Cara Dec 2017/Jan 2018

December 2017/January 2018

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

AIDAN GILLEN

STRIKES GOLD

WINTER WARMERS

IRISH BRANDS TO COSY UP WITH THIS SEASON

SKELLIGS• CHICAGO • BRUSSELS • PHILADELPHIA

Welcome to Ireland from AIB Corporate Banking

Mick Murray Head of AIB International Corporate Banking mick.j.murray@aib.ie or +353 (1) 641 4248

Simon Scroope Head of AIB Corporate Banking simon.p.scroope@aib.ie or +353 (1) 641 4219

AIB International Corporate Banking can help you build a powerful presence in Ireland.

To see how our dedicated team can work with you, contact Simon or Mick.

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018

CHECK IN 4 WELCOME Aer Lingus news 8 ARRIVALS We’re meeting and greeting passengers at Dublin’s T2 11 CHECK IN Hot stuff for the party season and beyond, from food to art 28 SHELF LIFE Bridget Hourican’s latest reads, events and podcasts 30 MY TRAVEL NOTEBOOK Accomplished musician Brendan Murphy’s tour stories 32 5 GOOD REASONS Eoin Higgins goes Swiss-swoo over Zürich

64

Dazzling Chicago

34 WEEKENDER Melanie Mullan checks into Lisbon 36 AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO GLASGOW Diana Bunici’s lowlands highlights

FEATURES 40 GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Tony Clayton-Lea meets Peaky Blinders’ latest recruit, actor Aidan Gillen 46 ALL WRAPPED UP Gemma Tipton cosies up to Ireland’s textile heroes 54 THE COAST AWAKENS May the force be with Doug Whelan and his journey to the Skelligs ...

64 HIGH & MIGHTY Lucy White devours Chicago’s supper clubs, brewpubs and speakeasies 80 SWEET DREAMS Eoin Higgins investigates what’s sprouting around Brussels 90 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY Krista Connor’s inside scoop

80 Bitesize Brussels

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Custodians of Cosy

REGULARS 75 YOU SAY, WE SAY Melanie Mullan’s new places to love in 2018 99 5 BEST FESTIVE HOTELS Lucy White’s merrily-on-highlights 106 48 HOURS IN BILBAO Aoife Carrigy shows us the sights 123 AER LINGUS INFLIGHT On-board info and entertainment 152 TRIP OF A LIFETIME Mary Heffernan realises a longtime dream with a trip to Cape Town

54 Cinematic Skelligs

BUSINESS 109 BUSINESS & LIFE Birmingham ticks all the boxes for Clare O’Reilly 116 A DAY IN THE LIFE On tour with Cirque du Soleil’s physical therapist Roisin McNulty 118 GLAMOUR TIME The dapper Dylan hotel and new stays in Hamburg, Belfast and San Fran 120 SIX THINGS WE’VE LEARNT Hair gurus Katie-Jane Goldin and Barry Scallan

INTERNATIONAL BRANDS Acne Studios Alaïa Alice + Olivia Balenciaga Burberry Canada Goose Canali Céline Chanel Chloé Christian Dior Christian Louboutin Claudie Pierlot Dolce & Gabbana Erdem Ermenegildo Zegna Fendi Givenchy Gucci Hermès Isabel Marant J Brand Jimmy Choo Louis Vuitton lululemon Maje Moncler Paige Paul Smith Prada Saint Laurent Paris Sandro Self-portait The Kooples Theory Tom Ford Valentino Victoria Beckham Zadig & Voltaire DISTINCTIVE IRISH BRANDS Cloon Keen Atelier Foxford Woollen Mills Lainey Keogh Louise Kennedy Lucy Nagle Rathbornes Waterford Crystal A WORLD OF OF BEAUTY Aveda Bobbi Brown Chanel Charlotte Tilbury Dior Frédéric Malle Giorgio Armani Huda Beauty Jo Malone London Kilian La Mer La Prairie Laura Mercier MAC Nars Sisley Yves Saint Laurent

DUBLIN CORK LIMERICK GALWAY

brownthomas.com

New year, new places to love in 2018 – Philadelphia and Seattle, brought to you in flying form by Aer Lingus. elcome aboard, and thank you for choosing to fly with us today. If you’re reading this in December 2017 – a very merry Christmas to you. And if January 2018 is already in full swing, we wish you a happy New Year.

We celebrate new beginnings at Aer Lingus in 2018, with two new direct routes from Dublin linking Europe with North America as part of the biggest ever transatlantic expansion in the airline’s history. First up is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which commences with four weekly flights from March 25, 2018, and will see even more visitors recreating the “Rocky Run” up the steps of the Museum of Modern Art. This service will be followed by a direct route to Seattle, Washington State, launching on May 18, 2018. Four weekly flights will connect Ireland with the home of grunge, Frasier, coffee scenesters – and a fast-emerging tech scene. Microsoft and Amazon have headquarters there, both of which have significant operations in Ireland. Ties between the Emerald City and the Emerald Isle will be further

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strengthened by their aviation kinship: The Boeing Company began in Seattle – it was the city’s biggest employer during World War II – and Ireland hosts more than half of the world’s aviation leasing company headquarters.

Seattle adds 50,000 additional seats to Aer Lingus’ long-haul programme for summer 2018. The airline’s fleet will also expand significantly over the next five years, with the acquisition of Airbus A321neo long-range aircraft from 2019.

This aircraft type will open up new markets as it can fly both short and long haul sectors, which will trigger a new growth phase for Aer Lingus. We look forward to offering you more choices at best value prices and with four-star service.

As one year draws to a close and another begins we’d like to thank our guests for their generous contributions to our UNICEF Change for Good appeal, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2017. Over the past 20 years you have contributed more than $20 million towards helping children suffering from poverty and disadvantage around the world. Thank you.

Follow us on Twitter @AerLingus

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CO KRISTA

WELCOME ABOARD

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CARA Magazine December 2017/January 2018

PHILLY SEASON Famed for its cheesesteak, Philadelphia is the ninth most visited city in the United States, welcoming over 30 million domestic and international visitors annually. Will you be one of them in 2018?

NORTH ATLANTIC GATEWAY Summer 2018 will mark Aer Lingus’ largest ever long-haul programme, including daily services to San Francisco and LA, twice daily flights to Chicago and daily flights to Florida (Miami and Orlando).

HELLO SUNSHINE! Warm the cockles by booking your summer city break early – we’ve increased our seats to Bordeaux, Lisbon, Lyon, Prague, Rome and Vienna.

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CONTRIBUTORS

ART Art Director Niamh Richardson Creative Director Bill O’Sullivan ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Corinné Vaughan, +353 (0)1 271 9622; corinne.vaughan@image.ie Advertising Copy Contact Derek Skehan +353 (0)1 855 3855; dereks@typeform.ie ADMINISTRATION Financial Controller Brett Walker Accounts Manager Lisa Dickenson Credit Controller Angela Bennett Chief Executive Officer Clodagh Edwards Editor at Large Laura George Editorial Consultant Ann Reihill BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Robert Power Directors Patrick Dillon Malone, Laura George, Sam Power, Raymond Reihill, Gina Traynor

PRINTING PCP, England ORIGINATION Typeform Cara magazine is published on behalf of Aer Lingus by Cedar Communications Limited and Image Publications.

CEDAR COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Film buff DOUG WHELAN has written extensively for a range of Irish publications including the Irish Independent and The Sunday Times Ireland. A Star Wars fanatic from a young age (wasn’t everybody?), it was perfectly fitting that Doug’s first assignment for Cara had a cinematic slant: to boldly go to the Skellig islands, off Co Kerry. Turn to page 54 to read about his journey to the end of the world and back with long-time Cara photographer (and Star Wars geek) Mark Duggan, both in search of clear skies and Luke Skywalker. As you can see from our photo, they may have found neither …

CEO Clare Broadbent MD Christina da Silva Commercial Director Justine Daly Creative Director Stuart Purcell Editorial Director Maureen Rice Finance Director Jane Moffett Strategy & Business Director Ann Hartland

CLARE O’REILLY is a journalist who currently divides her time between London and Devon (her dad’s side of the family hail from Mayo – hence the Irish surname). She writes health, travel and lifestyle features for newspapers and magazines and is also a ghostwriter for celebrity autobiographies.

She wrote our Birmingham City guide on page 110, having fallen back in love with the city of her birth. “It was so much fun rediscovering the city I left at 18,” she says. “It’s such an amazing melting pot of cultures, with a real warmth to it. If you haven’t been, add it to the list.”

+44 20 7550 8000 www.cedarcom.co.uk 85 Strand, London WC2R 0DW, UK

IMAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2013 AND 2014 DIGITAL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2016 Image Publications, Unit 3, Block 3, Harbour Square, Crofton Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland, +353 (0)1 280 8415; image.ie Company registration number 56663 © Image Publications Ltd and Cedar Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Editorial material and opinions expressed in Cara magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Aer Lingus, Cedar Communications or Image Publications Ltd. Aer Lingus, Cedar Communications or Image Publications Ltd do not accept responsibility for the advertising content. Please note that unsolicited manuscripts or submissions will not be returned. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Production in whole or part is prohibited without prior permission from Image Publications Ltd.

December 2017/January 2018

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

AIDAN GILLEN

STRIKES GOLD

WINTER WARMERS

Cara magazine is a member of Magazines Ireland.

IMAGE Publications Ltd is a member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. To contact the Press Ombudsman, visit pressombudsman.ie or presscouncil.ie

AN

No two commissions are the same for KRISTA CONNOR, who, over the course of her writing and photography career, has milked cows in Iceland, learned how to pilot a helicopter, championed feminist perinatal support groups, lamented the disappearance of bees and more. She contributes to AFAR, in-flight magazines and tourism boards, and is also working on a collection of short stories and travel essays. In this issue, she photographs the places and people of Philadelphia, which is Aer Lingus’ newest route for 2018 – turn to page 90.

MARK DUGG

EDITORIAL Editor Lucy White Deputy Editor Eoin Higgins Assistant Editor Melanie Mullan Sub-editor Sheila Wayman Contributors Diana Bunici, Aoife Carrigy, Tony Clayton-Lea, Mark Duggan, Bridget Hourican, Jo Linehan, Fuchsia MacAree, Nathalie Marquez Courtney, Tara O’Brien, Ailbhe O’Donnell, Matthew Thompson, Gemma Tipton

IRISH BRANDS TO COSY UP WITH THIS SEASON

SKELLIGS• CHICAGO • BRUSSELS • PHILADELPHIA

ON THE COVER

Aidan Gillen photographed

by Matthew Thompson and assisted by Daragh McDonagh at The Long Hall pub, Dublin. Styling and grooming by Jo Linehan.

Welcome to our new issue! We are to all yours. Feel free e away take this magazin rney. for your onward jou ur yo e lov o als uld We wo l feedback and trave photos via Twitter . @CARAMagazine

Discover...

THE BEST OF IRELAND

From the hills of Connemara to the waters of the Wild Atlantic Way, the wealth and quality of our country’s produce inspires us to bring you the best of what Ireland has to offer.

Sourced from over 50 dedicated local Irish suppliers, we travel the length and breadth of the country to bring you an unrivalled range of award winning food.

@simplybetterds

- IRISH QUALITY FOOD AWARDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR -

FIND YOUR LOCAL STORE AT WWW.DUNNESSTORES.COM. NOT AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE.

WHO? Julia and Jeff Davy, left, and Jim and Joan Davy, below FLYING IN FROM ... Warsaw JEFF SAYS ... “It’s Julia's first Halloween in Ireland so we’re looking forward to getting dressed up and showing her some Irish traditions that aren’t celebrated in Poland.”

WHO? Gavin and Ethan Hillary FLYING IN FROM ... London GAVIN SAYS ... “We’re home for a friend’s wedding and for belated birthday celebrations with our family, as Ethan just turned one.”

ARRIVALS

Family holidays, honeymoons and weddings kept Dublin’s T2 busy. We were there to say hi.

WHO? Hajo and Susan Kiehl FLYING IN FROM ... Stuttgart SUSAN SAYS ... “We’re going to Ballyconneely for our honeymoon. We love Ireland and hope to move here in a few years, hopefully to Donegal or Connemara.”

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WHO? Maria Isabel Lazcano and Alejandra Lacalle FLYING IN FROM ... Hamburg ALEJANDRA SAYS ... “We’re from Chile, but I've been living in Hamburg during my gap year.

We plan to explore Dublin and Galway and enjoy a few drinks along the way.”

WORDS BY GERALDINE CARTON / PHOTOGRAPHS BY MELANIE MULLAN

WHO? Carolina Rojas FLYING IN FROM ...

Orlando CAROLINA SAYS ...

“I’m here to visit my boyfriend who’s from Dublin. I visit four times a year but we’re hoping to buy a house here in the coming months.”

DESIGNING, WEAVING & TAILORING

Men | Women | Accessories | Home Magee of South Anne Street - Magee at Arnotts - Magee of Donegal Selected Stockists in Ireland & UK Magee1866.com

Blarney Castle & Gardens Renowned for bestowing the gift of eloquence. See and feel Ireland’s heritage, built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains.

Take the time to enjoy our MAGICAL GARDENS.

Open all year round • 5 miles from Cork • Open Monday - Sunday 9am - 5pm www.blarneycastle.ie info@blarneycastle.ie facebook.com/blarneycastleireland @blarney_castle blarneycastleandgardens

CHECK IN EAT · READ · GO

Adare we go!

Built in 1832, and currently settling in after a renovation and refurbishment of historic proportions, Neo-Gothic masterpiece Adare Manor is again open for business as one of Ireland’s most luxurious resort hotels. Its expansion includes a Tom Fazio golf course, a La Mer spa – one of just 11 such spas worldwide – an expansive ballroom and world-class dining (for further foodie details see page 20). adaremanor.com

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STAY

NICOLE FRAZEN

4 WINTER WONDERLANDS

Adler Mountain Lodge, Italy A decade in the making until it opened in 2014, this South Tyrol mountain lodge nestles in the heart of a Unesco World Heritage Site and has eye-popping views of the Dolomites.

Each of the 12 two-storey chalets and 18 suites has real fires and vistas to die for, the former with private saunas. There’s a lodge spa – also with glorious views – for pistefatigued bones. Rooms from €624pp per weekend. adler-lodge.com

Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, New York Two hours’ north of New York City, in the town of Hunter, this chic hideaway dates back to 1966.

And while most mountain retreats are wall-towall pine, these rooms are pristine white with dark maple floors and wood-burning stoves, thanks to a mega makeover in 2016 by Brooklyn design team, Studio Tack. A Hudson Valley inspired menu and gorgeous library are added bonuses to the magnificent scenery. Rooms start at $100 per night. scribnerslodge.com

La Ferme Du Lac Vert, France What was once a labour of love for London couple Rob and Lucy Mundell is now a much-loved retreat in the French Alps. The former farmhouse has evolved into an 11-bedroom boutique hotel aimed at discerning holidaymakers looking to hit the slopes at Morzine and Avoriaz, while the recent addition of a three-bedroom chalet is just perfect for larger groups and families. Short breaks begin at £580. lafermedulacvert.com

Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort, Switzerland What starts with an electric vehicle collecting you at Zermatt’s local train station can finish with a massage and sauna after a day’s skiing or hiking below the majesty of the Matterhorn. Chi-chi and yet convivial, this 35-bedroom boutique hotel is opening five serviced apartments this December 2017, aptly named the Overlook Lodge, such is its Alpine vantage point.

Rooms from €274. designhotels.com

TECHNOLOGY

THINK SMART

Lights, smartphone, action … Ireland’s newest international film festival, the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, which is dedicated to filmmakers exclusively using mobile devices, kicks off on January 27, 2018. The festival will screen a selection of short film, documentary, animation and music videos, and also host industry and educational workshops. dublinsmartphonefilmfestival.com

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MUSIC

LOVE LIVE Live music fans looking for a memorable Irish show this December could do a lot worse than checking out the tour to support Declan O’Rourke’s epic Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, an album that has been 15 years in the making.

The full band tour will travel across Ireland to showcase this epic song cycle that combines the best of traditional Irish music and modern songwriting to present a series of extraordinary true tales from a defining period of Ireland’s history. See declanorourke.com for dates and venues.

ART

The Guggenheim Bilbao has welcomed back the work of David Hockney with the 82 Portraits and 1 Still-Life exhibition. It’s a compilation of images featuring those who have crossed his path since the summer of 2013, including family, friends and their children, as well as artistic peers such as John Baldessari and architect Frank Gehry. Running until February 25 in the Guggenheim it will then head to Los Angeles County Museum of Art to open on April 1. guggenheim-bilbao.eus

© DAVID HOCKNEY/ © JEAN-PIERRE GONCALVES DE LIMA

Go, Go Guggenheim

BUY

Handbags at Dawn Looking to get a luxurious investment piece without the hefty price tag? Or maybe you’ve a designer accessory gathering dust in the closet?

The Design Exchange on Dublin’s Dawson Street is the answer to all of these, admittedly First World, problems. Here you can buy, sell and exchange designer bags, scarves and other lavish accessories from Chloé to Hermès, while owner Paddy Coughlan will share his knowledge on each product to make sure you bring home just the right thing for you. designerexchange.ie

ART

TOUCHING BASE

THEATRE

GERRIT RIETVELD

Discover the latest string to the Stedelijk Museum’s bow – STEDELIJK BASE, which gathers together 750 works of art from the end of the 19th century to the present day, including pieces by Van Gogh, Mondrian and Rietveld, right, Warhol, Kiefer, Koons, and Dumas. stedelijk.nl

SEEING SCARLET

The Red Shoes started life as a Hans Christian Andersen story but it was the 1948 glorious Technicolor film adaptation that captured the imagination of Kate Bush, who wrote an album of the same name in 1983, and the pioneering British choreographer Matthew Bourne, whose stage ballet stunned theatre audiences in 2016. This season it’s Ireland’s turn to be both spellbound and horrified by the dark fairytale of a young woman consumed, and exploited, by artistic excellence. The Gate’s Selina Cartmell directs an all-singing, all-dancing contemporary retelling by the Dublin playwright Nancy Harris, whose doomed Vicky Page is here played by Stephanie Dufresne. Until January 27, 2018. gatetheatre.ie

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DIASPORA

A SHORE THING

What are you working on at the moment? At the time of writing, the paperback for Rockadoon Shore should be out in a few months, so I have to do one or two revisions yet. I’ve a folder on my computer that’s labelled Novel Two, which is about as much detail I can give about that.

You just put pressure on yourself otherwise. I wrote a short film called Psychic for my dad and brothers, which got funded, and started shooting it in Dublin in October.

Is there such a thing as a “difficult sophomore” novel?

In some ways your second novel should be easier to write. With your first book, a lot of the struggle is wondering, “Can I even do this?” The second one looks more like, “How can I do this better?” You know you can actually write one, and you’ve picked up useful bits of editorial tricks and figured out some flaws in your style that you can crush quicker next time. But you should be trying something new each time you write, taking risks and challenging yourself, so it always is and should be difficult. It sounds lovely saying that, but when you’re banging your head against a wall

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and someone tells you “Well, it’s supposed to be difficult”, you can come close to a rage blackout.

How do you combat writer’s block? I don’t get writer’s block but I frequently have failures of imagination or originality or creativity. You can spend a huge amount of time on something and then realise you’ve basically been writing the plot of Marley & Me. And that can get you down. But you just keep throwing yourself at it and you start to make connections and it can get brilliantly exciting then. In terms of routine, during actual writing and editing, it’s dark rooms, long hours and coffee. Your mind can warp things, though, when it’s completely focused. You lose sight of what’s good and what’s bad, so getting your mind off it is really important. Travel, walking, cooking, films, going to the gym, primal screaming, they help. I enjoyed Marley & Me by the way.

Did you ever have periods of self-doubt career-wise and what job might you have pursued?

Always. I’m secure in knowing that writing is what I’m best at and writing prose is what I’m best at out of all other types of

SEAN BERRIGAN

Author Rory Gleeson is quite the nomad, having swapped Dublin for Manchester, Norwich, Oxford, Toronto and, more recently, London.

His critically acclaimed debut novel Rockadoon Shore was released earlier this year, with a newly minted paperback version out shortly. And, yes, he is from the Gleeson acting dynasty, with actor dad Brendan and brothers Domhnall and Brian.

writing. But the big worry is always, “Okay, writing is what you’re best at, but that doesn’t mean you’re actually objectively any good at it”. When I stop worrying about this, I’ll let you know. I thought about becoming a psychologist for a while but it turned out to be more science-y, less Runaway Jury-y.

Last books you read on a plane? Drown by Junot Diaz and The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

They’re both great. Short books are ace for flights. Anything under 200 pages can usually be done between check-in and baggage claim. Finishing a book always gives you a little YEAH feeling so getting that right off a flight can really set you up.

What made you swap Toronto for London? My Canadian visa ran out so I had to leave. I moved to London six years ago, fresh out of university, tried to make it work and had to run home after six months. I wanted to give it another shot.

What are your favourite hometown hits? I divide my time in two whenever I’m home. Half is enjoying the natural stuff of Dublin. The Howth cliff walk is beautiful. The coast road Malahide to Portmarnock, jumping in the sea at High Rock. Jump in the sea off the Vico Road. Throw chips to seagulls. The other half is enjoying the people. Sit out on South William Street. Have a pint in The Long Hall. Get in an argument with basically anyone.

Have you ever felt periods of homesickness and how did/do you deal with it? Not for a long time but it’s an absolute sickener. No real way to deal with it. Accept you’re not going to go home. Keep yourself incredibly busy. Don’t spend a moment alone. Cry if it helps.

Choose your favourite Brendan and Domhnall Gleeson movies and why. I prefer to rank their films according to their best deaths, so 28 Days Later for my da, The Revenant for the bro.

Sorry, spoilers.

WHISKEY THAT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

L E V A R T VE I S U L EXC

SPORT

Holding Court Basketball originated in Massachusetts in 1891, but little did its founding fathers know that it would go on to become one of America’s biggest sports. It’s also on the rise internationally, not least in Ireland, which just hosted the world’s first US college basketball tournament outside the USA – the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic. At Belfast’s SSE Arena on December 1, four teams went head to head: College of the Holy Cross; Manhattan College, left; La Salle University and Towson University.

