Two-headed animals and antique torture tools among ‘weird stuff' in new cabinet of curiosities
Paul Mangan has been 'collecting weird stuff' for as long as he can remember.
The Dubliner (40), a musician and cabaret performer under the name Monsieur Pompier, used social media to share hard-to-explain objects and unusual images from books, developing a not insignificant following. His collection grew to such an extent that friends joked about him starting a museum.
So, what did he do? He opened the
Museum of Curiosities
on Dublin's Lower Pembroke Street two weeks ago.
Among the exhibits over its two floors are weird taxidermy such as two-headed animals; mummified remains; 'haunted dolls'; antique medical and torture devices; and other items that defy explanation.
READ MORE
One of the taxidermy exhibits at the Museum of Curiosities on Dublin's Lower Pembroke Street. Photograph: Paul Mangan
'Every object tells a story: fragments of folklore, medical missteps, theatrical inventions or traces of long-lost belief,' the museum's website states.
Despite being apprehensive about opening a business with what some could consider a dark theme, Mangan says 'the response has been great' and 'I am still waiting for someone to tell me I am sick'.
Mangan hopes to expand his collection over time, but for now he is busy 'figuring out how to run a museum'.
Man acquitted of Jill Dando murder settles defamation suit
Netflix has made a business out of raking over historic and unsolved killings, including cases with Irish links such as those of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and Jason Corbett.
When the streaming service covered the 1999 murder of BBC presenter Jill Dando, who was shot outside her London home, the focus suddenly switched to scenes from Cork City as viewers were introduced to Barry George.
The 65-year-old was in 2001 found guilty of Dando's murder. However, his conviction was in 2007 quashed by the Court of Appeal and he was acquitted at a retrial.
BBC presenter Jill Dando was shot outside her London home in 1999. Photograph: PA
George, who later moved to Ireland to be close to his sister, this week settled defamation proceedings, issued in Dublin and Belfast, against the publisher of the Times (London).
The newspaper on Monday issued an apology over a 2024 article which suggested that, despite his acquittal, George would have difficulty proving his innocence.
Barry George was convicted and later acquitted of Jill Dando's murder. Photograph: Netflix
'We acknowledge that Mr George is innocent having been acquitted of the murder of Ms Dando by a unanimous verdict and apologise to Mr George,' the apology stated.
George's solicitor, Pádraig Ó Muirigh of Ó Muirigh Solicitors, said: 'I can confirm that Times Media Limited have agreed to pay substantial damages and our client's legal costs.'
He added: 'Since our client's acquittal, he has been subject to false, unfounded and defamatory allegations by various media outlets. We continue to represent our client in relation to ongoing legal proceedings which have yet to reach a satisfactory resolution.'
TDs and Senators 'excited' and 'terrified' at Oireachtas AI committee
Tuesday's maiden public meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence saw TDs and Senators gather
to hear the views of Research Ireland representatives
.
But the preamble, which had a bit of a 'first day of school' feel to it, was arguably of more interest, with members using their introductory remarks to show where they stand on the often-controversial technology and set out what they hope to achieve during the committee's tenure.
There were expressions of excitement, distaste, nerves and even terror about what could be coming.
[
First AI committee to examine 'urgent' concern for democracy
Opens in new window
]
Mayo Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh said she was 'excited' about how AI could positively impact education and healthcare. She was 'also terrified', however, about its potential use in fraud and that older people, who are 'scared' of it, could be left behind.
Sinn Féin TD Johnny Mythen expressed concern 'about bad actors and people with vested interests using AI for their own advantage', while People Before Profit's Paul Murphy said he fears 'AI will lead to the degradation of our public spaces and culture through the proliferation of fake news'.
Senator Lynn Ruane said she was nervous about 'not knowing what questions to ask' about artificial intelligence. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins
Independent Senator Lynn Ruane said she looked forward to working with her colleagues, but that 'what makes me more nervous than anything, however, is not knowing what questions to ask'.
'As we policymakers debate in the Houses, people say headline things but nobody actually understands what is under the bonnet in terms of how people engage with machine learning, how it is made and what are the inputs.'
Committee chair Malcolm Byrne said it will be 'a learning process for all of us'.
Asked what the Oireachtas AI committee will achieve, ChatGPT said: 'This permanent committee is a key structural step toward shaping how AI is governed in Ireland – guarding public interest while enabling innovation. If you'd like, I can dig deeper into any of the topic areas or provide info on its current membership and timetable.'
Eye and ear hospital honours pioneering doctor Kathleen Lynn
The cataract unit
at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin was this week renamed in memory of the pioneering doctor, suffragist and nationalist
Dr Kathleen Lynn
.
