Enterprise 14 01 Summer2017 -U2

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ENTERPRISE LINKING DUBLIN AND BELFAST

Volume 14:01

Rocking In The Tree World

L O O K T H E I R

F O R W A R D T O H O M E C O M I N G

WILL FERRELL

IMELDA MAY

GLENN PATTERSON

WE MEE T THE COMEDY ICON

O N H E R H U G E LY SUCCESSFUL REINVENTION

T H E L I T E R A R Y S TA R O N H I S F AV O U R I T E BELFAS T SPOTS

ELEANOR McEVOY

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HERON & GREY

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ENTERPRISE – V O L . 1 4 / N O . 0 1 / 2 0 1 7

CONTENTS R E G U L A R S

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06 ENTER HERE A rundown of what's hot and happening at your next stop.

12 RAIL NEWS F E A T U R E S

14 TREE'S COMPANY

Up to the minute news from Irish Rail and Translink.

Ahead of their sold-out homecoming show at Croke Park, we talk to U2

28 BUSINESS

about their mega-successful Joshua Tree anniversary tour.

Entrepreneur Kerry Nevins discusses her hugely successful Babocush product

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HOUSE SPECIAL

Comedy superstar Will Ferrell discusses his new movie The House, working on Saturday Night Live, and why he wants to take on more dramatic roles.

2 0 M AY DAY

3 4 T R AV E L Eamonn Seoige reports on the myriad cultural delights of Sofia

41 REVIEWS

Former rockabilly queen Imelda May talks about revamping her image and her cracking new album, Love Flesh Blood.

From a book on Hillary Clinton's ill-fated 2016 campaign to the new album from animated stars Gorillaz

2 4 G O O D D AYS AT B L A C K R O C K

4 4 AT T R A C T I O N S

Restaurateur Damien Grey discusses Heron & Grey’s meteoric rise, the impact of winning a Michelin star, and the importance of just being happy.

Markets, bars, restaurants and hotels, and the best in shopping both North and South.

ENTERPRISE – EDITOR’S LETTER

EDITOR: Máirín Sheehy COMMISSIONING EDITOR: Roisin Dwyer

copyright Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

CREDITS

CONTRIBUTORS: Stuart Clark, Roisin Dwyer, Peter McGoran, Roe McDermott, Paul Nolan, Colm O'Hare, Olaf Tyaransen, Aoife Stuart–Madge, josh Cogley, Eamonn Seoige, Mark Keane DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Hot Press 13 Trinity Street, Dublin 2 DESIGNER: Lili Ferreira ADVERTISING MANAGER: Catherine Madden PUBLISHER: Niall Stokes ENTERPRISE IS PUBLISHED FOR N I R A I LWAY S A N D IARNRÓD ÉIREANN BY: Osnovina Ltd 13 Trinity Street, Dublin 2 TELEPHONE: +353 1 2411 500 EMAIL: enterprise@hotpress.ie LETTERS: The Editor, Enterprise Magazine, 13 Trinity St, Dublin 2 PRINTED BY: Boylan’s Print

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 2017.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction of material without permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited

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Slieve Croob: Ireland is picturesque in Summer

T H A T

SUMMER FEELING We’d like to have more ‘good weather’. But this climate of ours is the envy of people in much hotter climates – and colder too!

The summer season brings its own special joys.

Stepping out on a balmy night in the beginning of June, it feels positively Mediterranean in Ireland. It is easy to imagine, in such a lovely moment, that there is no better place in the world to be.

That may be truer than we often acknowledge.

We complain about the weather a lot here, and at times it can be annoyingly unpredictable. The old joke is that, in Ireland, you often get four seasons in the one day. But the truth is that much of the rest of the world would dearly love to experience the four seasons that we still can and do enjoy here.

Too much heat can wear you down physically. The thought that the sun will be blasting down every time you step outside becomes oppressive. Similarly, the persistent cold and long dark nights – not to mention the too-lengthy hours of brightness in the summer – when you push north and east of Rathlin Island can be depressing.

Visitors to Ireland, or people who have moved here from places like Brazil and northern Africa tend to put things in perspective. It’d be nice, at times, to have a bit more sunshine and warmth – but for the most part the temperate climate here is an attractive one to live and work in.

Straight across the Atlantic from Ireland is Newfoundland and Labrador, the most easterly province in Canada. There, temperatures plunge to between minus 16 and minus 27 in January. There are significant snow-falls through seven months of the

year, and for six months, we are talking about serious snow. So why is Ireland far less cold?

The gulf stream, which originates in the gulf of Mexico, is what is called a “northward accelerating sea current” that runs off from the lower east coast of North America. It is typically an extraordinary 100 kms wide and 800 metres deep as it pushes across the world. At a known point in the Atlantic Ocean, it splits in two, with one watery thrust turning towards Africa, and the other – what is called the North Atlantic Drift – carrying on to the west of Europe.

Ireland benefits hugely from this powerful maritime system.

That is worth bearing in mind, if and when rain does fall during the summer. We’d love more 'good weather'. But the reality is that the global climate is delicately balanced in our favour right now. We need to play our part in ensuring that it stays that way.

And that means paying attention to the imperatives required to slow the rate of climate change. Because, whatever you might think at that moment when you look out the window for the first time every morning in Belfast or Dublin, I doubt that we are temperamentally suited to living with persistent snow for six months of the year – which is what would likely be in store if that precious current were redirected southwards by melting ice coming from the Arctic.

Now, with that thought to inspire us, let’s enjoy the Irish summer!

_MAÍRÍNSHEEHY | EDITOR

DUBLIN CITY CENTRE

Midweek Breaks

(Sunday to Thursday inclusive) With NIR Travel Staying at the Harcourt Hotel Fashionable City Centre Hotel close to Grafton St and St. Stephen’s Green.

Your break includes:

Return rail from any NIR Station. 2 nights Bed & Breakfast. 3 Course Early Bird Dinner on one evening in the elegant 1900 (Nineteen Hundred) Restaurant.

January / February £ 109 • March / April £129 CERTAIN EXCLUSION DATE BUT YOU WILL BE ADVISED AT THE TIME OF BOOKING.

For reservations contact NIR Travel call 028 90 242420 (office hours Monday to Friday & Saturday Morning) NIR Travel 10-12 Glengall St. Belfast. www.harcourthotel.ie

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by Paul Nolan & Peter McGoran

Joe McNulty

JOE MCNULTY

LONGITUDE Marlay Park, Dublin July 14-16

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The much loved Marlay Park festival returns with a bumper weekend of top performers this summer.

The highlight for many, judging by the incredible ticket sales, is the sold out Saturday, headlined

by R&B superstar The Weeknd, with the likes of Skepta, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Mac Miller among the other highlights. Elsewhere, grime sensation Stormzy tops the bill on Friday, with some of the hottest names in hip-hop also appearing, including Gucci Mane, Young Thug and G-Eazy.

Finally, Sunday’s line-up is curated by headliners Mumford & Sons, and boasts the likes of Glass Animals, Jack Garratt and Leon Bridges.

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WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP Various stadiums in Dublin, August 9-17; various stadiums in Belfast, August 22-26 The eighth edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup takes place in Ireland this August, and is undoubtedly one of the sporting highlights of the year.

The pool stages will run in Dublin from August 9-17, with the finals in Belfast from August 22-26. The final itself will be played in the iconic Kingspan Stadium, home of Ulster Rugby and one of the shortlisted venues for Ireland’s 2023 Rugby World Cup bid. England were strong winners when the tournament was last played in France back in 2014, trouncing Ireland in the semi-finals before narrowly defeating Canada to take the trophy. But with Ireland boasting a stronger squad than ever, the home nation will be out for revenge.

M U S E A N D B I F F Y C LY R O A T V I TA L F E S T I VA L Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast, August 23 Belfast’s largest outdoor music event will return to Boucher Road Playing Fields this summer, with Biffy Clyro and Muse rocking the stage on August 23. One of the world’s biggest rock acts, Muse have released seven mega-selling studio albums and won numerous awards since debuting in 1994.

Last year, the group’s seventh album, Drones, topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic – a first for the band. Biffy Clyro are also making a welcome return to Belfast having played to sell-out crowds at Belsonic last year.

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C U LT U R E N I G H T B E L FA S T Cathedral Quarter, September 22 The biggest evening in Belfast’s cultural calendar returns to transform the spaces and places of the city centre and beyond. With a packed programme of events including tasters, tours, talks, trails, demonstrations, activities and gigs, this is a one-day carnival that never fails to disappoint.

In 2016, the full day boasted more than 250 events across 100 venues, with the night programme attracting audiences in their thousands. For good meeasure, whether it be art installations, samba bands, or pop-up discos in abandoned buildings, all events on Culture Night are absolutely free! You can keep up to date with the full programme at culturenightbelfast.com

I R I S H C R A F T B E E R F E S T I VA L RDS, Dublin, September 8-10 Glug is all your need as Ireland’s leading independent brewers gather in Dublin 4 for a celebration of the country’s booming craft beer industry. Eight Degrees Brewing, Blacks Brewery, O’Hara’s, Rascal Brewing, Wicklow Wolf and dozens of others are participating and “because craft isn’t limited to beer”, foodies will be able to tuck into fare from Dublin Cookie Co, Pieman, Dave’s Woodfire Pizza and others. In all, 50-plus brewers, cider makers and distillers will be on hand, with in excess of 300 beers featuring.

U2 Thirty years after U2 played Croke Park on the original Joshua Tree tour, Bono and the boys return to the Jones’ Road venue for a sold-out date on the album’s 30th anniversary tour. Backdropped by some stunning visuals, the show sees U2 performing some of their greatest hits – as well, of course, as the iconic album in its entirety. As with the other dates on the European leg, support on the night comes from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

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Kathrin Baumbach

Croke Park, Dublin, July 22

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T H E H OT P R E S S COV E R S E X H I B I T I O N

KEEPING IRELAND SAFE FOR ROCK ’N’ ROLL For 40 years, since the magazine launched in 1977, appearing on the front cover of Hot Press has been a prized ambition for musicians, bands and celebrities alike.

Featuring iconic covers, from Grace Jones to U2, beautifully hand-printed and specially signed by the cover stars themselves, The Hot Press Covers Exhibition offers a wonderfully tantalising take on the story of Ireland since 1977 – and the emergence of music as a uniquely powerful force in Irish life.

Featuring “These We Have Loved and Lost” – the cover icons whose time in the spotlight was cut tragically short…

ADMISSION FREE Venue: National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Tel: +353 1 603 0373 Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm / Sun 12pm-5pm

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ENTER|HERE

DUBLIN HORSE SHOW RDS, August 9-13 Offering something for everyone, the Dublin Horse Show boasts not just world class equestrian competition, but also great shopping, delicious food, quality music and fantastic daily entertainment. There’s also the perennially popular Ladies’ Day, plus the Kids’ Zone. Whether you’re an equine expert or a novice with the nags, a great day out will be had regardless!

SUNFLOWER FEST Tubby’s Farm, Belfast, July 28-30 Taking place in the beautiful confines of Tubby’s Farm just outside of Hillsborough, Sunflowerfest is a friendly, all inclusive, broad-minded weekend festival of music and arts. This year, the wonderfully eclectic line-up includes pop-culture agitators Rubberbandits, Derry-born singer-songwriter Ryan Vail, and rising star Farah Elle, as well as dance and electronic music courtesy of Or:la, JIKA JIKA! and Ponyhawke.

T H E B E AT YA R D Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, August 5-6

D U B L I N F R I N G E F E S T I VA L Various venues, September 9-24 One of the capital’s most consistently avant-garde and compelling festivals will continue to push the boundaries in 2017. Last year’s event featured 73 production and 412 performances, with bars, galleries, clubs and a yacht pressed into service as venues. The latest installment promises to be just as ambitious, with the well-known Miss Behave among the performers. A detailed line-up will be revealed closer to September.

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The happiest vibes of the summer will be found at the harbour in Dun Laoghaire in August, as the irrepressible Beatyard returns for another weekend of nautical themed food and fun. An eclectic mix of acts will be bringing the grooves to South Dublin, including legendary producer Mark Ronson, recently reunited ’80s sensations Bananarama, and this year’s Choice Music Prize winners, Rusangano Family. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Beatyard bill, which offers a plethora of top-notch Irish and international artists. Other highlights of the event, meanwhile, include the Eatyard – a showcase for Ireland’s most delicious street food – and Gameyard, which is full of activities for all ages.

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THE VODAFONE COMEDY F E S T I VA L Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, July 27-30 For its eleventh year, Ireland’s booming comedy festival features an impressive line up of over one hundred acclaimed acts from Ireland and all around the globe – Dara O’Briain, Tommy Tiernan, Adam Hills, rising Irish comedians Alison Spittle, Chris Redd and many more. Foil Arms & Hog will also be bringing their hilarious sketch show to offer something a little different. This year will also see debuts from some of America’s most acclaimed acts – including Comedy Cellar Club’s Colin Quinn, TJ Miller of both Deadpool and Silicon Valley fame, Tim Key, and Saturday Night Live writer Anna Drezen, to name just a few. On top of this, there will be the return of Rory Scovel, one of the biggest hits of last year.

DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN Portstewart Golf Club, Derry, July 6-9 The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, hosted by the Rory Foundation, will return to Northern Ireland in 2017 after Portstewart Golf Club was confirmed as the host venue from July 6-9. Europe’s top golfers, including reigning Irish Open champion Rory McIlroy, Olympic champion Justin Rose, and Major winners Darren Clarke and Graham McDowell, will battle it out for €7 million in prize money along the beautiful Causeway Coast.

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FORGET THE CAR THIS SUMMER

R A I L W A Y S

T A K E T H E T R A I N F O R T H E B E S T F A M I L Y T R A V E L E X P E R I E N C E This summer leave the car at home and take the train to some of Ireland’s top destinations, which boast so much to see and do for all the family.