Thousands of sports fans booked tickets in support, some of whom would have been introduced to the game by Sport Changes Life Foundation, a Northern Irish initiative that works with young people in disadvantaged communities; others flew out from the States with Aer Lingus, the tournament’s official airline sponsor. Sport Changes Life teamed up with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for what will hopefully be an annual event. belfastbasketballclassic.com

ART

Ornamental Giant Elizabeth Friedlander isn’t a household name but chances are you’ve seen her Penguin book designs. The artist/ typographer was born in Germany in 1903 and fled to London during Hitler’s rise to power; there, she successfully worked with the poetpublisher Francis Meynell, Curwen Press, and also with a British black propaganda unit to help the Allied forces. Friedlander passed away at the age of 81 in Kinsale, Co Cork, where she spent her autumn years, but her designs remain evergreen – and are on display at the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft in East Sussex, UK. Co-curated by Meynell’s granddaughter Katharine, The Work of Friedlander gathers together rarely seen works from the artist’s overlooked career, including type design, wood engravings, decorative book papers and maps. January 6 until April 29. ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk

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Are zoos cruel or kind? Are scientific experiments on animals a necessary evil? Is keeping a pet right or wrong? A new exhibition ANIMALS/Respect/Harmony/ Subjugation at Hamburg’s Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (MKG) provokes these questions, and more, exploring the relationship between man and beast. The oldest object is an Ice Age sculpture, while works by Goya, Dürer, Akihiro Higuchi, below – even Jean-Paul Gaultier – chart the historic, ethical and aesthetic interpretations of this unique kinship. Until March 4, 2018. mkg-hamburg.de

© MIKIKO SATO GALLERY

DESIGN

WILD THINGS

Check in

DINNER

VILA JOYA ALBUFEIRA

Set on cliffs overlooking the sea on the south coast of Portugal, this boutique hotel is home to a two-Michelin star restaurant with award-winning chef Dieter Koschina at the helm. We have enjoyed several visits to this restaurant and, most recently, with our teenage children who loved it too. There’s a wonderful tasting menu with paired wines, exceptional service, and be sure to book a table on the terrace outdoors and sip champagne as the sun goes down – idyllic. vilajoya.com

FOOD FLIGHT

LUNCH

TICKETS BARCELONA

Northern Irish chef Chris McGowan, of the award-winning Wine & Brine restaurant in Moira, Co Armagh, trained close to home before spending two decades in London, working in senior positions under some of the city’s most luminous chefs, such as Pierre Koffmann and Richard Corrigan. Here, Chris recalls some of his most memorable meals from around the globe as a day of fantasy food indulgence.

This is the Adrià brothers’ latest venture, with gorgeous tapas dishes and where every plate tells a story. There’s a great sense of theatre and drama as you read the menu, something that translates into the presentation of each dish. We enjoyed octopus, oysters, king crab and, my favourite, the Crunchy Suckling Pig Taco, with pickled cucumber and hoisin mayo. Seriously difficult to secure a table but worth the effort. ticketsbar.es

DRINKS

NIGHTJAR LONDON

This speakeasy-style bar with live jazz and blues is my favourite spot for a drink in London. They have exquisite cocktails with complex flavours, exotic ingredients and theatrical presentation, which is exactly what you want from a drink in my book. barnnightjar.com

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BREAKFAST

RUSS & DAUGHTERS NEW YORK

Every time I’m in New York I go here for breakfast; they have the best smoked salmon and cream-cheese bagels with a side of sours (pickled vegetables). It’s an authentic New York, family-run business now in its fourth generation and over 100 years old. Don’t be put off by the long queues – no other bagel-eating experience will ever come close. russanddaughters.com

dublin

2017 Ireland's Leading Luxury Hotel

Heavily influenced by Dublin’s literary heritage, the newly refurbished Conrad Dublin boasts the best location in the city centre, on the quiet corner of Stephen’s Green. The 192 newly designed, spacious bedrooms and suites create a haven of tranquillity. Experience a true brasserie in the stylish surroundings of The Coburg or visit dazzling Lemuel's, the hotel’s bar & lounge, inspired by Gulliver's Travels.

S TAY AT CONRAD DU BL IN F RO M €1 7 3 W ITH OU R WIN T ER SAL E Bo o k n o w o n co nra ddub l in.co m *Terms and Conditions apply, subject to availability.

Book by January 31st 2018 for stays until 31st December 2018 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland. | Phone +353-1-602-8900 | ConradDublin.com

Check in

HOUSE OF STARS WASHINGTON DC The US capital garnered some gorgeous grub gongs recently – not that we needed much more convincing of DC’s commendable culinary chops – when it was awarded a fresh pair of spangly new Michelin stars. The honours went to Obama’s Med seafood favourite, Komi, led by chef Johnny Monis; and Métier, the chef-driven apex of the Modern American repertoire owned by chef Eric Ziebold and partner Célia Laurent.

Meanwhile, the restaurants of chefs Patrick O’Connell (Inn at Little Washington), José Andrés (Minibar, left) and Aaron Silverman (Pineapple and Pearls) have each maintained their two-star status. Also of note – the talented teams at The Dabney, Fiola, Tail Up Goat and the nine other restaurants that maintained their one-star status from the inaugural edition, as well as the none-too-shabby 22 other establishments currently donning the coveted Bib Gourmand.

GRUB’S UP

Eoin Higgins has all the news that’s fit to eat.

MIX TRICKS LONDON

SHE WHO ADARES LIMERICK

The hotly anticipated re-launch of Limerick’s Adare Manor after a bazillion dollar (or thereabouts) refurb has taste buds tingling across the land. Fans of award-winning executive chef Michael Tweedie’s luxe, terroir-directed culinary showstoppers, above, should also be well impressed by the intimate, candle-lit and lovingly restored Oak Room setting. Meanwhile, the extensive and adventurous wine list has been curated by expert sommelier Jurica Gojevic, who will be on hand to offer thoughtful pairings to complement each dish. adaremanor.com

TOP CLASS GALWAY

Splash out on improving your mixing skills with The Connaught Bar’s award-winning bartender, Agostino Perrone, as he launches The Magic of Mixology masterclasses. “There is an element of surprise when we wheel out the martini trolley and create one in front of our guests, many of whom want to bring home that same touch of magic when hosting their own cocktail party,” he explains.

During the classes, attendees will be welcomed with a seasonal cocktail and canapés from the Connaught’s executive chef Anshu Anghotra, before being taken behind the bar to explore its most iconic drinks. Guests will also receive a handstitched “I Like it Dirty” cocktail napkin as a keepsake, along with cocktail recipe cards to recreate at home. Classes take place in The Champagne Room and are priced at £250 per person. the-connaught.co.uk

Top Galway chef JP McMahon recently announced his 2018 schedule of cookery courses and one-day classes at The Aniar Boutique Cookery School. The sought-after classes, led by himself, are “perfect for any level and all ages, are enjoyable, informative and help participants reconnect with the landscape through food”. Taking place once a month (Sunday from 10am until 5pm), the new classes include Introduction to Contemporary Irish Food; Vegetables, Wild Food & Seaweed; The Perfect Fish & More, and The Perfect Steak & More. aniarrestaurant.ie

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Leading the Way in Legal Innovation Matheson is the highest ranked Irish law firm in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers 2017 Report, in addition to being ranked by the FT in the top 20 most innovative law firms in Europe. This achievement reflects the high standards of service which we provide to our clients, and the breadth of the firm’s expertise across a number of complex legal matters.

Matheson is the only Irish law firm commended by the FT for innovation in new products and services; strategy and changing behaviour; and collaboration.

Pictured above are some of the Matheson partners who represented the firm in this year’s FT Innovative Lawyers awards programme, from across our practice in the areas of Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Financial

Ranked in the Top 20 Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe Ranked in the Top 10 Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe for New Products and Services Ranked in the Top 10 Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe for Dispute Resolution Ranked in the Top 10 Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe for Collaboration - FT Innovative Lawyers 2017 Report

Services, Tax, Corporate, Private Client and Commercial Real Estate.

IRELAND’S HIGHEST RANKED FIRM IN THE FT LAW 50

Dublin

London

New York

Palo Alto

San Francisco

EUROPEAN REGION NOMINEE

www.matheson.com

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BLADES OF GLORY

ILLUSTRATION BY TARA O’BRIEN

Melanie Mullan gets her skates on and explores the top ice rinks to swoosh across this winter.

NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE, TORONTO The urban plaza in front of Toronto’s City Hall welcomes the festive season every November by transforming into a winter wonderland that lasts until March. Enjoy an evening on ice with the lights of the city’s official Christmas tree shining bright in the background, or stay toasty with a hot chocolate from one of the many food and drinks stalls at the Holiday Fair, which runs this December 1-23. nathanphillipssquare skaterentals.com

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SOMERSET HOUSE AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON So good we’re naming London twice: firstly Somerset House, where until January 14, Fortnum & Mason has its own mulled wine and fondue lodge, while the Skate Lates music sessions include a set from Mercury Prize nominees Wild Beasts. Across town the Natural History Museum’s rink is all a-twinkle with fairy lights and good cheer until January 7, with a Penguin Skate Club for tots. somersethouse.org.uk / nhm.ac.uk

ROCKEFELLER CENTER, NYC

INDOO ICE ARENA, HAMBURG

BOSTON COMMON FROG POND, BOSTON

Think Christmas in Manhattan and the historic Rockefeller ice rink, surrounded by some of the world’s best-dressed shop-windows, springs to mind. It’s first-come-firstserved on the ice until April, although early birds can book a 7am slot until December 31, which also includes a free coffee or hot chocolate. Night owls, on the other hand, may prefer the Starlight Skate sessions, which run until midnight on selected dates. therinkatrockcenter.com

Having undergone an extensive refurbishment, Europe’s largest openair ice rink, in Planten un Blomen Park, has reopened for the season.

Friday and Saturday nights are dedicated to music fiends, where live DJs will provide beats, while there are also Ladies’ Nights every Thursday evening and even curling. This year also saw the launch of the Park Café restaurant – a chic, Scandi-décor-style restaurant with a full menu. eisarena-hamburg.de

As one of the oldest public parks in the United States, Boston Common remains one of the city’s centrepieces for events and festivals – and its small but perfectly formed Frog Pond is a must-do in wintertime, when it ices over. For those rusty on their blades, book a lesson with The Skating Club of Boston – or, if you’re a child/ tiny, rent a cute Bobby the Seal skating aid. bostonfrogpond.com

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JOLLY HOLIDAYS ove it or tolerate it, holiday season is here. Perhaps you’ve been rolling around in tinsel since October – or you’re staunchly waiting until December 24 (sales!) to start your shopping? Either way, there’s something for everyone to help enliven/endure the season.

In Dublin, parents will be as enchanted as their children by Tracks in the Snow, a magical show created by folk/trad siblings The Henry Girls for The Ark (until December 30; ark.ie) that shimmers with songs about snowfall, sledding and the Aurora Borealis. Big kids trapped in adult bodies may well have their minds blown by The Beast (thebeastdublin.com), the world’s biggest inflatable obstacle course at Tallaght’s National Basketball Arena this December 15-17. There, participants will go up against the clock as they fling themselves across 32 obstacles before tucking into

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street food, craft beer and whiskey tastings, belting out power ballads in the karaoke room or browsing the Yuletide market. Far less adrenaline will be expended at the Dublin Flea (dublinflea.ie), which commonly runs at The Point Square on the last Sunday of every month but on December 7-10 will have Christmas shoppers firmly in its sights, with vintage finds and contemporary Irish design brands available across more than 140 stalls. And if you’ve yet to be dazzled by Dublin Zoo’s Wild Lights outdoor installation (dublinzoo.ie), which opened at the beginning of November and runs until January 7, put it in the diary. Now. The animal-shaped illuminated lanterns are absolutely fabulous for young and old, and on view nightly from 5pm-9pm.

Cork’s festive cheer is concentrated around Bishop Lucey Park (corkchristmascelebration.ie), where craft stalls and workshops, seasonal sups and snacks and

ROS KAVANAGH

Tra-la-la-la-la, etc, etc. Find out where’s good to get festive in Ireland this December – and how to ring in 2018.

Sleigh to the rhythm – The Henry Sisters will be charming young audiences at The Ark, Dublin this Christmas.

Santa sightings run on selected dates until December 22. Up the ante on December 18, where the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra will fill the eponymous venue with best-loved Christmas ditties. Couldn’t give a figgy pudding about carols? No problem – Idaho-born troubadour Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band are hosting a barnstorming gig there on December 11 (corkoperahouse.ie).

Galwegians typically flock to Eyre Square this season, where a continental market proffers traditional German eats and hot toddies until December 22. For an extra touch of class, climb aboard the Polar Express, ie Pullman Restaurant, at Glenlo Abbey Hotel (glenloabbeyhotel.ie). The original 1920s Orient Express cars will play host to Santa Claus every weekend until December 17, while the main house serves Hansel and Gretel Afternoon Tea. So, wherever you are on the countdown to Christmas, have a good one – and have a happy new year.

NEW YEAR NEW CHEER

CHRIS WATT

EDINBURGH Where better to ring in the new year than in the country that spawned Auld Lang Syne?

Three is the magic number in the Scottish capital, where annual Hogmanay festivities kick off on December 30 and this year include candlelit concerts, a torchlight procession, a baby disco, street parties, live music from Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, The Human League and Huey Morgan and, of course, fireworks shimmering over Edinburgh Castle on New Year’s Eve. edinburghshogmanay.com

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BERLIN The party capital of Europe doesn’t hold back on New Year’s Eve, hosting one of the world’s biggest street parties between Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate – a two-kilometre strip of dance

tents, food and drinks stalls, light and laser shows and, at midnight, a spectacular fireworks display. There’s no official closing time for the aforementioned festivities, so be sure to take a disco nap before you join the throngs that gather from 7pm. visitberlin.de

MIAMI If the thought of waving sparklers in the freezing cold is enough to dampen your spirits, escape to the sun in Florida. Miami’s party scene is also legendary, its many rooftop bars chock-full with revellers watching the skyline light up at midnight – as are yacht parties that take in views of Biscayne Bay, South Beach and Bayfront Park, location of “The Orange Drop” – Miami’s NYE NYC counterpart. miami.com

AA HOTEL OF THE YEAR 2017 Warm wishes and season’s greetings from the magnificent Ashford Castle, where memories are made to last a lifetime.

Join us in 2018 for your magical moment at Ashford Castle, voted AA Hotel of the Year 2017 and Number 1 Resort Hotel in Ireland and UK by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2017.

Experience the exceptional at Ashford Castle, including:

· Fine dining in the spectacular George V Restaurant · Traditional Afternoon Tea in the Connaught Room · Irish Cuisine in the Dungeon

· 20 + activities available on the Estate · Exclusive private tastings and events in the Wine Cellar · Residents only Billiards Room and Cigar Terrace

www.ashfordcastle.com

HOMEMADE WARD OFF THE WINTER BLUES WITH THESE SEASONAL TREATS, HANDPICKED FROM THE CREAM OF IRISH MAKERS AND DOERS. 1

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5. THREAD ZONE

6. SHAVE YOURSELF

Warm thy cockles with a small-batch gin from Glendalough Distillery. Foraged, seasonal botanicals, go into each bottle of Glendalough Wild Winter Botanical Gin – a real taste of time and place. €47.50 at celticwhiskeyshop. com.

Pestle & Mortar’s Erase and Renew Double Cleanse products are ideal for cold climes. The balm removes dirt/ makeup and the gel – with muslin cloth – offers a deep cleanse. From €15 at pestleand mortar.com.

Design-led retreat, Ballilogue, in Co Kilkenny now has a design and craft shop on site so guests can purchase the beautiful Irish accessories they experience during their stay. Choose from a thoughtfully curated selection online at ballilogue.com.

If you put these sterling silver studs to your ears, can you hear the sea?

Probably. But if not, these lobe-loving, seashell earrings, handmade by Sligo jeweller Martina Hamilton, are mighty pretty. €65 at martinahamilton.ie

Petria Lenehan’s oversized Ulster Coat is well worth putting on your letter to Santa.

An investment piece par excellence – 100 per cent Donegal tweed and a lining of 100 per cent Irish linen – it’s a cinch to layer. $1,350 at petrialenehan.com

The lovely folks at Marram Co want to bring pleasure back to shaving with a mindful range of razors, lotions, potions and acessories that any man will treasure; the perfect antidote to seeing shaving as a chore. marramco.com

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For gorgeous getaways…

Ireland’s Blue Book is a collection of Irish country house hotels, manor houses, castles and restaurants.

Located throughout the island of Ireland these charming and stylish hideaways are ideal for midweek escapes or weekend breaks.

Ireland’s Blue Book Gift Vouchers available www.irelandsbluebook.com / T +353 1 676 9914

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SHELF LIFE

Bridget Hourican’s edit of the best new books, blogs and literary-inclined events.

PHOTOBOOK ELEPHANTS IN HEAVEN

BY JOACHIM SCHMEISSER PHOTO © 2017 JOACHIM SCHMEISSER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

(teNeues) When elephants are slaughtered for their tusks, their calves are left behind. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Nairobi, is the world’s most successful rescue and rehabilitation operation for orphaned elephants – they are fed, reared and socialised before being released back into the wild. Photographer Joachim Schmeisser followed numerous elephants through the process to produce this visual record of traumatised calves “raised in a place that is truly heavenly for them”. While “heaven” for these calves would surely be back with their mothers, the trust’s work is certainly visionary and Schmeisser’s tome is both compelling and moving.

BIOGRAPHY ALFIE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ALFIE BYRNE by Trevor White (Penguin Ireland) Alfie Byrne was elected lord mayor of Dublin ten times and was so ubiquitous he gets into James Joyce’s children’s story, The Cat and the Devil. This is the first biography of him, brilliantly told, as well as an inimitable portrait of Dublin for the 42 years, 1914-56, that Alfie dominated the political scene.

MEMOIR WHO DO I THINK I AM? by Homan Potterton (Merrion Press, hbk) Potterton was made director of the National Gallery of Ireland in 1979, aged 33, and stayed eight tumultuous years, which included five changes of government and the theft of the Beit paintings by underworld boss “The General”. Fortunately, he kept diaries all his life and has drawn on them to write this witty, rueful and revealing account.

COOKERY DINGLE DINNERS by Trevis L Gleason (Collins Press, hbk) The IrishAmerican retired chef has compiled this charming and clever book: the three-course meals that 26 key Dingle chefs cook at home for friends. The focus is on local ingredients – shoulder of salt grass lamb, wild salmon, Dingle crab mayonnaise, floury baked potatoes, fuchsia shortbread with Dingle Original Gin lemon curd.

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DOWNLOAD BLOG THE PARIS REVIEW DAILY

Matinée Idols With the celebrated Black Box venue as its principal home, Belfast’s Out to Lunch Festival this January 5-28 offers a hot meal along with a bitesized music, spoken word or comedy performance (Joanne McNally above), attracting thousands of people into the Cathedral Quarter at a time of year that is traditionally quiet. cqaf.com

One of the world’s most famous literary magazines, The Paris Review, was established in Paris in 1953 by a triad of Americans, and in its first five years published Kerouac, Larkin, Beckett and Gordimer. The HQ moved to New York in 1973 and its quarterly print version is now bolstered by a blog – and, since 2012, an app, with daily postings of essays, stories, interviews, literary apercus.

Recently it included an interview with British author Jon McGregor by George Saunders, who had just won the Booker Prize, and an excerpt from a new work, Unpacking My Library: Artists and Their Books, which quoted the artist Carrie Mae Weems: “Books are my playmates, my best friends, my running buddies, my partners in crime, my solace, and my occasional lover.” theparisreview.org

Open To Interpretation jamesjoycegin.ie

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Your first trip abroad? It was with my family. We went to Italy and took a day trip to Venice, and for a boy aged ten it was a real eye opener. I remember looking up in awe at the stunning architecture from a gondola as we weaved through the canals.

Your favourite music destination? Nashville is always inspiring. Watch musicians trade songs and stories in the Bluebird Café, or check out RCA Studio B where Elvis recorded some of his hits. There’s also a thriving alternative music scene – Jack White has his HQ, Third Man Records there.

Best bar in the world?

Sin é in Manhattan’s East Village in the early 1990s was a mad mix of Irish and New York culture.

The most important thing you packed on your last trip? I was on a 15-date tour of Germany with my band, so my guitar was the one thing I couldn’t do without.

I play a left-handed Lowden guitar, which is hard to come by and has been my constant companion for 20 years.

MY TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

Brendan Murphy is well-known as the singer in Northern Irish band The 4 of Us, who released their first album, Songs for the Tempted, in 1989, an album that included the massive hit single Mary, which became one of the most played songs on Irish radio that year. The album went double platinum in Ireland and won Best Album of the Year at the Irish Music Awards.

The 4 of Us play Whelan’s on January 25 as part of Dublin’s TradFest. tradfest.ie

Your favourite Irish hotel? The Shelbourne in Dublin. The location is perfect for a night out in the city and, if you’ve enjoyed yourself a little bit too much, you can always nurse a sore head the next day drinking endless cups of tea in the Lord Mayor’s Lounge.

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Three fantasy travel companions?

Billy Connolly to keep me in good humour, Warren Buffett to handle the cash and ensure that we don’t run out of money and Keith Richards to get us all into trouble – and maybe give me a few songwriting tips.

Most amazing place in the world you’ve performed? Two years ago, we were invited to perform at the Mussenden Temple, built in 1785 and perched on a clifftop, 37 metres above the Atlantic ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland. The stage we played on was framed by a three-metre window with breathtaking views.

One desert island possession?

I’d abandon my guitar in favour of a Swiss Army knife to make spears for fishing and perhaps even help me to build a raft to get out of there.

Since the last development in Rathgar not much has changed, bar the trams.

Over the last 150 years, new developments in Rathgar have been few and far between. That’s why we saw Marianella as a responsibility. We had to make sure we designed apartments and town houses that were in keeping with the homes that surround us, with exquisite proportions, spacious surroundings and superb build-quality. We believe we have succeeded, why not pay a visit and see for yourself?

1, 2, 3 & 4 Bed ApArtment, penthouses And houses BeAutiful rAthgAr.

of the highest specificAtion, in the heArt of

SELLING AGENTS

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5 GOOD REASONS ... … to zoom in on Zürich.

Eoin Higgins clocks in.

ART NOW Modern and contemporary galleries and museums pepper the city and there is always at least a few international shows worth beetling about town for. A permanent highlight is the Heidi Weber Museum, designed by and dedicated exclusively to the work of French-Swiss architect made good, Le Corbusier. An immersive experience. lecorbusierheidiweber.ch

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to ZÜRICH up to ten times per week.

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HIP HOPS Zürich West is home to the city’s creative youth contingent and offers a wealth of quirky shops, commissioned graffiti and repurposed shipping

containers, natch. The former industrial quarter is also a great place to smile disparagingly at smartphone-toting selfie-taking hipsters because, of course, you aren’t one of them ... #yesyouare TAKE A DIP Zürich’s Badi (outdoor public swimming pools) are renowned during summer months.

Women swimmers congregate at the ladiesonly Frauenbad am Stadthausquai, while menfolk frolic at Freibad am Schanzengraben.

At night both public pools reincarnate as unique and sociable bars. Meanwhile, Tiefenbrunnen swimming beach is an aqua wonderland for kids and families looking to paddle in Lake Zürich.

