Ten Days in Lebanon

The Lebanese, and the various peoples and tribes who have lived on the land that is now Lebanon, have been scrapping since the dawn of civilization, and it doesn't look like they’re fit for stopping anytime soon either. As a tourist walking around the streets of Beirut, Tripoli, Saida or any other town, you don’t know whether the bullet holes are three weeks old, three months or thirty years, you don’t know who shot them and a guide book will only go so far as to explaining why. When asked why you're going to Beirut and respond with 'a holiday', jaws will drop, or at least contort, and confusion come on a face. As a visitor it is easy to enjoy the fine food, marvel at the architecture (and its bullet holes), engage the banter of the friendly locals, drink their beer and chat up their women but understanding the social dynamism that makes up a country is the thing that is likely to remain aloof when you’re just passing through.

To that end though, and wanting to understand something even if you’re told its propaganda, Hezbollah’s Museum for Resistance near Mleeta in the south will go someway to getting you some of that insight. The museum is dedicated to Hezbollah’s success in expelling the Israeli Defense Forces occupying the hills of southern Lebanon in a month-long war in 2006 when, as the tour guide puts it, ‘Israel got caught in the spider’s web,’ before they were ‘sent back to Palestine’. Not Israel, no? No, of course not! Here is a dramatic sense of Lebanon’s present, the latest in its long history of fighting, a militia museum set out almost as a nature trail, with bunkers, foxholes, rockets, shells, military gear, and wrecked Israeli tanks located along its route. The hill on which the museum is perched was a critical weapon in aiding Hezbollah’s expulsion of Israeli forces because of the network of caves located beneath which allowed them to move around freely and communicate effectively. Those caves are now a brilliant counter-piece to the walk around the sunny, rocket strewn nature trail up top. The tour guides here will be quick to point out that they have no issue with Judaism, simply Israel, and the sometimes terrifying propaganda that goes with this will illustrate just how much of an issue it is for them. Yes some say this is propaganda meeting tourism, and they’re probably right, but it is just way too fascinating to pass up. In going though, know that you have funded the Resistance, and know that buying sweets from the Hezbollah scout kids on the way back down the mountain counts too.

Hezbollah is not naive enough to rely on all of its funding from ‘Muslim donations’ (or the Iranian government as everyone else calls them), they’ll take funding from anywhere... including tourist traps. Just like the one at the entrance to the ruins of the still magnificent ancient Roman Temple to Jupiter in Baalbek. The ruins are some of the tallest surviving in what was the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, as with much Roman architecture it has been scavenged for building material since its former magnificence, though what remains is still impressive, you get a sense of what it was, and you know that it would’ve been spectacular. It sits on the outskirts of Baalbek, just off the main road leading north out of the town, and as with much of Lebanon the power of history is juxtapose the new social reality, this time it’s the Hezbollah gift shop on the way out that macabre curiosity again pulls you into... again. All the propaganda pariphanelia is there again, this time with imagery celebrating victory over the auld enemy.

There's no gift shop at Beaufort Castle, an old crusader fort perched atop a critically strategic hill in the South. There's no gift shop because its not somewhere frequented by tourists too often. That's because it's quite a bit out of the way, it's 9 kilometres from Israel and sits over a river (barely a stream) way down on the valley floor that you cannot cross without a permit from Saida, into the territory the Irish Army are currently peacekeeping. It's also wrecked. It's position atop the highest hill in the area made it worthy enough for the crusaders to build the thing in the Middle Ages, and it was still important enough between 1982-2000 for the Israeli Defense Forces to occupy it. Between Hezbollah shelling, and demolition by the Israelis, the castle is left largely in ruin - though, like Baalbek, it retains a sense of the spectacular, it's not difficult to imagine what it was and it's troubled history.

Entering Lebanon’s second city, Tripoli (Fortress of Muslims) from the hills behind it, the description of three communities add odds with each other, having been lobbing bullets and bombs at each other just three weeks beforehand, you find a resonance with what you hear about Belfast. Being Irish, we sort of understand their problems but being from the South rather than the North, you know it more as a familiar story you didn’t quite get growing up and now just come to accept that a lot of people just will not live happily together. In Northern Ireland, at least they’re not lobbing bullets and bombs anymore (for the most part), in Lebanon they’ve been at it since the dawn of civilisation. Driving into Tripoli on the way back from the Cedars (you can’t go to Lebanon without seeing the Cedars), the taxi driver recounts being shot during the civil war of the 1980s in the very district he’s driving through, describing the scar beneath his faded red t-shirt, beneath which you suspect the beer belly has stretched the scar. The guide describes in detail how the people at the top of the hill are shooting at the people in the middle of the hill, who in turn shoot back and shoot down the hill to a third community – the main street of which is dotted with army tanks, though life seems to carry on in some normality against the backdrop of charred concrete and bombed apartments. Around the corner from that street, it seems like you’re in Paris again as you nip into a pastry house for something the Lebanese are truly proud of.

