YOUR GUIDE TO: RESTAURANTS • HOTELS • ATTRACTIONS
LINKING DUBLIN AND BELFAST VOLUME 11:02
DOLLY PARTON
THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY TALKS AUTHENTICITY
RUGBY
THE IRISH PLAYERS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE THIS AUTUMN
JACK REYNOR
OUR HOMEGROWN HERO AT THE HEART OF A BIG SCREEN BLOCKBUSTER
SHEERAN
THE FLAME-HAIRED STAR ON PHARRELL, ONE DIRECTION AND FALLING BACK IN LOVE WITH MUSIC
Hotel
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Bar
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Restaurant
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Venue
Located in the heart
of Dublin City beside Temple Bar
One of Ireland’s biggest
late night bars Live music daily Finest Irish food & drink
For enquiries email sales@mercantilegroup.ie
28 Dame Street, Dublin 2. www.mercantile.ie
Opium offers an experience unique to Dublin, combining world-class mixology with modern Thai/Vietnamese cuisine.
Lunch
Monday - Friday • 12 - 5pm Saturday - Sunday • 2pm - 5pm 2 Courses €14.00 • 3 Courses €16.00
Dublin’s Original Live Music Venue
Dinner
Monday - Sunday • 5pm - Late
MiD Week SpeciaL’S
(Available Sunday - Wednesday) 3 Courses €25.00 Cocktail & Main Course €20.00
OpiuM TaSTing Menu
€32.00 • Available Monday - Sunday
LaTe nighT Dining
Friday & Saturday • 11pm - 1am
2014 marks 25 years of Ireland’s most famous live music venue 25 WexFORD STReeT, DuBLIn 2 whelanslive
@whelanslive
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26 Wexford Street, Dublin 2 Ph: (01) 526 7711 Email enquiries@opium.ie www.opium.ie
Enterprise Volume 11 Issue 2
6 ENTER HERE! A rundown of what's hot and happening at your next stop.
18 RAIL NEWS Up-to-the-minute news from Irish Rail and Translink.
16 GO FORTH & MULTIPLY On top of the world, ED SHEERAN checks in with his Irish roots as Enterprise chats with the songwriter about his success to date, his superstar friends, and falling back in love with music.
20 STAR OF THE SCENE WIth his latest literary work immersed in the music scene, lauded Dublin writer JOSEPH O'CONNOR talks about his own forays into playing, the sounds that meant a lot to him as a youth and, looking ahead, his new role teaching creative writing.
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22 COUNTRY GIRL The icon that is DOLLY PARTON dismisses those who accuse her of lip-synching, talks about how she still loves life on the road and how retirement is most definitely not on the cards, and reveals her plans to go 'dance' for the gay community.
24 JACK OF HEARTS He was part of the biggest blockbuster of the summer with Transformers: Age Of Extinction but, as Enterprise learns, young Wicklow actor JACK REYNOR hasn't gone all Hollywood on us just yet.
27 BEL OF THE BALL Cool FM's MAIREAD CAMPBELLL talks about the inclusivity and host of attractions on offer in her home town of Belfast.
28 FAIRWAYS HERE WE COME
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As the excitement ahead of The Ryder Cup builds, European ViceCaptain DES SMYTH talks about his fondest memories of the hallowed competition and assesses our chances this time around.
30 SCRUMMING UP EASY With the Autumn Guinness Series fast approaching, Enterprise profiles the current Irish titans that could lead us to rugby glory.
32 WINTER WEARS If you want to keep looking the right kind of cool as the weather gets cold, we've got you covered. Quite literally.
36 THRONE IS WHERE THE HEART IS Looking for an authentic Game Of Thrones holidaying experience? Well it just so happens Westeros can be found right here. With much of the show's breath-takingly beautiful settings located in Northern Ireland, we explore all that the stunning area has to offer.
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38 GRUB OF THE GREEN Impressionist extraordinaire MARIO ROSENSTOCK joins Enterprise for food and fun in Dublin's Hilton Hotel Kilmainham.
42 SPUD AS GOLD We meet TOM KEOGH, the brains behind Keogh's Crisps, and learn how he went from potato farming to helming one of the country's most inspiring business success stories in recent years.
44 REVIEWS Our team reviews the latest books, albums and films.
47 ATTRACTIONS All the best places to eat, rest and visit in both Dublin and Belfast.
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Enterprise – Editor’s Letter
Credits Editor:
Máirín Sheehy
Commissioning Editor:
Roisin Dwyer
Contributors:
Stuart Clark, Roisin Dwyer, Craig Fitzpatrick, Marisa Mackle, Roe McDermott, Edwin McFee, Colm O'Regan, Dean Ruxton, Anne Sexton, Olaf Tyaransen
Design & Production:
Hot Press 13 Trinity Street Dublin 2
Design:
Monika Karaliunaite David Stanley Niall Warde
Printed by:
Boylan’s Print
Advertising:
Trish Murphy Celine Bonner
Publisher:
Niall Stokes
Enterprise is published for NIR ailways and Iarnród Eireann by:
Osnovina Ltd 13 Trinity Street Dublin 2
Telephone:
(01) 2411 500
Fax:
(01) 2411 538
Email:
enterprise@hotpress.ie
Letters:
The Editor, Enterprise Magazine, 13 Trinity St Dublin 2
While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine is correct, the publishers cannot accept any responsibilities for errors. The views contained in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of N I Railways and Iarnród Eireann. All material © Osnovina 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited
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Season of Mist and Mellow Fruitfulness
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nd so the silly season is well and truly over. Autumn has set gently in. It is a beautiful time of the year here in Ireland, with the trees and shrubs beginning to explode in a riot of reds, browns, yellows and greens before they shed their summer coats to stand gaunt and austere through the winter months. The open air festival season is done and dusted for the year but the spirit of conviviality and good cheer that marks those summer gatherings is ever present in a country where people love to go out, party and share good times. Good times need not be without cultural value. Indeed, in Ireland they seldom are. We tend to gather together to talk and celebrate when there is something else going on to provide the stimulus. In Belfast, the Ulster Bank Festival At Queen’s is on the way, and it is always an amazingly rich occasion, with theatre, music, films, lectures, and lots more besides to capture the imagination of locals and attract people to the city by the Lagan, from all over the country. Cinemagic, which straddles the end of October and beginning of November is another festival gem. And somewhere along the way, on a more hedonistic level, Belfast Restaurant Week runs from October 4 to 11. Put it in your diary now! Meanwhile in Dublin, people are looking forward to the Dublin Theatre Festival, which runs from September 25 to October 12, with great anticipation – it promises an enthralling programme of Irish and international productions. Thomas Ostermeier’s acclaimed production of Hamlet in the Grand Canal Theatre is just one among dozens of highlights. Hallowe’en festivities should be a blast. The Bram Stoker Festival, which runs from October 26 to 28, adds a genuinely literary strand to what is a wonderfully wild bank holiday weekend in Ireland’s biggest city. Sport too provides a major opportunity for shared experiences. The Ryder Cup is happening in Scotland on this occasion, but there is a strong Irish interest with Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell among the leading lights on the team and Paul McGinley, supported by Des Smyth and Padraig Harrington, in the captain’s role. See our special feature with Smyth inside. However, it is the autumn rugby internationals that will trigger the greatest exchange between Belfast and Dublin, with thousands travelling to savour the excitement on match day in the Aviva Stadium. South Africa, Georgia and Australia all visit during November. As the man said, bring it on!
Máirín Sheehy, Editor
Enter Here Enterprise
A rundown of what’s hot and happening by COLM O'REGAN & DEAN RUXTON
Queen Of Arts The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival At Queen's takes place throughout the city in October and the best way to get to the events is undoubtedly by rail, with the Belfast Festival Express deals. It's a cultural feast for people of all ages and tastes. For more than two weeks, from October 16 – November 1, venues all across Belfast will erupt in a celebration of the arts. Music, film, art, dance and theatre all play a part in the annual Ulster Bank Belfast Festival At Queen's, and there are plenty of exciting options to keep the little ones entertained. Highlights of the programme include gigs by The Gloaming, Old Crow Medicine Show and Elvis Costello, with the legendary songwriter promising that “this show may contain any song I’ve written, some you will know already, some are the hits of tomorrow.” The festival also boasts the Northern Irish debut performance from Dianne Reeves, acclaimed as one of the pre-eminent jazz vocalists in the world. Not only that, there is the not-
inconsiderable matter of the long-awaited Irish debut performance of Israel Galván, perhaps the greatest flamenco dancer in the world. To get to the shows quickly, in comfort and on time, you really should look no further than the train. The Belfast Festival Express – with its three distinct packages available each for under £100 – has you covered. The offers include return Enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast with an upgrade to first class, overnight bed & breakfast in the central, four-star Europa Hotel, and a festival ticket – meaning you get the best seats in the house to premiere events. If you’d like to catch the European premiere of Mr. TOL. E. RA ncE with Camille A. Brown (above) and dancers, the ‘Festival
Dance Express’ is for you. Taking place in The MAC on October 24 and 25, the full package to the show is priced at £87.50 pps. That Sunday, October 26, four-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves plays the Elmwood Hall Music Club. If you’re interested in seeing the legendary jazz vocalist, the ‘Festival Music Express’ package will get you there for £95 pps. Finally, the ‘Festival Theatre Express’ package is available for the Irish premiere of Schaubuhne Berlin’s Enemy Of The People. Taking place in the Grand Opera House on October 23 – 25, the package is again priced at £95 pps – a saving of over 40%. Each package can be booked directly with NIR Travel if you call 028 9024 2420. Go to belfastfestival.com for more.
TRAIN, HOTEL & FESTIVAL TICKET FOR under £100 * Find out more at www.belfastfestival.com To Book Tel: NI Railways 048 9024 2420
ulster bank Belfast festival at queen’s 16 oct – 01 Nov 2014 6
*Subject to availability
Monsters Ball Lil’ Monsters get ready; Lady Gaga is back in town. The crown princess of pop returns to Dublin on October 17 as part of her artRAVE: The ARTPOP World Tour. Her live shows have made her one of the highest selling artists of our time, and this current romp has included seven sold-out nights at the Roseland Ballroom in New York – the most by any artist in history. Gaga – or Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta to her mum – prides herself on putting on both a show and a statement. It’s one not to be missed.
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Enterprise
The Right
Reaction If you’re one of the 25% of people across the country who suffers from some form of allergy, head along to the Allergy and Free From Expo at Dublin’s RDS. Running October 11 & 12, The Expo aims to educate and help those who suffer with allergies or who are leading a gluten free, wheat free, sugar free and/or dairy free life. The Expo will feature trustworthy information, advice, seminars and cookery demonstrations, shopping and tastings, as well as a showcase of the best 'free from' suppliers at home and abroad. The Expert Zone will host seminars from renowned specialists in the area, while The Kitchen Zone will feature leading chefs and nutritionists such as Kevin Dundon and Erika Doolan. The free 1-2-1 Advice Clinics also allow visitors to speak privately to experts about their concerns. Go to theallergyexpo.ie for more info.
A Bloody Good Weekend
Get into a spooky mood during the run up to Halloween by heading along to the annual Bram Stoker Festival. Beginning on October 24 and finishing October 27, this homage to the Irish novelist and his iconic, monstrous creation Count Dracula once again comes to Dublin in the form of talks, tours and exhibitions. With highlights including a Gothic Ball, literary readings and some intimate performances in unusual places, there’ll be something for everybody lurking in the alcoves and shadows of the city.
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Join Cinemagic Belfast for a fantastic feast of film from around the world & film and television workshops and competitions for 4-25 yr olds this October and November!
BE INSPIRED!
For booking info visit www.cinemagic.org.uk or Telephone +44 28 90311900
Terra Firma
The Terracotta Warriors exhibition at The Ambassador Dublin offers a chance to journey to the vast and fascinating tombs of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. After his death, he was sealed into his final resting place with over 8,000 lifelike, full-size clay bodyguards. Running from now until October 5, the Dublin venue is housing a display of over 150 perfect replicas of the famous terracotta statues. This world-renowned reconstruction is a unique chance to explore one of the most astonishing and important archaeological discoveries of all time.
DINING AT DEANES
DEANES RESTAURANT 028 9033 1134
DEANES SEAFOOD BAR 028 9056 0000
DEANES DELI BISTRO 028 9024 8800
DEANES DELI VIN CAFE 028 9024 8830
DEANES AT QUEENS 028 9038 2111
DEANE AND DECANO 028 9066 3108
Sive For Greatness
Sive is one of the most celebrated Irish plays of the 20th century and from November 4 – 9, the remake of John B. Keane’s masterpiece will be on at The Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Directed by Conall Morrison, this play tells the story of the beautiful young Sive, who finds herself in a crossfire of greed and passion when a local man offers her aunt and uncle a huge sum of money for her hand in marriage. This searing remake enjoyed a hugely successful spell at The Abbey last year, and now it’s your chance to see the acclaimed production. Tickets are priced at £20/£24 (off-peak/ peak).
FREE ROOM HIRE FOR CORPORATE & PRIVATE DINING AT ALL OF OUR RESTAURANTS. CONFERENCE FACILITIES AVAILABLE
CALL US ON 028 9033 1134 OR EMAIL: INFO@MICHAELDEANE.CO.UK
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airt Camchu r u o T Enterprise On
Mak To The Future A futuristic sci-fi spectacular, Dave Duggan’s new play Makaronik is a journey to a dystopian Belfast, where ‘The Empire’ reigns. With the majority of European languages outlawed, the action www.aislingghear.com. takes place as Gaeilge in the now menacing wilderness where Belfast once stood. A play that asks questions about the relentless development of technology, Irish language theatre company Aisling Ghéar’s new offering also addresses the timeless concepts of alienation, identity, and the search for a sense of belonging. The show premieres at the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's from October 24-26, before touring in the following weeks. See www. aislingghear.com for details.
Watch The Throne Have you ever wanted to be a Stark of Winterfell? Well now’s your chance. Clearsky Adventure Centre in Belfast is offering people a Game Of Thrones Archery Experience on October 4. Located just outside of Belfast city and taking place in the Castle Ward Demesne, the real life set of Winterfell, you’ll be taught how to shoot a medieval bow and arrow whilst wearing your favourite House of Stark costumes. Choose between the ‘Bran Package’ and the ‘Ned Package’ and be prepared to be transported into the world of Westeros.
On The Right Track There’s nothing quite like a night at the races, and there’s few better places to experience it than Dundalk. Winner of the Racecourse Of The Year Award 2013, Dundalk Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility, boasting an all-weather track. Of course, there’s also an array of dining options, and plenty of bars too. There are greyhound
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meets every Saturday night, while Friday nights see both the dogs and the horses in action. Dundalk Stadium is a popular venue for Christmas parties, hens, stags, celebrations and corporate outings. For more information, and a full schedule of upcoming events, visit dundalkstadium.com
Going The
Distance It doesn't get underway til next year, but the preparations are already well away. Close to 18,000 runners will take to the streets of Belfast on Bank Holiday May 4 for the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon. There's much more going on, though: in addition to the main marathon itself, there's also a Team Relay, 8 Mile Walk, Wheelchair Race and Fun Run. Marie Curie Cancer Care is the Official Nominated Charity for this year’s race, now in its 34th year. Relays and a fun run ensure that everyone can join in the occasion. It all kicks off at the iconic Belfast City Hall. You need to make sure to register in time, though: the closing date for entries is March 27, and late entries will be subjected to a £20 surcharge. If you're interested in participating, or in helping out as a volunteer, visit belfastcitymarathon.com
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Enterprise
Ogre Achieving Everyone’s favourite green ogre and wise-cracking donkey will come to Ireland in Shrek The Musical, the five-star production straight from the West End. The Grand Opera House will host the Belfast instalment of the tour from October 24 – 26, after which the show travels to Dublin for a run in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from October 21 – November 9. The stage interpretation of the massively popular DreamWorks movie is fun for all the family and the story sees our unlikely hero on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona, accompanied by the hilarious gang of characters from the film series.