Book online to avail of our best value fares for all the family and just pick up your tickets from the ticket machine when you arrive at the station. When you book online you can reserve your seats at no extra cost.

Under 5s are free on intercity journeys and children 5-15 years are half the adult fully flexible online fares.

So, forget the car this summer and treat the family to all the joys of rail travel.

EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY THIS SUMMER DUBLIN Music at Marlay Park (July 14 – 16th) Set amongst 300 acres in Rathfarnham and 5.5 miles from Dublin City, this summer sees the return of Longitude festival for the fifth year running. With the festival growing year on year, the event is now attracting huge acts such as Mumford & Sons, Stormzy and The Weeknd to name but a few. This event is perfect for a wide variety of music lovers of all ages. With more acts added recently, Longitude 2017 will feature some of the best musical talent from home and abroad.

KILKENNY

GALWAY

KERRY

Galway International Arts Festival (17th – 30th July) Galway Arts Festival is Ireland’s largest International Arts Festival. It brings you the best of Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Art, Comedy and Spectacle from countries all over the world! This event attracts a huge number of people, so we advise you book your travel and accommodation well in advance.

Rose of Tralee (16th – 22nd August) For the 58th year running, 2017 sees one of Ireland’s largest and longest running festivals return. This global celebration of culture’s main feature is the choosing of the Rose of Tralee, where a young woman of Irish descent is crowned "Rose of Tralee". The festival also includes street entertainment, live concerts, carnival, circus, theatre, fireworks and Rose Parades. Tralee couldn’t be easier to access thanks to our Intercity service, running daily from Dublin Heuston.

BELFAST Vital Festival (23rd & 26th August) Boucher Road Playing Fields will play host to two concerts in late August. Muse will headline Belfast Vital on the 23rd and will be joined by special guests Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves and Fangclub. Muse released their seventh album Drones last year, and headlined Glastobury as part of their world tour. On Saturday the 26th, Tiesto will headline the Main Stage and will be supported by special guests Robin Schulz, Sigala, Clean Bandit and Disciples. Tiesto has previously been labelled the world’s top DJ

by Rolling Stone and remains one of the top dance acts in the world.

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Dublin Horse Show (9th – 13th August) Since its beginning in 1864, the Dublin Horse Show has become one of the biggest events of the summer in Ireland, attracting tens of thousands of people from all over the world every year. It boasts the best showhorses and best international showjumpers putting a stellar performance on for the crowds to enjoy. The RDS is easily accessible from Sandymount station and will display the best in international showjumping this summer.

Kilkenny Arts Festival (11th – 20th August) Since being established in 1974, the Kilkenny Arts Festival has gathered some of the finest musicians, writers, performers and artists and brought them to Kilkenny to entertain locals and tourists alike. For ten days in August, a variety of locations are used to host events from the castle courtyard to churches, offering intimate settings for festival visitors. Some of the events planned include Stephen Rea in Oscar Wilde’s De Proundis, Counting Sheep and Fidelio Trio.

Galway Races Summer Festival (31st July - 6th August)

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Starting in Ballybrit back in 1869, the Galway races return for seven days of racing festival fun. With so much more to do than just racing, the festival has stunning fashion, great food, excellent entertainment and a fantastic atmosphere. The Galway Plate and The Galway Hurdle are two of the biggest races of the week, with Ladies Day held on the Thursday of the festival. Gather your Tribe this summer and take in a day at the races.

Fangclub

TRAIN|NEWS

JOIN THE SMART MOVERS

Filming passengers on board an Enterprise train for the ‘Smart Movers’ campaign

Have you ever looked around at fellow passengers on public transport and noticed all the different ways they spend their time on board?

A recent Translink survey revealed that more than 85% of respondents said taking the bus or train regularly makes them more productive at work and in their personal life. ‘Checking social media’ was the most popular thing to do while on the bus or train (61%), followed by browsing the internet (54%) and leisure reading (49%).

Using the time to catch up with emails and work related matters (46%) also suggests that public transport boosts workplace productivity.

Inspired by passenger stories about how they benefit from using public transport, Translink has launched a high-profile campaign called ‘Smart Movers’ starring real customers from right across Northern Ireland.

Following a public call for participants, hundreds of bus and train passengers applied to be a part of the campaign, with five people

selected to front advertisements for Translink Metro, NIRailways, Goldline, Ulsterbus and Enterprise services.

“The Smart Movers campaign celebrates the many benefits of bus and train travel to show more people just why public transport should be your first choice for travel,” says Translink’s Claire Vaux. “We’ve loved hearing our customer’s authentic stories which showcase the diverse range of ‘on-board’ perks they enjoy – whether it’s relaxing with a good book, studying, keeping on top of work emails or even snoozing, there’s plenty of reasons to leave the car behind.”

Ray Miller, who features in the Smart Movers campaign for Enterprise services, says, “I often have to go to meetings in Dublin and I like to take the train so I can stay productive on the move. Life is too short to waste it stuck in traffic and stressed out!”

We’ve asked some more ‘Smart Movers’ to share their reasons for choosing Enterprise and here’s a snap shot of what they told us: “I am a huge Ulster and Ireland rugby fan and travel to all the matches in Dublin… The staff are always so friendly and several know me by name which is lovely. A service that is hard to beat,” said Rosa Matthews.

“I frequently travel with my dad from Belfast to Dublin via the Enterprise, as it is quick, comfortable and hassle-free. No crazy road layouts or parking to worry about. Hop off at Dublin Connolly and you’re 10 minutes from the heart of the city!” said Hannah-Ruth Rehbein.

To find out more about Translink Smart Movers visit translink.co.uk/smartmovers/ or join the conversation online @Translink_NI #smartmovers.

NEW HOURLY TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN BELFAST AND DERRY-LONDONDERRY When travel writer Michael Palin described the Derry~Londonderry Railway Line service as ‘one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world’, he helped raise the profile of this scenic Northern route.

And from July 2, there’s even more reason to explore the North West by rail, as Translink introduces an hourly train service between Belfast and Derry~Londonderry, so customers can enjoy improved connectivity and more journey choice.

Boasting stunning scenery and a wealth of exciting destinations to stop-off at and

explore, the journey is rich in natural heritage and abundant in charming towns and villages, with everything from shops and cafes to sandy beaches and historical landmarks.

Whether it’s a couple’s retreat, an excursion with friends, a family holiday or business conference, travelling by train is the most relaxing and convenient way to journey to the City of Derry~Londonderry – visit translink. co.uk/nirailways/ to plan your journey.

Enterprise passengers can transfer directly to Derry~Londonderry services at Belfast Central Station.

“One of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world” – Michael Palin

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Tree Will Rock You Northwest in show: the Joshua Tree tour in Seattle

Backstage in a Seattle stadium, Enterprise joins Bono, Edge and Adam Clayton to hear about U2’s memories of the ‘80s, their forthcoming album Songs of Experience, and their critically acclaimed Joshua Tree Tour. Interview: OLAF TYARANSEN

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itting backstage in Seattle’s state-ofthe-art CenturyLink Field stadium, Bono is considering the ownership of some songs he wrote more than three decades ago. In just a few hours time, U2 will be playing the second show of their much-hyped The Joshua Tree Tour (which will ultimately play to 1.7 million fans over 33 dates in North America and Europe). They launched it two nights ago in Vancouver and the singer found singing such classics as ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ and ‘With or Without You’ to be a very moving experience.

“One of the humbling things was realising that these songs sort of don’t belong to us anymore,” he muses. “After 30 years, they belong to people, whatever they’ve been through. This feeling that come towards I think this album in particular... we seem to be the smallest part of it. At the end of Friday night, we finished playing The Joshua Tree, and we were all like, ‘Wow, we got through that, that was a bit, whatever that was’. And we went up to do a big bow sort of thing, and nothing happened. We were the least bit of it. People were in their own thing.”

He shakes his head and laughs. “I was like, ‘You can applaud now!’”

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Along with other representatives of the Irish media, Enterprise has been granted a brief roundtable audience with Bono, guitarist Edge and bassist Adam Clayton (drummer Larry Mullen Jnr. is getting a massage). Although they’ll be playing to 70,000 fans in just a couple of hours, there’s no sign of any pre-show nerves. After 40 years in rock ‘n’ roll, and with literally thousands of gigs under their belts, this is second nature to the internationally famous Dubliners.

“We don’t have a choice,” Bono smiles. “Well, what else are we qualified for?”

Edge has his own take on their opening night in Canada. “Maybe because of the title of the tour and because of the way that we’ve billed it, I felt that people were listening in an attentive way that they hadn’t for a few tours, maybe ever actually, thinking about it. I wouldn’t say it was a complete surprise, but it was certainly noteworthy: people were really listening to everything that was going on.”

Touring an album that they released 30 years ago is quite an unusual move for a band who’ve always prided themselves on pushing the boundaries of possibility. While the songs remain the same, however, the actual tour is a very different beast from the 1987 original. Comprised

U2

Gang of four: U2 on the opening Vancouver date of the tour

“I think we’ve allowed this show to be about just the breadth of our work and we’re kind of ok with allowing the energy to ebb and flow a bit more, and it does, and that’s ok” of 1,040 individual panels, the massive 200ft x 45ft screen behind the band is apparently the largest LED screen ever used in a touring show.

“In 1987 it was a very, very naked show - The Joshua Tree show,” Adam recalls. “We didn’t have cameras in those days, we didn’t have anything that we now have, and we kind of learned from that. Anton Corbijn has done some amazing films, which you’ll see tonight, that kind of illustrate where we’re coming from - if you like, it’s an animated album.”

Another change is that the band are including the classic ‘Red Hill Mining Town’ on the setlist. They played it live for the very first time in Vancouver the other night.

Why didn’t they play it back in the day?

“Really simply because of tempo,” Edge replies.

“For a song to get into the U2 set it’s got to earn its keep, it’s got to make sense, and ‘Red Hill’ was just too slow for us. I think we’ve allowed this show to be about just the breadth of our work and we’re kind of OK with allowing the energy to ebb and flow a bit more, and it does, and that’s OK. In a normal U2 set we’re constantly aware of the energy that we’re putting out and the crowd’s response to us. Slow songs, you really only put them in if they are a really amazing song that everyone knows.”

While they’ll be playing The Joshua Tree in its entirety every night, the rest of the set list will fluctuate.

“You know, we try and find the perfect set and in that process, there’s always tweaks being made as you go along and then new ideas being tried out,” the guitarist explains. “So our show is never static, it’s always evolving and changing.

But we don’t do the thing of ‘Let’s completely change it every night’. Actually, we don’t think it’s the best show and we don’t feel like we’re giving our fans the best possible night if we do that, so it’s a more evolutionary thing. So far, second night, we’ll have changed I think one song, for sure, and we’ll see how it goes. More changes might happen as we go along.”

What’s happening with their forthcoming Songs of Experience album? When are we going to hear it?

“Well, if it was up to me, I’d be playing it,” Bono admits, smiling. “It’s pretty much done. It’s a very special piece of work, and I think it might have benefited from the pause that we took. Because I would’ve put it out a year ago. Things have changed now, it just had to happen. Our songs come out as stories, breaking news as well as what’s going on in our own lives, what’s going on in the community. U2 always came out of that

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ANTON CORBIJN

U2 in that 'Red Hill Mining Town'

and the whole world changed and you just didn’t want to be singing about the millennium bug.

What was that called again?”

Y2K. He snorts with laughter. “Yeah. ‘Our new album… Y2K!’” It’s almost time for the three Dubliners to go and locate their drummer. But before they do, one last question. The Joshua Tree Tour will be hitting Ireland in July. How important is the Croke Park date going to be for U2?

“It’s great to go back there,” says Adam. “We went there on Unforgettable Fire to begin with.

It’s always fun playing to a home audience.

Playing that particular record to a home audience is going to be amazing.”

Bono has his own memories of Croker. “I remember a fight with (former U2 manager) Paul McGuinness going into Croke Park. We couldn’t

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get the sound right and I was going after him, going, ‘This is the kind of place we have to make music in? This, like, concrete mess?’ Paul just said, “Well, you asked me. You personally.” It was one of those ones.

“One thing, nobody on the night before last felt nostalgic,” he continues. “The strangest thing, songs feel like they were written for this moment.

It’s the wildest thing. “Desert sky, dream beneath the desert sky, the rivers run but soon run dry, we need new dreams tonight.” That’s sort of the theme of The Joshua Tree Tour, and it’s just the thing, we need some new ideas.”

U2 bring their Joshua Tree Tour 2017 to Croke Park, Dublin on July 22. Check out translink. co.uk for details of their coach and rail specials to get you to and from the event on the day.

Enjoy a relaxing Railbreak...

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.

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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.

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Evita

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Will Ferrell

House Special Comedy superstar Will Ferrell discusses his latest movie The House, reflects on his time on Saturday Night Live, and explains why he’d like to take on more dramatic roles.

Interview: Roe McDermott

Will Ferrell

The dice man: Will Ferrell with Amy Poehler in The House

an plans, and God laughs – often we end up laughing too. Especially when someone’s life plans go so awry that they end up being world famous actor and comedian Will Ferrell. You see, Ferrell never wanted to be in show business. A child of divorce, young Will watched as his father, Lee Ferrell, toured with the Righteous Brothers for decades, never able to live a steady life – or be counted on to send Ferrell’s mother child support with any regularity.

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“The instability of that life was something I never wanted,” Ferrell muses. “I wanted to get a real job, although I didn’t know what that meant. And I wanted to live in a house because we were always in apartments. I envisioned myself walking with a briefcase.”

