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Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
The rise of poitín: Ireland's notorious spirit goes mainstream
We've all heard stories about the infamous poitín makers in remote pockets of Ireland. They usually involve someone's uncle's mate's cousin, a clandestine meeting in the dead of night and possibly a bag of turf, followed by an evening of shenanigans fit for a Christy Moore tune. Stories like this have led to an almost mythical status for a drink that is, at its core, an Irish take on clear, unaged spirit, not a million miles from vodka - although definitely not the same. This status was definitely helped by the fact that poitín production and sale was illegal between the years of 1661 and 1997 (with a slight loosening of the laws in the 1980s, but only for export), but since it was legalised, these stories have been a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the very mention of poitín invokes a kind of mysterious and shadowy world that is undeniably cool and appeals to the Irish love of outlaws and rule-benders. On the other, a reputation for being a dangerous drink that can lead to all sorts of unpleasantness has perhaps made it a little difficult to market effectively. Reputation aside, the last decade or so has seen a resurgence of sorts for whiskey's wayward younger sibling, with distillers putting their own spin on this misunderstood liquor, and premium poitíns coming out of producers like Mad March Hare, Blackwater, Micil and Fore Distillery. In fact, all four of these will have a presence at this year's Bloom Festival, which is a sure sign that mainstream is just about ready to embrace poitín. In addition, long-time poitín advocate Oisín Davis will be hosting poitín parties at Ballymaloe Food Festival and Beyond The Pale later this year, after successful events in Galway, Dublin and New York over the last few months. So it's a drink on the rise, but… How do you drink it? Well, it is, of course, perfectly reasonable to sip a decent poitín on its own, but if you fancy getting a bit more adventurous with it, mixologists across Ireland have been experimenting and refining all manner of delicious serves using poitín as a base. Notable examples include the fantastic Belfast Coffee, from Dublin's Bar 1661, which uses Bán Poitín, and Cask Cork's Little Pot, which uses Mad March Hare. Here are a couple of delicious poitín cocktails that you can make at home, courtesy of Oisín Davis' Irish Kitchen Cocktails, which is a must-have book for any serious home bartender. Frozen Poitín Piña Colada Even if you're not mad about getting caught in the rain, these frozen piña coladas, which use poitín instead of the traditional rum, will bring a hint of sunshine to your BBQ, cocktail party or quiet Friday night in. Ingredients: Method: Pour the pineapple juice, poitín, coconut cream and lime juice into a blender (NutriBullet works nicely). Blitz for 10 seconds to combine, then drop in the ice. Blitz for another 3-5 seconds until the ice is no longer chunky and it's the consistency of a slushie. Pour into a glass, serve with a straw and garnish with pineapple. Serves 1 The house cocktail at Bar 1661 - if you haven't tried one there, you really, really should. You can buy it pre-mixed from their website, but if you fancy having a crack at it yourself this chilled spin on the Irish coffee is an absolute treat. Ideally, you'd use a Georgian Irish coffee glass for this, but a small wine glass will work as well. Chill the glass with ice. For the demerara sugar syrup, take 2 parts sugar to 1 part boiling water, mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. You can make a batch of this ahead of time and it'll keep in the fridge for a week. Combine the coffee, sugar syrup and poitín into a jug or a jar of ice cubes and stir for about 20 seconds. Strain the coffee mixture into the glass, making sure not to get any of the ice cubes in there. Carefully pour the cream into the glass, using the back of a spoon to help it settle on top of the coffee, and then grate a little nutmeg on top. Serves 1
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Marquee, Musgrave Park, and more... the biggest and best gigs in Cork this summer