Acting Up The Irish capital will become a stage as the celebrated Dublin Theatre Festival kicks off on September 25. Running until October 12, the event – which has been delighting audiences for over 50 years – will celebrate the vibrant theatre scene with performances from both Ireland and further afield. Highlights of the event will include a full 10 world premieres, as well as an eagerly anticipated performance of Hamlet from renowned Berlin theatre house Schaubühne. Alongside these will be Festival+, a series of special events – many of which are free – including talks, critical events, exhibitions and work-in-progress presentations.
Jools In The Crown Aiming to bring the boogie back to Dublin, Jools Holland and his Rhythm And Blues Orchestra are set to take on Bord Gais Energy Theatre on October 17. Formerly the Jools Holland Big Band, the current 20 piece orchestra which boasts five saxophone players, are sure to put on an impressive show. Between Gilson Lavis on drums and Jools on vocals (and, of course, tickling the ivories), the duo are well versed in putting on a spectacular gig, and with their 2012 album The Golden Age Of Song featuring countless guest appearances, you never know who might pop by for a little sing-song.
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Screen Dreams Those with ambitions of a career on the screen can take their first steps towards stardom with the Belfast Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People. Celebrating its 25th year, the festival for 4-25 year olds runs October 3– November 28, and includes film education workshops, the AES Young Filmmaker competition, talent lab masterclasses and the annual ‘CineSeekers’ and ‘CineFocus’ film critic juries. There’s also screenings from around the world, and family film events to inspire the future stars of Hollywood! For more information, visit www.cinemagic.org.uk
Hunger Games Gourmet enthusiasts from across the isle will unite at the King’s Hall, Belfast, for the Food and Drink Show NI on October 24 – 26. A weekend showcasing the very best of the locality, last year’s inaugural event saw 10,000 people gather to sample some of the wares of top producers, and the thousands of attendees this time can be sure of finding plenty to tickle their fancy. The 2014 festival includes an Open Kitchen stage area, where local chefs will have demonstrations along with food and wine experts. There’s also a full schedule of celebrity and TV chefs ready to strut their stuff for the crowds.
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Enterprise – Train News
ENTERPRISE TRAINS SET FOR OVERHAUL AND RELAUNCH
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project to completely overhaul the Enterprise trains is underway, entirely refurbishing them as part of a mid-life overhaul. The project will relaunch the service, giving it a fresh look with new livery and new branding, new interiors and also improved customer comfort with toilet upgrades, improved accessibility and signage. All carriages will be installed with CCTV as well as new electronic systems including PA and passenger alarms fitted onboard. Another development will be the ability to electronically reserve seats online before you travel. This is a joint project alongside Irish Rail, with NI Railways leading the overall programme. The scheme is financed through the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with support from the Department for Regional Development. The four train sets that operate between Belfast and Dublin will be refurbished one at a time. The first will be started in November 2014 and we have arranged substitute trains to help facilitate the changeover. The first refurbished train is due to enter service spring 2015 with the rest following later that year.
DAYS OUT IN DUBLIN
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ife’s better with Enterprise when you pop down to Dublin! With fantastic web offers available at translink.co.uk, you can get away with great savings on any fare, any day, in just two clicks. Not to mention free onboard Wi-Fi and free onward DART travel to Pearse and Tara Street stations – just present your Enterprise ticket. So whether it’s day trippers, culture vultures, families or shoppers, it’s easy to get up and go! Simply get online at translink.co.uk and get going with fantastic web fares to Dublin; available from Belfast, Lisburn, Portadown and Newry. Dublin has a jam-packed schedule of events on offer, with festivals, shows and events – not to mention a wealth of visitor attractions such as Dublin Zoo, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle and the Guinness Storehouse. Plus, if you’re looking to do sightseeing on a budget, Dublin has lots of free visitor attractions, including the National Museum of Ireland, Phoenix Park, Trinity College Library, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and much, much more. Why not plan a day out in Dublin, take the train and take the hassle out of getting there, avoiding traffic congestion and parking?
FIRST PLUS FOR DUBLIN SHOW BREAKS Thinking of catching a live show in Dublin this year? NIR Travel make it easier with First Plus return travel, pre-show dinner, show tickets and overnight stay with breakfast. What are you waiting for? Just pick a show and treat yourself! Visit translink.co.uk/nirtravel
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GETTING TO THE RUGBY THIS AUTUMN Rugby fans can book themselves a place onboard our dedicated NI Railways trains leaving from Belfast Central for the Guinness Series 2014 international matches. This includes Ireland’s games against South Africa (November 8), Georgia (November 16) and Australia (November 22). Trains call at Lisburn, Lurgan, Portadown and Newry. Day return tickets include free onward travel on the DART to Lansdowne Road for the Aviva Stadium. Purchase online at translink.co.uk
Enterprise
INSTALLATION OF BRIDGE AT REILLY’S LEVEL CROSSING
€9.8 million project to eliminate bottleneck reaches major milestone.
O
ne of the biggest bridge lifts in Ireland in some years took place at Reilly’s crossing on the Ratoath Road, Dublin, on Friday night/Saturday morning 5th / 6th September. It was a major milestone in the Ratoath Road, Realignment and Overbridge Project which commenced in June 2013 and will be fully completed in early 2015, closing one of the busiest manually operated rail level crossings on the Iarnród Éireann network. The €9.8 million project has been developed in co-operation with Dublin City Council and is funded by the National Transport Authority. “This is a project which will be of benefit for all modes of transport," a spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said. "Trains will travel in a safer
environment, road traffic will not be delayed by congestion at manually-operated gates, and cyclists and pedestrians will have greatly improved facilities also. It will also link with future planned resignalling of the Maynooth line, and elimination of other level crossings, to allow the number of trains which operate on the rail line to increase.” The bridge span is 70m with a width of 15.4m to the outside of the steelwork. The Steel structure was manufactured by Horta Coslada in Madrid. The lift weighed approximately 330 tonnes, comprising approximately 305 tonnes of structural steel work with an additional 25 tonnes of tackle and hook block. The weight of the overall bridge is approximately 1620 tonnes including structural steel, structural concrete, pavement, parapets and finishes.
The new bridge, in tandem with other planned projects, allows for future increased capacity on the rail line for train services. It also eliminates major road congestion at the crossing, with 107 trains passing through the level crossing each day, including up to 55 services at peak times causing constant traffic queues while the gates are closed. The project will link the Ratoath Road from a point approximately 300 metres south of the existing level crossing to the Ballyboggan Road junction to the north. Works include the construction of 500 metres of road, a bridge over the railway and canal and a junction with the Ballyboggan Road. The road will also provide a much needed improvement to pedestrian and cycle facilities along this section of the Ratoath Road.
LIMERICK WELCOMES GRANNY
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imerick was awash with excitement from 5th to 7th September, when a giant Granny came to town as part of the Limerick City of Culture celebrations, courtesy of the French-based theatre company, Royal Deluxe. It was Royal Deluxe's first trip to Ireland and it will be remembered with joy – and not a little awe – by all of those who came out to see the amazing Granny. For the first time in the Royal Deluxe’s history, Granny travelled by train, arriving into Colbert Station, Limerick. She arrived on an RSPI steam-train and the Lilliputians, as the puppeteers who operate Granny are known, were ably assisted by Iarnród Éireann staff, to start Granny on her fantastic journey around the Treaty City. An estimated 250,000 people turned out on the streets of Limerick to see Granny. It was, as the man said, one hell of a do!
Granny on her way to Limerick with the lilliputians
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Enterprise – Feature
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Enterprise
&
GO FORTH
MULTIPLY
On top of the world, ED SHEERAN checks in with his Irish roots as Enterprise chats with the songwriter about his success to date, his superstar friends, and falling out of love with music.
I
f you happen to be in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena or Dublin’s 3Arena this October, and see a smile spread across the face of one Ed Sheeran on stage, there’s plenty of reasons why he’s glowing. He’ll be lapping up the Irish welcome, of course, at these homecomings of sorts – we’ll hear from Sheeran’s Celtic friends and family in a moment – but also reflecting on the year he truly went supernova. Despite his online plethora of fans and musical finger on the pop zeitgeist, it’s been a long and oldfashioned rise to the top for the 23-year-old. There has been plenty of crashing on couches along the way, as the school dropout turned rambling busker released a clutch of EPs, all the while building a name for himself the hard way, on the UK live circuit. His single, ‘The A Team’, was the tipping point, a track that went triple platinum in Canada and the US, shifting over two million copies in the latter country alone, as well as being nominated for Song of the Year at the Grammys. In addition, it scooped the Ivor Novello Award in the UK, where the single also went platinum. “It wasn’t really a hit,” he says today – doubtless reflecting on the fact that it never actually went to No.1, anywhere in the world. But as slow-burners go, it was absolutely huge, creating the ultimate platform for him. As for its parent album, his debut +, it immediately hit the summit of the British charts, going gold in week one. It would then go on to be the biggest selling album by a foreign solo artist in the US since – well, since Susan Boyle. Before long, inevitably, Mr. Sheeran was rubbing shoulders with a host of true A-listers. Indeed it was Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx who properly introduced his debut to the world. In jig time, he had been taken under Elton John’s managerial wing; was getting emails from Peter Jackson, asking if he could use one of his songs for The Hobbit; and touring
the States with bosom buddy, and alleged onetime paramour, Taylor Swift. It was a classic case of toiling for years to become an “overnight success”. Arriving this summer, album number two is entitled x and has fittingly seen his fortunes multiply. Talking before its release, Sheeran couldn’t have known that it would shoot to the top of the Irish Album Chart and surpass Coldplay’s Ghost Stories as the fastest selling album this year in the UK. Not only did the album shoot straight to No.1 in Ireland, it did the exact same in the UK and the US, as well as France, Germany and Australia among other territories. He admits with a smile that things are going well – but, such is his sunny disposition, he’d probably react in a similar manner if he’d just been upgraded from floor staff to the tills at Tesco. “To say there were more songs to choose from on this one is an understatement,” Ed ventures, comparing x with its predecessor. “I mean, I put 12 out of 20 on the last one. This time, I’ve been able to choose 12 out of one hundred and twenty!” The singer isn’t being boastful. Rather he offers the information quietly and with a chuckle which suggests that he can’t really believe his luck; he just happens to have a plethora of melodies knocking around in his noggin. “It is a step up from the debut album”, he says modestly. “I’m very aware that it’s taken such a long time to put it together.” We’ll forgive him for the delay. One of the benefits that comes with making an album as successful as his debut is that you don’t have to rush the followup – no matter who puts you under pressure. And he earned the time to breathe. Just ask those closest to him Born in Halifax and bred in Framlingham, Suffolk, before he went wandering, Ed Sheeran has strong Irish roots. It’s a connection he’s nurtured through his interest in Irish folk – and by keeping in touch with his relatives. “Ed’s been working his hole off
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"[RICK RUBIN] GOT ME BACK INTO THE ALBUM. BACK INTO MUSIC AGAIN." for years at this stuff,” his cousin and prominent Galway artist Laura Sheeran has said. “Even when he was a teenager, he’s always been doing the music. He’s that type of personality that will be [shouts eagerly]: ‘This is what I’m doing!’ “He came to stay in my house in Galway when he was 13,” she recalls, “and we were recording out in the shed. He was mad into Damien Rice, so he’d go, ‘I’ll be Damien and you be Lisa!’ as we recorded these duets. I probably have them somewhere, I should dig them out (laughs). We’d come into the house and Ed would be talking to my mom non--stop. Like it was the most important thing in the world and everyone wanted to know about it.” Looking back from this vantage point, it feels less like youthful fantasy and more like a premonition from a young man with an older head on his shoulders. In a similar vein, gifted Northern Irish songwriter Foy Vance joined Ed on his journey to conquer America, and recalls how he managed to be the most unassumingly ambitious character you are likely to meet. For Ed, it really is all about the music. “Ed’s a regular bloke,” he observed. “It’s the boy next-door type thing. And he can sing and play and write songs that relate to his generation. I mean, he has a wide audience, of course – but it was mainly young girls screaming that were at gigs!” It was an experience that left the 38-year-old Vance – who is a father himself – feeling a bit like Ed’s “demented uncle.” When I tell Ed, he sounds slightly bemused. “It’s always different playing in a country you don’t come from,” he reflects. “But I actually thought Foy went down better in the States than he did in the UK. They really took to him over there.” Today, Ed admits that he’s only recently over a particularly tough period. “2013 was a difficult year,” he sighs. “For many artistic reasons. But I felt like by the end of it, and by the beginning of this year, I was in a very good place. Do I get disheartened with the music business? It’s a good question, but not really, no. Because I’ve tended to have success with it recently, so I don’t feel disheartened often.” Much of that low period
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centred around his burning desire to properly and definitively break America. The logistics of touring that vast country meant that the second album had to be put on the back-burner for a time. On a creative and artistic level, he was frustrated. But it had to be done. Finally, the way forward became clear with the arrival of everyone’s favourite bearded producer. Is Rick Rubin as zen-like a guru as we all imagine? “Of course, yeah!” laughs Sheeran. “He re-energised me. He got me back into the album. Back into music again. Was I feeling jaded? Before Rick, I was at that stage. But Rick brought me back to a kind of normality, musically as well as everything else. He got me to play the whole thing live and made it all about the songs, rather than about doing anything flashy.” While Rick Rubin gave Ed Sheeran his confidence back, the singer decided that a full-album collaboration would have to wait if he wanted to stay true to his pop roots on x. Enter Pharrell Williams. A fan of his pop smash ‘The A Team’, the man with the Midas touch (‘Blurred Lines’, ‘Get Lucky’ and ‘Happy’ have dominated the past 12 months alone) told Ed at a Grammys party that they should work together. It turned out that Pharrell had different plans for Sheeran – and they were big. He played the riff from the song that would become ‘Sing’ to the flame-haired troubadour, who was initially unsure whether he could make it work. “Then I found myself playing it absent-mindedly on the guitar,” he admits, leading Pharrell to smile. “See, got it stuck in your head,” the producer told him. The resulting song would become the lead single on x, signalling a new direction for Ed. It sounds, in essence, like Justin Timberlake just after he went solo. “Working with Pharrell on that song, I definitely went in wanting to do a Justin Timberlake-y sort of thing,” he agrees. “His album, Justified, was my favourite record that Pharrell had produced.” While the record company initially had concerns that the song was too drastic a departure for a first single, coming at it from entirely different
perspectives, Elton John and Taylor Swift both argued that he would be mad not to go with it. So that was that: he pushed the boat out, Sheeran himself experienced no real crisis of faith, having always seen his sound as a very malleable thing. He has long shirked the “balladeer” tag, countering critics who think + was simply love songs for teenage girls. “I guess from an outsider’s perspective, the album would be considered ‘taking chances’,” he says of x as a whole. “But at the time I was writing so many songs, that the ones that would be considered ‘chances’ weren’t necessarily that at all. They just added to the plethora of songs that I had, ready and waiting.” From the first number written – ‘One’, which was recorded using a guitar given to him by Gary Lightbody and made from a whiskey barrel – Sheeran was eager to experiment within a pop framework. “Throughout the album,” he says, “I tried to keep quite an open palette and always to be open-minded when it comes to other music. My attitude is to try different things. I don’t really come from a generation where genres exist. I come from a generation where people just tend to buy single tracks. So if you were to look on any kid’s iPod nowadays, they’d have an Adele track, a One Direction track, Bruno Mars, Mumford & Sons... They’re not specifically into one set genre. That’s the generation I come from, and therefore my music reflects that.” His openness shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s kept a close eye on his career to date. His two LPs aside, Sheeran has proven himself to be an adept writer for others, penning songs for the likes of Ms. Swift, Olly Murs and One Direction. Needless to say, the two numbers he wrote for 1D’s Take Me Home were far removed lyrically from the warts ‘n’ all, confessional style he adopts for his own work. Considering how much crossover there is between his fanbase and that of the world’s biggest boy band, how has he managed to get away with songs dealing with drunkenness and, on x, even more illegal activities? As a friend of One Direction – we can confirm that he gave Harry Styles his “crap” padlock tattoo, which Styles now regrets – he seems a bit baffled at the Daily Mail-led outrage over the video leaked of two of their members, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, smoking cannabis and joking about it. Sheeran insists that it wouldn’t be a big deal if he featured in a similar video. “I’ve never shied away from that stuff,” he says, referring to the matter-offact way he’s addressed drink, drugs and the rest in his songs. “And there’s lots of touches of that, even on the first album. I don’t think it surprises anyone if you act now in the way that you mean to go on. No one’s going to be shocked now if I’m open about it myself. Rather than being caught doing it, it’s taking control of your own situation.” He pauses for thought. “I know it’s a completely different thing,” he continues, “but take Sam Smith coming out last week. With him doing that first, no one batted an eyelid, because he was very upfront and honest about it. It is a normal thing, nowadays, anyway. He’s gay: so what? Whereas I feel, like, sometimes in the media, when celebrities get caught doing stuff, it gets made into a far bigger deal than it actually is.” Right now, there is no bigger deal than Ed Sheeran. x is out now. Ed Sheeran plays 3Arena, Dublin (October 3 – 6) and The Odyssey Arena, Belfast (8 & 9)
Life-changing stories
See the difference - Life in HD
Pamela Ballantine discusses her surgery experience at Award Winning Eye Clinic, Optilase In my line of work, I am so reliant upon my vision, my reading and ultimately my eyes. So needless to say, they are very important to me. My biggest problem was my reading vision really wasn’t great and neither was my distance vision but I had coped by using my contact lenses. I had considered Laser Eye Treatment for some time, but had never got around to it. However a friend of mine recommended Optilase, facing the City Hall in Belfast, and suggested I should go for a Consultation. When I heard that the Kamra treatment was exclusive to Optilase in NI and Optilase were the number one provider in Europe and 2nd in the world in terms of completed treatments, I was greatly reassured and this made my decision to visit an easy one. After speaking to Optilase and answering some simple questions, I had booked my Consultation. First step taken then!! My initial Consultation was around an hour long. So I went along to the Flagship Clinic and Surgery Centre, opposite Belfast’s City Hall. The Clinic was like being at a 5 Star hotel! The staff were absolutely tremendous and I was immediately completely at ease. Bring it on, I thought! So, after a coffee, (which might I add, was excellent), I filled out a simple form, and met my Optometrist who would be looking after me for the next hour. He was very reassuring and answered some of my very silly questions. I was completely put at ease. He explained how the Consultation would proceed and took me for some scans and pictures of my eye. I confessed to doing some homework on the technology that Optilase use and felt very informed and completely reassured throughout the process. A big thing for me also was the reassurance of the Optilase Lifetime Care Guarantee – basically Optilase look after and treat my vision for the rest of my days, even if I needed to be re-treated further down the line, at no extra cost!
