The most important thing to consider

Ruff work for Texas cops A DOG in Texas reported itself missing last week, after strolling through the doors of a local police department and putting his paws up on the counter (right).

The dog entered Odessa Police Department in Texas and hopped up onto the counter, though he didn’t seem distressed at all.

Speaking to The Dodo, Sergeant Rusty Martin said everyone played with the dog for a short while, whilst trying to find his owners.

Sergeant Martin said: “We were all excited to have him in the building. We had a tennis ball and threw it in the lobby for a bit. Everyone loved him.”

The dog was wearing a collar when he arrived at the station, but the ID tag had apparently fallen off, so animal control came to check for a microchip.

However, the dog had other ideas, and left the station before animal control could arrive.

“He ran out just as quick as he came in,” Sergeant Martin posted online. “The owner responded the next day [to say that] it was his dog and he had returned home. He lives about a mile from the station.” The dog was wearing a collar when he arrived at the station, but the ID tag had apparently fallen off, so animal control came to check for a microchip. came in,” Sergeant Martin posted online. “The owner responded the next day [to say that] it was his dog and he had returned home. He lives about

THIS WEEK’S TOP TWEETS As much as I would like to believe I’m not an Irish stereotype, I did just use the buffet in this 4-star London hotel to make a ham and cheese roll for lunch later. @samwhatislife

This Jamaican man I work with was telling me a story about when he worked in Tallaght ,and this fella got hit by a car, and another man went over to him and asked him ‘Where are ye bleeding from?’ And the fella on the ground goes ‘Clondalkin’! Hahaha you couldn’t write it. @georgiaashiels A slice of apple pie is $1.40 in Jamaica, and $2.60 in the Bahamas. These are the pie rates of the Caribbean. @StephanieYeboah

Yesterday I met my arch nemesis. It was a Trinity masters student who came on my campus tour. He already knew everything and ruined all my punchlines, exposing how scripted my jokes are and that I am not organically funny. Also did not tip. @mistress_mick

Gwen Stefani was right. Don’t speak. @ellisadaydreams

A NEW month brings a host of new content to Netflix. March sees the return of cult favourites such as Ozark and Better Call Saul, as well as new series and original content. Here’s a flavour of just some of the content making its way onto the streaming service as Spring finally kicks into gear!

Bloodride This is a Norwegian anthology series that blends horror with dark Scandinavian humour, setting each distinct story in its own realistic yet weird universe. 100 Humans Some 100 diverse volunteers participate in experiments that tackle questions about age, gender, happiness and other aspects of being human.

(March 20) Self Made This limited series is inspired by the incredible true story of Madam CJ Walker, who was the first African-American female self-made millionaire.

The Platform In a prison where inmates on high floors eat better than those below, who get the scant scraps, one man tries to effect change so everyone gets enough.

The English Game In 1870s England, two footballers on opposite sides of a class divide forge a bond that helps bring the upper-class gentleman’s sport to the masses.

Better Call Saul: Season 5 Changing his name to Saul Goodman, Jimmy recruits a new crop of clients.

Tiger King A rivalry between big cat eccentrics takes a dark turn when Joe Exotic, a controversial animal park boss, is caught in a murder-for-hire plot in this limited docuseries.

(March 25) Curtiz Driven and arrogant, film director Michael Curtiz deals with studio politics and family drama during the troubled production of “Casablanca” in 1942.

(March 27) Mark of the Devil When two sisters open an ancient book that ushers evil into their midst, a possessed priest wrestling with his own demons becomes their only salvation.

‘We’ve gone for little bits of Pop and Hip-Hop to give it a modern edge’ HUDSON TAYLOR | SLOW-FORGED SUCCESS

BROTHERS Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor are, musically at least, very much a product of the Dublin streets.

Long-time buskers Hudson Taylor have evolved over a decade into a traveling Folk-Pop juggernaut – a slow-forged success that has pushed from the corner of Grafton Street to American tours  JAMES HENDICOTT

and European adventures. They’re now feeding that travel experience back into their work.

New album, Loving Everywhere I Go, is very much a nod to the highs of it all. “Being in New York, doing support slots for Hozier, and the EPs being recorded in Seattle, the hub of Grunge, gave us a mixture of genres and influences that are not necessarily conscious, but you allow them all to feed in,” Alfie Hudson-Taylor tells us.

