Void Gallery - with it

That's the way it goes with these phrases - one minute you're 'with it', the next minute the very expression is an oxymoron . .

Anyway, to return to the Beatles era (yes, please? just been listening again to Abbey Road) the Void Gallery is with it. Seems there's hardly been a Turner prize in recent times but the shortlist had somebody on it who exhibited or visited Void. And so it is with the 2009 shortlist . .

There was a respectable crowd in the gallery recently for the visit of two leading lights from the British contemporary group Artangel, who - if I remember rightly - seemed to suggest they would welcome the opportunity to work with someone locally in Derry or the North West. A commission they talked about that afternoon, 'Seizure', has put Roger Hiorns on the shortlist of four for the £25,000 first prize. The winner's announced in December.

Another feather in the cap for Maoliosa and everyone at Void then. . . .



In SEIZURE, Hiorns' most ambitious work to date, the artist precipitates an unexpected sculptural form within the fabric of a housing estate near London Bridge.
The scale and production of “Seizure” is ambitious. After reinforcing the walls and ceiling and covering them in plastic sheeting, 80,000 litres of a copper sulphate solution was poured in from a hole in the ceiling. After a few weeks the temperature of the solution fell and the crystals began to grow. The remaining liquid was pumped back out and sent for special chemical recycling.

You don't want to miss this . . .

Quite literally . . .

Here's a man who enjoys going to his school re-unions, with those earnest 'And what are you doing yourself these days?"

Mike Bone is "Managing Director for and on behalf of Loo of the Year Awards Ltd". He's charged with promoting the 'Loo of the Year' contest which champions what's charmingly called the 'Away from Home' toilets throughout the UK.

"There were over 1700 entries in 2008, including many excellent entries from Northern Ireland," he reports.

In 2008, it seems, Knockavoe School Strabane came out tops in the 'Northern Ireland Adult Child Changing Facilities' category. ["I'd like an eight year-old with more of a sense of humour and good heading ability instead please"]

If there's a toilet you know deserving of wider recognition, enter or nominate via www.loo.co.uk or phone 01403 258779 for an entry form or further details.

Not many people know this, no 1234

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a blog (he calls it 'personal memos'). Somehow, reading his second last entry, you get the impression he hasn't quite got to grips with the concept -

"Since my last post on the blog, a few months have passed."

http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/

Suddenly the Journal editor's blog frequency doesn't seem so bad . . .



Hey man, chill!

Drop the dead donkey

Our reporter Ian Cullen has reported a new development in the run-up to the National League final, as per a headline on the Drogheda Independent website -

Derry & Kerry bosses asses injuries ahead of league final

Further details on - http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/breaking-news/sport/gaelic-football/derry--kerry-bosses-asses-injuries-ahead-of-league-final-1716353.html

Derry man in Carnegie Hall

Congrats to that outstanding pianist Cathal Breslin from Troy Park (and latterly England, Spain, US and Dublin), who plays Carnegie Hall in New York on Friday June 26th. (Nice one to go to, eh!)

According to the Breslin mole, Cathal's off in Spain playing at the moment, and has a busy rest of the year, with tours in China and Japan. His last concert in Derry, at Magee a few months ago, was a tour de force - at one stage the grand piano looked in mortal danger . .

It seems a contingent of family and friends are expected to make the trip to NY for the occasion. The concert has been sponsored be the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Culture Ireland. Tickets go on sale this Sunday, April 26 at 11am. They are available to book online at www.carnegiehall.org priced between $25-$35.

Cathal joins a distinguished line of Derry artistes who've played Carnegie, including Phil Coulter and Josef Locke. Carnegie Hall is featured on the sculpture of Locke outside the City Hotel.




Phil Coulter talking about 'The Town I Loved So Well' (though it certainly wasn't written in 1995)
http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/IRISH-AMERICAN/2003-09/1063747485

Here's an event you should see . . .

Okay it's in Belfast, not Derry, but you can't have everything (could we have one tall ship? just one?)





Yes, the Tall Ships are back, and there's a lot more of them. I have a vague recollection of seeing them back in 1991, when I was living in Belfast. They were very tall, and like ships. For the rest, you'll have to visit.





