This weekend saw food festival Taste City Fusion arrive in Dublin.
The four day event, which was sponsored by CityJet, celebrated the Irish food scene with cookery workshops, masterclasses and a selection of culinary treats on offer throughout the weekend.
The City headed along to the event and brought you behind the scenes, showing what exactly the event had to offer, and what the vendors made of the experience.
By Niamh Haskins, Laura Somers and Michelle Dardis
If like us, you’re penny pinching around this time of year in preparation for Christmas, then keep reading to find things to do in Dublin that won’t cost you a thing:
Temple Bar Gallery
Nestled in the heart of Temple Bar, this art gallery is home to some of Ireland’s most intriguing exhibitions. The current exhibition is called, ‘Huddle Tests’ by Rhona Byrne.
It will be on until the 7th of November and it’s a great way to experience some Irish culture and not spend money. The Dublin Art Book Fair will take place from the 19th to the 22nd of November. This too will be free of charge and again will allow you to indulge your taste for culture.
Trinity College
An obvious one (but often one that’s overlooked) are the grounds of Trinity College which are over 400 years old. To wander around the cobble stones and admire the architecture costs nothing, so hop to it.
Don’t feel that you have to pay for a trip back in time, the buildings in Trinity have many stories hidden in the brick-work. You might even stumble across a history student who could give you a quick tour.
Sandeman’s New Dublin Tours
This is one for those of you who enjoy a good walk. Sandeman are offering a free three hour walking tour of the city. It involves a visit to Dublin Castle, Christchurch and Trinity College, plus many more.
So put your runners on and discover parts of this beautiful city that you might not have seen before. There’s now no excuse to immerse yourself in Dublin’s history. Find more about the tours here.
Last week celebrated the opening of Pygmankenstein’s latest show ‘Olympia’ in The New Theatre.
The show focuses on Nathaniel, a bright medical student who is heavily burdened from tales told to him as a child of a monstrous creature who comes at nightfall to steal the eyes of children who would not sleep.
The jittery Nathaniel lives with a peculiar ocular obsession, and visits every optometrist within radius of his home. He is best friends with his roommate and fellow student Lothaire, and fiancé to Lothaire’s sister Clara.
Apprenticed by his idol Doctor Coppola, it is she who introduces him to her beautiful, blind daughter Olympia.
The performance, described as ‘gothic-horror’, lasts for 70 minutes and is sure to leave your spine tingling.
The cast includes Michael David McKernan, Shane Robinson, Aenne Barr, Erin Gilgen, and Claudia Kinahan, all of whom executed their roles with precision and emotion.
The production, based on 19th Century horror literature, runs from the 12th to the 24th of October. Ending just before Halloween, there is a special fancy dress after party for those attending on October 25th.
Tickets range from €12 to €15 and are available at tickets.ie
As Dublin City Council pledges to begin a recruitment drive for fire-fighters, averting strike action by Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) staff, new figures show a dearth of young officers on the force.
Information released to Sinn Féin Councillor Noeleen Reilly shows that just 15 out of the 847 officers employed are under the age of thirty.
More than half of the force are aged over 40. Of these 374 are aged between 41 and 50 and some 172 people who work in Dublin Fire Brigade are aged over 50. Meanwhile, 286 officers are aged between 31 and 40.
Cllr Reilly said the demographics illustrate the council’s recruitment policy which has led to serious concerns that by January, Dublin Fire Brigade would be some 100 people under the 900 figure needed to run the service safely, due to retirements.
“There has not been one single fire fighter recruited from open competition since 2009,” Cllr Reilly pointed out.
“As a result the age demographics in the service are completely skewed and in future years will cause significant problems.
“In ten or fifteen year’s time we are going to have serious problems when it comes to retirement of existing fire fighters but it also shows that young people are not being given the opportunity to have a career in the fire service,” she said.