Watching Ferrell onscreen, whether he’s dressed as an ecstatic Santa fanatic in Elf, an evil fashion mogul in Zoolander, or a bumbling mustachioed misogynist in Anchorman, it’s impossible to imagine his hyper-expressive, wildly-riffing comedic largesse even fitting into an office building. In person, however, Ferrell is soft-spoken and reserved, wearing an unflashy suit and exuding the quiet seriousness of a firm but fair vice-principal. His ability to switch between calm and mild-mannered to wild madman perfectly suits The House, the tale of a married couple so desperate to pay for their daughter’s college tuition that they team up with their best friend and start an illegal casino in his basement.

“The idea combined a lot of things I love,” the actor remarks. “Whether you sincerely enjoy Vegas or love to hate it and make fun of it, think about bringing all that energy and the potential for bad decisions into a smalltown setting, where people are looking for a reason to cut loose and let their hair down.”

The film also touches on the incredibly harsh reality facing college students in America, who often emerge from college with loans of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The actor has three sons under ten, and reveals he already has college funds set up for each of them.

“It’s getting so expensive, I hope it’s enough,” he says seriously, sounding for all the world like any other father and not a comedian with a net worth of $100 million dollars.

Though maybe his gravity springs from the fact that his own student debt followed

him well into his career. After taking a BA in Sports Information and Broadcasting, it wasn’t until Ferrell became a famous sketch comedian that he was able to pay them off.

“I had a lot of student debt,” he reflects. “I was writing cheques for $50 a month which was barely covering the interest. But then I got a job with Saturday Night Live and was able to write the final cheque, which was such a relief.”

It was during Ferrell’s stint on SNL that he became known for his bumbling, lip-licking impression of George W. Bush. However, despite the wealth of political comic material being provided by President Trump, Ferrell admits he doesn’t miss being on SNL. “Obviously I loved my time on the show and I’m really thankful for it,” he says. “But it really is both the best and hardest job you will ever do. You get into shape to do SNL, it’s like being an athlete. You don’t consciously notice it at the time, the hours you put in, the way your brain is always on, always coming up with ideas. And now, when you’re dealing with a person like the President – if you pitched the things he says and tweets, people would literally give you notes saying, ‘Its’s too much, no-one would ever say this!’ So how do you top a person like that, who is literally more absurd than the comedians?”

In addition to The House, Ferrell has also just wrapped filming on Holmes And Watson.

“John C. Reilly and myself play the titular duo,” he notes. “We have an incredible cast of really posh actors like Ralph Fiennes – and then us. Stuck in the middle, lowering the tone.”

Interestingly, Ferrell says he hopes to take on more roles in dramedies as he enters his fifties, recalling how much he enjoyed playing the straight man in the quirky 2006 tale Stranger Than Fiction.

“I had a great time making that movie,” he enthuses. “It’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever gotten to do. I’m always up for doing stuff in that vein. It’s easier said than done, because no matter how high you are on the food chain, there are still obstacles. People still put you in boxes and categories so it’s hard to be considered for those types of projects, but I’m very open to playing more serious roles.”

Casting agents, I can confirm: Will Ferrell is far more serious than any of us thought.

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Imelda May

Queen May's new kingdom Former rockabilly queen IMELDA MAY has revamped both her image and her sound for fifth studio album Life Love Flesh Blood. The Dublin star tells OLAF TYARANSEN how her life has changed in recent times.

Imelda May

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hen Imelda May walks into the bar of Dublin’s Westbury Hotel, Enterprise’s first reaction is to almost fall off the seat.

Truly, the 42-year-old star looks absolutely stunning.

She was always a looker, but her trademark blond streaked rockabilly quiff gave her something of a cartoonish quality. Today, however, she’s looking more like Betty Blue than Betty Boop.

Dressed entirely in black, with matching straightened hair, she’s totally ditched the rockabilly image in favour of a far more sultry femme fatale look.

She seems extremely comfortable in her new skin. “I always loved the Fifties rockabilly style, but it got to the point where I practically felt like I was dressing up as this character called Imelda May before every gig,” she reflects. “I just didn’t want to do that anymore. This is me.”

It’s not just her look that has changed. Her sound is markedly different, too. We’re meeting today to discuss her fifth studio album Life Love Flesh Blood. Imelda has found a new musical groove, with the album – produced by the legendary American musician T Bone Burnett – exploring soul, gospel, blues, folk and rock on a collection of some of the rawest, boldest and most intimately autobiographical songs she has ever written.

That Imelda has been through a lot of emotional trauma in recent years – including motherhood, a marriage break-up and an ill-fated rebound relationship - is reflected in the song titles: ‘Call Me’, ‘Black Tears’, ‘The Girl I Used To Be’, ‘Shoulda Been You’, ‘Leave Me Lonely’. Her sound has changed, too. She’s rockabilly no more. . .

“I made that decision before writing [last album] Tribal,” she explains. “Even before I wrote it, I knew. I just didn’t tell anyone, but I knew in my mind. Not that it was a rockabilly album, but because you know I’ve always fought against that label. I love rockabilly, but I’m not a purist – as most rockabillys will tell you. I use electric bass, god forbid!

“No, on the last album I kinda tended towards a lot of punk. I made a conscious decision to go as heavy as I felt was comfortable for me with Tribal because I knew I was going to step away. So that’s like two or three years ago.”

How did her band feel about that?

“I didn’t tell them at the time,” she shrugs. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I was going to write.”

Imelda’s band used to include her husband Darrel Higham, with whom she had a daughter, Violet, in 2012. The couple split in July 2015 after more than 18 years together. She announced the news in a Facebook post: “As you can imagine,

we are very sad but happy we’re making the right decision for us and our daughter, who is doing really well by the way.”

So how did he feel about her proposed new musical direction?

“Well, Darrel was the rockabilly player,” she says.

“But he was also the one that would push me to get away from it, to be honest. He’s definitely the purist. And the other guys. . . one of the things that I always liked about my band, some of the guys are into punk or jazz or rhythm & blues or singer/songwriter stuff or whatever, and rockabilly, too, of course.

“I loved that because I could feature each of

“On the last album I kinda tended towards a lot of punk. I made a conscious decision to go as heavy as I felt was comfortable for me!” those things within the gigs. It’s just nice to work on people’s strengths and make the most of the difference. I like differences, but Darrel was always saying, ‘There’s more to this, you need to move away, step away’. And he was saying I should have been doing that a long time before.”

She laughs throatily. “Of course I never listen to anyone. I always do my own thing. And then Darrel had said, around Tribal, that he wanted to leave the band. So I knew he was leaving the band because he wanted to concentrate on his own career. He knew that I was moving in a different direction, and he knew he didn’t want to go there.

He said, ‘I want to write again and start my own band again’ and he said, ‘You need to do your own thing’. So we both knew musically we were separating. So that was good.”

The couple remain close friends. But did they both realise that the musical separation would ultimately lead to a marital one, too?

“Yes, I would say that, and actually I think he would agree with me,” she nods. “I think music held us together quite a lot. It’s a common interest, you know, that you spend hours talking about, chatting about and then working together.

I think it was actually quite good for us. People

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Imelda has taken her music, and her image, in a new direction

“I never listen to anyone. I always do my own thing.”

would assume that that’s what stretched it up, but I think it was probably the opposite. If we hadn’t have got that, we might have parted ways earlier because I think that music definitely kept us together. Then musically we were drifting as well and that was kinda the last straw.”

Imelda and Darrel struggled financially for many years before their music began to properly pay the rent. Having played just about every dive in Ireland and the UK, things eventually took off with the 2007 release of her second album Love Tattoo. Since then she has performed with a stellar cast of big names, including Lou Reed, Smokey Robinson, Tom Jones, David Gilmore, Wanda Jackson, Lulu, Paolo Nutini, The Dubliners, The Chieftains, U2, Robert Plant and Sinead O’Connor.

Is there a sense that, as the Sinead song once put it, success ultimately made a failure of their home?

“Maybe. . . I don’t know,” she falters. After a reflective pause, she admits, “Probably. I don’t know all the answers, but probably. It changes the dynamics of things, whether you like it or not. And then you have to work your way around that, and then how busy you get as well has an effect on you. I

suppose it’s quite a broad statement to make, but there is good and bad in everything. The struggles when you don’t make it, and the struggles when you do. They’re just different struggles, and just trying to work them out. Sometimes you work them out and sometimes you don’t.”

Well, did they not enjoy success? Or did it prove to be another kind of restraint against happiness?

“I enjoy being able to pay me bills, more than not,” she states. “And anybody who’s gone through not being able to pay your bills knows. I know you would for sure agree with me, Olaf, and I’m sure you’re the same. You’re a writer: you’re in the same game.

“So if things go well it’s great,” she continues.

‘No, I prefer that and it gives me more freedom to do what I want creatively. Whereas I found it hard time-wise as well when I was trying to write and trying to earn money. It’s almost ne’er the two shall meet. One kills off the other. I was doing double shifts in a pub or a restaurant, and then at night I was singing at functions trying to get some money together to try and stay in music... and in between I was trying to write. But now I love that I can write and use that as my job.”

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C I T Y | D U B L I N PIC: SHANE MCCARTHY

the week. The most extraordinary thing about it is that it’s typically free in... amazing.

Where do you like to pick up ingredients for cooking?

Camden Street has an amazing range of shops. You can get fruit and vegetables from the market stalls, great ethnic foods from the Asian shops, and if you want lovely posh deli food, Listons is second to none.

Where do you shop for clothes?

The George’s Street Arcade and Temple Bar are great places to find unusual clothes.

Dublin needs more?

Cycle lanes.

Dublin needs less?

Superpubs.

Favourite Dublin building?

I have two favourites, and so have to mention them both. I have huge affection for the National Concert Hall, it’s such a gorgeous building. Also very close to my heart is Trinity College Dublin. I just adore it.

Strum as you are: Eleanor McEvoy. (Inset) George’s Street Arcade and the Olympia Theatre.

ELEANOR McEVOY Artist & Chair of the Irish Music Rights Organisation What do you like best about Dublin?

I love the Dublin sense of humour more than anything else in the world.

Best outdoors place?

I have a huge love of the Iveagh Gardens. When I worked in the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, in summer we’d eat our sandwiches there and enjoy watching the world go by. I loved the fact that it seems slightly secret and hidden from the rest of Dublin.

Dublin’s best restaurant?

DeSelby’s on Camden Street is my new favourite.

Dublin’s best bar?

The Leeson Lounge for its excellent music most nights of

Your Dublin music?

Vicar Street, Olympia, Whelan’s, the National Concert Hall, the Convention Centre Dublin, I could go on and on.

Favourite Dublin neighbourhood?

The Camden Street area on the southside of the city. Great cosmopolitan vibe, wonderful restaurants and lots of quirky second-hand shops. On the northside, Phibsboro is a brilliant area, and Phizzfest is going from strength to strength every year.

Your Dublin hero?

Thomas Moore, the Dublin singer/songwriter born in 1789 in Augier Street. He is the subject of my new album The Thomas Moore Project.

When you’re with friends in Dublin what do you like to do?

In good weather I love a good walk in the Phoenix Park, from the Wellington Monument gate to the gate at the far end of the park and back again. If the weather is bad, I love the National Gallery. I can’t wait to see the newly refurbished section; I hear it’s amazing.

Eleanor’s The Thomas Moore Project is out on July 28.

23

Heron & Grey

GOOD DAYS AT BLACKROCK Damien Grey discusses Heron & Grey’s meteoric rise, the impact of winning a Michelin star, and the importance of just being happy.

Interview: Mark Keane Photography: Saoirse Sexton

SAOIRSE SEXTON

Heron & Grey

'll never forget it for the rest of my life, that’s for sure,” says Damien Grey. We’re discussing that magic moment when Heron & Grey’s Michelin star was announced, confirming the emergence of a new Dublin culinary powerhouse.

Winning a star is like a kind of holy grail for chefs. For many, it is a never-ending quest.

For others, it is a goal that is not even worth reaching for. They know that it is beyond their ken.

But the allure is real all the same. Getting a star is widely considered a special kind of validation, after a career spent sweating and bleeding and working like a dog, in what is generally a very tough, unforgiving environment.

You finally become a member of a very prestigious club. Like a golfer who wins a major, you will always be a Michelin-starred chef.

Heron & Grey’s rise was especially meteoric.

The restaurant opened – and bang! – it was on the list. Jaws dropped. Except among those who had first-hand experience of the remarkable quality of the food on offer.

“The fact that it happened so fast made it even more of a shock,” Grey smiles. “So, yeah, we were totally overwhelmed by the whole thing.

It’s taken the last couple of months to get used to it.”

For those genuinely in the know, however, there was an awareness that Damien and his business partner Andrew Heron were indeed doing something special, unique and innovative right from the start.

Inevitably, the impact of receiving the accolade, on what is a very small restaurant, has been huge. Prior to the win, Heron & Grey faced the usual horror of no-shows and late cancellations – hardly an ideal situation for a restaurant that only opens three days a week and seats 22 people each night. Post-Michelin star, trying to get a booking is very difficult indeed. At any given moment, the restaurant is full to capacity, for months ahead.

Had doubt ever crept in, during those early, less rewarding days?

“No, it was to the death, do you know what I mean?” says Damien, matter-of-factly. “You don’t open something and go and change because it’s not working. You stick with it. You make it work. If it doesn’t work then you finish it out, you shut the restaurant and you start up

I

again or you try something new. Well, that’s my approach. At the end of the day, though, you’ve gotta give something at least two years before you can say that it didn’t work.”

To say that it wasn’t all plain sailing is putting it mildly.

“Andy and I didn’t pay ourselves for nearly 17 months before we opened,” Damien recalls. “We were prepared to struggle for as long as it took to make our product work. Okay, every now and then we thought, 'Are we doing the right thing?’

