Murphys Ice Cream Launch

On Friday the 19th of June we were all very excited to go to Powerscourt Centre for an ice cream party to enjoy some delicious ice cream and sorbets from Murphys.

We took advantage of the very generous samples and had the opportunity to try unusual flavours such as Barry's Tea, Goats Cheese, Brown Bread and Seaweed ice cream - some of which were served on crackers which was a nice touch. The brown bread ice cream had a slightly buttery taste which was unexpected... but good!

To add to the excitement, the kids were delighted by the tasty treats... and two calves, that made the journey up from Kerry especially for the launch. Makes a change from the usual models at these things – yes ice cream parties – that's where they all hang out!

As well as ice cream, the big kids got to taste some delicious ice cream and alcohol cocktails with impressive flavours like mango sorbet sangria, raspberry sorbet margaritas, and many more concoctions with Prosecco... Kir Royale... Baileys... Irish whiskey... yum.

The team from Murphys were fantastic – a huge thank you to everyone who was involved with the event, Niamh, Claire, Sinead, J.P, Gary and a big shout out to Sean and Kieran – the brains behind the business. Having worked with Murphys over the years and it was great to have a party in Dublin to celebrate their first scooping cabinet in the big smoke.

It was a great success and there was a buzz in the atmosphere. Later that evening, everyone went their separate ways with smiles on their faces and full from over indulgence of ice cream. Satisfaction.

For a bit more about Murphys, check out their website and Kieran's Blog at:

http://icecreamireland.com/

http://icecreamireland.com/2009/06/20/ice-cream-party-in-dublin/

Händel, Messiah - free concert

There will be a free performance of Händel's Messiah in Christ Church Cathedral on Fri 19th June. “The Messiah Festival Chorus” is comprised of 3 Choirs from the United States and 1 from London, with over 100 voices.

Händel, Messiah
The 2009 Dublin Messiah Festival Chorus
Conducted by Simon Carrington
Soloists:
Soprano: Roisín O Grady
Alto: Tania Sewell
Tenor: Eugene Ginty
Bass: Jeffrey Ledwidge

Wednesday
19 June 2009
19.00
ENTRANCE FREE (first come - first served basis)

Benefits of using ISRC on your audio/visual recording

What is the ISRC?

The ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the international identification system for sound recordings and music video recordings.

Each ISRC is a unique and permanent identifier for a specific recording which can be permanently encoded into a product as its digital fingerprint. Encoded ISRC provide the means to automatically identify recordings for royalty payments. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recommends that all music producers use ISRC.

Benefits of using ISRC:

The ISRC system is the key to royalty collection for recordings in the digital information age.

• ISRC is a unique, reliable, international identification system.
• ISRC provides a unique tool for the purpose of rights administration.
• ISRC is a useful identification tool in the electronic distribution of music.
• ISRC coding is compatible with standards developed in the field of consumer electronics and is readable by hardware already used in the recording industry.
• ISRC is cost effective - it can be put into operation without requiring special investment in
• equipment or technologies.

SEXTON+ encourage all audio visual producers to incorporate ISRC codes when we produce CDs or DVDs and the cost implication is modest enough.

For more info contact SEXTON.ie
8 South Great Georges Street
Dublin 02
+353.1.670.3100

or:

International ISRC Agency
c/o IFPI Secretariat
10 Piccadilly
London W1J 0DD
United Kingdom
Email: isrc@ifpi.org
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7878 7952

How do my audio CD track-listings show in iTunes or Windows Media Player?

When you play a commercial disc in Windows Media Player or iTunes, it takes a look at your disc and compares it to an online database to do a match up of tracks with their titles. Keep an eye out the next time you stick a new CD into your computer drive - you'll see a message saying something like 'checking database'.

Of course if you are not online (on a plane for example) your player cannot connect to the database. If you stick in an audio CD - no matter what major record label published it - your player cannot return your track listing information because you are not online.

So when you create a new disc, no matter whose software you use, it is unique and until someone enters the info into the database no users will see track names but merely TRACK 1, TRACK 2 etc.. This is regardless of whether you are an independent label or a major studio.

Therefore contrary to what many people believe the info is not burned into the audio CD during the replication process.

However once the database has been updated by a user it will exist each time any computer in the world queries the database.

Don't fret if you normally import your music from CD while you're off-line. The track listings won't show but that's OK - when you go back online at a later point you can ask iTunes to query the database and update your music library in one go. Once you've updated your personal music library once track names will always appear in future - even if you are not online.

If you're an independent record label or an artist publishing your own audio CD you should know about the database and update it before someone else takes it upon themselves to name your tracks! If would like to know more about the database check out our 'Knowledge' link.

