the road. There is no space on either side of the road… zero, zippo, none. Fortunately, vegetation covers many rock walls. When a car brushes against vines, a driver knows that further yielding will cause serious vehicular damage. This is particularly helpful when the approaching vehicle is a tour bus, a sixteen-wheeler, or an oversized farm tractor pulling a flatbed full of hay. While the roads are riddled with hairpin curves, shared with bikers and pedestrians, used for cattle and sheep crossings, the typical speed limit is eighty kilometers per hour (50 mph). Years ago, visitors drove for miles without seeing another car. Those days are long gone, the current road system cannot handle the traffic, and the allowed driving speeds add to the danger. The next time you seek a thrill, forget the latest mega-ride at Six Flags. Just rent a car and go for a drive in Ireland.
Ireland Landscape
Ireland Landscape
Ireland Landscape
Ireland Landscape
Ireland Landscape
Ireland Landscape
Ireland LandscapeThursday, May 12, 2011
Eurovision: Semi Final 2 LIVE BLOG
Here we go again! For the next three hours, your we're gonna have commentary on everything from songs to hair styles! Are we ready?
1930 30 mins to go. If you don't know who's performing tonight, then make sure you check out the previews here and here
2000 Live from the Espirit Arena in Dusseldorf, it's the second semi final. Watching this on BBC Three because commentary cut out on RTÉ on Tuesday...
2002 I think that comedian chick is the better looking of the two....
2004 And so our first contestants are Bosnia and Hertzigovina. An old folksie song that really doesn't sound great.
Did that hyperactive dude with the trumpet actually play?
2008 The Austrian contingent are next on stage with The Secret Is Love. First observation is that she has a lobsided bob.
Its a very shouty Celine Dion type ballad - i don't like it
2013 The Netherlands are next out of the gate. Scott Mills just pointed out that they haven't qualified for the last six years and I don't think tonight is going to be any different.
The song isn't bad, but it could have been better of they had got cute blonde guitarist to sing it... The lead singer looks greasy and scruffy in his white suit ... I'm gonna guess that he smells too
2016 La Belgique next singing With Love Baby - it's like something you'd see in a school talent show ... If the teachers were performing.
That said, the harmonies, beat boxing and acapella are spot on. Outfits are a shambles - they really do look like teachers. Love the comment from Scott Mills that they look like Glee in 20 years!
2020 The Slovakian Twiins are next (that's the correct spelling) with I'm Still Alive. They have the cleavage out, so the boys will definitely be voting for this one!
They look like Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives!
This is supposed to be one of the favorites, but the song is a bit "bleh"...
2026 Off to the Ukraine now with Angel. Now this song I like! This chick really rocks the posh frock with feathered shoulders look! Kinda looks like Taylor Swift....
Oh, and the sand artist is amazing!
2030 Moldova look SCARY! Love Scott Mills comment that the song is 3 minutes too long (it's only 3 minutes long!).
Unicycling horn players wearing white? Did someone spike my Diet Coke? This entry is as ridiculous as the things on theirs heads.
NEXT!
2034 Sweden are up next with Popular. Sounds like a summer dancefloor stomper! Such a shame that he's SO out of tune. Guaranteed to qualify with the young girl and clergy vote.
2038 The Cypriot entries are next with a song in Greek, so I'm not gonna try to write the name down.
This better liven up because they're singing like someone is about to get buried. And now a chick swinging soap on a rope... ...
If I've missed anything or you have any feedback, leave a comment in the box below or tweet me @daveindub
2042 Bulgaria are up next with Na Inat. It's a good song with good energy but who the f*** dressed this girl?
2048 FYR Macedonia next with another foreign song name. Starts off like a dance song that I can't remember the name of and the just sounds like the normal Eurovision tripe.
NEXT!
2051 And now Dana International is back with Ding Dong! This is one of the most anticipated performances of the night. It looms like someone put her dress in the shredder.
Overall the song is nothing special which is a shame
2055 Slovenia are next with No One. Why do they all feel the need to do the Mariah voice thingy?? This chick is trying too hard to be Xtina
Aguilera.
2058 Next up are Romania with Change. Did you know that their lead singer is from Newcastle?
It's okay but cheesy.
2105 Back from the ad break and we've got Estonia. She looks great but she's out of tune and flat. Such a shame because I had high hopes for her :(
2108 Next is Belarus with I Love Belarus. Bad song title, bad song and crap singing. Need I say more?
NEXT!
