Cara October/November 2014

CARA Magazine October/November 2014

October/November 2014

Deirdre O’Kane Irish craft folk Rome The Boyne Valley

Noble Act

Copenhagen

GOOD WORKS FROM ACTOR DEIRDRE O’KANE

New York Ski Resorts

An eco-trip in Copenhagen

Vienna

New York, New York

The ultimate shopping guide

It’s child’s play

Danish delight

Roman holiday

Barcelona

Get in the flow

Explore the Boyne Valley

Manchester

PLUS

CRAFTING THE FUTURE MEET IRELAND’S ARTISANS COMPLIMENTARY COPY

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Contents OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

42 Makers and shakers

68

Boyne Valley gold

Check in 04 ARRIVALS Hello there, T2 newcomers!

07

CHECK IN Our guide to the hottest hotels, events and food news this season

18

ON MY TRAVELS Golfer Graeme McDowell’s high life highlights

20 MY TRAVEL NOTEBOOK Talking shop with Folkster’s Blanaid Hennessy 22 SMART TRAVELLER Nokia’s Conor Pierce on Dubrovnik 24 SUMMIT’S UP Karlin Lillington conquers Dublin’s major web event 26 CARRY ON CUTIES Ruth Anna Coss’s child-placating clobber 28 MONUMENTAL TASK Bridget Hourican leafs through Ireland’s art and design history 30 GEEK IS GOOD Science Week unleashes Sarah Breen’s inner nerd 32

WEEKENDER Sheen Falls provides a great escape for Ellie Balfe and family

34 SHELF LIFE New reviews from Bridget Hourican, plus a Q&A with Colm Tóibín

92 Shopping smarts

Features 36

54

NOBLE CAUSE Deirdre O’Kane tells Tony Clayton-Lea about her major new film role

Roman style

42 MAKERS AND SHAKERS Amanda Cochrane meets Irish craft talent 54 LITTLE STEPS OF ROME A Roman holiday guide for families, by JM Pasquesi 68 VALLEY OF THE KINGS Frances Power takes a history tour of the River Boyne

Regulars

80 ECO AND FRIENDLY Fergal McCarthy goes green in Copenhagen

116 48 HOURS IN VIENNA Carly Hulls’ waltz around Austria’s capital

92 ONLY IN NEW YORK Patrick Rogers’ edit of indie shopping surprises

119 AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO BARCELONA A Killian Cooper’s-eye view

106 7 BEST SKI RESORTS On and off-piste highlights

by Catherine Murphy

122 SPOTLIGHT Lucy White’s mad for Manchester

114 A WING AND A PRAYER Sheila Wayman tries her hand at falconry

125 AER LINGUS INFLIGHT The latest news and entertainment 152 TRIP OF A LIFETIME Writer Hugo Hamilton on West Cork

Contributors EDITORIAL Editor Frances Power Deputy Editor Lucy White Assistant Editor Niamh Wade Sub-editor Sheila Wayman Contributors Dave Robbins, Ruth Anna Coss, Bridget Hourican, Lisa Hughes

Amanda Cochrane is the former editor of Am Image Ima Interiors & Living magazine, and returned to London earlier this year to pursue a freelance career as a writer and editor. Busy setting up an ca online enterprise, she’s passionate about design on and craft. “I was so inspired meeting and talking to Ireland’s talented craft makers,” she says of the folk she interviewed for Cara, page 42. “In particular, I was blown away by the energy and dedication of Kathleen McCormick, who took up basket making in her mid-fifties and proved it’s never too late to go after your dreams.”

Editorial Director Laura George ART Art Director Clare Meredith Creative Director Bill O’Sullivan ADVERTISING Commercial Director Clodagh Edwards +353 (0)1 271 9634, clodagh.edwards@image.ie Advertising Director Noëlle O’Reilly +353 (0)1 271 9621, noelle.oreilly@image.ie Advertising Executive 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 Events & Communications Manager Maeve Barry, +353 (0)1 271 9643, maeve.barry@image.ie Financial Controller Olga Gordeychuk Credit Controller Lisa Dickenson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Ann Reihill Directors Patrick Dillon Malone, Laura George, Richard Power, Robert Power, Gina Traynor PRINTING Boylan Print Group ORIGINATION Typeform

Fergal McCarthy is an artist and makes films, sculptures and installations.

His large-scale public art projects on the Liffey include Liffeytown, a floating estate of Monopoly houses and No Man’s Land, an artificial island moored in the Dublin docklands where he lived for a week in 2011. On Copenhagen, he says: “It was fantastic to finally visit one of the world’s greenest cities and write about the trip for Cara [see page 80] ... much of my work is about rivers so it was fascinating to see how the Danish capital has been revitalised by embracing its harbour.”

JM Pasquesi, author of award-winning,

Cara magazine is published on behalf of Aer Lingus by Image Publications, Unit 3, Block 3 Harbour Square, Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland, +353 (0)1 280 8415; advertising sales, +353 (0)1 271 9625; fax +353 (0)1 280 8309; image.ie, email info@image.ie.

Company registration number 56663

Rome with Kids: An Insider’s Guide, gained a passion for the Eternal City at university. Living in Rome with her children added charm to ancient history. “Writing about Rome is a lovely anc multi-sensory experience,” she says of her mu feature for Cara this month, page 54, “conjuring fe ancient marbles worn smooth, scents of fresh anc baked bak breads, and cobblestone patterns.”

JM contributes to a variety of magazines and appears on travel shows, such as Rick Steves’ app Radio.

Beyond Italy, JM enjoys oil painting Ra and photography.

© Image Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. Editorial material and opinions expressed in Cara magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Aer Lingus or IMAGE Publications Ltd. Aer Lingus and 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.

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

October/November 2014

Noble Act

GOOD WORKS FROM ACTOR DEIRDRE O’KANE

IMAGE Publications Ltd –

PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2013 TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL NOËLLE O’REILLY ON +353 (0)1 271 9621 OR EMAIL NOELLE.OREILLY@IMAGE.IE

New York, New York

The ultimate shopping guide

Danish delight

An eco-trip in Copenhagen

Roman holiday

It’s child’s play

Get in the flow

Explore the Boyne Valley

PLUS

CRAFTING THE FUTURE MEET IRELAND’S ARTISANS COMPLIMENTARY COPY

ON THE COVER

Deirdre O’Kane photographed by Sean Breithaupt and Yvette Monahan.

Welcome to our new issue! We are all take yours. Feel free to ay for this magazine aw ey. your onward journ e your We would also lov l feedback and trave r photos via Twitte . @CARAMagazine

WHO? Hadi Shuaib and Hazel Cullen FLYING IN FROM ... London Heathrow HADI SAYS ... “We’ll be wearing wellies for the next two weeks – we’re off to shoot an ad on a farm in Co Tipperary.”

WHO? Prakesh Vijayanath FLYING IN FROM ... Glasgow PRAKASH SAYS ... “I’m here to train hard for the Irish Open in Baldoyle with top badminton coaches while on a scholarship at Trinity College Dublin.”

WHO? Heather her Corona FLYING IN FROM ... San Francisco HEATHER SAYS ... “I’m here on business for five days but the Guinness Storehouse and Old Jameson Distillery are on my agenda too.”

Arrivals

Tours, training and tasks await th these travellers – Cara magazine was at Dublin Airport’s T2 to meet them.

WHO? Nadin Nadine Moch and Ma Marcus Beste Best FLYING IN FROM ... Düsseldorf NADINE SAYS ... “We are working in Dublin for four days, but plan on listening to traditional music in our free time.”

WORDS BY NIAMH WADE / PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTHONY WOODS

WHO? Heidi Bullock and David Cain FLYING IN FROM ... San Francisco HEIDI SAYS ...

“Despite having to work, we want to see as much as posible this week. Also, we loved the direct flight, very convenient.” nvenient.”

WHO? Robert Walsh FLYING IN FROM ...

Dallas ROBERT SAYS ... “I’m home after a few months coaching soccer to children in the US. I’m really looking forward to seeing my family.”

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

WHO? The Whittle Family FLYING IN FROM ... Vancouver via Paris THEY SAY ... “It’s eight days of touring the south for us – we can’t wait.”

WHO? From left, Janusz and Andy McNeill FLYING IN FROM ... Brussels JANUSZ SAYS ... “We spent four days at the Grand Prix but sadly it’s back to Co Down for work.”

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Take the time to enjoy our magical CASTLE GARDENS

Open all year round 5 miles from Cork Open Monday- Sunday 9-6 www.blarneycastle.ie info@blarneycastle.ie c

c

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Check in Open minds

Find out what’s on, where and when in October/November

AIRFIELD HOUSE BY ARCHITECTS SOLEARTH © ROS KAVANAGH

“When I grow up I want to be an architect.” This is what the Irish Architectural Foundation hopes to overhear at this year’s Open House Dublin, October 17-19, which includes a popular Open House Junior series for children. Every year, more than 100 buildings throw open their doors to reveal their structural and aesthetic secrets – from public to private properties, from gorgeous Georgians to urban spaces at the cutting edge of contemporary design. Free tours abound for all ages, while kiddies can partake in hands-on workshops, as well as a special “Architrek” event in Dun Laoghaire. architecturefoundation.ie/openhouse

Check in Compiled by Lucy White, Niamh Wade, Dave Robbins, Michelle O’Brien and Jessica Kain

STAY

4 seaside hotels Our guide to going coastal …

Salthill Hotel, Galway

Blow away the cobwebs this autumn at this scenically appointed hotel on Salthill Promenade, overlooking Galway Bay and the strand. Not only is it just a 20-minute walk to the city centre, but the hotel makes for a stellar stopover while on the Wild Atlantic Way. It has a lively bar, plus a 25-metre swimming pool in its spa and fitness centre, should the sea prove too nippy. Rooms from €59. salthillhotel.com

Villa Ana Margarida, Ericeira

Some 35 kilometres northwest of Lisbon, this eco-haven combines solar and wind power with fantastic views of the Atlantic – ideal for nature-loving surf dudes. There’s a choice of villa and studio accommodation, overlooking either the beach or the pool. Free laundry facilities, mini golf and an honesty bar add to the laid-back vibe. Villas from €350 per week (2-6 persons). surfholidays.com

BEAUTY

Vistas don’t come much better than from this five-star hotel perched atop a cliff in Half Moon Bay. At once rugged and manicured – it is also a golf resort – this Ritz-Carlton property excels in relaxed luxury; even pets are welcome. Its spa is a whopping 1,500 square metres and each of its eateries and bars has expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. Rooms from $445. ritzcarlton.com

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea, Sicily

Boasting a private beach on the elegant Bay of Mazzaro – a cable car takes guests to Taormina town centre – this 19th-century former residence couldn’t be any more honeymoon-friendly.

However, it also welcomes children with open arms via a Smile Club, buckets, spades and snorkels, and mini-bathrobes, slippers and welcome packs.

Rooms from £433. belmond.com

SPORT 3

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5 1 Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream, €15 at The Body Shop 2 Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne by Jo Malone, €102 at Brown Thomas 3 Longest Lash Mascara by Jane Iredale, €43, at Touch & Glow, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan 4 The Illuminating Powder by Creme de la Mer, €90 at Brown Thomas 5 Mermaid Hair Shampoo by Mermaid Perfume, £26 at liberty.co.uk 6 Super-Nutrient Anti-Ageing Serum, €37.50 at seavite.com 7 Seaweed & Sage Body Wash

by REN, €16 at Arnotts, Dublin 1

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Simply oar-some Biceps will be bulging this October 18-19, when some 11,000 rowers compete in the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Massachusetts.

The annual river marathon attracts around 400,000 spectators to its five-kilometre course, whose banks will be lined with special “villages” and pit-stops offering food and drink to supporters. Recommended vantage points include the Weld Exhibition – the race’s halfway point, between the Lars Anderson and Weeks bridges – while those of superior upperbody-strength can be found at the Rowing and Fitness Expo at Christian Herter Park in Allston – also the site of the event’s awards ceremonies. hocr.org MASON D COX

Marine inspired ...

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The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco Bay

“It wasn’t the screaming that put our customers off.

It was the hair...”

...which was a little surprising, our customers having been a strikingly fashionable lot for 170 odd years. When Beatlemania hit Dublin, the four gentlemen concerned made their only appearance in Ireland in a cinema that is now part of the Arnotts building.

To say that you could probably have heard the screaming in the street at cruising altitude is only a slight exaggeration. Then, in the following weeks and months, we started seeing women bringing their men in for a little wardrobe overhaul. Tighter trousers. Sharper shoes. Shorter jackets. Skinny ties. But the hair remained more Dublin than Liverpool.

Ours not to reason why. Ours simply to offer whatever’s next, since 1843.

Photo courtesy of Independent Newspapers

B E A U T Y

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W W W. A R N O T T S . I E

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PARADE

ACTIVITY

Running amuck Whether you’re a participant or a spectator at this year’s Runamuck Challenge in Co Kildare, on October 18, leave the whites at home – mud will surely fly. Some 5,000 competitors will be tying their runners tight as they climb, crawl and slide their way around the soggy obstacle course, the choice of a five- or ten-kilometre loop in the grounds of Clonkeeran House. Fancy dress is optional, but it may save days of washing expensive running gear ... runamuckchallenge.com

Where else can you find elaborate floats, marching bands, 15-metre balloons, dancers and a certain white-bearded man?

Nothing kicks off the holiday season better than Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which attracts some 3.5 million rubberneckers to Manhattan – a far cry from when Mickey Mouse made his debut in 1934, right.

Celebrating its 88th birthday this November 27, festivities will commence at Central Park West 77th Street and head west to 34th Street. social.macys.com/parade

MACY’S, INC

Block party

nal Arts Festival for TEEN DREAM Baboró Internatio diverse programme taking Children turns 18 this year, its nce, technology and in puppetry, performance, scie ng adults. baboro.ie music for ages 18 months to you

FAMILY

The origins of Halloween are hotly contested, but Co Meath is quite sure that it stems back to the Gaelic Samhain, and specifically to the Hill of Ward, near Athboy. And so the entire county is getting its ghoul on for the Spirits of Meath Festival (October 17 to November 2; spiritsofmeath.ie), pictured, it’s all tricks and treats, including arts, crafts, food workshops, storytelling, torch-lit processions and a fundraising breakfast for Childline. Giving the heebie-jeebies in Co Cavan is the annual Virginia Pumpkin Festival (October 24-27; pumpkinfestival. ie), which has haunted walks, Ireland’s largest fancy dress ball, a fun run, treasure hunt, pumpkin competitions and, as its centrepiece, the Grand Carnival Parade and fireworks display. Halloween fiends can celebrate all October-long in Salem, Massachusetts – infamous for its witch trials in 1692 – with a programme of theatre, magic shows, workshops, markets and funfair (October 1-31; salemhauntedhappenings.org). And grown-ups need not feel left out of playing dress up – London pop-up speakeasy The Candlelight Club is hosting a Halloween Spooktacular with a Jazz Age twist at a secret (haunted?) location (October 31 and November 1; thecandlelightclub.com).

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

BARRY CRONIN

Fright nights

Check in

LITERATURE

Beg, steal or borrow your way into this year’s New Yorker Festival, October 10-12. From youth fiction to food writing, all genres will be represented across talks and events – including one on “The Emerald Isle” featuring Gabriel Byrne, Anne Enright, Colum McCann and Colm Tóibín (October 10). newyorker.com/festival

©INPHO.IE

WORD TO THE WISE

SPORT

Ireland’s call

TODD FR ANCE

The 2014-15 rugby season is set to be a rollercoaster, what with the newformat Champions Cup (formerly the Heineken Cup), the Six Nations and, to top it all off, the Rugby World Cup next October. It’s also Ireland’s first season of the post-Brian O’Driscoll era. It all starts this November, however, with the annual Guinness series of international matches. Ireland welcome two southern hemisphere giants – South Africa (November 8)

and Australia (November 22) – and takes on emerging Georgia (November 16) in between. Elsewhere, England, Wales and Scotland all host their own autumn games, with the pick of the bunch a bone-crunching tie between England and New Zealand in Twickenham (November 8). These coincide with the annual “Movember” charity fundraiser, so expect some extravagant facial hair. irishrugby.ie / autumn-internationals.co.uk

ional’s schedule, operated been added to Aer Lingus Reg has ds Lee !

RT ALE E UT RO W NE nal Film Festival this ng at the 28th Leeds Internatio

by Stobart Air, so go star-spotti The King’s Speech, premieres include The Artist and rld wo us vio pre – 0 5-2 ber Novem announced. leedsfilm.com so expect more big hitters to be ART FESTIVAL

Big top treats Roll up, roll up! Wexford’s third annual Spiegeltent Festival sprees into town this October 22 to November 2 (wexfordspiegeltent.com). Some 23,000 visitors are expected to pour into the red-velveted, bevel-mirrored tents that hark back to an era of dancing ponies, iron-men and freak shows. Fortunately, this time around are performances by Martha Wainwright, Damien Dempsey, Julie Feeney, Jack L and Dave Geraghty’s Join Me in the Pines, plus tea dances, burlesque and open-mic. It seems that the Leinster county is the place to be this season, with fine performances also on offer at the Wexford Festival Opera (October 22 to November 2; wexfordopera.com) and Wexford Fringe (October 17 to November 2; wexfordfringe.ie).

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Lightness of being Shark skin, a barrister’s wig and meteorites … these are among the pieces that Cork-born artist Dorothy Cross has re-appropriated for her current solo show, View, at Dublin’s Kerlin Gallery (until October 18; kerlin.ie), right. Cross’s new sculptures (and photographs) explore the relationship between human beings and the natural world, and of matter growing old, sometimes disgracefully. The exhibition coincides with a major site-specific commission at Lismore Castle Arts in Waterford (until October 19; lismorecastlearts.ie), which precedes the show Trove at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (November 28 to March 1, 2015; imma.ie), the artist having cherry-picked items from collections at IMMA, the Crawford Art Gallery, the National Gallery of Ireland and National Museum of Ireland.

Check in

COCKTAILS

Behind closed doors ...

Boo Paterson is the editor of booyorkcity.com, which uncovers boho, secret and vintage New York. She is also the author of ebook guide The Greatest Speakeasies in New York City. Here are her top five Manhattan speakeasies …

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Death & Co The interior of this East Village bar is funereal … in a good way. The polished mahogany ceiling is reminiscent of a coffin top and the black marble tables are like tombstones, but the atmosphere created by the attentive, smiling staff is anything but sombre. Ask for Cruel To Be Kind, with gin, grapefruit and honey syrup. deathandcompany.com

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2nd Floor on Clinton A cross between an expensive hotel lounge and a private gentlemen’s club, with book-lined walls and red-plush couches. On the Lower East Side, it’s one of the few speakeasies with windows, yet it still feels secret.

Polite, friendly staff make for a genuine feeling of exclusivity.

Ask for The Tauster, with rye whiskey and maple syrup.

2ndflooronclinton.com

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The Back Room Operating during the Prohibition era – Al Capone drank here – and still in operation today, its ornate interior is hidden behind a disused toyshop “front” on the Lower East Side. Escape tunnels run from the cellars to streets, and the bookcase hides a VIP “back room”.

Ask for Gatsby Manhattan, with homemade cherry bourbon. backroomnyc.com

The Raines Law Room Located in Chelsea, its main space resembles an Edwardian lounge, with a mahogany fireplace, gramophone and antique furniture. Pull on the little bell cord by your seat to summon service. A white-marble bar-room has a more casual, chatty vibe.

Ask for Gin Bennett, with gin, lime, sugar syrup and bitters. raineslawroom.com

platz rkets are nigh! Munich’s Marien TINSEL TOWNS Christmas ma eslas .de); Prague’s Old Town/Wenc (Nov 27 to Dec 24; muenchen Plaza welcome.cz); Chicago’s Daley Square (Nov 29 to Jan 11; prague are Squ e Eyr rket.com) and Galway’s (Nov 21 to Dec 24; christkindlma asmarket.ie).

(Nov 22 to Dec 22; galwaychristm TREND

Morel compass

PAY IT FORWARD

Tasting event Whiskey Live is Mycological love-ins SENSUAL CINEMA at Dublin’s Mansion House this are sprouting up across Could droolvision be a October 25, with proceeds going Ireland and the UK. growing trend? Food and Film to Down Syndrome Ireland.

Longueville House Tickets €37.50; contact in Mallow, Co Cork, Festival returns to Brooklyn Celtic Whiskey Shop at plays host to the 13th for its eighth outing (October 29 01 675 9744. annual Mushroom Hunt, to November 2, and in Chicago left, the fruits of its labours November 20-22); a life-imitatingcooked up by proprietor-chef art showcase of dishes crafted by William O’Callaghan (October 5; star chefs and served during foodlonguevillehouse.ie). In Glasgow’s Tollcross Park’s themed documentaries, features Children’s Farm, an al fresco Fungi Fry Up will be the and short films. Mouthwatering result of a fun forage (October 4-5; +44 141 276 0931), morsels are set to accompany while 45 kilometres south of Edinburgh is the Fungi even the titillatingly-titled Balls!, Foray (October 12; +44 172 176 0254), in which spore a short film by Charles Grantham. enthusiasts will rummage around the Dawyck Botanic Centre, and visit the Cryptogamic Sanctuary. thefoodfilmfestival.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Dublin Airport Travel Services

Check in

Wish you were here Br Brazilian-born, Dublinba based Fabio Gibelli, left, ca captured this image while on holiday in Lisbon: “It’s an id idyllic city charged with a pl plethora of special details – flavours, fragrances and an unfo unforgettable culture can be found throughout. Every corner is full of charm, literature and beauty.

The legendary Tram 28 is a tourist attraction in itself, and can take you to the most captivating places that Lisbon has to offer. For this picture, I was admiring the street architecture when this charming, typical, little trolley arrived and made the view even prettier.”

Have you a stunning photograph of your trip to an Aer Lingus destination to share? Send it to us at cara.wishyouwerehere@image.ie and we’ll publish our favourite shot in the December/ January issue.

The technicals Photographs must be a 300-dpi high resolution file and accompanied by a portrait of yourself and 100 words about the story behind the shot.

The editor’s decision is final.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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On my travels

Professional golfer Graeme McDowell talks to Nancy Rockett about life on the move, and the pain of packing.

RICH GILLIGAN

Graeme McDowell is originally from Portrush in Northern Ireland but now lives with his wife Kristin and their new baby Vale Esme in Lake Nona, Florida. His career highlights include winning the 2010 US Open and appearing for Europe in the Ryder Cup. Graeme also runs the G-Mac Foundation, a charity helping sick children in Ireland. Recently, he opened Nona Blue, a bar-restaurant in Florida. He is also an Aer Lingus ambassador. y childhood holidays consisted of …

Summer trips to my aunt and uncle’s in Scotland. My parents used to put myself and my two brothers into the back of the car and we’d go over on the ferry and spend two weeks with them in the countryside. We loved it.

I generally spent summers as a boy playing golf from dawn until dusk. Myself and my younger brother, Gary, would set off each morning for the Valley Course at Rathmore in Portrush and play at least 72 holes a day. My parents would come looking for us when it was getting dark.

The best thing about living in Florida is … the weather being great for practice all-year-round – it can be hard to hit golf balls in Ireland in December! I bought my first house in Orlando in 2005 and it’s a great location

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for a variety of reasons. Orlando airport has great links all around the US and the world. Given that my job takes me all over the place, it’s great to live in Lake Nona, ten minutes from the terminal. There’s even a direct flight to Dublin with Aer Lingus, which I take when I’m going back to visit my family in Portrush.

I love getting home to see everyone but my life is firmly in the US now. I play mainly on the PGA Tour and, of course, my wife is from Orlando. I can’t see myself moving anytime soon.

The journey I always look forward to is … Going home.

Doesn’t everyone? That could be a flight back to my family in Orlando or going back to see my family in Ireland. Either way, it’s the best.

If I could play a course for fun tomorrow … I’m particularly fond of Portrush, where I grew up; the two courses there are

fantastic. I’m a bit biased but I love links courses in Ireland.

Another of my big favourites is Waterville in Co Kerry, I’ve played it a few times and loved it each time. Even though I don’t have a great record at The Masters, I could play Augusta National every day, it’s a fantastic place.

The worst thing about travelling for work is … the pain of having to pack bags. It doesn’t matter how many times I do it, I still dislike it. I normally travel for two or three weeks in a row so I have to pack a lot of stuff. Of course one of the worst things about travelling and being away from home is being away from my family, my wife Kristin and daughter Vale, who are back home in Orlando, when I am playing around the world.

Born in August, Vale is too young to travel at the moment so unfortunately I will miss out on

3 best Orlando golf resorts ...

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The Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, left, is one of the newest courses in the area.

This classic layout by Rees Jones is close to the Disney complex and winds through a vast wetlands preserve. High handicappers note: there are five tee-box options on every hole. Rooms from $199. waldorfastoriaorlando.com.

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Carved out of 1,500 acres of Florida pines, the 45 holes belonging to the Grand Cypress Golf Resort are regarded as among the best in the Sunshine State.

The newly redesigned villas offer first-class amenities and proximity to local attractions.

What’s not to love? Villas from $295. grandcypress.com

seeing her for a while, but that’s the nature of my job, one I’m fortunate to have.

The best thing about travelling for work is … Getting to visit some of the most fantastic countries and cities around the world, playing the best golf courses, and in the best possible conditions. As a kid growing up in a fairly ordinary, working-class family, that was something I could only dream about. I try to appreciate the various places we travel to, even if it’s just eating local food at a good restaurant, or perhaps getting out for a coffee during the day.

I never lose sight of the fact that I’m very lucky to see a lot of the world.

When I’m flying, I always make sure to pack … My iPad, headphones, books, etc. I like to watch movies, play games and read books on it – the usual things to keep my brain busy.