“The songwriting is very influenced by our travels. We started working on this album back in 2017 in Seattle, and it would have been out a while ago, apart from the Hozier tour happening, so we did an EP instead, and toured that.

“For the album, the producer really challenged us to try new things.

“There are little bits of Pop and Hip-Hop that give it a modern edge. It’s not brash, but they’ve been captured in a way that we really like.

“Some people think we’re real Folky and acoustic, others think it’s really Pop. It seems to depend on what they normally listen to.

“So we’re in a weird spot, but that makes it very fun to work on the sections of our songs. We sit in this kind of ‘live band’-type space,” he said.

Those times back on Grafton Street feed in too, sometimes literally, like in the lyrics to their homecoming Christmas song, How I Know It’s Christmas, a nod to returning to Dublin after time away.

They even played it back on Grafton Street last

Christmas.

“The common thread for us has been that people like how we sound live,” Harry explains.

“I don’t think the records have always been as good as we sound live. With this new album in particular, I think it does it justice.

SINGER, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker is back with his fourth studio album under the Tame Impala guise. Since Currents (2015), the Australian psychpop outfit’s third album, Parker has decided to spend much of the past half-decade producing and collaborating with pop music royalty such as Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson and Travis Scott.

So, given that it’s five years on, and with Parker’s recent dabbling into the world of super-slick pop music in mind, how does The Slow Rush shape up?

From the outset, it’s clear that Parker’s production on The Slow Rush has taken a detour from Currents’ polished and spaced-out musical offering.

Instead, The Slow Rush shares more characteristics with Lonerism, Parker’s second record.

L u s h a n d l aye re d instrumentation can be found from the first track to the last with the phaser and flanger guitar pedal seemingly used in abundance and in an indiscriminate fashion. The songwriting on the record also has more in common with Lonerism, too.

On the track, Posthumous Forgiveness, Parker croons about the loss of his father at an early age and how he wishes he made amends with him before he passed away, while on It Might Be Time, Parker discusses the aging process and his own mortality.

At times, on tracks such as One More Hour, and Tomorrow’s Dust, Parker’s vocals can get washed out by the tsunami of guitar and synth tones, pushing REVIEW | TAME IMPALA Taking on time in The Slow Rush

his words to the background and forcing the listener to believe they’re not as important as perhaps originally intended. However, for the most part, The Slow Rush delivers on where perhaps Currents did not.

The songwriting feels m o re c o m p l e te a n d well-rounded, while the grooves offered on Instant Destiny and Breathe Deeper provide good diversity amongst the flow of the track listing. Overall, The Slow Rush is a great psych-pop record with some gorgeous production, fine songwriting and infectious grooves, making it a highly-recommended Spring listen.

JAMIE CULLUM, MARCH 9 Bord Gais Energy Theatre PRICE: €46+

AFTER the release of his new album, Taller, critically acclaimed musician and songwriter Jamie Cullum returns to the stage for a 2020 tour.

His dynamic live performances have always captured the attention of the audience through Jamie’s undeniable energy, boundless talent and stage presence.

With 10 million album sales, to date, and his successful BBC Radio 2 Radio show, Jamie is a celebrated musician the world over with loyal fans in every corner of the globe

“If anything, we might struggle to replicate some of the recordings on stage. “We tried to sound like the best take of four rather than 14 this time – a bit more organic than we’d done before in the studio, and that seemed to work for us.” The result is happygo-lucky at times, and thoughtful at others; lyrically smart and almost carefree in its harmonies. “We’re collecting our thoughts now, really,” the brothers joked ahead of the release. “The tunes are anything from seven years old to one year old, and there’s loads for us to talk about.

“It’s really nice to finally get to speaking about all of this, but we can only really talk about it so much – after that, it has to be about the music.

“The best thing that’s happened to us has been living in two different cities, surprisingly. We used to put off working.

“Now we’re based half in Dublin and half in Brighton, we have to make the most of our time, and that really works for us. We can’t put things off.” “I don’t know how Harry feels,” Alfie says, “but now I feel like our last album is nasty. I’ll probably never listen to it again.”