Everyone is gonna get that sort of doubt. But you’ve gotta make sure that you follow your own footsteps and be true to what you do.”

He offers wise words to those looking to get into the restaurant business.

“Don’t just go in there and open up the doors and think that they’re all gonna flock in,” he says. “Be prepared to lose money for two years.

It’s really that simple.”

The Michelin Guide announced its winners at a live event in London. Within a matter of hours, things had changed for Heron & Grey. Problems over bookings unfulfilled and rude cancellations became a distant memory. As Grey points out, the star was the “best sense of security ever!”

But there were simple, practical aspects to it too...

“The great thing about it was that it helped us finish the décor,” he laughs. “It also helped us to buy new furniture, a coffee machine, to fix the oven. It helped us buy new plates and crockery.

It helped us put a toilet in. That’s what we did.

We knew that we were gonna have this much business coming in, so we said, ‘Right let’s finish the project, as far as the décor goes.’”

One wouldn’t fault Grey and his partner for enjoying their moment in the sun. Did his friends and family notice a new swagger in his step?

“Ha ha ha. Umm... no!” he says. “Andrew and I didn’t want to let it get to us, or to be bigheaded about it or anything like that. We’ve still got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of stuff that we want to do. It’s hard to say that we’re only just getting started – but in a way we really are. It’s all about the customer really enjoying themselves.”

With only a few months remaining until next year’s Michelin Guide is released, has the thought that the star might disappear been playing on his mind?

“Yeah, there is an apprehension now,” he

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PICS: SAOIRSE SEXTON

Behind the scenes: Damien (right) with his fellow Michellin man, Andrew Heron & scenes from their garlanded Blackrock restaurant

acknowledges. “At the end of the day, though, our primary focus is to ensure that every single one of our customers walks out the door absolutely satisfied and happy. That’s what we care about to be honest with you. Don’t get me wrong, we would love to win another one again, and fingers crossed we will. But, at the end of the day, while you think about it sometimes, you don’t want to let that stuff get into your head.

You’d drive yourself mad, you really would.”

The flip side of that coin is the possibility that, in a few months time, Heron & Grey might just get that second star, thereby joining Patrick Guilbaud right at the apex of high-end fine dining in Ireland.

“That would be bloody awesome!” says the Australian who formerly worked alongside Ross Lewis at Chapter One. “You’d be like a Cheshire cat, man, walking around the market grinning all day long for a couple of months, that’s for sure.

You’d have to sort of keep yourself so levelheaded and grounded about the whole thing but it would be amazing, it really would.

“I don’t want to be a show pony chef or any of that stuff,” he stresses. “I just want to cook.

I want to push as hard as I physically can. I don’t want to be the best chef in the world or anything like that. I just want a successful little

26 26

restaurant. I want to be as humble as pie and spend time with the kids and be happy. That’s the reality of it, to be honest.”

Cooking is what Grey does. His Michelin success just encouraged him to keep pushing, and striving to get better: to give more pleasure to the Heron & Grey clientele.

Far from resting on his laurels, Damien’s always contemplating new techniques. He’s currently intrigued by the idea of cooking over coals, experimenting with the condensing of flavours, and generally aiming to offer dishes “packed full of flavour”. Normally, we’d give you an idea of what to expect, but the hyperseasonal, no-choice tasting menu changes every fortnight, with no dish ever repeated.

Inevitably, Damien gets asked a lot about moving the restaurant to a larger premises – surely he must tempted to find a place in the city centre where a bigger audience would be guaranteed? It isn’t on the agenda. The bustling seaside village of Blackrock can relax. Its star man is going nowhere.

“We’re just gonna hang out here, because we really like where we are,” Grey concludes. “The people are great. If it’s not broken don’t fix it.”

Amen to that...

“It’s hard to say that we’re only just getting started – but in a way we really are ” .

Ox Restaurant

The Greenhouse

STAR QUALITY

Six more restaurants that have made it into Michelin’s famous book…

BELFAST

OX 1 Oxford Street, Belfast Tel: (028) 9031 4121, oxbelfast.com

thrilling culinary journey. Her food is bold with a distinctive local flavour. You can enjoy a £40 or £60 Tasting Menu in the modern, stylish dining room.

DUBLIN Looking out on the River Lagan, this Michellin starred eatery seats just 40, which makes for a wonderfully intimate dining experience. The £50 Seasonal Tasting Menu – £80 with paired wines – is extraordinarily good value and lets you experience the full scope of chef Stephen Toman’s culinary imagination. He’s a firm believer in nose to tail eating, which means lots of alternative cuts of meat. They also push the envelope in terms of the fish and veggie dishes they serve. More casual dining is available in the next-door OX Cave.

EIPIC 36-40 Howard Street, Belfast Tel: (028) 9033 1134, michaeldeane.co.uk Michael Deane’s name is synonymous with the best of Belfast food. The prolific restaurateur has seven eateries in the city and EIPIC is the jewel in the crown. It took a mere 18 months to bag its first star under the stewardship of head chef Danni Barry who takes diners on a

RESTAURANT PATRICK GUILBAUD 21 Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 676 4192, restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie With two Michelin stars, Guilbaud’s can justifiably claim to be up there among the finest restaurants in the world. There can be no quibbles when it comes to the food: what you’re offered is perfection on a plate.

CHAPTER ONE 18-19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 Tel: (01) 873 2266, chapteronerestaurant.com Ross Lewis is up there among the best chefs in the country. His attention to detail is astounding and he strives for perfection in everything he does in Chapter One. Class shows in the enduring appeal of this Northside gem, with the chef’s table beside the kitchen, the best seat in the house. Everybody should splurge on the Tasting Menu with paired wines at least once.

THE GREENHOUSE Joshua House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 676 7015, thegreenhouserestaurant.ie Although not averse to a spot of mad scientiststyle experimentation, chef Mickael Viljanen also values simplicity and letting the natural flavours of his impeccably chosen ingredients shine through. For the full Greenhouse effect, splurge on the Friday and Saturday night Surprise Tasting Menu with matching wines, a gastronomic tour de force made all the more fun by the mock solemnity of the wait staff as each dish is brought to table.

L’ECRIVAIN 109A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 661 1919, lecrivain.com Now an Irish institution, L’Ecrivain is one of those restaurants where you take a date you really want to impress! The impeccably trained staff make every visit feel like a performance.

As the name suggests, there’s a French influence to many of the dishes but a strong modern Irish ethos in the menu. If you want to push the boat out, the Michelin-starred Derry Clarke has a €90 Tasting Menu that will knock your socks and all your other clothes off.

27

Business | Kerry Nevins

Cushy Job Aoife Stuart-Madge meets Kerry Nevins, the Co Down based CEO and founder of Babocush, a revolutionary new infant rocker cushion that has taken the global baby market by storm.

hen it comes to cult baby products, there is nothing that will send harried new parents into a buying tailspin faster than the promise of miraculously settling a crying infant in moments. But when Kerry Nevins from Hollywood, Co Down, launched Babocush, a revolutionary new tummydown baby cushion designed to fit inside standard baby rockers, no one – let alone Kerry - could have predicted the global parenting stampede that would follow. “I woke up to a crashed website and over 1,500 emails, largely from the US, all from parents desperate to order the Babocush,” says the mum-of-two of her January 2016 launch.

However, it wasn’t some sleek and expensive marketing campaign that prompted the sudden spike in sales; Kerry’s approach was much simpler: real videos shot by real parents, without any flashy effects or editing. “I just asked parents who had bought the Babocush and liked it to send me a short clip of their baby using it, and I then posted them to Facebook and to our website.”

The results make for some pretty powerful – and viralworthy – viewing: babies that were unsettled and visibly distressed became instantly calm and contented within seconds of curling up on the Babocush.

The product is unique in that it’s the first baby cushion that allows parents to safely and comfortably place their baby down on its front – an optimum position for

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relieving common stressors like wind, colic and reflux – while the vibrating soother mimics the gentle vibration and heartbeat of the womb. Soon, it wasn’t just selfdeprived parents queuing up to get their hands on the product – experts dealing with specialist neonatal issues also reached out. “I had an order from a neonatal unit in the States who use the Babocush to settle babies that are born addicted to drugs,” says Kerry, who has also partnered with Tiny Life, Northern Ireland’s premature and vulnerable baby charity.

Less than a year-and-a-half after launching, Kerry, a former childminder, has sold over 20,000 units to date and been awarded Women in Business NI Outstanding Innovation Award and the Innovation of the Year at the 2017 Aer Lingus Viscount Awards. But don’t be fooled into thinking Kerry’s is an overnight success story: it’s taken an arduous 14-year journey to get to this point, with more than a few teething problems along the way.

The original idea for Babocush was born like all the best baby products: from a mother at the end of her tether, desperate for a solution to a problem. In Kerry’s case that problem was the silent reflux and colic plaguing her infant son Harry, now 14. “He would scream with pain whenever I set him down in his cot, his rocker, his pram and even in his car seat,” recalls Kerry. “The only place he was contented was curled up on my chest. It made it almost impossible to have a shower or even to make a quick

"My sisters were asking to borrow it, then it went round cousins and different friends and pretty soon people were asking where they could buy it."

sandwich. I was exhausted. I remember staring at Harry’s rocker and wishing I could put him down on his front, the only position he felt comfortable.”

A search of parenting stores for a front-lying baby chair proved fruitless, so Kerry set about creating her own. By her own admission, the earliest prototype of the Babocush was basic (some factory-bought upholstery foam shaped and crudely sewn into a hump-shaped cushion with a vibrating soother tucked inside), but there was no doubting its effectiveness. “Soon my sisters were asking to borrow it, then it went round cousins and different friends and pretty soon people were asking where they could buy it,” says Kerry.

With a sure-fire consumer hit on her hands, Kerry admits she naively thought she could “get a local company to run a few off” and make some extra cash on the side of her childminding business. In reality, years of development hell were to follow, as Kerry painstakingly negotiated the minefield of researching manufacturers and suppliers, safety testing, patenting mazes and sourcing investment before her hard work would came to fruition.

Many people would have given up and walked away and while Kerry confesses she thought about it more than once, her gut was telling her otherwise. “My staying power came from something deep inside of me that was saying, ‘Don’t give up, it’s going to be worth it’, and it really was.”

Having left school at 16 with the sole ambition of becoming a wife and mother, Kerry had suddenly unleashed a fighting entrepreneurial spirit within her; one that couldn’t be quelled, no matter how many setbacks she faced. It wasn’t about the money,

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Business | Kerry Nevins Achtung baby: Kerry Nevins with children Harry and Amy, and (left) the Babocush

she says, rather Babocush was a calling; an itch that wouldn’t go away. “I’m a very spiritual person and I strongly believe in the laws of the universe. One of my favourite quotes is by Henry Ford. ‘Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.’”

Moreover, she had a resolute belief in the product. “I’m not some businessman who has dreamt this up to make money. I’m a mum with a child who suffered. I’ve been a childminder and I’ve seen other parents whose child has suffered.

There is no pain like watching your baby cry and feeling so helpless that you can’t do anything about it.”

That sheer determination to succeed got her through some very tough years during which she ploughed all her time, energy and money into making Babocush happen. “I cried about money every day for years,” says Kerry, who is also mum to Amy, 16. “I was also upset that all my spare time was taken up with the business, and when we did spend time together as a family, all we talked about was Babocush. It was all-consuming.

I’d lie awake at night feeling guilty that I wasn’t spending enough time with my kids.”

Thankfully, Kerry has a supportive family network, who have backed and encouraged her through the dark times. Her husband Andrew, a fireman, was there with “tea and backrubs” when

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she’d been on the computer answering emails all night; her dad, Samuel Busby, lent his technical skills to the electronics of the early prototypes; while her mum, Pamela Dowds, gave her the financial backing she needed to perfect the product. “Every time I needed cash to get a new prototype made, mum would pop the money in my account. I fantasised about the day I could pay her back.”

After finally forging a successful manufacturing partnership with Ulster Weavers in 2015, the Babocush website went live on January 19th 2016. Two weeks later, Kerry took a leap of faith and gave up her long-established childminding business to concentrate full-time on Babocush, and she hasn’t looked back: she’s now able to pay both herself and her mum a salary. “Mum’s at retirement age now, so it’s nice to be able to give something back to her as she’s been so good to me,” says Kerry.

Meanwhile her two children, Harry, and Amy, are also reaping the rewards of the thriving family business, with treats like X-Boxes, family dinners out and foreign holidays. “It’s completely changed our lives,” says Kerry. “We’ve been on four family holidays already this year with another two planned for the summer. It’s great to finally get to spend quality time together as a family. All those sleepless nights were worth it!”

"When we did spend time together as a family, all we talked about was Babocush. It was all-consuming. "

HELPS WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS

TO CROSS BORDERS The European Union facilitates the exercise of the free movement for workers and intra-EU labour mobility by supporting EURES, the network of European Employment Services...

WHO OR WHAT IS THE EURES CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP? EURES stands for European Employment Services – we are part of a European Union network established to facilitate the free movement of workers in the European Union. The EURES Ireland/ Northern Ireland Cross Border Partnership is one of 10 such partnerships in Europe.

WHY A CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP? The EURES Partnership provides a free recruitment service to employers, advice and guidance to cross border workers and job seekers on job opportunities, information on applicable living and working conditions in the Cross Border region and signposting to the relevant agencies. EURES advisors contact details are listed on the website along with a free query facility.

WHO IS INVOLVED? There are seven organisations represented on the Partnership. These are: Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Department for Communities (DfC) Department of Social Protection (DSP) Dundalk Chamber of Commerce Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC) Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Londonderry Chamber of Commerce WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? Visit their website at eurescrossborder.eu The website provides general information on working and living conditions and information on future EURES events in the Cross Border region e.g. Job Fairs and Information and Advice Seminars for cross border workers and employers. To view more about EURES operations at the European level you can also visit ec.europa.eu/eures

This Partnership has received financial support from the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014-2020). For further information please consult: ec.europa.eu/social/easi

FOOD AWAKENING From Italian deli delights to artisan gin, STUART CLARK has a lot on his plate - and in his glass!