You may wonder where the actual Lebanese Army fit into the Hezbollah equation, and a visit willl likely keep you wondering. Just like the bored looking soldier at his post, in his box, between the Cornice and Pigeon Rock, watching traffic pass, perhaps longing for a pastry, watching the traffic round the corner on the western edge of Hamra. The Hezbollah undercurrent seems to have a powerful hand in every level of society. Resitance to Israel, community building and fine dining... or not as the case may be. There's a Hezbollah-run restaurant in southern suburbs of Beirut you might think is worth visiting, but if you went back to Hamra to somewhere a little more western you wouldn't be missing out, because the restaurant is just KFC in disguise - and not a good one. Which is a pity, because food is the thing the Lebanese really are great at.

On any evening of the week families will take to the Cornice, and the restaurants all over the city, young people will converse lyrically, most smoking an argileh, enjoying a selection of Mezze, eating shawarma, dipping bread into humous, eating complimentary raw carrots with a beer. This, the social inclusivess of Beirut and the entire country, is what sets it apart as special, the food completes the equation.

The long history of constant scrapping is part of what makes Lebanon what it is, but (perhaps paradoxically) the exceptionally friendly people and incredible food are what makes it appealing. Walking around the Old Souk in Saida, for example, a vaulted market place still used today as it has been for years, people selling meat, vegetables, spices, pastries, textiles and whatever you want for that can’t be found in the Western-styled shopping mall the other side of town. The people are courteous, and polite, a welcome relief to the attention Westerners can often get in the East, possibly because Westerners are quite common, be they international students, foreign correspondents for news agencies, or young professionals filling gaps in the labour market.

This is very much a country of contrasts, often sitting right next to each other. The memories and scars of war are an intriguing part of Beirut that cannot be ignored, the cinema and Holiday Inn looming over downtown are testament to this, and the scattering of bullet holes all over both alarming evidence that the Lebanese (whichever side) clearly couldn’t shoot straight. The cranes and star-citect billboards of Beirut's building boom can neither be ignored though... they're right beside the wrecked Holiday Inn.

People may well tell you Beirut is the Paris of the East, but they say that about a fair few cities east of the original. However, the downtown area around the Rolex clocktower, with its pedestrian, cobbled streets flanked with al fresco diners does indeed have a Parisian feel, it comes close to the Paris of the East perhaps, though it is somewhat of an island, contrast against the chaos of the city flying around it. People may also tell you that Hamra in west Beirut is the new Greenwich Village. Not many people will tell you that, but there certainly is a music and art scene worth investigating, though that will require some scratching of the surface because you may fail to notice on the main Rue de Hamra where Western franchise stores and cafes will almost seduce you into feeling your back in mainland Europe.

Some other people may tell you that Beirut is the party capital of the Middle-East, that people love coming from all the other Arab countries for much the same reason as under-21 American university students love going to Mexico for spring break. The luxurious hotels with cordoned off beaches along the Cornice in Hamra and the wealth of up-market nightclubs will testify to this mantle. The why and how of that mantle is what makes Lebanon so unique and special, and indeed historically war torn. The population comprises a melting pot of ethnic groups, Christians, Sunnis, Shias for a start, then add the Syrian and Palestinian dimensions and you find a bunch of people living together with not all of them happy about it, though because of this, you also find a more liberal society than most Arab nations. That is Lebanon. It is contrast. It is no one thing in particular but a collection of social and hysical conditions that have evolved in that one place over a very, very long time. And it's not going to stop evoling any time soon either...

Beirut July 2011

A true public space for Dublin on College Green?

Consider the great world cities.  Consider how its people gather together.  London has Trafalgar where major public events are screened, and on which there are St Patrick’s festivities every March.  Time Square, New York; St Mark’s in Venice, Place de la Concorde in Paris and now Tahir Square in Cairo.  The list could go on; though Dublin would not be on it.

Dubliners lack a definitive meeting place.  Protests, concerts, welcome home parties or political rallies have no one gathering place, with the Garden of Remembrance or Merrion Square usually chosen though they are hardly appropriate.  Barack Obama’s visit in May gave us a clue though.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan wants to turn College Green into a pedestrianised plaza with the Bank of Ireland at its centre put to a cultural use.  Bank of Ireland still owns the former government building, but now that the government own Bank of Ireland they want it back. 

Historically the British are blamed (as ever) for the lack of public squares in Dublin as they sought to prevent public gatherings.  Temple Bar Square has been successful on a small scale.  While just south of it, the space in front of the Central Bank is often thronged with people.  It is the closest thing the city has to a decent urban space but it’s it feels like an afterthought.  The Grand Slam homecoming in 2009 was on Dawson Street.  O’Connell Street and the Phoenix Park were used for football though neither was appropriate.  Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama’s pep talks from College Green were different – though even then there was awkwardness with Obama not quite sure where to look.