A rolling recruitment policy would ensure that the situation does not arise again where Dublin Fire Brigade is facing serious staff shortages due to retirements from the service.
Cllr Reilly said: “We can’t have a situation where all our fire fighters are the same age.”
The council has committed to recruiting more fire officers which should lead to a more evenly spread age demographic.
Recent strike action was agreed by Dublin Fire Brigade staff to protest a council decision to use a confined competition to source new staff to fill the vacancies.
Representatives argued that this would delay the process unnecessarily while fire officers were working unsuitable overtime to bridge the gaps.
A new recruitment plan and promotion programme, along with a time-frame for that recruitment has since been agreed following a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) process.
Below is a breakdown of the number of fire-fighters recruited via open competition since 2008.
In 2013, the 28 candidates recruited were hired as Emergency Services Controllers and “will progress to the role of fire fighters in due course” according to the council.
Also in that year 25 appointments were made via a confined competition for fire-fighter positions, which was restricted to the four Dublin local authorities.
Peter Varga, the eyes and ears behind the Humans of Dublin photography project, sat down with Niamh O’Donoghue to discuss the ups and downs of documenting Dubliners and the future of the project.
How did you get started with Humans of Dublin?
“It was my girlfriend who persuaded me to undertake the project. I was studying in the Institute of Photography at the time, and didn’t want to go in empty-handed. I had lots of experience dealing with people through various jobs, and had developed really good communication skills and learned how to engage in conversation better. I decided to amalgamate my passion for photography with these skills and my love of Dublin. From this, Humans of Dublin was born.”
Is it a one-man show?
“To a point. I take all the photos and write the quotes, but my English wouldn’t be too great so my friend Catriona Muireann kindly edits all of the content for me.”
Some people criticise the fact that HOD is inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, even though he has said he wants it to be open to every city. How do you feel about that?
“He encourages people to do it in different countries because he is very much a humanist, not a business orientated person. I don’t feel like I’m copying anyone; similarly I don’t feel like others copy me. If you have a passion for it, then do it.”
How do you manage to find out what makes a random stranger tick?
“The most important thing is the energy and eye-contact, and you have to have an initial interest in what the person is saying. When I first approach them I don’t tell them who I am or what I’m actually doing: instead I tell them that I’m doing a photography project where I collect random portraits of people on the street, and ask if I can take their portraits.
“They usually say yes. I’ll then show them the shots which engages them more and makes them feel relaxed. This is when I tell them that I need to connect the photos with a few sentences about the person, and ask if it’s okay to ask a few questions. I might start off by asking them what they had for breakfast that morning. I usually take more shots after I conduct my interview because their eyes are more connected with me than the initial portraits.
“Some people don’t understand what I’m trying to do, and when I try to stop them they keep going because they think I’m selling something.”
Are there times when it just doesn’t work out?
“There was one person I spoke to for three hours who wouldn’t let me take a picture. The story is inadequate without the photo. It really inspires me to hear about people who have really awful backgrounds, but who are so inspiring and positive. This one person suffered rape, was a heroin addict from childhood, suffered a family suicide and was homeless, but continued to smile
In the short-term Peter is hoping to reach a bigger audience, you can find his work here. Down the line there are plans for a Humans of Dublin book so watch this space.
Design is a key component to what keeps Dublin ticking and as the year of Irish Design continues The City met with a group of designers who seem to be doing everything right.
Extra Meat Apparel demonstrate that, like much of life, a career in design is about taking the initial leap.
Conor, Jake, and Lucas are three hardworking graduates who have successfully created their first capsule collection – Extra Meat Apparel – by harnessing their love of design with their natural flare for creativity, art, urban living and food.
Jake is a multimedia graduate from DCU, Lucas is a Brazilian native and qualified history teacher, while Conor is a chef. The trio met while working part-time in a popular Burrito eatery and they realised they had the ability to create something that was sustainable, profitable and of good quality.
