Latest news with #DalkeyBookFestival
Irish Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Post
'Peace, not war' - Bernie Sanders tells Cork on Irish visit
Irish Post commentator PETER KELLY went walkabout with former US presidential hopeful in Ireland's 'Second City' From Cork City Hall to Connolly Hall SIPTU union event with Lord Mayor Dan Boyle IT'S not every day that a US presidential hopeful is seen on walkabout in Ireland's second city. At the end of May Senator Bernie Sanders prompted many a second glance among Cork's residents as he strode through its small streets. The man who vied for the US Democratic Party's presidential nomination both in 2016 and 2020 was on an Irish visit to promote the benefits of union labour, its heritage and to encourage world peace. He gave speeches at union buildings in both Dublin then Cork, and was the keynote speaker at the capital's Tressell Festival, then to a sell-out public audience in the renowned Vicar Street Theatre near the Guinness Brewery. Senator Sanders with wife Dr Jane O'Meara Sanders beneath Shandon Bells Church The 83-year-old veteran US Senator was earlier afforded an audience with 84-year old Irish President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin in Phoenix Park. Their fond interaction went viral on social media and Mr Sanders signed the distinguished visitors book in what is known as the Irish White House. The Vermont native had met President Higgins in 2018 at Dublin's Dalkey Book Festival and this year was joined by his Irish-American wife, Dr Jane O'Meara Sanders. Sláinte! Celebrating labour union icon Mary 'Mother' Jones' legacy However, it was in Ireland's second city that Mr Sanders made the most memorable impression. From cordial fellow train passengers en route to Cork, to the city's lord mayor, TDs and the pro-union audience in its offices, it was a surreal sight seeing Bernie Sanders traverse the small city and streets of the inner city, as locals looked on bemused. The ironic apex of his visit was surely the butchers' shop-stop, where local union labour historians regaled him of tales of Mother Jones, the locally-born union activist who organised workers in the US in the late 1800s is celebrated. The sight of Senator Sanders in historic Cork lanes, behind the counter, flanked by carnivorous staff in aprons prompted his comment that "I've been to many openings and events, and let me tell you this, it's the first time ever that me and Jane have ever been to a butcher's shop,' he joked. 'Thank you, Cork.' Bernie Sanders arrives from Dublin at Cork's Kent Station With an Irish whiskey toast Sanders departed with well-worn wisdom for local Lee-siders, advice to honour long established Irish-American ties. "It's imperative" he said, "that we all stand together to remember our common humanity, and that all the children in the world have a right to live with food, with education, with security. And that we strive for a world of peace and not war." Peter Kelly See More: Cork, Senator Sanders, US Politics
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Rick O'Shea: ‘My wife and I come from very working-class backgrounds, so we think savings are important'
Rick O'Shea is a veteran DJ and radio presenter who has worked with RTÉ since 2001, currently with RTÉ Gold. He is taking part in Dalkey Book Festival, which runs June 12th-15th. Are you a saver or a spender? If you had asked me that question a few years ago, I would have told you I wasn't a saver, but that was only because there was never money left over to save. In recent times that has changed a little. Both my wife and I come from very working-class backgrounds, so a cushion of savings is something we think is important to have. What was the first job you received money for, and how much were you paid? The only job I have ever had is being a radio presenter. My first full-time job was when I was 19, playing late-night love songs on a local radio station. I think I was paid the princely sum of £60 a week. In 1992 it didn't quite pay the rent on the Bray-based bungalow I was living in. Do you shop around for better value? If it's something big, of course. We had our bathroom completely changed recently and there seemed to be endless months of getting quotes from different companies. If it's something like cereal, or groceries, probably not. READ MORE What has been your most extravagant purchase, and how much did it cost? I rarely buy expensive stuff such as technology or flash clothes, so the only thing I'd ever call extravagant is travel. After a year of hard saving, we went to Japan and South Korea in 2015, and it cost somewhere in the region of €10,000. [ 'I recently bought a sofa worth about €10,000 new for €380 on Done Deal' Opens in new window ] What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money? On the same trip, I bought what I call my Japanese jumper. It's a long cardigan thing that I bought drunkenly late one night in Hiroshima. I've worn it around the house for the last decade, and there are strict instructions that in the event of my untimely death, I am to be buried in it. Is there anything you regret spending money on? Every nonsense purchase I made in my 20s. I built up a stupid credit-card debt that took years to pay off but it taught me never to do the same thing again. I have a credit card now as they're handy when it comes to checking into hotels on holidays, but I never use it otherwise. Do you haggle over