JUNE Macklemore Thursday, June 5, Musgrave Park (Virgin Media Park) Macklemore will make a highly anticipated return to Ireland with two dates this summer. Special guest RUDIM3NTAL will join the multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning rapper in Cork and Dublin. The Corrs Friday, June 5, Musgrave Park The Corrs. After a string of UK and Dublin shows, The Corrs will play two open-air shows in Ireland this summer - Cork on June 5 and Dublin on June 8. Both shows will feature special guest Imelda May and additional support from Natalie Imbruglia. Stereophonics Saturday, June 7, Musgrave Park Stereophonics will take to the stage in Cork to perform live renditions of their top hits such as Dakota, Maybe Tomorrow and Have A Nice Day. The Saw Doctors Saturday, June 14, Musgrave Park Following their barnstorming performance on the main stage at Electric Picnic last year, sell-out shows at London's Hammersmith Apollo and New York's Central Park and an appearance on the Tommy Tiernan Show, The Saw Doctors will play Cork on June 14 and Dublin on June 28. Snow Patrol Thursday, June 19, Musgrave Park The release of Snow Patrol's number one new album The Forest Is The Path marks the band's eagerly awaited return after six years. They will take to the stage in Cork on June 19. The stage at Musgrave Park during a previous gig. Picture: Jim Coughlan. Madness Friday, June 20, Musgrave Park The much-loved British band Madness will play Musgrave Park on June 20, just one day after their Belsonic appearance in Belfast. Special guests on the night will be Ocean Colour Scene. Picture This Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26, Live at the Marquee The popular Irish band will play two nights at the tented venue in Cork city this summer, having last year performed for an estimated 60,000 fans across sold-out shows in Dublin, Belfast and Cork. The Coronas Friday, June 27, Live at the Marquee Firm favourites among Irish fans, Dublin-based indie-rock band The Coronas will return to play Live at the Marquee following the release of their eighth studio album, Thoughts & Observations, in September last year. West Cork Chamber Music Festival Friday, June 26 to Sunday, July 6, Bantry Every summer, the West Cork Chamber Music Festival brings captivating performances, workshops, and talks by world-class musicians to West Cork. Acts include the string quartet group, Pavel Haas Quartet, pianist Anna Fedorova, and composer Brett Dean. Christy Moore Saturday, June 28, Live at the Marquee Christy Moore performs at Live at the Marquee , at Centre Park Road, Cork on Saturday 15th June 2024. Pic Larry Cummins One of the most compelling and inspirational musicians Ireland has ever seen, Christy Moore returns to Live at the Marquee this June to entertain and connect with his Cork fanbase JULY Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers & Chic Tuesday, July 1, Musgrave Park Duran Duran will take to the stage at Musgrave Park with special guest singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers and his band Chic. Joe Bonamassa Plays Rory Gallagher Tuesday, July 1, Wednesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 3, Live at the Marquee American blues titan Joe Bonamassa will pay musical homage to Cork hero Rory Gallagher over three nights at Live at the Marquee. The Waterboys Thursday, July 10, Live at the Marquee The Waterboys, who have been led by Scottish singer/guitarist Mike Scott since the 1980s and have evolved through many line-ups, winning a fearsome concert reputation along the way, will take to the stage in Cork on July 10. Fans at Live at The Marquee last year. Picture: Larry Cummins Dec Pierce Saturday, July 12, Live at the Marquee Dec Pierce's Block Rockin' Beats is a performance of the world's biggest dance anthems, featuring a full live band and special guests. Olly Murs Sunday, July 13, Live at the Marquee Fresh from his tour as special guest to Take That last year, Murs is celebrating 15 'unbelievable years' of doing what he loves with his new tour, which will see support from special guests Blue. Kingfishr Wednesday, July 16 and Thursday, July 24, Live at the Marquee Having recently won the Music Moves Europe Award and having completed a European tour with James Bay, Kingfishr will take to the stage at Live at the Marquee this July. Amble Thursday, July 17, Live at the Marquee Amble's captivating blend of musical storytelling and powerful live sound has won over fans across continents, and now they're set to take their show on the road once more, making the trip to Cork on July 17. The Mary Wallopers Friday, July 18, Live at the Marquee Formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy and their friend Sean McKenna, The Mary Wallopers began travelling Ireland singing and collecting songs before expanding to the six-piece that has torn up the live circuit over the past three years. Cian Ducrot Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, Live at the Marquee Fresh from his first Grammy nomination as the co-writer of SZA's smash hit Saturn, the Cork singer-songwriter will return home this summer to play two nights at Cork's tented music venue. D-Block