Established in 2014, Extra Meat Apparel is a new venture in terms of street style – a hugely evolving subculture here – and Jake, the youngest of the team, emphasised the importance of supporting young Irish design.
“It’s important to encourage and promote young creatives. We were able to achieve this without financial stability, but I think many young people with the same creative ambition and goals as Extra Meat Apparel feel restricted because of money. I believe that entrepreneurship is blossoming once more throughout Ireland, but younger people still need that extra support,” he said.
There are many programmes and scholarships available for those interested in entrepreneurship and design such as Enterprise Ireland’s ‘New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme’, which offers financial and executive support for young start-ups.
Jake pointed out that if you have a passion for it, then it’s always achievable.
“Design is design – it doesn’t matter if it’s on a phone, a tablet, a 20 foot billboard, food, or clothes,” he said.
Both Conor and Jake believe that it is their designer Lucas who is the secret ingredient that separates them from other emerging brands in Dublin. The Brazilian native specialises in intricate illustrations and uses mediums in ways they are not typically used creating unique and eye-catching designs for Extra Meat. Lucas left Brazil four years ago to pursue his passion for art and urban culture.
Upon meeting the trio it was obvious that they are very different individuals – an eclectic mix of body modification, eccentric clothing, and facial hair – but their mutual love of urban life and creativity has driven them forward. Conor explained that everything they design and work at ultimately originates from the things they collectively like doing whether it’s skating, cycling, surfing or eating.
“We are a unisex brand aimed towards people who enjoy the things we enjoy,” he said.
Quality over quantity
Once they got talking about their brand, it was clear that their emphasis lies in the quality of their product, as opposed to quantity or profit.
“Quality has been at the forefront of what we are doing from the start. We’re not skimping on quality in terms of design and fabric. It took us months to nail down designs, and took even longer to find a fabric supplier that could do the job at a high standard,” said Jake. He continued by showing his support to local business; finally setting with a reliable and local firm on the North Strand.
“We print only on high-quality printable t-shirts. We use pre-shrunk cotton that is ideal for printing, and retains its shape and fit even after washing. We are trying to be a transient as possible and not be stuck by a certain gender or size. Quality over quantity,” he said.
Creativity knows no bounds, but realising goals and bringing creativity to fruition is often restrictive financially. Extra Meat Apparel would like to see more support across all aspects of the industry either from shops, investors, grants or bursaries.
Conor, Jake, and Lucas are currently working on their next collection which can be bought via their social media platforms.
Grand Canal Dock residents fear that the fire safety problems at Longboat Quay could lead to a “nightmare scenario” for the area.
The local resident’s association has asked all of its members to petition local representatives to ensure that the owners of apartments in the fire trap complex do not have to pay for the remedial works needed to make the building safe.
“This is not just a problem for the residents of Longboat Quay but it is a terrible situation for all residents in the Grand Canal Dock Area,” the committee said in a mail to its members.
“The failure to resolve the issue and the evacuation of Longboat Quay would mean a nightmare scenario for Grand Canal Dock – vacant and abandoned apartments, the closure of local businesses, the loss of employment to the area and the loss of 900 of our friends and neighbours,” it continued.
The upscale development, which is a mix of social and private apartments, has been deemed unsafe by Dublin Fire Brigade and a notice issued last week compelled work to begin in a month to fix the issues.
Problems include a lack of fire-stopping material in linking areas in the complex.
Failure to complete the works will lead to a closure notice on the building and the evacuation of some 900 residents.
While works are being arranged and completed, people in the buildings must participate in fire training and will also be subject to a series of unscheduled fire drills.
A formal offer from the receiver for development firm Gendsong who built the complex has not yet been received by residents but it is understood that an offer of €750,000 to fund the costs will be tabled.
Residents have rejected the combined offer from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) and the receiver which would leave them facing a bill of some €2 million to fix the problems.
Today the residents will meet Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly at Leinster House.