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DELUCA OF LOVE

KEY TO OUR HEARTS Located in the historic Crumlin Road Gaol, Cuffs Bar & Grill – great name! – has become a real destination restaurant since opening in July 2016.

The Irish Grass Fed Lamb with Artichoke and Beans, Rosti Potato, Wild Rosemary & Tomato Jus and Pan-Seared Salmon with Goats Cheese, Saffron Lasagne, Shellfish Cream & Crispy Leeks are among the Northern Irish classics given a modern makeover by Head Chef Damian Blaney and his team. cuffsgrillbar.com

HARRY’S GAME

Meanwhile, Belfast’s very fine Jawbox Classic Dry Gin has added Asda to an impressive list of stockists that already includes Marks & Spencer and Tesco and Sainsbury stores in Northern Ireland. We’re partial to it poured into an ice filled glass and topped up with Ginger Ale.

That most upmarket of New York delis, Dean & DeLuca, has crossed the Atlantic for the first time with a range of its spices, marinades, pasta sauces, condiments, oils and chocolate now being carried by Brown Thomas, the Grafton Street department store who’ve also recently welcomed The Restaurant by Johnnie Cooke to their delicious third-floor. We’re seriously addicted to the Gambas al Ajillo, a garlicky prawn treat that tops the very impress list of tapas.

PORK LIFE

FIELDS OF PLENTY

January 30, 2017 was a red-letter day for legendary Portstewart fish emporium, Harry’s Shack, as it opened its new, slightly more southerly outpost in Derry Craft Village on Shipquay Street. The Scallop & Black Tart Pudding and Chocolate & Spiced Whiskey Cake stole the honours when Team Enterprise popped in recently for its lunch. The big question now is when are Harry’s coming to Dublin and Belfast?

Facebook.com/harrysderry

ROLL OUT THE BARREL

Having proved to be a massive hit last year, the Dalriada Festival returns to Ballymena’s Glenarm Castle on July 15 and 16 with sport, music and – most importantly! – gourmet food on the menu.

As tasty as Friday night headliner Nathan Carter is, he’s no match for the craft beer, BBQ Shack and other pop-up restaurants that will be gracing the ancestral home of the Earls Of Antrim. dalriadafestival.co.uk

The Dublin Liberties Distillery has released the limited edition Cooper Alley, a single malt that spent the first decade of its life in bourbon barrels before residing in 30-year-old Oloroso sherry casks for six months. Available exclusively from Harvey Nichols in Dundrum, it has aromas of dried fruit, orange peel, walnut and spice and belies its 46% ABV by being super-smooth.

We’re also partial to their honeycomb-laced Dubliner Irish Whiskey Liqueur, which has perked up many an Enterprise Towers cup of coffee of late. But don’t tell the bosses!

One of the reasons why local foodies have been flooding back to Temple Bar is Piglet, an imaginative wine bar that scores ten out of ten for both flair and its remarkable €3 tapas menu.

Star performers include the Confit Duck Gizzard; Lardo with Anchovy, and a Smoked Eel and Been Puree combination, which we guarantee will have you purring with delight. There are also more substantial mains – you can’t go wrong with the Orecchiette and Octopus Salad – and an extremely cheeky selection of French, Italian and Spanish vintages, which the aptly named Enrico Fantasia imported himself.

You’ll find them in Cow’s Lane, Dublin 2.

Facebook.com/pigletwinebar

LEN

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Travel | Sofia

BULGARIAN RHAPSODY An atmospheric city with a fascinating history and myriad cultural attractions, the Bulgarian capital is one of the gems of Eastern Europe.

By Eamonn Seoige

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia is built in the neo-byzantine style

he motto of the Bulgarian capital, “grows, but does not age,” perfectly encapsulates the charm of Sofia. Home to fascinating specimens of 2,000-year-old Roman ruins, Ottoman mosques and Stalinist Gothic examples of communist architecture, the city is an eclectic and quirky destination that is overflowing with personality. If wrapping up and the sight of snow-covered mountains are to your liking, then January is the time to visit.

Temperatures plummet to sub-zero and ski season is in full-flight.

The summer months, meanwhile are very hot, often reaching close to the 40-degree mark.

At this point, the city is transformed into a full outdoor experience, full of vibrant bars and cafélined boulevards.

Bulgaria is a homogeneous society, with over 90% of its citizens of Bulgarian extraction. In the capital – which has a population of around 1.7 million – Sofians converse in the distinctive western dialect. Native tongues are also in use amongst the minority groups of Turkish, Roma and Greek immigrants. Mercifully, the bulk of the city’s signposts also carry an English translation.

Situated in the western region of the country, the border with neighbouring Serbia lies less than 50km to the west. Due to its geographical location, Sofia is also within 200km of the Greek, Macedonian and Romanian borders. The mountainous Sofia Valley surrounds the city on all sides and the majestic Vitosha Mountain rises on the city’s northern edge.

In terms of attractions, skiing is one of the most popular activities among tourists. If you take a trip to Sofia in the winter, you will enjoy some of the cheapest skiing anywhere in Europe. With slopes situated about an hour from downtown, it’s possible to try your hand at some winter sports and still make it back to the city before the party really gets started. It’s an easy way to dip-your-toe without the week-long expense. The

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best value option is to fly direct from Dublin with Ryanair, which has a flight time of 3.5 hrs.

The city also has plenty of sights for history buffs. The National Museum of Military History gives a detailed and informed account of the country’s struggles from its earliest times.

Housed in the Royal Palace, the National Art Gallery showcases the best in Bulgarian art from every era, while the nearby Gallery of Foreign Art has eclectic displays of everything from Japanese prints to African tribalism. It’s also home to some significant works by Degas, Renoir and Van Dyck.

The sumptuous Sveti Nikolai church was built nearly a hundred years ago by Russian immigrants and features classic, onion-shaped gold domes and mosaic outer walls. The tenth century Boyana Church, meanwhile, is renowned for its intact frescoes and has Unesco status.

Fans of football, basketball and volleyball are also well catered for in Sofia. Bulgarians are fanatical sports fans and the city boasts a number of fierce rivalries, especially football matches between CSKA and Levski. Not for the faint-hearted!

On the culinary front, Bulgarian cuisine is very diverse and has been broadly influenced by neighbouring Turkey, Romania and Greece.

A large selection of herbs and spices are used in hot meals, while an opening salad course, served with a shot of rakia, is a common starter.

The food is generally excellent, prepared using fresh, locally grown vegetables, which are added to a variety of meat stews. Amongst the most common dishes are kavarma, a gorgeous tasting pork and vegetable stew, and kebapcheta, a spicy grilled mincemeat dish.

Shopska is a popular salad starter consisting of tomatoes, onions and cucumbers, topped off with grated white cheese. This is often served with snezhanka, a yogurt flavoured with garlic, gherkins and garnished with chopped nuts. For something completely different try the yogurt

"If you take a trip to Sofia in the winter, you will enjoy some of the cheapest skiing anywhere in Europe"

Travel | Sofia Eastern promise: downtown Sofia

HOTELS

RESTAURANTS

TOP END

TOP END

ARENA DI SERDICA RESIDENCE HOTEL Budapeshta Street 2 Tel.: +359 2 810 77 77

and cucumber based cold soup dish, tarator. All matter of skewered grilled meat and fish dishes are available, usually served with a choice of yogurts and spicy sauce accompaniments.

After your meal, there are plenty of destinations offering delicious libations to relieve the heat of the local cuisine. The Vitosha boulevard area comes alive in the evening with its myriad bars and cafés. Bulgaria boasts a flourishing beer industry, with a number of home-brewed lagers controlling the local market. Amongst the favourite brands are Astika, Zagorka and Kamenitza. A particularly interesting brew worth sampling is Kamenitza Dark, a rich-tasting amber lager. However, the milder-tasting and smooth Zagorka is the more popular with Sofians.

However, possibly the pick of the bunch is Stolichno Bock. It’s a dark, malty brew, with a wonderful caramel flavour and plenty strong at 6.5%.

But, it’s when the sun sets that the city really starts to thrive! The city is full of nightclubs, many playing all matter of cheesy local pop and international hits. Fans of techno need look no further than the huge Escape club. If the night’s balmy there’s no shortage of beautiful courtyard bars and late-night restaurants. One of the city’s most popular late haunts is Caramba, a Latin themed club specialising in live Cuban music.

Live music is widely available and varies from traditional to old-school punk bands. Amongst the best venues are the Swinging Hall and Back Stage. For something a little different, check the listings for a performance by a local gypsy orchestra.

So, to make the most of your trip to Sofia: take time to soak up the unique atmosphere of this fantastic city. Immerse yourself in its fascinating history, sample the varied styles of cuisine and mingle with the friendly locals over a few drinks.

Sofia is a city to be embraced and enjoyed to its fullest.

During construction works in 2004, an unknown treasure was discovered below the new Arena di Serdica Hotel. A unique complex combining an ancient Roman amphitheatre and theatre, dating back to 200–400 AD was discovered. The remains are now a part of one of Sofia’s most elegant hotels. Centrally located, this five–star facility has a boutique character and individual approach, and contains 63 spacious and stylish rooms and apartments. Visitors can also avail of a lobby bar and a wellness and spa centre.

ROSE RESTAURANT & PIZZA 132 Bulgaria Blvd.

Tel.: +359 878 666 090 With an elegant trattoria-style interior of bare brick walls and subtle lighting, Rose Restaurant & Pizza brings an authentic Italian dining experience to Bulgarian’s capital city. The menu serves up Italian and Mediterranean specialities, with an emphasis on fresh fish. The restaurant also stocks a large selection of rose wines from around the world (hence the name!), and with nightly performances of piano, flute, violin and saxophone, Rose Restaurant & Pizza is an elegant place to spend an evening in Sofia.

MEDIUM–PRICED MEDIUM–PRICED Hotel Lion 60 Maria Louisa Blvd.

Tel.: +359 2 917 84 00 A perfect destination for shoppers, the reasonably priced Hotel Lion is within walking distance of the main shopping district of Vitosha Blvd., and many of the city’s most popular tourist destinations are just minutes away. With 33 good-value rooms and the popular Papaya Bar & Restaurant, Hotel Lion is a great base for an exploration of Sofia’s many attractions. The hotel offers direct transport to and from the central bus station and airport, and daily excursions to historical monuments.

GOOD VALUE HOTEL NIKY 16 Neofit Rilski Street Tel.: +359 2 952 30 58 The stylishly quirky Hotel Niky boasts an all– suite collection of rooms that contain their own kitchenettes – perfect for easing the strain on your travel budget. Its central location places it within minutes of such attractions as the National Art Gallery, the National Theatre, the Russian Church and the Alexander Nevski Church. It’s restaurant features an open–air terrace and serves a selection of Bulgarian specialities as well as international cuisine.

ADI’S COOK & BOOK Str. Budapeshta 31 Tel.: +359 2 470 26 35 This comfortable and unique little restaurant is located in a blue–walled villa and, with consistently high reviews, it is regarded as one of the best kept secrets in Sofia. Previous guests have included US President, Bill Clinton. You have to ring a doorbell to gain entry and are then led through a fabulous garden. Once inside you can relax with a book while your meal is prepared.

The menu is international and Adi’s Cook & Book are famous for their fine wine collection.

GOOD VALUE CENTRAL SOFIA MARKET HALL Marie Louise Boulevard Tel.: +359 2 917 6106 A great refuge for those travelling on a budget, The Central Sofia Market Hall offers plenty of delicious and authentic treats and a ground floor full of stalls that sell fruit, vegetables, pastries, wine and cheese. The covered market dates back to 1911 and has been serving popular and traditional Bulgarian fast food dishes like moussaka, grilled fish and vegetable pies; while the basement offers dessert and coffee in the surrounds of the ancient city walls and public bath, remnants of the Serdica city.

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Fashion

Mixing it with the best ROE MCDERMOTT throws an eye over the hottest fashion trends this summer – with the eclectic mix and match look leading the way.

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Fashion

White Rain Mac €44.99, New Look

Petite White Ripped Skinny Jeans €34.99, New Look

The White stuff As we come into the summer months, another option is keep your style light and bright – and what better way to do that than to introduce some white into your wardrobe? But be warned, this season’s white isn’t the tame, flavourless palettecleanser you may have come to expect from this plain hue. No, this season, white has come over all avant-garde, with elements of grunge and futuristic fashion elevating it into something sizzling and street-ready.

While white is often viewed as the most fresh and crisp and trend available, a few of 2017’s more controversial styles can also be employed to play up the clean and futuristic elements of your clean brights. Calvin Klein, Jonathan Anderson, Raf Simons and Demme Gvasalia have recently been playing with plastics on the runway, with overcoats, shift dresses and trainers all making an appearance. Pairing transparent and plastic fabrics with whites keeps ensembles looking light and fashion forward, while avoiding the wintery Goth vibes that a similarly constructed, dark hued outfit could inspire.

To rock this trend, layer as many elements of whites, plastics and light metallics as you can. When it comes to the latter, stick with silvers or hologram tones to avoid some major ’80s throwbacks! Plastic anoraks are set to be huge this season, keeping you dry during any summer showers while also showing off your outfit! Mesh underlay tops are also set to be big, and make for perfect festival gear. Layer mesh bodysuits over white bikinis if you’re feeling brave, or long-sleeved mesh tops under white crop tees for a bit of clean grunge – our favourite oxymoron of the year!