STREETLIFE The annual Street Parade is Earth’s biggest technoparade and sees hundreds of thousands of natives and visitors take to the city’s typically pristine streets in a surprisingly moving display of peace, love and absolutely bangin’ techno. The 2018 parade is pencilled in for August 11 and runs from 1pm to midnight. streetparade.com

ILLUSTRATION BY GRAHAM CORCORAN

BRICKS AND MORTAR Architecture has always been a case of the cutting edge wedded comfortably, and very often beautifully, to tradition in this well-proportioned metropolis. A fine, life-affirming example of this is the Christ & Gantenbein’s angular concrete extension to the National Museum, completed last year and gorgeous.

NEW LONDON APPOINTMENT Arthur Cox is pleased to announce the appointment of David Molloy as head of our London office DAVID MOLLOY Arthur Cox, 12 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DW t: +44 207 832 1220 / e: david.molloy@arthurcox.com DUBLIN • BELFAST • LONDON • NEW YORK • SILICON VALLEY

www.arthurcox.com

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A LOCAL HERO Lisbon’s Memmo Príncipe Real gets a gold star for championing native art, design – and cocktail bars, says Melanie Mullan. isbon. The European city du jour, luring millennials with its affordable charms and buzzy nightlife.

Having read so much about its youthful demographic, decorative architecture, patterned tiles, vintage trams and delectable pastéis de nata, I thought I’d have this hipster magnet sussed instantly.

But, with the sun beating down on its famously steep, labyrinthine streets as I battle with a suitcase in one hand and GoogleMaps in the other, I’m feeling pretty clueless.

Fortunately, the hotel Memmo Príncipe Real (Rua D Pedro V, +351 21 901 6800; designhotels. com) is just steps away and immediately pulls me out of my fluster. This contemporary, geometric pile is in extreme contrast to the surrounding historic terracotta roofs and yet is proudly Portuguese. From limestone tiles to original artworks, the hotel is a platform for local artists thanks to the talents of architect Samuel Torres de Carvalho and the discerning eye of the hotel’s owner, Rodrigo Machaz.

It’s a sleek beauty outside but by no means sterile inside. The

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open-plan lobby and dining area is bright and comfortable, with velvet textiles and sculptural lighting, while oak and a deep green rug add warmth and texture to my minimalist room. The icing on the already wonderful cake, though, is the mini bar that contains all the ingredients to make my very own, complimentary white port and tonic cocktail. Add a generous dash of city views and I could happily never leave my room.

The Memmo has other ideas, however. It runs free, guided walking tours for guests each evening, exploring the trendy Príncipe Real area, starting at the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint, where, construction work permitting, there are scenic photo opportunities aplenty. We pitstop at The Decadente bar (Rua São Pedro de Alcântara, +351 21 346 1381; thedecadente.pt), whose outside terrace is a great place for an early evening drink. Our guide, Diogo, also recommends a visit to Nannarella (Rua Nova da Piedade, +351 926 878 553; nannarella. pt) for some of the best ice cream in the city. The menu changes daily, and my chocolate gelato and lemon sorbet – a questionable combination you might think –

Plush it – Memmo’s Café Colonial is luxuriant yet homely.

Overnight stays at the Memmo Príncipe Real start at €225. designhotels.com

is the perfect refresher.

When I return to my room, there’s a green felt bowler hat on my desk with a box containing two truffles and more smart trips for my stay: a 25 per cent discount card for nearby cocktail bar Cobre (Rua do Alecrim 24, +351 21 346 1381), which means copper in Portuguese.

And copper it is, from the counter to the lamps, which instantly provide a warming atmosphere.

This is the first of nightly notes recommending places to visit, drink or eat, including a sailing trip along the Tagus river to view the city from another perspective.

The next morning, as I survey my surroundings at breakfast, the remarkable view, the bold décor, I realise that this neighbourhood isn’t just for super-trendy youths.

What’s not for all to love about this thoughtful enclave in a fashionable part of Lisbon?

WHAT TO PACK Zara Faux Suede Sweater, €49.95 at zara.com

& Other Stories Leather Ankle Boots, €125 at stories.com

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Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye Shadow €36.50 at arnotts. com

Ted Baker Blue Velvet Crossbody, €190 at arnotts.com

RIXO Camellia Dress, €310 at brown thomas.com

Monica Vinader Siren Medium Ring, £105 at monicavinader.com Telling Tales by Penny Perrick, €20 at lilliputpress.ie

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THE RETAIL THERAPY Glasgow is a shopper’s paradise. The ‘Style Mile’ around Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Merchant City is a fashion hub offering big brands and high street chains. For unique, one-off finds, head to Cresswell Lane on the West Side. Bibliophiles might like to duck into Young’s Interesting Books on the South Side to get lost in another world.

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO

GLASGOW Simultaneously gritty and friendly, this Scottish Lowlands city has Diana Bunici rapt.

MORE ABOUT DIANA

THE NIGHTSPOT Formerly a cinema, the trendy, bohemian Hillhead Bookclub is the spot for a budget night out, boasting £3 strawberry mojitos. DJs spin the decks most evenings, and on select Sundays a mustbrowse vintage fair called Granny Would Be Proud brings together local independent traders to the mezzanine. (17 Vinicombe St, +44 141 576 1700; hillheadbookclub.co.uk)

Moldovan-Irish Diana Bunici is a TV producer, broadcaster and author of The Pursuit of Awesome.

A former RTÉ children’s TV presenter, she relocated to Glasgow in the summer of 2017 to take a dream position with the BBC. Here, she gives Cara a snapshot of the best of her adopted city.

THE EATERY Not to be missed is chef Nico Simeone’s Six by Nico where the specially curated six-course tasting menu changes every six weeks honouring a different place or memory, from Route 66 to our favourite childhood dishes. Beautifully presented, Heston Blumenthal-inspired food, that injects a little fun into dinner without compromising on quality. (1132 Argyle St, Finnieston, +44 141 334 5661; sixbynico.co.uk)

THE WILDCARD Put on your comfiest shoes and bundle up for a walk around the Necropolis, Glasgow’s largest cemetery. Since opening in 1833, the Victorian graveyard is a resting place for some 50,000 souls, reflecting the city’s rich history. Be your own guide or take a free walking tour – a lovely, relaxing way to spend an afternoon, with stunning views of the city.

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THE CULTURE HIT Stroll through the hallowed halls of Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – home to over 8,000 artefacts across 22 themed galleries. Entry is free, and afterwards, why not grab a tasty pistachio and hibiscus doughnut from Tantrum around the corner and laze around the gardens taking in the impressive architecture. (Argyle St, +44 141 276 9599; glasgowlife.org.uk)

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to GLASGOW up to four times daily, and from Cork five times per week.

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Mona Lisa Bangle with Multi-Coloured Stones RRP €40.

Vintage Necklace with Multi-Coloured Stones RRP €120.

Mona Lisa Pendant with Multi-Coloured Stones RRP €40.

Ti:Amo Rose Gold Plated Pendant with Clear Stones RRP €35.

Forever Young Cream Bangle with Clear Stones RRP €60.

Discover more or shop online at www.newbridgesilverware.com

NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE WITH NAOMI CAMPBELL

INTERVIEW

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

As Littlefinger in Game of Thrones and a new role in Peaky Blinders, Irish actor Aidan Gillen is immersed in quality TV series as well as films – and dodges typecasting with the judicious use of the word “no”.

WORDS TONY CLAYTON-LEA PHOTOGRAPHS MATTHEW THOMPSON

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ost people like their actors to fit into homogenised zones – nothing too edgy, thank you very much, but rather a variation on a theme or a character. The Irish actor sitting in front of me has many qualities, but fitting into anyone’s ideas of what they think he should be isn’t one of them.

Properly suited and booted, Aidan Gillen carries himself with his usual dapper authority, and while some may view his manner as borderline intense we’d far prefer to choose the word impassioned. Make no doubt about it – Gillen is exceptionally committed to his art; he is that rare interviewee who genuinely means it when he says at the close of conversation to contact him – directly, not through an agent or a PR office – if there are any follow-up questions. Unnecessarily thorough, you might think? No, he just wants to make sure that what he says makes sense.

When Cara meets Gillen in early October, he is two weeks into filming his role of Scottish music

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manager John Reid for Bohemian Rhapsody, the forthcoming biopic about the rock band Queen.

After this movie – which is scheduled for release late 2018 – he will take on more real-life roles, including Irish writer James Joyce (in James and Lucia) and Irish comedian Dave Allen (in the BBC Two drama film, Dave Allen at Peace).

Following on from his portrayal of Irish politician Charles Haughey a few years ago, a theme is emerging: the actor isn’t afraid of experimenting with the form. More transformative than reactive, it makes sense to Gillen to invest much more than time into the persuasive delivery of these roles. “You spend weeks, months, watching stuff on the Internet about your chosen subject. It’s an obvious place to go, but that’s where it’s at.”

As an actor, what does he want to bring to these kinds of roles? Is it verisimilitude? Does he look for flaws as well as virtues?

“They tend not to make dramas about people who aren’t flawed,” he says with no trace of an ironic wink, “but I don’t go out of my way to focus

INTERVIEW

on the flaws. It’s a bit of everything, but some of yourself has to come through as well. If you’re cast as a real person, there has to be a vague likeness. You do what you can to wrap it up a little, so you bring your own imagination and personality to bear on it.”

The union of imagination and personality is the difference between mesmerising and mediocre, and it is this blend that has turned Aidan Gillen from an aspiring 17-year-old actor to a fully established one more than 30 years later. His training ground, so to speak, was on Dublin’s Northside – Dublin Youth Theatre, the location of which was a few minutes’ stroll from his family home in Drumcondra. His career proper began after he left school, when he was cast in a Project Theatre

production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He got his Equity card (signed by Irish actor Niall Tóibín) and he was on his way. Well, almost.

After a sequence of minor (sometimes less than) movie roles and slightly more significant theatre work, he moved from Dublin to London, and from the early 1990s Gillen’s career puzzle started to fit together. More film work (1996’s Some Mother’s Son, 1997’s Mojo) and several low-key UK television appearances (including The Bill) preceded his breakout role in the controversial 1999 UK drama, Queer as Folk. From there, a slow but steady series of acting roles reinforced Gillen’s ability to burrow his way into a character.

Count the successes: The Wire (2004-2008), Love/Hate (2010-

Boxing clever – Aidan Gillen stars in the new series of Peaky Blinders, playing Aberama Gold, who forms an uneasy alliance with Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy.

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2013), Charlie (2015) and Game of Thrones (2011-2017). To that venerable list you can add another quality television series: Peaky Blinders. His inclusion in that, he says, came about via a simple mode of communication.

“I got a phone call! The person behind the series, Steven Knight, said he had written a new character, and did I want to play it? I said yes – very simple. There was a little bit of discussion about where my character was going to go, how it would develop, but I know that I’ll also be in season five.”

Introduced in the current season four, he is playing an Irish-Romani hard-nut by the name of Aberama Gold. A smile lights up his face.

“How could you not play someone by that name?” Once more, he emphasises, character traits – voice, deportment, style – came from research: reading about horse fairs, conversations with Irish actor/writer John Connors and reading George Borrow’s 1857 novel, The Romany

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INTERVIEW

That was exciting, because you just didn’t know how the character would change. When that was said to me, I thought it was such an exciting mode of working that it made the hairs stand up on the back of my head.”

And what about his Game of Thrones character, Littlefinger?

Was playing such a fraudulent, self-serving person – all the while trying to personalise, to humanise – a challenging experience?

The question is sidestepped but the reply answers it just as well. “To make a character likeable, especially if they are villainous – I would definitely see that as part of my job.

It’s always good to confuse people, and make them wonder why they are accepting such a person.”

A malleable actor with a finetuned method of choosing roles that not only suit his inquiring mind but also match his sense of creative adventure, it is no surprise to discover that Aidan Gillen – unrepentantly – has been in control of his career for many years.

“I have, but that has meant periods of time where I wasn’t doing anything. The one thing you have

control over is that you can say no to things. You can’t get anything you want, particularly early on. Of the things you are offered, however, you can say yes or no, and try to not go down the typecasting road.”

He isn’t defined by genre, either, as a casual flick through his work over the past two decades proves.

Reasonably, he allows that in the early part of his career certain jobs were the only ones he could get.

“There always has been a bit of a pinball pattern to what I’ve been doing. It’s probably because I’m not good at auditions, particularly with the early stuff. And yet people who saw that work caught some connection with what they were looking for.”

An actor in control of his work?

Undefined by genre? The sharpdressed man in black gives me a look that some people might regard as borderline intense, but which we’d much prefer to describe as impassioned. “It’s intentional.”

Peaky Blinders season four is on BBC2 now and Gillen’s new film, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, is released in cinemas in Ireland and the UK on February 9.

THE LIKES OF AIDAN …

FILMS “The movies I liked recently were two that had a similar theme.

One was Personal Shopper, the other was A Ghost Story. Unusually, both were about people who had lost a loved one, and were then subsequently visited by their spirits.”

MUSIC “Like everyone else now, we’re listening to music on streaming platforms. You tend to listen to everything, but it’s an avalanche – because there’s so much of it, I feel like I’m hearing less. I’ve recently been listening to a lot of Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention, and while I’m also into contemporary music, most of what I listen to is from the 1970s and 1980s.”

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THEATRE “During the Dublin Theatre Festival, I saw Woyzeck in Winter, which was really good. It’s a theatre piece but it was interwoven with Schubert’s Die Winterreise – beautiful music. I saw Jez Butterworth’s play, The Ferryman, in London. It’s a political play, serious, yet also very entertaining. You’re not going to see anything like it anywhere else.”

TELEVISION “I liked GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling), and This is England, which for some reason I hadn’t seen before. I also enjoyed bits and pieces of The Americans. Oh, and Atlanta, that’s good. Slow, but surprising.”

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Rye. According to Gillen, specific things he picked up on (“a bracelet, a hat, a way of sitting on a horse, dialect”) were worth the amount of research undertaken.

Are long-term television roles, where characters can be progressively developed, preferable to relatively swift movie parts?

“They’re different, of course,” he reasons. It depends on how you approach the work and “whether the role is written with you in mind.

It’s also not just what your acting is like, but you yourself. Can you as a person influence that role? It’s in everyone’s interest to make your personality, your interpretation, merge with the character.

“In The Wire, for example, I knew my character of Baltimore mayor Tommy Carcetti would develop over a period of time alongside what was actually happening in city politics.

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STABLE RELATIONSHIP WHO Sonia Reynolds and Francie Duff WHAT STABLE What is STABLE all about? I ask former model, and fashion PR, Sonia Reynolds.

She’s co-founder with Francie Duff of the company that, although established in just 2016, is making major waves among lovers of beautiful textiles. “Pure gorgeousness,” she replies. “It was born from the desire to showcase, in a fresh and contemporary way, the exceptional quality and skill of Irish textiles,” she continues, getting serious about the linen, wool and cashmere weavers and knitters that the pair work with.

She also takes up a theme that marks out the best of Irish makers: the influence of the land is strong, particularly among those whose pieces continue to stand the test of time. “The wonderful thing about working with traditional materials and crafts is that they are timeless in style and quality,” she says. After all, it’s the fabrics and garments that don’t fall out of fashion that get handed down to become tomorrow’s heirlooms.

Sonia’s enthusiasm is infectious and, from herringbone to fine weave to pure linen, STABLE’s range is addictive. “It’s all about making more people more aware of how great our Irish homegrown talent is,” she says. “The most fun days are poring over threads, colour books and patterns to produce the next run of fabrics. We are always open to collaborations!” says Sonia.

And on being inspired in Ireland, she says: “Inspiration is always on the road, in the countryside, on the mountains, by the sea and through the people we meet. Ireland is an extraordinary place, full of surprises.” stable.ie

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All

WRAPPED UP When there’s a bite in the air, the Irish are adept at layering up in traditional homespun fabrics and bold weaves and knits. Here we meet the folks whose cosy creations help make our winter selves feel snug.

WORDS GEMMA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHS AILBHE O’DONNELL

W

hen it comes to winter warmers, landscape, climate and tradition collude to create the shape, texture and feel of the clothes in which we like to wrap ourselves.

In Ireland, this means tweeds take their cues from the hillside heathers and rich wools are dyed in the colours once found as natural pigments. While an Irish summer is a time to grab those moments of magical sunshine before they dissolve in a sudden shower, winter is when our traditions of textile-making come into their own.

Some of these are newer than you might think. As an Aran sweater made it into New York’s Museum of Modern Art earlier this year, a few myths were laid to rest. No, the Aran sweater isn’t ancient – it made its first appearance in the early 20th century.

And no, the patterns weren’t designed to help identify sailors lost at sea either.

Nevertheless, sometimes myths endure because they’re, quite simply, beautifully romantic and, whatever its origins, the Aran sweater is now a timeless symbol of Ireland around the world.

Many of the skills and traditions of Irish fabric, such as Carrickmacross lace, famous for featuring on Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, were brought to Ireland by nuns, returning from their travels with samples of French and Venetian lace. Looked at this way, Irish textiles offer a rich history of a small island from which we travel widely, returning with new ideas, while also drawing on our own natural beauty and materials, to create investment classics that will become icons for the years to come.

PEOPLE | WINTER WARMERS

CASHMERE CLASSICS WHO Lucy Nagle WHAT Cashmere collection Lucy Nagle, creative director of the cashmere company that bears her name has always been obsessed with textiles, and with colour. Starting her career in interior design in London, she moved back to Dublin, where “a new beginning seemed like the perfect time to start something different”.

The move into cashmere and fashion was, she says, a no-brainer: “Two of my very favourite things.” Brown Thomas snapped up her first collection and fans of her fun-yet-elegant pieces have been growing more devoted ever since.

“The essence is rooted in creating basics and wardrobe essentials that women can pull on anywhere, at any

time, and feel good,” says Lucy. “It’s not about mainstream fashion trends or colours of-the-moment, because then everything can tend to get a bit samey,” she wisely notes. “So, we’re big on quality yarns and small on throwaway trends.” Clearly devoted to one of the world’s finest fabrics, Lucy points out how “there are very few items of clothing that are solidly resistant to the great fashion trend cycle – but cashmere is and, if you care for it properly, it lasts, and looks great time and time again”.

Lucy on what’s wonderful about winter: “I love nothing more than getting all wrapped up in a cocoon of layers and heading out for a brisk walk. Nothing beats the fresh air and taking in a bit of nature for clearing your head, helping you to organise your thoughts, especially when you’ve been staring at a screen. It’s my lifeline some days.” lucynagle.com

CIRCLE OF CREATIVITY WHO Lucy Downes WHAT Sphere One with Inis Meáin Creative director of the contemporary cashmere brand, Sphere One, Lucy Downes worked with Donna Karan in New York, before returning to her roots in Co Wicklow. “I spent a large part of my childhood in the remote, beautiful west Wicklow mountains,” she says.

“The Sphere One collection is permeated by the colours and textures of those mountains. I’m inspired when I see something of beauty,” she adds. “A thing well done, a basket, a granite lintel, a drystone wall – all inspire me to make something equally beautiful. I’m not interested in glamorous, glitzy fashion, but rather the grace and comfort that I hope my product brings to each wearer.”

A collaboration with the Aran Islands-based Inis Meáin knitting

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company, which was founded in 1976 by Tarlach de Blácam and Áine Ní Congéable, sees the Aran sweater reimagined. It takes inspiration from the tradition of women knitters on the islands.

“The ubiquitous Aran-type cabling has been often copied,” says Lucy. “And it has typically been about how an Aran looks and not, as in this case, about how it acts.” The collaboration has been a remarkable success, not least because the team share an affinity to Irish heritage, and the belief that restrained and intelligent application of design, in quality, natural materials, leads to worthwhile products. The results are that beguiling mixture of timelessness and contemporary style that you know are the ingredients for an instant classic.

Lucy on her favourite winter retreat: “I love to get warm with a real fire. I’m averse to chemicals, so, instead of fire-lighters, I follow my mother’s tradition of dried pine cones and remnants of candles, which have the bonus of a lovely aroma. It’s heaven for the senses.” sphereone.ie

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An exceptional detached double bay fronted Edwardian home in the heart of the leafy Burnaby Estate. Superbly maintained over the years with a light infused interior and boasting many original period features. Standing on a large, mature site extending to 0.446 acres approx. Located minutes from Greystones town centre. Drawing room, living room, dining room, kitchen/ breakfast room, guest wc, utility, play room, 5 bedrooms (2 ensuite), bathroom.

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High Cross on approximately on 0.85 acre is a classical detached Victorian double fronted 2 storey over garden home of enormous charm, character and architectural merit, with the feel of a country house in town. Situated on one of Dublin’s best residential roads. 557 sq m / 6,000 sq ft approx. The property has been exquisitely maintained throughout. Reception hall, 7 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms. Glorious south facing gardens, tennis court.

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HIDE & SEEK WHO Garvan de Bruir WHAT De Bruir Studio Based in the heart of horse country, Co Kildare, Garvan de Bruir began his career as a furniture maker before leather caught his eye – and his imagination. “We’re surrounded by horse breeders and trainers, and one of their crafts is saddle- and bridle-making.

I love that leather is considered an industrial material here,” he adds, no doubt musing on the delicious uses to which he puts this luxurious material, including luggage, bags and highly desirable gilets, jackets and coats.

Treat leather well and it will last more than one lifetime, something that de Bruir takes into account when creating his pieces.

Another inspiration is things he needs himself: “That’s the really fun aspect of having

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a diverse workshop. Once I needed a dickie bow in a panic for a black-tie event and dug out some great antique hide to make one.

Recently it’s become more ambitious and has given rise to a full jacket design, but that all began with me needing a new jacket and loving the challenge of making one for myself.

“I feel that you can do a disservice to a material if you design something that will simply go out of fashion,” he continues. “My most basic example is our leather scarf. It softens with use and gains great texture, while always maintaining that classic smell. But a Stone Age man could have created something similar. Natural leather is such a timeless material. You just need to treat it faithfully and it will reward you.”

Garvan’s perfect winter spot: “I’m pretty happy in the studio on a cold evening. I’ve a wood-burning stove and the colour of the timber walls is really rich too, so it’s visually as well as physically warm.” debruir.com

21ST-CENTURY TWEED

WHO Triona Lillis and Aoibheann MacNamara WHAT The Tweed Project Triona Lillis and Aoibheann MacNamara are passionate about Irish fabrics, but when they realised that they couldn’t find anyone making the tweed and linens they loved in styles they’d like to wear, they decided to do it themselves.

The Tweed Project was set up in 2014 to, as Aoibheann puts it, “design our indigenous fabrics in a more contemporary way”. Aoibheann grew up in Ardara, Co Donegal, so it’s no surprise that tweed from that region features strongly in their pieces.

