There is more than Guinness in Ireland

Holy Guinness

Pic stolen from Mikie....

Brewery
According to an article in the New-York Times, now in Ireland, you can find not only Guinness:
Journey Ireland New York Times

I've already spoken of the Murphys (Cork stout), Beamish and other irish beers.
I am looking forward to have a taste of these beers made in these micro-brewery (I'll just copy here the information from the New York times until I can give my own view):

• Biddy Early Brewery, Inagh, County Clare, www.beb.ie.
  Red Biddy ale is made with a locally grown wild herb, bog myrtle, in place of hops.
  Black Biddy stout is made with carrigeen moss, used to fine the beer, a process that causes solids to drop out.
  
• Porterhouse Brewing Company, 16-18 Parliament Street, Dublin, www.porterhousebrewco.com.
  The brewery offers the widest selection of beers among Ireland's microbrews. As many as 10 beers are on tap, including seasonal specialties like a rich chocolate stout.
  
• Messrs Maguire, 1-2 Burgh Quay, Dublin, 353-1-670-5777. On tap are a plain stout, a fruity ale, wheat beer and a Czech-style pilsner, along with a seasonal rotation.
  
• Carlow Brewing Company, the Goods Store, Station Road, Carlow, 353-59-913-4356. Carlow Brewing makes O'Hara's Stout, Curim Gold and Moling's Red.
  Curim is said to be a traditional Celtic-style beer once made in the region, and the red ale is named after the Book of Moling by sixth-century Celtic monks in South Carlow.
  
• Franciscan Well Brewery, 14 North Mall, Cork, 353-21-421-0130; www.franciscanwellbrewery.com.
  Franciscan Well serves a range of local favorites (Rebel Red, Shandon Stout, Blarney Blonde, Rebel Lager and Friar Weisse), complemented by seasonal specialties.
  
• Kinsale Brewing Company, the Glen, Kinsale, 353-21-470-2124, http://www.kinsalebrewing.com/. With a new brewer on board, Kinsale is trying to bring new beers to taps, but currently serves lager, stout, ale and wheat.

Basking Sharks

For a long time, I mis-translate the french word for these animal: "Requin Pelerin" (litteral translation Pilgrim Shark) ; but it turns out the english name is Basking Shark. And it's possible to see them on the irish coast (especially Dingle).

How, Where and When to Watch Basking Sharks

I want to see a basking shark !!!!! And some seals and a dolphin ( there is one in Dingle)....

Song of the week

My favourite song of the moment is: Justice vs Simian - 'Never Be Alone ' (Virgin) discovered in BBC Annie Mac show.

Until Radiohead launch it's new album... perhaps... I heard their first new song on BBC Radio1... this morning, nice and very experimental... we'll see.... (I'll see them in concert in Dublin at the end of August ... youpi...).. and Tom Yorke is supposed to launch a solo album next month (called The Eraser).

Watersports WeekEnd

Activity: Diving

DINGLE
Back to dingle for a sunday dive in the Dingle peninsula.
Very good diving center: http://www.waterworld.ie/

The windmill on the road from Tralee to Dingle:

Some horse...

And some Pub wall, and some results post-pub



Diving
Two very nice dives on Sunday, near Brandon Point, and I fell in love of some lovely diving instructor (or future)... unfortunately Mikie, who was me, play it unfair...
Anyway I'll be back.

WE conclusion
Ended the WE, in the Trinity Room, where they was some brazilain animations (due to the world cup match)... I think after seeing the french performance and the brazilian dancers what I might transfer my support to LA SELECAO...

Joke of the Day about France World Cup Football
It is just before the France v Brazil match. Ronaldinho goes into the Brazilian changing room to find all his teammates looking a bit glum.
"What's up?" he asks.
"Well, we're having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it's important but it's only France. They're sh*te and we can't be bothered."
Ronaldinho looks at them and says, "Well, I reckon I can beat them by myself-you lads go down the pub."
So Ronaldinho goes out to play France by himself and the rest of the Brazilian team go off for a few jars.
After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they get the landlord to put the teletext on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads "Brazil 1 - France 0 (Ronaldinho 10 minutes)". He is beating France all by himself!
Anyway, a few pints later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers, "It must be full time now, let's see how he got on." They put the teletext on.
"Result from the Stadium 'Brazil 1 (Ronaldinho 10 minutes) - France 1 (Henry 89 minutes)."
They can't believe it; he has single-handedly got a draw against France!!
They rush back to the Stadium to congratulate Ronaldinho. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sitting with his head in his hands.
He refuses to look at them. "I've let you down, I've let you down."
"Don't be daft, you got a draw against France, all by yourself. And they only scored at the very, very end!"
"No, no, I have, I've let you down...I got sent off after 12 minutes."


CANTO REVIENS
"Quand les mouettes suivent le chalutier, c'est parce qu’elles pensent qu’on va leur jeter des sardines" (Cantonna a fleur de mots)

Watersports week

[Weekly summary] Pub: 6, Alcohol Units: 2, Activities: Sailing, Kayak, Salsa

Lough Gur
Back to Lough Gur (ear Limerick city) wednesday

To learn/practice some Kayak with the OPC (Outdoor Pursuit Club)

Very fun... in the water, and we were all so prettyly dressed

Summary perfect evening:


Sailer
Tuesday, I went sailing in Kilrush with Oisin and Ronan on Connor's boat: Double Trouble. I am looking forward to the next trip, we are going to do some training, in order to participate to a sailing race later during the year... No photos... I am so sorry... but here some links fro sailing:

• http://www.ukhalsey.com/RulesQuiz/index.asp …race rules learning tool

• http://www.sailnet.com/collections/learningtosail/ …..some beginner sail info (haven’t looked at this so don’t know how good it is)
• Les Glenans got a center in Ireland: Glenans Irish Sailing Club

World Cup
Aie... it started... no comment on the french team....