Proposals drawn up recently suggest a version of Washington DC’s Smithsonian for the Bank of Ireland’s flagship building.  Proposals suggest a “cultural and iconic counterpoint” to the great city squares of the world and a “natural gravitational point”.  The document looks to redesign the space as cultural hub promisinglysaying that “effort should be made to re-imagine the entire quarter.”

Architects and urban designers agree that College Green is the best urban space in the city – and they all agree that its current layout is wrong.  Taking economics and traffic practicalities out of the equation, it ought to be realised that this should be the centre of Dublin – close to the historical city at Christchurch and not to far the shiny new one in the Docklands.  With the trees removed and statues reorganised, Dubliners would be allowed to reclaim the space, tour groups would gather before going to the museum, cafes and art sellers would sprawl from the fringes, crowds would gather to watch big sports matches, and waiting for a friend at the Front Arch would no longer find you clung to the railings of Trinity College as rush hour pushes indignantly by.

Noble visions and bureaucratic realities have a funny way of never coming together in this city however.  The hope remains for now though that Phil Hogan keeps badgering the Bank of Ireland to give the government their building back, and if they do he can then start worrying about the inconvenience of logistics and economics.

Dublin's World Design Capital Bid

When it comes to international design cities, the names that immediately spring to mind would generally be Helsinki, Copenhagen, Zurich and others, though not Dublin. Our capital has never been highly regarded as a design centre by any real stretch.  The proud traditions of international excellence we have achieved in our cultural and literary heritage have never been realised, or rather acknowledged in design fields.  In that regard, however, the change has already begun.

Not being immediately considered one of the great international design cities has not been for a lack of effort and, indeed distinction on the part of designers in Dublin albeit individually.  Now though, a coupling of resources and expertise has thus far proven very successful in Dublin’s bid to be the World Design Capital for 2014.  Dublin was last month selected as one of the final three candidates, along with Bilbao, Spain and Cape Town, South Africa, to succeed Helsinki.  A team of designers called PivotDublin were assembled including architects, graphic designers and other design professionals to coordinate the bid.

Deputy City Architect Owen O’Doherty explains how Dublin had to first acknowledge how it functioned as a design community before a distinct identity could be realised. “We started on this nearly two years ago, but the actual competition only really stated in October of last year.”   A major workshop in March 2012 which got people from across the range of fields established that the fragmented design community didn’t know what each other were doing.   On realising this, they could move forward and build on each other’s collective resources.  “As City Architects – we were conscious that we didn’t know enough about the other design disciplines.  We wanted to learn and get further and further away from our comfort zone.”

The judges were in Dublin in July visiting various sites in the city.  Wary that this is still a competition, creative director of the bid Bob Grey of Red & Grey Design last month said: “We can’t say what we’re doing and what exactly we have lined up for them but it will all based around people, places and stories.  We feel that you can’t do anything big in such a short space of time.  We have to just focus on what the bid focused on.  Our ability as a nation, as a city is being humorous, conversationalist, we are story tellers.  We’re an empathetic nation, an empathetic city and we need to focus on this and highlight these things.”

A successful bid will focus on how design can be used for the betterment of society in the city, and across the country.  According to Owen O’Doherty, the design culture is already here it just needs to grow.  “Design has a visible face on it in Helsinki and Copenhagen, but in Dublin if you look, you see deep design culture, but you have to scratch the surface a little.  We’re working on developing a series of seed projects to help scope out what were going to do in 2014, at moment were working on how we get these started, building partnerships and developing networks within design first and then move on to the other elements of society.”

Winning is the ultimate goal for PivotDublin, but it wasn’t the only one.  “We want to win!” Bob Grey assuredly confirmed but added, “Our goal from the beginning was a change of mind, we wanted to let me people know that design isn’t about a grand statement, it’s about how it can change every day lives.  The bid proves we have the resources to do able to do this.  It’s up to us now to start planting the seeds and to think about the future and how design impacts on our lives.”

The jury will make their decision in August but our fate will not be known until mid-October.  Win or lose, the collaborative effort of the bid team ought to ensure a bright future for Dublin as an international design city.

(for the Social - August 2011)

The Recession is Cancelled

Two and a half years ago a Herald investigation into how Dubliners are coping with the recession presented pessimism and gloom, now however it seems they are much more hopeful for the future.

Residents of Vernon Avenue, Clontarf provided a snapshot of how the country was coping with the down turn.  

Revisiting the street now a strong sense of community has restored the village atmosphere and local business is booming with all shop units on the avenue occupied.

Shop-Owner

Shop-owner and chair of the traders’ association Gus O’Hara says that things have improved a lot since the Herald’s first visit to Vernon Avenue.

“We’ve moved on a thousand miles since that first article.”

“There was a reaction to the headline; we decided after that we wanted to make Clontarf work.”

Residents and traders have worked hard to turn things around and have decided they don’t want the recession on their road.