prices? Not really. I think you either have the gene for that or you don't. My father is the exact opposite; it's in his blood. The man loves nothing better than a good haggle over €1 or €2 at a car-boot sale for an album he is interested in. Do you invest in shares and/or cryptocurrency? No to both, probably because I view them as gambles that I'm ill-equipped to take. I'm exactly the sort of person who would invest in stocks the day the market crashes or into a pump-and-dump crypto scheme. I'm sure some people do very well at these things, but I'm not wired that way. Do you have a retirement or pension plan? When I started working in RTÉ in 2001, one of the few smart things I have ever done was say yes when I was asked if I wanted to enrol in the pension plan. I'm also the sort of person who never takes it for granted that I'll make it to 65, so who knows, it may all have been a terrible waste of money. [ Rick O'Shea: 'I was never passionate about the idea of being on the radio' Opens in new window ] What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money? Tickets to the stage version of My Neighbour Totoro, the new Conor McPherson play The Brightening Air , and the upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim's final musical, Here We Are – all in London and all for my birthday. With very rare exceptions, spending money going to shows in London or on Broadway in New York has always been good value over the years, regardless of how much it costs. Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase? All the time. Holidays, solar panels and even our car all came from our savings. We don't have loans out for anything at the moment. If we can't afford it, we save for it and wait. Have you ever lost money? No, I don't think I ever have. Are you a gambler and, if so, have you ever had a big win? I have a deep-seated cynicism about big gambling companies. A huge part of their business model is taking advantage of people with addiction issues who can least afford it. I couldn't stomach money I had to work hard for just disappearing down the drain, no matter the small chance of an upside. Remember, the house always wins. What is your best habit when it comes to money? And your worst? I like to think my best habit these days is having the spare money to give to causes online when I see them. I work with a couple of charities, and I'm painfully conscious of how hard fundraising is these days, particularly in a mainly post-cash world, so if I see a cause I care about online, the odds are I'll donate. My worst habit is probably subscribing to things I don't read. I recently had a subscription to New Scientist magazine that was read one week out of every six when it arrived in the letterbox. How much money do you have on you now? I have gotten into the terrible habit of not really carrying cash on me. There's €60 in my wallet right now, and it's been there for over three months. In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Independent
Detached bungalow in Dalkey offers sea views and mature garden, just five minutes from centre of village
Asking price: €1.465m Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 275 1000 When it comes to rooms with a view, Knocknacree Park in Dalkey takes some beating. A private enclave of detached homes largely built in the 1960s, it's set on an elevated site with vistas across Dublin Bay. Set in a quiet cul-de-sac, No18 is a 1,668 sq ft bungalow with a C3 BER. It opens into a bright entrance hall with a guest WC off. Also accessed via the entrance hall is a living/dining room with exposed timber beams and an engineered floor. Next to that is a streamlined kitchen/breakfast room with quartz countertops, integrated units and sliding doors to the back garden. Four double bedrooms and a family bathroom complete the accommodation. Outside, there's room to park several cars in the front driveway, and an adjoining garage provides handy storage space. The back garden is laid out in lawn lined with mature trees, shrubs and flowerbeds and has a paved patio for al fresco dining or just relaxing with a good book. Remember, this town is home to the Dalkey Book Festival. It's a handy five-minute walk to Dalkey village, one of south Dublin's most sought-after addresses with its artisan bakeries, cafes, restaurants, and shops. There are excellent public transport links, including the local Dart station from where you can be in the city centre in half an hour. Located within easy reach of popular walking trails through the hills of Dalkey and Killiney, the property is also close to some renowned swimming spots, including the Forty Foot and Vico Bathing Place.
Business Post
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Post
Sian McWilliams' Diary: from hot topics in global politics to a freezing dip in the Forty Foot
Life The co-founder of the Dalkey Book Festival, which runs from June 12 to 15, juggles authors and speakers, while also fitting in a quick trip to her home town of Belfast
Irish Independent
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Keane on books: All-star authors at Dalkey festival and children's writers sprinkle magic in Waterford
You'll often read about the fun, the prizes and the glamour of books. But what is the reality of writing for a living, and when can a writer drop everything else to pick up the pen? I'll talk to four authors about these very questions at the Dalkey Book Festival, taking place June 12-15.
