Caricatures Ireland

Screen grab from the Galway Advertiser, which once again wins the Tongue-in-Cheek award.

Tags: Galway, Galway Advertiser by Allan
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UPDATE: Leaving Flaherty’s Funeral Home on Monday at 12pm, funeral to be held in St. Nicholas’ Church at 12.30.
Galway based puppeteer and stone mason Pat Bracken passed away yesterday. Many would know Pat from Quay Street, where his raucous puppets bantered with passers-by, and he was a regular fixture in the Macnas Parade, running ahead and warming up the crowd.
I don’t know any details of arrangements yet but will post them here when that changes.

Photos courtesy of Richard Walsh and Mister Ebby.

Tags: Galway, Pat Bracken, galwegians by Allan
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View Macnas Parade Route 2010 in a larger map

The 2010 Macnas Parade, The Wild Hunt, starts at 2pm on Sunday 18th July at 2pm in the Spanish Arch. The map above shows the route. Possibly advisable to bring a brolly!

Tags: Galway, galway arts festival, macnas, macnas parade by Allan
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Some time ago I posted on a mysterious plaque that had appeared down at the Spanish Arch in Galway. An eagle-eyed reader found this second plaque and sent it to me:

I found a posting on your website regading the Galway Democratic Republic. Well, there has been a new sign posted in Galway. See attached. I first found it walking my dogs about two weeks ago (April 4th). Its posted on the wall along the Claddagh pier, at the far end almost, at the end, and is posted quite low, about a foot off the ground.

Curiouser and curiouser!

That’s not all, the GDR has been busy elsewhere too.

(The Latin inscription “Sic faciunt omnes” seems to mean “everyone is doing it”).

Tags: Galway, Galway Democratic Republic, Spanish Arch, pranks by Allan
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The Irish Blog Awards passed (away) in a flash this year. This may have been because being local this time I wasn’t a resident and up all night. Or it might have been the rum. Or it might have been all the stairs. Anyway, it was fantastic craic, squinting in the dark in the hope of recognising the person you were talking to by a half remembered Twitter avatar until they see that vacant look in your eyes and introduce themselves.

Culch.ie won Best Pop Culture Blog, and as a contributor I was entitled to hold the trophy for 15 seconds.

I met Manuel The Waiter finally, and went on a wild goose chase looking for Alan Maloney for Sweary, which was actually fun because it was an excuse to chat to almost everyone there (about 350). Anyway, Alan wasn’t even there so next year I’m sending Sweary off to get me some stripey paint.

Of course, the highlight of the night wasn’t the awards ceremony. It was the wild display of my culinary skills at registration.

The really are a quicky Iris.

Well done to all the winners and to Beaut.ie for winning Best Blog. I’m not into makeup, but then, there’s lots of specialist subjects I’m not into and I wouldn’t begrudge any of them winning Best Blog. Thanks to Damien and everyone behind the scenes for a great night.

Tags: Galway, awards, irish blog awards by Allan
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