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Whether swimming, dining, relaxing or golfing, the Orange Lake Resort is paradise for families. Just minutes from Orlando’s major attractions, the resort features an assortment of activities including watersports, arcade centres, an Olympic-size pool and a “Family Fun Zone”. Rooms from $119. orangelake.com

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My travel notebook EOIN HENNE HENNESSY

Stylist BLANAID HENNESSY owns and runs the much-loved Folkster stores in Kilkenny ((folkster.com) and its Dublin pop-up offspring (open until December 31), and is also one half of interior design partnership Gild & Cage ((gildandcage.com). Her hunt for treasures takes her worldwide. She chats with Michelle O’Brien.

FAVOURITE PLACE FOR A WEEKEND BREAK? “The majestic hotel, Palazzo Tolomei, in Florence (Via dè Ginori 19, +39 055 292 887; palazzotolomei.it). It’s a testament to the place that, in such a beautiful city, you almost want to stay indoors.”

Kimono by JayL yLey Collection tion, €89.99 9.99 at folk lkster.co com Bag by A.P.C, €325 at apc.fr

Feather Caplet by Jenny Packham, €72.50 at debenhams.ie

Hematite Arrowhead Collar, €150 by Merle O’Grady at MoMuse, Powerscourt Centre, Dublin 2

BEST BAR IN THE WORLD? RLD? “Brooklyn-based The Rookery ery (425 Troutman Street, +1 718 483 8048; therookerybar.com) has everything I like in a bar – great eat food, a diverse crowd and a buzzing atmosphere to boot.”

Fedora, €29.99 at folkster.com

Sunglasses

by Hentsch Man, €180 at indigoandcloth. com

Maxi Skir Skirt, €46 at topshop.com

Empress Ring in Turquoise, €40 by Vanessa Mooney at folkster.com

IF I COULD FLY ANYWHERE TOMORROW IT WOULD BE TO ...

“Visit my sister Robin in Montreal. It would also give me a chance to pop woul into The Little Shop (@The_Little_ Shop). A destination for art directors, Shop pop stars and museum curators.”

BEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD? “I‘ve travelled quite a bit but I’ve yet to find somewhere like Langton House Hotel (69 John Street, Kilkenny, 056 776 5133; langtons.ie). Family owned, its intimate atmosphere is combined with the fabulous design of visionary David Collins.”

MY IDEA OF TRAVEL HEAVEN IS ... “I love the beach at SaintCyprien-Plage in Perpignan. With ten kilometres of uninterrupted coastline coastlin you can get a pretty decent walk in, then head to the nearest wate waterfront restaurant to relax. My kind of holiday afternoon.”

Blanaid’s carry-on essentials ...

1 Ear plugs, €3.29 at boots.ie 2 Bioglycolic Face Cream by Jan Marini, €80 at Monkstown Laser Skin Clinic, Co Dublin 3 Original Self Tan, €19.99 at tanorganic.com 4 Blanket Wrap Cape, €24.99 at newlook.com 5 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, €14.20 at Dubray Books 6 Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation 1

by Lancôme, €35 at Brown Thomas 7 Beaded clutch, €49.90 at eu.accessorize.com

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Lisa Hughes hears about Croatian finds, and high-fives business hotels in London.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK DUBROVNIK

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BEST BUSINESS HOTELS IN LONDON

Conor Pierce, vice president of Nokia UK and Ireland, finds the beautiful city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, an inspiring place to do business.

“Dubrovnik is great for business travel because … Being in such a beautiful location inspires the senses. It's very easy to get to, at less than 30 minutes from the airport. It has a lot of great hotels for business meetings, and delicious restaurants for entertaining customers.

Best place for meetings … For large groups, the conference centre at the Radisson Blu (Na moru, +385 20 361 500; radissonblu.com) is great – it’s a suitable distance from the hub of activity that is the old town, without sacrificing the stunning views over the ocean.

Best business lunch …

Azur (Pobijana 10, +385 20 324 806; azurvision.com), is deep inside the warren of the old town. The intimate setting ensures great chats with neighbouring diners, and the MediterraneanAsian fusion menu using fresh, seasonal produce is inexpensive. A little pricier is Nautika (Brsalje ulica 3, +385 20 442 526; nautikarestaurant.com), which overlooks the sea and serves Mediterranean food at its best.

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CHESTERFIELD MAYFAIR Famed for its quaint afternoon tea, this four-star hotel offers 94 business-ready rooms and 16 suites with generous desk space, office supplies, free internet, speakerphones and more. On your downtime take a stroll through Green Park or relax in the Terrace Bar. (35 Charles Street, +44 20 7491 2622; chesterfieldmayfair.com)

Business drinks … The Buza Bar is known as the “hole in the wall” because this is literally what it is. As you walk around the old town on the edge of the city, just above Azure Blu, is the “hole”, behind which is atmospheric music, good cocktails and a breathtaking view.

Getting around … I always go by scooter. There's plenty of parking, and it’s the way the locals travel so you know it’s the quickest.

”I can’t travel without … My DC-50 wireless charger (£69.99 at nokia. com). It charges my phone in my pocket while I’m running between meetings so I always have a full battery wherever I am.”

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Best memory … Jumping into the freezing cold sea at 6am before my first meeting of the day – a good kickstart!

On your downtime … take a trip on the cable car – at the top are views like no other. If you've time, there's a wonderful restaurant accessible only by boat, called Villa Ruza (Kolocep Island, +385 98 443 382; villaruza.com). Dining outside, surrounded by water, is hard to beat. To get there, hop on a 30-minute ferry from Gruz port, where boats go roughly four times a day. Just check what time the last one goes, or you could be in for a night under the stars ...

Technology on the go …

I rely heavily on HERE Transit to make sure I’m using the quickest route avoiding traffic, and al I always use HERE Ma – without it I Maps ge lost. City Lens get is also a great app to quickly locate nearby re restaurants and ca for spur-of-the cafés momen coffees and moment bu business meetings.

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THE CAVENDISH Make one of this award-winning four-star property’s 230 contemporary bedrooms your base for business or host a meeting at one of five meeting rooms which offer natural daylight and complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as being completely carbon neutral. Handy location in the St James’ area, and adjacent to Piccadilly. (81 Jermyn Street, +44 20 7930 2111; thecavendish-london.co.uk)

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VICTORIA INN PECKHAM Tucked away above a traditional English pub in South East London are 18 contemporary bedrooms. As well as offering free Wi-Fi, hearty grub downstairs and bargain room rates, artsy Peckham Rye is just ten minutes by tube to Victoria Station, making connections into the city – and airports – a breeze. (72-79 Choumert Road, +44 20 7639 5052; victoriainnpeckham.com)

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Summit’s up ...

The Dublin Web Summit has become one of the most popular global tech gatherings, says Karlin Lillington. rom a modest start and a few hundred attendees some years ago, the Dublin Web Summit is now one of the world’s premier technology conferences, with organisers expecting 20,000 people for this November’s annual bash.

What makes it so attractive?

Without doubt, the happy collision between a personable, culturally rich city like Dublin, which offers lots of opportunities for hectic and fun networking activities during the Summit, such as pub crawls, meals and tours, alongside a seductive range of hundreds of speakers. Past Summits are a who’s who of the web and tech sector, with many internationally known entrepreneurs, inventors and investors speaking alongside rising industry newcomers and local talent.

Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave says the original intention was “just to create a little startup conference in Dublin for the community.

Four hundred people showed.

We did things a little differently.

People liked it.” A highlight of the speaker roster last year was intrepid entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose chief executive roles have ranged from PayPal to electric car firm Tesla to commercial space exploration company SpaceX.

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He joined the Taoiseach Enda Kenny onstage for an unusual closing “fireside chat”. Speakers this year will include investor Peter Thiel; Dropbox founder Drew Houston; Cisco chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior; antivirus legend Eugene Kaspersky of Kaspersky Lab; Houzz co-founder and CEO Adi Tatarko; Stripe cofounder John Collison; and former Pepsi and Apple CEO John Sculley.

People come because technology is everywhere, says Cosgrave.

“Technology is increasingly not just disrupting almost every element of industry faster than before, but it’s also changing our understanding of education, health, governance and more,” he notes. “So who comes?

I’d say, anyone curious about the future. Why? They’re curious about the future of their business, society – even their children’s future.”

Galway software company Element Wave’s (elementwave.com) co-founder and CEO Dorothy Creaven has been to every Summit, “initially because I just wanted to expand my network and see what was happening.” Now, she goes to do more focused networking, planning her meetings by using the event’s meeting app. “Where else do you get to see all these top executives and entrepreneurs? It’s pretty fantastic.”

Above, Dublin Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave on stage at last year’s event.

3 more global tech gatherings ...

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FailCon, San Francisco, October 24 Most conferences hype success but FailCon, left, is about flops.

Based on the premise that entrepreneurs learn more from their own and others’ failures, the private event brings together a range of speakers ready to share what, exactly, went wrong. sf.thefailcon.com

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TechCrunch Disrupt Europe Hackathon, London, October 18-19 Writers and editors from technology news site TechCrunch join a range of special guests for stage chats on all things tech. The event kicks off with a weekend Hackathon to create a product in 24 hours. techcrunch.com

Investors also use the event for meeting clients and scoping out new talent. “The Web Summit is the best tech industry networking opportunity you are likely to get anywhere, let alone in Ireland. It’s also an opportunity to meet a huge range of startups from around the world that you could never travel to meet individually,” observes Brian Caulfield, a successful Irish serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and a partner in giant Silicon Valley venture investment firm DFJ Esprit.

How would Cosgrave sum up the Summit experience? “A festival on the future of humanity on planet Earth.”

Aer Lingus is a strategic partner for the Web Summit, November 4–6, RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Book tickets in advance at websummit.net.

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Wearable Technology LIVE! Berlin, 28-29 April, 2015 Google Glass and smart watches are just the beginning of a whole new, rapidly developing world of wearable tech. Academics, industry experts and users gather at this conference and trade show to discuss one of the hottest areas of technology. idtechex.com

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The BALL GAME Sticky Catch Pads, €7.49 at mothercare.ie the VESSEL Eddy Drinks Bottle by Camelbak, £15.50 at amazon.co.uk

stival ional Ar ts Fe boró Internat baboro.com Ba AL IV ST ; TH E FE ober 11-19 , Galway, Oct for Children

The PUZZLE Peppa Pig Giant Puzzle and Colour, €12.99 at smythstoys.com

Carry on cuties

the WORD GAME Magnetic Hangman

by Goplay, £6 at amazon.co.uk

Make travelling a cinch for toddlers with these distracting toys, says Ruth Anna Coss.

the pjs Slim Jyms Unisex Pyjamas by The Bright Company, £24 at thebrightcompanyonline.com

the POCKET PASTTIME Car Journey Games in a Tin, €12.95 at littleones.ie

the HEADPHONES Tinyphones Headphones by JVC, €21.71 at mymemory.ie

the WATERPROOF Fun Mac by Mini Boden, from £40 at boden.co.uk

the ART PROJECT Twin Crayons by Djeco, €5 at Piquant Baby, Powerscourt Centre, Dublin 2

The BACKPACK Zoo Let Bee Backpack with safety harness by Ski-Hop, £21.99 at purebaby.co.uk

The JIGSAW Giraffe by Alphabet Jigsaws, €28 at Arnotts, Henry Street, Dublin 1

the gadget 3DS by Nintendo, €164.99 at hmv.ie

the BEACH TOY Crab Beach Kit by Mibo Ltd, €22.77 at notonthehighstreet.com the SUPERHERO LEGO Batman 2 for Nintendo 3DS, €19.99 at Game Stop, Henry Street, Dublin 1

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Monumental task A new look at centuries of Irish art and architecture is a wonder to behold, writes Bridget Hourican.

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Art and Architecture of Ireland (Yale University Press, £475), ria.ie; yalepress.yale.edu

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readers’ attention to, say, the Irish Architectural Foundation database, but we’ll cover that material differently.”

Many of the images will be unfamiliar, even to experts. “We were careful to draw images from public collections, so people could visit them, and from private collections so we’d have images that people haven’t seen,” says Marshall.

Photographers were commissioned to take new photos of buildings and sculptures.

The selection is, of course, representative rather than exhaustive, Top, a Celtic so inevitably there will be gripes cross and round about what and who has been left tower stand tall in out. But, as Marshall points out: Kells, Co Meath.

“In a country where so much Below, the five volumes of Art attention is always given to literature Ireland’s Painters 1600-1940 and Architecture

by Anne Crookshank and the and music ... if this project does one in Ireland.

Knight of Glin (Yale University thing, it will share with people the Press, 2002, $65) The pairing of the wealth of our visual heritage.”

L Trinity professor with Christie’s rep The volumes, says Carpenter, MEDIEVA in Ireland (and 29th and last Knight of are “for anyone who has visited Glin) resulted in this comprehensive, Dublin and thought, ‘I wonder scholarly overview of Ireland’s what that building is?’ Or asked painters, with 350 illustrations. themselves why roads go round the edge of estates. Or looked at Leinster House and wondered Art in Ireland Since 1910 PAINTING

by Fiona Barber (Reaktion why it’s so unlike any other Books, 2013, $45) Richly parliamentary building. Anyone illustrated, provocatively who’s ever looked at anything in opinionated, and wide in scope, Ireland will like this book.” this opus by Barber, who We can confirm that lectures in the University of there is indeed something RE SCULPTU Manchester, looks at the modern for every interest – in what period, starting with the arrival other work will you find of Paul and Grace Henry on discussion of Ogham stones Achill Island in 1910. and of Aer Lingus (“a locus ARCHITECTURE for Irish design, making use of indigenous ceramics, glass Photographs by Maurice Craig (Lilliput, and textiles for its in-service 2011, €18.99) The provision, and publicising Irish pioneering architectural goods through the pages H NTIETRY historian and conservation of its in-flight magazine T WEE NTU C warrior spent 50 years Cara”)? ch d Ar Ar t An

ileen Gray, round towers, the Book of Kells, stucco, Francis Bacon, Celtic revivalism, bandstands, James Gandon, Waterford Crystal, murals of the Troubles – flicking through the five volumes of Art and Architecture of Ireland you start realising just what’s involved in looking at 1,600 years of art and architecture in Ireland.

Part art history, part biographical dictionary, part art criticism, part image database, these five volumes defy easy categorisation. Put simply, the project is about explaining art and architecture in Ireland over the past 15 centuries, comprehensively and in “lay” terms – so there’s space for industrial design as well as Cubism, and for curating as well as plasterwork, and there’s little critical jargon.

“We were always clear that we’re addressing the intelligent general reader,” says Catherine Marshall, editor of the fifth volume, Twentieth Century Art. The other four volumes cover medieval art, painting, sculpture and architecture. The project was five years in the making, and involved ten editors, a general editor, five advisory boards and 250 contributors. There are almost 3,000 pages in total and more than 2,500 illustrations. It was overseen by the Royal Irish Academy – which produced the monumental Dictionary of Irish Biography – and is published by Yale University Press. At €475 for the set, it’s not cheap (significant public and private investment offset the costs), but then you get what you pay for in terms of quality production and scholarship.

The volumes synthesise the available scholarship and also contain new research. General editor Andrew Carpenter says: “We don’t replicate material that’s easily available elsewhere – we will draw

photographing buildings around Ireland. Shortly before his death in 2011, he selected 70 from more than 2,000 images, appending his wry, elegant, erudite commentary.

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Geek is good

Science Week kicks off in November with over 800 events planned. Sarah Breen reveals her inner nerd. cience is having a moment. It has thrown off its lab coat and stormed into the mainstream.

Media-friendly rationalists such as Professor Brian Cox (physics) and Dara Ó Briain (comedian and mathematician) are making the case that science is cool, equations are fun and Petri dishes are kind of cute.

Ireland’s Science Week (November 9-16; scienceweek.ie) is an attempt to surf this wave of positivity towards men and women in white coats. More than 800 events will be organised nationwide by schools, colleges, researchers, community groups and companies, from handson activities in the classroom to multi-day festivals incorporating demonstrations, exhibitions, open days, tours and talks. “The purpose of Science Week is to get people excited about the wonders of the world around them and the power of science as it permeates our lives,” says Marcela Whelan Kelly, co-ordinator of Cork’s Discovery Science Festival (November 11-23; discoverysciencefestival.ie). “The world is built on science and technology.

And all of that starts when someone asks, what happens if I do that? That’s how society progresses and new inventions are made.”

The Discovery Science Festival

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promises to provide educational fun and frolics. “We will have a four-day exhibition in City Hall (November 15-18), two days for schools and two days for families,” says Marcela. “All our major education partners and a lot of Cork’s science and technology companies will be there to show us how science works for them.

The science magic show from Paul McCrory is hilarious, entertaining and there’s a lot of learning in it.”

Kicking off the festivities in Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre is the Festival of Curiosity (November 8-9), a mini-version of the July event that’s running during the first weekend of Science Week. A highlight of the festival is sure to be the Curiosity Lab, which promises to transform Temple Bar into a curiosity-filled hub with free adventures in science, play and curious technology.

Galway’s Science & Technology Festival (November 10-23; galwayscience.ie) sees 30 different science and technology-based shows travelling to schools throughout the city and county. It culminates in a huge exhibition in NUI Galway, which attracted 20,000 visitors last year.

Science and history make a

Above, young scientists have a bit of gas at Galway Science & Technology Festival. Below, school children at the launch of Cork’s Discovery Science Festival.

3 more science celebrations ...

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Bay Area Science Festival, California, October 23 to November 1 With hikes along the San Andreas Fault and Discovery Days at AT&T Park, it’s no surprise that locals love this ten-day science shindig, left. High-profile speakers this year include National Public Radio’s Snap Judgment team and Matthew Inman of the Oatmeal comic. bayareascience.org

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Manchester Science Festival, October 23 to November 2 Celebrating its eighth year, the Manchester Science Festival is bigger than ever. Spanning the entire city, the eleven-day programme is jam-packed with hands-on activities, interactive workshops and plenty to keep the entire family inspired and engaged. manchestersciencefestival.com

heady combination in Birr Castle Demesne, Co Offaly, thanks to its recently opened Science Centre (birrcastle.com). Visitors can learn about world-renowned Irish scientific discoveries while viewing astronomical instruments from the 1800s, and reading up on the Parsons family who have lived in the castle since 1620.

Broadcaster Leo Enright says the centre is a great addition to the Irish science scene. “Places like this, the Science Gallery and Dunsink Observatory in Dublin, Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, Armagh Observatory and W5 in Belfast, are vital to continue to encourage generations to study science,” he explains.

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Great British Bioscience Festival, London, November 14-16 The Museum Gardens in Bethnal Green provide the venue for an event that marks the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s 20th anniversary. Twenty exhibits, including “How Do We Catch Infections?” will satisfy even the most inquiring mind. bbsrc.ac.uk

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Falling into place

When she was a kid, Ellie Balfe loved Kenmare and horses. She returned to introduce her children to her twin passions at Kerry’s Sheen Falls Lodge.

have a rule when there is no doubt that this spot it comes to earns its five-star rating – the house holidays – that the is equipped with everything you accommodation could need. In fact, your needs are should be a tradeanticipated before you are aware of up from where you live. It’s kind them. A wonderful food package of the point, no? Luckily I was not welcomes you on arrival; wine, disappointed when I arrived, kids in bread, an amazing tow, at Little Hay Cottage at Sheen selection of local cheese, Falls Lodge in Kenmare, Co Kerry. meats, fruit and veg The cottage is privately owned, a make arriving after a very charming thatch on the rolling long drive easy. The décor grounds of the Sheen Falls hotel. is sublime with beautiful Dismiss any twee old-fashioned art on the walls, packed picture you may have seen on a John bookcases and an array Hinde postcard from your mind – of magazines to entertain this house is a huge cut above those. all reading tastes. And Managed and maintained by the the cottage is just a few hotel for the owners who live abroad, minutes from the hotel the cottage is offered by Sheen Falls and spa, so a daily swim as a rental for those looking for in the pool or a VOYA privacy away from the main hotel. massage is entirely possible (in fact, It’s some cottage. Three highly recommended). gracious, spacious But the big draw for living areas with me was the estate’s ON THE large windows and stables. I have been HOOF double doors open visiting Kenmare Three nights at Little onto gardens since I was a Hay Cottage at Sheen Falls that fall away child and have Lodge, from €465 per night. to the banks of many marvellous Riding is available at €40 the Kenmare memories of an hour. Kenmare, Co river. The two rambling around Kerry, 064 664 1600; bedrooms are the dramatic land sheenfallslodge.ie large, comfortable and seascapes, and stylish. And and horse riding was

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What to pack ...

1 Travel Set by VOYA, €32 at Boutique, Aer Lingus in-flight store p25 2 Dubarry Galway Boot, €350 at dubarry.ie 3 Tek Team Brushed Fleece Top by Ariat, €80 at net-aporter.com 4 Herringbone Leather Gloves, €10 at Penneys, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 5 Jeans by French Connection, €100 at Arnotts, 12 Henry Street, Dublin 1 6 Khaki Parka

by Label Lab, €159 at House of Fraser, Dundrum, Dublin 16

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House of dreams – Little Hay Cottage, top, and trekking on the estate of Sheen Falls Lodge, above.

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th ultimate passion of my the youth. yo I wanted my two da daughters, six and three years old, to try horse ye riding ri around this beautiful pl place. Would my love of horses pass down another generation or would my eagerness to pass on my passion to my girls put them off?

The stables are a five-minute walk from Little Hay. With expert riders and instructors, the horses and ponies housed at the stables are obviously well cared for. We arrived and saddled up; the two teachers were well able to deal with small people and their mix of glee and giddiness. Despite my years of riding, I was nervous myself.

A mix perhaps of my “new mum” fear for my kids – what if they fall off and hurt themselves? Or maybe it was just the legacy of my last trek when my horse was huge and I was thrown.

Our horses ambled around the roads and fields, the majesty of the mountains to one side, the water on the other. Sometimes we laughed, sometimes we chatted, and sometimes we absorbed the silence. I watched as my love for this beautiful place seemed to be absorbed by my daughters. It was one of the best moments I’ve ever shared with my kids. After the trek we sat in the sun outside the hotel in the shadow of the Falls themselves. There was never a lovelier moment.

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Shelf Life|

Bridget Hourican sees the meeting of minds and art, and catches up with Colm Tóibín.

PHOTOGRAPH © NGI

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An Andrew Martin BELLES & WHISTLES: FIVE JOURNEYS THROUGH TIME ON BRITAIN'S TRAINS (Profile, £14.99) In the golden age of travel, Britain’s trains had names like the Brighton Belle and the Golden Arrow.

Martin travels on the contemporary equivalents – noting the absence of dining cars, champagne and cigars.

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WHAT IS NORA WEBSTER ABOUT? It’s set in a small town in the late 1960s, and it is the story of a woman and what she does and how she lives in the three years after her husband’s death. In the background is the improvement in Ireland’s economy and the arrival of a more open society, and also the beginning of the violence in Northern Ireland.

But the novel is a portrait of Nora Webster, almost in the same way as a painter might make a portrait of a face so that you would feel, having looked at it, that you knew that person as though she were alive.

IT’S SET IN WEXFORD, WHERE YOU GREW UP. FAVOURITE THING TO DO THERE? Walk from Morriscastle to Curracloe, using the beach most of the way, but changing to the beautiful lane that runs between Knocknasillogue and Ballyconnigar Upper. And in October, go to the Wexford Opera Festival.

FAVOURITE TRAVEL BOOK? Venice by Jan Morris.

WHICH FESTIVALS WILL YOU BE APPEARING AT THIS AUTUMN? In October: Cheltenham Festival (cheltenhamfestivals.com); The New Yorker Festival (newyorker.com/festival); Harbourfront’s International Festival of Authors in Toronto (ifoa.org), and, in November, Chicago Humanities Festival (chicagohumanities.org).

Nora Webster: A Novel (Scribner, $27) is out now.

Three recent travel books ...

David Da Greene MIDNIGHT IN SIBERIA – A TRAIN JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF RUSSIA (WW Norton & Co, Co out November 7, £17.99) Greene ended his stint as Gr NPR’s Moscow bureau chief by taking the 6,000 mile Trans-Siberian express from Moscow to Vladivostok. On (and off) board he meets singing babushkas, demobilised soldiers, entrepreneurs and eco warriors.

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Janet McLean, £19.95) The National Gallery WINNING of Ireland opened to the public for the first WORDS time in 1864 with 112 paintings. Today All hail Guts, a new it has over 15,000 works. To mark the bi-monthly combo of words 150th anniversary, the gallery invited 56 and pictures (with Nialler9, Eithne Irish writers to respond to a work in the Shortall and Ciaran Walsh and collection with a poem, story or essay. The our map masters Steve McCarthy result is this book, Lines of Vision: Irish and Kathi Burke) just out; copies Writers on Art, and an exhibition in the from thisgreedypig.com, The gallery that runs until April 12, 2015. For Fumbally, IMMA and Indigo the writers, the paintings provided triggers for & Cloth; €3.50. memories of family, love or loss, or, imaginative reconstructions of what is happening in the depicted scene. Dermot Bolger produces a devastating five-line poem in response to Jack B Yeats’ “Grief”. Looking at Bonnard’s “Déjeuner”, Jennifer Johnston recalls her grandmother’s house in Rathfarnham. And Kevin Barry takes a fresh look at Ernest Proctor’s 1928 painting “The Devil’s Disc”, above.

EL

LINES OF VISION by Thames & Hudson (Edited

EB

The multi award-winning Irish writer Colm Tóibín.

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Behind the lines

Karl Ka Whitney HIDDEN CITY: ADVENTURES AND EXPLORATIONS IN DUBLIN (Penguin Ireland, £16.99) Dublin writer, £1 or “psychogeographer” Karl Whitney goes to the places that tourists seldom see, among them: the underground rivers of the Liberties; the 20 addresses that James Joyce lived at, and an abandoned apartment complex.