After the scans and eye test, it was time for the big result – and I was absolutely delighted to hear that I was suitable for Treatment. Hurrah!! By now I really wanted it done and I was shown the potential about how good my vision could be afterwards. I really wanted complete freedom from those cumbersome glasses. So two weeks later the big day came – and I approached this with some confidence, however I
way home and I had to wear black sunglasses to protect them, although the staff did advise me that I would be light sensitive straight away as my ‘new eyes’ got used to light again.
IMG_3239
This is the best decision I have ever made, I now see life in full HD! must admit that the day before surgery I was a bit nervous. The morning of surgery I was still a bit anxious but I needn’t have been. I then met with the Surgeon (for which there is also no fee) Medical Director Dr. Wayne CreweBrown. He has performed more than 40,000 of these treatments and he talked me through my different treatment options. I spent over half an hour with Dr. Crewe–Brown and felt completely reassured at the end of my Pre-Op. I opted for the KAMRA Treatment, with laser – exactly as the Surgeon had described and recommended to me. This would give me my near and distance vision and would do away with glasses altogether! The actual surgery itself was over within minutes and I quickly realised there was no reason for me to have been nervous. The Surgeon was fantastic and talked me through each part of the procedure - the Nursing and Care team were second to none. There was no pain whatsoever during surgery a question I have been asked by almost everyone I have met since the surgery, as there are so many myths out there about laser eye treatments. After surgery my eyes were tender initially, a sensation I compared to the experience you have after cutting raw onions. My eyes were watering all the
Call 08000 121 565
Pictured L-R at the Optilase Ball at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, Mr. Wayne Crewe Brown (Optilase Surgeon), Tracy Gilligan (Optilase), Chris Willis (Acufocus) & Mark Shortt (Optilase).
Following the advice from the team at Optilase I went home and relaxed - when I woke in the morning life had taken on a whole new perspective. Being able to see so clearly without glasses was the strangest feeling ever, absolutely fantastic and I was more than a bit emotional – I don’t mind admitting. My near vision settled and dramatically improved after the next few days. Just out of habit I even reached for my glasses (trust me; it takes a while before you will break that habit). If I had some advice for anyone out there who wears specs, get it done – and get it done now! If only I had it done years ago…… My advice? Find out if you can have it done – if you are suitable, find a way to have treatment – it will change your life……I’m glad I did!! To book your free consultation contact Optilase on 08000 121 565 or visit www.optilase.co.uk
Belfast - L/Derry - Newry - Enniskillen
Find out more about our free consultations, visit www.optilase.co.uk
Enterprise – Feature
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Enterprise
T H E
OF
T H R I L L L I T
Now Professor JOSEPH O’CONNOR to you, the celebrated Dublin author talks to ROISIN DWYER about interviewing his idol Ray Davies, how his love of music informs his latest work and his future in teaching. Photo KATHRIN BAUMBACH
“I
remember thinking, ‘Jesus, he’s sitting there! The man who wrote ‘Waterloo Sunset!’. At the end when he sang…I almost lost it.”
Celebrated author Joseph O’Connor is enthusiastically recounting the occasion of his public interview with Kinks legend Ray Davies. A die-hard music fan, the wordsmith was the obvious choice to chair what was one of the highlights of the recent Dublin Writers Festival. In his latest literary outing, O’Connor gets to indulge this passion. The Thrill Of It is the story of a fictional band that comes to prominence in the UK in the 80s. Full of trivia and knowledgeable references, it is obviously not just the work of a casual fan but someone who followed music religiously from an early age. “I remember the day I bought Horses in Freebird Records,” he says. “I hadn’t heard of Patti Smith. I bought the record because of the extraordinary cover, the amazing iconic photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe. From the moment I put the stylus in the groove the world just became a better place. And I played that record over and over. I mean I can hear every track still downloaded into my consciousness.” Ms Smith actually makes an appearance in the book, which touchingly is dedicated to the late, great Philip Chevron. “I absolutely loved Philip, I think he was such a unique artist,” notes O’Connor. “It’s very difficult to think of anybody who achieved the things that Phillip Chevron did and was universally loved and respected too. He went on an extraordinary journey; from being in probably the first Irish punk band, through cabaret and European theatre and poetry and musicals (which he loved) and all the way to the Pogues. I think he gave them a dimension that made them a really important band. He was a such a gentle, honest man.” The book is not all glitz and glamour, far from it; we experience the band’s highs and lows with them. Interestingly the four members all experienced trauma or loss in their childhood. Is O’Connor alluding to the redemptive qualities of music? “Well I think it often seems to be true,” he nods. “Certain events in your childhood can almost put cracks in your consciousness and result in a slight brokenness. And if you’re a bookish kid or a musical kid, you approach words and music in a very intimate way because they become key to your survival. You build an ark from songs and records and poems and novels.” “I think a lot of people who love music would identify with that,” he continues. “Music touches us and heals us in a way that no other art quite does. I love writing, I love literature, but there’s nothing as direct as music. I hope my own children are not artists because I would much prefer them to be happy. They can be tribunal barristers and look after me when I’m old and poor!” The book is written from the perspective of one of the band members and conveys a depth insight that suggests insider knowledge. Did Joseph call on his sister – one Sinead O’Connor – for some tips? “I actually didn’t ask her about it,” he says. “When a beloved member of your family is in the music business for a long time I suppose you
notice certain things. The biggest distinction is that this is a book about a band and that dynamic. Sinead is a solo artist. It’s not consciously in any way a portrait of Sinead but I’ve probably picked up stuff from being backstage at gigs. I’ve worked a lot with musicians over the last four or five years in different ways also.” In one particular section the band are doing a Dublin show and the detail on preparation and backstage goings on are impeccable. “I did do a bit of research on that,” he admits “I spent a day in the O2 from 7am watching the stage being built, seats being put in, the local roadies and road crew arriving. It was an Eric Clapton gig. The power play between the local roadies and the road crew was very interesting to observe! It’s amazing the way you feel the atmosphere begin to change over the course of the day, the crackle of electricity as the place begins to fill up. So it was very helpful, I was the first there and the last to leave.” Did Joe himself ever have any aspirations to follow in the footsteps of his musical heroes? “No, I didn’t” he smiles. “I do, however, play the guitar badly, which my children know well. But to me, to be a great listener is as important. I always tell people to be a great reader is much better than to be a writer, what the reader does is far more creative. What the writer does is provide the sheet music, what the reader does is bring the novel to life.” So has his bad guitar playing ever been brought to the masses? “Well, I have a small stage show that I do with my friend Phillip King, who’s a great musician and knows lots of wonderful people. We perform with special guests so I have actually played guitar onstage with Paul Brady and Camille O’Sullivan. It’s a very jammy life that I lead!” In addition to his writing and occasional musical adventures O’Connor soon adds another string to his bow as he has just been appointed Professor of Creative Writing in Limerick University “I’m really looking forward to it,” he enthuses. “I think that all practitioners should teach a few times throughout their career because it brings you back to the wellspring of why you wanted to do it yourself. I’ve taught somewhere every four or five years since I’ve started to write. You learn so much by teaching you become a better writer yourself. It’s a new department, so I just couldn’t resist the temptation of being involved in setting up the kind of writing course that I would have loved to do.” So what words of wisdom will Professor O’Connor be dispensing? “Obviously you can’t teach people talent or hard work, but you can teach them not to make certain mistakes,” he says. “You can teach them to know the end of a story before you embark on chapter one, you can teach them how to make a character more convincing, how to use dialogue and language and how to hook the reader in and to know what the reader wants. All sorts of craft things. Writing is an art, but it’s craft too. I can’t teach you to be Anne Enright, because there’s only one wonderful Anne Enright, but I hope that everybody at the end of the year will be a better writer and a better reader than they were at the start. I’m really looking forward to that.” The Thrill Of It is out now published by Harvill Secker
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Enterprise
Enterprise – Feature
I BEG YOUR PARTON Fresh from her Glastonbury turn, DOLLY PARTON tells EDWIN McFEE that she has no plans to retire anytime soon, dismisses lip-synching rumours and talks new tunes for the gay community.
I
n June, country icon Dolly Parton performed at the world-famous Glastonbury festival. On stage for around an hour, her career-spanning set charmed critics and drew the biggest crowd of the weekend. In fact, according to those who speculate on such things, the songwriter attracted the largest audience ever at the bash, beating the attendances of bands a quarter her age. “I really enjoyed Glastonbury,” the star of the show beams some months later. “There was a sea of people. It didn’t scare me at all. I’ve worked in front of a lot of people before. There could be 10,000 or 100,000. I love them the same. I was shocked and surprised at the positive press. It makes me feel real good that I was accepted so well.” Armed with an acoustic guitar, a mini saxophone and with an accomplished backing band, her performance of evergreen anthems such as ‘Jolene’ and ‘9 To 5’ was note perfect. Perhaps a little too note perfect for some. Post-gig, social media exploded with claims she was miming. Rather than engage, Ms. Parton prefers to take the higher ground and ignore the nay-sayers. “You know what? Every time I go on tour I hear I’m lip-syncing,” she says dismissively. “They say that about every artist at one point or another. I’m
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not getting into that. I’m glad people are coming to see me. You know, I’m just Dolly and I’m singing and somebody’s always gotta have something negative to say. I roll with the punches.” Ms P is promoting her latest record Blue Smoke – The Best Of Dolly Parton – and by all accounts she’s enjoying her travels. Eschewing hotels in favour of buses, she tells us she much prefers life on the open road. “I love living on a bus as opposed to hotels,” she confirms, “so we have two buses running all the time on these tours. If we have to fly from point A to point B, the buses are almost identical and are stocked exactly the same way. They give me a feeling of being at home. I can scatter all my stuff and I don’t have to carry luggage in and out of hotels. I guess I’m just a gypsy – and this is my caravan!” But doesn’t the endless travel get a little gruelling? Especially as none of us – not even the eternally fresh-faced Dolly – are getting any younger? “I don’t think the years matter so much when you’re busy. Of course you get older. You notice little things as the years go by. That doesn’t mean you have to stop. I have good doctors and makeup artists. I’ll do whatever it takes to make myself look better – and feel better.” One of Dolly’s most famous sayings is that her iconic look was inspired by “the town tramp.”
Has she ever told her childhood role model her trailblazing style choices helped the Smoky Mountain-born songstress make her fortune? “Absolutely not,” she laughs. “I know her name. I would never, ever use it in public because I don’t know if her folks knew she was the town tramp. I don’t know if she knew she was the town tramp, either! “I love anything that glitters and shines,” she continues. “I love a lot of colour, I love closefitting clothes. I always buy my clothes two sizes too small, then get them taken in! They always say less is more: that’s the biggest crock I ever heard. More is more. Less is less and I want more!” As our time with Dolly draws to a close, talk turns to her future and the hard-working performer, who has shifted over 100 million records, reveals she has plenty of plans in the pipeline. “Well, we’re just wrapping up this world tour right now,” she concludes. “After that, I’m doing my life story as a musical and as a movie too. I may possibly do some television and maybe producing. I don’t plan on doing any more touring in the near future. At some point I would like to do a dance record. I have several songs that are aimed towards the gay community. I’ve got a song called ‘Just A Wee Bit Gay’. It’s a great little dance tune. I like to write a lot of songs for people that are different and who want to be allowed be themselves.” For whom there is no better role model than Dolly Parton herself.