Europe Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23, Live at the Marquee With over 50 million records sold and 40 billion streams worldwide to date, D-Block Europe is set to bring their electrifying energy to Live at the Marquee this July. AUGUST Public Image Ltd (PiL) Friday, August 15, Cyprus Avenue A great chance to see John Lydon and co roll out the post-punk classics in a nicely-intimate venue. John Lydon and Public Image Ltd (PIL) Masters of Tradition Wednesday, August 20 to Sunday, August 24 The five-day festival held each August in the West Cork town of Bantry features a series of performances covering the full spectrum of Irish traditional music. Other biggies this summer Forbidden Fruit: Saturday, May 31 to Sunday, June 1, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin In the Meadows: Saturday, June 7, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin Beyond the Pale: Friday, June 13 to Sunday, 15, Glendalough Estate, Wicklow Charli XCX: Tuesday, June 17, Malahide Castle Charli XCX. Kneecap: Thursday, June 19, Fairview Park, Dublin Zach Bryan: Friday-Sunday, June 20-22, Phoenix Park, Dublin Olivia Rodrigo: Tuesday, June 24, Marlay Park, Dublin Dua Lipa: Friday, June 27, Aviva Stadium, Dublin Justin Timberlake: Saturday, June 28, Malahide Castle, Dublin Lana del Rey: Monday, June 30, Aviva Stadium, Dublin Longitude Festival: Saturday, July 5 to Sunday, July 6, Marlay Park, Dublin The Wolfe Tones: July 11 & 13, Thomond Park, Limerick Billie Eilish: Saturday and Sunday, 26-27 July, 3Arena, Dublin All Together Now: Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, August 3, Curraghmore Estate, Co Waterford Oasis: August 17, Croke Park, Dublin Oasis. Robbie Williams: Saturday, August 23, Croke Park, Dublin Electric Picnic: Friday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31, Stradbally Hall, Laois
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Swift Blaze of Fire by Lin Rose Clark: Engaging account of Irish Olympian killed fighting for republican Spain
Olympian, Cleric, Brigadista: the Enigmatic Life of Robert Hilliard Author : Lin Rose Clark ISBN-13 : 9781843519218 Publisher : Lilliput Press Guideline Price : €18.95 'Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor, from Killarney across the Pyrenees he came…" Most people who have heard of Robert Hilliard know him from Christy Moore's song lauding the Irish who fought for republican Spain . Thirty-two years of age when he was fatally wounded at Jarama in February 1937, Hilliard had been a journalist, an Anglican cleric, an Olympic boxer and was the father of four young children. Lin Rose Clark is Hilliard's granddaughter. In this wonderful, engaging narrative she rebuilds a fascinating and complex life which spanned several diverse worlds. Christy Moore called the Irish Brigadistas a 'comradeship of heroes', but if Hilliard's deeds in Spain were heroic, he was also a flawed human being. The 'crushing betrayal' of leaving his wife Rosemary and four children haunted the family. While remembered by his comrades in Spain for his 'sense of humour and consistently cheerful attitude', Hilliard was not always an attractive personality. He was a heavy drinker for a period, a gambler and capable of cruelty towards his wife. READ MORE Clark tries to disentangle family lore from fact and to rebuild the lost worlds of his life. From a comfortable middle-class Protestant background in Kerry, Hilliard was a student at a still-unionist Trinity in the 1920s. But there he played hurling, boxed (he represented Ireland at the 1924 Olympics) and experimented with new ideas. [ The Last Ditch by Eamonn Sweeney: Brave admissions about mental health struggles hit hard in follow-up Opens in new window ] [ Ghost Wedding by David Park: Compelling novel bleeds past and present in tale of secrets and division Opens in new window ] He dropped out and an unsuccessful period as a journalist in London, which coincided with his marriage, left him on the brink of alcoholism. Redemption came through immersion in religion, his becoming an adherent of the Christian Oxford Group (involving a 'complete personal surrender' to God) and then studying to become an Anglican priest. Hilliard's path to communism and Spain was not straightforward, then. Clark shows how living in Belfast and London, the impact of the Depression and the rise of Nazism all profoundly affected him. She conveys this story without romanticism, mindful of the human cost to Hilliard's family of his political choices. In her epilogue, the author tells of her mother, Deirdre, finding a postcard to Rosemary that implored her to 'teach the kids to stand for democracy. Unless fascism is beaten… it means hell and war for our kids". Amen to that.