“We cancelled the recession.  Every shop front on the road is occupied.  Traders have been taking a positive approach.” 

“We had to go back to basics to generate interest; all the locals are getting involved.”

“We want to make Clontarf a place where people will want to go to and eat.”

Originally from Foxford, Co Mayo, Gus says that two-and-a-half years ago that the doom and gloom of the recession didn’t offer much hope, but things have since changed dramatically.

“For 10 years retailers sailed on a wave, then a few shops closed.  But people are much more optimistic now; we’ve managed to turn things around.”

Gus puts Clontarf’s success down to a small dedicated team of local people and talked of how others are hoping to learn from their success.

“There was a team of about 10 dynamic people who got together.  We knew that it was about keying into the community.”

“We’ve had other communities talk to us so that we could tell our story and they could learn from what we’ve done.”

Fisn ‘n’ Chip

Richard Beshoff (47) of Beshoff’s in Clontarf

The fish and chip industry appears to have stayed in good health since the recession hit, with Richard explaining how Beshoffs are already employing 50 people in their restaurants, including the one on Vernon Avenue which was established 47 years ago.

“We’re employing 50 staff at the moment and we have expansion plans this year and we’ll be hoping to employ 40 more by Christmas.”

Richard, who lives with his wife Renatta and his two sons in Sutton, said that business has been good the last two years, and that the recession has actually had a good effect of the local sense of community.

 “People got carried away during the tiger years.  I’d say about 20pc of restaurants folded.  We’ve reduced the prices we charge, and we’ve the healthiest fish and chips in Dublin.”

“The last two years Clontarf businesses and residents have gotten together and they’ve done great.”

Richard was born and bred in Howth, but it was his grandparents who first set up the family-run fish and chip business when they emigrated from Russia in 1904, he explains how the historical success of the business alone would not have been enough to spare them the effects of the recession.

“It doesn’t matter how well established you are, it’s about quality of service and value for money and you have to continue that.”

The Pensioner

Leslie Malone (68) who is originally from Birmingham but moved to Clontarf in 1972 said that older people have accepted the recession better than younger people who wouldn’t have see it before.

“I think there’s more of an acceptance among older people.  It’s harder for the young people, they’re not used to it; their families are growing and developing. 

“They’re worried about their jobs and companies are still crumbling.”

Despite her worries for those around the retired hospital physicist says she’s lucky as her two children still have their jobs and they haven’t been trapped by a big mortgage.

“My two children are still living quite close by.

“My daughter (Frances, 32) works in tourism.  Her company had a rough time earlier in the year and they had to cut her back to three days, it’s a worrying time for her.”

“My son (David, 37) is a mathematician, he works out in Maynooth.  He got a research grant; he’s not doing so badly.  They’re trying to employ students; he wants to employ more people but he can’t.

“I’m so lucky really.  So many people have had to see a member of their family having to go abroad.  It’s tough for people to see your children in such dreadful circumstances.”

Entrepreneur

Karen Mulvaney (37) had two businesses on the first visit to Vernon Avenue in 2009, one in retail and one in property.

Her retail business, Mischa’s shoes named after her four-year-old daughter was forced into fold as the recession bit last year.

However, her property business, The Buyer’s Agent, has been a surprise success.

“I’m surprised how well it was going to be honest.  At the time of the initial article, I had two businesses – one in retail and the other property but now unfortunately I only have one but it is going really well.”

Despite the bursting of the property the mother-of-three’s business is still proving hugely successful.

“Buying was strong last year and we expected this year to be better again but it hasn’t been as good this year.  We’re still on track; it’s just not as good as last year.”

“People thought it had bottomed out last year so a lot of people bought, but this year people are holding back and I think we’re going to see a fall in house prices again by the end of the year.”

“We were lucky last year, about 50pc were cash buyers.  These weren’t people who had any great insight or anything but people who had sold at the people who had sold at the height of the peak.”

Hairdresser

Joseph Bell (50) has run Hair Matters with his wife Vivienne for nearly 20 years.

They hope to operate the salon for another 20 but say they have had to adapt to change.

“The dynamics of business have certainly changed.

“People are more discerning now on how much they spend and how often they spend and then people are working on the black market as well which is affecting us.”

“People have reduced the frequency of their visits from about eight or nine times a year to about six.”

Joseph puts the survival of his family-run business down to satisfied locals who keep returning, however they are still struggling.

“We have a loyal clientele though so we lucky, but business is still down by around 20 to 25pc.  We’ve reduced our overheads as much as we can and we’ve had to reduce the days the staff work.”

“It’s really just about staying in business now, we’re not trying to make a profit anymore, we’re just trying to keep the door open.”

As is common around the country, upward only rent reviews are proving difficult for the 20-year-old salon. 

“Rent is killing us.  We have upward only rent reviews; we had no choice, that was what everyone was doing at the time.  We have a review this year and we need it to go down, not up.”