NOTE: There was more of this blog, but unfortunately it fell into the abyss when blogger went tits up :(
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
1930 30 mins to go. If you don't know who's performing tonight, then make sure you check out the previews here and here
2000 Live from the Espirit Arena in Dusseldorf, it's the second semi final. Watching this on BBC Three because commentary cut out on RTÉ on Tuesday...
2002 I think that comedian chick is the better looking of the two....
2004 And so our first contestants are Bosnia and Hertzigovina. An old folksie song that really doesn't sound great.
Did that hyperactive dude with the trumpet actually play?
2008 The Austrian contingent are next on stage with The Secret Is Love. First observation is that she has a lobsided bob.
Its a very shouty Celine Dion type ballad - i don't like it
2013 The Netherlands are next out of the gate. Scott Mills just pointed out that they haven't qualified for the last six years and I don't think tonight is going to be any different.
The song isn't bad, but it could have been better of they had got cute blonde guitarist to sing it... The lead singer looks greasy and scruffy in his white suit ... I'm gonna guess that he smells too
2016 La Belgique next singing With Love Baby - it's like something you'd see in a school talent show ... If the teachers were performing.
That said, the harmonies, beat boxing and acapella are spot on. Outfits are a shambles - they really do look like teachers. Love the comment from Scott Mills that they look like Glee in 20 years!
2020 The Slovakian Twiins are next (that's the correct spelling) with I'm Still Alive. They have the cleavage out, so the boys will definitely be voting for this one!
They look like Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives!
This is supposed to be one of the favorites, but the song is a bit "bleh"...
2026 Off to the Ukraine now with Angel. Now this song I like! This chick really rocks the posh frock with feathered shoulders look! Kinda looks like Taylor Swift....
Oh, and the sand artist is amazing!
2030 Moldova look SCARY! Love Scott Mills comment that the song is 3 minutes too long (it's only 3 minutes long!).
Unicycling horn players wearing white? Did someone spike my Diet Coke? This entry is as ridiculous as the things on theirs heads.
NEXT!
2034 Sweden are up next with Popular. Sounds like a summer dancefloor stomper! Such a shame that he's SO out of tune. Guaranteed to qualify with the young girl and clergy vote.
2038 The Cypriot entries are next with a song in Greek, so I'm not gonna try to write the name down.
This better liven up because they're singing like someone is about to get buried. And now a chick swinging soap on a rope... ...
If I've missed anything or you have any feedback, leave a comment in the box below or tweet me @daveindub
2042 Bulgaria are up next with Na Inat. It's a good song with good energy but who the f*** dressed this girl?
2048 FYR Macedonia next with another foreign song name. Starts off like a dance song that I can't remember the name of and the just sounds like the normal Eurovision tripe.
NEXT!
2051 And now Dana International is back with Ding Dong! This is one of the most anticipated performances of the night. It looms like someone put her dress in the shredder.
Overall the song is nothing special which is a shame
2055 Slovenia are next with No One. Why do they all feel the need to do the Mariah voice thingy?? This chick is trying too hard to be Xtina
Aguilera.
2058 Next up are Romania with Change. Did you know that their lead singer is from Newcastle?
It's okay but cheesy.
2105 Back from the ad break and we've got Estonia. She looks great but she's out of tune and flat. Such a shame because I had high hopes for her :(
2108 Next is Belarus with I Love Belarus. Bad song title, bad song and crap singing. Need I say more?
NEXT!
NOTE: There was more of this blog, but unfortunately it fell into the abyss when blogger went tits up :(
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Budget Day: LIVE BLOG
Well the budget may be an hour away but it's all kicking off already. Click below to access the live blog and make sure you keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates.
The main points from this years budget:
- Social welfare cut by 4% (€8)
- Children's allowance cut by €10 per child with an additional €10 cut for the third child
- Public service pay cap of €250k
- Tax bands and credits cut by 10%
- Petrol levy up 4c from midnight
- Diesel levy up 2c from midnight
2302 You can view the Minister for Finance's full statement as well as all of the budget documents online - click here to access the files
1928 Brian Lenihan now speaking at a press conference - watch it live on Sky News
1921 Three people have been arrested at government buildings for public order offences
1917 Ryanair has panned the governments decision to reduce the travel tax from €10 to €3, saying that it will still strangle the tourist industry. They want the fee abolished.