“I love the unconventionality of our brand. There are no rules for us and it keeps things fresh,” she says.

The west of Ireland is a huge influence, while the pair also draw notes and thoughts from the cosmopolitan city of Galway, where Aoibheann’s renowned Ard Bia restaurant is a hub for locals and visitors alike. Another ingredient is fun: “We collaborate with friends as models, photographers and designers. We see what comes out of it and enjoy the process,” she smiles, clearly loving every minute of it. For Aoibheann and Triona, while their clothes are cutting edge, they go beyond fickle fashion. “They’re heritage products, here for a lifetime.”

Aoibheann on keeping warm: “Oddly, it’s not the keeping warm but the winter sea-swimming at Blackrock in Galway that inspires me. Then enveloping in layers of tweed after the swim ... Bliss!” thetweedproject.com

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PEOPLE | WINTER WARMERS

NORTHERN EXPOSURE WHO Mario Sierra WHAT Mourne Textiles The story of Mourne Textiles, on the foothills of the Mourne Mountains in Co Down, goes back to the 1940s, when Gerd Hay-Edie settled there, through what her grandson, Mario Sierra, describes as “an accident of war”. Gerd was an incredible woman, born in Norway, she had travelled in Shanghai, Calcutta and Hong Kong before coming to Ireland.

Keenly aware of the wealth of the past, Mario finds colours on bobbins in the workshop dating from his grandmother’s days and colourmatches them for today’s designs.

“I found a quote by my grandmother in an old newspaper clipping from 1956. She’d said, ‘out of the past flows the future’. It was almost as if she was saying it to me today.” Now Mario works with his mother, Karen, bringing Gerd’s award-winning designs back into production, updated for the new century, and winning awards themselves in the process.

The recently launched collection for children and babies comes from Mario’s own memories. “After school, the workshop would become my playground; I’d build dens in the yarn store, make spaceships out of the old cardboard yarn cones, generally getting in the way of the weavers.

When my own youngest daughter was ten, I asked what she would like for her birthday: she wanted a blanket and a cushion, you can imagine my delight … I have one that was woven from way back. They last a lifetime.”

Mario on making memories in wintertime: “I travel back and forth to London, so my local is Dublin airport!

But I’ve got a small house that’s connected to the workshop. We go and hide out by the fire. It’s the cosiest place – you can sit and look out at the mountains in the wind and the rain, I love it.” mournetextiles.com

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We’re Hiring We have many opportunities in commercial and residential real estate across Ireland.

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DESTINATION | THE SKELLIGS

The Coast

AWA K E N S A short time ago, on a peninsula far, far away, two rugged islands provided the backdrop for a Jedi retreat worthy of the ancient monks who called it home. We visit the Skelligs seeking Star Wars and find it – along with other, out-of-this-world experiences.

WORDS DOUG WHELAN PHOTOGRAPHS MARK DUGGAN

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DESTINATION | THE SKELLIGS

J

ust before 9am on our second day in Portmagee, Co Kerry, we learn that the morning sailing to Skellig Michael and Small Skellig, around 16 kilometres off the Iveragh Peninsula, will not be taking place due to adverse weather.

This is a fact of life in this part of the world. A visit to the islands, sitting off the coast like the twin suns of Tatooine, is dependent on certain conditions; the weather, changeable in moments, affects everything.

Skellig Michael was first inhabited

by Christian monks in the eighth century; their stunning monastery still stands, carefully preserved by Unesco custodians. Consequently, daily visitor numbers are limited.

Combine that with the global attention that came when the islands

were used as a filming location for Star Wars, and there has never been more interest in visiting the Skelligs.

It is a journey filled with mystery and wonder. The day before, we had set off at light speed to tour the peninsula, which enhances and deepens the islands’ myth, while showcasing the area’s role along the much-celebrated route of the Wild Atlantic Way (wildatlanticway.com).

Taking the Skellig Ring south from Portmagee, there is the first of many breathtaking cliff drives. The surfers at St Finian’s Bay are making the most of mild temperatures and the Atlantic swell, while the beach provides a stunning, sea-level view of the Skelligs.

Continuing along the Ring, we arrive at Skelligs Chocolate (skelligschocolate.com) factory and visitors’ centre to witness the

Previous pages, crossing the occasionally choppy waters to Skellig Michael is all part of the journey.

Clockwise from above, the view from the Kerry Cliffs at Portmagee across to the Skellig Islands, treats galore at Skelligs Chocolate, and surfer Jord Fortmann takes to the waves at St Finian’s Bay.

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New Managing Partner announcement Grant Thornton is delighted to confirm the appointment of Michael McAteer, Head of Advisory Services, as Managing Partner effective from 1 January 2018. He will take over from Paul McCann who will complete his second successful term as Managing Partner at the end of this year. Paul will return to full-time practice in our Financial Services Advisory department.

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Contact Paul McCann Managing Partner E paul.mccann@ie.gt.com Michael McAteer Managing Partner Elect E michael.mcateer@ie.gt.com 8 offices in Ireland, over 730 globally.

Pic (L-R): Michael McAteer and Paul McCann.

Audit | Tax | Advisory © 2017 Grant Thornton Ireland. All rights reserved. Authorised by Chartered Accountants Ireland (“CAI”) to carry on investment business. Grant Thornton is a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd. (GTIL).

DESTINATION | THE SKELLIGS

magic of making chocolate at the colourful, open-plan facility that prepares treats of all shapes and sizes. Ever wonder how chocolate footballs are made, or how thousands of sweets get their cute foil wrappings? Skelligs Chocolate has a host of magnificently fascinating machines for all these tasks and more. And it’s just as much fun to watch them at work as anyone’s inner child would hope.

Further on, at the village of Ballinskelligs, the historic solitude of the islands becomes clearer. A wonderful walking tour that takes us from Ballinskelligs beach to St Michael’s Abbey (and back) also allows us to take in the ancient stories of the islands, as well as some of the traditions of the local area.

Our tour guide, Michael, jokes that nobody in the area wants to be on the Skelligs List – a local euphemism for the perpetually single ...

That sense of island solitude still exists. The dramatic setting of the Cill Rialaig artists’ retreat on Bolus Head is a space for creatives and explorers to escape modern life

and focus on their work. Here we meet artist Lucy Sheridan, who explains how she had arrived with the purpose of painting, but found herself sculpting extensively instead.

This is one iteration of the “Skelligs’ effect” on visitors. Fintan O’Toole of The Irish Times called it “the end of the world; at the last possible border between the human sphere and everything that lies outside it”.

This peace is the very thing that attracted the Star Wars filmmakers to the islands. In The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker is discovered in voluntary exile on the island; art imitates life.

Back in Portmagee though, Ger Kennedy, proprietor at The Moorings, tells us Star Wars has brought welcome attention to the area. However, he and other local businesses are determined to retain the islands’ historical significance.

As far as the local people are concerned, Skellig Michael will remain a monastic site first and foremost, with the Hollywood filming location secondary in their minds.

Clockwise from above, looking across Portmagee harbour to Valentia Island; freshly caught lobster on the pier; Kate and Andrew Cooke of QC’s Townhouse & Seafood Restaurant, Cahersiveen. Opposite, Skellig Michael as seen from the Lady Clare boat.

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SMART TIPS GET THE BOAT Trips to the Skellig Islands depend strictly on weather conditions. It’s all part of the Skellig experience, as any local will gladly remind you! Tickets can be purchased through your accommodation, and packed lunch for the trip (usually around five hours in total) are generally included. Landings only between May and October.

EAT AT It should come as no surprise that the region’s seafood is something special. Many local restaurants serve fish caught and prepared on the day.

Quinlan & Cooke’s Townhouse & Seafood Restaurant in Cahersiveen has some of the best, along with a warm, friendly atmosphere and boutique accommodation, all nurtured by owners Andrew and Kate.

(066 947 2244; qc.ie) SLEEP AT We spent our weekend at The Moorings in Portmagee, so-named for its proximity to the harbour. The Moorings was where the Star Wars cast and crew laid their hats during filming, and owner Ger and his friendly staff can always be found tending to guests. The restaurant does a spectacular seafood platter and there’s traditional music in the bar every Sunday. May the craic be with you, as they say. Rooms from €70. (066 947 7108; moorings.ie) ANCIENT WONDERS Valentia island is packed with experiences. Highlights include the Tetrapod Trackway, where fossils dated 350 million years or more can be seen; Valentia Lighthouse with more stunning Atlantic scenery and the fascinating Valentia Slate Quarry, whose precariously placed grotto high above the vast cave entrance must be seen to be believed. Stop for lunch by the harbour in pretty Knightstown.

WORD UP To immerse yourself fully in the magic and myth of the Skellig Islands, read Sun Dancing by Geoffrey Moorhouse, a fictional account of life on Skellig Michael in ancient times, and The Skellig Story by Des Lavelle, the region’s premier historian.

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DESTINATION | THE SKELLIGS

That said, the area is also bursting with pride that “their” island was chosen for such a glamorous task. Reminders of the Star Wars visit are common around the peninsula and Ger is happy to share his behindthe-scenes stories about the filming with visitors.

To appreciate fully the Skellig islands’ rugged beauty, a full day’s exploration is essential. Getting to know the history brings a sense of familiarity, as we learned at the Skellig Experience on Valentia Island (accessible by road bridge from Portmagee).

Here we find out more about what life there was like more than 1,000 years ago, and 60 |

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how recent events – including the Industrial Revolution and World War II – played out in the area. Meanwhile, Bray Head offers yet more breathtaking views.

By now, our circle is complete, and there is but one more trial before we become true Jedi: Skellig Michael itself.

However, while the islands are alive in our imagination, sadly, the Force is not with us today – the conditions are again unsuitable for landing.

Even still, the monks’ existence in ancient times, along with the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Rey, come to life as we gaze across the sea at those towers

Clockwise from above, sheep shapes on a misty Bolus Head; Ger Kennedy of The Moorings Guesthouse in Portmagee, and Atlantic-fresh prawns at QC’s.

+

ILLUSTRATION BY FUCHSIA MacAREE. CARA WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK FÁILTE IRELAND FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

DESTINATION | THE SKELLIGS

Below, bell heather and autumn gorse and, below right, artist Lucy Sheridan, who arrived at the Cill Rialaig artist retreat with the aim to paint but has since found herself sculpting.

of rock, guarding against the Atlantic ocean for millions of years.

Thousands of puffins (inspiration for the adorable Porgs in The Last Jedi) perch along the cliff edges; hundreds of steps lead to the haunting ruins of the monastery ...

For visitors to Portmagee, destiny is not set until the adventure begins; some dedicated folks make multiple return journeys before setting foot on the hallowed rocks but, as master Yoda said, “do, or do not. There is no try.” Many will come to Kerry in the coming years seeking a Star Wars experience and they will get it, but they will get something else too, an opportunity to see, in real life, one of the finest sights in the galaxy.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is released in cinemas on December 15.

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HIGH & MIGHTY Michelin-starred brewpub? Tick. Exclusive supper clubs and speakeasies? Tick. Chicago skilfully blurs the lines between high and low culture, creating an exciting frisson for visitors.

WORDS LUCY WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS NATHALIE MARQUEZ COURTNEY

DESTINATION | CHICAGO

C Opening page, Chicago’s photogenic train system, left, and Band of Bohemia’s Jakira Williams, right. Clockwise from top, Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Millennium Park; Godspeed Supper Club’s Raf Miastowski; a lively michelada at the Ace Hotel’s City Mouse.

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hicago is full of surprises and none more so than the whiff of chocolate downriver. Who knew the Windy City could be so fragrant? It wasn’t so long ago that it smelled rank – and that wasn’t just the stench of corruption. For centuries the river that trisects the city centre was a cesspit for the industrialised “Meatpacker of the West” – and it still has a decade to go before its waters are fit for swimming. In the meantime, the unmistakable scent of cocoa wafts from the Blommer chocolate factory in the northwest towards the selfstyled Riverwalk (chicagoriverwalk.us). Now, the riverside is a place to linger: for boating, jogging, ogling vast ex-warehouse condos, enjoying a craft beer – even for having your wedding photographs taken (we saw three happy couples in one afternoon). Cars fly over 18 historic drawbridges across a river so green, even when not dyed for St Patrick’s Day. This exotic hue is because Lake Michigan pours into, not out of, the canal.

This is one of many nuggets gleaned during a First Lady Cruises Boat Tour (cruisechicago.com), whose guides are volunteers from the Architecture Foundation. It’s a genuine must-do. Not only will you receive a fascinating potted history of the city’s development by enthusiastic staff, it’ll help you navigate Chicago’s layout for the rest of your trip, its key streets flagged by famous skyscrapers, ie the

DESTINATION | CHICAGO

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gleaming white, terracotta-tiled Wrigley Building (completed in 1924), the corn-on-the-cob complex Marina City (1968) and 2009’s rippling Aqua Tower.

The less said about the Trump erection the better.

Only from the waters will you get the lay of the land and hit the ground running. Magnificent Mile justifies its braggadocio with its commercial towers, upscale shops, milestone-occasion restaurants and swish hotels.

And if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: a sunset dinner at the John Hancock Center’s swanky Signature Room at the 95th (see “Essentials”, page 72). If the river cruise offers a helpful, duck’s-eye view of the city, this vertiginous restaurant and bar could vex even an eagle’s gaze.

But what goes up must come down and where better to slum it – comparatively – than with a nightcap at River North’s The Drifter (thedrifterchicago.com), an original Prohibition-era speakeasy and where cocktails are individually listed on Tarot-style cards, making it a nefarious spot for late-night gargle. Tucked away in the bowels of one of Chicago’s oldest bars, The Green Door Tavern (greendoorchicago.com), it hosts cheery burlesque acts from its tiny stage. Take the Tavern’s stairs and enter through a “hidden” door beside the restrooms.

Entry here is a mild faff compared with Room 13 (oldchicagoinn.com) in Lakeview. So exclusive is this subterranean speakeasy – signalled by a hatch door at the end of a red-lit alleyway – there are only three ways of getting in: you’re staying at the Old Chicago Inn upstairs, you’ve an annual membership or you’re the guest of a member. And then you’ve to get past Luke, the

doorman/barman, who’s notoriously strict on passwords.

But once you’re admitted, he’s only too happy to rustle up genuine Prohibition-era cocktails.

Fortunately we arrived as part of Godspeed Supper Club (godspeed.strikingly.com), the brainchild of Raf Miastowski, whose fun and furtive soirées throw together foodies from all walks of life (on our visit, we were the only tourists). Not only are guests chauffeured to a surprise dinner but also an historical landmark – in our case, the astonishing Glessner House (glessnerhouse. org) on Prairie Avenue, where some of Chicago’s finest mansions twinkled during the Gilded Age. John Glessner was a wealthy farming industrialist and his formidable wife Frances an expert silversmith, seamstress, pianist, art patron and philanthropist. Their sturdy, fortress-like home was divisive when it was completed in 1887. It’s now a beautifully restored, mustvisit national monument festooned with fine arts and crafts, at once grand and surprisingly homely.

Our supper afterwards was in a private room at the busy, opulent Nellcôte (nellcoterestaurant.com) on West

Opposite – clockwise from far left, Eleanor Schneidman of Logan Square’s indie store Wolfbait & B-Girls; a majestic welcome at the Art Institute of Chicago; malt shake magnificence at Eleven City Diner; sublime eats at Band of Bohemia; a Band of Bohemia enclave; a Californian rosé toasts the Riverwalk. Top, look into your cocktail future at The Drifter; above right, our very own James Vincent McMorrow performing an intimate solo set at SPACE in Evanston, and above left, kayakers on the river.

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DESTINATION | CHICAGO

Loop’s Randolph Street, aka “Restaurant Row”, which comes alive at night and also includes RM Champagne Salon (see “Essentials”, page 72), just around the corner: cue another unmarked alleyway, but follow the cobblestones and strings of lights to the entrance.

RM stands for récoltant-manipulant – terroir-focused wineries. I, though, snubbed the bubbles of its namesake for the 50 Shades of Earl Grey: a tequila-based cocktail with lavender and Earl grey syrup. Mon dieu!

What America lacks in wine culture it more than makes up for in beer, and Chicago has more than 70 breweries. Band of Bohemia (see “Essentials”, page 72) is its beacon. Outside, you’d never guess that this lowrise, old warehouse in Ravenswood is also a Michelinstarred brewpub owned by chef Michael Carroll of Alinia fame. Its interior is as eclectic as its food, which is entirely informed by the beer produced on-site and changes every few months. Stun your senses with the beer-paired tasting menu; dishes that are at once sweet and sour, hot and cold, dry and wet, brittle and supple, an exquisite contradiction with each mouthful. It’s playful and it’s unpretentious, every course galvanised by the beers, such as a cardamom-inflected Indian Pale Ale; a ribald rye porter, or a description-defying brown ale made with roasted maitake mushrooms and basmati rice. Head chef Ian Davis rules the roost from a calm open kitchen, where his team make culinary magic not with wands but with tweezers and blowtorches.

Counterpoint Band of Bohemia with Half Acre 70 |

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(halfacrebeer.com), which is where Carroll cut his teeth as a brewer. We took a tour of Half Acre’s new Balmoral Avenue brewery and taproom, which opened in September 2017 after the success of its Lincoln Avenue premises – how lucky the neighbours are to have this on their doorstep! Punters can try sample sizes or jump straight into their pint-size flagship brews and seasonal newcomers. Moreover, there’s as much passion poured into their eminently quaffable beers as their branding, with resident designer Phineas X Jones creating purejoyful labels, from Manga-inspired giant cat designs to holographic wraparounds.

Whether it’s high-falutin’ cocktails or good honest beer, the Windy City seems to ace them all. For all our underground bar-crawling and hops-guzzling, we found a city of highs, from its daring, surging skyline to the aim-for-the-stars ambition of its food and drinks game-changers. Sure, some days, you can even smell it in the air.

Fly return to CHICAGO for 40,000 Avios points.

Remember, if you don’t have enough points to fly to where you want to go, you can use those that you have and pay the rest in cash*.

*BASED ON RTN FLIGHTS IN PEAK PERIOD, EXCL. TAXES AND CHARGES

Clockwise from top left, The Ace’s Marguerite Lechner; good, honest pancakes and maple syrup at City Mouse; five-star fabulousness at the Viceroy hotel, and live jazz at The Green Mill bar, a former hangout of Al Capone.

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CHICAGO ESSENTIALS SLEEP GLITZY Teal and gold are a match made in heaven at the Viceroy Chicago, whose 21stcentury take on Art Deco is both spirited and stylish. The original Cedar Hotel, circa the 1920s, has been cleverly reconfigured into a lavish lobby and patio restaurant (Somerset) that segue effortlessly into an 18-storey glass tower. On paper it can’t possibly work – but in reality, it’s genius. Glorious guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows of the Gold Coast neighbourhood, many offering a glimpse of Lake Michigan. For breakfast, load up on creamy/piquant baked eggs – thank you James Beard Awards nominee chef Lee Wolen – and later prop up the Devereaux bar, which overlooks a rooftop pool. Killer views.

Rooms from $209. (1118 N State St, +1 312 586 2000; viceroyhotelsandresorts.com) GRAND Pioneering sculptor Gwen Lux (1908-2001) should really be a household name. Instead, she has a luxe five-star hotel in her honour, The Gwen. Fortunately it’s a fitting tribute: 1930s glamour filtered through a distinctly 21st-century lens. Restful-coloured bedrooms are given shots of drama (marble and brass furniture tables, plush midnight-blue sofas), while pops of colour in the open-plan lobby and bar (green and navy velvet, baby-pink leather) are divine. Feel all urbane in the heated rooftop bar and say hi to the allegorical panels Lux carved for the McGraw-Hill building in 1929 – where the hotel is housed – at the elevator. Don’t miss: excellent restaurant The Purple Pig, just around the corner. Rooms from $119. (521 N Rush St, +1 312 645 1500; thegwenchicago.com)

SCENESTER Situated opposite Google HQ – our room peered right into the offices – The Ace in West Loop has a distinctly tech vibe, with MacBook-tapping guests in the open-plan, industrial-style entrance/lobby/restaurant.

Pull up a conker-brown chair or bottle-green banquette at City Mouse restaurant (from the same team as the critically acclaimed Giant), whose tasty brunch, great tunes and heated outdoor terrace keep things lively. The city skyline views from the super-cool top-floor bar are Insta gold. Rooms from $143. (311 N Morgan St, +1 312 764 1919; acehotel.com)

DATE NIGHT Opposite the members-only Soho House on “Restaurant Row” is the covert entrance to RM Champagne Salon. In summertime the pretty outdoor patio is filled with locals; on our October visit, record rainfall washed us all inside. No matter. The Frenchrustic interior has romance in droves, where we shared an excellent seafood platter and exemplary cocktails. (116 N Green St, +1 312 243 1199; rmchampagnesalon.com)

EAT PANORAMIC Eating feels almost like an afterthought at the crowd-pleasing Signature Room at the 95th, where lofty, panoramic views of Chicago command attention. As such it’s a magnet for tourists, celebrating milestones or business deals – but don’t hold that against it. My herb marinated shrimp and pan-seared snapper with seafood bouillabaisse were finely tuned. (875 N Michigan Ave, +1 312 787 9596; signatureroom.com) OUTSTANDING Chef/brewer Michael Carroll has created something truly special at Band of Bohemia, the world’s one and only Michelinstarred brewpub. Its craft beers are the starting point for ultra-refined dishes, whose flavours and textures surprise and harmonise. And don’t be fooled by the brewpub credentials – its wine list is as considered as its beers. (4710 N Ravenswood Ave, +1 773 271 4710; bandofbohemia.com)

UNCTUOUS No trip to Chicago is complete without a deep-dish pizza. Every native has their favourite but the legendary Lou Malnati’s exceeded my expectations. Far from the filthy slop I’d anticipated, my pie was loaded with farmfresh, sweet-yet-tart tomatoes and comically extensible mozzarella, all enclosed in a firm-yetyielding pastry. Well worth the 30-minute wait.

(1120 N State St, +1 312 725 7777; loumalnatis.com)

SMART TIPS Expect to pay $40 in an airport cab to get to Downtown or take the Blue Line L train, which takes around 45 minutes and costs a fiver. The public transport system is wide reaching but not exactly fast, so if you’re in a hurry and haven’t got your bearings, use a cab app, such as Lyft, Curb or Arro.

If you’re intent on visiting all the big museums – and like to jump a queue – make serious savings with a CityPASS (citypass.com/chicago). Plan your exhibitions crawl at choosechicago.com.

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to CHICAGO up to 12 times per week.

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PLACESTO LOVEIN 2018

VISIT CALIFORNIA/CAROL HIGHSMITH

Fly and drive yourself to Melanie Mullan’s sweet spots, from bucolic villages to secret seaside towns.

1 Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Los Angeles up to five times per week.