“People say they can go to Spain and get their hair done for a third of the price in Ireland.  That’s because rates in Spain are a third of what they are here.”

Despite the gloom, the father of two (Alan, 17 and Simon, 14) remains hopeful for the future.

“We’ve been in this for 20 years and we’ll hopefully be doing it for another 20 years.”

  

  

Deli manager

Michael Fitzgerald (37) is the regional retail manager for The Butler’s Pantry on the road.

The company, established 24 years ago by Eileen Bergan, has actually expanded in the city and on Vernon Avenue he’s noticed that it is getting better.

“Things have improved marginally.  The business community in the area have gotten together and traded ideas.”

 “People are shopping local.  The business association have been hosting different events to remind people that everything they need is on the avenue.”

Michael, originally from Tipperary, but now living in Clontarf, said that an integrated community effort has helped restore the locality.

“All the businesses are still there since 2009.  That has a lot to do with the locals getting behind the businesses.”

“We’re creating a village feel in the city.  Clontarf is lucky; it feels like a local area. 

 “Quality of service is still important.  People are realising that they don’t want to lose things in their area.  They want the community shops to stay open.”

He has noticed that they are more price conscious compared to previous years. 

“We were able to introduce a new price structure.  We’re working hard, and we’re having to work longer hours but anything is possible.”

“It’s a two-pronged thing, we introduced a whole range or products, more seasonal products and more and more prices to suit different people.  Prices have come down as well.”

“There is still a focus on quality, quality is the cornerstone.” 

The Restaurateur

Liam Mulloughney opened his family-run restaurant on Vernon Avenue in May 2009 and remains hopeful on the future in the price driven business.

“We’re keeping it steady.  We’ve had a few good reviews; Paulo Tulio was in, which gave us a good lift.”

The five-star review will certainly have helped the popular restaurant, but Liam knows that it is his local customers who are so important to his continued success.

“Its funny how things have come full circle, from the mid to late 90s when everything was so global and people were jumping out all the time, in the last years – probably we have the recession to thank – we’ve got a village atmosphere going again. Personally, I love it!”

“We organised the Clontarf Midsummer Festival with like-minded local businesses and the support of DCC. It attracted 5,000 visitors, a great family fun and food day out.

Mulloughney’s employs 20 staff at their restaurant which has become a firm favourite among locals on Vernon Avenue. 

“We still buy Irish sourced and seasonal produce where we can.  Hopefully people will go for the quality but in this economy people are going to be price driven.”

The family-run business initially only opened during the day time but as customers steadily increased they were able to extend their opening hours after four successful months.

“It’s all cost driven though, people will pay for whatever is the cheapest.”

“We have a place in Phibsborough as well and there was a guy just down from us selling breakfasts for €4.  We couldn’t compete with that, he couldn’t afford it either and he eventually had to close down.”

Auctioneer

Joe McCabe (55) said was thankful of an improvement this year compared to the slowdown of last year.

“This year was better; people are selling provided the price is right.”

Mr McCabe said they noticed the decrease in house prices as far back as 2006.

Looking back on it now, the father of two questions people’s motives in the boom times

 “Prices have halved on the figures we hand in 2006, they were mad in the first place – people were greedy.”

 With the jitters in the property market continuing to unnerve people Joe, whose wife is a teacher, expects things turn around but that there is a need to end the slide first.

“People are looking for that element of comfort and they’re not prepared to return to property unless the downturn is halted.”

Joe says he is hopeful for the future despite the difficulties.

“We haven’t been able to turn it yet but we’re hanging in there.”

(for the Evening Herald July 2011)

Dinner party show is so educational according to Celebrity Chef

A celebrity chef has praised the Come Dine With Me phenomenon for getting people to talk more about good food.

Clodagh McKenna applauded the hugely popular show -- more famed for its bickering than baking -- for educating people about cooking and raising the profile of Ireland's food culture.

"Thank God for Come Dine With Me," the Ballymaloe-trained cook said. "It's great that it's getting people interested in cooking."

Clodagh was speaking ahead of her return for another of her popular series of interactive cooking demonstrations, Weekend At The Aghadoe Heights Hotel And Spa, on Saturday, August 6, in Killarney, Co Kerry.

Starting at 11am, fans and catering enthusiasts can look forward to "intimate demonstration for two hours", she says.

"It will probably be about 45 people I think. I'm really looking forward to it.

"It's going to be an Italian theme, we'll do fresh pasta, sauces, tiramisu, frescatos and everybody will get a taste after," Clodagh added.

Budding Come Dine With Me contestants will get the chance to pick the expert's brain for few ideas at the presentation.

Sauces

"We're going to talk recipes, fresh sauces and growing your own food," she said.

"People will have notebooks with them and we'll have questions and answers as well after."

The chef, food writer and television presenter said the deluge of cooking shows on Irish screens is a good thing as it helps establish a cooking culture in the country.