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INTERVIEW

Noblecause A new film about children’s rights activist Christina Noble is both a professional and personal triumph for Deirdre O’Kane in the title role. She tells Tony Clayton-Lea how she ensured her actor’s ego wouldn’t get in the way of a heroic story. Photographs by Sean Breithaupt and Yvette Monahan.

I

t is a truism that good things come to those who wait, but when waiting can take anything up to ten years, the need to be either very patient or very busy is crucial. Irish actor Deirdre O’Kane is a mixture of the two.

Currently in the eye of a commercial storm that has taken almost a decade to whip into shape, O’Kane is standing tall over Noble, a gritty, accessible and exceptionally sturdy movie that is the end result of not only three primary stress-inducing ingredients – blood, sweat and tears – but also dedication and commitment beyond the call of duty.

Featuring O’Kane in the lead role, and directed/ written by her husband, Stephen Bradley, Noble is based on the life of Dublin-born children’s rights activist Christina Noble, founder of the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF). Born in 1944, Noble travelled to Vietnam’s capital city, Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon), in 1989. Her aim was to search the streets for isolated children requiring medical attention, as well as protection from economic and sexual exploitation. By the late 1990s, she had, through self-generated fund-raising, established CNCF, which in turn set up health clinics, schools, homeless children shelters and childcare centres. Christina Noble is, in short, something of a catalyst for change.

Initially the impetus to make the film was inspired

by O’Kane reading Noble’s books, Bridge Across My Sorrows (1994) and Mama Tina (1999). Those people who finally closed the books, pages stained by teardrops, were powerfully affected by the traumas Noble had experienced. When O’Kane finished them, she knew, somehow, that she’d one day encounter this courageous woman.

“It was an indefinable feeling, as you get sometimes,” she reveals, “but I just knew she was on my to-do list. What did I think I’d do? Maybe volunteer to go to Vietnam and do something for her and the Noble Foundation.” So what exactly happened? “Oh, I went ahead and did absolutely nothing except get on with my own life and career” – which, at this point (mid-2000s), was rocketing along.

O’Kane had started out as a serious actor in the 1990s, but struggled to make ends meet in an overcrowded, underfunded marketplace. Long periods of unemployment alternated with government schemes in provincial theatre companies; many auditions were undertaken for parts she never got and, for months at a time, she was carried along on a false, collective sense of expectation, euphoria and optimism. However, a visit to an Irish comedy festival in 1996 changed her outlook as well as her career options. Cue more than several years as an acclaimed stand-up comic. A parallel career in acting also provided rich creative pickings, as roles

INTERVIEW

in television (Paths to Freedom), movies (Intermission) and theatre (Dandelions) followed.

Throughout all of these, and in subsequent work (including a recurring role in the successful Sky comedy show, Moone Boy), O’Kane developed a particular skill in making what she undertook look easy. Yet there was – as she admits – that intangible, sometimes irksome feeling that she wasn’t fulfilling her potential. Several encounters with Noble, however, caused a bagful of pennies to drop, and an idea to be involved in a film about her life took hold.

“I saw her being very, very funny; she really made me laugh,” she recalls. “What I think I maybe pulled away from, though, was also in the telling of her story, which is very dark in places, too harsh, perhaps, for audiences. But I thought that if the character was unbreakable – and Stephen and myself call her the Terminator – then I also thought the character should reflect her humour.

Having realised those parts of her personality and character, that kickstarted something in my brain.”

And so a deeply personal movie project landed on O’Kane’s plate.

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Six years in the making, Noble is biographical film-making of the firmest order (and lest we forget, with a very fine supporting cast, including Sarah Greene, Liam Cunningham, Brendan Coyle and Ruth Negga). This noted, the movie didn’t find its feet without effectively negotiating its own obstacle course, and between buying the rights to the aforementioned books (“it took us two years to convince Christina to give us those rights”) and allaying Noble’s reluctance (“she has had her trust in people tested so many times, and what used to be an incredible gut instinct that she had relied on has been shaken. She just wanted to get to know us, and she did.”), there were times when it seemed as if the struggle would be insurmountable.

And yet here is Noble and here are the film-makers. The nuts and bolts of it are that O’Kane and Bradley have together, along with a tight-knit team, made a very good (and numerous award-winning) movie. More pragmatically, the byproduct of such good work is that further work will follow. O’Kane, now in her mid-40s and a mother of two young children, has a strong

Blonde ambition – Deirdre O’Kane follows in Christina Noble’s humanitarian footsteps in a new biopic.

sense of herself and her position in the creative world she works in. The career she has always dreamed of, she explains, is to work all of the time, within drama and comedy, with good people.

“I suppose it’s not just to work as an actor, though, because one of the reasons I became a comic was that there was an awful lot of acting work that I said no to – when, let it be said, I wasn’t in any position to. I was an idiot, and arrogant, without really knowing it.” There’s a pause for a few seconds followed by a shrug of the shoulders. “Actually, I think I was just naïve and green, because I thought the work, the things I really wanted to do, would just come to me. And, of course, it doesn’t work like that. I now give advice to young actors to take everything they can get their hands on – take the experience and take the work. Sadly, I didn’t take that advice myself.”

In retrospect, O’Kane feels she made, more often than not, the right calls. “When I first started I did stage work, mostly, and there was a lot of theatre I just didn’t relate to. I didn’t want to do the old classics and I wasn’t drawn to Shakespeare – it just didn’t excite me. I was always drawn to new writing, and the vast majority of what I’ve done in theatre and elsewhere is new writing. That’s what excites me and that’s why stand-up excited me. I was heavily surrounded by the etiquette and formality of the theatre world, yet I felt comedy was raw and bold, and a place where you could say and do anything – and if the audience didn’t like you they would tell you.

That’s why I went down that road.”

Whatever happens next for O’Kane is up for grabs. Another season of Moone Boy is ready to roll, as are other movie roles that will see the light of day next year.

In Noble, she is the lead actor, but in this there were also issues that had to be solved. Notably, O’Kane’s tenacity in wanting to play the title character balanced with the commercial considerations of having (in international terms,

INTERVIEW

anyway) a relatively unknown actor in the role. It all came down, she says, to gut instinct.

“I felt I had to do the movie and to portray her, but if faced with what was more important – which was to get Christina’s story out there – then so much for ego. She

A sideway move – Deirdre is best known for her comedy roles, but in Noble demonstrates her dramatic chops.

needs this movie – she knows she’s not going to live forever, so the bigger picture is that the movie can, in effect, brand the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. People will no longer have to ask, do you know who we are? If I’d been faced with that dilemma – my ego versus getting the story out on 500 screens across America – then I would have had to back down.”

This is interesting – prepare the banner headline of “Well Known Actor Relinquishes Major Film Role in Favour of Principles”. O’Kane smiles, but she’s serious. “I feel very strongly that Christina Noble should be a household name in Ireland, because I think we’re very short on heroes. Hers is the kind of story that every school kid needs to know. There’s far too much glory attached to the notion of celebrity, so can we please elevate the real heroes? Can we aspire to emulate and be inspired by these people?

So, yes, I feel Christina should be celebrated. It’s time – she’s 70 in December. We should be proud of her. We need to shout about her.”

Agreed, but we should also commend O’Kane and Bradley for continuing to dream the dream whilst brushing off the film industry’s school of hard knocks.

Others might have given up, but, “from a creative point of view,” she reasons, “you have to be able to know that you can carry a film, and I feel that I can.”

By this stage, she can watch Noble in a detached, objective manner. She also reckons that her stand-up experience was invaluable to her as an actor because she learned that she could hold an audience’s attention for more than an hour.

“And unless you get the opportunity to play the lead in a film, you actually don’t know whether you can. The question to ask is, do you have enough energy and charisma to hold that audience with you all of the time? It seems that I have.”

Noble is now on release in Ireland, and is scheduled for release in the UK and US in early 2015.

MAKE-UP BY LEONARD DALY USING MAC COSMETICS.

MUSIC “I’m listening to Ellie Goulding a lot at the moment. My tastes are very diverse – anything and everything, from Irish traditional to pop and all manner of things.”

BOOKS “I’ve just finished Teach Us to Sit Still (A Sceptic’s Search for Health and Healing)

by Tim Parks. He’s an awardwinning writer who was suffering chronic pain and was faced with a life-changing operation that he just couldn’t face. So he ended up teaching himself to meditate and to do yoga, even though he was cynical about these, quite opposed to it all, in fact. And so he wrote the book – it’s just brilliant, so well written and about Western medicine and our

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ignorance of the Eastern world and how they deal with things.”

MOVIES “I really liked Begin Again, by director John Carney, who did Once. I’m a fan of John’s and I’ve worked with him before, so I knew it would be good. I loved it, in fact. The music is great; Keira Knightley can really sing, and Mark Ruffalo gives an awesome performance. I’m dying to see Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which I’ve heard is amazing. My favourite film of the past five years? It has to Silver Linings Playbook, which stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro, and directed

by David O Russell. I actually watched it twice over two nights, which is very unusual for me.”

RESTAURANTS “I really like Il Portico (277 Kensington High Street, London, +44 207 602 6262; ilportico.co.uk): it’s just the best little family-grown Italian restaurant – it has been around from 1967 and has a great atmosphere, and fantastic food served in simplee ndon surroundings. Another London bert restaurant we like is Colbert (50-52 Sloane Square, +44 207 730 2804; colbertchelsea.com), right. It’s just beside the Royal Court theatre and the Tube station, and is a fab place to just sit and meet people – and lunch on oysters and a glass of fizz if you’re in the mood!”

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PEOPLE

Jennifer Slattery, textiles It’s only three years since the textile designer Jennifer Slattery set up business, but you can already find her wares in many of Ireland’s leading retailers, including Kilkenny stores, Arnotts and Avoca, as well as her own recently-opened studiocum-shop in Dublin’s Benburb Street. She makes highly desirable collections of table linens inspired by her love of museums, flea markets and antique cutlery. She works with fabrics such as Irish linen and wool, as they age beautifully and are designed to last. “I hope that the pieces will become cherished heirlooms to be passed down to the next generation,” she says.

Jennifer studied graphic design in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, before working in a Dublin design studio for several years, but “never really loved it”. Passionate about sewing and knitting from an early age, she decided to study embroidered textiles at the National College of Art and Design.

“I thought I was way too old, at 27!” she says with a rueful grin. “In hindsight it was the best thing to do, because the recession hit and the company I was working for folded.”

She moved to London to work for a textile company, and returned to Dublin with a vague notion of setting up her own business. But it was an exhibition at Dublin’s RDS that shoved her into the limelight. “I was lucky,” she admits. “I sold pretty much everything. It’s been a question of learning on the go.” jenniferslatterytextiles.com

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Makers

AND SHAKERS

Traditional craft skills are enjoying a resurgence as people discover the feel-good factor that “hand-made in Ireland” brings. With Irish design gearing up for global promotion in 2015, Amanda Cochrane talks to those at the forefront of a creative revival. Photographs by Al Higgins.

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reland has a wonderfully rich tradition of craftsmanship and today, in a post-Celtic Tiger world, crafts as diverse as basket weaving and knife making are enjoying a renaissance. Across the country, makers and creatives are taking up skills that were in danger of dying out, and rekindling interest in Ireland’s craft heritage.

It’s all down to a growing disenchantment with characterless, mass-produced goods and the economic downturn, according to Kathleen McCormick, a 70-yearold farmer-turned-basket-weaver.

“I believe the recession has made people aware of the good value and the feel-good factor of owning and using a hand-made Irish basket,” she says.

Next year promises to be very exciting for Irish craft with the launch of the Design & Crafts

Council of Ireland’s year-long initiative, Irish Design 2015, which will promote Irish design around the world. “We want to sustain and grow employment opportunities, sales and export potential for the Irish design sector,” says Brian McGee, the DCCOI’s head of market development. “Our plans include presenting Irish design in six international design capitals during 2015.”

The rise of e-commerce has clearly boosted the opportunity to sell goods to a wider audience without incurring huge overheads.

Brothers Jonathan and Mark Legge, for example, started selling quirky pieces of craft from a pop-up shop in their parents’ shed in 2009.

“There was a real fatigue with the overload of mass-produced items,” Jonathan says. “We felt people were starting to look for real objects from tangible beginnings.”

They spotted online potential and, in 2011, launched makersandbrothers.com, a web store based on some simple ideas for inspirational and thoughtprovoking products. “We wanted to create a site that featured objects of use; the simple, beautiful and sometimes nicely odd,” he continues. “We are looking for something that you know is great, but may not know why.

When it is good it doesn’t need too many words, it just works on every level.”

It’s an exciting time for anyone who loves one-off designs made by people with a real passion for their craft. “We like to think we are taking a quiet, human approach to this project,” says Jonathan.

“It’s founded on simple things: the handmade, objects of integrity, local craft. Raw, genuine qualities that bring meaning and depth.”

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PEOPLE

Derek Wilson, ceramics When ceramic artist Derek Wilson – a fine and applied arts graduate of the University of Ulster – landed a job at Habitat after a gap year travelling, he was absolutely delighted. “I thought it was the greatest job ever,” he says with a hoot of laughter. But Derek, who is known for his simple, almost sculptural hand-thrown ceramics, was far too creative to survive in the world of retail and quit to study ceramics in Kilkenny.

“It was a very traditional course and not really my thing,” admits the softlyspoken designer, “but it trained you up to work in the industry.” He finished the course and worked as an apprentice in Dublin and Belfast, but the work left him cold. “It was quite twee,” he explains. “However, it was valuable as I wanted to practise my skills and it was very interesting seeing everything from the production process and selling at shows to the design of the packaging.”

Setting up on his own in Belfast was an ambitious and expensive business, but Derek was lucky enough to secure a place on Craft Northern Ireland’s Making It programme, which gave him two years as an artist in residence. “It was extremely valuable to have that time and space to test the market and also test the range.”

It worked a treat. Derek’s designs can now be bought in London’s Contemporary Applied Arts, and The Conran Shop in London and Paris.

Most recently, US retail giant Crate and Barrel has commissioned him to create a tableware range that will be sold across its 140 stores. “It’s an exciting and quite different process,” he says.

“I’m using my creative ideas but on a more commercial basis.” derekwilsonceramics.com

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PEOPLE

Claire-Anne O’Brien, textiles When she first showed her pieces at the London Design Festival in 2010, Claire-Anne O’Brien caused quite a stir among the hard-to-impress interiors glitterati. Her vibrant fabric-and-woolcovered stools turned heads and were soon featured in design magazines worldwide. Suddenly, her name was very, very hot.

Fast forward to the autumn of 2014, and the Cork-born designer is working at a slower, more measured pace. “The last few years I’ve produced a lot of new stuff quickly, but when you put something out there you want to make sure it’s the right thing,” she says.

Her knitted stools, which you’ll find in many a chic Irish home, are now made under licence by Gandia Blasco in Spain. “I had taken the stools as far as I could and, without investment, I couldn’t upscale,” she explains.

“However, to be associated with a big company is good. It also frees me up and allows me to move on.”

In between stints at Barnet College in London, where she works as a textiles technician to help pay for her studio fees, she makes a quirky range of hand-knitted animals, available through Makers and Brothers. And, more recently, she created the Olann collection – a series of bigger pieces, such as knitted footstools that are sold through US company Bespoke Global.

Next up for Claire-Anne is a range of interiors fabric, which she’s hoping will be ready for the end of this year.

“This has all happened without me having a plan,” she explains. “I need time to get things in place. Sometimes I feel like such a fraud,” she adds with a grin. “I’m not even that keen on knitting.

I once made a scarf for my mum and it was completely terrible!” claireanneobrien.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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PEOPLE

Jonathan Hackett, textiles In 1934, James Hackett founded Botany Weaving in Dublin and built up a family business making clothing fabric for local retailers. In 1986 his son Jonathan joined him and added a dose of commercial reality – fortunately for the company he had just written an MBA thesis on how to create competitive advantage in the weaving industry.

Irish tweed was struggling. In the late 1980s the company started manufacturing soft furnishings and working with Tony Ryan’s Guinness Peat Aviation company. It was a brilliant move. Soon they were making seat fabrics for GPA’s fleet of planes which were leased to many airlines. And in 1991 they also struck a deal with a fledgling Virgin Airlines, then a tiny player with just four aircraft.

“They are still one of our most important clients,” Jonathan says. Today, almost three decades later, the company has a turnover of €25 million and is one of only three makers of Boeingapproved interiors.

“The beauty of working with airlines is they commit to you for a long time,” he explains. It

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is a relationship that is getting stronger, with the company branching out a few years ago to manufacture carpets. One of their fabrics became a design classic. “Around 20 years ago we came up with a design for Aer Lingus that featured quotes from famous writers in handwriting,” he recalls.

“Every seat had a different part of the writing and the colours were just right.” More recently, the company designed and manufactured the fabric for the new Aer Lingus, lie-flat, business class seats (fit-out begins in January 2015).

Despite a clear commercial focus, the company remains highly creative. When it comes to attracting designers, Jonathan considers all types – from the intern they can train to seasoned professionals who have perhaps travelled abroad and are now looking to settle back in Ireland.

“We don’t narrow ourselves down to looking for a designer with a particular skill,” he says. “We like to train people up, but we are always looking for people with creative edge.” botanyweaving.com

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PEOPLE

Kathleen McCormick, handcrafts “I was like a happy, scared animal leaving home on my own for the first time in 14 years,” recalls Kathleen McCormick, of the day she launched her basketmaking career. The year was 1999 and she was at one of weaver Joe Hogan’s courses at Loch na Fooey, Co Galway. “Joe has since become a friend and his influence is beyond words because he gives so much and never counts the cost to himself.”

Kathleen, who is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest basket makers, was a farmer until her husband died 15 years ago. She availed of an EU scheme granting early retirement to farmers and leased the farm to her youngest daughter, Millie, and her husband Colm. Kathleen, who comes from a long tradition of craftmakers – her grandfather was a master carpenter – was then free to focus on her creative talents.

“As I could not afford baskets, I decided to learn how to make them,” she explains. “It has taken me from then until now to learn what I know, and that’s just the tip of a large iceberg.” Kathleen, who grows the willow, briar and hazel for the baskets, makes hundreds of different designs of baskets, each one unique and in high demand.

“I am not being secretive when I say that each basket commands its own price,” she says. “They last a lifetime and are worth their cost, as you don’t replace them.” Indeed, Kathleen has special advice for her clients, as the baskets often outlive their owners: “You must state in your will to whom the basket is to be given!” kathleenmccormickbaskets.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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PEOPLE

Rory Conner, metalwork When Rory Conner first spotted the knife shops of France, he was transfixed by the way metal and wood and leather could be fashioned into such a fascinating object – tactile, beautiful and, above all, sharp and functional. It was a passion for materials, engineering and technology that became a career.

“I love Damascus steel,” he says with a smile. “It’s a beautiful steel that has a unique pattern, which gives a very special finish to any knife.” And Rory, who sells his knives in stores worldwide, including the renowned La Fromagerie in London, makes just about any knife. The other day he even made a knife in the shape of a hurley for a bride and groom – two mad GAA fans – who wanted a special blade to cut their wedding cake.

Although he honed his craft in the Californian studios of Bob Loveless – one of the world’s pre-eminent custom knife makers – he is self taught and works away in a shed at the bottom of his mother’s garden in Bantry, West Cork, with his two-year-old son for company. He makes his own collections – prices range from €38 for a steak knife to €435 for a boxed carving set – and makes an intriguing variety of knives for commission; corporate gifts, carving sets, and bespoke knives for gardeners and sailors, and something a little more special for people travelling across deserts and jungles!

“My favourite knife is an ancient Roman short sword made from bronze,” he says. “It’s not complete, but is a lovely object.” roryconnerknives.com

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FAMILY TRIP | ROME

Monument men – King Neptune stands tall at the Fontana del Nettuno in the Piazza del Popolo. Opposite, racing up the Spanish Steps.

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LITTLE STEPS OF

Rome

From the tip-top of St Peter’s cupola, to the excavations below the basilica of San Clemente, discovering Rome with kids is a joy.

In a city rich in romance, history, and staggering art, JM Pasquesi shows how kids and culture do mix.

Photographs by Mark Duggan.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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FAMILY | ROME

any years ago, when the Roman Forum was free and open, our family played games there, like freeze-tag and hide and seek, the kids ducking behind Caesar’s monument, or hiding in the shadow of a triumphal arch. We might be found reading the Sunday paper on the steps of the Pantheon’s little fountain with the kids immersed in their gelati, or renting pedal-powered go-karts on the Pincian Hill (you still can). With a background in Classical Studies, I would drop a short story here or fact there, and the kids were always eager to hear more about their playground.

I loved this tactile experience with

M

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history. The monuments are so accessible and the history so dramatic. I learned kids may not care for a museum but they usually adore a quest, so I added a search or challenge to cultural outings – find Raphael’s hidden self-portrait in a fresco, or seek a pope’s family symbols in a church such as Santi Cosma e Damiano at the Forum, where a sharp eye can spot bees fluttering in the mosaics and alight on the ceiling.

On a Roman holiday, parents with kids don’t have to alter what they wish to see, but rather how they tour it. Kids hate lectures but they love stories ... and games, and pizza, and gelato. With an approach that balances culture and fun, you can avoid dragging dazed kids through

Above, the Fontana del Pantheon, whose original marble figures dating back to the 16th century are now in the Museum of Rome.

Left, Rome expert JM Pasquesi.

the Eternal City. For instance, with Saint Peter’s Basilica, in Vatican City, Michelangelo designed a spectacular perch that commands a view over all of Rome. School-age kids adore climbing his cupola to the very top. Like Alice in Wonderland, their path shrinks and morphs as it follows the narrowing shape of the dome. Emerge at its crow’s nest to revel in your victory and scout for monuments. (Tip: take the lift halfway up to the loggia roof, and ascend from there.) Even atop the

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FAMILY | ROME

A Roman holiday for all ages – clockwise from top left, atop the Spanish Steps, which were constructed in the 1720s to celebrate the peace treaty between France and Spain; exploring nooks and crannies at the Castel Sant’Angelo; Palatine Hill, the site of former palaces of emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Domitian, and Capitoline Hill, an ancient citadel whose Renaissance regeneration plan was designed by Michelangelo.

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Sleepover at …

Rome offers many family accommodation options, but choose one as close to the city centre as possible. The convenience of popping home for breaks is worth the increase in price.

LUXURY The glamorous Hotel de Russie, near the Spanish Steps, treats kids like the VIPs they are – from special gifts to movies and video games. The garden is extraordinary.

Expect all the usual amenities of such a hotel, plus milk and homemade cookies. Suites from €1,383, some of which include an adjoining room for the children. (Via del Babuino 9, +39 0632 8881; hotelderussie.it) SPLURGE The newly renovated Hotel Lunetta has a choice location, steps from famous Piazza Navona and the colourful Campo dei Fiori square, which hosts an outdoor market daily until 2pm. The family suite offers two adjoining rooms, and an additional bed can be added to any room upon request. The hotel’s charming roof terrace and ample breakfast (with hot foods) are wonderful and the Wi-Fi is free. The stunner is the basement spa, built into the Theatre of Pompey’s remains (free, but adults only). Suites from €360. (Piazza del Paradiso 68, +39 0668 395 056; hotellunetta.com) MID-RANGE In a former 16thcentury cloister, Hotel Santa Maria is a quiet oasis in the picturesque Trastevere zone that offers lovely communal orange gardens, free breakfast and Wi-Fi. Family rooms can sleep up to six and are great value, starting at €170. (Vicolo del Piede 2, +39 065 894 626; htlsantamaria.com) BUDGET The pretty, historic Palazzo Olivia has rooms and apartments for any group size. Twice the space at a fraction of hotel prices, a kitchenette to cook simple meals and keep cold drinks at hand, and the convenient location make it an excellent family alternative. Apartments start at €125.

(Via dei Leutari 15, +39 0668 216 986; palazzo-olivia.it)

Good as gold – luminous interiors in the Castel Sant’Angelo.

loggia, you are rewarded with classic views, a nun-run gift shop and a refreshment bar, located in the rooftop structures built originally for basilica workers. Inside, you’ll be eye-level with the cupola’s glistening mosaics and can look down on all the tiny people milling about far below. Later, kids will be more than happy to follow you around the church, looking up for the spot where they stood, while you enjoy the masterpiece-clad interior.

Touring a massive, art-filled church sounds boring to kids, but climbing it is a wonderful adventure, and so is exploring Saint Peter’s Square or piazza. Younger kids can chase pigeons and blow off steam, while all ages delight in finding the hidden optical illusion. Children may not care about Baroque genius Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s masterful colonnade, shaped like outstretched arms to welcome pilgrims into the square, but they will marvel when they find the magic discs (between the central obelisk and either fountain): stand on one and the four rows of columns disappear into a single row.

Nearby, Hadrian (76-138AD)

has provided you with what is undoubtedly at the top of Rome’s most kid-pleasing sights: Castel Sant’Angelo. The fascinating castle was originally built as the emperor’s tomb, before playing fortress, prison and papal palace.

Inside, children can lead you through frescoed rooms and narrow passages, past old weapons, cannonballs and lookouts, until you reach the rooftop terrace with the eponymous angel. When the tour is done, pop down to its park (where the moat would be) and have a picnic, or kick a football around.

Because Rome is a stone zoo – rich in family and papal crests like lions, eagles (the Borghese family), bees (Urban VIII Barberini), stars, trees and the like – opportunities abound to engage children in even the most inaccessible of museums and on the longest of walks. The Vatican museums are ideal for a game of Count the Crest Symbols.

Bring paper and pens and see who spots the most. (Tip: to avoid burnout before reaching the Sistine Chapel, put blinkers on and resist the vast collections until you hit the Raphael Rooms). Arm children OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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FAMILY | ROME

Nosh at ...