H u d s o n Ta y l o r ’ s album, Loving Everywhere I Go, is out now. They play the Olympia on April 24.

THEATRE | RODDY DOYLE’S TWO PINTS Reflection and mirth at The Olympia

RODDY Doyle is bringing one of his most popular creations home to Dublin this Summer. After very well received performances in pubs across Ireland, as well as on tour in the US and UK, Doyle’s play – Two Pints – is coming to The Olympia Theatre in August. After starting out life as a conversation on Facebook, Two Pints has grown into a popular play featuring two men who meet for a pint, chew the fat and set the world to rights.

Doyle said: “I sat in the kitchen one evening and, feeling as if I was just about to press a button and perhaps destroy the world, I opened a Facebook account.

“I was a bit mystified at first, and I didn’t really know what to do with it. “Then Obama and the Queen of England came to Dublin, and there was a bit of merriment and giddiness around the place that had been absent since the collapse of the economy, and it was great. “So I just imagined these two men, slightly older than myself, sitting at a bar and chatting about it all. “I posted it on Facebook and the reaction was terrific.”

Following the positive response online, a tragic event in Doyle’s life became the catalyst for Two Pints to become a play.

Doyle said: “Some months after my father had died, I met a man in London and we talked about the possibility of [his dad’s death] being a play. He had been through a similar experience – his mother had died recently.

“We were talking about the whole rhythm of your life when this occurs, going to the hospital, and very soon, we were laughing. “At the end of the conversation, I thought in the back of my mind that I had a plot that would last the right length for a play.”

Starring Liam Carney and Philip Judge, and directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, Doyle is really looking forward to the Two Pints Summer run at The Olympia.

The author added: “In 1987, I saw my first play, Brownbread, being performed on the Olympia stage.

“Now, 33 years later, I’ll be seeing Two Pints on the same stage. I’m delighted.”

Tickets for Two Pints, which runs at The Olympia from August 18-29, priced €26, are available now via Ticketmaster.ie, Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and The Olympia’s box office, telephone 0818 719 330. thought in the back of my mind that I had a plot that would last the right length for a play.” ip Judge, and directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, Doyle is really looking forward to the Two Pints Summer run at The Olympia. first play, Brownbread, being performed on the Olympia stage. Roddy Doyle (centre) with actors Liam Carney and Philip Judge. Picture: loen Farrell/Photocall Ireland

MARCH 5 (Thursday) The Script @ 3Arena, €42+ Hayseed Dixie @ Whelan’s, €21 Choice Music Prize @ Vicar Street, €28 Lyra @ The Academy, €17 Una Keane @ Pepper Canister Church, SOLD OUT

MARCH 6 (Friday) Jon Hopkins @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €40 The Script @ 3Arena, €42+ The Picturebooks @ Whelan’s, €16 Vernon Jane @ The Academy, €17

MARCH 7 (Saturday) The Fureys @ Vicar Street, €35 YBN Cordae @ The Academy, €25 The Script @ 3Arena, €42+ Georgia @ The Academy Green Room, €14

MARCH 8 (Sunday) Lewis Capaldi @ 3Arena, €36+ Eden @ The Olympia Theatre, €27 The Vapors @ Whelan’s, €18 Tung In Cheek @ The Workman’s Club, €5

MARCH 9 (Monday) Lewis Capaldi @ 3Arena, €36+ Jamie Cullum @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €46+

MARCH 10 (Tuesday) Halsey @ 3Arena, €50+ Gabrielle Aplin @ The Olympia Theatre, €23

MARCH 11 (Wednesday) Arlo Parks @ The Grand Social, €15 Baby Rose @ The Academy 2, €18 Jon Herington @ Whelan’s, €26

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Mum’s the word for a staycation thank-you TRAVEL | YOU NEEDN’T GO FAR FOR A GREAT BREAK staycation thank-you

FOOD | INNOVATIVE IDEAS ON THE WAY

SHANE DILLON Travel Editor

IF, LIKE ME, you have the best mum in the world, why not show how much you care this Mother’s Day with a gift she’ll love?

Here are a couple of ideas to help put a smile on your mum’s face, with another great suggestion in the panel below ...