Statement jewellery and accessories are also important for this look. Keep your jewellery silver to keep the light, reflective balance of your all-white ensemble in check. Statement necklaces and chokers will complement even a simple white tee perfectly, while silver shoes or plastic trainers will bring a touch of the Jetsons to your rig-out. Don’t forget some white statement sunglasses, because your fashion sense is going to be glaring this summer.

White Tote Bag €22.99, New Look

White Corset Belt €14.99, New Look

White Mesh Bikini Top €24.99, Bottoms €14.99, New Look White Metallic Shimmer Anorak €39.99, New Look

Silver Double Frame Sunglasses €11.99, New Look

Aiyana heels, €99 Dune Teens Silver Metallic Panel Trainers €24.99, New Look

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Fashion Navy Button Trim Cold Shoulder Midi Dress €29.99, New Look

Parisian Blue Denim Bralet €22.99, New Look

Blue Denim Embroidered Backpack €29.99, New Look

Jean Genie With the ’80s trend showing no sign of waning, the humble boyfriend-fit denim jacket is still in style, and will become your go-to outerwear piece this year. But it’s been given an updated twist; while old school denim jackets can feel bulky and stiff, new and improved material makes the modern reincarnation of this trend feel anything but. And while we all know that once you “borrow” a boyfriend’s jacket, he’s probably never getting it back, the boyfriend silhouette has been given an injection of some girl power, thanks to femme embroidery and painting.

Go for badges and studs for some grunge-rock vibes, stick with flowered embroidery and feminist painting for political hippiness, or go all-out disco with some major sequins. Shine on, you denim diamond! This focus on embellishment and breaking convention also applies to your jeans. No longer are plain skinny jeans going to cut it; you need something a bit more eyecatching.

Again, embroidery, patterns and badges are all the rage, but sometimes less is more – literally. This summer, ripped jeans are set to be more rips than jean, as the distressed trend is taking holes and tears to new extremes.

Or give the illusion of more coverage with some tulle overlays for another unique evocation of the ’80s. You know Madonna would be so proud.

Designers are also bringing back some youthful whimsy, and turning to our childhood favourites for inspiration – so expect to see more denim dungarees and dungaree-strap minidresses. These can be made into My So Called Life ’90s perfection with a white tee and choker, or can be made a bit sexier when worn with only a crop top or bralette. Go on, the sun is out – you can rock it.

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Blue Skinny Dungarees €39.99, New Look

Blue Tie Front Long Sleeve Dress €34.99, New Look

Ripped jeans with Sequins, Coming soon to Topshop

Jeans with Tulle Overlay €70, Topshop

M Y

C I T Y | B E L FA S T

rist Board

rn Ireland Tou

the copyright Nor

GLENN PATTERSON

Belfast’s Black Mountain and (right) the Sunflower pub

Author What do you like best about Belfast?

Its curious angles and surprises. You can turn a corner and find yourself in a different city – then you turn another and you’re staring at a mountain.

Where do you shop for clothes?

Wherever I shop for them, I take them straight round to Patricia Grogan at The Cut on Chichester Street to make them better.

Best outdoors place?

The Ormeau Embankment on an autumn evening as the streetlights are coming on.

Favourite Belfast building?

I have a painting in my house of the Transport and General Workers building on the corner of High Street and Victoria Street.

Belfast’s best restaurant?

I’m still working through them. I have a soft spot for Molly’s Yard on Botanic Avenue, Seamus Heaney Centre’s home-away-from-home.

Belfast’s best bar?

The Sunflower on Union Street

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Your Belfast music?

Two guitar intros: Eric Bell’s ‘Whiskey in the Jar’, and my younger daughter’s ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’.

Then there’s David Holmes’s ongoing Belfast soundtrack, and Andy White’s ‘Waiting For The 39’. It never did come on time.

Favourite Belfast neighbourhood?

I moved to the east 22 years ago. I finally realised the other week it’s home.

Your Belfast hero?

The several editors of The Tangerine, and the organisers of the Lifeboat readings. New (young!) writing in Belfast has rarely been so healthy.

When you’re with friends in Belfast what do you like to do?

The same things we always did, only slower.

Glenn Patterson is a novelist, screenwriter and director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s.

E N T E R | TA I N

G O R I L L A Z

I N

O U R

M I D S T

From the cracking return of an animated quartet to an excellent effort from some new wave legends; to a surprising solo debut from everyone’s favourite boy–band superstar – we have the hottest soundtracks for your journey.

GORILLAZ Humanz

(PARLOPHONE)

For his latest outing with Gorillaz, Damon Albarn set himself the challenge of “making a party record for end of the world.” He has succeeded admirably with Humanz which, for all of the anxiety that stalks the album, contains a defiant optimism badly needed in these fraught political times.

As ever with Gorillaz, the record is masterfully produced, with Albarn assembling a Galacticos-style array of A-list guest contributors. Vince Staples delivers a wonderful rap on ‘Ascension’, which touches on America’s racial tensions; there’s a typically attitudinal appearance on ‘Charger’ from the incomparable Grace Jones; and Danny Brown excels on the atmospheric ‘Submission’, which fascinatingly marks the first ever Gorillaz co-write for Albarn’s Blur bandmate Graham Coxon.

At the heart of the album are three surefire hits. Leading the way is ‘Andromeda’, which has an irresistible pitch: Albarn has said that it’s his attempt to write an ’80s-style pop classic in the vein of ‘Bille Jean’ and ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’. Remarkably, he has succeeded, with the song’s scintillating groove topped off by a memorable chorus (“Take it in your heart now, lover”).

Similarly infectious, meanwhile, are the electro-funk workout ‘Strobelite’ and glitchy dance stomper ‘Sex Murder Party’ (song title of the year). Elsewhere, ‘Saturnz Barnz’ is a moody electro number with corkscrew rhythms; ‘Carnival’ is a brilliantly imaginative, psych-tinged ballad; and ‘Hallelujah Money’ is a superb slice of neo-soul. There are various spoken word interludes throughout to heighten the cinematic mood (including a pseudopresidential address titled ‘The Non-Conformist Oath)’, while Albarn also calls on the evergreen De La Soul – the longest serving Gorillaz collaborators – for the electro banger ‘Momentz’.

Humanz signs off with the defiant anthem ‘We Got The Power’, on which Albarn makes the inspired choice of casting Savages’ brilliant Jehnny Beth in an unfamiliar role: flamboyant soul diva.

Fittingly for a record that preaches solidarity in the face of adversity, the song is a co-write between Albarn and one-time arch enemy Noel Gallagher. Certainly, this Britpop equivalent of the Versailles Treaty confirms that unlikely alliances are always possible.

BLONDIE

HARRY STYLES

Pollinator (BMG)

Harry Styles (Columbia)

Blondie have returned – triumphantly – with their 11th studio album, the provocatively titled Pollinator. Playing to their strengths – big and bouncy, brash and breezy pop songs. All the Bs. Just like the bee on the album artwork. And there’s the cue for a slew of excruciating puns about creating a buzz and stings in the tail. We’ll beehive ourselves and resist though.

Founding members Debbie Harry and Chris Stein have wisely made the decision to inject fresh blood into the formula in the form of a stellar cast of contributors: Johnny Marr, Joan Jett, Dev Hynes, Charli XCX, Sia and John Roberts among them.

Recorded at The Magic Shop, the studio where Bowie recorded his last two albums, John Congleton’s hard-edged production – while employing occasionally jarring vocal treatments – gives cohesion and definition to Blondie’s trademark sound: pulsing synths, spiky guitars and perfect-pop melodies. Did I forget Clem Burke’s wickedly propulsive backbeat? Unforgivable.

If Debbie occasionally fails to hit some of the high notes at least she’s not gargling through an auto-tuner – that I’m aware of.

The approach of farming out most of the songwriting to outside sources has proven inspired and resulted in Blondie’s strongest batch of tunes for some time. These are bittersweet tales of star-crossed love, dissolution and break-up welded to a compulsive power-pop framework. Quintessential Blondie.

Ageless and timeless.

Graduating from boyband teen idol to “serious” pop artist is a notoriously difficult trick to pull off. The cliché that “many have tried but few have succeeded” generally holds true – and for every Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake and George Michael, there are many more formerly-adored teen pop sensations cruelly cast aside.

Though his debut solo album should probably have been called Styles, given the myriad of rock, indie and folk elements, the former One Direction star has made a decent stab of growing up gracefully in public. There is nothing earthshatteringly original, but it is a convincing effort nonetheless.

The radio friendly first single – arena rock ballad ‘Sign Of The Times’ – was a wise choice, while the quirky indie-pop number ‘Carolina’ channels Wilco to impressive effect.

Indeed, Styles’ magpie approach to rock works surprisingly well, as he doffs the cap to Beck on ‘Two Ghosts’, before evoking the Stones and U2 on ‘Ever Since New York’.

For good measure, there’s Def Leppard-style glam metal on ‘Kiwi’ and a Beatles-like vibe to ‘Sweet Creature’.

One does wonder how much – or how little – control Styles had in the making of this. Perhaps not a whole lot – but even if the singer has yet to forge a truly distinctive musical identity, this is still a decent start to his solo career.

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E N T E R | TA I N

H I L L

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The riveting account of Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated 2016 Presidential campaign is among the highlights of our book round-up.

THE BLOOD MIRACLES Lisa McInerney (John Murray Publishers) Lisa McInerney’s mother might still be unimpressed by her career choice as a writer, but Irish readers and critics alike have taken a shine to this sometime short story writer and occasional “sweary lady”.

The Blood Miracles is McInerney’s follow up to her critically acclaimed debut, The Glorious Heresies, and is just as quick to grip the reader with its compelling prose. Telling the story of 20-year-old “businessman” Ryan Cusack, The Blood Miracles features a world of chaotic criminal enterprises, business deals gone sour and colossal disasters, with the story moving at such speed that you’ll be 100 pages in before you take a second to look up.

Indeed, you’ll find yourself utterly invested in the central characters – and needing to know if they’ll navigate a way out of the mess they’ve made for themselves. A fantastic read and the second major triumph for Lisa McInerney.

T H E A B O D E O F FA N C Y Sam Coll (Lilliput) Sam Coll disobeys every supposed rule on how to get your debut novel published. Snappy start? Not really. Linear, coherent storyline?

Hardly. And yet, the good folks at Lilliput were brave enough to take a chance on this madcap marvel. It’s a sprawling behemoth of a book. One part follows Trinity freshman Simeon Collins as he falls in and out of love, drinks to excess and writes terrible poetry.

The other is the fantastical story of the Mad Monk, as he converses with animals, resurrects a demon dog from the Drumcliffe graveyard where Yeats’ body rests, and makes whoopee with a banshee in a gypsy caravan in the midlands. Some of Coll’s stiff, formal prose feels forced, and the narrative meanders a little too wildly at times. But this is a wild and wonderful ride, filled with a memorable menagerie of drunks, poets, chess lovers, faeries, frauds and zombie canines.

Think Flann O’Brien gas-bagging with Peter Murphy in a dimly-lit snug and you’re in the right parish.

This is a deeply idiosyncratic debut – but one that is well worth paying attention to.

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S H AT T E R E D : I N S I D E H I L L A RY C L I N T O N ’S DOOMED CAMPAIGN Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes (Crown Publishing Group) Taking its cue from Game Change and Double Down, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s coruscating accounts of the 2008 and 2012 US presidential campaigns, Shattered lifts the lid on Hillary Clinton’s ill-fated attempt to realise her lifelong ambition of reaching the Oval Office in 2016.

Riven with in-fighting and paranoia, and struggling to articulate a central theme for for the campaign, Clinton’s back-room team swiftly

became dysfunctional. Faced with Donald Trump’s populist rhetoric, the crew – including Huma Abedin, ex-wife of Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose sexting scandals also bedevilled Clinton’s bid – were powerless to present their nominee as an authentic voice of the working class. Shattered presents the Democrats as a party in the midst of an identity crisis, an issue they need to tackle quickly. One of the nonfiction books of the year.

ITHACA Alan McMonagle (Picador) Ithaca is set Ireland in the summer of 2009, when 11-year-old Jason Lowry is preoccupied with thoughts of the father he has never known. In the meantime, his alcoholic mother is busy entertaining her latest boyfriend and indulging her fondness for joyriding.

Jason escapes to the Swamp: a mysteriously rising pool of fetid water on the outskirts of his town. There he meets a girl, a being as lost and damaged as himself... and with even less regard for reality. Together, they conjure exotic adventures – from ancient Egypt to the search for Ithaca, home of Odysseus. But what begin as innocent flights of fancy soon become forays into hazardous territory.

Echoing The Butcher Boy, this superbly written, darkly comic debut from Galway writer Alan McMonagle is the story of how far a lonely boy will go to find what he’s looking for, and how in searching for what we’ve lost, we risk losing sight of what we have.

B L O C K

P A R T Y

The brilliantly satirical Lego Batman Movie leads the way in Roe McDermott’s round-up of the best new DVD releases.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST In July comes Bill Condon’s live action Beauty And The Beast, an almost shot-for-shot remake of the classic cartoon – a nice mix of novelty and nostalgia. Condon’s lavish production offers joy and spectacle in multitudes.

There’s something charmingly theatrical about the direction, which embraces the primary coloured-costumes and dramatic hairdos (Luke Evans’ boor Gaston is almost shockingly raven-locked.) Bookish heroine Belle (Emma Watson) disaffectedly wanders through an immaculate chorus of singing townspeople only to emerge alone on a picturesque mountaintop as the plot demands.

Animated dance numbers by enchanted objects, meanwhile, feel like Fantasia being performed at the Tonys, sponsored by a confetti company.