1855 The cut in child and unemployment benefits has not gone down well - Facebook and Twitter are alive this evening with calls for the government to go now
1819 Third level fees to increase by €500 to €2000; Student grants down by 4%
1817 First time buyers will now be liable for the 1% stamp duty
1806 Protesters outside calling for the Corrib Gas Line to be nationalised - one banner reads that over €540bn of gas has been given away
1801 RTÉ's evening bulletin is now on air. The 4% cut in social welfare will equate to about €8, but no cut will apply to 18-21 year olds who only receive €108 per week
1702 More statements in the Dail now from Labour's Joan Burton on RTÉ Two; Budget analysis with Brian Dobson on RTÉ One and Vincent Browne on TV Three. More from me later!
1700 "Fine Gael want the IMF out if here"
1655 Says that the budget is incoherent; Easy on the rich and harsh on the poor
1653 Suggesting dropping the lower VAT rate from 13.5% to 12% to stimulate jobs in the service industry
1651 Now asking what is planned for TD's - will the same pay cuts apply to them as will apply ministers (10% cut)
1648 Noonan is now questioning why extra cuts were made for third children only
1645 Noonan is now calling the Brian Lenihan saying that he has indicated that he will combine the social and income levy, he does not state what rate the new levy will be
1640 Fine Gael's Michael Noonan is calling on Brian Cowen to come out tomorrow and explain exactly what that €4 billion in cuts will be as the budget document does not list them
1631 Some other points that I missed - no change in the tax on alcohol or cigarettes; Total bank losses to exceed €70bn or over 45% of this years GDP
1629 The speech has ended and we will now hear replies from the other main parties - Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein
1621 Petrol up 4c per litre from midnight; Diesel up 2c per litre from midnight; Car scrappage scheme to continue; VRT exemption to continue for hybrid vehicles
1620 The €10 travel tax will re reduced to €3 from March 1st 2011. Will be reviewed at end of 2011 and could revert to €10 in 2012 if visitor numbers do not respond
1619 New incentive for spending to make homes more energy efficient
1616 Stamp duty to be applied at a rate of 1% up to €1m and 2% over €1m for residential property
1613 Corporation tax will remain at 12.5%
1608 Income levy to be combined with health levy - will make one charge; All tax credits will be reduced by 10%
1606 The 10% cut to new entrants in the public service will apply to judges
1604 Those in the public service will receive a maximum of €250k in salary
1602 All ministers will face a reduction in salary - Cowen by €14k and ministers by €10k
1557 There will be a €10 reduction in children's allowance with an additional €10 reduction where there is a third child
1556 There will be no reduction in the state pension; Social welfare to be cut by 4%
1552 Redundancies have fallen 30% on last year; Manufacturing up 12% in Q3
1550 GDP to increase slightly this year; Exports increase 7% in the first half due to global demand pick up
1546 And here we go...
1530 Things turning ugly between Brian Cowen and the Labour party as they try to score points off each other.
1524 Pre budget sparring is currently going on in the chamber with Brian Cowen defending the EU/IMF bailout yet again
1515 Some of the announcements expected today include:
- A cut in social welfare payments
- A widening of the tax bands
- A cap on the pay of semi-state CEO's
1506 Viewers in Ireland can watch live coverage of the budget on RTÉ or TV3. There will also be news specials later this evening with a full round up.
1503 Ministers are in Dail Eireann since earlier today. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan arrived early this morning on foot to avoid the press
1445 There is a heavy Garda presence at government buildings at the moment and protesters have already started to arrive
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
The main points from this years budget:
- Social welfare cut by 4% (€8)
- Children's allowance cut by €10 per child with an additional €10 cut for the third child
- Public service pay cap of €250k
- Tax bands and credits cut by 10%
- Petrol levy up 4c from midnight
- Diesel levy up 2c from midnight
2302 You can view the Minister for Finance's full statement as well as all of the budget documents online - click here to access the files
1928 Brian Lenihan now speaking at a press conference - watch it live on Sky News
1921 Three people have been arrested at government buildings for public order offences
1917 Ryanair has panned the governments decision to reduce the travel tax from €10 to €3, saying that it will still strangle the tourist industry. They want the fee abolished.
1855 The cut in child and unemployment benefits has not gone down well - Facebook and Twitter are alive this evening with calls for the government to go now
1819 Third level fees to increase by €500 to €2000; Student grants down by 4%
1817 First time buyers will now be liable for the 1% stamp duty
1806 Protesters outside calling for the Corrib Gas Line to be nationalised - one banner reads that over €540bn of gas has been given away
1801 RTÉ's evening bulletin is now on air. The 4% cut in social welfare will equate to about €8, but no cut will apply to 18-21 year olds who only receive €108 per week
1702 More statements in the Dail now from Labour's Joan Burton on RTÉ Two; Budget analysis with Brian Dobson on RTÉ One and Vincent Browne on TV Three. More from me later!