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Enterprise – Feature
24
Enterprise
JACK FOR GOOD
One of the most promising new names in Hollywood, Irish actor JACK REYNOR went supernova this summer when Transformers: Age of Extinction hit cinemas. The 22-year-old tells ROE McDERMOTT about the long road to ‘overnight’ success.
W
alking into Dublin's Merrion Hotel, I spot Jack Reynor lounging in an armchair, cool in a pair of expensive sunglasses. Has the famously good-natured star of What Richard Did transformed (pardon the pun) into a too-cool-for-school celebrity? Reynor spots me, whips off the glasses to reveal a cut above his eye, and offers a bear hug. “I was so happy to be home I literally fell to my knees to kiss the ground – but my bag was pretty heavy and whacked the back of my head so I essentially curbed myself!” The past year has been a whirlwind that could have easily turned a less mature man’s head – but the Dublin actor is still the grounded lad who starred in Kirsten Sheridan’s Dollhouse and Lenny Abrahamson’s What Richard Did. Clearly, Reynor is under no illusion about just how fortunate he is. After doing the festival circuit with What Richard Did in 2012, he took a chance and stayed in LA. With no money, and an endless stream of meetings that weren’t yielding results, he was down to his last $60 when offers finally started rolling in. Having landed a part in the Vince Vaughan comedy The Delivery Man and garnered stellar reviews for What Richard Did, Reynor admits that, he felt pretty confident when he was approached to audition for Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction alongside Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci and Kelsey Grammer. “I had a bit a of traction after Richard... and Delivery Man, and people were kind of curious as to who this kid was who had just come over and landed a part in a Dreamworks film out of the blue. So I was confident that would help me in
the Transformers race. I had a couple of meetings with Michael Bay which went well, did a couple of auditions and then he rang me – to tell me I hadn’t got the part. Then he left me to sweat it for 10 seconds before going ‘No, just [messing] with you, you’ve got it!’” It’s a telling anecdote about the director, who is known for whiplashing between jokey playfulness, aggressive intensity and debilitating anxiety. In January, a clip of Bay went viral after his teleprompter malfunctioned at a Samsung event. Bay, who was promoting a new high-definition television, froze, stammered and walked off-stage, apparently unable to cope with this rare loss of control. Reynor acknowledges that Bay is “intense” to work with: the director’s energy carries everyone through his giant productions. “As a filmmaker, he’s not in any way jaded. Far from it. He loves it, lives for it. He’s responsible for a budget of $165 million, 200 people’s jobs on set, another 4,000 people who actually make the film – I’d be pretty crazy too if I was in that position.” Bay clearly recognised Reynor’s talent early on, even rewriting his character, Shane, so that Reynor could bring some of his Irish charm to the flick. “Yeah, Shane was meant to be an American character, but through my conversations with Michael we decided that it would diversify the film a little bit. And,” he continues with a grin, “it made it so that when there’s a back-andforth between Mark Wahlberg and me, and he’s slamming me and I’m being... cheeky back to him. I can get away with it, more than if I had been American – then I’d just have been a punk! But over there, being Irish, you get away with
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"I'M PROUD TO BE IN A FILM LIKE TRANSFORMERS THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO TRANSCEND." anything!” Playing the drag-racing boyfriend of Mark Wahlberg’s daughter, Reynor and Wahlberg do indeed go head-to-head in many scenes, with Wahlberg bringing his usual combination of amiably gruff machismo – a persona not that far away from his real personality – to the screen. Still, Wahlberg wasn’t doling out any life wisdom on set. “He’s not the kind of guy who will sit down and have deep and meaningful chats with you,” Reynor laughs. “He just does his thing. He doesn’t need to philosophise. To be fair, it’s five and a half months of a shoot, 14 hour days on set – I’m hardly going to go back to his hotel room all the time!” Wahlberg and himself did share some manly bonding time in the gym – and some convalescing time after a few on-set accidents. “We did about 80 to 90 percent of our own stunts, trained for about three months and I did some drift training for the driving scenes. There were accidents: I dislocated two ribs and wrecked my back. I was in the middle of a shot where a mortar was about to go off beside me and I had to jump and land on a wall. When I jumped I twisted my back a weird way and hit my ribs against the wall and they dislocated so I couldn’t breathe. So a chiropractor came along, twisted my body one way and my neck another, cracked me in half, manually transformed me into a fully functional actor again and it was back to work! Then Mark took a full mortar to the face: that was bad. They put cork
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and manure in them – it always smells like shit after the explosions go off! They set off two mortars a beat too early, so it all hit Mark right in the face. You’re definitely kept on your toes!” While Jack signed on for a possible three Transformers films, he’s uncertain as yet whether the next two are going ahead – though given Age of Extinction’s huge box office, it seems likely. He’s pleased with the prospect of becoming a franchise star, but the smaller, independent work he’s done also means a lot to him. “I’m proud of the fact that I have the ability – and have had the opportunity – to work on films that say things about society and are very close to my heart. And at the same time I’m very proud to be in a film like Transformers that allows people to transcend what they’re going through in their lives for two and a half hours, and just experience a spectacle. That’s something that enables people to relax, which everyone needs these days.” In this, Reynor is following in the footsteps of some of the most influential young stars in the industry. Actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley have fronted big moneymaking franchises, while also making interesting independent movies. Reynor, has just set up his own production company and is eager to promote both independent and Irish film. “In order to be able to finance the smaller, more independent, genre-specific films, you need to show that you can carry, or at least support
well, in a really big film. I think a franchise is a really important thing for a young actor to do; it’s basically where you cut your teeth in a lot of ways. Outside of that, you’re afforded the opportunity to make whatever kind of films you want.” Reynor seems to be balancing his projects carefully. He’s currently working with Casey Affleck to portray Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton and his lifelong battle with addiction, while the upcoming Glassland sees Reynor return to home soil – a big bonus for a young man who’s spent the best part of two years away from his family. “It’s hard being away from home,” he says, “so I’m doing my best both to come back as much as I can and to make Irish films. I’ve done Glassland with Gerard Barret [Pilgrim Hill] which is very much an Irish story and I’ve a few others in the pipeline. I’ve just started my own production company and I want to make a few films here before going abroad with that. It’s important to me, because it can be difficult to be away from home; you can feel quite isolated and disjointed – that’s the price you pay for all these amazing experiences.” Despite his sudden propulsion to worldwide fame, Reynor seems admirably dismissive of celebrity culture, and is determined to keep his private life just so. He’s revealing nothing about his recent engagement to Irish model Madeline Mulqueen, and expresses a wariness about the sycophancy that can often seduce young stars. “The fame and profile stuff doesn’t interest me,” he states. “I don’t engage with it. I’m still the same person – I cook in my apartment and play video games, like I’ve always done.” He’s also good friends with Michael Fassbender, and has just finished working with the 12 Years a Slave actor on Justin Kurzels’ adaptation of Macbeth – not that he’s uttering the name of the Shakespearian tragedy. “We called it ‘The Scottish Play’ at the top of our call sheets,” he laughs. “It’s just one of those things you have to be superstitious about! It was one of the best filmmaking experiences of my life. The cast is incredible. Michael Fassbender is the best dude.” The young actor also acknowledges you can’t please everyone – the trick is to not let the haters get in his way. “I have an incredible amount of support from Ireland... and a great group of people who are happy that I’m flying the flag for our film industry. If I can continue to do that, then great.” Transformers: Age of Extinction is still in select cinemas and available on DVD/Blu-ray this autumn
My City
Keeping Our Value Promise
MAIREAD CAMPBELL, COOL FM of the Cave Hill and enjoy just taking time out to look down on Belfast. I enjoy the view and when it is dark, it’s nice to see the city completely lit up, particularly newer establishments like The Titanic Building.
Favourite Pub? Although I’m totally spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing my favourite pub in Belfast, I would probably have to choose White’s Tavern. Dating back to 1630 and being one of the city’s oldest pubs, it is always a nice spot to visit to enjoy a drink and live traditional Irish music. What was it like growing up in Belfast? My earliest memory of Belfast is going into the city centre on Christmas Eve to meet family and to visit Santa at Castle Court Shopping Centre. I remember then, the city being vibrant and full of excited shoppers. In spite of the Christmas rush, people were unbelievably friendly. This became an annual tradition and as I grew older, the city too grew and developed. My mum and dad often took me along to events organised by Belfast City Council which were always really exciting. I was educated in Belfast too and enjoyed my time at school, I also went on to study at university in Belfast and being a student in Belfast, I quickly learnt to appreciate the nightlife. As a city, Belfast is often at the centre of media attention. Early on I established that people of Belfast have a strong culture and when necessary unite together. A recent memory is the night of Nov 2011 when Belfast hosted the MTV Music Awards at The Odyssey Arena. It was a really special night! Favourite part of Belfast? I love the overall view of Belfast and although it is a busy city, there is always a patch of ‘the green grass of home’ in sight. On evenings coming into Spring I often venture to the top
Favourite restaurant? A restaurant I always visit to celebrate special occasions with family and friends is Zen Restaurant, Adelaide Street. The restaurant serves delicious Asian and Japanese food and often when really famous people visit Belfast, they can’t resist but to also visit the famous ‘Zen’. It really is hard to go past it! Favourite shop? All the shops in Victoria Square – it’s totally retail therapy for me and I love just getting lost in there on Saturdays! Best thing about Belfast? The best thing for me about Belfast is the fact lots of attractions are so close together. It’s easy to plan a night out, dinner with friends, followed by a trip to the cinema and then a visit to a local bar. Seldom on these night’s does money have to be spent on taxis to each of these stops – they are all within walking distance of each other and you’re always guaranteed to pass excited natives or tourists on the way! Having lots of tourist attractions, we welcome lots of travellers around the city.
Rooms From Newlands Cross..................... €62 Dublin Airport ......................... €71 Leopardstown ........................ €71 Ballsbridge ............................. €71 Leeds ...................................... £58 Manchester Airport ............... £70 Family Rooms available from €10 supplement. Terms and Conditions apply. Subject to availability.
Lo Call IRE 1890 79 89 99 Lo Call UK 0845 234 59 59 www.bewleyshotels.com
Who is the first person you would call for a drink when you’re home? I always call my sister for a drink when I’m home. She always has a bit of craic for me and will always be honest about new hairstyles or ‘clothes I pick up for our catch-up! Worst thing about Belfast? Traffic, traffic, traffic! Belfast is a growing city with lots of job opportunities within the city centre and beyond. Working the hours that I do, heavy traffic is seldom something I have to deal with but returning to Belfast during rush hour traffic gives me a real eye opener – firstly at how busy the city actually is but also at how I easy I have it at night time and early in the morning when roads are generally free from heavy traffic!
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Enterprise – Sport
DRIVE
To Succeed
One of Europe’s vice-captains for the Ryder Cup, DES SMYTH knows the cross-Atlantic competition like the back of his hand. The Irish golfing institution talks about his team’s chances and the magic of the Cup.
“I
often tell my friends that if you really want to understand the Ryder Cup, get to the first tee a half-hour before they tee off in the morning. There, you’ll be able to touch the atmosphere. It’s that tense. The players feel it too, big time. They’re happy to get down that first fairway!” If you wanted to ask someone with experience to describe the feelings the Ryder Cup conjures up, Des Smyth would be the man. A seasoned pro with an enviable career, the 61-year-old Drogheda man has been down that fairway a few times before. As a player, he represented Europe in 1979 and ‘81 – losing out to the US twice. Victory for Smyth would eventually come when he was offering guidance rather than marching across the greens himself. As Ian Woosnam’s vice captain in 2006, he was involved in a famous victory for the Europeans that was integral to their dominance in the competition over the last decade. That’s not to say it is Smyth’s abiding memory of the competition. “No, I enjoyed all the experiences. I wasn’t on a winning team [as a player] but the excitement and the tension and the pressure and the camaraderie of a Ryder Cup is always the same. That’s what the players enjoy. Now it’s a much bigger event than when I started; it’s grown exponentially since. It’s probably the biggest golfing event in the world every two years. If you look at the viewing figures, they’re a bit
Their Cup Runneth Over This year’s Ryder Cup looks certain to be one of the most eagerly contested in recent history. Here are five European golfers guaranteed a place in the line-up and who are likely to have a significant say as to where the title goes.
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astonishing for a golf event. You think, ‘How the hell did that get in there?’! But I think if you watch the way that it’s conducted, it is fierce competition and the integrity of the sport is kept paramount. If casual fans and people who wouldn’t know a wood from a 7-iron get hooked, you can imagine how the people competing feel about the competition.” “I think for every European professional,” reflects the 61-year-old Drogheda man, “it’s something you feel is a must on your CV if you want to stand up there with your chest out. It’s ==really that special.” This September, Smyth adds another vicecaptaincy to his own CV. He joins Sam Torrance in flanking European captain and fellow Irishman Paul McGinley on the PGA Centenary Course in Perthshire, Scotland. McGinley will be looking to draw on the pair’s experience in the competition to steer the home side to victory once more after 2012’s famous Miracle At Medinah. Though they were officially named as vice-captains in March, Smyth says McGinley came to him late last year: “He mentioned to me that he wanted me as part of the team. I was delighted naturally enough. I didn’t have to think too long about accepting! Really, it’s the captain that does all the work. That’s the truth. Like on any team, I follow instructions, I help, I advise, I give my opinions, but at the end of the day it’s the captain’s call.” McGinley has said Smyth will be the “voice of reason” in the camp. “I probably would be but a lot of my friends
for the County Down man : he has won two majors in 2014, the British Open and the PGA Championship. He joins the exclusive club of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, the only other golfers to capture three majors by age 25. He has also confirmed he will represent Ireland at the next Olympics.
STEPHEN GALLACHER Aged 39, Scottish-born Gallacher is a classic late bloomer. A pro since 1996, last year he ratcheted up just his second European Tour victory, winning the Dubai Desert Classic. He recently defended the title, the first golfer to ever do so. This will be his inaugural Ryder Cup.
RORY MCILROY
THOMAS BJORN
The world’s top ranked golfer appears in his third Ryder Cup. It’s already been a memorable 12 months
The Danish golfer was the first from his country to play in a Ryder Cup. However, there have been lows as well as highs. In 2003 he suffered a notorious meltdown at the British Open, where he was ahead by two with three holes to play
might not think so!” he laughs. “I would appear to be, in the golfing sense.” How does he feel his personality contrasts with Scotland’s Sam Torrance? “It’s hard to put my finger on that one but I’d be slow to react. Put it like that. That would be my style. I’d rather sit and think for a while before I start jumping in. That considered approach is invariably valuable at this stage of preparation. As the build-up begins, the selection process for the team is well underway. The players are focused on trying to get results for themselves and move up different orders of merit. To win tournaments, or try to do well in the majors if not win. I think at the back of a lot of their minds is the fact that they want to make this team.” Some players just seem to ‘click’ with the Ryder Cup, Smyth says: “I’m inclined to focus on form... I’d rather stick with the guy coming into form than the guy going out of form, you know!” Looking to the opposition, the vice-captain still feels Tiger Woods poses a threat, despite the fact he has only just returned after a four-month layoff through injury. “He’s probably the best player I’ve seen when he’s in the mood. I can’t think of anyone that you would back against him. Maybe the Ryder Cup has never been his strong suit? Still, you’d want to be on your game when you’re going out against him.” The 40th Ryder Cup will take place from September 26-28 at Gleneagles, Scotland
and ended up in the bunker.