Movies

A small post about the (once again) wonderful BBC. On their website, they present some short movies animation ...etc... worth to check it out sometimes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/

My favourites movies are:

• Industrial love dwarf about a (dwarf) conspiracy to steal love.
• Safety procedure to watch if you have to take a plane one day.

Thurles

[WE] Pub: 3, Alcohol Units: 4, Activities: Rugby-Hurling match

RUGBY
Saturday, I attended (thanks to my company Sports&Social coitte to offer the tickets) to the last game of the Celtic League for the Munster Team (they finished third, this year), just one week after their historic victory in the Heineken cup. Very good crowd, most of the supporter were here to see the whole team and the Heineken Cup.

At the end everybody ends up singin' [Munster songs on the supporter website].

And obviously The Fields of Athenry:
-1-
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.
Chorus
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
-2-
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matter Mary when your free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.
Chorus
-3-
By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
Chorus


Of course after the match we all end up in the pub (Woodfield first and the Nancy Blake to finish the night in the Icon).
As usual everything in Ireland, ends with songs,in front of a guinness .

Just a few words anout the Nancy's Blake, one of the best pub in Limerick (even if my personal preference goes to the Costello... but I agree that you will never be deceived by the Nancys)


Hurling
Sunday I went to Thurles, small town in County Tipperary, only 8000 habitants usually, but this village host the second largest GAA stadium: The Semple Stadium.
This sunday, Cork was playing against Clare for the Semi-Finals of the Munster championship, whiwh is part od the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Number of people present at the match: 40000. Population of the village multiplied by 5....

This is incredible, everybody in the County went to the match, one of the most incerdible thing is that women are amongst the greatest supporters. All generations united (kids, women, elder...) united under the flag of their county...

So huge crowd (most of them from Cork) to assist the Clare defeat

But there is still hope that Clare can make it up to the Final... don't ask me ta explain, I am not sure to understand myself how it works.
To understand: Wikipedia on Hurling , Official GAA website.

The crowd at the exit of the match (takes hours to leave the town after the game):


And finally the official GAA song, which occurs at the beginning of each game (natioanl gaeilge anthem)
Sinne Fianna Fáil (Irish National anthem)

Sinne Fianna Fáil
A tá fé gheall ag éirinn,
buion dár slua
Thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,
Fé mhóid bheith saor.
Sean tír ár sinsir feasta
Ní fhagfar fé'n tiorán ná fén tráil
Anocht a théam sa bhearna bhaoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil
Le guna screach fé lámhach na bpiléar
Seo libh canaídh Amhrán na bhFiann

World cup France and her supporters
There is something which strikes me now, it's the difference of behaviour between irish and french supporters. When you compare to the fever of Munsters fans, whatever the team win or lose, when you see what support the GAA teams gets....

The French attitude is absolutely disgraceful, in 1998 people only started to cheered the team when it reached the quarter-finals, and it was the same in 1982.

I was 6 in 1982, and I still remember this fantastic semi-final against Germany will all the drama (Battistion attacked by Shumcher, the four goals in the extended times, France leading 3-1 and losing during teh penalties stage... ).

It was absolutely fabulous (and I think the next september everyboy was rushing to the next football club).

I've seen a documentary (I think it was the BBC) about the french football team in 1982, and I realize that at the time, nobody in France believed in this team. France had always preferred glorious second to efficient winner.

The most famous example is Poulidor, cheered and loved by the public who never managed to win the Tour de France, against Anquetil (multi-winner).
Seem french only become supporter when the tem has winned.... (I could probably do a parrallel with more ancient history).

So anyway, even if I don't agree with the current selection (Santini should have stay and continue to build a new team and make progress... but that's my personal opinion), I will only have few words: ALLEZ les BLEUS !!!!!!
First match: 13th of june.... see you there.

Things learned:

- Aime Jacquet was manager of Bordeaux in 1982, where most of the french team came from, probably the lessons learned with this lost semi-finals, resulted later with the 1998 victory.

Stab city

Pub: 3, Alcohol unit: 0; Activities: Salsa, social talk

Video of the day: Monty Python Holy Grail Camelot song revisited by LEGO
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=99174057823861673

Quotation of the day:
Geoff Wallis talking about Limerick in the Sunday Tribune: "Stab City has all the attractions of a funeral parlour and certainly less of the life. If there is a grimmer place in Ireland please don’t let me know its identity,”

Sailing

Pubs:1, Alcohol units:0, girl-phone-number:1, Activities: sailing

On the road to Kilrush:
Massey ferguson spotted: 7; Wind Farm spotted: 3

Sailing in Ireland
Yesterday (tuesday), we headed to Kilrush just after the work (ok we left at 4.30pm) for an initiation to the joy of sailing (a first for me ... finally)... great.
Forgot to take my camera, so no pictures... anyway here some links:

Kilrush center:
http://www.kilrushcreekadventure.com/
Irish Sailing Association
Glenans Irish Sailing Club
Les Glenans [France]

So now I need to learn how to tie a knot... and all this kind of stuff......

Top Gear
Sail... that remind me last week Top Gear, on BBC2, where they organized a race with homemade amphibian cars, and my idol James May build a sailing boat from a Triumph Herald
See the boat-car here (brilliant):
http://James May Boat/Car
And most important thing, James won the race !!!!!!