1700 "Fine Gael want the IMF out if here"
1655 Says that the budget is incoherent; Easy on the rich and harsh on the poor
1653 Suggesting dropping the lower VAT rate from 13.5% to 12% to stimulate jobs in the service industry
1651 Now asking what is planned for TD's - will the same pay cuts apply to them as will apply ministers (10% cut)
1648 Noonan is now questioning why extra cuts were made for third children only
1645 Noonan is now calling the Brian Lenihan saying that he has indicated that he will combine the social and income levy, he does not state what rate the new levy will be
1640 Fine Gael's Michael Noonan is calling on Brian Cowen to come out tomorrow and explain exactly what that €4 billion in cuts will be as the budget document does not list them
1631 Some other points that I missed - no change in the tax on alcohol or cigarettes; Total bank losses to exceed €70bn or over 45% of this years GDP
1629 The speech has ended and we will now hear replies from the other main parties - Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein
1621 Petrol up 4c per litre from midnight; Diesel up 2c per litre from midnight; Car scrappage scheme to continue; VRT exemption to continue for hybrid vehicles
1620 The €10 travel tax will re reduced to €3 from March 1st 2011. Will be reviewed at end of 2011 and could revert to €10 in 2012 if visitor numbers do not respond
1619 New incentive for spending to make homes more energy efficient
1616 Stamp duty to be applied at a rate of 1% up to €1m and 2% over €1m for residential property
1613 Corporation tax will remain at 12.5%
1608 Income levy to be combined with health levy - will make one charge; All tax credits will be reduced by 10%
1606 The 10% cut to new entrants in the public service will apply to judges
1604 Those in the public service will receive a maximum of €250k in salary
1602 All ministers will face a reduction in salary - Cowen by €14k and ministers by €10k
1557 There will be a €10 reduction in children's allowance with an additional €10 reduction where there is a third child
1556 There will be no reduction in the state pension; Social welfare to be cut by 4%
1552 Redundancies have fallen 30% on last year; Manufacturing up 12% in Q3
1550 GDP to increase slightly this year; Exports increase 7% in the first half due to global demand pick up
1546 And here we go...
1530 Things turning ugly between Brian Cowen and the Labour party as they try to score points off each other.
1524 Pre budget sparring is currently going on in the chamber with Brian Cowen defending the EU/IMF bailout yet again
1515 Some of the announcements expected today include:
- A cut in social welfare payments
- A widening of the tax bands
- A cap on the pay of semi-state CEO's
1506 Viewers in Ireland can watch live coverage of the budget on RTÉ or TV3. There will also be news specials later this evening with a full round up.
1503 Ministers are in Dail Eireann since earlier today. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan arrived early this morning on foot to avoid the press
1445 There is a heavy Garda presence at government buildings at the moment and protesters have already started to arrive
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
Ireland: Budget 2011
Later today, Finance minister Brian Lenihan will deliver what'd believed to be the toughest budget in decades with €6bn in spending cuts and tax hikes reported. And we'll be live blogging it all from 3:45pm
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, December 3, 2010
You gotta check this photo out!
The photo below shows just how much snow has been dumped on Ireland and the UK over the last few days. Over Ireland, it almost looks like that film The Day After Tomorrow as the east coast is while and the west and south west looks unaffected.
Irish authorities are telling people not to travel unless absolutely necessary as this weather is due to continue on into next week. Let's see what the weekend will bring!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Let it snow .... but not that much
It seems that today really kicked the bad weather up a notch. While waiting on the bus this morning, I was caught in what can only be described as BLIZZARD conditions! Seriously, it was so bad that I couldn't even see the end of the road!
Some other weather related updates:
- Lightening has knocked out phone and Internet services around Dublin city (which is why this is a mobile post)
- Bus services in Dublin were halted fully at 8pm (normally they run until after 11pm) and it's unknown whether they will be able to run tomorrow
- Dublin Airport is closed until at least midnight to allow for snow and ice clearing on the runways. It was also closed from 2:30pm until 7:00pm for the same reason.
- Thunder and lightening will continue as the difference in sea and air temperatures grows. One report today said that sea temperatures were approx 12 degrees in places while atmospheric temperature had dropped as low as minus 40!