VENTURA, USA Fill up the tank and head north from Los Angeles airport to the easy-going coastal city of Ventura, en route to Santa Barbara. Take to its glistening waters with a surfboard or kayak, or make like a landlubber by pounding the pretty pier. Ventura has a strong artistic community, with many an open studio programme throughout the year, including at the well-attended Bell Arts Factory (bellartsfactory.org). Also worth checking out: fish tacos at Spencer Makenzie’s (spencermakenzies.com), great coffee at Stoked (stokedcoffeeventura.com) and sharing nibbles at Paradise Pantry (paradisepantry.com).

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SMART EDIT | 10 PLACES TO LOVE

2 BERGAMO, ITALY

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Milan Linate up to seven times per week.

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LÜBECK, GERMANY A 45-minute train ride north of Hamburg, the city of Lübeck feels like a Medieval time capsule. What was once a city for merchant trade became a casualty in World War II, when an attack created a fire that destroyed 20 per cent of the city. Since then, the city’s Gothic architecture has been carefully restored and preserved, including the Lübeck Cathedral, leading to it being named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1987. Experience more of the history with a stay at Hotel Anno 1216 (hotelanno1216.de), where parts of the building date back 800 years and is just a short distance from the city’s old boundary-defining Holsten Gate.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Hamburg up to ten times per week.

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The view while flying into Milan airport is worth the trip alone, with snow-capped Alps and lakes aplenty. A mere 56 kilometres from Milan’s Linate airport – and just under 100 kilometres from Malpensa – lies the riverside city of Bergamo. The Old Town is celebrated for its ancient Venetian city walls and also its art, where a huge number of Renaissance pieces can be found in The Galleria dell’Accademia Carrara (lacarrara. it). And dining wise, embrace tradition and local dishes at Da Mimmo (ristorantemimmo.com), where the fish comes fresh from the market.

TAVIRA, PORTUGAL Thirty minutes east of the hugely popular and sometimes crowded resorts of the Algarve, Tavira offers a true insight into the region. The town exudes an historic Arabic past, while the ruins of the Castelo de Tavira date back to 1755 – and now provide an eagle’s-eye view of the area.

For an authentic buzz, the best overnight spots are in guesthouses. Quaint Casa Beleza Do Sul townhouse has a shared terrace and rooftop patio, where you can enjoy a breakfast basket delivered to your individually themed room each morning. casabelezadosul.com

Aer Lingus flies from Ireland to Faro three

times per week.

GWEEDORE, IRELAND Raw and wild, Co Donegal boasts some of the most unspoilt landscapes in Ireland, from rugged coastline to barely touched countryside. Escape to the region of Gweedore – aka Gaoth Dobhair, to its Gaeltacht natives – located at the base of the genuinely awesome Mount Errigal on the Wild Atlantic Way. Blow away the cobwebs with a hike around the hugely atmospheric Poison Glen and be sure to join a weekend trad sing-song session at Leo’s Tavern (leostavern.com) in Meenaleck village, where the likes of local heroes Enya, Clannad and Moya Brennan cut their teeth.

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CARCASSONE, FRANCE Think South of France, think the glitzy Côte d’Azur? In serene contrast is the handsomely fortified inland town of Carcassonne, surrounded by city walls, watchtowers and views of the Pyrenees in the distance. Explore the new town with a chocolate and wine walking tour at Cocoa and Grapes (cocoaandgrapes. com), which includes trips to local producers’ shops and an opportunity to sample wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region before returning to the Old Town. Dine fancy at the Michelin-starred La Barbacane, at the magnifique Hotel de la Cité (cite-hotels.com).

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Toulouse four times weekly from March 25.

BATH TOURISM PLUS/COLIN HAWKINS

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7 BATH, UK Less than an hour’s drive from the hip and creative city of Bristol, Bath offers a deep insight into British history with its elegant Georgian architecture, famous Roman baths (romanbaths.co.uk) and naturallyhot spring water at the Thermae Bath Spa (thermaebathspa.com). After a cosy night’s slumber in the chic B&B Grays (graysbath. co.uk), stroll through centuries of style at the

Fashion Museum (fashionmuseum.co.uk) or tickle your taste-buds with a gin-making tour at the Bath Gin Company (thebathgincompany. co.uk), where you can create your own juniperbased liquor to take home.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Bristol 23 times per week and from Cork daily.

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STIRLING, SCOTLAND

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SANTANDER, SPAIN Drive northwest along the coast from Bilbao and you reach Santander, a city gaining in popularity for its urban beaches and culinary excellence.

There are so many great tapas bars here to choose from, such as La Cañia (Calle Joaquín Costa, +39 94 227 0491), where delicious pintxos are accompanied by purse-friendly wine and a buzzy atmosphere. It’s also within an easy, short stroll from Hotel Real (eurostarshotels.com), where, enveloped in quiet gardens and overlooking Sardinero beach, you’ll experience the sophisticated side of Santander.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Bilbao up to three times per week.

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A 40-minute drive from both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, the city of Stirling sits on ye olde volcanic rock. But the history doesn’t stop here, as it was also the backdrop for the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, which was the first of William Wallace’s victories against the English. The National Wallace Monument (nationalwallacemonument.com), later built in his honour, is an excellent way to survey the majestic mountains. Drink it all in before feasting at The Birds and the Bees gastropub (thebirdsandthebeesstirling.com), where excellent food and service combine.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Edinburgh and Glasgow up to four times per day.

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NEW HOPE, USA Drive north for an hour from Philadelphia, Aer Lingus’ newest destination for 2018, and you’ll find the scenic, waterside town of New Hope. A charming spot for families, it offers lantern-lined street tours, whose historic ghost stories are a fun way for all ages to see the sights (ghosttoursofnewhope.com). Kids can dig for treasure or design their own racetracks at the Bucks County Children’s Museum (buckskids.org) and there’s something for everyone to enjoy on the menu at Bowman’s Tavern (bowmanstavernrestaurant.com), where live music is a regular accompaniment to the evening.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Philadelphia four times per week from March 25.

DUBLIN 14

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Dreams

The aromas of waffles, chocolate and beer waft through the cobblestone streets of Brussels, where devotees of the ‘ninth art’ will get their fill too.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS EOIN HIGGINS

DESTINATION | BRUSSELS

D

“

o you want to see the man who can p*ss?”

“Excuse me!?”

“The Manneken Pis! The statue!”

“Oh, sure!” I’ve just misheard Sarah and Ahlom, my accidental, yet friendly Brussels guides – I’d asked them for directions earlier and they have since taken me on a mini tour of the city centre. We’ve taken in the grandiose Grand Place – the central city square and its shimmering, gilt curlicues, magnificent minarets and stellar steeples. We’ve rambled down wet-with-rain, cobblestone streets, been intoxicated by the aromas that wafted us along: warm spongy waffles, steaming hot chocolate and beer, beer and more beer. The city is a sensual, aromatic maze and a great place for non-denominational night-rambling.

We eventually find the infamous (and slightly underwhelming) Manneken Pis. The iconic bronze sculpture of the urinating boy is said to embody the Brussels sense of zwanze, which would most closely translate as “acting the maggot” in Ireland, or simply “fooling around”, or “taking the ... (well, you know)” elsewhere.

In the spirit of equality, my genial guides insist on also showing me the Jeanneke Pis, the female version of the widdling bronze boy. Manoeuvring through another warren of cobbled streets we eventually find her, as bold as brass, squatting behind bars and grinning in glorious relief. I bid my farewells and give thanks to generous Sarah and Ahlom whom have other Saturday night fish to fry and duck inside the cavernous Delirium Café (deliriumcafe.be) next door.

It’s a bar to trump all others, a world record holder for “the most varieties of beer commercially available”; at the time of writing 82 |

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Previous pages, the Atomium gets a polish. Clockwise from top, barrels of fun at MIMA; L’archiduc, a classy nighttime hangout; Tripel Karmeliet, a worldacclaimed brew at the excellent Le Coq bar; arty dudes in the cool canal district; Belgian seafood heaven at De Noordzee.

J E W E L L E R S

LIVE LIFE WITH

C L UR +353 1 670 5000 www.cullenandco.ie 7 Castle Market, Dublin 2

DESTINATION | BRUSSELS

Above, the busy and gilded Grand Place. Below, left to right, a Sunday afternoon well spent at the turn-of-the-century Le Cirio bar and brasserie; tasty bites and brews at BrewDog; Sandra Uwayo goes shopping at the Sunday Brussels vintage market.

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there were more than 3,000 to choose from. The atmosphere is raucous, especially downstairs where merry folk are tablehopping, clinking glasses and trying not to get too delirious as they revel in this beer buff’s paradise.

The city is not just about seeing pink elephants and night-time high jinks though, as any cocoa connoisseur worth their salted caramel will attest. A good place to begin a journey to the chocolate heart of Brussels is at the glazed shopping arcade Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (grsh.be), just off the Grand Place. Built in the 19th century, the elegant gallery is home to a multitude of high-end shops, luxury watchmakers and the aforementioned chocolate pedlars.

It is worth a wander through even if your interest in shopping is slight. Mary (mary. be), one of the longest established chocboutiques, specialises in pralines but is also a dab hand at producing caramelised almonds, florentines, chocolate spreads, salted butter caramels, delicate langues de chat ... and oodles more temptations. There are other famous Belgian chocolatiers with branches in the gallery too, such as the famous Neuhaus (neuhaus.fi) so don’t be shy about (chocolate) spreading the love.

Fans of the ninth art will also find their muse in the city, comic books being as much a part of the fabric of Brussels as the ubiquitously-hawked moules et frites. Even on street level you will likely encounter

large-scale murals and friezes dedicated to the elite of Belgian comic culture: Tin-tin, the Smurfs, Spike and Suzy and other goliaths of the graphic novel. The city has a number of museums dedicated to comics but the Belgian Comic Strip Center (comicscenter.net) is the one I prefer. Set in a building designed by perhaps Belgium’s most brilliant architect, Victor Horta, its Art Nouveau interiors are an aesthetically seductive proposition in themselves. And as well as exhibits showcasing original hand-drawn and painted artwork from some of the world’s greatest comic-book proponents, there are also activity areas and a shop housing one of the most eclectic selections of graphic novels in the city. There, discover one of Belgium’s best contemporary practitioners with something from genre-challenging Brecht Evens, whose work is available to purchase.

Break out of the frame and get very much back to three-dimensions then with a visit to the Heysel Plateau, site of the 1935 Brussels Expo and its impressive Centenary Palace, as well as the most iconic Brussels building: The Atomium.

The atomic museum was built for the World’s Fair in 1958 and is timeless.

Within, the permanent exhibition From Symbol to Icon tells the story of how the quirky building became the symbol of Brussels – the top “floor” allows for impressive panoramic city views.

Top, Morgane Morice at BrewDog; above, comic murals light up the city streets; left, plastic fantastic at ADAM (Art + Design Atomium Museum).

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Across the way from the shiny Atomium, meet ADAM (adamuseum. be), Brussels’ premier design museum.

Plasticarium, the permanent exhibition, is a bold celebration of all things plastic and fantastic. Established by Philippe Decelle (who has accumulated several thousand plastic items in his lifetime), the collection spans four decades – from when the first piece of furniture made entirely from plastic was produced in 1960 to the post-pop era of 1987-2000. It’s a fun exhibition however for loftier, yet just as colourful, showcases, MIMA (Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art; mimamuseum.eu) in the arty canal quarter and BOZAR (Palais des BeauxArts; bozar.be) should scratch any highart itches worth scratching.

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All of which makes up a pretty good (well, I would say that, wouldn’t I?) selection of things to do, eat, drink and see in the European capital. However, there is one more thing that should, nay must, be experienced in order to really get the essence of Brussels. At De Noordzee (vishandelnoordzee.be), having a standing seafood brunch among happy locals in the cool Saint Catherine neighbourhood, this writer, while an ardent aficionado of graphic novels, chocolate and the finest beers known to humanity, found his own Belgian heaven over a glass of white and the most perfect bowl of bouillabaisse I’ve ever tasted ... all at once there was nowhere else I could have, nor wanted, to be than beau Bruxelles.

Top, Palais des Expositions du Centenaire.

Above, left to right, a happy chocolatier at Neuhaus; waffles on wheels at the Atomium; here comes truffle at Mary chocolatiers.

Visit our one-stop hop for all your package holiday needs at aerlingus.com.

Find the perfect family holiday to the sun, a romantic city break, unforgettable cruises and many more.

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St. Kilian’s German School in south Dublin welcomes boys and girls of all nationalities, cultures and religions. Children learn German from Kindergarten (Junior Infants) up to Leaving Certificate in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Our approach to education combines the best of the Irish and German educational traditions: students are prepared for the Junior and Leaving Certificate as well as the German Sprachdiplom and Sek1 examinations. Knowledge of German is not a requirement to enrol at St. Kilian’s.

Contact us to arrange a visit.

St. Kilian’s Deutsche Schule Dublin, Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin D14 P7F2 T +353 (0)1 288 3323 E secretary@kilians.com www.kilians.com

BRUSSELS ESSENTIALS SLEEP

chant soundtrack and the corridors’ incenseinfused aroma make this a nicely relaxed place in which to switch off and be mindful. Light is applied expertly here too, creating a hallowed atmosphere. Cosy rooms and a splendid breakfast complete the picture. (Rue Léopold, +32 2203 0808; designhotels.com) ACHINGLY HIP Take a former art school in a turn-of-the-century building, restore, renovate and reimagine … The result is pretty much what you get at the creatively rich Jam Hotel in uptown. Bedrooms are widely varied with something to suit nearly every want or need. A rejuvenating pool and a delicious pizza offering are set in interiors that are concrete, wood and splashed with colour. (Chaussée de Charleroi 132, +32 2537 1787; jamhotel.be)

EAT

DESIGNER If the Hôtel des Galeries, above, were a person, it would be dressed in a Dries Van Noten shirt, wearing a Bulbul watch and listening to a podcast on Bang & Olufsen headphones. In other words, this is very much a design-led establishment. Colour is used cunningly and generously against a pristine, white-walled backdrop. Rooms have a selection of thoughtfully chosen books to browse, super comfy beds and bathroom tiles are very, very photogenic … (Rue des Bouchers 38, +32 2213 7470; hoteldesgaleries.be)

EASY International beer phenomenon BrewDog is famously, and rightly, known for its brilliant brews, but its simple, casual food offering is just as enticing. This is a great spot for a quick and tasty refuelling with a well-matched beer as you ramble around town. The menu is concise, yet filled with nourishing, satisfying bites. Try the sardines with sourdough matched with a guest beer or one of the always-on BrewDog brews.

(Putterie 20, +32 2513 6355; brewdog.com)

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE The Dominican has a monastery theme … and while that might sound slightly bonkers, the lift’s Gregorian

CLASSICAL If you are a fan of the authentic brasserie experience, La Roue d’Or is the kind of place that dreams are made of. Robert

Doisneau wouldn’t look out of place snapping smoking punters; murals, in the style of Magritte, adorn the gracefully ageing walls; dark wood benches and chairs are reflected in fancy foxed mirrors. The food is classic Brussels: moules et frites, chicons au gratin, paling in ‘t groen, and so deliciously on … unmissable. (Rue des Chapeliers 26, +32 2514 2554) INNOVATIVE Korean-born Belgian chef SangHoon Degeimbre brings an eclectic, deceptively simple menu to life in a room designed by interiors maven Charlotte Esquenet at San. Pull a stool up to the bar for a perfect view of the talented brigade at work, creating nicely outré dishes that surprise and delight in equal measure. The €55 tasting menu – that includes a game-changing red curry with squash, kumquat and saffron – comes highly recommended. (Rue de Flandre 19, +32 2318 1919; sanbxl.be)

SMART TIPS Brussels airport also connects directly to the major cities of Belgium and the Netherlands.

If you’re just heading into Brussels though, the Brussels-Central train is yours, taking only 17 minutes door-to-door and costing approx €12.

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to BRUSSELS up to 13 flights per week.

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the ca stle | t h e lodg e | t h e old s ta b le m e w s

A rural retreat in the heart of Ireland…

N

estled on 1,000 acres of undulating Irish countryside, dotted with ancient woodland and glittering lakes, Castle Leslie Estate is one of the last great Irish estates still in the hands of its founding family. Steeped in history, full of character and charm, it is the ultimate Irish rural escape.

Only 80 minutes from Dublin and 60 minutes from Belfast, Castle Leslie Estate boasts a variety of accommodation and activities to suit all tastes. The Castle, at the heart of the Estate, offers authentic original interiors and old-style hospitality and is a complete respite from the world. The Lodge is the social hub of the Estate, a country house boutique hotel that brings locals and guests together in an atmosphere of conviviality and comfort. The Old Stable Mews and Village Cottages are the perfect spot for groups that want the convenience of hotel living combined with private luxury home rental.

Castle Leslie Estate, Glaslough, Monaghan

Castle Leslie Estate offers an idyllic setting for outdoor activity and adventure. Explore the Estate on horseback, enjoy some of Ireland’s finest coarse fishing, take in a movie at our private cinema, luxuriate in a relaxing massage in the Victorian treatment rooms, exhilarate in a abundance of outdoor adventures, or just borrow a pair of wellies from our boot room and go for a stroll on our 1,000 acres – just some of the choices that await you in this hidden corner of Ireland.

t: + 353 47 88 100

www.castleleslie.com

THE

Philadelphia STO RY

Philadelphia brims with disparate neighbourhoods, but spending time in a few soon brings a unified metropolis into view, from the historic Old City to Fishtown’s artisan-coffeeand-bicycles demographic.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND WORDS KRISTA CONNOR

DESTINATION | PHILADELPHIA

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Previous page, left, a must-eat cheesesteak “Whiz Wit” (with Cheese Whiz and onions) and fries at the legendary Pat’s King of Steaks in South Philly. Right, City Hall in full frontal.

1 Power pose – Rocky reigns outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 2 The white stuff – the museum’s Contemporary Collection.

3 Trolley dash – cocktail accoutrements at the Lokal Hotel.

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4 Let there be light – muralist Isaiah Zagar, who founded Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, in his South Street studio.

5 Trump card – Independence Hall, where America’s Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitution signed.

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*BASED ON ONE WAY FLIGHTS IN PEAK PERIOD, EXCL. TAXES AND CHARGES. REWARD FLIGHTS CANNOT BE UPGRADED.

10 6 Hoppy days – Independence Beer Garden, near the titular Hall.

7 Swim shady – Fishtown, a haven for kitschy dive bars, street art and creative types.

8 Sipping point – cocktails at Tria Taproom in Rittenhouse Square.

9 Alicia Moore, marketing manager of Fishtown’s La Colombe Coffee Roasters.

10 All aboard – comfort eats, also at Tria.

Upgrade to Business Class to or from PHILADELPHIA for 44,750 Avios points.

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DESTINATION | PHILADELPHIA

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SLEEP BOUTIQUE Anticipating every expectation of design-conscious travellers, husband-wife team Chad and Courtney Ludeman bring Philadelphia its first “invisible service” boutique apartments – Lokal Hotel, nestled in the tranquil Old City. With no-frills minimalism, six studio-style suites indulge in an industrial inspired fantasy of natural lighting and exposed brick. Behind-the-scenes service means no front desk or breakfast, but all suites have full kitchens, Apple TV and an iPad concierge. Rooms from $215. (139 N 3rd St, +1 267 702 4345; staylokal.com)

11 Wreathing havoc – Christmas in the city

is incomplete without a visit to Christmas Village in LOVE Park.

12 Jeepers creepers – Fishtown is so-called because it was once a major fishing industry hub in the 18th and 19th centuries.

13 Woof and ready – Benji, a North Philly local, gives us his best side.

HISTORIC Shift between history and present day at Rittenhouse 1715.

Stately suites and classical design make up the interior, its original structure built in 1903 as the carriage house for an affluent family. It’s based in one of the city’s most celebrated neighbourhoods, Rittenhouse Square, and just a short walk from top restaurants, shops, cafés and parks. Rooms from $169. (1715 Rittenhouse Square, +1 215 546 6500; rittenhouse1715.com)

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CONTEMPORARY Confident, luxurious and modern, The Logan beckons both leisure and business travellers. The hotel is a 20-minute walk from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, minutes from the Franklin

Institute (science museum) and just steps from Logan Square. The hotel features a spa and three restaurants, including a rooftop bar. Rooms from $206. (1 Logan Square, +1 215 963 1500; theloganhotel.com)

SMART TIPS Christmas Village, open through Christmas Eve, is an outdoor market located at LOVE Park. The makeshift village features more than 80 vendors selling authentic European food, ornaments, mulled wine and hot chocolate. Bonus: the famous LOVE statue and park have recently been renovated and restored.

During the first Sunday of the month (between 10am and 5pm) and every Wednesday (5pm to 8.45pm), admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish.

Otherwise, tickets are $20 per adult.

Note that the museum is closed on Mondays. philamuseum.org

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to PHILADELPHIA four times per week from March 25, 2018.

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5 BEST

Festive Hotels

ROMEO BALLANCOURT

Treat yourself, or a loved one, to a surprise stay at a snazzy hotel this season, says Lucy White.

PARIS, FRANCE

PLAZA ATHÉNÉE

Sex and the City may feel like a hundred zeitgeists ago, but few can forget the scene when Carrie Bradshaw got an eyeful of the Eiffel in the series’ final episodes. It was filmed at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, whose undulating façade, flecked with red sun-shades, dates back to 1913, when it opened as a hotel and residence. It’s a considerably bigger, grander prospect these

days, thanks to a century of monarchs, dignitaries and A-listers passing through its doors – there’s also a Dior spa, and super-chef Alain Ducasse oversees all five restaurants. Check in and check out La Cour Jardin – the Plaza’s private ice rink – before elegantly scoffing a Christmas Tea spread.

Rooms from €825. (25 Avenue Montaigne, +33 1 5367 6665; dorchestercollection.com)

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Paris up to four times daily and from Cork daily.

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SMART EDIT | FESTIVE HOTELS

LONDON, UK

THE SAVOY

Built by theatre impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, The Savoy was Britain’s first luxury hotel when it opened in 1889.

Blindingly high-tech, it had electric lights and lifts, hot and cold running water and en-suite bathrooms. It has lost little of its lustre in the 21st century, with original and/or restored interiors honouring its glittering past – including Victorian-style bling this Yuletide. Until January 1 it hosts a Scents of Christmas Afternoon Tea in collaboration with the English heritage fragrance brand Penhaligon’s, while well-heeled revellers can raise a glass in the beautiful and storied American Bar – officially World’s Best Bar 2017 – before dining at the Savoy Grill, Gordon Ramsay’s homage to the hotel’s first ever chef, the mighty Escoffier. Rooms from £396. (Strand, +44 20 7836 4343; fairmont.com)

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to London Heathrow up to 15 times daily, from Cork four times daily, and from Shannon and Belfast thrice daily; and from Dublin to Gatwick up to six times daily.

