The Irish are thought to be a charitable nation. When other countries are in crisis, we give more than generously, sometimes more than we can afford. Saturday 26th of May hosts the Calcutta Run, a 10km run in aid of the Peter McVerry Trust and GOAL. The money raised will go to homeless people in Ireland and in Calcutta (Kolkata), India. I, Barry will also be bursting a lung to do my bit for the cause.

Thousands of runners will be taking part. Many public figures and celebrities also do the run, like the Leinster Rugby team pictured above.  The run starts from The Law Society of Ireland and continues up into Phoenix Park. There will also be a free barbecue for those who raise over 100 euro. I will be leaving a money box at reception in the school. It’s for a good cause so if you can help me raise some cash I would appreciate it very much. Thanks in advance.

Ulearn will be taking a trip to Ireland’s notorious Kilmainham Gaol this Monday as part of our weekly cultural excursions. This historical prison is usually completely booked out during the summer months, so we are very lucky to get this chance to get a real taste of Irish history.

‘Gaol’ is the old English spelling for ‘Jail’. This jail is famous for holding some of Ireland’s best known revolution heroes and leaders. Many were taken here as prisoners, while others were executed or died while serving sentences. It was one of the largest occupied jails in Europe and imprisoned people from 1780 to the 1920′s. Irish heroes like Eamon Devalera, Michael Collins and Padraic Pearse were all held captive here by the British establishment. The prison is seen as a site of colonial oppression, but is celebrated as an important chapter in Irish history.

The tour only costs €2 for students and takes about an hour, including an audio visual introduction. We will be leaving from the school reception at 2.30 pm to get a bus on O’ Connell Street. It looks like lots of students are interested, so come along and get a real taste of Irish history.

Continuing on my theme of Irish writers, this week I wasn to talk about Edna O Brien. Although not as well known around the world as her contemporaries, she has mad a huge name for herself in the literary world and has also been a controversial figure in Ireland.

Edna was born in County Clare in a very conservative and religious small town called Tuamgraney in 1930. The youngest child in a strict religious family, she was educated by the Sisters of Mercy, something which she said suffocated her childhood. She got married at the age of twenty to a much older man, despite her parents not wanting to. She had two children. Her husband was also a writer and encouraged Edna to pursue her writing too. In 1960, she published her first novel, The Country Girls, and it became a bestseller. Her husband, jealous of her success, separated from her. She eventually won custody of her children. The book was banned and even burned in public in Ireland as it was thought to be too sexual. You have to remember that Ireland was extremely traditional then and the Catholic Church had a lot of power.

One of the most chilling books I have ever written to this day, is her novel In The Forest. The book was a semi-fictional account of the real-life murders by Brendan O Donnell, which happened in Ireland in the 1990′s. Again, Edna was in trouble for writing too close to the bone. If you are a fan pf James Joyce, she has also written James Joyce, a beautifully written biography of Ireland’s most loved writer. Edna still lives and writes in London today. Here is a recent documentary on her life on RTE. Enjoy.

Yes, another festival. Another family friendly festival too, and if you’re wondering what to do this long weekend, then Vantastival is the perfect thing for you. Set in the beautiful Bellurgan Park, the festival promises some of the best well known and not so well known acts from Ireland.

This year singer songwriter Cathy Davey is making an appearance and also the amazing instrumentalists, God is an Astronaut are headlining the Sunday night. Don’t forget, Monday is a bank holiday, so you’ll have plenty of time to recover. The festival also showcases vintage vans that have been decorated by their owners. It all adds to the atmosphere, which as I’ve already mentioned, is family friendly too, with some bands even putting on a special ‘kiddies’ show.

Tickets for the event are only €89 for two full days of music and three nights camping. Make sure to bring your wellies and a good tent! Enjoy the music…sensibly!

I know it doesn’t look or feel like it, but today is officially the first day of summer in Ireland.  With summer comes the magic of festivals and  to continue my festival series, I present Body and Soul. This festival started a few years back as an off-shoot of Electric Picnic, where Body and Soul was, and still is, an arena of Electric Picnic. Far from the throngs of people and huge expensive queues that most festivals have to offer, Body and Soul has got something much, much more.

Set in the magnificent Ballinlough Castle, County Westmeath, the line-up this year is looking good. The whole idea of the festival is to provode a picturesque setting and friendly atmosphere with a very natural feel. And with acts like Spiritualized, Villagers and Gold Panda already on the line-up, it ‘s set up to be another weekend to remember.

Ballinlough is less than an hour outside of Dublin. Of course the festival is all camping, and rail or sun the Irish will be letting their hair down all weekend. The festival, as you can see from this video below, is family friendly too. It’s a safe place for families to enjoy live music and also caters for some late-night partying. Tickets can be found easily from Ticketmaster, but I would get them early as it has sold out before. Watch the video and see for yourself.  Don’t miss out on a magical weekend on this magical island.