SERGIO GARCIA At one point ranked number two in the world, Garcia is among the most consistent European golfers of the past decade. He is a four-times runner up at a majors event and popular on the circuit, though he became embroiled in controversy in 2013 when he joked about having Tiger Woods around to his house for fried chicken – a comment regarded by many as racist.
MARTIN KAYMER Germany’s leading modern golfer has one major under his belt, a 2010 PGA Championship victory. In 2011 he was briefly the world’s top ranked player. However his form dived soon afterwards and he scraped into the Ryder Cup team two years ago. It was just as well he was selected however – it was his 18th hole putt that retained the title for Europe after it appeared destined for the United States.
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Enterprise – Sport
Jamie Heaslip
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Enterprise
THE SCRUM
DIARY As Irish rugby fans gear up for the Guinness Autumn Test Series, COLM O'REGAN takes a look at five of our key international players who will, hopefully, be leading us to World Cup glory in 2015. Photo: Graham Keogh
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he build-up to the Rugby World Cup 2015 begins in earnest as Ireland start their season with the Guinness Autumn Test Series in November. South Africa, Georgia and Australia will all visit the Aviva Stadium on consecutive weekends to do battle with the reigning Six Nations champions. Both the Springboks and the Wallabies were victorious on their last visits to these shores, so Joe Schmidt’s men will be up against it taking on the Southern Hemisphere giants. Make no mistake; while there might not be a trophy up for grabs, there’s no such thing as friendlies. With England 2015 less than a year away, the games represent an opportunity for established names to build momentum, but Schmidt will be looking for younger and less experienced players to take their opportunity and step up. Here are five men hoping to make it a November to remember…
Jonathan Sexton
Jonathan Sexton will once again look to be the driving force behind Ireland’s success. Scorer of two tries on the famous night in Paris last March, the Racing Metro man – returning to Leinster in 2015 – will be vitally important if Ireland are to emerge victorious in November. Possessing soft hands, a keen turn of pace and a howitzer of a right boot, his partnership with fellow half-back Conor Murray has many believing that Ireland could go to the World Cup full of hope for an all-time best result. Before that, though, Sexton may have to banish demons from last year’s Autumn Series; it was his missed penalty in the latter stages of the clash against New Zealand that allowed the All Blacks to score a last minute try and condemn Ireland to a devastating 24-22 defeat. A three-time Heineken Cup winner, and a member of the triumphant 2013 Lions tour, Sexton has the pedigree and talent to justify his status as one of the world’s highest paid players. Irish fans will be hoping his star quality shines through in this series.
Andrew Trimble
Of all the players itching to get back into action at the Aviva, Andrew Trimble will be more eager than most. After a prolonged period in the international wilderness, the Ulsterman made a comeback for the ages in the Six Nations, scoring three tries and being named Players’ Player of the Year in the process. Tall and rangy, Trimble is assured under the high ball, strong in defence, and has an eye for the whitewash, crossing the line on 16 occasions during his Ireland career. Even with the likes of Simon Zebo, Keith Earls and Fergus McFadden knocking on the door, the Coleraine man has set down a marker for the green jersey. Trimble will have his work cut out as he lines up on the flank against immense opposition. South Africa could well be calling on the talents of the legendary Bryan Habana or the revelatory newcomer Cornal Hendricks, while Australia have the likes of Adam Ashley Cooper, Rob Horne and the incendiary Israel Folau amongst their ranks.
Robbie Henshaw
Even in a sport of giants, there may never have been bigger boots to fill than those of Brian O’Driscoll. That, though, is the prospect that could be facing 21 year old Robbie Henshaw. The prodigious talent – Irish Rugby’s Young Player of the Year for the past two years – has been a star for Connacht in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup, but the step up to international level represents an enormous test of his abilities. Capped just three times so far – two of those appearances coming off the bench – Henshaw is nevertheless seen by many experts as the natural replacement for the most capped player in rugby history. Occasionally deployed as a full-back at club level, it’s in the 13 jersey that his future appears to lie. Strong and powerful, with outstanding defensive instincts, Henshaw was expected to slot into the side over the summer tour to Argentina, but a hand injury scuppered those plans. Instead, it may be this November that sees the dawn of a new era of Irish rugby.
Jamie Heaslip
Leinster’s own Captain Fantastic, Irish fans will hope that Jamie Heaslip will set an example in green as well as blue this season. A mainstay in the international side since breaking through in 2008, Heaslip is widely regarded as one of the top No. 8s in the world. A combative tackler and fearsome ball carrier, he is also noted for his tremendous rugby acumen that has seen his become the fulcrum of the pack for both club and country. Joe Schmidt has never made a secret of his admiration for the man born in Israel, and has identified him as one of the key players for Irish success in the future. Lining up against backrow opposition of the calibre of James Slipper, Juan Smith and Duane Vermuelen, Heaslip will have to be at his very best in the Guinness Series, but a season which saw him produce sterling performances throughout the Six Nations bodes well for the months ahead.
Iain Henderson
Expected to play a key role in a green shirt for years to come, Iain Henderson enters the Guinness Series looking to cement his place in Joe Schmidt’s World Cup plans. Still only 22 years old – and with the versatility to line up in both the second and back rows – the Ulsterman is widely recognised as one of the brightest prospects in Irish rugby. The 6’6” Henderson has been producing top-drawer performances for his province for a number of years; ferociously strong, and with a sharp footballing brain, his ball carrying ability and indefatigable work rate have impressed fans all over Europe. Unfortunately for the Craigavon man, the presence of an abundance of established talent ahead of him in the pecking order means his opportunities in an Irish shirt thus far have been limited, with nine of his twelve caps coming as a replacement. One of his starts, though, was an assured performance against Italy in the Six Nations, and Henderson will be hoping for another chance to shine this autumn.
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Enterprise
Enterprise – Wear House
B A C K T O C O O L With the cooler weather and the new term upon us, Roe McDermott looks at the trends that can take you from college or the office to nights out with ease. MODERN MONOCHROME
This season, clean, crisp and oh-so-chic monochrome is back with a vengeance, a welcome palette-cleanser following a summer dominated by tribal trends. Futuristic touches always add an element of intrigue. Look for high, rounded collars and metallic separates. Geometric patterns enhance monochrome pieces – keep your eyes peeled for sharp patterns and play around with asymmetric hemlines. You can further enhance your style via body-con dresses and bold statement jewellery. The aim is to achieve a '60s simplicity (as opposed to Helmut Lang’s busier look). We recommend avoiding straps and harnesses and focusing on short cuts and superb tailoring.
THAT’S A WRAP
With autumn upon us, it's time for weather-appropriate wraps. Humble coats, jackets and capes are receiving a glamorous make-over this year, with simple cover-ups elevated into serious trend pieces. Plaid coats, capes and sweaters can, with the correct cut, conjure studious elegance – as evidenced by the collections by Kenneth Cole, Thakoon and Victoria Beckham. Oversized is the way to go – however, you should ensure your silhouette remains strong by teaming large tops with skinny jeans or short skirts that show off your legs. Don’t worry about cold pins – the tall boot is back with a vengeance! Go knee-high to be proper, thigh-high to be provocative. Chunky and fluffy knits are having a moment as well. Also consider a glamorous belt to emphasize your waist.
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THAT SEVENTIES SHOW
Thinking about your back-to-college wardrobe? You and your wallet will be delighted that, as summer fashion was all about the grounded romanticism of the '70s, it will have plenty of end-of-year staying power paired with the right items. Combining earthy browns, rich wine tones, distressed turquoise and pretty paisley prints, classic '70s colours look fantastic with distressed denim, chunky silver jewellery and fringed accessories. Though sometimes derided, '70s fashion had a lot going for it and represented real progress from the '60s. Daisies were replaced with paisley prints, flares became a more subtle version of bell-bottoms, flirty sundresses were teamed with suede and fur coats. And long, sheer dresses replaced the '60s mini.
ARMOURED ACCESSORIES
The tribal trend is still going strong. Feathered earrings, capes and headpieces feature prominently. However, you should stick to feathered tiaras rather than headdresses to avoid any cultural appropriation missteps. We’re also loving the "Amazonian armour" trend, which can be achieved by bedecking yourself in dramatic cuffs, spiked collars and clawed or fanged rings. Arrow-accented jewellery offers a daring combination of rock chic and Native American influences: a modern take on tribal tradition. Exposed amethyst and agate pieces make for a more unique look than the usual clean-cut diamond bling, lending a nicely grounded Earth Mother vibe to your accessories.
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Coming soon to Marks and Spencer
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9 1. Pied-à-terre burgundy cape €220/£169, Pied-à-terre at House of Fraser
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2. Tiffany premium blazer in Cream
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€35.09/£26.99, Missguided 3. Franny skater skirt €19.49/£14.99, Missguided
7. Fringed rucksack €130/£100, Topshop
4. Printed duster jacket €23, Penneys
8. Black double zip crossbody €9, Penneys
5. B lack heeled ankle boot €20, Penneys
9. Berangaria swing dress with caged sleeves € 32.49/£24.99, Missguided
6. Multi-colour shaggy fur jacket €32, Penneys
10. Stacy court shoes with studded detail €22.74/£34.99, Missguided
STOCKISTS ACCESSORIZE
MARKS AND SPENCER
PENNEYS/PRIMARK
TOPSHOP
Unit LG 6-7, Victoria Square, Chichester Street 64 Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
48 Donegall Place, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 5BY 1 Old Glenmount Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT36 7DN 15-20 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 24-29 Mary Street, Dublin 1
1-27 Castle Street Belfast, 35-39 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 47 Mary Street, Dublin 1
House of Fraser, Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin 16. St.Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2 Victoria Square, Belfast, Belfast City BT1 4QG WhatsAboutTown.com
BOTICCA.COM
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Destination:
Shopping
Enterprise – Travel
WE STE R O S
I S
AWA K E
And it is closer than you think. ANNE SEXTON straps on her plate-mail armour, grabs her broadsword and brings you a frontline report from the hugely popular Game of Thrones holiday experience in Northern Ireland...
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f you were planning a holiday in a parallel universe, Westeros would make for a rather... interesting choice. For a start, there are political shenanigans, intrigues and the occasional regicide in King’s Landing; wildings and giants regularly invade the North; warrior clans dominate to the East; coming from the West, the so called Ironborn pillage wherever they can; meanwhile, White Walkers and murderous wights lurk beyond the Wall; and bands of rapacious brigands run amok pretty much everywhere. Interesting is perhaps an understatement: Westeros might just be the holiday location from hell. How much more pleasant it is then, to opt for a trip around Northern Ireland, where much of Game of Thrones is filmed. Indeed, you can visit those very fictional places where mayhem occurs on an ongoing basis – and live to tell the tale. You don’t have to be a fan of the show to make this a wonderfully worthwhile experience: the locations and scenery are spectacular, complete with historic buildings and a countryside replete with gorgeous
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loughs, rivers and forests. Most Irish people know Game of Thrones is part-filmed to the north of the island. However, it may surprise some to know just how much of Northern Ireland features in the high octane drama series. Dragonstone, for example, is better known to locals as Downhill Beach on the Causeway Coast; the Stormlands, the King’s Road and the Iron Islands are filmed in Co. Antrim; Beric Dondarrion’s hideout is actually the Pollnagollum Cave, in the Belmore Forest in Co. Fermanagh; and Co. Down is where you’ll find Winterfell, the Riverlands, Robb Stark’s camp and the Haunted Forest where White Walkers roam freely. Around three quarters of the entire show is filmed in Northern Ireland; even interior scenes featuring the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen, have been shot at the Titanic Studios in Belfast. It’s here you’ll find the Iron Throne too. Queen Elizabeth visited the set during June, but declined to sit on the iconic seat! If you are planning a visit, it is as well to remember that you’d need a few days to visit
all of the locations. Westeros is a big place! If your time is limited, choose between Co. Antrim and Co. Down, where a number of important locations are clustered. Being loyal bannermen of the Starks (alas, King Robb! I knew him well!), Enterprise elected to head to Co. Down to visit Winterfell and the surrounding areas… Castle Ward, an 18th Century property on the banks of Strangford Lough in Co. Down, is the principal location for Winterfell. The castle’s courtyard will be familiar to fans of the show — it is here that King Robert’s retinue, including Queen Cersei, Jamie Lannister, Tyrion the Imp and the evil Prince Joffrey, meet the Stark family at the beginning of the series. The truth, of course, is that a wonderfully historic building like Castle Ward is well worth a visit, even if Game of Thrones leaves you as cold as a reanimated wight. Castle Ward is an 18th century architectural curiosity built in two distinct styles — classical Palladian and Georgian Gothic. The original owners, Lord Bangor and his wife,
Enterprise
Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle.
Lady Ann Bligh, had vastly different tastes. Married couples, of course, have to learn to compromise and they did – in somewhat eccentric manner – by creating a marvellous hodge podge of a house with different facades: classical proportions and interiors on one side, gothic on the other. In the Castle Ward courtyard you’ll find the Clearsky Adventure Centre. Here you can dress in a Game of Thrones replica costume and try your hand at archery, in the very same spot where Bran Stark practiced his skill with the bow and arrow, only to be outshone by sister Arya. From here you can rent a mountain bike: Clearsky offers two selfguided cycling tours, following either Robb Stark or Tywin Lannister’s trail. Robb’s Trail is a relatively easy cycle of around an hour and a quarter, on mostly flat ground. Tywin’s trail, on the other hand, takes over two hours — so you need to be fairly fit to give it a go. As well as mountain bikes, helmets and a map of the locations, you’ll get a Stark Sack with capes and swords, allowing you to play dress up and to “behead” your friends at key locations.
Strangford, Co. Down.
A short distance away you’ll find Inch Abbey on the banks of the River Quoile. This has been a monastic site since the 9th century. The Vikings — as dastardly as any Lannister army — sailed upriver and plundered the site at least twice in its history. Originally built in 1177, the current Abbey is a ruin. The River Quoile features heavily in Game of Thrones as the Riverlands, home to the Tully family. The Twins, home to the nefarious Freys, is also filmed on the Quoile. Any visit to Co. Down would be incomplete without stopping at the Tollymore Forest Park, at the foot of the fabled Mourne Mountains. Tollymore is where the opening scene of the very first episode of Game of Thrones was shot. Three brothers of the Night’s Watch ride beyond the Wall into the Haunted Forest, following wilding raiders, but instead are confronted by a White Walker — which as anyone knows is a far more difficult adversary than the free folk. Aficionados will recall that Tollymore is also used for Theon Greyjoy’s thwarted escape from the not so gentle clutches of Ramsey Snow.
Castles & Monuments, Downpatrick.
Tollymore has much to offer beyond its Game of Thrones connection. Tollymore oak was used for the interiors of the famous White Star liners, including the doomed Titanic, and the forest is full of follies, including a barn designed to look like a church and stone cones on top of gate piers. Along the River Shimna, meanwhile, you’ll find a gorgeous artificial grotto, like something out of a hobbit holiday home. All told, this is an incredibly beautiful part of the country. The forest has four different walking trails, which for the most part are suitable for cyclists as well. Since Game of Thrones hit our screens in 2011, international “set jetting” fans have been keen to visit the locations where the show is filmed. It has proven a boon to the local tourist industry. It is estimated that the influx of Game of Thrones fans could see visitor numbers to Northern Ireland increase to two million by 2016, up from 1.8 million last year. Long may it continue...place to head for your holliers, but Northern Ireland is certainly an excellent one.