For those who want to know more, and seeing like there's a lot of space on the web these days, full details are below -









Oh for those days on the watery main, with the wind filling the main sail (and a few others if we weren't becalmed in what do you call that calm bit of the world's oceans) etc. Avast me hearties, Admiral Benbow, parrot, and so on (contd on 'Treasure Island', page 2)

By the way, this is a still from that film classic 'Treasure Island', set back in the 1700s, apart from the helicopter.

Issued: 21.04.09

This summer, Belfast has been chosen to be the finish port for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, an international event that links Europe, the Caribbean, North America and Canada.

The Belfast Maritime Festival will mark the return of the great ‘Tall Ships’ which last visited Belfast in 1991.

The Event, which will be one of the most memorable and exciting in 2009, will be on between 13th and 16th of August. The port of Belfast will play host to a magnificent grand finale of celebrations as the final port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009.Belfast will welcome crew from far and wide, as well as hundreds and thousands of visitors and residents to see the ships transform the famous quaysides and provide the backdrop to four days of festivities.

The Festival will take place around the port on both sides of the River Lagan – at the Odyssey and from Customs House Square right down through Clarendon Dock to Ballast Quay, York Dock and Pollock Dock.

Visitors can expect to enjoy:

The unique and highly acclaimed Tall Ships fresh from their Atlantic adventure
A supporting ‘cast’ of over 45+ ships
Exhibition Marquee
Family Fun Zone
Continental markets
Fun Fairs
Day and evening concerts
Firework displays
Crew Parade
Parade of Sail on the departure day

There will be plenty of activities for visitors along the quayside, with fun, food and plenty of excitement. Activities will showcase music, street theatre, fireworks display and a variety of magical performances for the whole family to enjoy.


ENDS

Notes to Editor

Media Contact –Anne Doherty or Nicola Kayes at Happening PR – Tel: 028 9066 4020 Email: anne@happen.co.uk / nicola@happen.co.uk or Mobile: 07866 269681

Photos can be obtained from the following website: http://www.sailtraininginternational.org/page.asp?eventID=471&isSubmitted=1&partID=470

Tall Ships History:

The Tall Ships last came to Belfast in 1991 when they berthed at Pollock Dock and were visited by 250,000 people.

The Event in 1991 had a maximum of 4 ‘Class A’ Vessels, this year there are 12 confirmed ‘Class A’ Vessels

Some Belfast Maritime Festival Facts 2009:

· The Biggest Festival Belfast has ever seen
· Thursday 13th - Sunday 16th August 2009
· Footfall of 400,000 + expected
· 45+ tall ships will be docked in Belfast Port for the four days
· Local government support
· Biggest event ever staged in Northern Ireland
· Will be the biggest international event staged in Ireland in 2009
· Cross-border support
· Support from NITB
· Support from Tourism Ireland
· Support from Belfast City Council
· Support from Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau
· Support from DETI / DCAL / DSD



The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009

A spectacular odyssey around the North Atlantic Ocean of more than 7,000 nautical miles following the traditional route taken by sailing ships of a by-gone age.

The fleet will gather in Vigo on the northwest corner of Spain (30 April - 3 May) for the start of the first race in the series, 900 nautical miles south-south-west to Tenerife in the Canary Islands (14 - 17 May). From there, the fleet will race the 2,600 nautical miles westward to Bermuda (12 - 15 June) where the ships and crews will be the centrepiece of the island’s celebrations of its 400th anniversary. The fleet will then race to Charleston, South Carolina on the US east coast (25 - 29 June) before proceeding to Boston, Massachussetts (8 - 13 July). A cruise of a further 370 miles north-north-east to Halifax (16 - 20 July), where celebrations include the 250th anniversary of the Naval Port, will be followed by a final race starting on Monday 20 July of 2,350 nautical miles eastbound across the North Atlantic to Belfast, Northern Ireland (13 - 16 August) which will host the series’ grand finale celebrations.

Confirmed Ships to date for Belfast - (there follows list from Europe, US, Uruguay . . .)

Don't miss it!

The Labour Party - what is it?

Cat and pigeons come to mind with the news that Martin Farren - a long-time Fine Gael man in Inishowen - is standing for Labour in the election to Donegal County Council in June. Labour's tide is rising, Martin's well-known, but there doesn't appear to be much of an organisation in place across the peninsula at the moment.

Having said that, Obama showed what can be done, and Martin's pics with Labour leader Eamon Gilmore are already up on Flickr - and they only met yesterday . . .