On www.sexton.ie you'll find out:

- how to update the worldwide database yourself
- why the database exists
- who operates the database

50% off signage & marketing materials*

FORAS na GAELIGE is offering match-funding* to all Small & Medium Business (SMEs) through two new schemes to promote the use of Irish language.

The scheme will launch in Jan 2009.

Signage Scheme - External:
- Includes new and replacement signage
- Sample signage includes Shop-Front Signs; Business Livery; External Directional Signs, etc
- There is no need to translate the business brand name
- Both text in English and Irish should be the same size

Business Materials' Scheme:
- Includes new and replacment materials.
- Includes general branding, letterheads, e-mail scripts, business cards, memos, receipts
- invoices, HR adverts, publications, Websites,
- Packaging (product naming, labelling, design, etc)
- Internal Signage (direction signs, safety & security signs, automated in-store displays etc);
- Advertising Materials (exhibition stands, brochures, posters, flyers, leaflets, etc).
- Bilingual materials will treat English and Irish equally - this is best practice

* funding is limited to €2000 on external signage and €1000 on various marketing materials. To avail of assistance simply forward your company details on appropriate form along with an estimate to:

aseoighe@forasnagaeilge.ie
or
Áine Seoighe
Foras na Gaeilge
7 Cearnóg Mhuirfean
Baile Átha Cliath 2

SEXTON+ branding will be happy to help you in your application and text/translations:
Contact Kevin or Valentina: +353_1_670_3100

Official Opening of Twisted Pepper by BodyTonicMusic

Off to the grand opening of the TWISTED PEPPER (another venture form the BODYTONIC CREW) this weekend Thurs-Sat (13-15 Nov). See below for full line-ups & details.

Thanks for the passes lads!

Loads of cool stuff coming up including Theo Parrish next week and Carl Craig & Ben Klock week after. Just confirmed: Modeselektor for Mr Jones for a full live & VJ show on 18 Dec. Doors will be at 8pm and tickets are available from www.tickets.ie.


TWISTED PEPPER - OPENING WEEKENDER

THURS 13 NOV - MR JONES
FAKE BLOOD (www.myspace.com/welovefakeblood)
SHORTIE
+ "We Got Your Fashion Right Here" - Mr Jones' Fashion Show

Doors 9pm (free 'til 10pm, e10 after)
www.bodytonicmusic.com/events


FRI 14 NOV- MUD
MUD & Reach Present:
BENGA
FABIO (BBC RADIO 1, UK)
EQUINOX (Bassbin/Inperspective, UK)
SAFETY BOY, RICKY FORCE & COLZ


SAT 15 NOV - POGO
ZEIGEIST (SPEGEL, SWEDEN)
TRUSME (PRIME NUMBERS, UK)
BARRY REDSETTA
DAZBOY & JAMES M

Doors 10pm, Adm e15/e10 Members

www.bodytonicmusic.com
www.myspace.com/thezeigeist
www.myspace.com/trusme



COMING SOON:
BEARDYMAN, BEN KLOCK, BILL BREWSTER, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA (DJ/MC Set), THE BUG & WARRIOR QUEEN, CARL CRAIG, JOKERS OF THE SCENE, KLUTE, MEAT KATIE, MODESELEKTOR LIVE feat. PFADFINDEREI, NATHAN FAKE LIVE, SICK GIRLS, SHED LIVE, SWITCH, THEO PARRISH & lots more.

Check the websites below for more details - don't forget ADVANCE TICKETS are always cheaper than the door when you purchase at tickets.ie


TWISTED PEPPER
54 Middle Abbey St
Dublin 1
www.bodytonicmusic.com/thetwistedpepper
www.bodytonicmusic.com/events
www.tickets.ie

McCain as POW

I hear John McCain's campaign have released photos of him as a POW - guess they want to hammer home his war experience.

I wouldn't have thought it much of a selling point for his skills as President & Commander in Chief of the US forces - I mean let's face it - HE GOT CAPTURED !

Worth looking at this:
Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman interviews professor Mark Crispin Miller on election fraud, voter intimidation, voting machine malfunctions and the Bradley Effect. Miller is the author of "Loser Takes All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, 2000-2008."

Senior citizens protest publiclly following budget

Minister of State for Health John Moloney represented the Government at a senior citizens protest today in Westland Row, but he was loudly heckled and eventually left the microphone without having spoken.

The meeting was to take place in a hotel room with a capacity of 300, but when hundreds of older people began to turn up the meeting was moved to St. Andrew's Church, Westland Row.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore and Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin were all welcomed warmly.