For good measure, musical theatre pros Audra McDonald and Josh Gad boost up the chereography credentials. The leads might need the help. As the headstrong Belle is imprisoned by a misunderstood Beast (Dan Stevens under tons of CGI), Watson’s singing and acting are serviceable, not soaring. But the Beast’s castle is a wonder, all gothic architecture and glittering chandeliers.

The charismatic candelabra Lumiere (voiced by Ewan McGregor) is a mini Tin-Man, all metallic humanoid expression in 3D, while Emma Thompson voices Mrs. Potts, who sings as the lovers waltz. Overall, a wonderfully charming effort.

THE LEGO B AT M A N M O V I E

HIDDEN FIGURES

HANDSOME DEVIL

In an era where all superhero films are now existential angst-fests suitable only for adults, The Lego Batman Movie is a welcome exercise in unapologetically fun escapism that’s completely kid-friendly, while also a whipsmart, self-parodying satire of heroism and Hollywood.

It finds Will Arnett doing a perfect job of voicing Batman, whose identity as an anti-social vigilante is thrown into disarray.

In one eventful evening, he unwittingly adopts an irrepressibly upbeat sidekick Robin (voiced by Michael Cera), gets a crush on Gotham’s new kick-ass commissioner, Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), and is told that he needs to start working with Gotham’s police force. Can Batman learn how to access his soft and nougaty centre and be a team player? The Lego Batman Movie’s exhilarating pacing and spectacular action make for a razor-sharp rollercoaster ride - and damn, it’s funny.

The film pays homage to every iteration of Batman, as well as great villains from all genres.

The million-jokes-a-minute script has slapstick, satire and subtle innuendo, including Joker’s hilariously deep-felt insecurity that he mightn’t be the most important villain in Batman’s life. This vainglorious, selfish, badly beatboxing Batman is the hero we deserve, and The Lego Batman Movie is the winking, witty and wild comedy we desperately need right now.

The story of three black female mathematicians instrumental to NASA’s progression during the Space Race, Hidden Figures is an entertaining and important tale of how sexism and racism erase certain people from history. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine P. Johnson, a widowed mother of two recently promoted to work in one of NASA’s most high-pressured project rooms. The only black woman in her building, she is forced to drink from a separate coffee pot and run a half-mile across campus to the nearest “coloured” bathroom.

Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae play Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, respectively a supervisor and engineer fighting for respect and acceptance in all-white, male-dominated worlds. Spencer’s portrayal of browbeaten disheartenment is subtly devastating, while Henson gets a stunning moment of explosive rage as she explains to her boss (Kevin Costner) the privilege that allows him to remain oblivious to her plight. In addition to the s superb performances, the sassy dialogue and upbeat soundtrack – including Pharrell’s ‘Running’ – make Hidden Figures both crowd-pleasing and thought-provoking.

Handsome Devil is a funny, tender and uplifting effort from Irish writer and director John Butler. The filmmaker gently subverts expectations of gender and sexuality, while remaining accessible to mainstream audiences. Fionn O’Shea plays Ned, a boarding school student left ostracised by his rugby-mad peers who believe him to be gay – a fact that’s refreshingly never confirmed nor denied, highlighting Butler’s rejection of labels and binaries.

When he’s assigned a new roommate, rugby star Conor (Nicholas Galtzine), Ned is understandably wary. But as the two slowly become friends, it’s clear that both young men have had limiting identities inflicted upon them by other people, and neither one seems to fit. Butler has endless faith in and respect for teenagers’ capacity for wit, empathy and intelligence, and Ned and Conor’s friendship is a joy to behold.

Despite the cruelty inflicted upon him, Ned has an unshakeable sense of humour and of self that inspires similar bravery in others. Occasionally Handsome Devil can feel too safe and familiar, with its strong echoes of Dead Poets Society and The Breakfast Club. But it manages to gently undo the assumptions and limits of even those classics. If that’s not worthy of a Judd Nelson-style fist in the air moment, nothing is.

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Dublin & Belfast

ATTRACTIONS

A TALE OF TWO CITIES KARL LEONARD

ECUMENICAL MATTER: Dermot Morgan’s son (left) with his own son and the National Wax Museum’s Paddy Dunning at the Father Ted unveling

DUBLIN EPIC IRELAND The chq building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1 Tel: (01) 906 0861 epicchq.com Looking to discover what it is to be truly Irish? Look no further as Epic Ireland is a state-of-the-art visitor experience that explores the journey of the Irish nation. With 20 galleries of vibrant Irish life to navigate through, the experience narrates the story of Ireland’s communities at home and overseas, both past and present. Giving the Irish an opportunity to reconnect with their ancestors and giving tourists the opportunity to learn about Ireland, the joyous and also frequently devastating history of Ireland is brought to life through a series of guided and self-guided tours.

HOT PRESS COVERS EXHIBITION National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 603 0373 hotpress.com/coversexhibition The cover of Hot Press is a national

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institution. To be on it is a prized objective for the many musicians, film stars, celebrities and others, who have graced its cover over the past four decades. Now collected in a stunning exhibition, which features 40 years of iconic covers signed by the cover–stars themselves, the exhibition was opened by President Michael D Higgins in April. It provides visitors the chance to trace the changing landscape of 40 years of, not just popular culture, but also politics, gender, sexuality and human rights.

CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY Dublin Castle, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 407 0750 cbl.ie Described by Lonely Planet “as not just the best museum in Ireland, but one of the best in Europe,” the Chester Beatty Library has become one of the most popular cultural institutions in Dublin. The library is home to rich collections from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. The extensive collection brings the viewer closer to the artistic

treasures of the great cultures and religions of the world. With tours in multiple languages, free admission and priceless manuscripts and artwork to examine, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND Merrion Square West, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 661 5133 Nationalgallery.ie First opening its doors in 1864, the National Gallery of Ireland is located in the heart of Dublin city centre and holds the largest collection of European and Irish fine art, with 2,500 paintings and approximately 10,000 other works in different media including watercolours, drawings, prints and sculpture. Every major European school of painting is represented in the gallery. While the JB Yeats room is a particular highlight of the museum, the current winter exhibition, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art, gives a fantastic, extensive insight into the history of art in Ireland.

NATIONAL WAX MUSEUM PLUS 22-25 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2 The National Wax Museum Plus recently opened in the iconic Lafayette building that divides Westmoreland St. and D’Olier St – an appropriately central location for a museum full of figures central to Irish history. Visitors can explore the past via the museum’s own Augmented Reality app – watch Brendan Behan’s face spring to life and recite poetry, or a sketch of the Liffey morph into an animated pictorial history of Dublin. Kids will love how the app gamifies the museum too, with treasure (and ghosts!) to find. Watch out also for their Night at the Museum events, where visitors are taken through the museum in masks, and actors bring exhibits to life.

Dublin & Belfast

ATTRACTIONS

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

City Hall

BELFAST CITY HALL Donegall Square, Belfast Tel: 028 9032 0202 Visitbelfast.com One of Belfast’s most iconic buildings, Belfast City Hall first opened its doors in August 1906 and is situated on the site of the old Linen Hall. An impressively imposing building, the City Hall stands as Belfast’s crowning architectural achievement. Free public tours, which delve into the history of the building and the city, are available throughout the week. The surrounding Gardens also feature a number of monuments, including the Titanic Memorial, and are the perfect place to find yourself on a sunny summer day.

TITANIC BELFAST 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast Tel: +44 (0) 28 9076 6386, titanicbelfast.com “It’s really quite phenomenal. It’s a magnificent, dramatic building, the biggest Titanic exhibit in the world,” enthuses Titanic film director James Cameron, and we’re not about

to disagree with him. The Titanic Belfast is an unmissable experience and since opening, thousands of visitors have thronged to the centre to learn about the history of the world’s most famous shipping disaster. Titanic Belfast is open daily.

ULSTER MUSEUM Botanic Gardens, Belfast Tel: +44 28 9044 0000 nmni.com/um 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, it has gathered one of the most extensive collections of 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. No trip to Belfast would be complete 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.

CATALYST ARTS GALLERY 5 College Court, Belfast Tel: +44 28 9031 3303 www.catalystarts.org.uk Formed in 1993 as a response to Belfast’s cultural vacuum, the Catalyst Arts Gallery has become Belfast’s primary artists-led collective. This non-profit, volunteerrun organisation seeks to promote contemporary work by a large selection of artists and projects from the widest possible range of disciplines. Primarily a gallery, Catalyst Arts can also morph into a 24 hour cinema, a recording studio, a publishing house or a wrestling ring when the occasion calls for it. The Gallery’s newest exhibition “Trickster” runs throughout December and features work from contemporary artist Chloe Brennan.

Originally created in 2013 to mark Belfast Food Week, the idea was so popular that it was extended into a weekly event. Beginning the night at Deanes and Decano, in the heart of the city centre, you will be ferried around the city in Deanes’ own double decker bus, stopping at each location for a different course – including a stop at the Michelinstar Deanes at Howard Street – and learning about the city’s cuisine along the way. Book early as tickets get snapped up fast!

DINE AROUND DEANES 537 Lisburn Road, Belfast Tel: +44 28 9066 3108 Dine Around Deanes is a unique opportunity to sample the delights of Belfast’s most famous restaurant by visiting each of its four locations throughout the city.

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Dublin & Belfast

RESTAURANTS

DINING OUT KATHRIN BAUMBACH

Fade Street Social Fade Street Social

DUBLIN FADE STREET SOCIAL Fade Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 604 0066, fadestreetsocial.com Former Irish MasterChef judge Dylan McGrath has helped make Fade Street one of the most fashionable destinations in the city right now.

The spectacular tapas in the Gastro Bar are perfect for sharing with your date. Try the Chinese Pork Belly with Asian Spices & Crispy Peanut Brittle or a portion of Skinny Fries with Grated Parmesan, Smoked Bacon & Brown Onion Purée. There are innovative vegetarian options too. The main restaurant here is also a rip-roaring success; book early to get a table.

Best Dish: Wexford Beef Sirloin with Hazelnut Beurre Noisette & Chervil - €32

PACINO’S 18 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 677 5651, pacinos.ie Just off the busy retail strip at Grafton Street, Pacino’s is an award-winning Italian restaurant that combines a casual atmosphere with memorable dishes that pack a flavourful punch. Rich and authentic, they can be enjoyed as a treat after a shopping trip. Their outstanding pizza menu includes a wondrous Gorgonzola e Salamino Piccante combo. They’re a friendly bunch and this remains one of the most fun restaurant experiences in the city. Chef Patron Luca Mazza from Milan offers pasta dishes loaded with fine ingredients. The €29.95 Three-Course Set Menu is superb value, with the Saltimbocca

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BELFAST alla Romana di Pollo con Pure’ di Patate, AKA ‘Jump In The Mouth’, another Enterprise favourite.

Best Dish: Seafood Linguini with King Prawns, Calamari, Mussels & Irish Clams - €18.95

RED TORCH GINGER 15 St. Andrew’s Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 677 3363, redtorchginger.ie Just a short walk from Dublin’s main Grafton Street shopping drag, this modern Thai restaurant never fails to deliver with a superb selection of soups, salads, curries, stir-fries and rice and noodle dishes. The flavours are bold, precise and always perfectly balanced with the Pad Thai, Nasi Goreng, Drunken Prawns – it’s all the fault of the Xiosing wine they’re steamed in! – and Sea Bass in Soya Sauce among the star performers.

Lunch is served Monday-Saturday with two-courses and a drink just €15.95, and the €9.95 Bento Box a great way to sample a range of flavours. They rustle up a mean cocktail, with the Coriander & Chilli Margarita a neat twist on an old classic. Friendly staff and halfprice wines on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday also explain why Red Torch Ginger is the top rated Thai restaurant in Dublin on both TripAdvisor and Yelp.

Best Deal: Garlic and Pepper Beef Stir Fry with Spring Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Carrots & Onions - €20 Best Deal: Two-Course Early Bird with Tea or Coffee every day from 4pm-6.30pm- €22.95

OX 1 Oxford Street, Belfast Tel: (028) 9031 4121, oxbelfast.com Looking out on the River Lagan, this Michellin starred eatery seats just 40, which makes for a wonderfully intimate dining experience. The £50 Seasonal Tasting Menu – £80 with paired wines – is extraordinarly good value and lets you experience the full scope of chef Stephen Toman’s culinary imagination. He’s a firm believer in nose to tail eating, which means lots of alternative cuts of meat. They also push the envelope in terms of the fish and veggie dishes they serve. The diverse drinks selection includes locally microwbrewed beers, and the new wave of gins you rarely find elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

More casual dining is available in the next-door OX Cave.

Best Dish: Turbot with Razor Clams, Ham Hock, Sea Herbs & Cucumber – as part of the £50 Seasonal Tasting Menu

EIPIC 36-40 Howard Street, Belfast Tel: (028) 9033 1134, michaeldeane. co.uk Michael Deane’s name is synonymous with the best of Belfast food. The prolific restaurateur has seven eateries in the city and EIPIC is the jewel in the crown. It took a mere 18 months to bag its first Michelin star under the stewardship of head chef Danni Barry who takes diners on a thrilling culinary journey. Her food is bold with a distinctive local

flavour. You can enjoy a £40 or £60 Tasting Menu in the modern, stylish dining-room. There’s a full Vegetarian Menu available. Expect delicately prepared, perfectly presented dishes.

Best Dish: Glenarm Shorthorn, Sprouting Broccoli, Herb Salt & Bone Marrow Sauce – as part of the £60 Tasting Menu

JAMES STREET SOUTH 21 James Street South, Belfast Tel: (028) 9043 4310, jamesstreetsouth.co.uk The brainchild of chef-owner Niall McKenna, James Street South has emerged as one of the stars of the new wave of Northern Irish cooking.