Killenard The Heritage in Killenard, County Laois, have a perfect package to enjoy with your mum – a two-night break with all the ingredients of a fantastic getaway, afternoon tea, dinner in its beautiful new restaurant, a pampering spa treatment and even a 10% discount for nearby Kildare Village.

Make your way through the picturesque village of Killenard and arrive at the luxurious hotel before catching up over a delicious afternoon tea on arrival.

Head to the award-winning spa for a pampering one-hour spa treatment; choose from an Inner Calm massage or Restore and Revive Facial.

You can also while away the hours in the relaxing Heritage Spa Experience (Above, above left) Turn to The Shelbourne for a luxury spa treament and stay; alternatively, head out of Dublin to nearby Killenard, where The Heritage (left) also o ers a spa treatment, afternoon tea, and even a shopping discount

Thermal Suite.

A different sort of therapy is available at Kildare village nearby, where you can indulge in retail therapy with the fantastic 10% discount.

As part of this package, you can also enjoy dinner in the beautifully refurbished restaurant, Blake’s. The Mother’s Day Relax and Unwind package includes two nights B&B, afternoon tea, dinner on one evening, access to the two-hour spa experience and a one-hour spa treatment each, and a 10% discount card for Kildare Village Shopping, priced from €239PPS.

For further information, see www.theheritage. com, or call 057 864 5500. Dublin Closer to home, or for those of you who want to bring mum up to ‘the big smoke’, Mother’s Day at The Spa at The Shelbourne begins with a relaxing back massage, followed by a rejuvenating essential steps facial.

The luxury treatment finishes with a stylish mini manicure in The Salon, with Mother’s Day at The Spa at The Shelbourne an 85-minute treatment that’s available throughout all of March, for €145 per person, making it a mother’s day present that is ready whenever she is. With seven elegant treatment rooms, and a uniquely opulent relaxation room overlooking St Stephen’s Green, The Spa at The Shelbourne will give your mum a lavish five-star spa experience. And, if you’re looking to treat your mum to a night in the heart of the city, stay overnight in the lavish hotel from €299 per room, including parking.

For further information, see www.theshelbourne. com, or phone 01 663 4000.

RACHEL D’ARCY SPOIL your mum this Mother’s Day with an overnight stay at the stunning Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort in Blessington. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Wicklow Mountains and Blessington Lakes, and just 40 minutes from Dublin, it’s the perfect spot for a small getaway with your mum to treat her to some luxury this year.

The hotel’s Mother’s Day Package – from €105PPS – includes an overnight stay in a luxury room, a gift from the luxury resort for your mum, and a full Irish breakfast and dinner in its newly renovated restaurant, Fia Rua.

On arrival as part of the package, you’ll be treated to Tulfarris Tipples afternoon tea, served in the 18th Century manor house where you and your mum can enjoy an assortment of sandwiches, pastries and more, all accompanied by a wide variety of teas, coffees or a Tulfarris Tipple cocktail.

Tulfarris Tipples afternoon tea can also be booked throughout March to celebrate your mum, at €30PP, which also includes a complimentary gift and a Tulfarris Tipple cocktail. Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort includes the luxury 4-star hotel, championship golf course, clubhouse and several restaurants and bars.

For further information on Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort, or to make a booking, see www.tulfarrishotel.com or call 045 867 600. Spoil your mum with a terrific Tulfarris stay

THE first food deliveries by drone in Ireland will take place in University College Dublin’s (UCD) campus at the end of March.

Manna, a drone delivery company, has acquired a fleet of drones to deliver food directly from the restaurant to the customer – staff and students on campus. The food will be transported inside the cargo area of the drone and will hover about 10m above the ground before lowering the order to the customer on a biodegradable piece of string.

Manna says the whole process in the pilot takeaway food delivery service at UCD should only take a few seconds.

The company has so far signed up takeaway service Just Eat and restaurant chain Camille Thai as its first partners, with more planned to join during the year. Social entrepreneur Bobby Healy (pictured), who founded Manna, said he was “extremely proud of the team and what we have built”.

He added: “It is a pleasure to work with such highcalibre partners on our project in Dublin – our first European launch, in UCD.