SPLURGE Armando al Pantheon has served authentic (cucina romana) dishes for half a century. Much of the pasta is homemade (spaghetti with pecorino cheese and the ravioli are kid-pleasers) and the meats are seasonal. Try the veal saltimbocca, with prosciutto and sage. Closed Saturday night and Sundays. (Salita dei Crescenzi 30/31, +39 0668 803 034; armandoalpantheon.it)

Above, plenty of dough at pizzeria Da Francesco.

Below, lion taming at the Piazza del Popolo.

with a few well-chosen symbols and they’ll find them before you do.

Bees are everywhere in Rome, since Urban VIII had a hand in much of how we find the city today. The wolf, symbolising the she-wolf that raised Rome’s mythological twins, Romulus and Remus, and the city’s SPQR acronym adorn fountains and frescoes to bridges and sewer covers.

(SPQR stands for Senate and People of Rome or Senatus Populusque Romanus in Latin). A treasure hunt in breathtaking Piazza Navona will yield a stone lion, a horse, and a flock of doves, to name but a few.

Hours in a museum can tax even the most patient of children, but incredible art can be seen in

minutes – for free – just steps from a park or piazza, allowing you to stroll through a heady blend of art, beauty, culture and family fun. Parents can duck into Santa Maria del Popolo to see two staggering Caravaggio paintings then the kids can explore its vast piazza and charming sphinxlike lion fountains, or take the stairs up, and rent bikes in the leafy Pincio Gardens. Adjoining Villa Borghese is the largest park in the centre, and it holds the intimatebut-masterpiece-packed Galleria Borghese, which shares the grounds with a zoo, a shady park and even a rather neo-classical pond with boat rentals. Lovely. Or, after marvelling at the Pantheon and its giant oculus

MID-RANGE A family-run gem, just 89 steps from the Pantheon, La Sagrestia is a casual choice suited to families. The typical Roman food is delicious, and there’s an added bonus: a wood-fired pizza oven. Try the pasta fagioli (pasta and beans): it’s some of the best in Rome. Closed Wednesdays.

(Via del Seminario, +39 066 797 581) PIZZERIA Open daily, but pizza is served only at night in Da Francesco.

All Romans have a favourite pizzeria, but this one is special: affordable, the service is fast, and the thin pizza is crispy and flavourful. Head to its pretty ivy-clad piazza early (7pm), because the crowds grow as the night draws on. (Piazza del Fico 29, near Piazza Navona, +39 066 864 009; dafrancesco.it) BAKERY Brave crowds wait outside to gain entry to Forno Campo de’ Fiori for a slice of hearty-yet-delicate pizza bianca (plain) or pizza rossa (with sauce). Fresh bread aroma and a hint of salt and extra virgin olive oil create the Italian ambrosia. Try cookies and other traditional bakery fare too. Kids can watch chefs prepare metrelong slabs of dough from the outside window. (Campo de’ Fiori 22, +39 066 8806 662; fornocampodefiori.com)

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Theintimate-but-masterpiece-packed GalleriaBorghesesharesthesamegrounds withazoo,aparkandaboatpond.

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FAMILY | ROME

Crowd control …

1

AVOID QUEUES They waste precious time and kids hate waiting, especially in hot sun. Book entry times and buy tickets in advance, when possible. The biggies: Buy timed-entry Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel tickets direct from biglietteriamusei. vatican.va. Bring your receipt directly to the entry area to avoid the notoriously long ticket queue. The €4 per person extra charge seems steep, but you’ll save loads of time and avoid exhausting kids before they even enter. The Colosseum and the Forum/Palatine area are a combined ticket that allows one entry to each, so buy once and skip both ticket lines by showing your receipt at the entry. Coopculture.it lets you purchase in advance (€2 per ticket). On site, there is also a smartphone option. Scan the QR code on signs near the line to buy e-tickets and skip the line, showing your phone receipt at the entrance gate.

A third option is to purchase a RomaPass (romapass.it), which

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offers free entry and skip-theline privileges for the first two museums visited (Colosseum and the Galleria Borghese have the highest entry fees), discounts at many other sights, and free use of public transport for three days (€36 each). It can be of great value. Note: children aged 10 and under ride free on buses and subways.

2

AVOID CROWDS Large crowds are unpleasant for some children. Plan accordingly. State-run museum admissions are free every first Sunday of the month. These include Galleria Borghese, the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine and Castel Sant’Angelo. Vatican museums are free the last Sunday of every month.

3

SLOW DOWN Keep a relaxed daytime pace by touring some sights at night. Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and the Trevi fountain are all beautiful at night. Grab a gelato and make a passeggiata (stroll).

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Peep show – tourists, left, admire the statues at Capitoline Hill.

Above, rowing boats at the beautiful Villa Borghese, and right, cooling off between the columns at Capitoline Hill.

Kidscanclimbonandaroundhistory, ratherthanviewitbehindavelvetrope.

(hole in the roof), you can walk behind its left side, to little Piazza Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, on a hunt for Bernini’s charming baby elephant. The church holds treasures such as Renaissance frescoes by Filippino Lippi and Michelangelo’s “Christ Bearing the Cross”.

For kids, no trip to Rome is complete without setting eyes on the massive Colosseum, scrambling around its ruins and imagining themselves as gladiators, or emperors. One of the true joys of Rome with kids is that few things are off limits. Kids can climb on and around history, rather than view it from behind a velvet rope.

Every sight has a child-friendly angle. Capitoline Hill, capping the northwestern end of the Roman Forum, holds a surprise in its museum basement: the gallery under the buildings leads to spectacular views over the forums and, in the distance, the Colosseum. You’ll be OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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FAMILY | ROME

standing outside, on the portico of the ancient Tabularium, and that’s thrilling all by itself. From down low, you can trek up high. The hill is also home to the enormous, stark-white, Vittoriano monument.

Take its Willy Wonka-like glass elevator to the upper-most terrace for panoramic views in every direction.

The Spanish Steps are a romantic and gorgeous (but crowded) staircase. Bigger kids will have fun climbing the monumental steps, while at the base, little children love splashing at Bernini’s Baroque, sinking boat fountain, and most kids are up for the challenge of counting the steps as you ascend to the classic view over Rome, from the Pincio Hill to St Peter’s dome.

What about touring during the hot summer months, when the beating sun can drain everyone’s strength and enthusiasm? Go low to perk up. Midday is a grand time to go underground and explore the ancient city buried beneath your feet, and the naturally cool air is a lovely treat. Excellent choices include catacombs (the smaller, brighter Catacombs of Priscilla are the most child-friendly) and the excavations under San Clemente Basilica (Via Labicana 95, near the Colosseum). San Clemente is a time machine, where you can travel 2,000 64 |

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ILLUSTRATION BY FUCHSIA McAREE

Below, Italian patriotism at the Monumento Nazionale, or “Il Vittoriano”.

Bottom, exploring the Colosseum.

years back in time in just a few steps. Certainly, it’s one of the top favourite sites for kids, and it’s right up there for parents, too. Where the catacombs may be too spooky for some children, San Clemente is well lit and there’s loads of treasure to hunt for. The first level contains a fourth-century church and the second holds a slice of street and second-century building containing a schoolroom (of a Mithraic temple) where you can find writing scratched into the walls. There’s even a small portion of first-century building with a running spring; kid sleuths can follow the sound to find it. If your timing is right, there’s one other item to be found: an Irish accent. The church is home to Irish Dominicans.

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HISTORY | BOYNE VALLEY

Float, float on – kayaking along the Boyne near Newgrange.

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VALLEY OF THE

Kings

From passage tombs to the cottage of a great First World War poet, the Boyne Valley is a time capsule.

Frances Power paddles, walks and drives through millennia of Irish history. Photographs by Al Higgins.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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HISTORY | BOYNE VALLEY

he Boyne is not a showy river.

It rises in Co Kildare and flows gently and majestically to join the sea beyond Drogheda some 112 kilometres later. It has none of the razzmatazz of its sister, the Shannon. It’s neither the longest river in Ireland, nor does it have the greatest flow. What it does have, and by the gallon, is history.

In fact, the Boyne Valley is like a time capsule. Travel along it and you travel through millennia of Irish history, from passage tombs that pre-date the Pyramids, to the Hill of Tara, seat of the High Kings of Ireland, all the way to the home of the First World War poet Francis Ledwidge in Slane. It’s the Irish equivalent of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. And you can choose to explore it by car, bicycle, kayak, or by strolling along its banks and the towpaths of the navigation canals that run alongside from Navan to Oldbridge.

I’m exploring the Boyne Valley – and Trim, an hour’s drive north of Dublin, is my starting point. It’s hard to believe now, but back in

T

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Top, left, Trim man James Murray of Boyne Valley Activities.

Above, Cara time traveller Frances Power and, right, the sombre ruins of Trim Castle, bounded by the Boyne.

12th century Ireland, this sleepy town was an important fording spot on the Boyne river. “It was the New York of medieval times,” one local tells me. The town had trade links via the Boyne to Europe and as far away as Asia. It was boom time.

“Trim has more medieval ruins than any other town in Ireland,” Lisanne O’Loughlin, programme director of the Blackfriary Community Archaeology Project, tells me. It’s rich ground for archaeologists like herself, as well as a sign of the former prosperity of the town – the Franciscans, Augustinians and the Dominicans all established friaries at Trim during the 13th century.

Lisanne is overseeing a dig

of the Dominican Friary on the outskirts of town. After five years, the dig has unearthed plenty to keep the team busy – pieces of stained glass, human remains, shards of pottery and coins and remnants of the beautiful cloisters.

Budding archaeologists can sign up for a day’s work in the summer months (culturaltourismireland.ie).

It’s something children love. “They might be put sieving the spoils heap,” says Lisanne. “Kids have great eyes – last week, we found a bit of clay pipe and some lead out of a stained-glass window. What child doesn’t want to discover something out of the ground?”

But it’s the ruin of Trim Castle (Trim Castle, Co Meath,

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HISTORY | BOYNE VALLEY

046 943 8619; heritageireland.ie) that dominates the town. Back in 12th century Ireland, when the Norman knight Hugh de Lacy was granted the lands of Meath and Dublin by Henry II of England, he built this massive castle, the largest of its kind in Europe. It was designed to show the unruly and hostile Irish that the Norman invaders were not to be trifled with.

The shell of the keep still stands, a brooding stone tower surrounded by thick walls on three sides and the river Boyne on the fourth.

Inside the castle keep, OPW guide PJ O’Reilly is giving a tour.

“There,” says PJ, pointing to a “garderobe” or early latrine that sticks out like an alcove from a bedchamber wall, “all the waste would have gone down from there through a chute to the ground. You see the indents on the wall above?”

We all peer at them. “Probably held 72 |

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

a pole for a curtain. The theory spot for rambling around is that you hung your clothes the ecclesiastical ruins and TAKEAWAY here above the vent so that spreading out a picnic on The brothers behind the gases coming up from the grass.

Sheridans Cheesemongers are below would kill the lice Boyne Valley Activities already foodie heroes. Sample and bugs and fumigate also run white-water some of their fine fromage and your clothes.” Charming! rafting trips from other local goodies at a market From the roof of Stackallan to Slane from at their converted station HQ the castle, PJ points October onwards. “It’s in Pottlereagh (Saturdays; out Newtown, a few a two-hour spin, with sheridancheesemongers. kilometres down the river, fantastic scenery. It’s the com). the site of a great cathedral only way you can actually see built by the Norman bishop, that part of the stretch of the Simon de Rochfort. The bishop river because the weirs make it too refused to pay de Lacy money to dangerous to kayak,” says James.

Above, gently, does it – kayaking the build within the protection of Trim’s It’s too early in the season to raft Boyne. Opposite, town walls and Newtown was his when I visit. Instead, myself and clockwise from top attempt to establish a rival town.

Dara from Boyne Valley Activities left, mouthwatering “It’s the first ghost estate we tip into the water further down treats at Brown Hound Bakery; Jeni know about,” says James Murray river at Slane Meadow on the Slane Glasgow of Eastern of Boyne Valley Activities Castle Estate. I’ve camped at one Seaboard; rock art (boynevalleyactivities.ie), which runs of Rock Farm’s luxurious yurts from Loughcrew; kayak and raft tours that cover (041 988 4861; rockfarmslane.ie) hilltop views from the area’s history. On a sunny day, and woken to a dawn chorus of the cairn. though, Newtown makes a pleasant birdsong and now, after a breakfast

Indulge at ...

BUDGET Traders Coffee House (1 St Laurence Street, Drogheda, Co Louth) serves a fine brew – Solaris teas, Ariosa coffees and elegant sandwiches with artisan cheeses and dry-cured hams. Grab a window seat and watch Drogheda stroll by.

Don’t let Brown Hound Bakery’s unlikely location (2 Bryanstown, Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth, 041 983 3792) in a shopping centre just outside Drogheda deter you. This spot is worth the detour.

With a blackboard listing the times its goodies are expected out of the oven, a counter groaning with savoury pies, tarts, cookies and cupcakes, and décor full of offbeat touches.

CREATIVE Locally caught fish is big on the menu at one of Drogheda’s hippest restaurants. Check out Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill (Bryanstown Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth,

041 980 2570), the grown-up sister to Brown Hound Bakery down the block.

This spot cooks up locally sourced goodies in just the right sort of fancy ways. Think grilled lamb steak with gooseberry salsa; skyscraper sundae with summer fruits, meringue, ice cream and a jaunty cherry. Delicious.

TOP-NOTCH Chef Robbie Krawczyk took over the kitchens at Tankardstown House’s Brabazon restaurant (Rathkenny, Slane, Co Meath, 041 982 4621; tankardstown.ie) earlier this year, having polished his skills at the O’Brien Chop House, Dunbrody House and The Cliff House. This unflappable chef produces spectacular dishes with ingredients plundered from the gardens where possible, and magicked into mouthwatering platefuls.

Vegetarian? You’re in for a treat. This is special occasion dining.

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HISTORY | BOYNE VALLEY

Stay at ...

GRAND Set in gentle parkland, Tankardstown is a plushly renovated country house with all the trimmings.

A converted stableyard offers cute self-catering or B&B cottages on site.

Rooms midweek in house from €250 B&B; cottages, €90pp B&B. (Rathkenny, Co Meath, 041 982 4621; tankardstown. ie). Nothing chintzy about Bellinter House, a carefully restored 18th century country house with cool decor plus spa and Eden restaurant. Rooms from €95pps B&B (Navan, Co Meath, 046 903 0900; bellinterhouse.com) FAMILY RUN Scholar’s Townhouse Hotel was converted by the McGowan family into a friendly, 16-room, boutique hotel back in 2005 and it has been picking up awards ever since. Popular with locals too for its good food (check out the homemade ice cream) and range of craft beers. Double room from €109 B&B. (King Street, Drogheda, Co Louth, 041 983 5410; scholarshotel.com) HANDY You’re right beside Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre – and might even bag a bedroom with views of Newgrange – at the elegant country house B&B Rossnaree in the heart of the Boyne Valley. Dinner available €50; €70-80pps B&B (closed November to March; Newgrange, 041 982 0975; rossnaree.ie).

Their yurts, below, are folded away at the end of October, but you can still enjoy Rock Farm Slane’s romantic shepherd huts (sleeps two) or its new strawbale studio, Swallow’s Nest (sleeps one or two). Weekends, €45pp (Slane, Co Meath; 041 988 4861; rockfarmslane.ie)

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Right, Carina Mount Charles at work at Rock Farm Slane, where you can glamp in a luxury yurt, below, rent electric bikes or join a foodie tour.

of the farm’s best sausages, rashers and eggs, I’m zipped into a wetsuit and swishing through the long grass of the Slane meadow to the Boyne, dragging my kayak behind me.

The river flows through a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also a special area of conservation – home to all sorts of wildlife including kingfishers, moorhens, otters and river lampreys. We spot a heron standing as still as a statue on a rock. And when we come ashore briefly to stretch our legs, a herd of curious cows come down to the water’s edge to inspect us.

We slide on down the river. Then around a bend we spot Newgrange on top of a hill, its white quartz kerbstones sharply visible across the valley. Those massive stones were probably carried to the site by river.

While you can see this Neolithic passage tomb from the Boyne, you need to get back on dry land to visit it and nearby Knowth. Access to both is via the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre (booking advised.

Donore, Co Meath, 041 988 0300; heritageireland.ie), which also has exhibits on Neolithic society, the building of the monuments and partial reconstructions of

Newgrange and Knowth.

“We’re going easy,” says James later of our route. It’s the one the Vikings would have travelled when they raided the area in AD861, but with an important difference, “the Vikings came upriver, we’re going down river. The exact same route, it hasn’t changed, the same bends.”

Two hours later and we’re pulling our kayaks onto land and enjoying the contents of a picnic hamper provided by the folks from Rock Farm. Out of the Boyne Valley’s fertile soil has grown a rich crop of artisan producers who gather under the umbrella of the Slane Food Circle. Carina and hubby Alex Mount Charles, son of Lord Henry Mount Charles of Slane Castle, tap into this harvest by organising tailor-made tours by electric bike from Rock Farm. En route, you can forage for a picnic lunch, tasting cheeses, ice cream and cider, and even opt to finish with a drop of whiskey at Slane Castle.

“Slane was dead up to about two years ago,” says Lucy O’Gorman of Slane Craft Collective (3 Newgrange Mall, Slane, Co Meath; 041 982 0008; slanecraftcollective. com), who is working on a sculptural

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HISTORY | BOYNE VALLEY

3 valley classics …

1

Time your visit to Loughcrew (spring and autumn equinoxes at dawn) or Newgrange (the winter solstice at dawn) to coincide with their alignment with the sun and view them as they were originally meant to be seen.

The lucky 50 people to draw tickets into Newgrange for this winter’s solstice have already been decided by lottery (heritageireland.ie), but a trip to witness the festivities is still worth setting your alarm clock for.

2

It’s not too early to book your room at the Headfort Arms Hotel (Kells, 046 924 0063; headfortarms.ie) for 2015’s literary gem, the Hay Festival Kells, June 25-28, 2015

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(hayfestival.org); expect storytelling, plays, cookery, chat and craic.

3

It’s worth a detour to see the Hill of Tara, once the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Now it’s a series of grassy mounds containing Neolithic, Iron Age and early Christian remains with fantastic views. On top of the Forradh, or Royal Seat, is the Lia Fáil, a standing stone where the kings were believed to have been crowned. Legend has it the stone would roar if touched by the rightful king.

Discover Ireland publishes a helpful route map to the area, discoverireland.ie/ boynevalley or boynevalleydrive.ie

piece of Loughcrew cairns when I visit. “Nothing was happening.”

The locals got together to brainstorm and the outcome was a range of community projects, including the collective. The studio is jammed with all types of crafts from burnished wooden pestles and mortar, to ceramics, greeting cards and jewellery.

The village is buzzing and makes a good place to stop and browse for gifts or lunch. The Hub (2 Main Street, 041 982 4000) offers tourist information, while The Old Post Office (041 982 4090) serves up a fine lunch of soups, sandwiches and paninis, and around the corner, there’s a dangerously delicious bakery, Slane Bake (Main Street, 041 988 4716; slanebake.com).

Just outside Slane stands the little cottage where the poet Francis Ledwidge (Janeville, 041 982 4544; francisledwidge.com) grew up, the eighth of nine children. “He worked at Slane Castle as a kitchen boy when he was about 14,” Sharon Brady, one of the guides at the museum, tells me. “The cook would chalk up the day’s menu on a slate every day.

Ledwidge loved learning all the new words. One day, he wiped the slate off and wrote instead: ‘Cabbage, spuds and pigs trotters’. The cook didn’t see the funny side of it and that was the end of that job.”

In 1914, aged 26, Ledwidge enlisted in the British army, serving – and surviving – Gallipoli only to be killed by a German shell in 1917 near Ypres. In the museum, you’ll find his letters, early drafts of his poems, photographs and even a working draft of Seamus Heaney’s moving elegy to the poet, “In memoriam Francis Ledwidge”.

It’s just a ten kilometre drive from Slane to Oldbridge and the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre (Oldbridge, Drogheda, Co Meath, 041 980 9950; battleoftheboyne.ie).

“If you stand at the door here, you can look down at the spot where the battle was fought,” says Roisin Hennigan of the Centre. Ranged on opposite sides of the Boyne (and the battle) in 1690 were the Catholic James II of England, defending his

This page, clockwise from top left, all quiet at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and Café, Oldbridge; Slane Bake, the place to go for sweet treats; Slane Castle; St Laurence’s Gate, part of the medieval walls of Drogheda town; Mark Totten of Traders Coffee, Drogheda; the river walk from Oldbridge to Drogheda. Opposite, the glistening quartz walls of the raised mound of Newgrange.

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Rock art

throne with the support of Louis XIV’s French troops and about 18,000 Irish Catholics. On the other side were his nephew William III and an army of Dutch, Danish, Scottish and French Huguenots, some 36,000 in all. The battle went to William, and his victory, and that of the supremacy of the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland, was cemented at the Battle of Aughrim in Co Galway a year later.

From the gates of Oldbridge estate, you can walk along the Boyne’s tree-lined navigation canals and the river all the way to Drogheda. Here, the river is straddled by the Boyne Viaduct – an impressive piece of 19th-century engineering that still supports the Dublin to Belfast train – before it shakes off the city and runs out to the sea at Mornington in Co Meath.

There is plenty of history to view in Drogheda – this was another of de Lacy’s walled towns after all, and remains of the medieval walls 78 |

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ILLUSTRATION BY KATHI BURKE

It’s a steep climb up to Loughcrew cairn through fields of grazing sheep but the views over 17 counties are reward enough. This passage tomb is more than 5,000 years old, older than the pyramids of Egypt, older than the invention of the wheel. It’s one of four such complexes in Ireland, along with Carrowmore and Carrowkeel in Sligo, and the largest and most sophisticated ones at Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth. During summer, the OPW has guides on hand to answer questions, at other times you can collect the key from Loughcrew Gardens, worth a visit themselves (September to June; loughcrew.com). Inside, great slabs of rock flank a passageway leading to a backstone with beautiful carvings, designed to be lit up by the sun at dawn on the spring and summer equinoxes.

Some of the symbols look like flowers and suns. They could be connected to the fertility of the land, the seasons, the alignment of the planets – or the result of too many hallucinogens consumed by the shamans.

“Elsie’s Counter”

by Jessica Foley at the light-filled Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda.

can still be seen at Buttergate.

You can pay your respects at the shrine of St Oliver Plunkett, and view his head at St Peter’s Church (West Street, 041 984 5355; saintpetersdrogheda.ie), retrieved after he was hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn in 1681.

Thirty years before, Drogheda had been besieged and sacked by Cromwell and 2,500 townsfolk were massacred.

After all that history, I decide on some culture – a visit to Highlanes Gallery (Laurence Street, Drogheda, 041 980 3311; highlanes.ie), a lightfilled church cleverly converted into an art gallery and with the lure of a fine café (Relish Café and Foodhall). In a glass display case in the entrance way is a silver mace presented to the city by William of Orange after the Battle of the Boyne. There is no escaping history here after all.

Follow Fran @francespower

ECO-TRIP | COPENHAGEN

The Danish capital’s cool and green credentials are second to none. Fergal McCarthy cycles like the locals and delights in a city leading the way in saving the planet.

Photographs by Steve Ryan.

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This page, Katherine Ulrich, head chef at Cap Horn restaurant, opposite, cycling through Assistens.

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ondon epitomised the 1960s, New York owned the 1980s and Dublin was arguably the coolest city in the world sometime around 1995.

Whoever controls the barometer for metropolitan brilliance seems to have tipped the mercury in favour of Copenhagen of late, as the Nordic city seems to win every award imaginable, from European Green Capital to World’s Most Liveable City and even recently topping The World Happiness Report.

Denmark’s capital boasts more Michelin stars than any other Scandinavian city.

NOMA has been named Best Restaurant in the World for the fourth time (be warned, dinner with wine costs €325 per person) and the

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Nyhavn – one of the most photographed sites in Copenhagen, bottom, and below, writer Fergal goes wild at Legoland.

city polishes off more organic food than anywhere else in Europe.

Copenhagen has also back-dropped some of the best TV series to hit our screens in recent times, including Borgen and The Killing, and also propelled Conchita Wurst to stardom at the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year.

Not content with all that, Copenhagen is streets ahead in the race to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025.

While the rest of us have barely left the starting blocks, Scandinavia’s second largest city has been busily installing wind farms and electric buses, replacing coal with biomass, and cooling buildings with water de deployed from the harbour.

Ac Actually the harbour was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Copenhagen. Its

water quality has been improved to such an extent that it’s now possible to swim in the city centre all year round at The Harbour Baths, a cutting-edge floating pool moored on the waterfront at Islands Brygge.

Any city with such a progressive attitude towards its waterways must be doing something right.

More than anything I wanted to visit to get a sense of a city at the vanguard of sustainability and experience as much of Copenhagen’s “green” offerings as possible. My wife, Christine, was perhaps more interested in the city’s celebrated design offerings but somehow let me talk her into renting bikes so we could cross the harbour on the recently opened Cykelslangen, an elevated orange cycle bridge that snakes high above the water. Never before had I felt so much like a bee in a hive as we joined the two long

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lines of cyclists streaming past each other and diverging seamlessly in multiple directions at the other side of the harbour.

More than 50 per cent of Copenhageners cycle to work, which makes complete sense as the city is served by a 400-kilometre network of double-width bike lanes.

They pedal along on their vintage rides, texting or sipping a latte, even descending in lifts to the metro where it’s possible to travel with a bike outside rush hour.

Dash, my five-year-old son, was thrilled to be chauffeured around the city in the wooden box at the front of my rented Christiania Bike and was especially pleased when our first day of pounding the bike lanes ended at Tivoli Gardens (tivoli.dk), Copenhagen’s much loved funfair.

Tivoli holds a special place in the hearts of the locals so it was no surprise to find out that the park has invested in a wind turbine and is on track to become the world’s

first carbon-neutral funfair.