Fall Out Boy are not a name that you would necessarily associate with the music scene of 2015. For many, they’re a band consigned solely to the dead subculture of ‘emo’ which was at its peak in the years between 2005 and 2010. But if you were to survey the scene at the 3 Arena last Thursday you would be forced to admit that emo is very much alive and well. Black clothes and intense fringes were the order of the night and once everyone had endured a set by the puzzling choice of support act, Professor Green, the excitement was palpable.
After a three-year hiatus Fall Out Boy reformed in 2012 and have released two albums, Save Rock and Roll in 2013, and American Beauty/American Psycho earlier this year. It was no sure thing that their former fanbase would be there for them upon their reformation. The emo youth culture is associated with tweens and teens and with most of their original fans in college or their early twenties by now, there was a risk that they would be too mature to reconnect with their former heroes, but this was far from the case.
Save Rock and Roll debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in America with Rolling Stone calling their comeback “a rather stunning renaissance”. Their show at the Olympia last year sold out in less than half an hour and tickets for this gig sold briskly too although ultimately did not quite sell out most likely due to the much larger venue.
Sold out or not, Fall Out Boy’s fans made themselves known in the 3 Arena only adding weight to my suspicion that former emos shout the loudest. Yelling and hollering at every roadie that appeared on stage I wondered if there’d be anything left for the band. How wrong I was. Opening with a classic, as soon as the first chords of Sugar We’re Goin’ Down rang out the cheers and screaming filled the arena and I was right there with them, “woo”-ing and singing my heart out.
As it turns out an emo’s crush on Pete Wentz never really dies, it may have lain dormant for a few years but as soon as I clapped eyes on him I was transported to my pop-punk past and he was once again my one true love. I wasn’t the only one who reverted to a former self. The group of friends are ones I met after their teen angst peak but with hands on chests singing about their “car-crash hearts” they were no longer PR professionals and science graduates but their fifteen-year-old selves belting out lyrics that meant everything to them. It was like a real life #ThrowBackThursday.
The set was a mix of old and new with acoustic versions of Immortals and Young Volcanoes right in the middle, followed by an impressive solo by drummer Andy Hurley which included a cover of Trap Queen which was as confusing as it was impressive. Singer Patrick Stump’s voice was at its pop-punk best and his diction has improved immensely since I first saw the band in 2008.
A cover of Beat It gave lead guitarist Joe Trohman a chance to show off his immense skills. Fan favourites Dance, Dance and Where Is Your Boy Tonight all made an appearance and were greeted with the expected mania. The encore was a perfect mix of old and new with the upbeat hit from their comeback album My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark’s slick production perfectly balancing the grit and vinegar of Saturday, a song from their first record with a huge nostalgia factor for a lot of their fans before an incredible screaming finale courtesy of bassist Pete Wentz. This was the first time they had the chance to bring their full show to Ireland and the pyrotechnics and huge screens made all the difference.
Post-show I talked to some fans to see what they thought of the gig and ask why they’re still fans in 2015. I first approached some younger fans hoping to find some for whom the new albums had been their introduction. Unfortunately my luck was out on that count as everyone who’d talk to me had been a fan since at least 2005 or so.
Olly (16) has been a fan since Sugar We’re Going Down was released in 2005 and had only good things to say about the band and their new work, “I actually like some of their new stuff better as it’s more my style… tonight exceeded my expectations, it was my first time seeing them and they were so, so good.”
An older fan, Sadbh (20) had maternal feelings towards the band as she saw them for the first time.
“I kind of felt like a proud mother, almost like they were my kids and I was like ‘that’s it boys!’,” she said.
Her pride was palpable if a little confusing considering she’s at least a decade younger than the band.
Her friend Kelly welcomed new fans discovering the band.
“I think fans have to be adaptable to change and I think it’s really great that there’s a whole new generation of Fall Out Boy fans and this is their first Fall Out Boy album and I think that’s so sweet,” she explained.