Irish Examiner
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Clodagh Finn: An unflinching study of a warts-and-all ‘hero'
'I've been singing Bob Hilliard's name for 40 years, and now we finally have his story,' Christy Moore writes on the back of a new biography of a man who packed several lifetimes into one. Robert Hilliard was — and this is not an exhaustive list — a member of the prosperous Hilliard family in Killarney, a Protestant, a fierce republican, a skilled debater, an Olympian boxer, a journalist, a Church of Ireland priest, and a courageous member of the International Brigades who died fighting Franco when he was just 32. It was his death after the battle of Jarama during the Spanish Civil war in 1937 that inspired the honorary mention in Christy Moore's song, 'Viva la Quinta Brigada', although Robert Hilliard made an impression wherever he went. At Trinity College, one student journal noted that 'he sometimes appeared as a cross between a hornpipe and a fugue, often of a wild nature.' HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading Editor of The Irish Times Bertie Smyllie recalled his wild, unconforming nature when he wrote how Robert once boasted to him that he had voted 17 times before breakfast on the day of polling in the 1922 general election. Robert Hilliard did not coin the phrase 'Vote early and vote often' but, while working as a copywriter in London a few years later, he said he came up with the advertising slogan, 'Great Stuff This Bass'. My generation will be more familiar with the 1970s slogan, 'Ah, That's Bass', made famous by The Dubliners. It entered the vernacular as a playful phrase that meant something hit the spot, but none of the descriptions outlined so far go anywhere near unravelling the myth that grew up around Robert Hilliard. His granddaughter, Lin Rose Clark, for instance, was acquainted with a very different version of the exuberant man who made his fellow International Brigade members laugh. For her, he was the man who walked out on his wife and their four children, first to go to London and then to fight in Spain. 'There has always been a Robert Martin Hilliard-shaped gap in our family,' she writes. She discovered it, aged eight, after her teacher showed slides of Spain, lighting up the white screen in the classroom with palm trees, blue sea and vivid sunshine. When Lin asked her mother, Deirdre Davey, if the family could visit Spain, her mother flinched and said they would not be going to Spain, because her father had died there when she was aged eight. Lin Rose Clark didn't quite understand it at the time but, in that moment, she sensed the inconsolable grief that accompanied her mother throughout her life. What tormented her mother was that her father had been loving and hands-on, yet he left his family. Many years later, Lin set out to find out why. The result of her excavation — that's the word for it because her deep research has that quality to it — is Swift Blaze of Fire, a beautifully written biography that offers us a complete and compassionate portrait of the man himself. As she puts it: 'My grandfather was no icon, either of heroism or shiftless betrayal, but a flesh and blood human being, an everyman shaped by his times … trying to chart a course through an extraordinary period.' It is refreshing to read an account that reaches beyond the myths and shows that history with its big 'H' also inveigles its way into the lives and loves of the people who live through it. While she teases out the political and historical, what really stands out for me is their combined effect on the personal. Lin Rose Clark does something else too — she writes the women back into the story. Ellen Hilliard who walked from Killarney to Cork, during the Famine years, to buy stock for her shop in Killarney. Picture: courtesy of Lin Rose Clark She starts with the family account of the redoubtable Ellen (née Martin), who married into the Hilliard family in 1846, and regularly walked across the Derrynasaggart mountains from Killarney to Cork and back, during the Famine years, to buy stock for the small shop she ran with her husband Richard. That shop, R Hilliard and Sons on Main Street, Killarney, went on to become a booming commercial success. It traded as a department store — 'the Brown Thomas of Killarney ladies', some called it — for a century and half. The building is now owned by a different family and it is a bar and restaurant, but the name is still above the door, and its history is remembered — and celebrated. But back to the beginning, if Ellen Hilliard's business acumen and grit are outlined in admirable