"I'll be the first to admit we don't really have a food culture in Ireland.

"People now want to know where the produce is coming from -- they are asking questions now," says Clodagh, who runs her own restaurant and cookery school at The Village at Lyons in Kildare.

Referring to reports about obesity in Irish children, Clodagh believes people are becoming more wary about what they eat.

"People are becoming more and more body conscious," she said.

(for Evening Herald 6th July 2011)

What to do with the abandoned NAMA properties?

Half built office blocks and abandoned construction sites across Dublin city stand as headstones for the once proud Celtic Tiger.  Yet, as ever when something dies there is a continuation and within those headstones there is the potential to re-imagine a city as something better than it was.

With the best and brightest on a steady stream to the airports again, it falls to those we still have to explore how that might be achieved.  This year, the final year architecture students in the Dublin School of Architecture at DIT were asked to choose vacant and inactive sites around Dublin, including some Nama properties, and propose what could be done with them by way of theoretical interventions that would be “socially useful”.  Nama-labs is the continuation of this whereby the work will continue and an exhibition of their ideas will be on show under the Central Bank in Temple Bar until mid-July.

The back story as to why this theme was chosen has been well documented.  The dramatic collapse of the property sector was spectacular with the profession of architecture suffering more than most as the recession firmly took hold.  Architects suddenly found themselves with little to do while students anxiously looked out from shelter of college wondering where they were supposed to fit in.

The students’ designs are part of the Nama-labs project which fifth year head, Dermot Boyd says “are Dublin-based for now but we're not stopping there, we hope to take this to a national level and deal with the ghost estates in the midlands among others.  Nama-labs is a working laboratory on how to tackle Nama and other underused properties – not as an economic model, but rather how can we use half built buildings.”

“We didn’t want another office building or more apartments, there are enough apartments.  It was important that the building would be social useful,” Dermot Boyd said.  “There were a lot of community buildings, as well as exchanges for labour and trade.”

Paul O’Sullivan took on what is probably the most iconic unfinished building left behind in the remnants of the financial crash, the Anglo Irish building in the Docklands.  In place of the bank Paul proposed NAMArt to be installed in the leftover shell.  “Basically, the building would take all the private art collections of the banks and put it all on public display in the building.  Giving something back to the public from the people who have taken so much from us.”

Helen Rose Condon proposed an intervention that would act as a “parasite” to the Drury Street car park in which people weave up through the unrefined structure to a library perched on top.  “I am retaining the car park as fully functioning; therefore the library will act as a parasite onto the existing structure. The library takes advantage of the unused air space above the car park, the roof top view synonymous with penthouse apartment is giving back to the public, as a sitting room in what is considered the a truly public brief, a public library.

Other popular reinvented sites around the capital included new markets at Carlton Cinema site on O’Connell Street, a state casino in Temple Bar and infamous Irish Glass Bottle site in Poolbeg on which Irene Walsh proposed a veritable, urban farm.  “This thesis looks towards an architectural strategy that can anticipate unknown future needs, and asks; can we prepare the ground in a useful way.”

Opening the DIT Architecture students End of Year exhibition earlier this summer, City Architect Ali Grehan suggested their place in the broader scheme of society; “in the world of Nama, architecture must give hope.”  In that regard, the sickening headstones for the Celtic Tiger ought not to be reminders of what was squandered but rather stand as monoliths waiting for reinvention.

 

(for the Social 1st July 2011)

O'Dowd quits race to Aras after failing to kick start his campaign

NEW York-based journalist Niall O'Dowd has become the first independent casualty of the race for the Aras.

The publisher announced today that he has failed to get his campaign off the ground and will not contest the presidential election.

"The logistical challenges of running for an office as an independent against established political parties is incredible," he said.

Talks with Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein have failed garner enough support for the Tipperary man bid to get his name on the ballot paper.

As a result, Mr O'Dowd issued a statement today confirming he had decided to abandon his electoral plans.

He had indicated he would consider putting his name forward in early June but says he could not financially compete with established parties.

"The race costs about $700,000 [€480,000] to run a proper national campaign. The main political parties can easily raise that. The independent candidates have to raise it for themselves at approximately $9,000 [€6,200] maximum contribution per person."

Presidential candidates need the support of 20 TDs or Seanad members or the approval of four county councils just to earn a nomination.

"It is a complicated system which overwhelmingly favours the big guns in the main political parties such as Fine Gael and Labour," Mr O'Dowd added.

"Bottom line, unless they are completely terrible candidates either the Labour or Fine Gael contender will win the race.

"Quite simply I believe the race is not winnable for an independent, any independent, no matter what the current polls say."

(for the Evening Herald 1st July 2011)

Diana wanted to visit Ireland, says fitness expert

CELEBRITY trainer Pat Henry has spoken of dining with Princess Diana and revealed her desire to visit Ireland.