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DISCOVER DUBLIN, ONE STEP AT A TIME.

Wander through Dublin’s history and discover its secrets at your own pace with our FREE walking tours app.

Download our FREE Dublin Discovery Trails App.

SMART EDIT | FESTIVE HOTELS

NEW YORK, USA

THE PLAZA

As one of Manhattan’s starriest hotels, The Plaza, unsurprisingly, pulls out all the stops during holiday season. It all starts the night before Thanksgiving, when hotel staff work throughout the night to decorate the entire property to royally surprise guests the next morning. Expect to be dazzled, literally, by decorations on the five-metre-plus tree in the lobby – if you’re not already bedazzled by the 24-carat gold-plated taps in your butler-serviced guest room – before taking a seasonally-inspired high tea in the leafy Palm Court. Also, don’t be fooled by the hotel having celebrated its 110th birthday in 2017 – far from fuddy-duddy, it has in-room iPad controls for lighting, temperature and services. Rooms from $488. (768 Fifth Ave, +1 212 759 3000; theplazany.com)

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to New York JFK twice daily, from Shannon six times per week, and from Dublin to Newark daily.

DUBLIN, IRELAND

THE MERRION

Even Ebenezer Scrooge would feel festive at Dublin’s venerable Merrion Hotel. Comprising four beautifully renovated Georgian townhouses on the same historic street that includes Government Buildings and the National Gallery, this festive five-star is decked with boughs of holly, and then some, from November to the 12th day of Christmas. Settle in front of a crackling peat fire in the Drawing Room, supping either afternoon tea or hot port to a live soundtrack of carol singing (selected dates in December). Or, retire to your classically decorated boudoir after a heavenly ESPA massage or facial for optimum, guilt-free hibernation. Rooms from €250. (Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, 01 603 0600; merrionhotel.com)

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T R AV E L

NETWORK

SMART EDIT | FESTIVE HOTELS

EDINBURGH, UK

THE WITCHERY

You could probably visit The Witchery at any time of year and feel a bit festive, such is its Gothic-revival ostentation.

Prepare to have all your Outlander or The Tudors fantasies indulged across what is essentially a collection of historic buildings dating back to the 17th century, some of which house nine suites, some its dining rooms: the eponymous – and opulent – restaurant, and a sibling eatery, The Secret Garden. Original oak panelling, four-poster beds, antique furniture and tapestries and Henry VIII-size roll-top baths collide with

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21st-century comforts, such as in-room Bose speakers and hair straighteners.

It’s all a bit bonkers but completely brilliant. Suites from £345 for two, including breakfast and a bottle of champagne. (352 Castlehill, +44 131 225 5613; thewitchery.com)

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Edinburgh up to four times per day, from Cork up to nine flights weekly and from Shannon six times per week.

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DESTINATION | BILBAO

48 HOURS IN

BILBAO Aoife Carrigy is charmed by Bilbao, a gritty city with a healthy helping of culture and gastronomy.

Don't miss . .

ALL THAT GLITTERS Frank Gehry’s titanium-hewn masterpiece of 20th-century architecture, the iconic Guggenheim Bilbao, is as beautiful inside as out. Its light-washed galleries are a joy to explore, spread over three floors interconnected by curved walkways and glass elevators, and housing world-class modern art.

(Avenida Abandoibarra 2, +34 944 359 000; guggenheim-bilbao.eus) STALL IT A tram ride or riverside walk from the Guggenheim brings you to the cobbled Casco Viejo (Old Town) and one of Europe’s largest covered food markets, El Mercado de La Ribera. On Sundays, when it’s closed, head instead to nearby Plaza Nueva for neo-classical shopping arcades crammed with thrift stalls, or to Paseo del Arenal for its fragrant, quayside flower market. (Erribera Kalea, +34 944 790 695)

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to BILBAO up to three times per week.

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Drink at . .

Top, charming Bilbao, above, structural beauty at the Guggenheim, right, there's plenty to discover and see on the streets of the city.

TASTING ENO For a delicious day trip, catch the daily Enobus from Bilbao into the juicy heart of Rioja Alavesa.

Explore the Medieval, honeycombed cellars of Laguardia town and the ancient wine presses of El Fabulista winery, followed by a Vina Real wine tasting and tour at the vast, Mazières-designed CVNE winery, before bussing it back from nearby Logroño. rutadelvinoderiojaalavesa.com

FIZZ IT Local Bilbotarras flock to the bars and taverns around Plaza Nueva and its nearby “seven streets” for pintxos (the Basque country’s signature tapas) washed down with lashings of txacolí, local, spritzy white wine.

Wherever you choose to start or finish your txikiteo (pintxos crawl), don’t miss a pitstop at the historic Restaurante Víctor Montes. (Plaza Nueva 8, +34 944 157 067; victormontes.com) CHILL OUT Lamiak Bar is a laid-back spot where you can while away the hours with board games and cake, browse an art exhibition – sangria in hand – or stir things up with a mojito while catching a local band gigging in this long-running, gay-friendly bar.

(Calle Pelota 8, +34 944 159 642) WORD UP Housed in a converted cinema, Kafe Antzokia began life in 1995 as a cultural centre and meeting place for speakers of the Basque tongue. Today it is home to a Basque language radio station and offers classes in traditional song and dance as well as hosting local bands and club nights. (Calle San Vicente 2, +34 944 244 625; kafeantzokia.eus)

Sleep at . .

LUXURY Under the watchful eye of Puppy, Jeff Koons’ landmark flower sculpture, the five-star Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao basks in the halo of the neighbouring Guggenheim. Don’t miss the excellent buffet breakfast on the terrace, where you can savour the shimmer of titanium in the morning light. Rooms from €119. (Alameda de Mazarredo 61, +34 944 253 300; hoteldominebilbao.com)

BOUTIQUE Fashion designer Antonio Miró’s simple style finds understated expression in his eponymous Hotel Miró, Bilbao’s original boutique hotel and spa directly across from the Guggenheim. Clean-lined rooms enjoy floor-to-ceiling views, while the sleek lobby offsets local black Marquina marble with its impressive contemporary art collection. Rooms from €105. (Alameda Mazarredo 77, +34 946 611 880; mirohotelbilbao.com)

QUIRKY Fusing retro design and cinematic inspiration with proximity to pintxos heaven (aka Plaza Nueva), each of Caravan Cinema’s five rooms and adjacent apartment come fitted out with smart TVs uploaded with the complete works of their namesake directors, from Hitchcock to Almodóvar. Rooms from €75. (Calle Correo 11, +34 688 860 907; caravan-cinema.com)

Clockwise from top right, bright colours team with contemporary art in the lobby at Hotel Miró; retro vibes at the Caravan Cinema; pinxtos are the signature dish of the Basque region, and make sure to visit a cideria and shout "txotx!" with the locals.

Eat at . .

GO NATIVE Experience the conviviality of the txoko, the hugely popular Basque cooking clubs where locals gather to cook the day away. Most are members-only but at La Ribera restaurant, you can join the chef in gathering ingredients from the adjacent food market and watch, glass in hand, as he prepares your traditional fare. (Erribera Kalea 20, +34 946 575 474; lariberabilbao.com) STARS ALIGN The Michelin-starred Etxanobe offers a creative exploration of traditional local dishes. Charming chef-patron Fernando Canales, who has fond memories of grafting in Dublin, works with his research and development team to push gastronomic boundaries, but various menu options allow diners to choose just how avant-garde they want to go. (Avenida Abandoibarra 4, +34 944 421 071; etxanobe.com) TXOTX! The post-Franco resurgence of traditional ciderias (cider houses) offers a chance to mingle with everyone from bankers to bus drivers as they jostle to drink directly from cider barrels, crying “txotx!” with every mouthful. At Asador Arriaga, chargrilled T-bones, blood sausages and cod omelette provide hearty soakage. (Calle de Santa Maria 13, +34 944 165 670; asadorarriaga.com)

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ADVERTORIAL

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ON BUSINESS

Making travel work for you

Bir m i n g h a m

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BRUM RUSH Did you know that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice? Clare O’Reilly does – and so much more.

A DAY IN THE LIFE Roisin McNulty ran away with the Cirque du Soleil – to be the troupe’s head therapist in performance medicine.

DYLAN HOTEL, ETC Lucy White finds glamorous digs in Dublin 4 and gets excited about new hotels in Belfast, Hamburg and San Francisco.

SIX THINGS I’VE LEARNT Husband-and-wife team Barry Scallan and Katie-Jane Goldin – blowing away the competition as Irish hair entrepreneurs.

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Business

Q

EAT

PORKY Nestled in the heart of the vibrant Jewellery Quarter – one of the hippest parts of the city centre – Hylton Café is the go-to if you’re after some proper Brummie bacon. Its porcine goodness is sourced from the West Midlands-based Bromsgrove Bacon Company. (2 Hylton Street, +44 121 554 7005)

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INDIE FAVOURITE The Eight Foot Grocer gets its name from the width of this former biscuit factory’s loading bay. Owner Chris James, of London restaurant scene alumni, changes the menu daily and champions independent, regional brands such as Cotswold Gold cold-pressed oils, Breckland Orchard Posh Pop and churned butter from the Severn Vale. (15 Caroline Street, +44 121 448 2388; the8footgrocer.com)

ANTON RODRIGUEZ

uestion: What do you get if you cross 1.1 million people, 17,473 new businesses in the last five years, 187 nationalities and 13.5 per cent annual economic growth?

Answer: Birmingham – home of Typhoo tea, Cadbury chocolate, Bird’s custard and pork scratchings.

It’s also home to one of the fastest growing business communities outside London, with 27 different cuisines covered by five Michelinstarred restaurants and some of the finest street food anywhere in the UK. It’s the city that gave birth to ELO, UB40 and Black Sabbath.

The city that hatched inventions from the windscreen wiper, the bicycle bell and the whistle, to the X-ray scanner, the vacuum cleaner and the electric kettle – and not forgetting Thomas Shelby of Peaky Blinders fame. Birmingham attracts 34 million visitors a year and is one of the youngest cities in Europe, with almost 40 per cent of its population under 25 and, astonishingly, 90 per cent of the rest of the UK is within 90 minutes’ travel time.

From thriving delis to boutique hotels, artisan shops and thriving markets, take your time to explore the Second City, whether Birmingham is your destination or one leg of your West Midlands journey.

STARRY The chef proprietors of Carters of Moseley, Brad Carter and Holly Jackson, have held onto their prestigious Michelin star in this year’s awards, delivering a wealth of locally sourced ingredients on an everchanging menu. Haute cuisine without the snobbery, dishes from the open kitchen include red mullet with courgette and bone sauce, and Lichfield strawberry tart. (2c Wake Green Road, +44 121 449 8885; cartersofmoseley.co.uk)

GET SMART

BRUM RUSH

It might be called “The Second City” but Birmingham offers a first-class visitor experience, says Clare O’Reilly.

FLEXIBLE Yoga Sweat in the centre of Birmingham offers lunchtime classes and post-work opportunities until 9pm most nights. Whether you’re a Bikram devotee or a Dharma bum, there’s a class for all abilities – and you might even get instruction by a former principal of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. (66-68 Severn Street, +44 121 643 7772; yogasweat.com)

ZEITGEIST Tilt offers the unusual, but no less hipster, combination of artisan coffee, craft beer and 13 pinball machines.

It’s unapologetically geeky and, when it comes to libations, the team has sourced some of the finest artisan lagers and ales in the world, stocked in a customised fridge. The punters here are so into pinball, there’s even a league.

(2 City Arcade, Warwick Passage, +44 121 643 1048; tiltbrum.com) SOCIABLE Centrala is where social enterprise meets art.

Run by the not-for-profit Polish Expats Association and based in the regenerated Digbeth part of the city, this multipurpose community space presents work by artists from Central and Eastern European. It also has a café, meeting rooms, hot-desking and studio rental for just £8 an hour. (Unit 4, Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, +44 121 439 3050; centrala-space.org.uk)

SMART FLIERS AER LINGUS flies from Dublin to BIRMINGHAM up to five times daily, from Cork up to twice daily, and from Shannon daily.

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Business

SLEEP

HIP Boutique proposition Saint Paul’s House entered Birmingham’s hotel scene last year and would be completely at home in Shoreditch.

It’s the third opening in the West Mids for husband-and-wife power couple Sharon and Adrian Harvey, who also own the Royal Hotel in Sutton Coldfield and the Village Inn in Moseley.

Rooms from £139.

(15-20 St Paul’s Square, +44 121 272 0999; saintpaulshouse.com)

BIJOU A converted Victorian villa in leafy Edgbaston, just five minutes from the city centre, The High Field Town House boasts 12 individually designed, en-suite rooms filled with locally sourced, hand-picked antiques, and its own gastropub. It’s the perfect base from which to explore Birmingham, not to mention its proximity to the famous cricket ground. B&B from £112. (23 High Field Road, +44 121 647 6466; highfieldtownhouse.co.uk)

EXECUTIVE Hotel Indigo occupies the 23rd and 24th floor of Birmingham’s iconic Cube building, which also houses two Marco Pierre White enterprises – his Steakhouse Bar and Grill and the self-proclaimed “ultracasual” Bardolino Pizzeria. It’s ideal for a business stay, not least with the health club and spa pool for decompressing after meetings. Rooms from £95.

(Wharfside Street, +44 121 643 2010; hotelindigobirmingham.co.uk)

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Building the present, creating the future Delivering construction solutions, within budget and on time, for: · FDI Hi-Tech Facilities · Healthcare Facilities · Commercial Offices · Biopharma · Pharmaceutical · Cleanrooms · Agri/ Dairy Food · Infrastructure · PPP Investment And FM Services

www.bamireland.ie

Building in Ireland for 60 years; it’s in our DNA

Business

CEO INSIDER… Originally from Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Jason Dowzell, 41, has built a home and a thriving business in Birmingham.

Natural HR, which he founded in 2010 with his wife Sarah, develops bespoke HR programmes and secure web-based platforms.

Where do you take clients? If it’s an informal catch-up, Saint Kitchen (Unit 2, 61a St Paul’s Square, +44 121 236 2940; saintkitchen.com), which is an independent café in the Jewellery Quarter. It’s not far from the office and, while it has plenty of healthy options to choose from, the Saint Breakfast with poached egg, sausage, bacon, sourdough toast and Lancashire black pudding is one of my favourites. Their coffee is fantastic too. For a working lunch or dinner – or a client meeting – The Rectory Bar (50-54 St Paul’s Square, +44 121 605 1001; rectorybar.co.uk) has a great modern British menu: pork belly with crispy ham hock, pan-fried salmon with squid-ink risotto and amazing burgers.

The tables are big, too, so there’s plenty of room. And Ginger’s Bar (11 Newhall Street, +44 121 200 1588; purnellsbistrogingers.com) is attached to the Michelinstarred Purnell’s Bistro. The bar has a fantastic wine menu and nibbles, and the atmosphere is loud enough that you can take clients to talk business without being overheard.

How do you find doing business in Birmingham? It is genuinely one of the friendliest cities I’ve worked in. The people are incredibly diverse but down to earth – there’s a warmth in Birmingham I haven’t experienced anywhere else.

It’s got great links with motorways and the airport, fantastic universities and colleges – and reasonably priced business properties, unlike in London.

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Not to mention the fact my staff come from across the West Midlands, so I hear a great diversity of Birmingham accents every day.

Where do you shop? Piccadilly Arcade on New Street is beautiful – it was first built as a picture house in 1910, and some of the shop fronts date back to the 1920s. Inside, Smithsonia (+44 121 643 8405; smithsonia. co.uk) is an independent gift shop with amazing gifts and trinkets from local artists.

Where do you eat? In the Italian Cucina Rustica (24 Ludgate Hill, +44 121 233 2277; cucinarustica.co.uk), in the Jewellery Quarter. It has a huge menu of amazing, unfussy food – the pizzas are delicious and the chicken tagliatelle is a favourite of mine. It’s well-priced and the staff are friendly, too. The service doesn’t slide even when it’s busy. And a carnivore’s heaven is Anderson’s Bar and Grill (30 Mary Ann Street, St Paul’s Square, +44 121 200 2515; andersonsbarandgrill. co.uk), an award-winning steakhouse that does different breeds of dry-aged beef.

Their sauces are fantastic and they’ve a series of speciality steaks, including sharing ones. The dessert menu and wine list are incredible too.

How do you get around? Uber’s fantastic and the trains and trams are so reliable. If it’s not far, though, I try to walk. A walk by the canals is always a minute’s peace in an otherwise busy day.

What’s your favourite time of year in Birmingham? St Paul’s Square was built in the 1700s and a lot of the buildings on it are grade II listed. St Paul’s Church – a survivor of the Blitz – is grade I and stunning. I love the square at any time of year but, in late autumn, when the leaves are falling and the colours have all changed, it’s especially beautiful and magical.

Fly return to BIRMINGHAM for 9,000 Avios points. Remember, if you don’t have enough points to fly to where you want to go, you can use those that you have and pay the rest in cash.*

*BASED ON RTN FLIGHTS IN PEAK PERIOD, EXCL. TAXES AND CHARGES

What were your first impressions of Birmingham? When I first came here for work from Co Tyrone back in 2001, New Street Station wasn’t the vibrant international travel gateway it is now – it was grey, grim and miserable. One sevenyear redevelopment later, starting in 2008, it’s now an amazing city.

WE MAKE THE COMPLEX CLEAR

Get in touch Andreas McConnell, Head of FDI amcconnell@philiplee.ie + 353 1 237 3700

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Pictured: Alice Whittaker, Partner, Environment and Climate

Business

I LOVE VISITING …

A DAY IN THE LIFE No two days are the same for Roisin McNulty, who tours the world as head physical therapist for Cirque du Soleil’s latest show OVO. 7.30am I go for a run to explore my new city. It’s my favourite way to start the week – an opportunity to see what’s around and set myself up for a good day with some fresh air and a workout. We have been fortunate to visit some amazing locations and I’ve had some memorable runs. Some were a little longer than intended, when I’ve been distracted by my surroundings.

9am One of the fun parts of moving our clinic every week is getting to play with setting it up.

We’ve set our clinic up in all sorts of rooms, from fancy VIP suites to smelly old locker rooms, and everything in between. Getting all our equipment into a new space is sometimes a challenge but we find a way to make it work and my Tetris skills have improved. I check that all our equipment is working after the move and do a quick stock take to make sure we have everything we need.

11am I check emails and plan for the week. Our international headquarters are in Montréal and there’s always a lot of communication back and forth regarding new artists coming to the show or artists returning after a break. I will also take a few minutes to catch up with the show’s head coach and artistic director. With 50 performers, there is a lot to keep track of.

12.30pm Training starts for the day. I review performers who need treatment or assistance with preparation as they train. I like to attend training sessions whenever possible to see how the artists are getting on. This is important – to observe their movement patterns and to learn about the incredible demands of new skills they may be working on.

1.30pm My fellow performance medicine

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GALWAY I’m a little biased having grown up there. Bustling with culture, Galway is a fantastic city that has something for everyone. Boutique restaurants and bars on cobbled streets in the Latin Quarter, buskers on Shop Street, walking the Salthill Prom and scenic drives out to Connemara make it a place like no other.

colleague arrives and we discuss what’s going on that day as well as filling each other in on the important business of the best coffee spots. The afternoon will be busy with both of us treating in the PMed clinic and working on prevention sessions with the artists in our gym area backstage.

5pm Team meeting with the artistic director, head coach and stage managers to discuss the line-up for that day’s show. Sometimes it can be a real juggling act to balance the workload of our artists across seven to ten shows per week and make sure we put on the best possible show every time.

5.30pm A quick visit to catering for dinner. We are very lucky to have an excellent catering team with us and it’s always a challenge not to go for seconds, the dessert is always that good. Next we do pre-show prep: assisting artists with their preparations including their strapping tape, warm ups and addressing any last-minute surprises.

7.30pm Showtime! The PMed therapist on duty watches the show from different vantage points around the stage/backstage – so that we are always ready to help the artists if they need it. I pinch myself sometimes while watching the show, realising that this is my job. The artists are incredible and, despite having seen them perform OVO numerous times, I still get goosebumps watching. Occasionally I’ll view the show as part of the audience to get a different perspective.

This gives me an insight into the performers’ experience every time they step on stage, which helps develop better understanding between us.

It’s an absolute privilege to be a part of something that brings such joy to people every night.

Cirque du Soleil’s OVO runs at London’s Royal Albert Hall from January 7 to March 4.

NEW YORK The city has always been a magical place for me and during our recent 18-month tour of North America, I made sure to pass through as often as I could.

Every time I visit I try to explore a new neighbourhood but good pizza and jazz at Arturo’s in Greenwich Village (arturosnyc. com) is my go-to for a sense of the oldschool New York type of evening.

SYDNEY I lived there for eight years before joining Cirque and am lucky to call it a second home. I don’t know many places in the world with a beautiful coastline like it so close to a major cosmopolitan city. My favourite things to do when I visit are: the coastal run from Coogee to Bondi, a walk around the botanical gardens and a trip on the Manly to City ferry at sunset.

MONEY, PASSPORTS, TICKETS,

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Business Hotel

GLAMOUR TI M E Looking for an elegant stay in Dublin 4? Sashay into the revamped Dylan Hotel, says Lucy White.

T

he Dylan was once a nurses’ home for the Royal City of Dublin Hospital. But, ten years into its reign as a boutique five-star hotel, the Victorian property is in rude health.

While there are still remnants of Tigerera ornamentation, the recent €10 million renovation – most of which went towards creating 28 new guest rooms – chimes with more understated times.

Baroque-style furnishings and a bold colour scheme remain downstairs, as do crepuscular corridors upstairs. But my Experience Suite – one of eight, each individually designed – is beautifully restrained thanks to a dashing, yet sober, Art Deco theme. Its black, gold, yellow and grey colour palette is swish, while velveteen textures ramp up the va-va-voom factor.

Ergonomic nooks and crannies, illuminated by gold lamps, are artfully stashed with style books and magazines, and a hidden vanity

desk with sockets is a thoughtful touch for minimalist primp-and-preeners. Also adding a 21st-century touch is the “floating” bed lighting and huge TV screen set into a walnut room divider.

The hotel’s proximity to Ballsbridge and the south city centre is excellent for anyone working in these areas, while its Tavern restaurant is formal enough for working lunches or deal-breaking dinners, without being pretentious. And once work becomes play, there are plenty of watering holes on the Dylan’s doorstep to choose between – Searson’s and The Waterloo pubs in particular are long-time favourites for the after-work crowd nursing their pints.