detail so too is the fact that she disapproved of her son William's Catholic wife Frances, forcing both of them to sail for New Zealand. William never saw his parents again. Lin Rose Clark does not shy away from telling the whole family story, warts and all. Too often, in the accounts of men's wartime heroics in particular, the impact on those left behind is omitted, or overlooked. Not here. As a pastor, Robert Hilliard earned just £25 a year but it was his family who bore the brunt when he left for London in 1935. His daughter Deirdre remembers the milkman calling to be paid but being turned away. She overheard him saying that he thought the money would be safe as he was dealing with 'a man of the cloth'. 'I was only six and a half, but I felt most ashamed and guilty and what my mother felt I can only imagine,' she said. There's a heart-wrenching letter from Robert's young son Tim, too, appealing to him to come home: 'You ot [ought] to kum back to us… why dont you kum and hav fun with us. Love From Timothy Hilliard.' And there is a photograph showing both children, looking miserable, keeping a daily vigil in the doorway of their rented cabin hoping to hear their father approach on the motorbike that he bought on credit. Rosemary Hilliard, Robert's wife, with her two samoyeds. Their mother, Rosemary, meanwhile, moved from one ill-equipped rented place to another. She had come to motherhood very young and, as her granddaughter writes, 'for the most part unwillingly. Now she was trapped inside the oppressive expectations which society imposes on wives and mothers, expectations that ground her down although she never challenged them.' Yet, willing or not, nobody could thrive in some of the places she found herself, such as in the damp cottage near Lisburn which had no running water, no bathroom and no kitchen. Cooking was done on a paraffin stove or using a hook hung over the fire. But there are no pointing fingers or sense of blame in this unsentimental yet compassionate account. It simply tells the story in the round, and in doing so offers a template on how to write women into history. To end on an uplifting note, Robert Hilliard's last postcard to his wife includes this line: 'If fascism is not defeated in Spain and in the world, it will be war, and hell for our kids.' As his granddaughter says: 'Perhaps the best tribute we can pay to him and those, like him, who went to fight fascism in Spain is to stand up against these things in our own day and say 'No pasarán!"
Sunday World
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Jay-Z once tipped Christy Moore $50 after he mistook him for a doorman
The pair crossed paths at a music festival in Kildare American rapper Jay-Z once tipped Irish music legend Christy Moore $50 after he once mistook him for a doorman. A New York Times article about the singer-songwriter, details the encounter which took place at Oxegen festival in Kildare, in 2011. The article explains how 'an older gentleman - bald, barrel-chested, in a black T-shirt' held the door to the V.I.P entrance open for the couple. 'Sweeping past, Jay-Z pressed a $50 bill into the man's hands, assuming he was a staff member or security, unaware he'd just tipped Ireland's most beloved living musician, Christy Moore.' Jay Z / Christy Moore (Getty Images) News in 90 Seconds - May 22nd Moore was at the festival as a surprise guest of headliners Coldplay, who closed out the final night. Before their performance, Jay Z's wife Beyoncé had just played the main stage as the second-to-last act of the weekend. The article went on to describe how Moore appeared on stage to the cheers of 60,000 fans, after Coldplay singer Chris Martin dubbed him a childhood hero. 'Moore had returned home after a long celebrated career… he'd become an icon, a national treasure, but a man still easily mistaken for the help.' The famous New York newspaper celebrated Moore, who recently turned 80, by featuring a host of Irish celebrities. 'Irish people see themselves in Christy,' Late Late host Patrick Kielty said. 'Part of it is because he does look like he could be the doorman at the venue. 'If you saw Christy behind a wheelbarrow, you'd think that looks right,' he continued. 'But when you see him with a guitar, you go, no, that looks better. And when you hear him sing, you know that's what he was meant to do.' U2 star The Edge added: 'Christy occupies a very rarefied part of Irish culture preserved for those who are trusted to speak of, from and for the Irish people. 'It's an almost priestly role, but one he handles without ever becoming pompous or taking himself too seriously.'