Inch Abbey, Home to the House of Tully
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Enterprise – Celebrity Table
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Enterprise
SUPER MARIO
He’s the superstar satirist who has everyone from Gay Byrne and Miriam O’Callaghan to Louis Walsh and the GAA in his sights. STUART CLARK shares some chuckles - and a very nice lunch! - with the irrepressible MARIO ROSENSTOCK. Photos: KATHRIN BAUMBACH
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t’s supposed to be just myself and Mario Rosenstock having lunch today — but during our very pleasant hour in the Hilton Hotel Kilmainham, we’re variously joined by Miriam O’Callaghan, Gay Byrne, José Mourinho, Ronan Keating, Louis Walsh, Ossie Ardiles, Paul Merson, Eamon Dunphy and Michael Lowry TD.
These, of course, are all people he impersonates on Today FM’s Gift Grub and RTÉ Two’s Mario Rosenstock Show, where he also gets to dress up as them. I’m not saying that Mrs. Rosenstock has anything to worry about, but Mario’s enthusiasm for slipping into one of Miriam’s slinky little numbers is perhaps a bit too apparent. “I love getting dressed up as a woman,” he beams. “Miriam’s about six foot, so physically she’s imposing and has those big expressive eyes. If you can do the eyes and the hair, you’re halfway there. She’s always very feminine and flirts with her interviewees, kind of touching and brushing off them. She’s Mother Ireland and, in a sense, every woman’s envy. How does she do all the stuff she does in a day? Also, critically, she’s in a position of
power. She brings strong, powerful men to account on television at nights. “I’m not sure where her allegiances lie,” he ventures, “but were Miriam ever to go into politics I honestly think she could end up as the country’s first female Taoiseach. That’s the level of command she respects.” Tears were shed — by him! — when Mario appeared recently on the Miriam Meets… radio show. “Even though I’d been warned about it, she got me!” the affable 42-year-old laughs. “I was there lapping up some of her trademark flattery — ‘Mario, you’re so funny, and people love your impression of Joan Burton’ — when Miriam suddenly goes, ‘But your grandmother was one of the most important people in your life, and she died recently?’ Somehow she’d found out that my grandmother was the person who gave me my real love of radio — we’d listen to Alistair Cooke’s Letter From America and Kaleidoscope together — and encouraged me as a kid, and hit me with it live on-air. Miriam said to let the listeners know: ‘I can see you’re emotional’ and she was right. I’ll always have my grandmother in my heart.” While there’s more formal dining to be had in
the Hilton’s Cinnamon Restaurant, we’ve decided to grab a bite today in the hotel’s bright and airy 4 Corners Bar. We skip starters, but soon have food envy when we see the Seafood & Fennel Soup (€7.25) being delivered to the neighbouring table. Next time! Mario’s in the mood for pasta, so orders the Linguini with Sundried Tomatoes, Tomato Ragout, Pine Nuts, Rocket & Parmesan (€11.95) while yours truly immediately spots the Poulet Verde Chicken Fillet with Mozzarella, Avocado Salsa & Beef Tomato (€15.50) which arrives sizzling from the grill and accompanied by some of the chunkiest house cut chips you’ve ever seen. “The linguini’s nicely al dente and the sauce rich without being overpowering,” Mario enthuses as I devour my equally tasty burger with indecent haste. The Beef & Guinness Pie (€16.50) and Haddock & Prawn Kedgeree (€13.50) also get rave reviews from the Offaly couple to our left who profess to being massive Gift Grub fans. Mario having Miriam’s dresses to fit into politely declines dessert but I happily scoff the Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream (€5.75) that our super-friendly waitress recommends. With his Gift Grub live shows routinely selling-
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A Food Awakening
Hot To Trotter The latest dining news from resident foodie STUART CLARK
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out — over 3,000 people catch him the following night in Cork — and another series of his RTÉ 2 show already commissioned, life is pretty sweet at the moment for Mario. “The key,” he proffers, “is that I’m working in two incredibly supportive environments where I’m allowed within reason to do my own thing. At Today FM, I’ve one of my closest friends, Ian Dempsey, to bounce off and at RTÉ there’s a guy called Eddie Doyle who’s said, ‘You’re the expert, go do your comedy.’ I’ve never had a ‘Don’t do it…’ from him which is rare in television.” While he has no intention of quitting Ireland, Mario admits he has designs on the UK market. “I want to do more online stuff, and have been working on characters like Boris Johnson who’d obviously resonate there more. Boris is wonderful — a very smart man who knowingly plays the buffoon because it gets him out of all sorts of trouble. I’m not sure if any Irish politician’s as astute as he is.” Mr. R hit the bullseye again recently with his imagining of Sky Sports’ football pundits getting their first glimpse of GAA. “I did that sketch with Ian on the Today FM Breakfast Show and eight hours later Sky confirmed the football and hurling deal, so we scooped everybody! The line people keep repeating back to me is Paul Merson thinking that a GAA player being shown the black card means he’s been sentenced to death. You write these things hoping they strike a chord, but it’s only when somebody yells it at you in the street that you know you’ve succeeded!” Hilton Hotel Kilmainham, Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8. Tel. (01) 420 1800. hiltondublinkilmainham.com
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(Clockwise from top left) Belfast's EIPIC eatery, Pokertree craft beer and Irish-produced pork scratchings
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here have been some exciting foodie goings-on in Belfast’s Howard Street, most notably a major renovation at Deanes, which now houses three restaurants, each with its own unique atmosphere and menu. Possibly the most sophisticated of all the Deanes eateries, EIPIC - Greek philosophy fans will spot the reference Epicurus who was committed to the pursuit of pleasure - uses the freshest local ingredients to stunning effect. Its trademark Tasting Menu can be savoured for Friday lunch and Wednesday-Saturday dinner, which is served from 5.30pm-10pm. Highlights when we last popped in were the Duck, Young Turnips & Elderberries and the Heritage Tomatoes, Lobster & Dill. A totally different experience, Deanes Love Fish has an informal but stylish coastal interior, and a menu that includes Fritto Misto, Chili Oil & Aioli; Pot Roast Cod, Chickpea, Chorizo, Smoked Paprika & Tomato and a melt-in-the moth Sirloin Steak with Beef Dripping Chips & Garlic Butter among its signature dishes. There’s more delicious carnivorous fare to be had in Deanes Meat Locker, where the charcoal grill is king. In addition to a wide range of steaks, favourites include a BBQ 1/2 Chicken and for seafood lovers, a perfectly executed Lobster Thermidor. Located in the heart of Belfast, close to City Hall and major hotels including The Europa, The Fitzwilliam, Jurys, The Park Inn and Holiday Inn, dining at Deanes is most definitely an experience to cherish. Find out more at michaeldeane.ie, Tel. +44 (0)28 9033 1134.
Pork Life
They’ve been cross-channel pub favourites since the 1800s, now courtesy of New Zealand-born, West Cork-domiciled chef Matthew Brownine you can sample pork scratchings here. Whilst most definitely on the Weigh Watchers banned list, the Cajun, Mexican and Smokey Back Scratch My Pork HandCooked Irish Pork Scratchings are a thing of porcine beauty and your only man with a pint of craft beer.
Playing To Win
Talking of which, we’re very much enjoying the Seven Sisters Treacle Oat Stout, Ghrian Golden Ale and Red Earl Ruby Ale being brewed in Carrickmore, County Tyrone by Darren Nugent and his Pokertree colleagues. The name comes from the large tree on the edge of the village where, according to local lore, the Devil plays cards with passers-by for the highest of stakes. Win and your wildest desire – Everton winning the FA Cup perhaps – will be granted. Lose and, well, say “goodbye” to your soul forever. Next up is Dark Nirvana, a 6% ABV smoked beer dedicated to Kurt Cobain who has roots in Carrickmore.
Brewed Health
Finally on the beer front, we can heartily recommend Slainte: The Complete Guide To Irish Craft Beer & Cider, which does exactly what it says it does on the cover. It’s co-authored by Kristin Jensen and Caroline Hennesy, a Ballymaloe graduate who enthuses that “we’ve become a world-class brewing island. Irish craft beer isn’t a fad or a craze; it’s here to stay and getting better all the time.” Published by New Island, you won’t want to go to the pub without it.
Enjoy a relaxing break in Dublin... ...with
NIR Travel is Northern Ireland’s leading operator of short break holidays by rail. Our ready-made packages make it easy to take a trip to Dublin; all our breaks are inclusive of rail travel on the Enterprise with an excellent choice of hotels on offer – ranging from 3* to 5* to suit all budgets. This is just a small selection of the fantastic hotel breaks we have on offer.
Dublin Theatre Breaks
For further information visit: www.translink.co.uk/nirtravel and browse online for the hotel and travel dates of your choice, then simply complete the online booking form. Alternatively call NIR Travel direct on 028 9024 2420 or pop in to the Travel Centre, Glengall Street, Belfast.
Midweek Deals 2014
Weekend Breaks 2014
Rock of Ages: 15 Sept – 20 Sept
Arlington Hotel Temple Bar 3*
2 nights B&B Weekend
Blood Brothers: 29 Sept – 11 Oct
1 night B&B + Celtic Nights Show & Dinner:
£95
1 night B&B:
£65
Westbury 5* from Shelbourne 5* from Conrad 5* from
2 nights B&B
£105
Shrek: 21 Oct – 09 Nov The Mousetrap: 10 Nov – 15 Nov Riverdance: 26 Jun – 31 Aug
Subject to availability Sun – Thu only
Jersey Boys: 01 Apr ‘15 – 19 Apr ‘15 Christmas Show – ‘Elf’: 16 Dec ‘14 – 10 Jan ‘15
Central Dublin Trinity Capital Hotel 4*
Gresham Hotel 4* 2 nights B&B weekend:
£125
Midweek: £119 Weekend: £139 Children: £90 (7yrs & under £75 / over 7yrs)
2 nights B&B midweek:
£105
All rates are per person sharing. Single room supplement £49. A £50 non-refundable deposit secures.
2 nights B&B/1D midweek:
Weekend 2 nights Nov – Dec: Mar – Oct:
£125 £155
Beyond Dublin
North Star Hotel 4* 2 nights B&B midweek:
£259 £195 £160
£125 £99
Theatre Breaks include:
• First Plus Return Rail Travel • Overnight stay at Grand Canal Hotel 3* + Full Breakfast • Pre-show 2 course dinner (5–5.30pm) • Show Ticket (upper circle)
• All breaks include return rail travel from any NIRailways station. • All rates are per person sharing / single room supplements will apply. • All offers are subject to availability and T&Cs and are subject to change.
Call us now on 028 9024 2420 or visit www.translink.co.uk/nirtravel
2 nights B&B weekend Fitzpatrick Castle 4* from
£120
Enterprise – Business
Ready steady
Keogh
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The Keogh Family
Luxury is the name of the game for Keogh’s Crisps, one of Irish food’s most recent success stories. Tom Keogh, who started out as a potato farmer looking to expand, tells Colm O’Regan about their ingenious move into the crisp market.
I
f there’s one thing the Keogh family know, it’s potatoes. For generations, they have farmed their land in North County Dublin, selling their products all over the country. In recent times their humble spuds have been on sale as gourmet crisps and the business continues to go from strength to strength. The initial inspiration for entering the crisp market was the desire to sell potatoes overseas. “The idea is borne from a decline in potato sales,” says founder Tom Keogh. “As a young farmer coming into a family potato business, I knew something needed to be done. Export was top of my list. I thought there was a great market for Irish potatoes in the United States. I sent some samples around. It was then I learned potatoes were banned from entry to the States. A packet of potatoes arrived back at my desk with a note from the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service saying they weren’t allowed.” There was, however, a way around the pesky regulations that forbade Keogh potatoes being exported. “I was in a conversation with an official in New Jersey – and I’ll never forget it – she said ‘Mr Keogh, why don’t you cook your potatoes? Because if you do, you don’t have to talk to me. You can bypass all this red tape.’” That 2006 conversation began a globe-trotting journey of discovery.
“I knew I was going to be serious about producing something on a farm that we could export overseas, and crisps were top of the list. I knew nothing about crisps; I liked eating them... that was about it. I researched the market a bit, with the help of Bord Bia, and realised that if I was going to enter it successfully, I would have to make an extremely high quality product, very niche and very high end. That then took me pretty much around the world.” Soon, Keogh found himself far from the farm in Westpalstown as he ventured from New Zealand to Scandinavia, from Germany to a tiny Amish community in Pennsylvania, as he looked to expand his knowledge. “I knew spuds,” Keogh laughs. “That was a strength, because we knew how to produce the right potato to make a really good crisp. It was the other things we needed to learn; from oils to seasoning to the machinery.” When he had the information he required, Keogh set about converting an old potato store – built by his grandfather in the ‘60s – into a high calibre, British Retail Certification Grade A food production plant. In late 2011, the crisps first hit the shelves; it didn’t take long for customers to get on board. It wasn’t merely the excellent product that drew people in. A truly excellent story plays its part also. “One of the insights we learned way back in 2008, when we wanted to re-brand our farm, was when one of the companies that we spoke to
said: ‘Guys, you are living a story, living a brand. You don’t even know it, but all you need to do is tell people your story.’ That’s the approach we took. We were one of the first to do that, to put a producer on the back of a bag, to actually put the person who worked to make that product.” Not that it convinces everyone, of course. “Still, to this day, people don’t believe that it’s us! I still get comments like ‘who are those models you hired for the back of the bag?’ It’s a great compliment, I suppose! It is us, it is the family. We like to stand over what we do.” Keogh doesn’t necessarily see the major producers as competition. He believes that they can still enjoy a healthy share of the market. “People who would have bought standard mainstream crisps are now opting to buy higher end instead, because they can taste the quality difference.” Even as the growth opportunities continue –Keogh’s recently signed a deal for their products to be carried by Tesco in the UK – the focus on quality is still the driving force behind the business. “We grow about 400 acres of potatoes in north county Dublin; that makes an awful lot of crisps. A very small percentage of the potatoes I grow would actually end up as crisps. In terms of cooking, we have lots more room for expansion. The key is to maintain the quality. I’m not interested in compromising on that. We’ll only expand if we can maintain as good a crisp as we’re currently producing.”
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Read All About It
Four highly-anticipated new novels from Irish and international literary talent alike get the Enterprise once-over.
STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND THEN LEAVE JOHN BOYNE [CORGI] For his ninth novel John Boyne has once again used global conflict as his backdrop. This time around, however, the author of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas has chosen the First World War as the setting for this subtle tale of familial love and loyalty. Our hero, Alfie Summerfield, has just turned five as war breaks out. His father Georgie signs up for a skirmish everyone believes is sure to be over by Christmas; Alfie is told his dad is "on a secret mission for the government". Georgie’s letters home get progressively darker and more manic, before stopping altogether, but a stroke of luck leads Alfie to find the truth; his dad is being treated for shell shock at East Suffolk & Ipswich Hospital, and the youngster vows to bring him home. There is too much of a fairytale feel to the series of happy coincidences for this book to really shine. While Boyne’s tale is warmly told and his turn of phrase is often beautiful, I can’t shake the feeling that there is neither enough action for a children’s book nor enough depth for an adult read, with the result that it falls unsatisfyingly between two stools.