- Forecasts say that this type if weather will be with us until NEXT WEEK
You can catch live updates on the travel chaos on the RTÉ website below:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1201/weather_transport_updates_live.html
Meanwhile in the UK, the worst of the weather seems to have taken hold with airport closures in London Gatwick and Edinburgh (all services from both airports were cancelled all day).
Here are the latest updates from Sky News and the BBC (as at 2213hrs)
Sky News:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Article/201012115844327
BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11885495
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Ireland forced to take EU bailout
On Sunday evening, the EU and IMF confirmed that they had agreed to make funding of €85 billion available to Ireland and we'll be getting into that ball of crap in the coming days.
In the meantime, check out this video which explains the whole thing in under 3 minutes - you may want to turn the sound off and just concentrate on the subtitles....
In the meantime, check out this video which explains the whole thing in under 3 minutes - you may want to turn the sound off and just concentrate on the subtitles....
It's chilly in Dublin
Dublin was hit with some very strange weather this past weekend, in particular late on Friday night/early on Saturday morning. I was awoken from my sleep by my sister who was telling me that there had been thunder (she gets nervous when she hears thunder for some reason). I sat up and saw a huge flash of light before hearing a crack of thunder that honestly lasted 30 seconds. Now, normally when there's thunder and lightening, there's a fair amount of rain attached, but this was the first time I've ever seen them accompanied by heavy SNOW.
I was then directed towards this video by a friend and it shows the lightening in all it's glory. As loud and slightly scary as it was, it looks beautiful in this video. I particularly like how, for one second, it's like daytime from the flash.
There was more of this last night and, once again, it was accompanied by a snowstorm. With another week of this cold front to get through, I wonder if there will be more of the same....
I was then directed towards this video by a friend and it shows the lightening in all it's glory. As loud and slightly scary as it was, it looks beautiful in this video. I particularly like how, for one second, it's like daytime from the flash.
There was more of this last night and, once again, it was accompanied by a snowstorm. With another week of this cold front to get through, I wonder if there will be more of the same....
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The STRANGEST weather....
I was woken at 4:30 this morning by some major thunder and lightning and assumed that it was raining .... but I was wrong. This thunder and lightning accompanied a snowstorm and I don't just mean a trickle of snow - it was chucking it down!
It's unusual for Ireland to see snow in late November, never mind snow this heavy, and the forecast for the weekend is for more snow with Met Eireann issuing a severe weather watch for the whole of Ireland. The same goes for the UK where the Met Office has also issued weathe warnings for the bulk of the country. If you want to check out the latest warnings, please click on the links below:
And if the weather is bad where you are, the advise is not to go out unless you have to! I (unfortunately) do have to venture out today so I'll upload pics of snowy Dublin when I get home!
It's unusual for Ireland to see snow in late November, never mind snow this heavy, and the forecast for the weekend is for more snow with Met Eireann issuing a severe weather watch for the whole of Ireland. The same goes for the UK where the Met Office has also issued weathe warnings for the bulk of the country. If you want to check out the latest warnings, please click on the links below:
And if the weather is bad where you are, the advise is not to go out unless you have to! I (unfortunately) do have to venture out today so I'll upload pics of snowy Dublin when I get home!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Baby it's cold outside.....
Check out this 5 day forecast for Dublin ....
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted on the road using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, November 22, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Does Ireland need a bailout?
Here are the front pages of some of this mornings UK newspapers (courtesy of the people at Sky News), all mentioning Ireland and the supposed bailout that we "need".
The Independent leads with "Ireland On The Brink" and says that the UK could be liable for a £6bn bill from any bailout that we get.
Read more on The Independent website here
The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the panic has also spread to Portugal, where the cost of borrowing has increased to over 7% since the Irish crisis began. Experts say that this level is un-sustainable for the country. It also reports that economic problems in Greece are worse than first feared.
Read more on the Daily Telegraph website here
All covers are taken from the Sky News website. Please click the logo on the left to view the rest of todays papers.
Read more on The Independent website here
Read more on the Daily Telegraph website here
All covers are taken from the Sky News website. Please click the logo on the left to view the rest of todays papers. Ireland by night ... from space
Just came across this stunning photo of Ireland at night over on the pantibar blog.
Pics are courtesy of astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock and you can see more of his photos (and this one in full size) by clicking the icon below.
Pics are courtesy of astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock and you can see more of his photos (and this one in full size) by clicking the icon below.
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