Princess Diana would have celebrated her 50th birthday today were it not for her tragic death in Paris.

Pat recalled how he met Diana at a dinner after a performance by the Royal Ballet.

The fitness guru and his wife had been invited by their friend, dancer Wayne Sleep.

He said: "My good friend Wayne Sleep, who was the head of the Royal Ballet invited us over for a performance, and we were going to the dinner afterwards.

"When we arrived there were no seats for us, all these lords and sirs and our names weren't there. Wayne called us over, we sat with him, and Princess Diana then came in and sat down beside us."

Even a personal trainer to stars such as Matt Damon, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Springsteen was taken with the people's princess.

"I told her she was more beautiful in person, and she got embarrassed," he added.

The princess spoke at length with the couple over the course of their meal, they spoke of their mutual interest of keeping fit and of her desire to visit Ireland one day.

"She had been really nice to talk to; we talked about Ireland. She would have loved to come visit, she would have have made a great ambassador to Ireland.

"She gave us a beautiful signed photo of herself and it had written on it 'love Diana'. It was something the press had never seen and is very special."

(for the Evening Herald 1st July 2011)

Health alert to men who dodge exercise

ONE in five middle-aged men are completely inactive, a report has revealed.

Using the car to get around everywhere and giving up sport are the most likely reasons for men aged 46 to 55 to become idle.

Physical activity among middle-aged men is largely dependent on recreational walking and men have less time for it before they reach retirement, according to the Irish Sport Report, conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute for the Irish Sports Council.

"Given the health risks associated with physical inactivity, especially circulatory diseases, the level of sedentarism among this group is a matter of concern," the report says.

On a brighter note, however, levels of inactivity among the inactive population have fallen from 18.2pc in 2007 to 15.5pc in 2005.

Higher participation in sport and walking are given as the reasons behind the increase in complete physical activity, with higher income groups the more likely to get involved in a sport.

Participation in sport has increased from 30.8pc in 2008 to 33.5pc in 2009.

ESRI economist and report author Dr Pete Lunn said that the findings of the report reinforced the link between income and participation.

"There is no doubt that the recession affected sport. Policy makers should note that cost and a lack of free time remain significant barriers to participation in sport," he said.

swimming

However, there has been a drop in the level of voluntary activity for sport between 2007 and 2009 with no real explanation offered for the fall.

Swimming is the most popular way to keep fit among Irish people, ahead of personal exercise and soccer.

During the height of the boom years, personal exercise did overtake swimming but only briefly.

Swimming was much more popular among women, while soccer and golf were popular activities for men.

More than half the population chose active methods as their regular mode of transport, with 42pc walking and 11.2pc cycling.

Launching the report, Minister for Sport and Tourism, Michael Ring urged sporting organisations to reduce their prices.

(for the Evening Herald 1st July 2011)

Dublin's amazing chick flick

A flock of wild chickens running free in a north Co Dublin town are to become stars of the screen.

Filmmaker Cliff Parrott (yes, really) described how his interest was sparked when he saw a rooster near Skerries' train station on his daily commute.

"It's a funny one -- I'm not from a rural area, I'm from Boston and I moved to Ireland with my wife in 2008. The only thing I knew about roosters was (cartoon character) Foghorn Leghorn.

"My home is the other side of Skerries, by the bay, and I have to walk across the town to get to the train station in the mornings.

"I started noticing this rooster by himself by the railroad track. Then I'd notice another chicken, and another, and another, and then realised there was a gang of them."

The animator, who is in his late 40s, got the idea for a short documentary from watching the film Chicken Run with his young son and thought "these were the ones that made it".

Cliff has worked in animation since 1999 in California before moving here to set up his own company.

"Hopefully the film turns out well. It'll be a little tongue in cheek."

The short documentary will include Cliff's expertise in animation He also has contacts he hopes will set the soundtrack to the film, which should be released in September.

"I have a background in animation, working for Disney, so there will be a tangential animation piece that goes along with it.

"We're hoping for a September release, and we'll show it with the Skerries Rockabill Film Society."

(for the Evening Herald 29th June 2011)
(photo by Douglas O'Connor)

Golfing grandpa lands club's prize after 50 years of trying

IF at first you don't succeed then try, try again . . . for 50 years.

That's the lesson learned by golfer Tom Clarke, who won the Captain's Prize at St Anne's Golf Club after five decades of effort.

With golf headlines currently focusing on Rory McIlroy, veteran Tom has struck a blow for the more mature player.

McIlroy may have waited longer than he'd have liked to win his first major but, playing on the same weekend, 78-year-old Tom had been trying to win the Captain's (Larry Curran) Prize at St Anne's for nearly half a century.

The grandfather from Baldoyle in north Co Dublin admitted drawing inspiration from Ireland's newest major winner.

"Rory was an inspiration to me. I thought if he can do it, an auld fella like me shouldn't have a problem," he said.