As part of the Irish writer’s blog, this week I want to write about Samuel Beckett. Beckett is best known for his black comedy and tragic humour. Strongly influenced by James Joyce, his avant-garde masterpieces will be remembered forever.

Beckett was born in Foxrock in Dublin in 1906. He attended the same boarding school as Oscar Wilde in County Fermanagh and studied French, Italian and English at Trinity College Dublin. In 1940 he joined the French Resistance as a courier (message carrier), something her refereed to as ‘boy scout stuff’. It was after the war that he turned to the French language. In fact, his infamous play, Waiting for Godot, was originally written and preformed in French. This play would catapult his career and announce him as a great playwright.

Beckett won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. He died twenty years later, the same year as his wife. His legacy will live on forever in Ireland and in Dublin. The Samuel Beckett Bridge was erected in his honour. He will be remembered as one of the great Irish writers of all time.

This weeks’s cultural excursion is to The Science Gallery and their latest exhibition called ‘Happy?‘. Ulearn has been to the gallery a few times and it never fails to impress. Happy is the follow-up exhibition to Edible, and will run until the 6th of June.

Happy? takes a look at Irish people’s happiness. Even though Ireland is in the middle of an economic recession, we remain one of the happiest countries in Europe and the World. The exhibition looks into how and why this is possible by taking a look into the psyche of the Irish mind. From experiments that look at the consequence of happiness and research gathered in a live laboratory in the gallery, we will see how happiness might be possible to actually lerarn. Or can it?

We will be leaving from the school reception at 1pm. It takes about 15 minutes to walk and about 30 to look around, so you will have time to get back to school if you are doing afternoon classes. Hope to see you all there.

Punk music is alive and well in Dublin city. It is a sign of the times that punk rock is flourishing again. People are angry and disillusioned with their governments, unemployment and tax increases. What better way to express this than through music. Revolution is in the air and the music we breathe.

Way back in 1981, Paranoid Visions exploded out of the Irish music scene and are hailed as the greatest anarcho-punk band on the island, if not in the UK. Having reformed some years ago, PV have twice entered the Irish single charts with top ten hits in the last 12 months. Their lead singer Deco is a genuine wild man of rock and has been hailed by many journalists, particularly ‘Britpop’ phrase-coiner John Robb, as a punk legend. The band also have their own label and have released bands like Liz is Evil. Liz is Evil aren’t exactly straight-edge punk and some even say a little quirky, but they have been making steady progress both in punk and other alternative scenes.

North of the border is no different, in fact, punk has flourished and continues to do so in Belfast and other cities. War-torn Belfast has produced some of the world’s best known acts, like John Peel favourites the Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers and the highly underrated Defects. It’s no surprise that the ratio of bands with something to really say have emerged from the raw streets of Belfast. The Defects and Stiff Little Fingers continue to tour and are still erupting crowds wherever they go.

If you want to catch decent alternative and punk nights in Dublin, keep any eye on this events page and look out for posters in venues like Sweeney’s, Fibbers and others. Here’s ablast from the past with the Undertones.

Hello again!

If you’re at a loose end this weekend (nothing to do!), then head to Howth. Why? Well, if you haven’t heard already, it’s a fantastic part of Dublin with beautiful scenery and marine life. Howth is a great spot for viewing seals and if wildlife isn’t your thing, then Howth Head is a great walk and has beautiful scenery. This weekend the town will come alive again with the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival.

The town of Howth will be filled with food stalls selling the freshest prawns and seafood you are likely to find in the city. No doubt the streets will be teeming with fish lovers, walkers and nature lovers. The pubs will also be taking part, serving fresh food and providing musical entertainment for the festival. The Abbey Tavern is a great spot and make sure to visit The Harbour Bar for some action.

Howth can be reached easily by the DART city transport. If you are a seafood lover, check out this video of razorfish being fished along Dublin Bay. Have a good weekend.

Students are forever asking me where they can pick up musical instruments and accessories in Dublin city. Luckily the city has a decent selection of shops in and around the city centre. Here’s a quick guide to some of them.

Waltons is one of Dublin’s best known outlets for all things musical. They have two shops, one on Frederick Street and a larger one on North Great George’s Street. The latter also has a well established and highly regarded music school, with courses on everything from harmonica to traditional and classical guitar. The shops are lively and friendly places.

Not far from Waltons is another fine establishment on Exchequer Street. Music Maker is a three floor store with drums in the basement, guitars and amps above that, and pianos and synthesizers on the top floor. It’s a great place for finding a bargain and regularly has crazy sales where they practically give away equipment. If you you’re looking for drumming advice, Jay Bagnall, drummer from Dublin’s best punk rock outfit Liz is Evil, is at hand to demo for you.

I must give a final mention to a north side shop. Goodwin’s on Capel Street are experts in acoustic guitars. I you need to buy, fix or upgrade your acoustic this is the place to take it to. They are super-friendly always and give great advice for free. Until next time.