Lynn, one of the first women to graduate in medicine from what is now UCD, became the first woman doctor at the hospital in around 1910.
'We dedicate this unit to Dr Kathleen Lynn, whose values of innovation, compassion and justice continue to inspire us daily,' said the hospital's head consultant ophthalmologist, Donal Brosnahan.
Dr Kathleen Lynn
Lynn and her life partner, Madeleine ffrench-Mullen, were radical Irish nationalists despite coming from middle-class Protestant backgrounds. She served as the Citizen Army's chief medical officer during the
Easter Rising
of 1916 and was imprisoned afterwards in Kilmainham Gaol alongside Ffrench-Mullen.
The pair in 1919 cofounded St Ultan's Children's Hospital in response to the high rate of infant mortality in Dublin. Due to her efforts, Lynn, who died in 1955 at 81, has often been suggested as the person the new national children's hospital should be named after.
A plaque was erected in memory of ffrench-Mullen at her childhood home on Moyne Road, Ranelagh, last month.
Licensing law reforms remain on the shelf
Irish nightlife has changed greatly this century, with a drinks industry report this week showing
alcohol consumption is down by more than one third
since 2001 and falling.
There has been an even greater decline in the number of nightclubs, with the Give Us The Night campaign earlier this year highlighting that only about 80 remained open, an 83 per cent drop since 2000.
Industry operators were heartened by a push during Helen McEntee's time as minister for justice to reform our 'antiquated' licensing system with a view to giving nightlife a jolt.
Helen McEntee announcing the publication of the general scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill in October 2022. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The Sale of Alcohol Bill would have set daily trading hours of 10.30am to 12.30am and permitted nightclubs to open until 6am. It was expected to be enacted by last summer, but faced backbench criticism. The since-retired Fine Gael TD Michael Ring argued it should be ditched to shift the party away from 'left wing' policies.
The Bill, like a beer bottle in a law-abiding pub after 11pm on Sunday, remained on the shelf up to November's general election.
The latest Programme for Government (PfG) contains a pledge to 'enact legislation to update our licensing laws, promoting the development of a modern and diverse night-time economy in harmony with increased town centre living'.
When asked for an update, the Department of Justice noted the PfG's commitment around licensing laws and said 'the legislation will be advanced in due course'.
One industry observer said: 'It's in the PfG but there are two chances of it happening soon, I'd say.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
38 minutes ago
- Irish Times
WRC finds in favour of dismissed employee who endured ‘deplorable' treatment from betting company
A service desk engineer dismissed by bookmaker Bar One Racing for alleged poor attendance and timekeeping was subject to 'deplorable' treatment by the company, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has found. The company conducted a 'masterclass in how not to convene a disciplinary meeting' as it dealt with Liam Kyle, who initially worked on a part-time basis before being made permanent in October 2023, said WRC adjudication officer Pat Brady. Mr Kyle, who said he believed he did good work for the company, was called to an initial meeting last September at which it was put to him he had been absent on 16 occasions. He accepted there were absences but was not sure how many and had not considered it an issue until the meeting. A document stating the number as 16 was put to him and he was told that if he did not sign it, his employment could be terminated. He said he signed it under duress. READ MORE He said there were a couple of other meetings he considered to be informal and though the company said he was given a letter of warning, he said he did not recall seeing it and had certainly not been given a copy. Mr Kyle did not initially realise he was the subject of disciplinary proceedings but was dismissed at a meeting in January. He said he found alternative work five weeks later. In his decision on the case, Mr Brady described the conduct of the hearing into the matter as 'somewhat extraordinary' due to the company's attitude. Represented by two members of its HR department, he said Bar One Racing failed to produce the relevant staff members as witnesses, did not make written submissions and demonstrated complete confusion with regard to the conduct of the meetings Mr Kyle was obliged to attend. 'The respondent did not apparently consider it necessary to submit any relevant documents in evidence from which I draw the obvious conclusions in respect of the burden of proof,' he said. It was 'fatal' to the employer's case, he said, that Mr Kyle was not given a copy of the written warning 'if indeed it ever existed'. 'It seems probable that no such warning was administered on the date claimed and in any event, the complainant should have been given a copy of it formally,' Mr Brady said. 'It is rare these days to encounter such a complete repertoire of gross breaches of fair procedure and of a worker's rights.' Based on Mr Kyle's earning of €540 per week, and the fact there was no ongoing loss due to him having found new work, he ordered that Bar One pay him €2,700 in compensation.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Bôa at National Stadium review: Bewitching vocals and rousing instrumentals make for a strong comeback