We stayed for two nights at Hotel Babette Guldsmeden (see sidebar), on a street lined with highend galleries and a Tesla (electric car) showroom around the corner from the Amalienborg Palace, the queen’s city pad. Babette has the feel of a luxury bolt-hole, with egg chairs in the foyer, a cow-hidelined lift and a spa on the roof but, most impressively, is Green Globe certified, with almost every single aspect of the hotel boasting top-notch eco credentials. Our room key was made from bamboo; recycled paper cups were provided in the bathroom for the excellent tap water and the mini bar was stocked with organic gummy bears. Electric fans and windows that actually open make up for the lack of air-con and an organic breakfast buffet is served every morning in the restaurant. None of these innovations was trumpeted as a big deal. I guess it has become

ECO-COOL The Guldsmeden hotel group deserves the Nobel Prize for sustainability for their properties in Denmark, Norway and Bali. As well as the Babette Guldsmeden you could also try the Axel Guldsmeden in edgier Vesterbro and hop between organic restaurants in the Meatpacking District. Doubles from €140. (Bredgade 78, +45 3314 1500; guldsmedenhotels.com)

Above, The Harbour Baths, open during the summer months and free to the public.

Opposite, clockwise from top left, BioMio organic restaurant; tourist Fiona McKay; Christianshavns Boat Rental; a military band procession; art appreciation in the Meatpacking District; an outdoor fitness structure on the river; Kasper Juul Larsen, beer guru at Nørrebro Bryghus Brewery; urban flora and murals; all afloat – the Christianshavns Boat Rental Café.

bizarre towers all VIEWS TO DIE FOR … Copenhagen is a city of whimsical has to be offering expansive views over the city. The most h is ascended via a Rundetårn (round tower), in the city centre, whic ride on horseback to 268-metre spiral walk designed so the king could stall near the exit. the top. Snack on an organic hot-dog at the DØP

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BUSINESS If George Lucas designed hotels they would probably look like the Bella Sky Comwell, a twin-towered, torqued beauty in Ørestad, Copenhagen’s newest suburb, just ten minutes from the centre by metro. The rooms come with a choice of Jensen or Hastens beds and the hotel is powered by a giant wind turbine in the car park. A sister of Copenhagen’s first carbon neutral hotel, The Crowne Plaza, which boasts northern Europe’s largest wall of solar panels. Doubles from €130. (Center Boulevard 5, +45 3247 3000; bellaskycomwell.dk) FAMILY We took a three-hour train trip (dsb.dk) to Billund for a long-promised visit to Legoland and a stay in a Kingdom Premium themed room at the family friendly Hotel Legoland. Lego sculptures of knights, crowns and coats of arms decorate the room, which features crenellated bunk beds, customised carpets and wallpaper, and two giant boxes of Lego for entertainment. Family packages from €300. (Aastvej 10, Billund, +45 7951 1350; legoland.dk)

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Eat at ...

STREET In the evening, pedal over to Christianshavn’s canals and spend some time at Experimentarium (experimentarium.dk), a hands-on science museum for kids. Grab an organic hot-dog at Papiroen food hall next door, pull up a deckchair and watch the sun set over the harbour. (copenhagenstreetfood.dk) NATIVE Nyhavn is the impossibly pretty stretch of canal that features on every postcard from Copenhagen. Head straight to Restaurant Cap Horn, for a platter of smørrebrød, Denmark’s famed open sandwiches, above, on buttered rye bread with herring, shrimp and roast beef toppings.

Wash it all down with a glass of schnapps, banter with the very charming, exclusively blonde staff and sit by the open fire, a location for many impromptu marriage proposals. The kitchen is mostly organic, seasonal and is a great favourite with locals and visitors alike. (Nyhavn 21, +45 3312 8504; caphorn.dk) TASTING Rasmus Kofoed was named the world’s best chef in 2011 and it’s easy to so see why when an envelope of flavours arrives at your table to stimulate your curiosity for the 26-course, fully organic lunch that awaits. Kofoed opened Geranium in the unlikely setting of the eighth floor of Copenhagen’s soccer stadium, overlooking leafy Fælledparken, which is the perfect place to walk off your lunch. The Universe Tasting Menu costs €190.

(Per Henrik Lings Allé 4, 8, +45 6996 0020; geranium.dk)

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Above left, a lunch platter at Cap Horn.

Below, clockwise from left, Karen Gahun enjoying an after-work kayak lesson, Kayak Republic’s Tobias Weber-Andersen, and Cap Horn’s dark ale.

normal to operate sustainably as a whopping 64 per cent of Copenhagen’s hotel rooms are now certified as eco-friendly.

Dozens of canal boats ferry tourists around the harbour but we opted for a two-hour kayak tour (kayakrepublic.dk) taking in the Opera House, a paddle under The Royal Theatre (kglteater.dk) and a glimpse of an old submarine in the navy’s shipyard. I’m not sure why everybody seems to be so disappointed by The Little Mermaid. It’s exactly as you imagine: a very sweet little statue prone to beheadings and the adulation of a small army of Asian tourists.

I read that René Redzepi, NOMA’s co-owner and head chef, stops for a coffee every morning at Café Det Vide Hus opposite The

King’s Garden (slke.dk). The coffee was great, fairtrade and organic (of course) but the main attraction was the small fridge full of ice-creams that are made on site every day. I went for a blood orange sorbet with dried hibiscus flower powder and bee pollen. It was quite something.

The barista chatted freely and explained that Redzepi liked to forage for mulberries in the gardens across the road. Everybody we met in Copenhagen seemed to have time to talk; it felt like a very relaxed city. Dash stopped almost every single dog owner; they patiently answered his canine questions and encouraged him to give their pooches a pat.

Caffeinated and still buzzing from the ice-cream we headed for Nørrebrogade, the world’s busiest cycle street with 35,000 bikes a day,

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A favourite of designer Paul Smith, Cykelmageren is possibly the world’s most beautiful bike shop.

Rasmus Gjesing’s hand-built creations, rendered in chromoly steel, line the walls of this temple to two wheels. Bring your credit card. Tourist bikes start from €1,300. (Kongensgade 57, +45 3311 1211; cykelmageren.dk)

2

Spinlister is to bikes what airbnb is to home rentals. Copenhagen boasts more bikes than people so the locals now undercut the bike shops by renting their surplus wheels out on this website from €2.50 a day. Unfortunately cargo bikes are a little more expensive at €50. (spinlister.com)

3

Baisikeli in Vesterbro’s Meatpacking District has a bike café, a bike rental and a repair shop. The owners ship hundreds of reconditioned bikes to Africa every year to promote cycling culture in

The lakes of Peblinge Sø – once reservoirs for the city – are now enjoyed by runners and cyclists pounding its paths.

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Mozambique. Cargo bikes become more affordable if you rent them for multiple days. (Ingerslevsgade 80, +45 2670 0229; baisikeli.dk)

4

Rapha (rapha.cc) publish wonderful city cycling guides and their Copenhagen edition is a beautifully illustrated bible for anybody with a passion for exploring on two wheels. You can pick it up at the Danish Design Museum gift shop (Bredgade 68; designmuseum.dk) and, while you’re there, invest in a €20 Fixie pizza cutter.

5

Head to Cykelbanditten in Nørrebro for every bike accessory imaginable, from streamers for your kids’ handlebars to easy-off magnetic lights that will never again be stolen. This being Copenhagen, they stock their own very affordable bike range, which is also available online. (Nørrebrogade 9, +45 4173 7700; cykelbanditten.dk)

to check out Nørrebro, which is billed as the Copenhagen equivalent of Brooklyn. The area has recently been gentrified and is famous for antique shops and bars.

We turned on to Møllegade and wheeled our bikes on to the pavement in front of a row of interesting looking shops. Christine stocked up on second-hand kids clothes for Dash at Petitesse (petitesse.dk) and, next door at Visit, I found an amazing sweatshirt by local label A Question Of, which specialises in sustainable street wear. Visit also stocks intricate necklaces assembled from recycled

inner-tubes and leather bow ties crafted from cut-offs sourced at a furniture factory. Dash was more interested in DYRK, an urban farm we found around the corner where he got to feed goats and rabbits, chase chickens and jump off animal shelters with local kids.

The next day I finally managed to taste Global Ale, a carbonneutral beer brewed locally by Nørrebro Bryghus. It accompanied our organic lunch at BioM (Fredericiagade 78, +45 3332 2466; biom.dk), where we sat on seats made from fabric recycled from the interior of car boots. Søren, the head

chef and co-owner, fed us mussels in a lemongrass broth and mushroom risotto, while explaining his plan to grow a forest in the countryside one day.

Amager Strandpark lies a few metro stops to the south and is a testament to Copenhagen’s ability to transform surroundings to suit its recreational needs. It’s a twokilometre-long artificial island with playgrounds, kids’ pools, a marina and picnic areas, and attracts swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers. I visited on a rainy Sunday morning but the weather didn’t seem to put off the dozens of

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joggers and the flotilla of wet-suited swimmers that circled the island.

I had a long list of places to visit in Copenhagen before I arrived but for me the real joy was cycling aimlessly and discovering hidden gems, such as the view over the harbour from the café at the Danish Architecture Centre (Strandgade 27B; dac.dk) or the buckthorn ice-cream at Siciliansk Is (Skydebanegade 3; sicilianskis. dk) in Vesterbro. Every second street seemed to have an organic hairdresser or an extraordinary new building designed by a worldrenowned architect. Long after his death, Buckminster Fuller’s Dome of Visions (domeofvisions.dk) was erected on the waterfront last April, where it will stand until next spring.

It’s a giant, transparent igloo with a garden, café and modular spaces for talks and events focusing on green technologies. As we drove towards the airport to return home, our first time in a car in a week, I felt excited about the future and privileged to have witnessed a visionary city that’s stepping up to the plate. Of course our taxi was a Tesla.

Follow Fergal @FergalMcCarthy1

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ILLUSTRATION BY STEVE McCARTHY

Below, Dome of Visions, an event space in Søren Kierkegaards that hosts gigs, exhibitions and seminars. Below, behind the dome’s bar, Josephine Visler.

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SHOPPING | NEW YORK

Only in New York

Most shoppers visiting NYC head for the legendary department stores on Fifth Avenue. But there are many small, independent ventures unique to the city, where every purchase has its own story.

Patrick Rogers reports. Photographs by Kristin Teig.

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Living the high life – Manhattan’s skyscrapers boast some incredible views and none more so than from Top of the Rock Observation Deck at the Rockerfeller Center.

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SHOPPING | NEW YORK

f you’ve visited before, you’ve probably heard the wild call of the native New Yorker: “This is the greatest city in the world!” Granted, that’s an exaggeration. But the locals can proudly lay claim to at least one major distinction: for whether you choose to spoil yourself with fashion and chic shoes, or comic books and rare first editions, or electronics to make life more efficient, or merely cooler, this a very good place to do some shopping.

In a city of this size, you’ll have opportunities to put your credit limit to the test at every corner. New York has grand department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman (754 Fifth Avenue, +1 212 753 7300; bergdorfgoodman.com), where society ladies sip tea at the restaurant on the seventh floor, and hip Barneys (660 Madison Avenue, +1 212 826 8900; barneys.com), the second home of the city’s cool girls, and thrifty Century 21 (22 Cortlandt Street, +1 212 227 9092; c21stores.com), where blenders and designer briefs go for shockingly low prices near the new World Trade Center.

All the major international players are in town, with large outposts of Zara, H&M, Mango, Topshop and Uniqlo from Japan (check out their crisp cotton shirts at prices that will allow you to buy a few) in midtown and on Lower Broadway, alongside US brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, American Eagle and American Apparel.

Near Union Square, Paragon Sports (867 Broadway, +1 212 255 8889; paragonsports.com) is the sort of place you can kit yourself out for running in Central Park, or an expedition to the Arctic, while the Strand Book Store (828 Broadway, +1 212 473 1452; strandbooks.com) boasts 30 kilometres of books – new, used, half-priced (in the basement) and

I

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Top, the esteemed Bergdorf Goodman department store at 5th Avenue and West 58th Street.

Above, our man in the city, Patrick Rogers.

ra rare (on the third floor; ask for di directions).

So many are the choices, in fa fact, that a reasonable person, af after a day or two on the hunt, mi might begin to think the locals pr prize quantity over quality.

After all, Ralph Lauren has nearly a dozen stores here, and Marc Jacobs, the favourite designer of off-duty models, has seven of his own, mostly along Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, where smartly dressed shoppers stop for espresso at Sant Ambroeus (259 West Fourth Street, +1 212 604 9254; santambroeus.com) between

bouts at Michael Kors, Coach, Diptyque, Burberry Brit, Pierre Hardy. The list goes on.

But the joy of a shopping spree in New York isn’t just about the abundance of labels you already know or pressing your nose up against the windows at Tiffany’s (727 Fifth Avenue, +1 212 755 8000; tiffany.com). It’s the many surprises in store, too. “That’s what makes New York a playground,” says Kim France, founder of the Girls of a Certain Age fashion blog. “There’s a certain tension: for every street overrun by the big brands, there’s a new neighbourhood cropping up

A watercolour painting by Róisín O’Shea © 2012

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SHOPPING | NEW YORK

Clockwise from left, owner of The Hat Shop, Linda Pagan strikes a pose; blogger and founding editor of Lucky magazine, Kim France; dapper doorman Ryan Marco at Tiffany & Co, Soho; Olya Bar, one of MiN fragrance boutique’s “noses”.

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with stores where every item has its own story.”

France’s own home turf, the Lower East Side, is a good example of the eccentric mix.

Along with the traditionally Jewish merchant district’s cut-rate leather and perfume stores are skateboard shops (Only NY, 176 Stanton Street, +1 646 649 5673; onlynylives.com), retro barbers (Freemans Sporting Club, 8 Rivington Street, +1 212 256 1309; freemanssportingclub.com), men’s clothiers such as By Robert James (74 Orchard Street, +1 212 253 2121; byrobertjames.com), where the rock and roll-inspired gear is designed on site, and perhaps the city’s most esoteric women’s boutique, Maryam Nassir Zadeh (123 Norfolk Street, +1 212 673 6405; mnzstore.com), with inventively cut clothing for women who don’t bother with trends. One neighbourhood stalwart, Moscot opticians (108 Orchard Street, +1 212 477 3796; moscot.com), founded in 1925, has been fitting hipsters with 96 |

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Famed tastemaker, Bergdorf Goodman personal shopper Betty Halbreich, is also one of the most accessible, thanks to her new memoir, I’ll Drink to That: A Life in Style, with a Twist (Penguin Press). For those about to shop: “Nothing gets better the more times you look at it in the mirror.”

clunky black nerd glasses since the last time they were trendy.

It’s also a great place, if you’re in a nostalgic mood, to sample some local flavour – classic New York eats unspoiled by kale or quinoa or other invasive species (although those are no doubt available nearby as well).

Take a number at Russ and Daughters appetiser store (179 East Houston Street, +1 212 475 4800; russanddaughters.com) for peerless smoked fish and bagels or join the crowd at Katz’s Deli (205 East Houston Street, +1 212 254 2246; katzsdelicatessen.com), for brusquely served pastrami sandwiches, in a vast dining hall with signs that invite you to “send a salami to your boy in the Army”.

And don’t even think of walking a child past Economy Candy (108 Rivington Street, +1 212 254 1531; economycandy.com) unless you’re

Above, rub shoulders with fashionistas and filmmakers at the Marlton Hotel. Left, sweeten the deal – Derek Herbster, executive manager at the new Mast Brothers Chocolate Brew Bar.

prepared to spend some time in this nostalgic sugar mine – a store packed with penny candy from every corner of American heartland.

A quest for high fashion in downtown Manhattan inevitably leads to Nolita, so called because it’s north of Little Italy. These are the once mean streets where filmmaker Martin Scorsese grew up, although he’d barely recognise the area now that it’s been colonised by high-end boutiques such as Tory Burch (257 Elizabeth Street, +1 212 334 3000; toryburch. com), who offers her Park Avenue preppy tunics and sandals in a lacquered 1970s jewel box of a store. Amid all the rigorously onbrand marketing, Love Adorned (269 Elizabeth Street, +1 212 431 5683; loveadorned.com) stands out

with its truly original jewellery designs by owner Lori Leven, who also operates a tattoo parlour in the East Village, and (prepare for more awful buzzwords here) a carefully curated array of kitchen linens, plush toys, Moroccan rugs and socks from Japan. It’s a mix that’s ethnic yet modern, and bohemian without being hippy-ish.

(And be warned: such authenticity, like much on offer in this intense neighbourhood, doesn’t come cheap.)

For the young woman on a splurge – or a budding fashion blogger learning the art of the edit – one destination in neighbouring SoHo (for south of Houston Street) is a head-above favourite: Kirna Zabete (477 Broome Street, +1 212 941 9656; kirnazabete.com). The concept here is simple – to offer

tation of HOT TICKET Queen of the Night is a lavish adap re with Mozart’s The Magic Flute; immersive, magical theat audience. intimate, if harmless, interaction between cast and ount Hotel, 235 And eats and drink (Diamond Horseshoe, Param tnyc.com).

West 46th Street, +1 212 706 7344; queenofthenigh

Stay at …

IN VOGUE It’s not the fanciest place to stay in town, nor the hotel with the best service, but the Marlton Hotel (5 West 8th Street; +1 212 321 0100; marltonhotel.com) is certainly the city’s most fashionable. Here you will enjoy proximity to fashion designers and filmmakers as you warm yourself by a fire in wood-panelled lounges and its buzzing restaurant, Margaux. The guest rooms upstairs are small but sexy, with old-world flair. Double rooms from $300.

MID-RANGE Out of the way for Broadway-bound visitors, but custom-made for those interested in Brooklyn’s arts, dining and shopping scenes, the Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Avene, Williamsburg, +1 718 460 8000; wythehotel.com) has 70 light-filled rooms with unparalleled views, housed in a former factory just a few blocks from the East River. You’ll find all the (post-) mod cons here: a bar with terrace, a pop-up barber shop, heated floors, a cinema, and minibars stocked with local beers and spirits. Double rooms from $300.

FANCY A recent revamp of the New York Palace Hotel (455 Madison Avenue, +1 212 888 7000; newyorkpalace.com) has made a debutant of this Midtown dowager with sparkling contemporary interiors in a block of 1882 mansions near St Patrick’s Cathedral, and suites in the 55 floor tower are calculated to turn heads.

Rooms start at $490 and go rapidly up.

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SHOPPING | NEW YORK

the customer a few pieces, literally just three or four, from every major label, from Jason Wu to Givenchy.

But the selection, if you can afford it, is sublime; there will be no more need for that personal stylist.

A couple of blocks away, Journelle (125 Mercer Street, +1 212 255 7803; journelle.com) outclasses Victoria’s Secret (565 Broadway, +1 212 219 9812; victoriassecret.com) with its selection of lingerie, from the affordable to the indulgent, and the Hat Shop (120 Thompson Street; +1 212 219 1445) sells the work

A sundowner martini, anyone? Golden views from The Jewel Suite by Martin Katz at The New York Palace hotel.

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of some 30 New York milliners.

Opening Ceremony (35 Howard Street, +1 212 219 2688; openingceremony.us) has helpful staff who will cheerfully dress you for a night of clubbing in Bushwick, with a Moschino backpack and a T-shirt from Kenzo.

For men, there’s an emerging subzone of the downtown retail district that’s so new it doesn’t have a clever acronym yet. One block west of Broadway, Crosby Street has sprouted a row of hip stores including Saturdays Surf NYC

(31 Crosby Street, +1 212 966 7875; saturdaysnyc.com), for modern button-downs and khakis, and Aethernyc (13 Crosby Street, +1 212 226 8349; aetherapparel.com), a Los Angeles transplant with hightech ski jackets for men and women.

The giant fish hook hanging outside Miansai (33 Crosby Street, +1 212 858 9710; miansai.com) will serve as a clue that this is the place to buy the popular (and reasonably priced) nautically-themed bracelets with fish hook and anchor fasteners you’ll see on the wrists of casual dudes.

WEDDING DECOR SPECIALISTS

Email:events@gotchacovered.ie www.gotchacovered.ie

SHOPPING | NEW YORK

Clockwise from left, Miansai retail operations manager Pearse Lamb, creating bracelets; sugar rush at Chelsea Market’s Doughnuttery; JP Doyle and María del Mar Sacasa (food stylist and author of Winter Cocktails) take a load off in Soho; savoury noodles at Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop in Gotham West Market; food stylist Michelle Gatton.

Eat at ...

Outside, the weather’s frightful. Yes, but inside it’s warm and inviting – perfect conditions to explore the city’s tempting food halls, where there’s room to amble and choices to meet every taste.

HIP Gotham West Market (600 11th Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen, +1 212 582 7940; gothamwestmarket.com) is a collection of eight gourmet vendors with an edge: Ivan Ramen, specialising in hot Japanese noodles in silky pork broth, is owned by one of the few Westerners to have thrived in Tokyo’s brutally competitive food scene; Court Street Grocers is a Brooklyn sandwich shop with a memorable patty melt – a pork and beef cheeseburger between slices of buttered and grilled rye bread.

HIGH-END The Plaza Food Hall (1 West 59th Street, +1 212 956 9260; theplazany.com) occupies the black-and-white-tiled basement of the Plaza Hotel, with specialties including a caviar bar and chocolates from Paris, but

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also locally-grown fare. Luke’s Lobster serves the best of New England clam shack cuisine, and No. 7 Sub takes the common submarine sandwich to heights never before seen at the corner deli.

CARNIVAL TV chef Mario Batali’s latest venture is Eataly (200 Fifth Avenue, +1 212 229 2560; eataly.com), a sprawling outpost of the Italian cafeteria chain that debuted in Turin in 2007. The New York version, housed in the former toy market building on Madison Square, retains the carnival atmosphere: meats roasting on open cooking stations and pasta being rolled before your eyes. There’s a rooftop beer (and sausage) garden and, waiting like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, a large room dedicated to Nutella, where mounds of the thick chocolaty stuff are spooned over crepes, brioche, and sold by the bottle.

Shopping for your home in a city that’s not your own can be frustrating: it’s easy to fall in love with a mid-century modern sectional sofa but how do you get it home? At John Derian Company (6 East Second Street, +1 212 677 3917; johnderian.com), however, you’ll find portable temptations, such as the designer’s découpage trays and bowls with motifs borrowed from old engravings.

Jonathan Adler (37 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich Village, +1 212 488 2803; jonathanadler. com) has cleverly installed “gift bars” in each of his design shops, with affordable candles, coasters, and vases in a playful Palm Springs style. Anyone with a nose for fragrance should check out MiN New York (117 Crosby Street, +1 212 206 6366; minnewyork. com), a perfumer’s cabinet of wonders, and the definitive New York drugstore, C.O. Bigelow Pharmacy (414 Sixth Avenue; +1 212 533 2700; bigelowchemists. com), for its charm, brass chandeliers, and unparalleled toiletries.

In Williamsburg, one stop from Manhattan on the Brooklynbound L train – or a fine walk over the Williamsburg Bridge in good weather – the vibe is calmer, scrappy, but sophisticated. Oak (55 Nassau Avenue +1 718 782 0521; oaknyc.com) sells clothing of the non-conformist and predominantly black and white variety, most of it designed on the spot. Definitely a place for people who party past midnight.

Space Ninety 8 (98 North Sixth Street, +1 718 599 0209; spaceninety8.com), offers a more cheerful take on outer-borough chic: this is an example of the trending “concept store,” where a well-established brand – in this case the college-kid jeans and sneaker chain Urban Outfitters – adds products from other labels, a DJ, and a bar into the retail mix as a means of freshening its image. The result here is a pure success: the soaring former factory has the feel of an eco lodge in Central America, but one that sells ceramics, Vans sneakers and an OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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eye-popping selection of currently cool Korean beauty products.

Nearby is another neighbourhooddefining institution: Mast Brothers Chocolate (111 North 3rd Street, Williamsburg, +1 718 388 2625; mastbrothers.com) where – warning – the aroma of roasting cacao may cause temporary paralysis.

Another of Brooklyn’s pleasantly walkable neighbourhoods is Park Slope, accessible via the 2, 3, B, and Q subway lines from Manhattan, or the G from within Brooklyn.

Here, Bird (316 Fifth Avenue, +1 718 768 4940; shopbird.com), a pioneer of the borough’s free-spirited shopping scene, remains the place for a geek-chic character on Girls to spend her pay on psychedelic silk tops and knit ponchos. A few blocks away is Smith Street, another serious shopping strip that divides the brownstone-lined blocks of Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill. Here husband and wife Mike Kuhle and Adele Berne, owners of Epaulet (231 Smith Street, +1 718 522 3800; epauletnewyork.com), have forged ties with tailors and shoemakers in New England to update 20thcentury wardrobe classics for “trad guys” who wish to dress like their grandfathers, only sharper.

Doomsayers who have already pronounced the death of the indie bookstore will also benefit from a trip across the East River.

BookCourt (163 Court Street, +1 718 875 3677; bookcourt.com) is a clubhouse for Brooklyn’s literary scene, with regular readings by authors such as Jonathan Lethem, Jonathan Ames and Colm Tóibín.

It also maintains a strong children’s section. For art, photography and graphic novels, Powerhouse Arena (37 Main Street, Dumbo, +1 718 666 3049; powerhousearena. com) is the place (with great views of the skyline across the river), while Spoonbill and Sugartown (218 Bedford Avenue, +1 718 387 7322; spoonbillbooks.com) has the literary journal and “zine scene” covered. By the way, fans of comic books and manga should head to Manhattan’s Forbidden Planet (832 Broadway, +1 212 473 1576; 102 |

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

ILLUSTRATION BY GRAHAM CORCORAN

SHOPPING | NEW YORK

fpnyc.com) and Midtown Comics (200 West 40th Street, +1 212 302 8192; midtowncomics.com).