Robert (22) was the oldest fan I spoke to and had a lot to say about their new material and longevity.
“I think their new stuff is written for arenas and is a lot more sing-songy and that works live but a lot of their punch is in their older songs when they were more emotional but obviously they’re more removed from that now that they’re stars,” he said.
“I think their hiatus built hype unbeknownst to them and they’ve managed to keep it going although I don’t really know how. I think it’s nostalgia coupled with new music that’s pretty good so it’s that combination that’s kept them afloat so far.”
Oktoberfest returned to Dublin’s financial district on Thursday, September 17th and will run until this Sunday, October 4th.
Oktoberfest, also known as Volksfest in Germany, is the world’s largest beer festival and travelling funfair. The 16-day event originated in Munich and attracts over 6 million visitors every year.
The historic festival, celebrating its eighth year here in Dublin, honours the best of German food, beer, folklore, music and dance.
Oktoberfest in September?
This follows the tradition of the original Oktoberfest which began in late September in Munich, and has now been running for 182 years consecutively. Fact: veteran beer vendors in Munich take on average 1.5 seconds to pull a pint of beer.
How much does the event cost?
The event is free to enter and is open to everyone over the age of 18 (children are permitted, but must be off the premises by 7pm). Seeing as this is Oktoberfest’s final weekend in the capital it’s expected to be very busy, as is the queue to enter – so the earlier you arrive the better.
Beer and food prices vary, but it will cost €17 for your first pitcher of beer because everyone must pay a €5 deposit for the glasses. Your deposit is returned when you hand back your glass. Small glasses of beer are also available at €6.50, but if beer is not your thing, there is a full bar service available.
Although the drinks may seem expensive, you are not only paying for the alcohol, but the overall experience of the festival. Authentic German cuisine like sauerkraut, bratwurst sausages, and haxn is also served and starts from €5.
What happens once I’m inside?
The event is laid out with a number of tents, a large stage where daily entertainment takes place (with a DJ every evening), and seating areas.
The seats are on a first-come-first-served basis, but you can make a reservation online by clicking here to book a table in the main tent.
Opening times are as follows:
Monday – Wednesday: 12.00pm – 11.30pm
Thursday – Saturday: 12.00pm – 00.30am
Sunday: 12.00pm – 10.30pm
Follow @Oktoberfestdub to find out more about the festival and upcoming competitions.
Photo: @Oktoberfestdub/ Instagram
Hozier, Noel Gallagher and Florence Welsh, have weighed in to raise much needed funds for breast cancer research.
Irish DJ Greg McQuaid who works on a popular morning radio show KFOG FM, in San Francisco, came up with the idea of a charity single with his co-host Mike Nelson.
The project began last January when Mike’s son wrote parts of a song regarding his mother’s ongoing battle with cancer.
Mike and Greg jumped on board the project and asked everyone who came through the studio to lend their voice and musical talents to the track to bring the young boy’s idea to life.
“The idea was that the show would ask all musical guests that visited the station in 2015 to help get the lyrics out of the kid’s head and make a proper song,” McQuaid told The City.
“Most of the people were at the radio station anyway to perform or promote something so all that was needed was the guts to actually ask them to sing a song about boobs,” he added.
Even though some of these acts were extremely busy, once Greg and Mike went to them directly they were happy to lend their voices to the project.
Wicklow native Hozier didn’t have time to go to their studio, but recorded his part of the song in the Masonic music venue in California while he was touring in the States.
“We went to a venue Hozier was playing at. He learned his part listening to an MP3 of the song we’d sent to his record label. It took about 10 minutes to record,” said McQuaid.
The two radio hosts have been posting clips of the recording process online, and already have over nine thousand views online.
The finished single and accompanying video have been officially released today to coincide with October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, and can be downloaded through iTunes.
Any money raised from the single will go directly towards the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Photo: @Hozier/ Instagram
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