Tucked away in a side-street, it’s part of a complex that includes James Street Bar and Grill and Hadskis for more casual dining, as well as The Cookery School. The Taste of Ulster Tasting Menu, which includes such delights as Dundrum Crab and County Antrim Beef Sirloin is all sorts of wonderful.

Their Titanic Quarter outpost, Cast & Crew, has also proved to be a big cheap eats success.

Best Dish: Skeaghanore Duck with Pomegranate, Corn & Guanciale – £24

Dublin & Belfast

BARS

LIQUID REFRESHMENT Sale of the century: Titanic Belfast

Chelsea Drugstore

DUBLIN GROGANS 15 South William St, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 677 9320 Grogans may well be the least judgemental pub on the planet, welcoming all with open arms. This is in no small part thanks to the magnanimous nature of co-owner and shamanic bar man Tommy Smith. Grogan’s core crowd are primarily refugees from the arts, and its walls provide an ad hoc gallery for their works, but on busy nights when the bar spills out onto Castle Market, the diversity of characters is just astonishing. No wonder then it was a favoured haunt of Patrick Kavanagh, Flann O’Brien, JP Donleavy and Liam O’Flaherty. The bar offers expertly poured pints and a gimmick free drinks list. The menu is toasted ham and cheese, served in plastic and prepared at the bar: the Grogan’s toastie is a culinary legend, one of this wonderful bar’s many mysteries.

CHELSEA DRUGSTORE 25 South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 613 9093 thechelseadrugstore.ie Located in a building which once really was a pharmacy, if you’re in the mood for a quirky and delicious

Muriel's Café Bar

BELFAST cocktail, this welcome addition to Dublin’s bar scene is the place to go. While an extensive selection of craft beers is on offer, the in-house concoctions put together by their mixologists are definitely the star turn. The stylish, minimalist decor, meanwhile, makes this one of the coolest and classiest spots in the city.

HARRY’S ON THE GREEN 2 South King Street, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 475 8504 harrysonthegreen.ie Bringing a touch of New York class to the heart of the city, those in the know have long frequented Harry’s On The Green for its award winning cocktails and hip, sophisticated vibe. A balmy summer’s evening is perfect for pulling up a chair on the outdoor terrace, while popping down the stairs will land you right in the middle of a cosy party atmosphere channelling the spirit of the Big Apple. Once you taste the creations of their expert mixologists, you’ll understand why everyone who’s anyone makes this achingly stylish spot a regular haunt. In fact, you’ll likely find yourself booking in for a masterclass in how to make their laudable libations for yourself!

THE SPANIARD 3 Skipper St, Belfast BT1 2DZ Phone:+44 (28) 9023 2448, thespaniardbar.com Tucked away in the Cathedral Quarter, there’s a chance you could pass this gem without even realising; we can’t stress what a mistake that would be. Combining a traditional feel with flavours of Iberia and good old-fashioned rock’n’roll, it boasts a flabbergasting array of rums and an unbeatable atmosphere, ensuring there’s never a quiet night. Keep your eyes peeled for a familiar face or two as well, as the likes of Bill Murray and Sean Bean have been known to pop by when in town.

MURIEL’S CAFÉ BAR

and a slab of honey to garnish – is the perfect concoction to get you ready for summer.

THE BELFAST EMPIRE 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast Tel: +44 (28) 9024 9276 thebelfastempire.com Located in a former church, the Empire is a mainstay of the city’s live music and comedy scene, and has been for many decades. With three floors, a cavernous live music space and eye-catching paintings, the Empire quickly became a mustsee for revellers across the country when it opened in 1987. Everyone from Sigur Ros to Nanci Griffith has performed in the past and several great residency bands keep crowds coming through the week.

12-14 Church Lane, Belfast Tel: +44 (28) 9033 2445 facebook.com/muriels.cafebar Belfast’s newest gin bar reflects the changing character of the city centre. Mixing its classy setting with a decadent interior (lingerie hangs brazenly from the roof), Muriel’s is part of a number of emerging bars which have made Belfast a hub for nightlife and tourism. Offering some of the best cocktails you’re likely to find anywhere, the Bee’s Knees in particular – featuring Hendrick’s gin

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Dublin & Belfast

SHOPPING

BEAUTIFUL BUYS

Article

Fallon & Byrne

DUBLIN GENIUS Clarendon Street, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 679 7851 genius.ie One for the fashion conscious gentlemen among you, Genius has long been known as Ireland’s best independent denim, fashion and footwear retailers. Stocking some of the finest and most cutting-edge brands from around the world, their selection of T-shirts, tops, blazers, leather jackets and, of course, jeans is fantastic. Throw in some great music, amazing presentation, helpful stylists and a visit to Genius is unlikely to be your last.

ARTICLE 22 Powerscourt Townhouse, South William Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 679 9268 articledublin.com A must for lovers of stylish design, Article offers a beautifully curated range of decorative home accessories and contemporary table wear. The owners have a great eye for quirky yet functional furnishings, and their unique selection often offers personal items that have been specially sourced from

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Liberty Blue

BELFAST international designers, or merely amassed on world travels. The perfect destination for the houseproud host, these homewares are surefire talking points, and perfect gifts. Article also has a host of stylish and wittily designed stationary, fashion books, and charming maps of Dublin.

IRISH DESIGN SHOP 41 Drury Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 679 8871 A love of Irish craft and good design led jewellers Clare Grennan and Laura Caffrey to establish their gorgeous craft store in the heart of Dublin. Promoting not only Irish wares but the talented designers behind them, the fourstorey building contains both a retail space and a metalwork studio, emphasising the relationship between design and product. Clare and Laura hand-pick the covetable pieces which include homeware, stationery, jewellery, accessories and fantastic wall prints. Tourists and fashionistas alike will love their modern take on Aran knits, which include stylish hats and mittens.

The Irish Design Shop also hosts craft workshops, such as weekend events teaching you how to work

with metal, and design and create silver jewellery. They also run special workshops for couples looking to design and make their own wedding rings, which would make a perfect engagement present for a loved-up couple.

FALLON & BYRNE 11-17 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.

Tel: (01) 472 1010 A foodie heaven just minutes from Grafton Street, this award-winning food hall has an incredible restaurant upstairs and a charming wine bar in the basement. But to explore those you’ll have to pull yourself away from their remarkable food store – and trust us, it’s not easy. The place to go for all your home cooking needs, Fallon & Byrne have a full grocer with fresh fish, vegetables and meat as well as unusual and artisan ingredients for brave and experimental cooks.

We adore the seasonal Wicklow wild garlic. They also stock some of Ireland’s finest and most irresistible handmade chocolate. Delicious.

LIBERTY BLUE 19-21 Lombard St, Belfast www.facebook.com/ LibertyBlueBelfast Priding itself on stocking independent designers, Liberty Blue is the perfect stop for finding unique Christmas and birthday presents. A treasure trove of vintage clothing as well as vintage inspired designs and jewellery, the store has always been a firm favourite for students, fashionistas and selfstyling musicians.

THE BUREAU, BELFAST 310 Newtownards Rd, Belfast Tel: (028) 9046 0190 thebureaubelfast.com Established over 25 years ago in the bustling shopping area of the Newtownards Road, The Bureau speaks to classic gentlemen who quest for long-lasting clothes that with a timeless style. The mission statement of The Bureau has a strong focus on heritage and durability. Because of this, founder Michael Hamilton has prided himself on his ability to consistently and directly meet the needs of customers, rather than simply follow the fashion du jour.

Dublin & Belfast

A C C O M M O D AT I O N

STAYING OVER

Ramada Encore, Belfast

BELFAST

DUBLIN MORRISON HOTEL

HARCOURT HOTEL

RAMADA ENCORE

Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 Tel: (01) 887 2400 morrisonhotel.ie An unmistakable hint of rock’n’roll colours the air at the Morrison, the four-star Liffeyside hotel where a distinctive artistic aura gives nods to legendary Irish artists.

This cultural theme can even be felt in the comfortable and stylish interiors, as certain bedrooms throughout the hotel find their décor complemented by famous Irish song lyrics. Don’t dare leave without a meal in the stylish but rustic Morrison Grill and a drink in Quay 14, the destination bar where cocktails are inspired by classic Irish songs.

60 Harcourt St, Dublin 2 Tel: (01)4783677 harcourthotel.ie A central hotel set across eight Georgian houses, one of which was the former home of the dramatist George Bernard Shaw, the Harcourt Hotel won’t leave too big dent in your bank balance, but it will ensure that you’re never too far away from Dublin city’s nightlife.

Enjoy casual dining at the 1900 restaurant, while the Black Door piano bar is one of the city’s most glamorous hangouts. If you want to make a night of it, basement club DTwo continues into the small hours.

THE WESTBURY HOTEL

6–8 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2 Tel: (01) 407 0800 theclarence.ie Located on Wellington Quay, the Clarence was one of Dublin’s first boutique hotels. All the furnishing has been designed and crafted

by Irish artisans, including the comfortable super kingsize beds.

The Octagon bar is not to be missed – the art deco-style watering hole so impressed Bono and The Edge they decided to buy the entire hotel.

Equally impressive is the Liquor Rooms, a basement venue dedicated to cocktails; perfect to unwind in after a long day

20 Talbot St, Belfast BT1 2LD, UK Tel: +44 (0) 28 9026 1800 encorebelfast.co.uk Luxury comfort in a great location, The Ramada Encore is a perfect choice to experience the best of Belfast. With 165 ensuite bedrooms including executive, double, twin and family rooms, Encore Belfast is ideal for both business travel as well as short city breaks. Situated in St. Anne’s Square adjacent to The MAC - Belfast’s new arts centre, The Encore Belfast is also close to many other local attractions including the new ‘must see’ visitor attraction - the Titanic Signature Project (now open), St. Anne’s Cathedral and City Hall. In addition to all these nearby attractions the hotel is also home to the beating heart of the Cathedral Quarter, The SQ Bar & Grill. With live entertainment, an inviting outside terrace seating area overlooking the square, and a tempting cocktail list created by the in house mixologist, you really will have an experience to remember at SQ Bar & Grill.

Balfe Street, Dublin 2 TEL: (01) 679 1122 doylecollection.com Dublin hotels don’t get more central than The Westbury, an opulent five-star hotel overlooking Grafton Street’s buzzing shopping hub. Among its most fabulous attractions are the grand piano on The Terrace, a popular firstfloor meeting place for afternoon tea, the €1 million worth of Irish art acquisitions on display in The Gallery Lounge, the high-art cuisine in the Wilde restaurant and the 1930s-style glamour of The Sidecar.

THE CLARENCE

BULLITT HOTEL 40a Church Lane, Belfast BT1 4QN Tel: +44 (0) 28 9590 0600 bullithotel.com Want to stay somewhere with all the necessities, none of the nonsense and extra comfort? Look

no further than the Belfast Bullit Hotel, named in honour of the classic 1968 mob movie starring Steve McQueen. It is the latest in a series of hotels and bars that are giving a facelift to the Lagan riverside, and is a brainchild of the Beannchor Group (the company behind The Dirty Onion, The National, and just about every other fashionable bar in the city).

Straddling Victoria Street and Ann Street, the hotel has 43 rooms, a courtyard garden, a private events space and three bars. If you’re a foodie (who isn’t?) you can get a good grilling at Taylor & Clay, the in-house restaurant, before washing it down with a Bullitt beer in the Bullitt Bar or venturing over to the ski-themed Baltic bar – a quirky spot for some seriously cool customers.

TEN SQUARE 10 Donegall Square South, Belfast Tel: +44 (0)28 9024 1001 tensquare.co.uk An extraordinary boutique hotel located in the centre of Belfast city’s shopping, business and culture hub, Ten Square impresses guests with its uber-stylish, eclectic look. Aesthetics aside, this is the perfect place to spend a busy city centre break and for a girlie getaway. The cocktails in a teapot come highly recommended!

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ENTER HERE ENTERPRISE COMPETITION

WIN A GREAT MEAL FOR TWO AND A LUXURIOUS OVERNIGHT STAY IN DUBLIN

TREAT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONE TO A TRULY DELICIOUS MEAL

Just a short walk from Dublin’s main Grafton Street shopping area, this modern Thai restaurant never fails to deliver with a superb selection of soups, salads, curries, stir-fries and rice and noodle dishes. The flavours are bold, precise and always perfectly balanced with the Pad Thai, Nasi Goreng, Drunken Prawns - it’s all the fault of the Xiosing wine they’re steamed in! - and Sea Bass in Soya Sauce among the star performers.

Friendly staff and half-price wines on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday also explain why Red Torch Ginger is the top rated Thai restaurant in Dublin on both TripAdvisor and Yelp.

15 St. Andrew’s Street, Dublin 2.

(01) 677 3363 | redtorchginger.ie

AND! BED & BREAKFAST FOR TWO IN THE FLEET STREET HOTEL, DUBLIN After your tastebuds have been treated, it’s time to retire to the luxury of The Fleet Street Hotel in Dublin’s bustling Temple Bar. Enjoy being at the centre of everything, while double-glazed windows ensure you’ll sleep soundly in your individually decorated room with en-suite bathroom, power shower, flat screen satellite TV and free Wi-Fi. Then wake up to a beautiful Dublin morning with a continental or full Irish breakfast!

The Fleet Street Hotel, 19-20 Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

(0)1 670 8124 | info@fleetstreethotel.com To enter, simply email your answers to enterprise@hotpress.ie. Please include your contact details.

THE QUESTIONS: 1. Which Harry Potter star was the lead of 2017's live action Beauty & The Beast?

2. Which award winning Irish movie star featured in Ed Sheeran's 'Galway Girl' video?

3. In 2016, the Irish Rugby team scored a historic first-ever win over which side?

- Daniel Radcliffe - Emma Watson - Robbie Coltrane

- Saoirse Ronan - Brendan O'Carroll - Twink

- The All Blacks - England - France

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