"I was nearly 50 years trying to win it. I joined the club in Balbriggan in 1957 and I've been playing at St Anne's for nearly 30 years so it was a long wait."

Having failed to qualify on a number of occasions over the past few years, he did not have high expectations going into the event.

Playing off a handicap of 19, Tom led the qualifiers with 42 points but there weren't many expecting him to follow it up with another good score.

"I was the leading qualifier all weekend, I got a 34 on the Sunday and that was good enough."

A popular and figure in North Dublin golfing circles, Tom worked as a greenkeeper at Portmarnock, Royal Dublin and St Anne's golf clubs.

"I worked as a groundskeeper in St Anne's for two sessions of three years so I suppose I had a local knowledge," he added.

"The rest of the of the field were probably in their 40s -- it's seldom grandad who gets to win.

(for the Evening Herald, 25th June 2011)

Families' fury at threat of untreated waste in the bay

PEOPLE in the picturesque seaside village of Skerries were appalled after a threat to pour raw sewage into the bay.

A last minute intervention reversed the move but residents are concerned it could happen again in the future.

In a move slammed by locals and environmentalists, the Electricity Supply Board planned to cut power to the town's water treatment plant raising fears that contaminated fluids would have to be released.

Worried locals who had worked tirelessly to secure a Green Coast award for environmental improvements on the South Beach in Skerries were fearful that all their good work would have been for nothing.

They are now criticising Fingal County Council for having no Plan B in the event of problems at the plant.

On Tuesday a notice went out warning swimmers not to go into the water.

They were told that planned works by the electricity company could cause the waste water treatment plant to shut down. If this were to happen it would result in sewage being pumped into the South Beach.

Skerries Community Association warned: "We have been informed by FCC, that due to ESB work tomorrow, June 21, the pumping station at the Rugby Club, which pumps untreated waste water to the treatment plant will not have power to operate.

"It is likely therefore that untreated waste water will be discharged to the South Beach.

lobbying

"As such it is not advisable to swim on the South Beach, Springers or Captains tomorrow as the water may be polluted."

After sustained lobbying by local groups the danger was averted when the ESB and Fingal County Council bowed to pressure and agreed to work around the sewage plant.

The power company offered assurances that it would maintain enough power supply to keep the plant operational.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the ESB said it had "put a contingency arrangement in place with Fingal County Council which will enable ESB to carry out the necessary reinforcement work to the electricity infrastructure," and they would keep the facility operational "thereby preventing and discharge of untreated waste."

A local source said: "We got a result. Common sense has prevailed. The bigger question is that Fingal County Council need a plan B, why they don't they have a generator?

"The size of the generator they would need is huge, but from an engineering point of view, there should be a plan B."

Without electricity the treatment facility reverts to its failsafe and starts allowing untreated waste water flow out to sea. Many residents of the tourist town were completely unaware of the potential environmental risk associated with the ESB improvement works which have been going on in Skerries over recent weeks.

The source added: "All raw sewage from Skerries is pumped to the plant for treatment.

"If it loses power there is a mechanism to release the untreated waste into the sea.

"It is a safety mechanism so that sewage doesn't back up people's houses but obviously we want to keep the beach in good shape too."

(for the Evening Herald, 22nd June 2011)

Traffic chaos on the decline in Dublin

TRAFFIC chaos is declining in Dublin, according to a survey of Europe's most congested cities.

The capital now ranks as Europe's 24th most gridlocked city in -- an astonishing 9.7pc drop on last year.

Brussels remains the continent's most frustrating traffic hotspot and was found to be getting worse, according to the list compiled by GPS firm Tom Tom.

It may not always seem like it but for Ireland, overall, it is good news, with traffic jams easing across the country.

The fall in congestion could be put down to a number of factors, including an improvement in traffic infrastructure as well as the rise in unemployment.

Paul Heffernan, of Dublin City Council, told the Herald that they "would have seen a drop in vehicle volumes, but we would have also seen that the composition of the vehicles has also changed".

"There are probably around the same volumes of cars but the numbers of heavy goods vehicles and in particular construction has dropped very dramatically."

In the North, Belfast remains in 12th position, despite a fall in congestion by 2pc.

Meanwhile in the UK, London has seen a reduction in cars on the street, though is still climbing in the rankings.

Manchester and Edinburgh also feature in the top 10, which marks Britain as the most congested country in Europe.

Despite the improvements, Dublin still has work to do to beat Cologne, in Germany, which is bottom of the list of 50 with just 18.9pc of its roads in gridlock.

The fall in Ireland is echoed around Europe, with six of the continent's most congested cities having significantly reduced traffic last year, including Wroclaw in Poland and Toulouse in France, though they remain in the top five.

The data seems to indicate that along with Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Hungry and the Czech Republic have the most stress-free roads.

The top five congested cities were Brussels, Warsaw, London, Wroclaw and Toulouse.

Cities were ranked according to how fast cars travelled on street networks in major cities.