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THE SUN IS GOD ADRIAN MCKINTY [SERPENT’S TAIL]
BREAKFAST WITH THE BORGIAS DBC PIERRE [HAMMER/ARROW]
HELLO AND GOODBYE PATRICK MCCABE [QUERCUS]
When Will Prior gets himself courtmartialled from the British army in the midst of the Boer War, he moves to a remote German-owned South Pacific island to run a small but failing plantation. However, Will’s past as a military policeman comes back to haunt him when he’s drafted in to investigate the suspicious death of a ‘Cocovore’, one of a cult of European naturists on a neighbouring island who worship the sun and survive only on coconuts, bananas and a new superdrug from Europe called heroin. Perhaps the weirdest thing about the latest novel from Northern Ireland-born Adrian McKinty is that it is based on a true story. The Melbourne-based crime writer ramps up the tension amongst an odd menagerie of characters, from German aristocrats to British travel writers, as we head hazily and inexorably towards a bizarre and bloody conclusion that’s equal parts Robinson Crusoe and Heart Of Darkness. The pace is swift, and the language economical; McKinty quickly establishes a world into which the reader is drawn. It’s a departure from his usual style, but The Sun Is God is a triumph of dark, historical crime writing. Strangely compelling and hugely entertaining.
Published as part of a new literary series celebrating the recent partnership between Arrow Books and the iconic Hammer Films, this supernatural novella by Bookerwinner DBC Pierre is a chillingly discomforting read. When heavy fog causes an American academic’s flight to divert from Amsterdam to Stansted, the airline books him into a gothic guesthouse on the Essex coast. Discombobulated, jet-lagged and unable to contact his girlfriend, he reluctantly spends the evening drinking with an eccentric family who seem to be commemorating an anniversary of some kind. Needless to say, all is not as it first appears; this is no ordinary event, and no ordinary family… While the novella works as an authentic horror story, Borgias also examines quantum physics, parallel universes and our overreliance on communications technology (specifically, the ubiquitous mobile phone) to great effect. The old ‘no phone coverage’ is a well-worn tool in the horror trade, but here it takes on a staggering new level of complexity. Pierre has one of the sharpest minds in contemporary literature, and there isn’t a sentence wasted: “In the world of the instant, a text was the finger of God.” It would make a great Hammer movie, too.
Few Irish writers – in fact, few enough writers anywhere – can do gothic horror quite like Patrick McCabe. Here the two-time Man Booker Prize nominee delivers a pair of spine-chilling novellas in a single book, published in a flip-over format. The narrators of both stories speak from beyond the grave. Set on the day of London’s Great Storm in 1987, Hello Mr Bones concerns a paedophile Anglo-Irish toff - Balthazar Bowen seeking to inflict further damage on the former Christian Brother he abused as a child. It’s a typical trick of the Clones-born McCabe – making the abuse victim the religious one. In Goodbye Mr Rat, a fascinating blend of farce and morbidity, an IRA bomber watches over his ex-lover as she takes his ashes back to his rural hometown. This girl from northern Indiana may not be ready for rural Ireland, yet the townsfolk of Iron Valley (think an Irish Royston Vasey) certainly have warped plans for her… The true quality of both offerings is contained not in the explicit but in the nuanced details; a mesh of asides, inferences and innuendoes that build a creepy and sinister vibe. McCabe’s prolific output has been somewhat hit and miss in recent years but these two novellas are on terrifying target.
Sonic Truth
As the festival season draws to a close, we review four major albums that could be keeping you company indoors this autumn THE SCRIPT NO SOUND WITHOUT SILENCE [sony]
KATHRIN BAUMBACH
Already publicly declared by the band as a sort of a “prequel” to their debut, the fourth album from the mega-successful Dubliners finds them very much in ‘band on the run’ mode, with much of the material recorded on a mobile studio on their touring bus. This adds a rawness and urgency. There is a willingness to explore new sonic avenues, including guitar nods to The Edge on ‘No Good Goodbye’ and a Bruce
SHARON CORR THE SAME SUN [bobby
jean music]
The follow-up to Sharon Corr’s debut Dream Of You is an eloquent and empathic record where continuity is key. Unsurprisingly, really. The 40-something mother of two who enjoyed major international success with her siblings is unlikely to try to reinvent herself as an angst-ridden rock chick at this stage. The predominant emotion on display in The Same Sun is sadness. Produced by Mitchel Froom (Crowded House, Pearl Jam, Sheryl Crow) and mostly recorded in his LA studio, these 11 songs – many of them co-writes with Froom or Don Mescal – are largely slow, mournful love ballads, reminiscent of Karen Carpenter or Dusty Springfield. No bad thing. The tempo rarely picks up, though the relatively fast ‘We Could Be Lovers’ seems the most likely radio hit. With little studio trickery and the instrumentation set to “delicate” mode, Corr’s gorgeous voice is at the centre of these organic sounding songs. Most touching of all is ‘Christmas Night’, written for her late mother, which closes the
album. For fans of The Corrs, there’s much to admire here.
Hornsbyesque piano part on lead single ‘Superheroes’. The latter, however, shape-shifts quickly and ends up much like almost everything else here – it’s instantly compelling and memorable if generic despite the inclusion of some hip-hop elements. Elsewhere ‘Man On A Wire’ is a chugging mid-tempo tune with “hit” written all over and under it. ‘Never Seen Anything Quite Like You’ adds strings, and choirlike harmonies. There are a few undercooked tunes, and a few too many Coldplay-style “ooh, ooh ooh” cheap hooks. There is also plenty to applaud, not least ‘Hail, Rain Or Sunshine’, a strong piece which finds Danny O’Donoghue crooning that: “We’re all living the good life”. Who could disagree?
Interpol
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS HYPNOTIC EYE [warner bros] Tom Petty’s latest album with his Heartbreakers backing band, and their 13th together in total, is probably for hardcore fans only. Of course, when it comes to Petty, that comprises a very large number indeed. Hypnotic Eye offers the kind of no-frills rock ‘n’ roll that is The Heartbreakers forte. While there isn’t a huge amount for the more casual listener to latch on to, the likes of ‘American Dream Plan B’, ‘Fault Lines’ and ‘Red River’ are all expertly crafted slices of heartland rock. Don't expect any stylistic or lyrical curveballs. However, the American songwriter remains a keen observer of American politics. Like his fellow purveyor of rock classicism, Bruce Springsteen, Petty has of late developed a thematic preoccupation with the economic crash, the manner in which it has aggravated inequality in American society. On tracks such as ‘Power Drunk’ and ‘Burnt Out Town’, he makes powerful, intriguing arguments. Even if Hypnotic Eye isn’t the most powerful, intriguing Heartbreakers album ever recorded, fans of singalong guitar anthems might find it worthy of a punt. Sharon Corr
INTERPOL EL PINTOR [soft
limit]
Four years on from their experimental self-titled fourth LP, here is the Interpol album many thought might never happen. Certainly few would have expected it to be this strong and vital a collection. They band are minus bassist Carlos Dengler. However, it appears losing a member has restored some much needed vigour and direction. El Pintor (Spanish for ‘the painter’ and a cleverclever anagram) finds Paul Banks, Sam Fogarino and Daniel Kessler grappling with their new identity, reinvigorated by the challenge. Key to the success of this flab-free collection is frontman Banks’ decision to take over Dengler's bass duties. If the lines aren’t as rangy and protruding as before, they follow the direct melodies closer. As a result, vocals and rhythm interwine in glorious immediacy time and again. The added space also gives Kessler’s guitar room to breathe. His shimmering, hypnotic figures on tracks like ‘My Desire’ and ‘Same Town, New Story’ approach Edge-like simplicity and effectiveness. Kessler, who kick-starts the songs, has rediscovered his Midas touch with a melody. So ‘All The Rage Back Home’ is like a thrilling encounter with an old friend, a “we’re back!” opener that might be their finest indie anthem since ‘Slow Hands’. Elsewhere there are aural treats galore – the effortlessly massive chorus to ‘My Blue Supreme’ being just one. Discover the rest for yourself. This is one of the finest indie rock albums of the year.
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SPRING SCREENING
From period dramas to monster flicks, girl-power comedies to bizarre musical concoctions, Roe McDermott looks at the best DVD releases coming your way this autumn. This September starts out with one of the most weird and wonderful films in years. Even taking Michael Fassbender’s attraction to challenging roles into account, his role in Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank is extreme. Fassbender plays the titular frontman of an experimental band, whose unique take on the world and music is viewed through the eyes of new member Jon (Domhnall Gleeson). Constantly concealed behind a large papier mache head, Frank could be a musical Messiah or mentally ill – or both. Behind a mask, his identity belongs to the faith people have in him, as does his music; elaborate and bizarre soundscapes that include the sound of jumping, rain and grass. Based on writer Jon Ronson’s experiences playing with Frank Sidebottom, the film mixes the absurd, surreal hilarity of its premise with biting insights into ambition, fame, and faith. While Jon’s navel-gazing tweets expose the shallowness of our quest for followers, Frank’s increasingly fragile state also examines the pain that comes with getting them. Fassbender, wise and tender from beneath his head, proves an utter delight, as does watching he cast record their bizarre music onscreen. Though a few dark moments are hindered by the tale’s quirky premise, there is so much humour, truth and nuanced vulnerability in Ronson’s screenplay that the film feels surprisingly real and personal. A wacky, intriguing delight. There’s more strange charms out in September with vampire dramedy Only Lovers Left Alive, which has enough intellectualism to ease you back into the school year – but with great style. Cult director Jim Jarmusch bravely tackles the teen-hijacked vampire genre, injecting it with enough gothic humour and clever literary references to ironically make one of his most crowd-pleasing works. Tilda Swinton is perfectly cast as Eve, an ageless vampire living in Tangiers, separated from her lover Adam (Tom Hiddleston.) Adam, a music lover with dodgy rock-star hair and a constant pout, is a depressive recluse currently living in the decaying ruins of Detroit; a symbol of the blind destruction of beauty by the ignorant “zombies” we've become. We zombies have also contaminated our bodies so much that our blood is too risky to drink, driving the characters to buy the pure stuff on the black market. Besides, biting necks is “so 15th century.” The film acts as a
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languidly paced, darkly witty love story between the two lead hyper-sophisticated hepcats; a celebration of the immortality of life-affirming art and music. Cinematographer Yorick LeSaux captures the film’s philosophy, caressing books and instruments while providing striking nightscapes of a crumbling Detroit. While the philosophical indulgences and dryly knowing intellectual in-jokes may prove off-putting to some, this offbeat and consciously chic essay on love, art, science and time is like a decadently rich dessert: delicious, dark, and just a bite too much. October brings some lighter fare and mainstream comedy with Nick Cassavates’ The Other Woman. The film actually has three female leads: sensitive and emotionally trampled on Kate (Leslie Mann), hard-asnails and emotionally cold Carly (Cameron Diaz) and pretty, silly girl Amber (Kate Upton). Together they almost make a fully functional human being, and in their quest to get revenge against the man who cheated on all three of them, they almost make a good film. Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz share excellent comic timing and have great scenes together as they warily bond over the man who has duped them both. But as their revenge plot descends into diarrhea jokes and other well-worn broad humour, Cassavetes loses his emotional honesty amidst a lot of prat-falling. The characters also prove one-dimensional, as the women are defined only by their relationships to a man, and their reaction to adultery is either hysterical emotional incapacitation or a dive into sadistic Schadenfreude. The lads don’t fare too well either, as the film also indicates that men are morality-free animals who don’t feel guilt, but can be subdued with some oestrogen (it’s weakness in capsule form!) and the apparently terrifying appearance of a transvestite. However, Cassavetes also directed The Hangover 2, so if big, brash and bold comedies are your thing, The Other Woman might make for a perfect evening of easy entertainment. But if you’re really looking for a girlpower-laden comedy, rent the classic First Wives Club instead. Lovers of pretty period dramas, beautiful costumes and interesting history lessons should keep an eye out for Belle, out in late October. Set in Colin Firth-Darcy’s Pemberley and with allusions to Mansfield Park, Amma Asante’s period drama Belle owes as
much to Jane Austen as it does to the fairytale romances evoked by its name. But while this handsome tale of a black heiress could have merely remained another Cinderella suitor search, this romanticised true story isn’t concealing a pumpkin, but a stirring social conscience. The radiant Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Larry Crowne) plays Dido Elizabeth Belle, the daughter of a sea captain and his African slave mistress. Entrusted to the care of her uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), she finds herself corseted and cosseted by a world defined by class, fortune, standing – and race. The powerful subject matter is laced with acute observations, like the representation of black people in period portraiture. Mbatha-Raw’s radiant performance is fuelled with dignity, hurt, fury and hope, and she perfectly balances the personal and political storylines. With powerful storylines, the film avoids being too graphic in its portrayal of slavery, relying on powerful performances and interesting plotting – making it intelligent and not too emotionally harrowing for family viewing. Its central love story, gorgeous landscapes, stunning costuming and a fascinating backstory all come together to make Belle stirring viewing indeed. Finally, if you want something bold, loud and laced with excitement, you can’t get much bigger than Godzilla! From the opening credit sequence of images of war footage, atomic bombs and redacted government documents, director Gareth Edwards combines the paranoia-laced war thrillers of the '70s with that era’s own monster, Jaws. Keeping the titular creature hidden for over an hour, Evans sets his stage with a Japan-based conspiracy theory, an emotional tragedy and mysterious supporting monsters with an appetite for radiation and a desire to generally wreck the gaff. Bryan Cranston’s emotional performance as a bereaved nuclear engineer obsessed with uncovering the truth behind a long-ago tragedy makes for an engaging first half, but just as Cranston’s role is over-taken by beefcake Aaron Taylor Johnson, the story gives way to well-constructed but cornea-straining imagery. As tsunamis rage, pods hatch and nightmarish monsters emerge roaring from the deep, Edwards’ visuals are striking and suitably OTT – though any actual message is crushed underfoot. Unlike the original’s sociopolitical commentary, Edwards’ Godzilla is merely a Pacific Rim-style justification for collateral damage, as long as the monsters and explosions are big enough. But for cheap thrills and spills, it works pretty darn well.
Enterprise
Enterprise – What’s On / Attractions
Dublin And Belfast – a tale of two cities IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR...
A handy guide to places to visit
A TOTAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE CLERYS O'Connell Street Lower Dublin 1 Tel: +353 (0) 1 878 6000 Clerys.ie Shoppers queued in their droves when the legendary Clerys on O'Connell Street opened its doors after 4 months of refurbishment last year. Once again, the legendary department store is providing the complete, all-inclusive shopping experience – while retaining the historic charm that made it famous. Located opposite the GPO, Clerys Dublin is a shopping institution. It mixes its rich sense of history with high-end modern brands: Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Dolce and Gabbana are staples of the department store's exquisite range, while new additions to their Autumn Winter collection include prestige brands like Miss Selfridge, Les 100 Ciels and Joules. Not just a hub for everything fashion and home-related, Clerys also houses exquisite beauty treatment services: between John Adam Hair & Beauty, Nailzone and the Wink Eye Salon they cover hair, nails, brows and every other beauty requirement.