Finally, if you achieve just one thing on your shopping trip to New York, especially as the end of the year draws near and the holiday lights go up all over town, then head back to Manhattan and climb north to Madison Avenue above 57th Street. Here the luxury boutiques stand shoulder to shoulder for almost a mile – including Chloé, Céline, Calvin Klein and Christian Louboutin, to name just the “C”s – and the competition to dazzle the public with glittering Christmas decorations is at its most fierce.

And the best part: taking in the spectacle doesn’t cost a dime. Kind of great, right?

Browse for geekchic à la Girls at Brookyn’s Bird.

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

C

onveniently set in the heart of the city, around the corner from Trinity College, Grafton Street and across the road from the Molly Malone Statue, O’Neill’s is one of Dublin’s most famous and historic pubs. Trade has flourished here uninterrupted for over 300 years.

Our fully-refurbished Roof-Top Beer Garden & Smoking Area

When you pay us a visit you will receive a warm, welcome and you can enjoy its ageless character, numerous alcoves, snugs, nooks and crannies.

To make your visit enjoyable we offer you ... ●

Extensive Irish Food Menu and Famous Carvery serving only the finest Irish Meat, Fish and Vegetables. In fact, Lonely Planet rate us as one of the Top 5 Places to find ´Real Irish food in Dublin´

●

Traditional Irish Music 7 nights-a-week

●

Roof-Top Beer Garden and Smoking Area

● Largest

selection of local Irish Craft Beers on draught in Ireland, representing as many of the local Craft Breweries as possible, rotating and guesting beers

●

Pour Your Own Pint tables

●

Free Wi-Fi to all our Customers

●

For the whiskey connoisseur there’s our Whiskey Bar where you’ll find a fantastic selection of Irish whiskeys and malts

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HD and 3D Screens for the Sports Fan with major international league games.

●

Our ‘Really Good’ Full Irish Breakfast can’t be beaten for quality and value. 11 items plus tea/coffee and toast, pictured below.

‘Really Good’ Full Irish Breakfast only

¤6.95

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*This special offer is available Mon-Fri only, 8am-11.30am.

Our ‘Really Good’ Breakfast Menu is served 7 days a week.

M.J. O’Neill Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 Tel. 01 679 3656 www.oneillsbar.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

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SKI RESORTS

Pick your piste: Catherine Murphy checks out the slopes.

Best road trip

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HEAVENLY MOUNTAIN RESORT

If the words “city, ski, sip” bring joy to your heart then a North American ski road trip is the way to go. Start or finish your trip with a visit to San Francisco, take in a few Sonoma or Napa valley wine tours along the way and party like you’re in Las Vegas at the Heavenly Mountain Resort (skiheavenly.com) beside Lake Tahoe. The highest and biggest resort in the area, Heavenly straddles Californian and Nevada state lines and also offers the most spectacular views of Lake Tahoe. At 3,068 metres, Heavenly offers a range of intermediate slopes but is best known for its powder, tree-skiing and expert-only canyons. For gentler terrain, ski at nearby Alpine Meadows then hit the road again for Squaw Valley, North Star and Kirkwood.

Check into … The five-star Landing resort and spa boutique hotel (+1 530 541 5263; thelandingtahoe.com) at South Lake Tahoe and, above all, invest in an Epic Pass (epicpass.com), a $729 season pass that allows you to ski Lake Tahoe, Colorado and Utah with five free days each in the top European resorts of Verbier, Les Trois Vallées and St Anton.

Sip away … As part of your city, ski and sip road trip, learn how the masters do it with a blending class at Ravenswood Winery (ravenswoodwinery.com), around an hour’s drive from San Francisco in Sonoma county. Classes focus on Zinfandels and Petite Syrahs, and cost $50.

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SKIING | BEING THERE

As well as having some of the most incredible scenery in the world and forming part of the popular north Italian Sella Ronda ski circuit in the Dolomites, Alta Badia (altabadia.org) has carved out a niche as a gourmet destination. Each winter, a group of Italian and international Michelin star chefs create a range of tasting dishes that focus on both the ancient Ladin food of the region and contemporary gourmet recipes. Their so-called “slope food” is available in 14 mountain huts throughout the season and the result is a kind of gourmet ski safari, where holidaymakers ski from hut to hut tasting exquisite finger food accompanied by matching South Tyrolean and regional wines. Your food knowledge may need to be advanced but the Sella Ronda ski circuit, which takes you through neighbouring resorts such as Selva/Val Gardena, is best suited to intermediate skiers.

Check into … The five-star Rosa Alpina hotel (+39 0471 849 500; rosalpina.it) in San Cassiano. It’s home to the Michelin two-star St Hubertus restaurant, below, and head chef Norbert Niederkofler is one of those participating in the slope food programme.

Eat at … Ski and eat your way around the Sella Ronda on a gourmet ski safari led by qualified local mountain guides with bespoke travel company Dolomite Mountains (dolomitemountains.com).

PHILIPPE DEVANNE / FOTOLIA.COM

Best for gastronomy

Best for families Never mind the lovely 19th-century architecture and grand thermal spas, Cauterets in the Hautes-Pyrénées (cauterets.com) in France was the snowiest place in the world last year.

It’s a family-friendly ski town with 100 kilometres of quiet, wide-open slopes best suited to beginners and intermediates. For the more advanced skiers and boarders in the family, Cauterets shares its lift pass with nearby Grand Tourmalet, while die-hards will want to attempt the off-piste descent from Pic du Midi.

Despite its grand history, Cauterets has a friendly, down-to-earth ambience and families will also enjoy cheaper prices than many big name French resorts.

Relax in … The naturally heated thermal waters of Les Bains du Rocher spa (bains-rocher.fr). It features jet baths, steam rooms and indoor and outdoor thermal pools, all set against the beautiful natural backdrop of the Pyrénées national park. Admission €17.

Eat at … L'Etape du Berge, a mountain hut at La Mongie run

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by a local shepherd, which serves traditional food.

Check into … The Hotel du Lion d’Or, which offers large family rooms and a fantastic menu.

A seven-day half board package for a family of four costs €1,967 (pyreneescollection.co.uk).

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Our adjoining bar, The Living Room is Dublin’s number one sports bar for late night partying and has Ireland’s largest Beer garden!

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SKIING | BEING THERE

Best for heritage On the face of it, Zermatt, pictured (zermatt.ch), is a cosmopolitan resort with A-list appeal and a reputation for legendary parties but, behind its chic, car-free Bahnhofstrasse, lies a medieval village with ancient wooden barns.

High altitude and snow-sure, Zermatt’s slopes cater for a range of abilities, from beginner to expert, with lots of free ride and ski touring options. The resort is linked to Cervinia in Italy, a bonus for pasta fans and expert skiers alike: heliskiing is permitted from the Italian side of the Matterhorn.

Check into … The Mirabeau (+41 27 966 2660; hotel-mirabeau.ch), for a family-run, four-star spa hotel. For five stars with altitude, opt for the swish Riffelalp resort at 2,222 metres (+41 27 966 0550; riffelalp.com) or, for a no-expense-spared, party week with friends, book the edgy Heinz Julen Chalet (+44 203 004 8750; alpineguru.com), a Manhattan-style loft apartment constructed with steel, glass and textured concrete. Costs from CHF14,900 for six people for one week.

Discover … The facts behind the first ascent of the Matterhorn at the Zermatlantis Museum (zermatt.ch/en/ museum). The ascent, which took place on July 14, 1865, was both triumphant and tragic with four of the seven climbers losing their lives. Admission €8/4 for adults/children.

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Best for off-piste Ski hard, party hard and live to tell the tale at St Anton Am Arlberg (stantonamarlberg. com). This Austrian resort’s reputation for après-ski is surpassed only by its reputation for endless off-piste opportunities and a great range of challenging pistes for intermediate to advanced skiers. Reliable snow and with a lift system that puts other resorts to shame, St Anton is part of the Arlberg ski circus, which also includes Lech, Zürs, St Christoph, Stuben, Rendl and Sonnenkopf, accessible by bus.

Eat at … Ski your heart out then have lunch at Hospiz Alm in St Christoph (+43 5546 2611; arlberghospiz.at) where senior director Adi Werner lovingly oversees a million euro wine cellar complete with the world’s largest collection of wine in large bottles. From there, make a 3pm beeline for après-ski at the legendary MooserWirt, finishing the evening off with live music at the Piccadilly. The après scene is full-on but St Anton has a sophisticated

feel to it – check out Icebar Lech, above.

Check into … Das Mooser (+43 5546 2644; mooserhotel.at), a swish ski-in, ski-out hotel which manages to maintain privacy and minimal chic despite being next door to one of the liveliest ski spots in the world,

MooserWirt Après-Ski-Bar. Prices from €1,450 per person for seven nights.

Free ride … Sample some of the best offpiste runs in the world, in terms of both scale and diversity. A 45-minute hike will take you to the tricky Waterfall run down to Langen.

Best for non-ski adventure The highest ski village in Europe, Val Thorens (valthorens.com) in France’s Les Trois Vallées opens up more than 400 kilometres of piste and off-piste terrain to intermediate and advanced skiers.

The resort vibe is young and buzzy and, for those few hours when you’re not skiing or partying, it has a broad range of high adrenalin non-ski activities. Try mountain biking on snow, ice-driving or the resort’s

boardercross course – but our favourite new thing about Val Thorens is La Tyrolienne (la-tyrolienne.com), the highest zip line in the world, left. It whizzes you 1,300 metres along a wire, 76 metres above the ground at speeds of up to 105 kmph.

Eat at … If culinary adventure is more your style, eat at Jean Sulpice Restaurant located in the Residence L’Oxalys (+33 479 400 071; jeansulpice.com), a Michelin two-star restaurant.

C.CATTIN OT VAL THORENS

Check into … A new, five-star hotel Koh-iNor, with spa and pools (+33 479 310 000; hotel-kohinor.com).

Party at … The highest open-air club in the world, La Folie Douce (lafoliedouce. com), which has DJs, live music and a funky cabaret vibe. With clubs in a number of French ski resorts, the chain is definitely for younger party animals. It is also, however, home to Le Nuvo Self café and the excellent La Fruitière restaurant.

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Best for festivals For years, après-ski just meant going to the bar or sauna, but these days, ski resorts play host to a range of festivals throughout the season. Music and comedy festivals in the snow are a great way of combining your love of ski and board with live entertainment, and on this front, Mayrhofen (mayrhofen.at) in the Austrian Tirol leads the way.

Check out … The Altitude comedy festival (altitudefestival.com), curated by Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell at this ski resort between March 23-27, 2015. Then, just as the laughter subsides, it will be straight into Snowbombing (snowbombing.com), a DJ and live music festival that coincides nicely with the Easter holiday break next year, April 6-11, 2015. Set in the Ziller valley, Mayrhofen has 100 kilometres of slopes. Skiing is mainly in the Penken and Ahorn areas while the nearby Hintertux glacier opens up more terrain and guarantees snow.

Insider tip … Mayrhofen is also home to the Vans Penken terrain park, one of the most highly rated in Europe. Free-stylers and snowboarders alike will love this park, which has six different areas: for children, fun, intermediate, advanced, advanced kickers and pro.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANNY NORTH

SKIING | BEING THERE

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FALCONRY | MASTERCLASS

A wing and a prayer

Falconry is an ancient sport. Sheila Wayman takes up the gauntlet.

hen it comes to birds, you might think hawks are the strong, silent type. So it’s a surprise then to hear Ireland’s School of Falconry before you see it – off a wooded avenue in the majestic grounds of Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo.

It turns out that, among a fine HAWK collection of raptors, the noise comes WALK mostly from hand-reared Harris A private Hawk Walk costs hawks, who call to passing falconers €70 for one, or €60 a head for for food. The only birds of prey who two (094 954 6820; falconry.ie). hunt in packs, they’re co-operative “Secret Sundays” at The Lodge at by nature and so most suited to Ashford Castle, including tasting strangers like us who want to find menu, breakfast and lunch from out what it’s like to fly a hawk. €239 per room. (094 954 “As long as you’ve got a glove and a 5400; thelodgeac.com). bit of food, you’re a hawk’s best friend,” says falconer Eoin Connolly, during a fascinating pep talk about a sport that dates back 4,000 years. But it’s still a thrill to put on a Above, a falcon returns to the leather gauntlet and see nine-year-old Millie hop from arm of a falconer him to my outstretched arm. at The Lodge at Her leg straps are held between my thumb and Ashford Castle. second finger as we walk to the woods. Perched on my The sport dates back 4,000 years. fist, Millie tries a few premature flaps but, because she’s “under the thumb” – yes, that’s the origin of the phrase – she’s not going anywhere.

Out on the avenue, after Eoin removes the straps, Millie and her mate FÓmhair, who is with another rookie falconer, soar into the trees. It’s time to learn how to call them back. It’s miraculous that a hawk you’ve just met swoops from the branches to alight on your arm – even if it’s the titbit of beef mixed with quail, which

W

Eoin slips into my glove to reward Millie, that’s the key to this new-found relationship.

Both hawks silently track us from on high, as we wander up the avenue and turn into the woods. They never miss the cue of a raised arm to fly back to their stand-in handlers – although it has been known for a hawk on these walks to eschew the table d’hote and pluck prey of its choosing – squirrel or magpie anybody?

Falconry is one of several activities, including archery and horse-riding, on the centuries-old estate, a location for the 1950s classic The Quiet Man. And for those who want to live like a lord, but with an eye on a budget, there’s The Lodge at Ashford Castle. It’s a modest name for the former estate manager’s house that is a collection of extremely comfortable, spacious bedrooms and suites.

Both it and the castle are now owned by Red Carnation, a select group of international boutique hotels.

Wilde’s at the Lodge, under head chef Jonathan Keane, has established a reputation for inventive cuisine with local produce. The eight-course tasting menu served on Sunday evenings is an ideal way to sample it. Talk about a feast for the senses – from black pudding with mint, to foie gras trifle, to lamb three ways. The hawks aren’t the only ones to eat well around here.

3 animal encounters ...

1

Be a zookeeper for the day at Durrell Wildlife Park, left, on Jersey (set up in 1958 by author Gerard Durrell, of My Family & Other Animals fame). Visitors can gain a real understanding of the zoo’s workings by feeding the animals, mucking out enclosures and shadowing staff for the day. durrell.org

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2

You may or may not see whales on the Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tour but you will definitely take in stunning scenery, sandy beaches and all the heritage of these islands off the Kerry coast. With the help of the knowledgeable crew you can also spot puffins, porpoises, red deer and seals. marinetours.ie

3

Sleep with the sharks for a sleepover to remember at Ripley’s Aquarium, Toronto. Spend the evening exploring the aquarium, learn more about the animals with staff and, after a bedtime snack, roll out your sleeping bag under the sharks in the Dangerous Lagoon. For family sleepover dates see ripleyacquariums.com.

Irelands Oldest Pub EST 1198

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Tel : +353 1 6795186 www.brazenhead.com

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BEING THERE | VIENNA

48 hours in

Vienna

Somehow, travel-hungry Australian blogger and tour guide Carly Hulls came to rest in the Austrian capital. Here, she shares her favourite haunts for a whistlestop break.

Eat at ...

PHOTOGRAPH BY WIENTOURISMUS / CHRISTIAN STEMPER

SNACK You’ve not truly enjoyed bread until you try it at Joseph Bistro (Landstraßer Hauptstraße 4, +431 710 2881; joseph.co.at), a bakery and café that has re-invented the humble loaf using all organic ingredients and hand-made baking. Their small snacks and breakfast options will have you hooked. Cake and pastry fans should uncover Café Central (Herrengasse 14, +431 533 3763; palaisevents.at) – a true Viennese coffee house, above, complete with luscious desserts, beautiful architecture and mildly rude Viennese waiters (don’t be offended, that’s their style!).

AUSTRIAN CUISINE There are many places to enjoy schnitzel in Vienna, but few do it as well as Blauen Esel (Hadikgasse 40, +431 895 5127; blauer-esel.at). Hidden just across from Schonbünn Palace, this local institution has been serving exceptional Austrian cuisine since 1848. If you’re searching for the best tafelspitz (traditional Viennese boiled beef), the answer is Plachuttas Grünspan (Ottakringer Straße 266, +431 480 5730; plachutta.at), where you’ll also find the freshest Ottakringer beer, direct from the brewery just around the corner.

Don’t miss ...

OUTDOORS Start your explorations of Vienna’s stunning architecture with Discover Vienna Bike City Tour (+431 920 6265, discoverviennatours. com), taking in hotspots such as the Expressionist apartment complex Hundertwasserhaus. You’ll marvel at the wide boulevards while burning calories – an incidental benefit in this city filled with strudel, schnitzel and sweets galore. If cycling isn’t your thing, take a wander through the Lainzer Tiergarten, a former hunting ground of Habsburg nobility. There are hiking paths, kids’ play areas, a classical café and Princess Sisi’s own Hermesvilla (Lainzer Tiergarten 1130; hermes-villa. at). Known as the Palace of Dreams, it was built to lure the wanderlust princess to Vienna more often.

INDOORS Should the weather turn on you, there’s no better refuge than one of Vienna’s renowned museums. Start at the rowdy Haus

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der Musik (Seilerstätte 30, +431 513 4850; hausdermusik.at), an immersive and interactive delight, where you can conduct a virtual Philharmonic Orchestra and playfully discover sound. Next, head to the MuseumsQuartier (Museumsplatz 1, +431 523 5881; mqw.at), a buzzy square guaranteed to suit any interest; dance, architecture, art – there’s even a children’s museum. Top pick here is the Leopold Museum (+431 525 700; mqw.at), above, where you can ogle the masterpieces of Klimt and Schiele.

Viennese whirl – top, the Volksgarten leading to the MuseumsQuartier and parliament building. Above, the Leopold Museum.

TASTING The cosy restaurant 1070 (Gutenberggasse 28, +43 676 566 1774; restaurant-1070.com) takes the hard work out of ordering. With no menu, you simply advise the host of your allergies and food dislikes, then sit back while the kitchen delivers course after course of small plates with surprising variety and combinations – no chance of food envy or regret here.

Stay at ...

ARTY The distinctive Hotel Altstadt (Kirchengasse 41, +431 522 6666; altstadt.at), left, is housed within a Viennese apartment block just a short walk from the MuseumsQuartier. The Altstadt features individually-designed rooms, with works by Niki de Saint Phalle, Annie Leibovitz and Andy Warhol scattered throughout.

Rooms from €165, including breakfast and afternoon tea.

STYLISH Treat yourself to a stay beside former palace Schloss Belvedere at Hotel Daniel (Landstraßer Gürtel 5, +431 901 310; hoteldaniel.com). With five room styles on offer, you can

choose between a luxe urban camping “Trailer” – a converted 1952 Airstream – a “Hammock” room, or the sublime “Belvedere”, with uninterrupted views of the Baroque palace. The buffet brunch here is a must, although pricey for non-guests. Rooms from €125.

GREEN For an eco-friendly alternative, the Boutique Hotel Stadthalle (Hackengasse 20, +43 1 982 4272; hotelstadthalle.at) boasts Vienna’s largest lavender field on their rooftop. Comfortable rooms are powered purely from sustainable energy – so you can save the planet as you sleep.

Rooms from €100.

Top, a room in the art-filled Hotel Altstadt.

Left, hip kids’ store Herr und Frau Klein.

Below, a classic wiener schnitzel.

Drink at ...

Shop at …

CLASSY Gentlemen searching for a distinctive shirt need look no further than Männersache (Rechte Wienzeile 31, +43 699 1888 8838; maennersache. cc), an Austrian cravat and shirt designer that sources and produces all products locally. Their classy and colourful shirts are not for the faint of heart ...

VINTAGE Nostalgic shoppers will adore Flo Vintage (Schleifmühlgasse 15a, +431 586 0773; flovintage.com) a lovingly-curated collection from the last 100 years of fashion. For a more clubby feel, head to Burggasse 24 (Burggasse 24, +43 664 442 9598), where the

vintage gear comes alongside a bar & DJ decks.

TRENDY From there, it’s a short walk to Kirchengasse, a treasure trove of independent stores, filled with local designers and unique clothing. Best stops are: S/GHT (Kirchengasse 24/5, +43 676 739 4407; sight.at), which promotes Austrian designers and hosts regular art exhibitions; Kauf die Glücklich (Kirchengasse 9; kaufdichgluecklich-shop.de), which exudes Scandi-cool, and Herr und Frau Klein (Kirchengasse 7, +431 990 4394, herrundfrauklein.com) for the trendsetting youngsters in your family.

SIPS Get your cocktails with a view over the Ringstrasse at Dachboden in the 25hours Hotel Wien beim MuseumsQuartier (Lerchenfelder Strasse 1-3, +431 521 510; 25hourshotels.com), above. The funky loungers and perfectly-mixed Kaiser Spritzers will have you settling in for the afternoon. Afterwards stroll into the city centre to the romantic Villon (Habsburgergasse 4, +43 1 967 9129; villon.at), an inviting 500-year-old wine cellar where atmosphere and friendly, expert service are top notch.

GULPS If you’re more into beer, Känguruh Pub (Bürgerspitalgasse 20, +431 597 3824; kaenguruh-pub.at) has hundreds on offer – from chocolate and coconut-flavoured brews to local specialities.

AER LINGUS FLIES FROM DUBLIN TO VIENNA DAILY.

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I lived in the Gràcia neighbourhood for two years and I loved it. My favourite café is still LA NENA. It’s relaxed, colourful and just makes you smile. Perfect spot for breakfast with outdoor seats too. Friendly staff offer good coffee, even better hot chocolate and sublime cakes. (Carrer Ramon y Cajal 36, +34 932 851 476; facebook.com/ chocolaterialanena)

PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMAIA ARZUA / EUGENI PONS

Catala love Catalans lo big bi heads! The st store EL INGENIO ha has been selling giant pâpier-maché masks and huge heads or “Capgros” for Catalan popular festivals since 1838. You’ll see people dancing in them during La Mercè festival every September.

Visit the store’s old atelier – it’s pure magic. (Carrer Rauric 6, +34 933 177 138; el-ingenio.net)

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO

Barcelona From a “big heads” shop to wine dance bars, Cork-born Killian Cooper recommends quirky spots in his adopted city.

If you’re going clubbing and craving funky soulful rhythms with tasty Latin beats and hip-hop then check out MARULA CAFÉ CLUB. No crossed arms here, people come to dance and have fun. On Sundays catch DJ Timber from Ireland who, I’m proud to say, is one of the best salsa dancers in the city. (Carrer Escudillers 49; marulacafe.com)

If you want a unique one-stop terrace, restaurant and nightclub then go to OCAÑA. Named after 1970s performance artist José Pérez Ocaña, the décor and ambiance is Arabian palace. Each club night has a different personality. Good food, good service and striking cocktails. (Plaza Reial 13-15, +34 93 676 4814; ocana.cat)

A cosy tavern of gastronomic delight lies opposite the famous Botero cat sculpture in El Raval. SUCULENT has an astonishing menu of tapas at a reasonable price and a spectacular brie cheesecake. Atmosphere is always buzzing and a sliding wall reveals a secret dining booth behind the kitchen (Rambla del Raval 43, +34 934 436 579; suculent.com)

HOTEL PRAKTIK is a cool chain of designer hotels. What makes this one extra special is Forn Baluard – the artisanal bakery that’s located in the lobby. Baking is in full view, creating a lively, homely feel that contrasts with the minimalist colour scheme. (Carrer Provença 279, +34 934 880 061; hotelpraktikbakery.com)

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Sunday afternoon is the new Friday night, thanks to VEN TÚ! The “Baile del Vermut” or vermouth wine dance is traditionally held in different bars in different neighbourhoods every Sunday. This afternoon delight attracts hipsters, old and new, and offers live music, DJs and generous amounts of Mediterranean fortified wine all before dinner time. (Different venues; facebook.com/VenTubcn)

Unbeknownst to most, the best views of the city are found on the lookout bunker of Carmel aka BUNKER TURÓ DE LA ROVIRA. Beautiful, spacious and free, it’s ideal for picnics, selfies and sunsets. Tricky to get to (24 bus is your safest bet) but that view! Go before the money-mad-tourism-machine seeks to change it.

Located in Gràcia, BAR BODEGA QUIMET is a charming, authentic local.

I met chef David Montero in Dublin in 2007. He generously timed the launching of La Bodega to coincide with my arrival! Open seven days a week, I recommend patatas mojo picon and vermouth wine by the barrel, which is also available to take away (Carrer de Vic 23, +34 932 184 189).

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ESTEVE T-VEE / RAFAEL TIRADO / ALVARO VALDECANTOS

Barna’s oldest antique market ENCANTS recently got an intergalactic roof, above.

Haggling over secondhand treasures has never been such fun. (Avinguda Meridiana 69, +34 93 246 3030; encantsbcn.com) Then next door, go talk to BRUUMRUUM! an installation at Disseny Hub Museum, right (Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes 37-38, +34 93 256 6800; museudeldisseny.cat)

More about Killian

“The Killah from Manila” wasn’t born anywhere near the Philippines … clearly from Cork, Killian Cooper swapped Ireland’s graphic design scene for Barcelona four years ago.

Together with Australian Dave Glass he started Hungry Castle, a studio specialising in public art and fashion (hungrycastle.com). After making a sculpture of Lionel Richie’s Head that people literally get into and a giant Laser Cat that projects art onto buildings around the world, Killian is gearing up for his biggest project yet: fatherhood.

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If you’re looking for eclectic gifts, I know this gem of a lifestyle store run by the beautiful Gem Dealbert. In LA TALENTA everything is carefully curated, from restored furniture to vintage objects. Dad still loves the Michael Collins whiskey-lamp I bought him there! (Carrer Codols 23, +34 934 123 879; latalentabarcelona.com)

AER LINGUS FLIES FROM DUBLIN TO BARCELONA TWICE DAILY, AND FROM CORK THRICE WEEKLY.