Bôa National Stadium, Dublin ★★★★☆ Last year saw the welcome return of the British indie rock band Bôa, who, after gaining a fresh young fan base, burst back on to the scene following a near two-decade hiatus with a tour and the release of their new album, Whiplash. Part of the alternative-1990s zeitgeist, Bôa are best known for their single Duvet, from 1998, which was used as the opening theme for the cult anime Serial Experiments Lain. Fast-forward to 2021 and lockdown-induced nostalgia saw the track regain popularity on TikTok, ultimately spurring Jasmine Rodgers (vocals and guitar), Alex Caird (bass and guitar) and Lee Sullivan (drums) to re-form the band. On Saturday night, eight months after playing Whelan's as part of their comeback circuit, they take the stage of the National Stadium in Dublin. The evening gets off to a strong start, the first two songs – Deeply, from 1998, and Whiplash, the title track of their new album – providing some contrast between their old and new sounds. Rodgers' immense, bewitching voice is bolstered by an impressive arsenal of instruments as a swirling red haze of smoke wraps around the band: alongside the usual drums-and-guitar backdrop, a violin, tambourine and keys also make an appearance. READ MORE The singer explains her lower-than-normal register by confessing that she has a cold. If anything, her slightly raspy tone melds well with the music, especially on grittier new tracks such as Strange Few. 'I'm going to do something vaguely performative,' she announces midway through this intimate gig, taking a spoonful of Boyne Valley honey to soothe her throat. 'Your energy is incredible. There was no way in hell I wasn't going to do this show with you,' Rodgers tells the crowd as a gaggle of new listeners press up against the barrier. The band move seamlessly between familiar tracks from previous albums and their new songs, fan favourites such as Elephant and Twilight rousing the audience to sing along. The blend of floaty folk and angst-driven songs is met with a sea of heads approvingly bobbing along from start to finish, even when it's sometimes evident that people aren't familiar with the lyrics. To the audience's delight the band perform a three-song encore. It culminates with the highly anticipated Duvet, which rocks the crowd into a dreamlike trance, enveloping everyone in a comfort blanket of sound before they return to the wet streets outside.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Girl pierced by needle used by father to take drugs in potentially ‘catastrophic' incident, judge told
A girl sat on a needle that had been used by her father to take drugs in what could have been a 'catastrophic' incident, Dublin District Family Court has heard. The girl's mother said multiple medical tests were carried out on her daughter, who is aged under 10, to ensure she had not contracted any serious blood-borne infections. The girl's father, who the woman claimed leaves drugs, needles and 'crack pipes' around the house, had left a used needle on a bed and it pierced the child's skin when she sat down. The mother, who on Friday applied for a protection order, said she was worried for 'months' while waiting to hear if her daughter had contracted an infection. READ MORE She said her partner left the family home after the incident but returned some time later. She said he goes on 'benders for days', steals and roots through their belongings and is abusive. She added that his behaviour 'scares the children'. 'He gets very angry,' she said. 'He slams, bangs and breaks things, slagging and calling me names, threatening that he will get people to attack me and my (adult) daughter.' Judge Gerard Furlong said he was granting the woman a temporary protection order 'without hesitation' until the case is heard in full. He said the option of a barring order was open to her should she wish to apply for one. 'I am very concerned about the needle episode, that could have been catastrophic,' he said. 'Drug habit is one thing but if apparatus and stuff is left around and there are young children, I can only empathise with the worries you have.' In a separate case, an older man was granted a temporary barring order against his son, aged in his 30s, after an alleged violent incident. The man said he was attacked after he told his son's girlfriend, who was staying in their home with her children, to leave after an argument. 'He's about 10 times stronger than me and he was punching and punching,' the man said of his son. 'He's so powerful, he dragged me up to the front door and pushed me out on to the street.' The man, who said he was wearing a dressing gown at the time, told Judge Furlong he was out on the street on the ground and his son was 'kicking and punching the head off me'. The man said he told his son he was going to the local Garda station to report assault and was then pushed on to the ground and kicked and punched again. When gardaí arrived, his son was no longer present, he said, although he did return late that night. Asked why he did not contact gardaí on his son's return, he said he did not want to 'cause any more trouble in the house'. Instead, the man went to an emergency department in the middle of the night to get his injuries examined. He said a doctor told him he was 'lucky' there was no permanent damage to his head. Having waited for five hours before being seen in hospital, the man said he decided to go directly to the court on Friday morning as he was 'afraid to go home'. 'He's too dangerous,' he said, adding that his son is 'violent all the time'. 'This is not the first time, this has been going on for years.' The man was granted a temporary barring order by Judge Furlong until a full hearing of the case, meaning his son will be removed from the property.