Double rooms from €174. (Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4, 01 660 3000; dylan.ie)

3 NEW CRIBS ON THE BLOCK

SAN FRANCISCO Fans of the Flatiron building in Manhattan will love the brand new San Francisco Proper, which shares the same architectural shape. Busy wallpaper and textiles, inspired by Modernist, Cubist and Secessionist eras, set it apart from more neutrally outfitted hotels, while its Mid-Market location is handily central.

What’s more, Proper’s restaurant team has a combined total of six James Beard Award nominations. Rooms from $209. (1100 Market Street, +1 415 735 7777; properhotel.com)

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HAMBURG It’s better late than never for The Fontenay, which was due to open in October 2017 but opens mid-January. Its monumental, undulating design was intended to reflect the perpetual movement of Lake Alster’s waters, beside which it’s built, the circular structure also echoed in its curvedwall interiors. Rooms are flooded with natural light, highlighting beautiful tessellating oak flooring and original artwork. Very tasteful and very luxe. Rooms from €355. (Fontenay 10, +49 40 6056 6050; thefontenay.de)

BELFAST The Northern Irish capital doesn’t just boast a Titanic Museum but also a 119room Titanic Hotel, in the former Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and HQ. The refit cost £28 million and will hopefully swim, not sink, thanks to a respectful nod to the past and tasteful maritime-influenced design. Guests can also visit the preserved Telephone Exchange room, which received the first communication of the ill-fated ship hitting the iceberg. Rooms from £140. (6 Queen’s Rd, +44 28 9508 2000; titanichotelbelfast.com)

Business

6 THINGS WE’VE LEARNT d

Barry an just become a mother and Katie-Jane’s had no time anymore, so I wanted something that was super-fast and would make my life easier. When you have a new baby, getting ready for work in the morning is a whole new ball game.

SMART CITY

AARON HURLEY

4 BARRY SCALLAN and KATIE-JANE GOLDIN are Ireland’s leading hair entrepreneurs. Married in 2014, after running off to Las Vegas, they joined forces in their work life and started building their hair business out of Ireland and the UK. Their brands include LanaiBLO hairdryers, InStyler styling tools and a hair extensions line Gold Fever, with other projects in the pipeline. lanaiblo.com

1

Learn to calculate risks KATIE-JANE Being an entrepreneur, one of the most important things in my line of work is taking risks – when launching a new product or brand you are never sure if it is going to be successful. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know and always wonder. Starting LanaiBLO was a big personal risk for Barry and I, but one which was carefully considered – I remember the day the first stock arrived in the warehouse and thinking to myself, I really hope this risk pays off or Barry will divorce me!

2

Keep things in perspective BARRY When putting the day-to-day hustle

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of running a business into perspective, appreciating the human, social and personal elements of your life can often be where solace and clarity can be found. My two-year-old son has a canny ability to make workrelated stresses and complexities dissipate instantaneously.

3

Trust your intuition KATIE-JANE I get a feeling for what will work and what won’t. I only move forward with a product if I truly believe in it and it is something that I would buy myself, that would bring value to my life.

With LanaiBLO, I knew there was a gap in the market for a hairdryer that would give a professional finish to someone at home. I’d

Maintain flexibility BARRY Modern marketplace dynamics are evolving at a rapid rate.

Joining the dots between your starting point and where you deem success to be requires a flexible approach now more than ever. On a weekly basis we commit to deals and strategies that even a short while ago might’ve seemed unlikely.

Quick re-evaluation of your position is a skill that needs to be developed – flexibility will enhance this process and ultimately move you forward quicker.

5

Say yes KATIE-JANE If someone asks me can I do something, I always say yes. There is always a way.

I might not know the way at that exact moment but I will find it and make it happen. If an opportunity comes calling, don’t turn it down.

Grab it and run with it.

DESTINATION We are in London at least twice a month. It’s so accessible – we can get in and out within the day if we want to get home to our son before bed. We often meet other distributors from around the world in London, it’s a great hub.

HOTEL We always stay in the London Marriott Grosvenor Square. It’s perfectly central, trendy and a great place to hold meetings.

Its 24-hour room service has a great little menu and the Gordon Ramsay restaurant there does fab cocktails and has an excellent sushi bar.

(Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, +44 20 7493 1232; marriott.com)

6

Don’t be a lone soldier BARRY Being creative and seeing ideas come to life commercially is rewarding, especially when considering the cost risk associated with starting something new. But the effort required to make a business sustainable is something that not many people are exposed to until they’re living it. Experience in this area is key, so ensure the people you consult to help you form opinions and influence your decision-making processes have the necessary experience to provide the additional context that you require.

EAT It has to be The Wolseley in Piccadilly. Casual atmosphere, amazing staff and the food is just awesome. We always want everything on the menu and can never decide if we want to go for lunch or dinner as both are fantastic.

(160 Piccadilly, St James’s, +44 20 7499 6996; thewolseley.com)

Aer Lingus flies from Ireland to London multiple times daily.

OURLM FI TOP O CE CH GEI131 PA

Inflight Sit back, relax and let Aer Lingus look after your inflight comfort and entertainment. Enjoy delicious food, the latest box office movie releases, a wide range of shopping and news from Aer Lingus.

Flying with Aer Lingus 124 Welcome aboard 126 Your comfort and safety 140 Flight Connections 142 Our Route Networks 146 Connecting to Wi-Fi Inflight Entertainment 130 Box Office Movies 132 Movie Classics 134 TV Shows 136 Boxsets 138 Music & Radio

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Welcome aboard Why not try spea king a few words of the native language while you are visiting Irelan d!

Flying with Aer Lingus means you will experience excellent customer service, comfort and, of course, safety. There’s plenty for you to enjoy on board and, on the following pages, you will discover how we’ll be taking care of you. After all, we’re here to help you make the most of your flight. If you have any special requests, be sure to let us know.

In touch with Aer Lingus If you are availing of Wi-Fi on your flight today, why not let us know what you’re up to on board and where you are going.

Take a photo and post it to our Facebook page. Let us know how you’re enjoying your flight on Snapchat or Instagram. Chat to us on Twitter where you’ll also find the latest flight information. View our videos of milestone events, festivals, sponsorships and campaigns on Youtube.

Fáilte Welcome Dia dhuit Hello Slán go fóill Good bye ...is ainm dom My name is.. .

Conas atá tú? Ho w are you?

Tá mé go maith I’m good Sláinte! Cheers Go raibh maith agat Thank you Gabh mo leithsc éal Excuse me Cara Friend

Guests with wheelchair requirements If you require a wheelchair to help you reach or depart from the plane, then we’re here to help you. Your comfort and safety are our priority, so please let us know at least 48 hours in advance and we will look after you.

When contacting us you will need your booking reference number.

Assistance Contact Details specialassistance@aerlingus.com

Aer Lingus is proud to be recognised as Ireland‘s only 4-star airline, awarded by Skytrax, the world‘s leading airline and airport review specialists.

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Ireland (0818) 365 011 09:00–17:00 Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00 Sat & Sun 10:00–16:00 Bank Holidays UK (0871) 718 20 21 Europe +353 1 886 8333 USA (516) 622 4222

Dohen y & Nesbitt 4 / 5 L O W E R B A G G O T S T R E E T, D U B L I N

Food served all Day, Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Live music Every Sunday and Monday from 8pm Private function rooms available

The staff and management of Doheny & Nesbitt welcomes you home & wishes you good tidings for 2018

A Dublin Landmark…

One of Dublin’s oldest pubs, situated in the heart of Dublin City Centre.

Doheny & Nesbitts is a haunt for many of the country’s leading politicians, sports and media personalities with bars and function rooms over three levels. Why not sample the finest in Irish food and drink.

Come and enjoy the craic and the banter in Doheny & Nesbitts - A must for any trip to Dublin.

W: www.dohenyandnesbitts.ie T: 00353 (0) 1 6762945 E: info@themangangroup.ie

DUNNE & CRESCENZI

Valued collection of Italian restaurants and wine bars DUNNE & CRESCENZI 14-16 South Frederick St Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (1) 675 9892 11 Seafort Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4 Tel: +353 (1) 667 3252 Blackrock Shopping Centre Tel : +353 (1) 525 2012

L’OFFICINA Dundrum Town Centre Tel: + 353 (1) 216 6764 Kildare Retail Village Tel +353 045 535850

www.dunneandcrescenzi.com

Proud to be part of the McKenna Top 100 Restaurant Guide

Voted overall

best pub in Ireland in the hospitality Ireland awards

Portable Electronic Devices You can use portable electronic equipment on flights but some devices can interfere with aircraft equipment, creating potential safety risks. Knowing how to set up your device for flight use and when to switch it on and off are therefore very important. Please note that certain devices may not be used.

Your comfort and safety When you fly with us, you want to know that we’re looking after your comfort and safety at all times.

We are. It is our number one priority and our crew are trained to ensure you reach your destination as relaxed as you need to be.

In return, we ask for your attention when it comes to safety announcements and knowing when, and how, to turn on your mobile, smartphone or portable device.

To avail of our Wi-Fi and Mobile Network, on our A330 aircraft, devices must be switched off flight mode – once our crew advise it is safe to do so.

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Are you ready for take-off and landing?

• Is your mobile phone and/ or other portable electronic device in flight mode?

• Is your seatback fully upright?

Devices permitted at any time Devices powered by micro battery cells and/or by solar cells; hearing aids (including digital devices); pagers (receivers only); heart pacemakers.

Devices permitted inflight only* Laptops, portable CD-players, Mini-disk players, GPS handheld receivers, electric shavers and electronic toys. For the comfort of other guests, audio devices should be used with a headset. If using laptops inflight please select flight safe mode before takeoff. *Not permitted during taxi/take-off/ initial climb/approach/landing.

• Is your armrest down?

• Is your tabletop stowed?

• Have you stored your bags in the overhead locker or under the seat in front of you?

To use your mobile phone and all other portable electronic devices during taxi, take-off or landing, they must be switched to flight mode or the flight safe setting.

If you wish to use your phone during your flight, please make sure you select flight safe mode before your phone is powered off. Please note, if your device does not have a flight safe mode it may not be used on your flight.

After landing and only when crew have advised that it is safe to do so, you are permitted to use your mobile phone, provided it is within easy reach. You must remain seated with your seatbelt fastened and follow the instructions of the cabin crew.

Devices prohibited at all times Devices transmitting radio frequency intentionally such as walkie-talkies, remote controlled toys; wireless computer equipment (eg mouse, keyboard); PC printers, DVD/CD writers and mini-disk recorders in the recording mode; digital camcorders when using CD write facility; portable stereo sets; pocket radios (AM/ FM); TV receivers; telemetric equipment; peripheral devices for handheld computer games (eg supplementary power packs connected by cable); wireless LAN (WLAN).** **Laptops with built-in WLAN (eg Centrino) may be used during flight, provided the WLAN option is turned off and subject to the restrictions associated with the use of laptops detailed above.

WELCOME TO DUBLIN'S FINEST GASTROPUB The Old Spot offers a sophisticated dining experience within a warm and relaxed pub atmosphere.

Enjoy award-winning food, fine wines, craft beers and great service to match.

Recommended by the Michelin 'Eating out in Pubs' Guide 2016 & 2017

14 Bath Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4. For reservations please contact us: T: +353 1 660 5599 | E: info@theoldspot.ie | Online reservations: www.theoldspot.ie

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Your comfort and safety Here are a few tips to make your journey more comfortable: Keep moving: On longer flights particularly, try to change your sitting position regularly and avoid crossing your legs. Take a walk in the cabin once the seat belt sign is off as this will get your circulation going and refresh your legs.

Ear care: Cabin pressure changes can be painful, particularly if you have a cold, sinusitis or existing ear problems. If you experience these problems during the flight, have a chat to our cabin crew.

Safety For your áilteacht Fógra Sábh Sécurité Pour votre Siche rheit Für ihre Seguridad Para su a Sicurezza Per la vostr

Please do

• Do not consume any alcohol brought onto the aircraft by you or another guest (including Duty Free alcohol purchased from Boutique). It is illegal to do so.

not remov

e from Aircra

ft

Airbus 330

-200

For your Safety

Fógr a Sábh áilteacht Pour votre Sécurité Für ihre Siche rheit Para su Seguridad

Per la vostr a Sicurezza Säke rhet omb ord Sikke rhet om bord Sikke rhed om bord Pleas e do

ON Airplane

ON Airplane

not remo

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Aircraft

Mode

Mode

ON Airplane Mode

ON Airplane Mode

• Do not interrupt cabin crew while they carry out their duties and do not interfere with aircraft equipment.

• We also want to make it clear that Aer Lingus may refuse to allow a guest on board if it is thought that too much alcohol has been consumed.

• Similarly, behaviour or language towards other guests or crew members that is deemed to be threatening or abusive will not be tolerated.

Eye care: If you are a regular contact lens wearer, it is a good idea to bring your glasses with you in case your eyes feel dryer than usual.

• Taking photographs or video of airline personnel, equipment or procedures is strictly prohibited on board.

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Airbus 319

• Please pay attention to instructions given to you by the cabin crew.

Drink up: Keep yourself hydrated throughout the flight by drinking plenty of water.

Time zones: Help beat jet lag by setting your watch to your destination’s time when you arrive on board. This will help you adjust to the new time zone faster.

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A safe flight for everyone. It is worth repeating that your safety – and that of everyone on board – is our number one priority therefore we ask that you:

Please pay attention to the cabin crew while they demonstrate the use of safety equipment before take off, and we strongly recommend that you read the safety instruction card in the seat pocket in front of you.

• Taking photographs or video of other guests on board without their express consent is prohibited.

• You may take photos or video of guests travelling in your party for your own personal use.

In line with Irish Government regulations, Aer Lingus has a no smoking and no electronic cigarettes policy on board.

These are not permitted in any part of the cabin.

Cars 3 Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world.

Box Office Movies Aer Lingus presents a variety of recently released movies for your enjoyment on board your flight.

Welcome to the international multiplex cinema in the sky.

A Ghost Story

R

Alien: Covenant

R

Atomic Blonde

R

Dunkirk

PG13

Girls Trip

R

92 mins | Drama A ghost tries to reconnect with his bereft wife. Stars Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Brea Grant

121 mins | Horror The crew of a colony ship discover an uncharted paradise. Stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup

115 mins | Action An undercover agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War. Stars Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman

106 mins | Action British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Stars Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance

122 mins | Comedy Four lifelong friends travel to the Essence Festival. Stars Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith

EN FR

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

EN FR DE IT ES ADEN CCEN

EN FR ES CCEN

Patti Cake$

R

108 mins | Drama An aspiring rapper fights an unlikely quest for glory. Stars Danielle MacDonald, Bridget Everett, Siddarth Dhanajay

EN FR DE IT ES

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

PG13

Spider-Man: Homecoming

PG13

129 mins | Action Captain Jack Sparrow searches for Poseidon‘s trident. Stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush

125 mins | Action Peter tries to balance his life, but a new threat emerges.

Stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

The Big Sick

R

The House

119 mins | Comedy A couple deals with their cultural differences.

Stars Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter

88 mins | Comedy A dad convinces his friends to start an illegal casino.

Stars Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Ryan Simpkins

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EN FR DE ADEN

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Dunkirk From filmmaker OUR M Christopher ILNolan TOP F ICInception, (Interstellar, E CHO The Dark Knight Trilogy) comes an epic action thriller depicting the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II.

OUR ILM TOP F ICE CHO

Home Again

PG13

It

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Kidnap

R

97 mins | Comedy A single mom allows three young guys to move in with her. Stars Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, Lake Bell

135 mins | Horror A monster dressed as a clown begins hunting children.

Stars Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard

94 mins | Thriller A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.

Stars Halle Berry, Sage Correa, Chris McGinn

EN

EN FR DE IT ES ADEN CCEN

EN

War for the PG13 Planet of the Apes

Wonder Woman

Transformers: The Last Knight

PG13

149 mins | Action The key to saving our future lies buried in the past. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Moner

139 mins | Action Caesar begins a mythic quest to avenge his kind. Stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

King Arthur: PG13 Legend of the Sword 126 mins | Action Arthur‘s legacy starts once he pulls a sword from a stone.

Stars Charlie Hunnam, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law EN FR DE IT ES ADEN CCEN

PG13

Cars 3

Logan Lucky

PG13

119 mins | Comedy Brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race.

Stars Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig EN FR

G

Despicable Me 3

PG

134 mins | Action Diana discovers her true destiny when she leaves home. Stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright

104 mins | KidZone McQueen sets out to prove he‘s still the best race car.

Voiced by Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper

90 mins | KidZone Gru meets his twin Dru for one last criminal heist.

Voiced by Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker

EN FR DE IT ES ADEN

EN FR DE IT ES ADEN CCEN

EN FR DE IT ES

G General PG Parental Guidance PG13 Parental Guidance. Not suitable for children under 13. R Restricted. Not suitable for children under 18.

Available in EN English FR Français DE Deutsch IT Italiano ES Español CCEN Closed Caption English ADEN Audio Descriptive English ENS English Subtitles AERLINGUS.COM |

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Movie Classics

A selection of classic movies is available on board today along with some recent popular remakes such as 21 Jump Street, Casino Royale and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Plus don‘t forget to check out some of our new and awardwinning Irish shorts and features too!

AER LINGUS IRISH FILMMAKER COMPETITION

Beetlejuice PG 92 mins | Stars Michael Keaton, Geena Davis

Casino Royale PG13 144 mins | Stars Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory 115 mins | Stars Johnny Depp

EN FR ES

EN FR DE IT ES

Fred Claus 116 mins | Stars Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti

PG

EN FR DE ES

Gulliver‘s Travels 83 mins | Stars Jack Black

Elf PG 97 mins | Stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart

Focus 105 mins | Stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

Get Hard R 100 mins | Stars Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie

Godzilla PG13 116 mins | Stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen

Gone Girl 149 mins | Stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

EN DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

EN

Heat R 170 mins | Stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

Interview R with the Vampire 123 mins | Stars Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise

Miracle on PG 34th Street 114 mins | Stars Richard Attenborough

EN

EN

EN

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

PG

PG13

138 mins | Stars Daniel Radcliffe

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

PG

R

Gremlins 106 mins | Stars Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates

R

PG

We are delighted to announce the winning short films of the Aer Lingus Irish Filmmaker Competition; Leap of Faith by Jonathan Farrelly, The Lost Letter

by Brian Willis and Goodbye, Darling by Maria Elena Doyle. Two of our winners, Goodbye, Darling and The Lost Letter are available for guests to view in our Irish Films section today, but don’t forget to keep watching this space for Leap of Faith, which will be coming to your screens very soon!

Goodbye, Darling

Rise of the PG13 Planet of the Apes 104 mins | Stars James Franco

Scream 111 mins | Stars Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore

Spy R 116 mins | Stars Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law

The Fault PG13 in our Stars 122 mins | Stars Shailene Woodley

The Maltese PG13 Falcon 101 mins | Stars Humphrey Bogart

EN FR DE IT ES CCEN

EN

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

EN ES

The PG13 Monuments Men 118 mins | Stars George Clooney

The Polar G Express 100 mins | Voiced

by Tom Hanks

The Shawshank R Redemption 142 mins | Stars Morgan Freeman

21 Jump R Street 110 mins | Stars Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum

(500) Days PG13 of Summer 93 mins | Stars Zooey Deschanel

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE IT ES

EN FR DE

EN FR DE IT ES

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R

PG13

11 mins | Drama A love story of an Irish Volunteer in the 1916 Rising.

Stars Aoibhinn McGinnity, Deirdre Donnelly EN

The Lost Letter

PG

8 mins | Animation A boy tries to spread Christmas cheer. Voiced by Kate Winslet EN

I R I S H S H O R T & F E AT U R E S

Foxes R 16 mins | Stars Marie Ruane, Tom VaughanLawlor

In This PG13 Place 19 mins | Stars Tristan Heanue

School PG13 Life 100 mins | Documentary

Seán Hillen, R Merging Views 11 mins | Stars Seán Hillen

Spotless PG13 11 mins | Stars Peter McGann, Hannah O’Reilly, Sean Doyle

The PG13 Drummer and the Keeper 94 mins | Stars Niamh Algar

The Final PG13 Fairytale 2 mins | Stars Aoibheann McCann

The PG13 Abandoning 17 mins | Stars Pema Ní Mhaonlaí Agogué

EN

EN

EN

EN

EN

EN

EN

EN

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See Exquisite Pieces of Crystal manufactured before your eyes

“It’s crystal clear”

A factory tour where you can almost rub shoulders with the artisans as they produce beautiful objects.

“Great Tour of Waterford Crystal” Great history, very close to the process and really beautiful items.

+353 (0) 51 317000 houseofwaterfordcrystal@fiskars.com www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com

LIFEST YLE

TV Shows Aer Lingus is home to some of the most anticipated new shows on TV including comedy, drama, documentary, lifestyle, business, sports and kids programmes.

Genius by Stephen Hawking Stephen Hawking reveals our true potential in a radically new kind of science show.

Three volunteers are set a series of challenges to answer one of the great mysteries of the universe. Is time travel possible? Hollywood movie directors and sci-fi writers have found it an irresistible topic, but can it be done? On board is Series 1, Episode 1.

BUSINESS

D O C U M E N TA R Y

CNBC Conversation S1, EP128, Arianna Huffington‘s mission to get us all to sleep more CNN Business Traveller S1, EP58, The art of hospitality CNN: Passion To Portfolio S1, EP4, Profiles of business leaders Futuris Compilation, leading research projects in Europe Global Conversation Compilation, Euronews questions world leaders Marketing. Media. Money: Cannes Special One-off special, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity C O M E DY

Baskets S1, EP3 & 4, Chip Baskets becomes a local rodeo clown Bob‘s Burgers S7, EP1 & 2, Bob and Linda run a hamburger restaurant Fresh off the Boat S2, EP 4 & 6, Taiwanese family’s life in Orlando Modern Family S7, EP3 & 6, Three families face trials and tribulations Mom S4, EP1–3, Mom Christy has her hands full with two children Powerless S1, EP1 & 2, An unusual insurance company The Last Man On Earth S1, EP10 & 11 Phil survives a cataclysm 134 |

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Aerial Ireland One-off special, A spectacular overview of the complexity of Ireland America: Facts vs Fiction S3, EP3, Myth and truth about iconic landmarks of Manhattan Gears, Grease & Glory S1, EP2, Mexican Lowriders Inside The Merchant S1, EP1, An afternoon tea topped with a fashion show in the hotel Metropolis S1, EP4, Barcelona, Architecture, design, and urban history of cities The Great Guide to the Future S1, EP1, The science-travel show hitches a ride in a time machine The Zoo S7, EP1, Gorilla‘s pregnancy causes excitement at the Rainforest Tracks and Trails S7, EP1, Join musical director and conductor David Brophy on a walk from Chapelizod to The Point, Dublin Why Is There Anything Instead of Nothing One-off special, A journey of Irish-American artist Tighe O‘Donoghue/Ross

50 Ways to Kill Your Mammies S3, EP2, Baz, Nancy and the mammies learn how to hunt deer Are We There Yet? S1, EP1, Two actors set off on a daring road trip Art in Ireland S1, EP1, Series that feature artworks from Ireland Diplo Presents: @Large – Creators at Work S1, EP8, Sculpture work focused on ideas of feminism Extreme Travellers S1, EP1, The wide spaces of Far East of Russia Jamie Oliver‘s Christmas Cookbook One-off special, The epic dishes to cook at Christmas Red Bull Cliff Diving – World Series 2017 Cliff dives from Inis Mór Science Of Stupid 2 – Christmas Special Combination of cold hard science with some festive clips Way Past Midnight S1, EP1, Caribbean Dance Hall

Videojug A selection of how-to videos containing tips and advice on a range of topics including beauty, style, food and drink, money and careers.