Met Eamon Gilmore up at the Patrick MacGill summer school in Glenties either last year or the year before, and he seems a personable chap. Not sure of the quote on the party website though - "We are neither Fianna Fail, nor Fine Gael. We are Labour. - Eamon Gilmore, Party Leader"

Oh . . right, glad that's sorted . .

.

Eamon Gilmore and Martin Farren pictured in Sligo yesterday - yes they can?

What happens when psychologists get together

The answer is - probably much the same as what happens when any group gets together . . ( - oh really, would you like to explain that? - No.)

Anyway, it's that time of year again. The 53rd Annual Conference of the Northern Ireland Branch of the British Psychological Society is being held at Manor House Hotel, Killadeas near Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh from Friday to Sunday this week.

And it's going to be a lot of fun. Some of the subjects -

• Illegal drug use in Belfast school children
• Sexual violence in Irish women
• The effect of religious and traditional beliefs on health behaviours
• The Psychological legacy of the ‘Troubles’
• Distress & emotional exhaustion in call centres
• Cyber-bullying

What can we say?

Shock news on vans

Just in -

Self Employed Men – King of the White Van

75% of van drivers are self employed, according to an in-depth analysis of 65,000 Swinton Commercial Vehicle Insurance customers[1]. The analysis also found that 96% of the van drivers were male with an average age of 37.

Traditional tradesmen still rely on commercial vehicles, with most van drivers being builders (17%), followed by painters and decorators (5%), joiners (5%), landscape gardeners (4%) and carpenters (4%). The analysis also revealed that the van of choice – by a long way – is still the Ford Transit (23%).

Steve Chelton, Insurer Development Manager for Swinton, said: “As builders, painters, plasterers, and other tradesmen, commercial vehicle drivers play a vital role in our economy and we should celebrate the work they do every day – especially at this difficult time. [no pause for blatant plug, deliver quickly and with conviction]And to help workers through these difficult market conditions we are offering motorists 1/3 off all new commercial vehicle policies.”

To quote and buy visit http://www.swintonvans.co.uk/

Yes, it's there at number 15 in 'Classics of Everyday Design' in the art section of the Guardian site, who would have thought, eh?

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art/category/classics_of_everyday_design/

PR news update

Just had this communication from Mary Crotty PR in Dublin -

Hi Martin,
Hope you are well and had a nice Easter weekend.
Just wanted to let you know that Wonderbra has revamped its best selling D-G push up bra in a sexy summer style, "Embrace".
Embrace will be available in leading department stores and selected independent retailers in May.
Attached, please find a press release and images of Embrace.
If you any queries please let me know.
Best regards,
Niamh

- Hi Niamh! Did you have a good Easter weekend?

- Yes thanks. Here, was I telling you that Wonderbra has just revamped the D-G?!!

- No! Really?

- Niamh, can I tell you something?

- Sure!

- It's raining today

- Oh . . . right then

How remiss of me

Nary a blog for days. Easter came and went. Still feels like Easter here in the office though - hardly a phone ringing, 'there's no-one here but us chickens' as the song puts it, most people are still sunning themselves in the pubs of Donegal.



A busy enough sort of a morning. First in was our Global Eye editor K.S. Vijay Elangova, laden with presents from India for myself, Bernie and Jim. Then arrived Malachi O'Doherty, writer and broadcaster, who does our 'What would Barney think' column in the Journal on Fridays. He's doing a piece for BBC Radio Ulster on the importance of Donegal to the people of Norn Iron. Thankfully the days are gone - so far so good - when you felt a load of pressure coming off your shoulders after going through the checkpoint into Donegal.



A quick trip out to catch up briefly with Shane Mitchell, accordionist with Sligo band Dervish, who've been having a busy year and are not long back from their annual spring visit to the States. And they've more interesting trips to look forward to in 2009, heading off to places like Hawaii and South Africa (think Hawaiian guitar on 'Jenny's Welcome to Charlie'). The Dervish people have also interesting projects on the go as individuals - Cathy's a member of 'Unwanted', who've just brought out a pretty stunning debut CD drawing on influences from trad to the blues (other group members - Seamie O'Dowd on vocals, guitar and fiddle; Rick Epping on vocals, harmonica and concertina). Haven't heard flute-player Liam Kelly's solo album yet, but by all accounts it's really good. Two to look out for.