Plus, you don't have to go further than the Tea Rooms if you want lunch or a cuppa to revive you.... X-Factor's Melanie McCabe at Therapie Clinic
HOUSE OF FRASER Victoria Square Belfast Tel: +44 8003705 For Belfast's ultimate shopping experience, look no further than House of Fraser. Located on the corner of Victoria Street and Chichester Street in the heart of the city, the department store features a dazzling array of designer brands including Armani, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss, French Connection, Ted Baker and Pandora among others. Home decor is another speciality. The store stocks exquisite linens, curtains, bed clothes, DIY and top of the range furniture for any room, and with the store's Top Sales Picks always on display, it's easy to spot the savings. The fun doesn't stop at shopping - any and all beauty treatments are available on site and if you work up a hunger, you drop into the in-store Caffè Nero, or perhaps The Ivory Restaurant, if you're in for a longer haul!
A HEALTH & BEAUTY TREATMENT THERAPIE CLINIC 8 Molesworth Street Dublin Tel: +353 (0) 1890 650 750
Therapie clinic on Molesworth St. has excellent deals in laser and skin therapies and offers the latest and most innovative technologies in beauty care. Their clinics are a quiet haven away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Dublin is also home to a number of excellent beauty rooms, including the Mink Hand and Foot spa. Also worth checking out is South William St’s Tropical Popical – a hot spot for unique nail art, offering amazing value for manicures, pedicures and gel nail treatments. Those looking for an all-in experience under the one roof can check out the Beauty Treatment Rooms at Clerys. For the gents, there’s the Brown
Thomas barbers who offer a range of luxury bespoke grooming services. THERAPIE CLINIC Cleaver House Donegall Place Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 90 438 397
Opposite City Hall in the city centre, Therapie skin and laser clinic offers the latest in innovative and cutting-edge skin and laser therapies. From body contouring to cellulite elimination, a trip to Therapie during your stay in Belfast will leave you refreshed, revived and maybe even knock a few years off. Belfast is also home to a number of top quality beauty parlors and day-spas including Botanic Avenue’s Pure Beauty and Stranmillis Road’s Beauty Haven.
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Enterprise Enterprise
Attractions DUBLIN
BELFAST ULSTER MUSEUM Stranmills Road Belfast BT9 5AB Tel: +44 (0)28 9044 0000 nmni.com/um
THE MAC ARTS CENTRE 10 Exchange St. West Belfast BT1 2NJ Tel: +44 (0)28 9089 2960 themaclive.com
The Ulster Museum is Belfast's one-stop-shop for all things art, archaeology, zoology, geology and history. Since opening its doors more than 80 years ago, this favoured attraction has gathered one of the most stunning and extensive collections of Irish and Northern Irish Art on the planet. The exhibits don't stop at artistry; the museum also houses a vast collection of natural history pieces from specimens of birds, mammals, insects, plants and even dinosaurs. You'll also find samples of wildlife art, with works by renowned artists Peter Scott, Roger Tory Peterson and Robert Gillmor on display. The museum is also curated by a team of top historians, so you know you're in safe and knowledgeable hands! Any trip to Belfast would be incomplete without a visit to this cultural and historical hub; opening hours are 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday and with free admission, it's an unmissable day out.
With its eclectic mix of theatre, dance and art, the very best of local and international acts come together under one roof at the Metropolitan Arts Centre. Located in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, the huge venue holds numerous theatres and art galleries. It has something for everyone, with education and workshop rooms, art studios and dance studios. There's also a cafe and bar in case you get peckish. Highlights currently at the Mac include Peter Liversidge's Dopplegänger. The London-based contemporary artist creates a unique exhibition of proposals – ideas for art projects, buildings, stories, concepts that may or may not happen, all typed manually on a typewriter. Also, on Saturday September 20, Upstairs At The Mac plays host to Star Man. Presented by Tumble Circus, the new solo show brings together circus, comedy and cardboard and will be a great night's entertainment for lovers of dark humour. The centre is open seven days a week from 10am – 7pm.
Irish Museum of Modern Art
NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTRE Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 Tel: +353 (0) 1 6464300 nationalaquaticcentre.ie If extreme thrills, raging water adventures, flumes, slides and wave pools are your kind of thing, then a day at Aquazone at the National Aquatic Centre will definitely float your boat. There's fun for all the family, with special deals avaliable. Admission is €14 for adults and €12 for children while under 3s are free. NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM PLUS The Armoury, Foster Place, Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0)1 6718373
Ulster Museum
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Bigger and better than ever, Dublin's National Wax Museum Plus is home to some of the world's most famous faces... and these ones don't mind if you take pictures! A stone's throw from Temple Bar, the museum's many unique highlights include an exciting children's zone of discovery and a tribute to Ireland's literary greats. The museum’s line-up of extraordinary waxwork models spans genres and even universes, featuring everything from Batman and The Simpsons to a celebration of our top scientific minds. Music lovers won't want to pass up the chance to spend some time in the museum's Irish-themed grand hall where you
can hang out with the likes of U2 and Thin Lizzy. It also boasts a fully functioning recording studio which offers visitors the chance to use equipment sampled by REM, Snow Patrol and The Blizzards, to name a few. Adult admission is €12 and €8 for children under 12. IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART Royal Hospital, Military Rd Kilmainham, Dublin 8 Tel: +353 (0)1 612 9900 The Irish Museum of Modern art, or IMMA, has been Ireland's premier hub for showcasing our modern and contemporary art for nearly 25 years. IMMA is housed in a unique 17th century building, complete with a stunning courtyard and surrounded by the sprawling gardens of the old Royal Hospital grounds. Formerly a hospital for retired soldiers, this historical and tranquil backdrop makes taking the trip to IMMA an ideal way to take in the air and a helping of culture. It's open to the public Tuesday through to Sunday and admission is free. The formal gardens are open the same hours as the museum and are well worth exploring in their own right – the now famous lawns are a favourite among walkers and revellers alike, as they normally play host to a string of big name concerts in the summer months.
Enterprise Enterprise
Restaurants BELFAST
DUBLIN MAK AT D6 Charlston Road, Ranelagh Dublin 6 Tel: +353 (0)1 406 0006 mak.ie Mak at D6 is the brainchild of brothers and restaurateurs Richy and Julian Mak, who have created one of Dublin's most exciting Asian cuisine experiences. The style of food combines Hong Kong dim sum with authentic Chinese cuisine in an eclectic atmosphere that's suitable for any occasion. The owners promise simple and delicious dishes in a comfortable setting, and they deliver with a menu that spans Cantonese, Szechuan and modern Asian cooking. Highlights include the Spicy Chicken Potstickers, with the pick of the bunch being the crispy Cantonese-style Roast Duck. Mak at D6 also offers a great range of cocktails, a large dining room area for parties, and a popular take-away menu. You can also hire them – and their catering tent – for events and parties. ROCK LOBSTER Harvy Nichols Dundrum Town Cenrre Dublin 16 Tel: +353 (0)1 291 0410 rocklobster.ie Rock Lobster is a Dublin institution when it comes to the highest quality fresh lobsters and steaks in town. In sourcing the ingredients that make up their menu, the Lobster cuts out the middle man. Their seafood is picked from local trawlers along Ireland's East coast, with the exception of the exquisite Canadian lobsters, which are delivered straight
from the Bay of Fundy. The beef for their mouth-watering 55 day-aged steak comes from a set group of suppliers in the South Leinster area. Everything is impeccably sourced, so at the Lobster, you're guaranteed freshness. As the name indicates, their selection of fruits de mer is fantastic. The restaurant is the “home of the €24 lobster”, while their fish and chips, in particular, is also excellent. In an enviable position overlooking the main square at Dundrum Town Centre, Rock Lobster also has a great cocktail bar. OPIUM 26 Wexford Street Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0)1 526 7711 opium.ie Opium is a chic new restaurant and lounge in the heart of Dublin's dining and nightlife district. Comfortable and cool with a lowly lit, rustic aesthetic, Opium is the type of stylish city retreat that's perfect for an evening out with friends or a romantic date. This trendy hotspot offers a unique blend of beautifully prepared Vietnamese and Thai-influenced dishes at affordable prices. Opium is open from early in the afternoon, so you can pop in to sample the set lunch menu, which includes any starter, main course and dessert – 2 courses costs €14 and 3 courses is €16. Opium has a late bar too, so you won't have to go far for a complete night of wining and dining in the city. If you decide to stay late, make sure to ask for the Cocktail of the Month – it never disappoints.
OX, 1 Oxford Street, Belfast
EIPIC 28-40 Howard Street, Belfast, BT1 6PF +44 (0)28 9033 1134 One of three Deanes restaurants to be found in its Howard Street headquarters, EIPIC has quickly become renowned for its Tasting Menu, which is on offer for Friday lunch and Wednesday-Saturday dinner. Locally-sourced ingredients are used to stunning effect, with an accompanying wine-list that takes some interesting twists and turns. Its sister restaurants, Love Fish and Meat Locker, also come very highly recommended. OX 1 Oxford St Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 9031 4121 oxbelfast.com OX is the combined venture of two friends and top chefs, Stephen and Alain, to bring the Belfast restaurant scene its most seasonable and exciting dining experience. Perched overlooking the River Lagan, OX's beautiful backdrop adds wonderfully to the relaxed atmosphere strived for by the restaurateurs. The main dining area is an intimate 40-seat room designed by Oscar and Oscar; when you combine the decor with the calibre of food, it's no wonder OX won in the 'Best Restaurant' category for Antrim at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2014. The menu is crafted primarily by what's in season; an approach made possible by a long-standing relationship with local suppliers. The menus are balanced and
diverse, particularly in the fish selection, with a special mention to the red mullet served with crab, black olive, samphire and brocolli. Each main course also comes with an optional pairing from the fantastic wine list. Stephen and Alain have succeeded in bringing refreshingly affordable fine dining to the banks of the Lagan. Considering OX opened a little over a year ago, its reputation is all the more well-earned. HOWARD STREET 56 Howard Street Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 9024 8362 howardsbelfast.com Howard Street is another of the recent inductees making waves on Belfast's restaurant scene. Don't let the homely pub feel fool you, the menus are as well thought-out and prepared as they are simple, familiar and affordable. Old favourites like fish and chips with tartar sauce and mushy peas sit on a diverse and largely meatdriven menu right next to the chargrilled 9oz rib eye steak, prepared with onion rings, chips, carmelised onion and black pepper butter and red wine jus. The restaurant also boasts a popular menu of pre-theatre cocktails, including the house's signature Gin & Tonic and the Maid in Brazil, a concoction of passionfruit-infused Cachaca, passoa, egg white and lime. Any selection on the Howard Street menu will satisfy without breaking the bank. Two courses will set you back £15.95, three courses will be £19.95 and you can add a cocktail to the three course deal for £25.95.
Opium
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Enterprise Enterprise
Hotels REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
NORTHERN IRELAND
Ten Square Hotel
TEN SQUARE Donegal Square South Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 9024 1001 tensquare.co.uk
The Marker Hotel
THE MORGAN Fleet Street Temple Bar Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0)1 643 7000 There's a reason Dublin's glitterati flock to The Morgan. Boasting a beautiful penthouse suite and rooftop garden, it is one of Ireland's liveliest party venues. The Morgan is an exquisite hotel with a decidedly edgy feel. Quirky and innovative with a hopping bar, Parisian-style courtyard and one of the most well-regarded spas in Dublin, it was originally set up by Paul Fitzpatrick nearly 15 years ago with the intention to create a unique boutique experience with a heavy design focus, all without skimping on the top-class service. Located on Fleet St. in Temple Bar, the surrounding area is one of Dublin's most vibrant and visited hotspots, packed with bars and attractions. THE MARKER HOTEL Grand Canal Sq. Docklands Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0) 1 687 5100 One of Dublin's most exciting and innovative luxury hotels, and a member of the coveted Leading Hotels of the World group, The Marker is a pillar of both style and service that seamlessly combines visually striking layouts with comfort.
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Sleek and urban, yet surprisingly warm and inviting, the hotel caters for the urban visitor who seeks an unconventional hotel experience but with all the frills still attached. Located on Dublin's Docklands, its residence in one of the country's most prominent and emerging cultural hubs says everything you need to know about the standards and feel of The Marker. Top Chef Gareth Mullins heads the prestigious kitchen, ensuring that guests are treated to a varied menu. The Marker also boasts a full gym, spa, infinity pool and bar. There is also a spacious ballroom and meeting facilities that cater for between 20 and 250 people, making The Marker a great spot for everything from a weekend business trip to luxury getaway. HARCOURT HOTEL Harcourt St. Dublin 2 Tel: +353 (0)1 478 3677 harcourthotel.ie Set across a number of old Georgian Houses, one of which was a former home of legendary Irish poet George Bernard Shaw, the Harcourt Hotel offers value for money in an excellent location, just beside the heart of Dublin’s buzzing nightlife. The hotel features Little Caesers Italian restaurant, a sports bar with a busy beer garden and their nightclub (d|two) below. Bar-food is served daily with sports shown on the big screen and drinks served well into the night.
Right in the middle of Belfast's business, shopping and dining district, Ten Square Hotel has a prime location for business and pleasure visits alike. Also a stone's throw from the historic City Hall and Waterfront Hall, it's difficult to go wrong by choosing this luxury city spot. Undoubtedly one of Belfast's premier boutique hotels, Ten Square's charm is in its quirkiness. It's designed with a distinct edginess and its decor is a mix of contemporary furniture, vibrant wallpapers and chic textiles that makes the place as eye-catching as it is comfortable. For all its style, the hotel doesn't skip on excellent service and food – any carnivores at heart should check out The Grill Room, the hotel's very own steakhouse, restaurant and bar. The Grill also boasts a fantastic cocktail menu, which means you're in safe hands for both an excellent feed and great night out. CULLODEN ESTATE AND SPA Bangor Road Hollywood Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 9042 1066 Culloden Estate and Spa is one of Belfast's most stunningly-situated five star luxury hotel experiences. The main building was originally a palace for the Bishops of Down, which should give you an idea of the sheer scale and elegance of the location.
Perched High on Belfast's Hollywhood Hills, the rooms afford incredible views of Belfast Lough and Antrim's coastline. The surrounding grounds comprise 12 acres of immaculate lawns and woodlands, yet despite its natural surroundings, Culloden Estate is still a prime location to explore the top Belfast attractions. Culloden Estate delivers on the relaxation front too; the eight on-site treatment suites, relaxation rooms and juice bar see to that. There are three different dining options to suit your preference, ranging from fine dining at the Mitre Restaurant, a place to kick back in the Crozier Lounge or the Cultra Inn, where the BBQs are a resident favourite. MALMAISON BOUTIQUE HOTEL 34 – 38 Victoria St. Belfast Tel: + 44 (0)28 90 220 200 malmaison.com/locations/belfast This former seed warehouse is now a funky boutique hotel, just minutes from the River Lagan. Upon entering Malmaison, guests will be taken aback by its exquisite design and stunning attention to detail. The hotel is also home to the Malmaison brasserie, where traditional dishes are prepared with a modern twist and washed down with one of the many choices on the Malmaison wine list. For an elegant setting in which to socialise with Belfast’s elite well into the wee hours, look no further than the Malbar. Here guests can enjoy a mixture of classic and quirky cocktails. The Malmaison also features a private dining mezzanine serving excellent food in intimate and comfortable surroundings.
THE HARCOURT HOTEL DUBLIN CITY CENTRE
D
October 2014 to February 2015 GBPÂŁ89 *Rates are per person sharing and exclude some special event dates.
For Reservations contact NIR travel Call 028 90 242420 (Office hours Monday to Friday & Saturday Morning) NIR Travel, 10-12 Glengall Street, Belfast. www.harcourthotel.ie