SPORT

American Motor Stories S1, EP3, Speed, power and beauty Fight Stars S1, EP1, The best combat sport stars Football’s Greatest III S3, EP4, Breath-taking footage and exclusive interviews with Kaká Gillette World Sport Precision in sport HSBC Golfing World A daily mix of the latest golf news The Ultimate Waterman S1, EP1, Talented watermen compete K I DZ O N E

Box Yourself Compilation, Make great things from cardboard Giving Tales S1, EP1–9, Hans Christian Anderson‘s fairy tales iCarly S4, EP1, Spencer makes a birthday gift for Carly Marvel‘s Avengers Assemble S2, EP2, Thanos tries to gain the Power Stone Planet Cosmo S1, EP5 & 6, Cosmo discovers sparkly showers Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated S1, EP1, The gang has to battle police The Day Henry Met? Compilation, Henry meets something new NEWS & EVENTS

In addition to our extensive selection of TV shows, Aer Lingus brings you exclusive weekly news updates, as well as updates from the world of sport.

Francis Brennan‘s Grand Indian Tour Ireland’s best known hotelier, Francis Brennan, is taking 12 guests on a surprise trip of a lifetime to India! The viewer will enjoy stunning visuals, pick up travel tips and get an insight into Indian society and culture. This is a gorgeous travelogue accompanied by heart-warming human reaction to new experiences. On board is Series 1, Episode 1.

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Game of Thrones Season 7 R The accomplished cast returns to your screens with a season that packs so much into seven episodes you’ll be desperate for more!

Boxsets

With all the families from the series converging on Westeros for the first time, the main characters are faced with difficult choices constantly. The questions of loyalty, honour, and trust are brought to the fore as Danaerys, Jon, Sansa, Arya, Sam, and Cersei deal with the repercussions of what transpired in the previous season.

Choose from five boxsets to watch on board today. Delve into the hugely popular Game of Thrones or the dystopian drama The Handmaid‘s Tale.

Also on board is the American teen drama Riverdale and the recently revived Twin Peaks.

However, while those in Westeros are fighting amongst themselves, an old enemy is approaching the Wall and it seems nothing can stop it. On board are Episodes 1–7, Season 7.

Twin Peaks Season 1

R

25 years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town were stunned when homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered, the supernatural, surreal and sometimes darkly comic Twin Peaks returns to our screens with many of the elements that cemented its cult status and inspired visionary showrunners like David Chase and Damon Lindelof. Telling the story of quirky FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper’s odyssey back to the idiosyncratic town, the eerie undercurrents of seemingly ordinary small-town life favoured by acclaimed director David Lynch also quietly return and have earned rave reviews from critics far and wide. On board are Episodes 1–10, Season 1.

Riverdale Season 1

PG13

This American teen drama takes a bold, refreshing view of the original characters from Archie Comics for the twenty-first century audience. A seemingly perfect small town is rocked by the death of one of the high school’s most popular students, twin Jason Blossom. His friends Archie, Betty, and Jughead struggle to deal with the aftermath while Jason’s twin sister, Queen Bee Cheryl causes waves. When new girl Veronica arrives, all their relationships are put to the test. This apparently idyllic town hides a lot of secrets, and mystery and darkness is bubbling beneath the surface. On board are Episodes 1–10, Season 1.

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The Handmaid‘s Tale Season 1 R Adapted from the classic novel

by Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the haunting, vivid and terrifying story of June Osbourne, a member of a caste of women forced into sexual servitude as a last desperate attempt to repopulate a world of declining fertility rates.

Subjected to the will of her commander and his cold, cruel wife, June is frequently humiliated and degraded; but under her mask of obedience, she has one goal: to survive and find the daughter that was taken from her. An intense and intelligent series, this is a must-see.

On board are Episodes 1–10, Season 1.

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Arcade Fire Everything Now is the fifth studio album from the powerhouse Canadian band. Co-produced by Daft Punk‘s Thomas Bangalter, it has a disco/ electronic edge – a natural progression from their previous LP Reflektor.

Highlights include the titular track and Signs of Life.

Music & Radio Browse through our selection of music and create your own playlist from a collection of over 1,000 albums.

On Demand Radio allows you to select and view your favourite radio shows.

CL ASSIC AL

Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott RTÉ Lyric FM Vox Nostra RTÉ Lyric FM EASY LISTENING

An hour long compilation of easy listening songs from Fitzpatrick Hotels INDIE

POP

98FM Big Flight Home

Eoghan McDermott 2FM Pop Charts Compilation of favourite pop songs Living in the 80s RTÉ Gold Digital Radio 98FM Big Flight Home Dara Quilty, 98FM Shay Byrne – Rising Time RTÉ Radio 1

Dara Quilty drives Dublin home every day with 98FM’s Big Ride Home. Now, he brings us his Big Flight Home with some of the biggest Irish acts of 2017. Featuring Graceful Dancer by his band Apella, the broadcaster has long had aspirations of rock stardom.

ROCK

Lost in Music Louise Duffy, Today FM

Marty Miller Radio Nova TA L K

IRISH

Ceol na Gael Seán Ó hÉanaigh, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Irish Pulse Compilation of Irish artists K I DZ O N E

Happy Days with Clara Clara Murray, RTÉ Junior

SPOTLIGHT

Gavin James Bitter Pill is the debut album from Dublin singer-songwriter Gavin James, featuring the popular hits For You and the eponymous title track which won Irish Song of the Year at Ireland’s Choice Music Prize in 2015

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Best of Moncrieff Seán Moncrieff, Newstalk RTÉ Radio 1 Documentary on One We offer two documentaries on this flight. The first is on cyclist Stephen Roche and his historic triple crown win in 1987. The second, on the largely unknown Irishman behind James Bond AU D I O B O O K

Fenian‘s Trace The story of two boys raised as brothers in early 1900s Ireland who choose different paths when the rebellion comes but fall in love with the same woman. Written by Sean P Mahoney and narrated by Liam Carney

Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott The Lyric Concert with Paul Herriott celebrates the very best of live classical music from music venues and festivals throughout Ireland. Dive into Franz Schubert‘s Octet in A Major recorded at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival 2017 and enjoy the timeless beauty of classical music.

Kesha

We appreciate your feedback on our inflight content. Tell us what you think, send us a tweet!

Listen as Kesha outgrows her wild-hearted club anthems in her third full-length studio release Rainbow, featuring the emotionally charged and satisfying pop piano ballad Praying as well as the powerful anthem Hymn that offers hope, comfort, and camaraderie.

Chloe x Halle R&B duo, sister act and YouTube sensations Chloe x Halle are signed to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment label and the The Two of Us is their follow-up to the excellent 2016 EP Sugar Symphony. Featuring tracks full of synth-pop splendour such as Tra Tra Tra, it’s not very difficult to hear why they are Ms Knowles’s newest protégés!

ALL TIME FAVOURITES

Aretha Franklin The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin Barbra Streisand Back to Broadway Bill Withers Making Music Billy Joel Cold Spring Harbor Cyndi Lauper Hat Full of Stars The Jacksons Goin‘ Places

COUNTRY

Dolly Parton Heartbreak Express Jessie James Decker Blackbird Sessions Levon Levon Luke Combs This One‘s for You Old Dominion Happy Endings Old Crow Medicine Show 50 Years of Blonde on Blonde (Live)

A LT E R N AT I V E

Everything Everything A Fever Dream Grizzly Bear Painted Ruins London Grammar Truth is a Beautiful Thing MISSIO Loner The Shins Heartworms Vancouver Sleep Clinic Revival CL ASSIC AL

Arcadi Volodos Volodos Plays Brahms Ezio Bosso The 12th Room Joshua Bell The Red Violin Concerto Sol Gabetta; Bertrand Chamayou The Chopin Album The Piano Guys So Far, So Good Yo-Yo Ma; Emanuel Ax Brahms Cello Sonatas

JA Z Z

Baptiste Trotignon & Yosvany Terry Ancestral Memories Bill Frisell Big Sur Branford Marsalis Quartet Crazy People Music Bria Skonberg With a Twist Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra Bebop Professor Larry Coryell & Steve Khan Two for the Road M E TA L

ELEC TRO

Faithless Sunday 8 PM Jean-Michel Jarre Electronica 1: The Time Machine Lost Frequencies Less is More Michael Bersch Departure Saint Etienne Smash the System Singles 1990–99 The Chainsmokers Memories ... Do Not Open IR ISH

Celtic Thunder The Very Best of Celtic Thunder Christy Moore King Puck Daithi In Flight Simon Taylor Now Then Scoops Beautiful World Tim Chadwick Early Days

Arch Enemy War Eternal In Flames Clayman Judas Priest Turbo 30 Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman Papa Roach Crooked Teeth Soilwork The Living Infinite OPER A

Huelgas Ensemble & Paul Van Nevel The Ear of the Huguenots Olga Peretyatko, Ural Philharmonic Orchestra & Dimitry Liss Russian Light Paul Potts One Chance Plácido Domingo,Pablo Heras-Casado & Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana Verdi The London Oratory Schola Cantorum Boys Choir Sacred Treasures of England

P OP

Calvin Harris Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1 Kesha Rainbow Lea Michele Places Superfruit Future Friends – Part One Transviolet Kaleidoscopes Wizkid Sounds From the Other Side RNB

Bryson Tiller True to Self Chloe x Halle The Two of Us DJ Khaled Grateful H.E.R. H.E.R., Vol 2 Kid Ink 7 Series Luke Christopher TMRWFRVR

ROCK

Arcade Fire Everything Now COIN How Will You Know if You Never Try Foster the People Sacred Hearts Club John Mayer The Search for Everything Kasabian For Crying Out Loud The Low Budget Men Mirror Games K I DZ O N E

Arthur Fiedler Classics For Children City of London Sinfonia; Stuart Hancock We‘re Going on a Bear Hunt Judson Mancebo Babies Love Pink Floyd Various Artists Baby's Bedtime Various Artists Baby‘s Classics AERLINGUS.COM |

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Flight Connections at Dublin Airport

Dublin Airport provides FREE Wi-Fi throughout the Terminal

Welcome to Dublin Airport Are your bags checked through to your final destination?

YES Follow signs for Flight Connections

Naisc Eitilte Flight Connections

Where are you flying to?

NO Follow the signs for ‘Baggage Reclaim’. After clearing passport control, your baggage belt will be displayed on the screens.

Collect your bags, exit through Customs and proceed to Aer Lingus Check-in Terminal 2.

USA USA GATES 401– 426 15 minutes walk to gate

Our staff are on hand for any queries you might have.

Here you can, collect your onwards boarding pass and check your next boarding gate and flight status

Gate Information Screens

Passport Control and Security Screening

GATES 401–426 15 minutes walk to gate GATES 101–335 20 minutes walk to gate

Have all your required forms filled out.

Aer Lingus Flight Connections Desk

ALL OTHER DESTINATIONS

Follow signs for US Preclearance

Geataí Gates

101-335

Hand Baggage search Follow signs for Flight Connections

Enjoy refreshments in one of the restaurants or cafés.

Departure Gate

AerClub Concierge, Platinum and Silver members are welcome to visit the Aer Lingus Lounge. You can work, eat, drink or even grab a shower between flights.

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If you have any queries about your connecting flight at any of our North American destinations please ask us. We will do everything we can to get you to where you need to be.

Flight Connections T2 London Heathrow

401-426

Geataí Gates Réamh-Imréitach SAM U.S. Preclearance

Duty free purchases containing liquids over 100ml must be in a sealed and tamper-proof bag with the receipt inside.

Flight Connections for North American destinations

On arrival at Terminal 2, Heathrow, please follow the purple signs for Flight Connections.

Which terminal are you flying from?

For Terminals 3, 4 and 5, a dedicated bus will transfer you. Buses are free and depart every six to ten minutes. If you are flying from Terminal 2, proceed to security screening and enter the departures lounge.

Security screening You will pass through security screening at this point. Your hand baggage will be checked to ensure it conforms to UK and EU regulations. Liquids in containers over 100ml are not allowed through security.

Departure lounge Check the screens in the departure lounge for when your gate opens and when your flight is ready for boarding.

Historic O’Neill’s

MARCO PIERRE WHITE STEAKHOUSE & GRILL DUBLIN

DUBLIN’S FINEST STEAKHOUSE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR LUNCH AND DINNER

D

ublin is well known for being one of the best places to spend Christmas and the New Year. It comes alive with festive spirit, smiling faces, spectacular street lights, carol singing, pantomimes, Santa’s Grottos and maybe even a bit of snow.

This New Year’s Eve celebrations promise to be bigger and better than ever, and we’re right in the middle of everything.

What better way to enjoy this festive fun than a visit O’Neill’s, one of Dublin’s most famous and historic pubs. Whether you’re a visitor, native Dubliner or coming home for Christmas, when you visit O’Neill’s you’ll receive a warm and friendly welcome.

Drop in for a mince pie and mulled wine or a delicious traditional Roast Turkey and Baked Ham dinner with all the trimmings. We have some real crackers on the menu this year, In fact, Lonely Planet rate us as one of the Top five Places to find ‘Real Irish food in Dublin’. Food is available throughout the day, starting at 8.00am with our ‘Really Good’ Irish Breakfast Menu, until late every evening.

We also have Traditional Irish Music and Dancing 7 nights-a-week, a fully heated Roof-Top Beer Garden and Smoking Area, the largest selection of local Irish Craft Beers on tap in Ireland and a connoisseur Whiskey Bar. On top of that we offer free Wi-Fi to all our customers just to help you keep in touch!

Sure where else wouldyou want to go?

LATE OPENING FRIDAY & SATURDAY Traditional Irish Music and Dancing 7 nights-a-week.

The Chef carving from a selection of freshly roasted meats at the Carvery.

51 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Ph: 0035316771155 Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner dawson@marcopierrewhite.ie Slowly Braised Wicklow Lamb Shank in a Red Wine, Rosemary and Shallot Jus, served on a bed of Fresh Creamy MAsh

M.J. O’Neill, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 679 3656 www.oneillspubdublin.com Mon-Thurs: 8.00am-11.30pm Fri: 8.00am-12.30am Sat: 8.00am-12.30am Sun: 8.00am-11.00pm SatNav 53.343958, -6.260796

Top 5 places to find Real Irish Food in Dublin

NOW OPEN IN DONNYBROOK Supper club with live music every Friday night 1 Belmont Ave, D 4 Ph: 0035315510555 courtyard@marcopierrewhite.ie

www.marcopierrewhite.ie

Our European and North American Route Network

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Miami Key West

San Juan Aguadilla Ponce

We are the best choice for connecting Europe to North America. You can travel from Dublin direct to twelve US destinations, or to Canada, and benefit from up to 100 onward connections with our partner airlines.

You can also fly from Shannon direct to Boston and New York JFK. With US Customs and Border Protection Pre-clearance at Dublin and Shannon airports, you will save time and avoid queues in the US. Arrive in the US before you depart Ireland.

Aer Lingus European and North American Network Aer Lingus Regional routes (Operated by Stobart Air) Aer Lingus Regional and mainline routes Aer Lingus partner destinations (Operated by Flybe, for routes via Dublin to North America) Aer Lingus partner destinations (American Airlines, Air Canada, Jetblue, United Airlines and WestJet) Aer Lingus partner destinations (Operated by City Flyer)

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Aer Lingus fly direct to and from over 100 destinations across Ireland, the UK, Continental Europe, Canada and the US. Our vast network and partners will also connect you to dozens of other cities in North America.

Visit aerlingus.com for more information.

Aberdeen Glasgow

Newcastle

Donegal

Belfast Leeds Bradford Doncaster Manchester

Isle of Man

Knock

Dublin

Shannon Kerry

Edinburgh

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Cork

Cardiff Newquay

s

Berlin

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Toulouse

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Bilbao

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Venice Milan Verona (Malpensa) Milan (Linate) Bologna Pula Nice Pisa

Split

Marseille

Bourgas

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Madrid

Alicante Murcia Malaga Faro

Tenerife Gran Canaria

Lanzarote Fuerteventura

Corfu

Palma

Lisbon

Try our online route map You can view our destinations and book your flight directly from our route map. Perfect for viewing from your ipad, it is built using Google maps so no need to install any software, just browse and book!

Athens Catania

Izmir

Our Middle East, Australasia and South African Route Network You can now book flights from Dublin to destinations in the Middle East, Australia and South Africa via London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi. Visit aerlingus.com for more information.

Dublin

London Heathrow

Bahrain

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Muscat

Kuala Lumpur Singapore

Aer Lingus routes via Abu Dhabi (Operated by our codeshare partner Etihad Airways) Aer Lingus routes via London Heathrow (Operated by our codeshare partner British Airways)

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Perth Sydney

Melbourne

Staying connected on board*

Choose how you access the internet on board. We have three options for you to select.

THE SMARICTE CHO

Aer Social

Aer Surf

Aer Max

€6.95

€13.95

€29.95

UP TO 50MB

UP TO 120MB

UP TO 250MB

$7.95

$15.95

$32.95

Mobile Network on board

Wi-Fi on board in six steps

With our onboard mobile network, AeroMobile, you can use your phone for text, email and internet browsing, just like you would on the ground**.

Stay connected even as you cross the Atlantic.

On our A330 aircraft you can stay in touch with everything that matters, even when you’re in the air. Here’s how to connect your Wi-Fi enabled devices.

1 Switch on

Once the safety belt sign has been switched off, turn on your device and connect to the Telekom HotSpot Network. SSID: Aer_Lingus_WiFi

2 Aeromobile

2 Connect

Wait for the AeroMobile network signal to appear. If your device does not connect automatically, manually select the AeroMobile network through network settings.

3 Welcome SMS Once connected you will receive a welcome SMS from AeroMobile. You may also receive a pricing message from your mobile operator.

International roaming rates apply.

4 Connected You can now use your phone for SMS, MMS, email and browsing the internet. ** Voice calls are disabled and are not permitted during flight. Remember to manage your settings to avoid automatic data download and roaming charges.

International roaming rates apply from your mobile phone operator 146 |

1 Switch on

Switch on your mobile when it is safe to do so, keeping it on silent or vibrate mode.

Ensure you switch off flight safe mode.

| AERLINGUS.COM

Launch or refresh the browser to connect to the Aer Lingus portal. You can browse aerlingus.com for free along with some of our partners’ sites.

3 Purchase Internet Access Click the ‘Buy Internet Access’ button and choose a plan.

4 Payment Select your payment method which is processed via a secure connection. Credit card, roaming, iPass, PayPal or Deutsche Telekom accounts are accepted.

5 Username and Password Enter a username and password. You need to remember these if you wish to change device.

6 Connected You can now browse, email and surf the internet… enjoy! *A330 aircraft only.

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AWARD WINNING IRISH TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT

GREAT BAR FOOD & LUNCHES SERVED EVERY DAY

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Look us up online

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WELCOME TO YOUR WORLD-CLASS 4-STAR AIRLINE. In recognition of our consistent quality and excellent guest experience, Skytrax World Airline Awards has rated Aer Lingus 4-stars, making us the first and only Irish airline to receive such a prestigious rating.

Smart flies 4-star. Smart flies Aer Lingus.

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DOWN SOUTH

PHOTOGRAPH BY MELANIE MULLAN

TRIP OF A LIFETIME | SOUTH AFRICA

Mary Heffernan is OPW general manager for several historic properties, including Dublin Castle, Farmleigh and the Glebe Gallery, Donegal. Here she recalls a bittersweet trip to South Africa. he principled stand that Dunnes Stores employee Mary Manning and her colleagues took on South Africa and the apartheid regime in the 1980s left an impression on me from a young age. So, years later, my husband Stephen and I were very interested to travel to this country and see it for ourselves and our abiding memory is of Paradise Found.

We were based in Cape Town for the first week and loved the cool, contemporary feel of the city, from its Art Deco villas and Cape Dutch architecture on the harbour front, to its super-cool cafés and restaurants all with a unique vibe – very different to Europe, the United States or Asia – and some great design, and vintage and contemporary boutiques.

The Old Town House Museum, with its Dutch and Flemish 17th-

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century painting collection, was an unexpected wonder. The V&A Waterfront is a must do but rather touristy, however the cableway ride to the top of Table Mountain gave us a breathtaking view over Cape Town out to Robben Island. Being up there reminded me of the Burren, with its flat rocky plateau and abundance of wildflowers.

The botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch did not disappoint either and the trip along Chapman’s Peak Drive to Cape Point National Park was awe inspiring. Gazing out on the Cape of Good Hope brought back school lessons on pioneering explorers. Arriving by boat out to Robben Island was another emotional experience. Our tour was led by a fellow prisoner of the late Nelson Mandela and it was very moving to see the prison and Mandela’s cell.

Another trip close to Cape Town brought us to Boulders Bay and a

rare chance to walk with African penguins on the beach. Going further afield, we spent a few days in Hermanus and took a boat ride to go whale watching. It seemed a cool thing to do but, as I held on to my six-month-old daughter on the boat while this extraordinary whale leaped out of the water mere feet from us, the reality of what we were doing hit me. Let’s just say I was very glad to get back to the harbour.

For the second week we based ourselves in the stunning university town of Stellenbosch, at the heart of the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch is very upmarket, with a unique African spirit and fantastic restaurants. From a professional point of view, I was bowled over by the presentation and hospitality offered at the world-famous wine estates. It is really difficult to choose which ones to highlight as the standard overall is extraordinary, however Vergelegen, Boschendal and Tokara left lasting impressions. It is hard to describe the clear pride and passion each estate demonstrates in the wonderful experience they offer.

Whether it’s the wine tasting, the stunning gardens, the Cape history, the wonderful restaurants – it all adds up to a commitment to really high standards and exceptional experiences for visitors.

Back home, we may not have the guaranteed weather but I have tried to bring something of that South African “great day out at historic sites” approach to the places I manage. Anyone spotting the African Agapanthus at Farmleigh and Castletown will appreciate my nod to that unforgettable trip to “the Cape”.

Great little things about Ireland

no. 17

The smell of turf smoke from a real fire

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