Blogging from Dublin

I've never been to Dublin when it hasn't rained at least once. Not this time. The sun is beating down and there hasn't been a cloud in the sky. Stephen's Green is beautiful in sleeting January rain. When the sun is shining it's ravishing.

This fragile feeling can't be blamed on the weather. Last night I met up with friends at the Trocodero on St. Andrews Street. Irish, British, German and American friends all looking glamorous and drinking for, well, Ireland. Half way through we drank champagne in honour of Shay and Dymphna's wedding anniversary. Phyllis told a dear story about Phil (Lynott? 'The Boys are back in town'?) :

Philomena: "Every Christmas I bought him underpants and tee shirts."

Robert (Troc owner): "It was pre-boxers back in Ireland in those days."

Phil's mum (for it is she): "He said 'mum, don't buy me any more of that boring stuff. Can you go to Brown Thomas and buy me a Stetson.' So I go to Brown Thomas and the guy opens the book and Philip was already in the book. His hat size was enormous because of his hair so it was a special order. The penny dropped when he opened to the L."

Me: "What colour were they?"

Philomena: "I'm his mother, of course they were white."

She unveiled a statue to him on the 19th of August, just off Grafton Street, and when we were done (ahem) we trooped along to see it.






Phil Lynott died almost 20 years ago from heart failure related to his addiction to drugs. Nowadays his mum lectures at schools and prisons about drug misuse.

She's right, he had a lot of hair.

This is my first time using Wi-Fi. The hotel I'm in charges to use it. The cheapest deal is 20 Euros for 24 hours so to get my money's worth and to distract myself from the drilling outside my window (and bang in front of the dail, Dublin's Parliament House) I've had a bit of a read of some articles on the web.

Wesley Pruden, Editor in Chief at the Washington Times has written an irritatingly misogynist article about the personalities involved in Louisiana these days. Read the whole thing here.

While the President is "tardy", he's still manly, "bucking up spirits" and "stiffening the resolve". Generally critics are gender neutral, merely heaping calumny and scorn if rather venomous if they're lefties.

But Wesley applies his tinted lip balm and stamps his fashionable new shoes when it comes to the women in the news. So Sheehan couldn't attract attention "if she stripped down". Louisiana Governor Blanco pouts, has snits, and dithers because she's indecisive. Senator Landrieu "seems to think she's cute when she's mad". Even Dr. Rice is referred to condescendingly as "Condi".

Poor Wesley, it must be that time of the month for him. I recommend a tumbler of Paddy's and a nicotine patch. It always works for me.