Foyle News is finished for another week and we're looking forward to the Friday Journal (in a ruminative sort of way, or so it would seem). This time of year is a bit slack with so many businesses, politicians etc either closed or having a good time ("Let your business have a good time this Easter!!") so if you want your story prominently featured in the paper, today's the day . . .



Weather update from behind McGinley's filling station and cafe - the sun is bouncing (slightly) off the cream-coloured wall of the store and there's blue sky sticking out of the (slightly) sinister-looking cloud. So it's looking good for the walk to Stragill beach later.



This has been a rather discursive post, but as you are probably sipping Pina Colada from your hot tub in the holiday home in Rosbeg, preparatory to going back to the pub, why not!




In case you don't instantly recognise it, let me put you out of your misery.

Remember that night in Dublin you met those kind-of hippie pop star types in the pub and got chatting and went back to the Clarence? The recall mightn't be great, but that night-time view through the porthole, the sounds of water gurgling, manic laughter, champagne popping etc?

Yes! The hot tub in that top floor luxury suite in the Clarence, a grand a night, you got it!!

Isn't it great the way it occasionally all comes back to you . . .

Knew you wouldn't want to miss this

Open Letter to UK Media by Southport author, Pat Regan

April 2008 Author of ‘Dirty Politics’, Pat Regan, attacks bureaucratic insanity behind the UK’s rat population explosion -

UK Government - taking us back to the Dark Ages and putting our communities at risk
The UK’s increasing rat population is threatening our families but still dictatorial council authorities press on regardless with the hated 2-week waste collection fiasco

Surf this link for details:
http://www.ssgb.bravehost.com/rat_boom.htm

- Well Pat how are you today?

- Those rats, funny you should mention it, well they. . . (contd p98)

- Houston, we've got a problem . . .

यू लीर्ण सोमेथिंग न्यू . . .

अल माय चाराच्तेर्स अरे तुर्निंग इन्तो अ सतरंगे स्क्रिप्ट - बुत इसं'टी आईटी स्त्रन्गेली अप्प्रोप्रिअते फॉर थे सुब्जेक्ट मैटर । । ।

the splendid London Library cache – more than 300 Rubáiyáts – was put together by the polymorphous Orientalist Edward Heron-Allen, who was an expert in cheirosophy (palm-reading), the leading light in the field of fidicinology (the study of instruments played with a bow), and wrote the definitive work on बर्नाक्लेस।

वहत अ गाए!

फ्रॉम थे लन्दन रेविएव ऑफ़ बुक्स - http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n07/warn01_.html

The death of newspapers?

Interesting media event at the North West Institute last week -
Professor Roy Greenslade said he agreed with predictions of the death of newspapers. Already struggling to compete with the net, they've been hit by a tsunami in the face of the recession which has slashed advertising.
David McKittrick of the Independent reckoned he and the cat are just keeping the heads down and trying to avoid the worst of it. Still filing the copy and hoping for the best.
Deric Henderson of the Press Association said he still prizes capable reporters (complete with good shorthand).
Roy is probably closest to the changes, what with lecturing at third-level on newspapers, doing his Guardian blog, his contacts and his visits here and there.
These are certainly challenging, very challenging, times for papers, not least because of the high amounts paid to build up the local newspaper empires in recent years. Family firms, not loaded down with debt, were probably better equipped to batten down the hatches, sustain quality and jobs and wait for better times. Most of these family newspaper businesses have been bought out across Ireland and Britain.
Here in the North West, there are more local papers being read than ever before, given the proliferation of titles. Take the Journal's readership area - in recent years we've had new entrants in the Derry News Monday and Thursday, the County Times, the County Derry Post, Local Women, the Inishowen Independent, the Inish Times and others, not to mention our own Sunday Journal and Foyle News.
I'm inclined to go with Ray Tindle on the prospects for the local scene. Papers may go to the wall, but there will remain a demand for local news and advertising, and new and existing newspaper businesses will be sustained on the back of that. I don't think online will fill that need. See -
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=43458&c=1

Newspaper awards London

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=43455&c=1

Get the Times quite regularly (okay I'll admit it, for the Sodoku). It's a really good read and makes great use of the break-out boxes, where they give you some useful information to do with the story you're reading. Good columnists too, and I like the design.