KINSALE GOURMET ACADEMY Ballinacurra House & Kinsale have become synonymous with fabulous food for many years and our Award Winning Head Chef David Rice has added his unique culinary style to the mix for private premium weddings and corporate events.

Ballinacurra House is pleased to announce the Launch of the new Kinsale Gourmet Academy.

Before joining Ballinacurra House, David worked as head tutor at Dublin’s premier cookery school, Cooks Academy and prior to this, at Dublin’s Michelin star restaurant Chapter One. David also spent time in the kitchens of Gordon Ramsay’s Claridges, River Café and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Cornwall.

For those moments in a Lifetime...

Golda Jewelry - 29 West 47th Street - New York, NY 10036 (212) 730-5054 - sales@goldjewelry.com - www.goldajewelry.com Golda would like to offer all CARA readers a 10% discount

BEING THERE | MANCHESTER

3 hot stays ...

SPOTLIGHT MANCHESTER Compiled by Lucy White

TOP TABLES Breakfast like a king at Caffeine and Co on St James’s Square (@caffeineandco). Its handcrafted Square Mile coffee, pastries, cakes and savouries are the brainchild of a successful husband-and-wife team. Incidentally, another marital success is The Splendid Sausage Co on the corner of Albert Square and John Dalton Street (splendidsausages.com), whose AngloAmerican hotdogs, burgers, craft beer, cocktails and interesting sides – eggs Benedict fries anyone? – have earned praise. And for dinner, nothing cuts the mustard quite like The French by Simon Rogan (the-french. co.uk) – or, his less formal but no less artful sibling, Mr Cooper’s House and Garden (mrcoopershouseandgarden.co.uk) above left, both at Peter Street’s Midland Hotel.

3 highlights ...

FREAK OUT … The Warehouse Project Manchester is synonymous with music, and this season welcomes the return of The Warehouse Project, a threemonth seasonal club series heading back to its former home – a former air raid shelter below Manchester Piccadilly train station. Rave on to artists including Richie Hawtin, Bonobo – and our very own Annie Mac. thewarehouseproject.com

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FIGURE OUT …

Breakout Imagine a cross between The Crystal Maze, Prison Break and Cluedo and you’ll get the gist.

Groups have 60 minutes to escape from one of three themed rooms via clues, props and puzzles – choose between a crime scene, a viral outbreak, and a “Madchester” timewarp. A fun alternative for stags and hens. breakoutmanchester.com

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

SPLASH OUT …

Barber Barber Has male grooming ever looked so good? Limerick’s Johnny Shanahan has taken Deansgate by storm with this gents-only traditional barbershop for precision cuts, beard trims and wet shaves. This is old school masculinity par excellence; there’s even beer on tap, as well as complimentary shoe-shining for all patrons. barberbarber.net

QUIRKY Abode This Grade II-listed Victorian building couldn’t want for a better location, being only a Betty’shotpot’s throw away from Piccadilly Gardens. Period character meets New York loft-style furnishings, particularly in the top-floor suites. Meanwhile, gastronomes love Michael Caines Restaurant and Champagne Bar on the ground floor. Rooms from £79. abodemanchester.co.uk

SMART DoubleTree by Hilton Piccadilly Also within minutes of

Piccadilly Gardens, bus and train station, this sleek city-pad is always popular with the artists and crew involved in the biannual Manchester International Festival. Décor is comfortable and contemporary, all rooms have Apple iMacs, and – nice touch alert – oven-warm cookies are offered to guests on arrival. Rooms from £79. hilton.com

SUBURBS Didsbury House This converted Victorian townhouse in the leafy, buzzy suburb of Didsbury, is around halfway between Manchester Airport and the city centre. It is also the sister hotel of the centrally-located Great John Street, their shared ethos of laidback luxury a magnet for minibreakers intent on a home-from-home vibe. Nice terrace and residents’ bar. Rooms from £99.60. didsburyhouse.co.uk

Meet the Aroma Sense Shower Head Save water and enjoy an Aromatherapy shower experience in your own home SAVE WATER & MONEY (BEAT WATER CHARGES) VITAMIN C SHOWER HEAD LUXURY AROMATHERAPY SHOWER EXPERIENCE Change the way you start your day forever with an amazing Vitamin C Shower Experience. On average 25% of all water used daily in the home, is in the shower. The Aroma Sense Shower Head uses 20% to 30% less water while providing a luxurious aromatherapy shower experience in the comfort of your own home.

Enjoy all of these benefits with an Aroma Sense Shower Head: Vitamin C equivalent of 3000 lemons added to the water, gives a wonderful Aromatherapy shower experience Vitamin C removes 98% of residual chlorine Vitamin C is beneficial for the health and condition of both skin and hair – excellent for those with sensitive or very dry skin Beat Water Charges - Uses 20% to 30% less water A ceramic ball filter removes germs from the water and helps to keep the shower head clean A micro fabric filter helps to remove contaminants, rust and other water born pollutants Instantly boosts water pressure in about 98% of installations Each Vitamin C filter lasts up to 6000 litres of water.

Replacements are readily available and simple to install

ORDER NOW & SAVE WITH – THE INFLIGHT SPECIAL OFFER

Order now and receive an Aroma Sense Shower Head with 1 Vitamin C Cartridge and get a FREE 4 Minute Shower Timer and Free Delivery. All for €99.99 saving over €43.

We donate €2 to

for each Inflight Special Offer sold.

Order online @: www.watersenseireland.com Order 24/7 by phone on: 01 902 0850 Product questions or queries just email: hello@watersenseireland.com

Water Sense Ireland Distributors of The Aroma Sense Shower Head Unit 45,Waterford Business Park, Cork Road,Waterford City.

www.watersenseireland.com

MAKES A GREAT GIFT

See the Aroma Sense Shower Head on RTE1 every morning between 7.30am and 8.00am on Shopping From Home

RESTAURANT, BAR & V RESTAURANT VEN EN U E

Make it your business to visit Pacino’s, Dublin’s premier Restaurant, Bar and Venue

Voted Best Italian Restaurant by Hot Press Magazine two years in a row and resident chef Luca Mazza voted the Best Italian Chef in Ireland for the last two years by Italian Food Critic Paolo Tullio you will not get better cuisine in the country.

Using the best of Irish and Italian produce Pacino’s is a prominent member of “Good Food Ireland”, an association that features the best in Irish food producers and providers.

Pacino’s now provides entertainment on both Friday and Saturday nights, through it’s Pacino’s At Night Calendar including the best resident radio DJ’s and International Acts playing in the Cellar Venue weekly.

W www.pacinos.ie

E info@pacinos.ie

PH +35316775651

18 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2

OURLM FI TOP O CE CH I

llion A Mi o Die sT Way West e In ThPAGE 133 S EE

Flying with Aer Lingus

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

126 Welcome aboard 127 Your comfort and safety 130 Aer Lingus News 140 Flight Connections 144 Our Route Networks 148 Connecting to Wi-Fi Inflight Entertainment 132 Movies to North America 133 Movies from North America 134 Our Classic Movie Selection 136 Television On Demand 138 Radio On Demand 139 Music

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Welcome aboard 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.

h words Useful Iris ses and phra

Why not try speaking a few words ge of the native langua while you are visiting Ireland!

me Fáilte Welco ello Dia dhuit H ill Goodbye Slán go fó is... m My name o d m in a ...is you? tú? How are Conas atá ood ma ith I’m g Tá mé go eers Sláinte! Ch u gat Thank yo a h it a m h Go ra ib me scéal Excuse h it le o m h Gab

Cara Friend

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Aberdeen Glasgow

Belfast Knock Shannon Kerry

Cork

Dublin

Isle of Man

Edinburgh

Newcastle Leeds Bradford Blackpool Manchester

East Midlands Amsterdam Birmingham London (Heathrow) London (Southend) Cardiff Bristol London Brussels (Gatwick)

Jersey

Paris Rennes

What cities do Aer Lingus fly to and connect to?

See page 144 for full route maps

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. Share your photos if you’d like, because we would love to hear from you on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Take a photo and post it to our facebook page.

Let us know how you’re enjoying your flight.

Chat to us on Twitter where you’ll also find the latest flight information.

View our videos of milestone events, festivals, sponsorships and campaigns.

Passengers 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.

A SS IS TA N CE

ETA IL S CO N TA CT D

.com nce@aerlingus specialassista 365 011 Ireland (0818) on–Fri 09:00–17:00 M t & Sun 10:00–16:00 Sa nk Holidays 10:00–16:00 Ba 20 21 UK (0871) 718 1 886 8333 Europe +353 2 4222 USA (516) 62

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.

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?



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?

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.

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.

Devices permitted at any time

Devices permitted in flight only*

Devices prohibited at all times

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

Laptops, portable CD-players, Mini-disk players, GPS handheld receivers, electric shavers and electronic toys. For the comfort of other passengers, audio devices should be used with a headset.

If using laptops inflight please select flight safe mode before takeoff.

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).**

If you wish to use your phone during your flight, please make sure you select flight safe mode before your phone is powered off.

*Not permitted during taxi/take-off/ initial climb/approach/landing.

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.

ON

Mode Airplane

On A330 aircraft, to avail of our Wi-Fi and Mobile Network, devices must be switched off flight mode once advised that it is safe to do so by crew.

**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.

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Your comfort and safety

KEEP MOVING

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 instructions given to you by the cabin crew.



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



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 passenger on board if it is thought that too much alcohol has been consumed. Similarly, behaviour or language towards other passengers or crew members that is deemed to be threatening or abusive will not be tolerated.

Airbus 330-

200

For your Safety

Fógra Sábhá Pour votre ilteacht Sécur ité Für ihre Siche rheit Para su Segur idad

Airbus 319

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

Per la vostra Sicurezza Säker het ombo rd Sikke rhet om bord Sikke rhed om bord Please do

Please do

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ft

Here are a few tips to make your journey more comfortable and to reduce jet lag.

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.

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.

ON Airplane Mode

DRINK UP

ON Airplane Mode

ON Airplane

ON Airplane

Mode

Mode

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.

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

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.

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 more quickly.

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Aer Lingus News Experience our new pre-order meals on flights to USA and Canada Aer Lingus has launched a new selection of delicious preorder meals on transatlantic flights. These meals are available to pre-order on www.aerlingus.com. The meals have been created in collaboration with Clodagh McKenna’s Bia range and will be priced at €18.50, USD $22 and CAD $25.00. The range of meals include: Succulent Steak A smoked salmon starter, served with cucumber pickle and a lemon and dill aioli, accompanied by Irish brown bread. Followed by succulent fillet of beef served with gratin dauphinois, creamed spinach, mushrooms and a red wine jus. Dessert is a delicious Glenilen Farm raspberry panacotta, a Lily O’Brien sweet with tea or coffee. Served with a choice of red or white wine.

Melt-in-the-mouth Salmon A salad of feta cheese, roasted pepper, aubergine and sunblushed tomato served with a harissa and lemon dressing to start.

Followed by darn of salmon served with a julienne of carrot, leek and courgette, Clodagh’s garlic and rosemary roasties and a dill sauce. Dessert is a delicious Glenilen Farm raspberry panacotta, a Lily O’Brien sweet with tea or coffee. Served with a choice of red or white wine.

Roast Chicken with a Twist A salad of feta cheese, roasted pepper, aubergine and sunblushed tomato served with a harissa and lemon dressing to start. Followed by lemon roasted chicken served with green beans, Clodagh’s garlic and rosemary roasties and a roasted tomato, basil and olive sauce.

Dessert is a delicious Glenilen Farm raspberry panacotta, a Lily O’Brien sweet with tea or coffee. Served with a choice of red or white wine.

On short haul flights the Aer Lingus Irish Breakfast remains a firm staple (€7.50), along with the Leek & Cheese Quiche (€7.50) and a Mac & Cheese (€5) option designed especially for children.

We have also added a gluten free Cottage Pie (€7.50).

Pictured at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, before departing for Belgium were the Special Olympics Team Ireland and their operating flight crew.

Special Olympics Team Ireland go to the European Summer Games in Antwerp On Tuesday 9th September, Aer Lingus, official sponsor of Special Olympics Team Ireland, flew athletes to Antwerp, Belgium which hosted the 2014 Special Olympics European Summer Games. The games saw more than 2,000 Special Olympics athletes from 58 countries compete from the 9th to the 20th September. Team Ireland – comprising of 46 athletes – took part in seven sports at the European Games; athletics, aquatics, bocce, gymnastics, football (seven-a-side) and table tennis.

Aer Lingus increases weekly services to San Francisco and Orlando From 1st May 2015, Aer Lingus will increase flights from Dublin to San Francisco from five to seven flights per week. Flights from Dublin to Orlando will also increase from three flights to four flights per week.

New routes to Leeds Bradford and East Midlands Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, has launched double daily return flights from Dublin to Leeds Bradford International Airport and East Midlands, starting 23rd October 2014.

Connect with ease to North America Passengers flying to Dublin can connect with ease to Aer Lingus mainline transatlantic services to New York, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Francisco and Toronto. Dublin and Shannon Airports offer US-bound passengers immigration and customs pre-clearance services before their onward journey to the US, allowing for a seamless travel experience.

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Aer Lingus Firsts Inaugural flights and events in October and November through the decades.

De Havilland DH86B, 1938

Super Constellation aircraft, 1958

1938 In October 1938 Aer Lingus purchased a second De Havilland DH86B aircraft for £5,000 from Imperial Airways. It was placed on the Irish register on the 14th October 1938 as EI-ABT, taking the name Sasana. The Aer Lingus fleet now comprised of three aircraft, two DH86B’s and one DH89 Dragon Rapide.

1939 Having had to suspend all services between Ireland and the UK at the beginning of September 1939 because of the outbreak of World War II, Aer Lingus resumed services on the Dublin–Liverpool route on Monday 23rd October.

1947 Belfast–Liverpool and Dublin–Manchester routes were launched on 6th October 1947 with the Dublin–Shannon–Paris route commencing the following day.

1954 Aer Lingus relocated its UK service at London from Northolt Airport to Heathrow.

1958 Aer Lingus commenced transatlantic services in April 1958, initially serving New York only.

Boston was added to the network in October 1958, serving as a stop on the Shannon–New York route.

1961 The newly-built airport at Cork was opened in October 1961. On the 12th October Aer Lingus Fokker Friendship EI-AKG flew from Dublin, making a pass over the airport’s runway before landing on what was proclaimed to be the first official arrival at the airport.

1979 On 1st October 1979 Aer Lingus carried Pope John Paul II from Shannon to Boston at the conclusion of his visit to Ireland. The flight was operated by Boeing 747 EI-ASI St Patrick, which had been specially modified for the Papal flights. St Patrick had also carried the Pontiff from Rome to Dublin on the 28th September. The Shannon to Boston leg of the Papal trip was commanded by Captain Aidan Quigley. The historic visit earned the Boeing 747 a unique place in Irish aviation history.

1985 In October 1985 Aer Lingus operated a series of pioneering flights to the newlybuilt airport at Knock, which was officially called the Connaught Regional Airport. Today Aer Lingus operates a daily service between Knock and London–Gatwick with an Airbus A319 aircraft.

1986 Aer Lingus’ last Boeing 707, EI-ASO St Canice, was sold off in October 1986 after 17 years of service. It was the last Boeing 707 to be acquired by Aer Lingus and was one of two purchased from the American charter company Flying Tiger Line in 1969. Prior to its sale to Aer Lingus, it was leased to Universal Studios for use in the film ’Airport’.

1990 The first Aer Lingus Boeing 737-500, EI-BXE St Columba, arrived in Dublin from Boeing Field via Goose Bay for delivery on 31st October 1990. With the introduction of the Boeing 737-500 into service, Aer Lingus became the first airline to operate all three of the new family of 737s – Boeing 737– 300s, 400s and 500s.

1995 The last Aer Lingus Boeing 747 ’Jumbo Jet’ was withdrawn from service in October 1995, after 24 years with the airline. Aer Lingus introduced two Boeing 747s into service in April 1971, and a third aircraft was added to the fleet in 1979. They were used on transatlantic passenger services until the Airbus A330 were introduced in 1994.

1970 Aer Lingus’ first Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, EI-ASI St Colmcille, made its first flight at Everett-Paine Field near Seattle on 3rd November 1970. It was handed over to Aer Lingus on 15th December 1970.

2010 In November 2010 Aer Lingus moved its services at Dublin to their newly-constructed home at Terminal 2.

2012 On 28th October 2012 Aer Lingus moved its Belfast services to Belfast City Airport, with year-round services to London–Heathrow and London–Gatwick, with seasonal summer services to Faro, Malaga and Palma.

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Movies Flights to North America Aer Lingus presents a variety of recently released movies for your enjoyment on board your flight to North America. Welcome to the international multiplex cinema in the sky!

Comedy

OURLM FI TOP O CE CH I

Action

Transformers: Age Of Extinction 165 mins.

E F G I S

Drama

22 Jump Street

R

112 mins.

Schmidt and Jenko go undercover at a local college. Stars Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube.

E F G I S

Fiston

PG13

88 mins.

Alex creates a plan to win over the girl of his dreams. Stars Kev Adams, Franck Dubosc, Nora Arnezeder.

E

Drama

Grace Of Monaco

Much Ado PG13 About Nothing

The Fault In Our Stars

103 mins.

The story of Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage & identity. Stars Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, AndrĂŠ Penvern.

109 mins.

A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy. Stars Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Fran Kranz.

126 mins.

Two teenagers fall in love, despite their circumstances. Stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff.

E F G I S

E

E

PG

PG13

Third Person 137 mins.

Three love stories overlap in three different cities. Stars Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody.

E G General

Kids

Fantasy

PG Parental Guidance PG13 Parental Guidance Not suitable for children under 13.

R Restricted

Not suitable for children under 18.

Available in:

E F G I S

Ways To Live Forever

PG13

Words and Pictures

PG13

Maleficent

90 mins.

12-year old Sam strives to learn about his disease. Stars Ben Chaplin, Emilia Fox, Greta Scacchi.

90 mins.

An art instructor and an English teacher form a rivalry. Stars Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Bruce Davison.

97 mins.

A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess. Stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley.

E

E

E F G I S

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PG13

As humanity picks up the pieces after an epic battle, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history... while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. Optimus Prime and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet.

Directed by Michael Bay and stars Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

PG

How To Train Your Dragon 2 105 mins.

Hiccup and Toothles discover an ice cage.

Stars Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler.

E F G I S

PG

Winter‘s Tale

PG13

118 mins.

A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. Stars Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe.

E F G I S

English French German Italian Spanish

R

Movies Flights from North America Aer Lingus presents a variety of recently released movies for your enjoyment on board your flight from North America. Welcome to the international multiplex cinema in the sky!

Comedy

A Million Ways To Die In The West 116 mins.

E

Drama

Comedy

PG13

Edge Of Tomorrow

PG13

X-Men: Days Of Future Past

R

As a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his new-found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival. Directed by Seth MacFarlane who also stars, featuring Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson.

Action

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

OURLM FI TOP O CE CH I

PG13

Blended

PG13

130 mins.

The apes find themselves at a critical point. Stars Gary Oldman, Keri Russell.

113 mins.

An officer gets caught in a war with an alien race. Stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton.

131 mins.

The X-Men send Wolverine into the past.

Stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman.

117 mins.

A man and a woman find themselves stuck at the same resort. Stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Wendi McLendon-Covey.

E F G S

E F G I S

E F G I S

E

Drama

Belle

PG13

Decoding Annie Parker

R

104 mins.

An admiral's daughter is raised in 18th century England. Stars Gugu Mbatha- Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson.

91 mins.

The story of Annie Parker and her illness.

Stars Aaron Paul, Corey Stoll, Maggie Grace.

E F G I S

E G General

Kids

PG Parental Guidance PG13 Parental Guidance Not suitable for children under 13.

R Restricted

Not suitable for children under 18.

Available in:

E F G I S

The Double 93 mins.

A clerk's life takes a horrific turn. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn.

E

R

The Immigrant

R

The Normal Heart

R

Rio 2

120 mins.

Ewa, an immigrant, is forced into a life of prostitution. Stars Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner.

132 mins.

A gay activists attempts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Stars Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Groff, Frank De Julio.

105 mins.

Blu, Jewel and their kids find themselves in the Amazon. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jemaine Clement.

E

E

E F G I S

G

Planes 2: Fire & Rescue 83 mins.

Dusty joins a forest fire and rescue unit. Stars Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen.

E F G I S

English French German Italian Spanish

G

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Our Classic Movie Selection We also provide a selection of classic movies available on flights to and from North America. Timeless favourites such as Into the West and Empire of the Sun are available as well as a selection of Irish short films and features.

OURLM FI TOP O CE CH I

Classics Prometheus 124 mins.

R

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Directed by Ridley Scott and stars Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green and Michael Fassbender.

E F G I S

Classics

A Clockwork Orange

R

Alien

136 mins.

Stars Malcolm McDowell.

137 mins.

Stars Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt.

E

E

R

Aliens

R

Beetlejuice

R

Butch Cassidy

G

Brubaker

137 mins.

Stars Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn.

92 mins.

Stars Geena Davis, Michael Keaton.

100 mins.

Stars Robert Redford, Paul Newman.

132 mins.

Stars Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto.

E

E

E

E

R

Cleopatra

PG

243 mins.

Stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton.

Dangerous Liaisons

R

120 mins.

Stars Glenn Close, John Malkovich.

Doctor Zhivago

PG

Empire Of The Sun

PG

193 mins.

Stars Omar Sharif, Julie Christie.

151 mins.

Stars Christian Bale.

E

E

E G I S

E G S

Sweet PG13 November

The R Assassination Of Jesse James

The Beach

160mins.

Stars Brad Pitt.

120 mins.

Stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

189 mins.

Stars Tom Hanks.

E F G I S

E

E F G I S

Classics

Farewell to Arms

PG

153 mins.

Stars Rock Hudson, Jennifer Jones.

E

Full Metal Jacket

R

How To Steal A Million

PG

Into The West

PG

Kingdom of Heaven

R

Rio

116 mins.

Stars Matthew Modine.

129 mins.

Stars Audrey Hepburn.

97 mins.

Stars Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin.

144 mins.

Stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green.

121 mins.

Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway.

E F

E

E

E F G S

E F G I S

Classics

G

119 mins.

Stars Keanu Reeves.

E F G I S

R

The Green Mile

R

Irish Shorts and Features G General PG Parental Guidance PG13 Parental Guidance Not suitable for children under 13.

R Restricted

Not suitable for children under 18.

Three Training G Coins In Day The Fountain 122 mins.

R

Zodiac

102 mins.

Stars Clifton Webb.

Stars Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke.

157 mins.

Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.

E

E F G I S

E F G I S

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

R

Calvary

R

97 mins.

Stars Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd.

E

Crossword

PG

13 mins.

Stars Louise Lewis, Mark O’Shaughnessy.

E

Deviant

PG13

13 mins.

Stars Michael Parle.

E

Grand PG13 Opening

Natural Grace

PG

The PG13 O’Briens

7 mins.

13 mins.

Stars Donnacha Stars Martin Crowley, Liam Hayes.

O’Mochain.

84 mins.

Stars Liam McMahon, Tommy O’Neill.

E

E

E

Available in:

E F G I S

English French German Italian Spanish

&

DAW SO

GRA

FTO

N ST R EE

T

NS TRE E

T

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Television On Demand On Demand TV allows you to select and view your favourite TV shows.

Aer Lingus is home to some of the most anticipated new shows on TV in this extensive choice of award-winning Comedy, Drama, Documentary, Lifestyle, Business, Sports and Kids programmes.

Business

Bloomberg‘s Game Changers

Documentary

Cities Of The Underworld

This month, Bloomberg’s Game Changers profiles Steve Jobs – his style of leadership, management and creative process. Interviews include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and former Apple CEO John Scully.

In Animal Underworld, a new series from National Geographic, Henry Rollins investigates the relationship between humans and some of the world’s most dangerous creatures.

Bloomberg’s Risk Takers, meanwhile, profiles Major League Baseball’s super-agent, Scott Boras. Also on board are Enterprise, Eye To Eye, as well as Euronews’ Business Planet and Hi-Tech – all of which cast a cold eye over the world of business.

Also on board is Books Into Film, which explores novels that became Academy Award-Winning films, such as The Lord of The Rings, The English Patient, Forrest Gump and Schindler’s List. The Horsemen, Bullit, Fish Life, Festive Ways, Inside The American Mob, Cities Of The Underworld, The Horsemen, Megafactories and World Challenge are some of the other available titles.

Comedy

Drama Aer Lingus offers engaging choices with boxsets such as True Detective, House of Cards and Vikings, as well as multiple episodes from the brand new season of Game of Thrones and a return to fan favourite, Bones.

Lifestyle

Young Hollywood: Evolution Of

Enjoy the Big Apple as John Fitzpatrick, CEO of Fitzpatrick Hotels North America, invites us to explore his quintessentially Irish hotel and his version of New York in the TV short, Fitzpatrick Hotels New York. For more on Irish culture, food and music, tune into Imeall, Ceol ar an Imeall, Tracks and Trails, The Design Doctors, Kevin Dundon: Modern Irish Food and The Fear.

In this month’s episode of Young Hollywood: Evolution Of, we delve into the life of The Kardashian family, from their humble routes as an immigrant family in southern California to the height of worldwide media attention.

Also available are episodes of Derren Brown: Trick Of The Mind, Pawn Stars, Wines of the New World, Videofashion Specials and Video Killed The Radio Star, featuring the work of Billy Joel.

Sport

Girls

Multiple-award winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been captivating audiences with her impeccable comic timing since she played Seinfeld’s Elaine. Veep’s Selina Meyer is rather a different sort of role – she’s the ditzy vice-president of the United States.

Those with a more anarchic sense of humour might appreciate two new episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or New Girl.

Also available are The Big Bang Theory, Girls, Silicon Valley and Hello Ladies.