“It’s clear that drone delivery provides a faster, cleaner, safer, cheaper and higher-quality alternative to road-based delivery. We are excited about how that will improve the world.” New delivery system worth droning about

INDEPENDENT craft brewer Brewdog is inviting its customers to return empty cans in return for a stake in the business. The Scottish brewery, which was founded in 2007 and first arrived in Dublin last year, says you can return 50 empty Brewdog cans to its Dublin bar on the docklands for one share in the company.

The initiative, entitled Cans For Equity, is part of the brewery’s Brewdog For Tomorrow scheme in a bid to encourage more sustainable businesses practices among the brewing industry.

The Brewdog for Tomorrow scheme also includes five other initiatives, including Once Beer Vodka, where imperfect beer is distilled into vodka, and DIY DOG, which encourages home brewing to reduce transport miles. Can it – if you want to get a stake in business

Top tips to find your perfect mattress for a good night’s sleep

HAVE you ever woken up and felt like a train has hit you in your sleep? Or do you watch every hour on the clock go by as you toss and turn in bed? If the answer is yes, the problem could literally lie in your mattress!

Here are some mattress testing tips from EZ Living so you can sleep in style.

MATTRESS TESTING TIPS:

1. Ever hear the phrase, “You shouldn’t go shopping when you’re hungry”? The same applies for mattress testing.

You should never go mattress shopping when you’re tired because no matter what type of mattress you lie on, if you’re tired, you’ll find anything comfy! Get a good night’s sleep before you make the investment. 2. The length of the mattress is just as important as its width. A mattress should be 10-15cm longer than its tallest sleeper.

3. It is essential that the comfort of the bed is just as important as its quality. You should never compromise on comfort over quality, and you should never compromise on quality over comfort. Some people make the mistake of going for the most expensive mattress as they assume it is “the best”. However, the most expensive mattress might not necessarily fit your own personal needs.

4. To find the perfect mattress, you’ll need more than just sitting on the edge and giving it the occasional bounce or two. You don’t sleep sitting on the edge, so why let that be the deciding factor? If you’re a side sleeper, lie on your side, if you’re a ‘starfish’ sleeper, become the star that you are. You should lie in every position you would normally lie in.

5. The most important thing to consider when selecting a mattress is to confide in a knowledgeable salesperson. Researching online will only get you so far. Therefore, to get a proper diagnosis of your needs, a highlytrained salesperson will point you in the right direction. trained salesperson

The EZ Living Furniture Mattress Madness Sale starts today – Thursday March 5. For more information see www.ezlivingfurniture.ie For more information see

Keep it simple and bring the outside in HOME | SPRUCE UP YOUR HOME WITH SPRING FLAIR

THE DAYS are getting a bit longer, although Winter still seems to have a bit of a chilly grip outside. But have no fear – you can certainly turn your home into a little oasis with a dash of green and bring the outside in – without the icy winds, of course!

Fresh neutrals, such as white and light woods, combined with shoots of fresh, green plants and scented candles, will bring your decor a step closer to warmer seasons.

The quickest way to get this look is to change up your heavier textiles (such as pillows and blankets) to lighter versions. Choose colours such as white and beige and bring in a hint of a tropical jungle with plant-inspired patterns (such as palm leaves in the cushion below) and then fill your room with plenty of green plants.

Littlewoods Ireland Palm Leaves Cushion €31.99

LET SPRING BEGIN AND FILL YOUR HOME WITH FRESH NEW ACCESSORIES, PLENTY OF PLANTS AND SCENTED CANDLES

Next Je erson White Bench Set €650

Penneys Buddha ornament €7

Penneys Green Hexagon Wild Mint And Sage Candle €3

Next woven co ee table €216

WITH EASTER just around the corner, Søstrene Grene has gathered a selection of cracking good Easter products, including colourful eggs, lovely ornaments, fine linen napkins and creative DIY projects for all the family to enjoy.

Let pastel colours adorn your home, inside and out, with beautiful decorations, or create a fun Easter egg hunt in the garden.

These Easter products will help to create the perfect atmosphere and capture magic and fun-filled moments for the occasion. These whimsical products will be available in stores from March 12. Capture the magic of Easter with whimsical decorations