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

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Kids

Premier League

Gazoon

Kids will surely enjoy Roobarb & Custard, a lighthearted comedy about Roobarb, a loveable wacky dog and Custard, a sarcastic pink cat.

Fans of Outopus may also enjoy Sofia the First, a Disney series about a young princess, charming animated series Pip Ahoy! or the hilarious Gazoon. Teens may be more inclined to view and enjoy Austin and Ally, a sitcom about a young internet celebrity.

Soccer fans shouldn‘t miss Premier League, which provides an exclusive, behind-thescenes look at Premier League teams – Aston Villa in this particular episode. Watch out for an interview with famous superfan, Tom Hanks!

Also on board are One Second in F1 Racing, which examines the technology and innovation that goes into each second on the track. World Of Tennis and HSBC Golfing World are some of the other available titles.

Drama Boxsets

True Detective With an incontestably sparkling record for producing engaging drama, HBO has been making waves in the television market for the last ten years, going so far as to pull our attention from Hollywood with its on the nose, award winning writing.

The latest crime drama to make waves is True Detective, a cop-show with an existential twist – think less coffee and donuts and more philosophical speeches, cans of Lone Star, and awkward silences.

Most notable is, perhaps, the show’s elite cast, featuring Matthew McConaughey, fresh from his Oscar Win, and prolific character actor, Woody Harrelson.

The pair play an oddcouple of police detectives investigating the seventeen year murder spree of a Louisiana serial killer.

Marty, played by Harrelson, is the straight man to McConaughey’s idiosyncratic ‘Rust’ Cohle; a man just as likely to spew a nihilistic soliloquy as drunkenly

incite a bar brawl. As the show slowly progresses, using a multi-timeline narrative, the mystery of the serial killer, as well as the series of events that has left these two middle aged homicide detectives the broken men they are today, are revealed.

OU R V TOP TICE CHO

A gritty crime series about two Louisiana cops hunting a notorious serial killer.

In its short run, True Detective has already achieved an obsessive, cult-following and worldwide acclaim amongst the critics. Not bad for only eight episodes.

House Of Cards House of Cards has rapidly become one of the most popular new shows since its debut on Netflix in 2013. Originally set in Britain in the nineties, Netflix’s political whirlwind drama takes place in present-day Washington, DC. House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood (played

by Kevin Spacey), a Democrat from South Carolina‘s 5th Congressional District and House Majority Whip who, after being passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, decides to exact

his revenge on those who betrayed him with the help of his equally cunning wife (played by Robin Wright).

The series also stars Kate Mara and Corey Stoll in leading roles.

The show received nine of Netflix’s fourteen total nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Among its nine nominations were Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Kevin Spacey, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Robin Wright,

and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for David Fincher. Robin Wright also won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, making the show the first online-only series to win a major acting award.

The show delves into the dark underworld of politics and peels away the layers of what is often brushed under the rug by the mainstream media. This is Kevin Spacey at his finest and one of his most dynamic roles yet.

You will be hooked after the first episode.

A political drama series that delves into the dark underworld of politics.

Vikings History buffs, action lovers and Game of Thrones and Rome fans will appreciate this historical drama which drops the viewer into the sweaty, violent and gruesome world of Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known mythological Norse heroes and notorious as the infamous enemy of England and France.

Ragnar, played by Travis Fimmel, pioneers the first daring raids into England with the support of fellow warriors. His brother Rollo (Clive Standen), and his wife,

the shieldmaiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) star as the show’s protagonists.

The series beautifully outlines the trials and tribulations of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. His quest is not without conflict. We see his character develop as he strives to live up to his destiny – as well as being a fearless warrior.

Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods: legend has it that he was a direct descendant

of Odin, the god of war and warriors.

Nancy DeWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal noted that the ‘natural and authentic’ setting and costumes, and appreciated that Vikings was not a celebration of sex and violence, but ‘a study of character’. Vikings appeals on another level – highlighting the inner struggle of a man destined for greatness and the effects of his legacy on those around him.

A historical drama series chronicling the gruesome world of the Vikings.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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Radio On Demand

TOP R ADIO PICK

Fitzpatrick Hotels

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

CL ASSIC AL

Niall Carroll’s Classical Daytime Niall Carroll brings listeners on a journey through some classical favourites. Relax and enjoy live performances in the lyric Coffee Concert.

KIDS

INDIE

Contemporary easy listening from both sides of the Atlantic brought to you compliments of The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group USA.

IRISH

Musicals & Movies

Indie Hits

Ceol na nGael

Irish Pulse

Movies & Musicals is the only national radio programme of its kind. Presenter Aedín Gormley‘s knowledge and warm style captivates listeners young and old.

Listen out for your favourite indie tracks and artists including Arctic Monkeys, Pixies and Jack White, to name but a few!

Join Seán Ó hÉanaigh of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, as he brings you traditional Irish and folk music.

Irish Pulse brings you some of the most famous Irish songs in recent history. Listen out for U2, Thin Lizzy and many more!

Rick O‘Shea in the afternoon

POETRY

POP

Happy Days

Irish Poetry Corner

Chart Hits

Late Date

Join Emma O’Driscoll in this special edition of Happy Days on RTÉjr Radio with songs about flying, exercising during the flight and some fun games that you can play on your journey!

Brian Munn selects and reads verses from renowned Irish Poets: WB Yeats, Oliver Goldsmith and Oscar Wilde amongst others.

Tune in as Chart Hits lifts the lid on the most upto-the-minute pop hits from both sides of the Atlantic!

Fiachna Ó Braonáin presents an eclectic mix of Irish and international tunes on Late Date on RTÉ Radio 1 on Saturday and Sunday nights between midnight and 2am.

POP

ROCK

Top Ten

Weekend on One

Weekday evenings you’ll catch ‘The Big Ride Home’ with Dara Quilty on Dublin’s 98FM from 4pm.

Dara’s on board right now to count you down the biggest ten songs of the year so far!

The Weekend on One with Cathal Murray airs every Saturday and Sunday morning between 6-8am on RTÉ Radio 1.

It features an eclectic mix of music from all genres.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

Nova Irish Classic Rock For 60 minutes, Marty Miller is here with some of the greatest rock bands around. Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight!

Join Rick O‘Shea from 2pm on weekday afternoons on RTÉ‘s 2FM for music, blather, infotainment, online nonsense and pointless research.

TA L K R A D I O

Documentary on One

Best of Moncrieff

The award-winning RTÉ Radio 1 Doc on One brings you ‘Keeping The Door Open‘ along with a shorter documentary, ‘Banna Polar Bears‘, from the Curious Ear series.

Moncrieff is a lively mix of funny, engaging and irreverent issues.

Tune in every weekday 1.30–4.30pm on Newstalk 106–108FM.

Music On Demand Browse through our selection of music and create your own playlist from a collection of over 1,000 albums. Why not begin with some of our crew’s favourites below!

A L L T I M E FAVO U R I T E S

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill Amy Winehouse Back to Black Beatles 1 Fleetwood Mac Rumours U2 The Best Of 1990–2000 E L EC T R O

Moby

Basement Jaxx Scars Daft Punk Random Access Memories Depeche Mode Sounds Of The Universe Moby Innocents Sohn Tremors OPER A

Andrea Bocelli

Alfie Boe Alfie Andrea Bocelli Aria – The Opera Album Anthony Kearns With A Song In My Heart Katherine Jenkins Believe Profokiev Romeo & Juliet

A LT E R N AT I V E

Morrissey

Beach House Teen Dream Lykke Li I Never Learn Passenger Whispers Morrissey World Peace Is None Of Your Business Sigur Ros Valtari IRISH

The Cranberries

Amoric Means To Sedate Keith Cullen With Eyes Open Rory Gallagher Notes From San Francisco The Cranberries Roses The Riptide Movement Getting Through POP

Lana Del Rey

Beyoncé Beyoncé Ed Sheeran x Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence Paolo Nutini Caustic Love Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour

CL ASSIC AL

Alexandre Tharaud

Alexandre Tharaud Chopin: Journal André Rieu Music Of The Night Dunedin Consort & John Butt Mozart: Requiem Rachel Podger Guardian Angel JA Z Z

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Bill Laurance Flint Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band Landmarks GoGo Penguin V2.0 Joe Jackson The Duke Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Fly: The Customs Prelude RNB

50 Cent

50 Cent Animal Ambition: An Untamed Desire to Win Alicia Keys The Element Of Freedom Jason Derulo Talk Dirty Kelis Food Shaliek Blood Sweat Tears

COUNTRY

Nashville Cast

Brantley Gilbert Just As I Am Hunter Hayes Storyline Nashville Cast The Music Of Nashville: OST, Vol 2 Ray Price Beauty Is...

The Final Sessions M E TA L

Megadeth

Deftones Koi No Yokan Megadeth Th1rteen Motörhead The Wörld Is Yours Rammstein Made In Germany Slayer South Of Heaven

ROCK

Tom Petty

Foo Fighters Wasting Light Pixies Indie Cindy Soundgarden King Animal The Black Keys Turn Blue Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Hypnotic Eye OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

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Flight Connections at Dublin Airport

L D E EV E PA L 3 RT UR E

GATE S

401– 426

SECURIT Y

S

413

411 407

415

417

409

408

410

412

414 403

401

L EV

418

416

405

US

423

421

419

A

420

EL 422

G FLI

2

426

424

HT

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GATE N UMBER

Optimum Health and Weight Loss Success

Would you leave your, or your childs life threatening disease untreated?

Overweight and Obesity creates • Cardiovascular Disease • Type 2 Diabetes • Cancer • Osteoarticular Aches and Pains If left untreated, your bad health and poor nutrition will reduce your quality of life and may result in premature death.

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Take action today call or email us

Dublin - Loughlinstown & Baggot st., Galway & Kilkenny Call +353 (0)1 282 7500 • info@orsmondclinics.com

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Dr Eva Orsmond MD.MPH

We are a team of weight loss experts. Our programmes support you from start to finish to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

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

U.S. IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

Specializing in advising on U.S. immigration law and drafting U.S. visa applications for:

one man …100,000 items Winner of Irish Design Institute museum design award, the Jackie Clarke Collection – one man, 100,000 items – spans 400 years of Irish history.

Located in a restored 19th century bank in the centre of Ballina, Co. Mayo with a newly designed walled garden.

Special features of the attraction include a memory booth where you can record your own memories and interactive touch-screens throughout. Suitable for all ages.

FREE ADMISSION Open Tuesdays to Saturday 10–5

www.clarkecollection.ie

• • • • •

Professionals Executives Investors Intra-company transferees Multi-national managers

• • • •

Family-based petitions Interns and trainees Artists Outstanding individuals in athletics, business, entertainment and science

Excellent track record representing top Irish companies and individuals.

Personal service and fast turnaround assured.

OFFICES IN NEW YORK CITY AND KILKENNY, IRELAND

New York T: 212 965-1148

Kilkenny T: 056-7767994

MEMBER OF AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Web: www.obrienandassociates.com Twitter: @USVisaExpert

OPEN 9AM -11PM DAILY

BREAKFAST-LUNCH-DINNER-DELI-BAKERY Outside terrace overlooking the river

A DUBLIN ICON SINCE 1927

Café Grafton Street

Bewley’s Café Grafton Street has been stirring the hearts of a nation for generations. Boasting a rich cultural and architectural heritage, it is also home to the magnificant stained glass windows by renowned artist Harry Clarke.

78/79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 Phone: 01 672 7720 Email: gs@bewleys.ie www.bewleys.com

Come and enjoy our award winning hand-roasted coffee and delicious freshly baked desserts in a beautiful surrounding.

The Woollen Mills has been one of the most iconic buildings and businesses in Dublin for over one hundred years, and to have taken over this site is a serious privilege.

We want it to be an ‘Eating House’, a house of food, a place to grab a serious coffee and bun, a serious plate of Irish ham and chips, a place to take home a box of salads and scones, or sit with seven courses of anchovies, crab, herrings, pork and beef rib, overlooking the Ha’penny Bridge and Liffey with a fine bottle of red or a craft beer. We have six cask wines which we bottle ourselves when you order it.

Our cocktails are simple and free from ‘mixologist flair’. We focus on just putting fresh herbs, seasonal fruits or botanicals together with quality spirits to make great flavour combinations.

42 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 • +353 1 828 0835 info@thewoollenmills.com • thewoollenmills.com

Our European and North American Route Network 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.

Edmonton

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Omaha Denver

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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 (JetBlue, United Airlines, Air Canada)

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.

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San Juan Aguadilla Ponce

We are the best choice for connecting Europe to North America.

You can travel from Dublin direct to five US destinations, or to Canada, and benefit from up to 70 onward connections with our partner airlines.

Halifax

Connect with ease from any of our European destinations to our Northern American network via Dublin or Shannon.

Stockholm

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Edinburgh Copenhagen Newcastle Leeds Bradford Blackpool

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Dublin

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Zurich Geneva Venice Milan Verona (Malpensa) Milan (Linate) Pula Marseille Nice Bologna

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Ibiza

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Malaga Faro

Agadir

Tenerife Gran Canaria

Lanzarote Fuerteventura

Try our new 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!

Izmir

Our Middle East and Australasia Route Network You can now book flights between Dublin and Abu Dhabi, and have full access to flights across the network beyond Abu Dhabi, to points including Australia, Asia-Pacific, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East. Visit aerlingus.com for more information.

Dublin

Bahrain Abu Dhabi Muscat

Kuala Lumpur Singapore

Aer Lingus routes from Dublin (Operated by our codeshare partner Etihad Airways) Aer Lingus routes via Abu Dhabi (Operated by our codeshare partner Etihad Airways)

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Perth Sydney

Melbourne

Visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of Dublin

Now including stunning WW1 exhibition ‘Lives Remembered’

Open Daily For Visitors

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Saint Patrick’s Close, Dublin 8

phone: 01 4539472 | web: stpatrickscathedral.ie

theGREENHOUSE A unique restaurant of understated luxury where menus are simple in format but show Mickael’s distinctive & exciting cooking with flavour, balance and seasonality being paramount One Pico is an acclaimed award winning restaurant serving modern classic cuisine with innovative touches using the best of Seasonal produce

OPEN 7 DAYS LUNCH & DINNER Set Lunch Menu €24 - Pre Theatre Menu €29 - Set Dinner Menu €45

O P E N T U E S D AY T O S AT U R D AY Lunch 12 noon - 2.30pm from €29 Dinner 6.00 - 10.00pm from €60 R E C E N T AWA R D S : ‘Chef of The Year’ Food & Wine Magazine Awards ‘Restaurant of The Year’ Georgina Campbell Guide, & ‘Restaurant of The Year’ McKennas Guide Critically acclaimed by Andy Hayler ‘Elite Traveller’, Marina O’Loughlin ‘The Guardian’ & Frank Bruni ‘The New York Times’

Dawson St, Dublin 2 (located just off St. Stephen’s Green) Reservations + 353 1 676 7015 info@thegreenhouserestaurant.ie twitter @_the_GREENHOUSE

www.thegreenhouserestaurant.ie

Previous awards include: ‘Chef of The Year’ Georgina Campbell Guide, ‘Best Chef’ Irish Restaurant Awards & ‘Best Restaurant’ Dublin’ Food & Wine Magazine

5/6 Molesworth Place (located just off St Stephens Green) Dublin 2 Reservations + 353 1 676 0300 e: info@onepico.com twitter @OnePicoDublin @_EamonnOReilly www.onepico.com

Enjoy Wi-Fi and Mobile on board your transatlantic flight today* Wi-Fi on board 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.

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

Mobile Network on board With our on board mobile network, AeroMobile, you can use your phone for text, email and internet browsing, just like you always do**. Stay connected even as you cross the Atlantic.

Connect 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.

Purchase Internet Access Click the 'Buy Internet Access' button and choose a tariff that offers either one hour of browsing or a 24 hour pass.

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

Username and Password

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

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

Standard roaming rates apply.

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

Connected

Connected

** Voice calls are disabled and are not permitted during flight. Remember to manage your settings to avoid automatic data download and roaming charges.

You can now browse, email and surf the internet… enjoy!

One hour pass €10.95 | $14.95 24 hour pass €19.95 | $24.95 148 |

Switch on Switch on your mobile when it is safe to do so and ensure it is in silent or vibrate mode.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014

You can now use your phone for SMS, MMS, email and browsing the internet.

Standard roaming rates apply from your mobile phone operator *A330 aircraft only.

The perfect hotel for the business traveller, located in the centre of Limerick

“Beautiful classics at reasonable prices” Vogue

LUXURY IN LIMERICK

H E N RY S T R E E T, LIMERICK, IRELAND

T: 0 6 1 4 4 8 7 0 0 SAVOYLI M ERI CK .CO M

30 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 (Directly opposite Trinity College) 30 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 (Directly opposite Trinity College) Abbeygate street, Galway www.sweatershop.com www.thesweatershop.ie | T.T.+353 High st. Kilkenny +35311671 6712292 2292

The d hotel Drogheda

A stunning contemporary hotel overlooking the River Boyne in the heart of the Boyne Valley.

Award winning Thai food & endless cocktails.

Awarded Thai Select Premium Certification

The d hotel is only 25 minutes from Dublin Airport and the ideal base to explore the World Heritage Site of Newgrange, the Battle of the Boyne, Monasterboice, Millmount & Much More...

104 Bedrooms, Wm Cairnes & Son Gastropub estd. 1825, De Lacy’s Steak & Seafood Restaurant, Free WiFi & Car Parking.

The d hotel, Scotch Hall, Marsh Road, Drogheda T: +353 41 9877700 E: info@thedhotel.com www.thedhotel.com

Diep Le Shaker Award winning Royal Thai Cuisine 55 Pembroke Lane, Dublin 2 | T: 01 661 1829 | www.diepleshaker.ie

Cloghan Castle

R A I LT O U R S IRELAND

First Class!

Book Today - Travel Tomorrow Cliffs of Moher

• Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty • Waterford & Kilkenny • Cork & Blarney Castle • The Giant's Causeway • The Ring of Kerry • The Aran Islands • Connemara & Galway Bay • The Wicklow Mountains

ONE DAY TOURS TO NINE DAY TOURS FROM DUBLIN also available from LONDON

Car Free - Care Free

www.railtoursireland.com TEL:DUBLIN + 353-1-856 0045 e-mail: info@railtoursireland.com

Blarney Castle and Gardens

C

loghan Castle is an exclusive, self catering venue ideal for that Fairytale Wedding or Party, the self catering option gives the unique opportunity to tailor your day to have it your way!

Banquet Hall can seat up to 120 guests with 7 double bedrooms uniquely decorated giving an authentic castle experience in a luxurious way with central heating throughout. Ceremony and Drinks reception can be held on the battlements, in the courtyard, in our landscaped gardens or in our cosy Drawing Room with an Open Fire.

Intl Tel: + 353 91 870102 Email: info@cloghancastle.com Proprietor: Micheal H Burke, Chanelle Group Contact us for our Special Offers: www.cloghancastle.com

The ancient Irish sport of hurling for a new generation!

American Restaurant & Bar

A FREE APPETISER The hurlóg is a light, soft hurl and sliotar designed in the West of Ireland to be played by kids from 12 months.

Parking costs less with

!

www.hurlog.com +35391773733

for one with a main course purchased on production of your boarding pass Terms and conditions apply

BLANCHARDSTOWN CENTRE Dublin 15. Tel: 01 822 5990 ST STEPHENS GREEN Dublin 2. Tel: 01 478 1233 TEMPLE BAR Fleet St, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 672 8975 DUNDRUM TOWN CENTRE Tel: 01 298 7299 SWORDS Airside, Swords, Co Dublin Tel: 01 840 8525 BELFAST Level 2, Victoria Square, Tel: 028 9024 9050 www.fridays.ie

™ It’s convenient cashless parking by:

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Michelin Bib Gourmand

Save up to 33% on your parking in over 200 locations across Ireland including Irish Rail Stations & Ports.

Visit www.parkbytext.ie or call 0818 444 999 for more details.

with over 135 cafes around the world, there’s always something happening at the hard rock.

12 Fleet Street • Temple Bar • Dublin 2 • Tel: 671 7777 • hardrock.com

1

HANDMADE IN IRELAND

2 Haven’t tried Origins Plantscription Youth-Renewing Face Oil? You don’t know what you’re missing. This lightweight, yet powerful skin saviour contains nine pure and natural oils, plus 11 essential oils, to create one seriously amazing elixir. Save yourself €10 (and a whole lot of wrinkles) and purchase it from Boutique.

It’s on page 21.

Forget cold dark nights this winter and add a warm glow to any room (or mood) with this beautiful set of Brooke & Shoals Irish handmade candles. At just €15, they’re the perfect present.

Trust. Read more about them on page 26.

This month in

Armani isn’t just a genius suit designer – he also excels at men’s fragrances and Eau D’Arômes is his latest musthave creation. The perfect winter aftershave, with notes of chilli pepper and grey amber, you save €14 when you buy from Boutique. It’s on page 38.

boutique From super savings to travel exclusives, we’ve got (at least) five more excellent reasons to get your shop on this autumn.

TRAVEL EXCLUSIVE

5

3

Meet your new winter scent – Armani Code by Giorgio Armani. Spicy ginger, warm sandalwood, smooth honey and calming vanilla, one spritz of this and you’ll fall instantly in love. Even better?

You get two bottles for the price of one (only €58) with this travel exclusive. Run, don’t walk, to page 32.

As temperatures begin to cool and autumn truly takes hold, there’s nothing like a little purchase or two to warm the cockles of the heart, is there? After all, what better way to say see-ya to summer than with a spicy new scent, some skincare to protect against the harsh winter elements and a bottle of Champagne to say cheers to the new season – bubbles make everything better, right? Simply open up your new issue of Boutique – look, it’s right there in front of you! – and check out the incredible savings on these items and so many more.

4

Check out the new issue of Boutique. Better brands, bigger savings, shop to your heart’s content without having to get out of your seat. Just perfect.

Celebrate the start of the new season (any excuse will do, eh?) with a bottle of bubbly guaranteed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy/fizzy. H.Blin - Brut NV is quite the award-winner and with just one sip it’s easy to taste why. It’s a snip at €45 on page 64.

TRIP OF A LIFETIME | WEST CORK

A hidden history

His father kept quiet about his West Cork origins.

It took writer Hugo Hamilton years to discover why. e were never brought there on holidays as children. The place where my father grew up in West Cork remained hidden from us – a secret he kept to himself for reasons that remained obscure to me half my life. It was only when relatives came to visit our house in Dublin that the names of the towns echoed around the living room like a form of musical geography from a distant country: Dunmanway, Glandore, Leap, Union Hall. Always “Clon” for Clonakilty and “Skib” for Skibbereen.

At the age of 15, my brother and I decided to cycle to West Cork one summer to discover, or maybe it was more like reclaim, this concealed family landscape for ourselves. We knew nothing, only what the map told us, and the scattered string of aunts and uncles who would welcome us and eagerly want to hear news from Dublin.

The journey remains unforgettable, much of it persevering against the rain, sheltering in roadside shops waiting for the sun breaks, laughing

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as we walked like mechanical toys with saturated trouser legs. Steam rising up from the fields as we continued freewheeling through the tree tunnels that form across the road.

Fuchsia hedges with a dust line of bright red petals underneath. The sudden burst of blue Atlantic and the sheet-white flash of gannets diving.

The final destination along the way was the house of our aunt Eileen in Skibbereen, across the road from the garage on North Street where her husband, Uncle John, ran an auto repair shop. The street, occasionally flooded in bad weather, had subsided at one point, giving their living room a grand slope on which a marble would roll down to the end wall under the dresser.

She was a great smoker and a great talker, and it’s no wonder that a light West Cork accent breaks out in us from time to time.

So here I am, each year, still returning to those hidden places, trying to work out why my father would avert our interest from such a scenic wonder. Each time I become aware all over again how every place of beauty holds a deep archive of

Hugo Hamilton, above right, finds secret histories in Union Hall, above, and other beauty spots of West Cork.

stories and secrets in every field, every shoreline, in each person you meet.

This time I find myself travelling with my cousin, John Hamilton, who worked for many years with the Southern Star newspaper in Skibbereen and knows how to fill in all the gaps for me. We stand at the harbour in Union Hall – proudly called Braon trá (smelly strand) in the original Irish. We sit in Hayes bar for a sandwich looking out over Glandore bay. We visit the old graveyard above Glandore, and another even more remote one above Blind Harbour – so called because it cannot be seen from the sea.

We visit Castletownshend, a coastal town with two trees in the middle of the main street. It’s a place that turns out to have an unexpected connection, which may finally explain my father’s refusal to return here; a family twist that reveals itself to me in my new play called The Mariner, based on my West Cork grandfather who was a sailor with the British navy. We visit Drishane House where the connection leads to the famous Anglo-Irish writer, Edith Somerville, where the lawns drop down to the shore and where she must have heard the sea from her bedroom at night, breathing in and out next to her. And we visit the cemetery where she is buried side-by-side with her beloved writing partner, Violet Martin.

And when nothing more can be explained, what I have left is a place of great beauty which must be rediscovered again and again, each year.

Hugo Hamilton’s The Mariner runs at the Gate Theatre until October 25. gatetheatre.ie

The natural choice

An Irish law firm with global reach Not all law firms are the same.

In Ireland, Eversheds offers a real difference through a full service offering, seamless international capability with 53 offices in 30 jurisdictions and services that go beyond legal advice.

Our roots are in Ireland. But our reach is global.

We deliver local expertise coupled with access to a worldwide resource. Our range of products and unique project management approach enable you to control time, costs and risk.

If you want to experience a top quality law firm that is committed to unlocking the full potential of your organisation, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

Alan Murphy Managing Partner and Chairman – Eversheds International +353 1 6644 289 alanmurphy@eversheds.ie

“Strategic high quality legal advice, pragmatic commercial advice and real value for money.”

www.eversheds.ie

The criteria which saw Eversheds voted the overall leading firm in the Legal Business, in-house counsel survey 2013.