The protest rally was organised by Age Action.

A second rally will take place tomorrow (22 Oct 08), organised by the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament:
Dail Eireann (Kildare Street entrance) Wed 22 Oct, 2008 12.30 - 13.30

The ISC Parliament is run by older volunteers who are elected annually at the Annual Parliament Meeting by delegates from affiliated organisations. The ISCP currently has 400 affiliated organisations whose memberships combine to a total of 100,000 individuals.

This membership means the ISCP has a genuine mandate to be the Voice of Older People in Ireland. The Parliament is organised on a non-sectarian / non-political basis.

Contact Information:
Irish Senior Citizens Parliament
90 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3.
Tel: 01 - 856 1243
Fax: 01 - 856 1245

E-mail: seniors@iol.ie
Web: www.seniors.ie
Blog: www.iscp.wordpress.com

.a voice for children who don't have one

O2 identified IAA (Irish Autism Action) as their charity of choice in 2005. October 08 sees them launch an Affinity scheme for the ABA Schools nationally - they will donate 5% of a customers bill to the schools. This will apply to both prepay and billed users.

The 5% comes out of O2's take and costs the customer absolutely nothing. The customer should FREEtext AUTISM to 50308.
(NB. sending the text is free!)

If you/your company decide to sign up & don’t have a preference for a school for the donation, FIDELMA's friend’s nephew is in:
St. Catherines
Barnacoyle
Co. Wicklow
...they could really do with the extra funding.

To specify that your donation go to that specific school she would need your mobile number and bill payers name for O2
(forward back to us & we'll pass it on).

For more info:
this O2 webpage explains the scheme

Senate Ethics Committee formally reprimanded McCain

American tax-payers are bailing out bankers while being asked to vote for a presidential candidate who was formally reprimanded by the Senate Ethics Committee for his associations with a previous banking scandal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five).

After the savings and loan disaster of the late '80s and early '90s John McCain was accused of improperly aiding one of his major political funders, Charles Keating, chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. Keating's Lincoln Savings and Loan Association took advantage of deregulation in the 1980s to make risky investments with its depositors' money (google it).

With investigators closing in McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating and championed legislation to delay regulation of the industry - that allowed Keating to continue his fraud at massive cost to taxpayers: 20,000 Americans lost their savings but the cost to taxpayers rose further from around $3 billion to, eventually, more than $120 billion.

The Senate Ethics Committee investigated and formally reprimanded McCain for his role in the scandal.

Fast-forward to today's credit crisis where lack of regulation and cozy relationships between the financial industry and Congress has allowed banks to make risky loans and profit by bending the rules.

Is it any wonder that McCain's campaign, in the last few days, have suggested they turn-the-page on the economic question?

Watch the documentary (13 mins) here:
paid for by the Obama Campaign

3 things you may not know about McCain here:

Raw Living Food at the Back Loft

MUREAD HUGHES passed word on that RAW RENEGADE RESTAURANT is creating a gourmet raw & living food restaurant with raw live entertainment in various randoms spaces around Dublin.

Using fine organic ingriedents, Raw will create dishes that have been slowly marinated over days, or gently air cooked at very low temperatures, fermented to create cheese made from nuts, wraps made from seweeds, creams made from sprouted sunflower seeds, deserts from the finest raw organic chrilllo cacao peruvian cacao beans on the planet and more.

3 courses will come in large platters to share with others. All food is wheat, sugar, dairy, gluten, egg, meat & fish free.

Raw promises to "source local, organic produce where available and take, love, pleasure and passion to make your delicious menu ...Raw food is a revoloution for the body, spirit and mind using some of the most amazing ingredients on the planet".


check it out:
THE BACK LOFT
7-11 St Augustine St (off Thomas St)
(now an art space - once DUNNES STORES' sewing factory)

Friday 10th October
19.30 prompt
Cost €35 (includes full meal, music, entertainment, film)

You must book in advance:
Contact: Natasha 087 9743455

Barcelona whistle-stop tour

A couple of weeks ago RICHARD, MICHEÁL and myself hopped over to BARCELONA to hang-out with the one-and-only RAMON (BANKROBBER Records) - the ultimate host. We spent three days bouncing between the launch of GUILLIAMINO's new album to the SIDECAR and, our hands-down favourite, the APOLLO.

We even managed to rendezvous with SIOBHAN O'KELLY who happened to be in BCN for a few days (thanks to AOIFE back-home and her mighty txt finger). Siobhan is based mostly in London these days where she attended the GUILDHALL SCHOOL (training ground for actors like EWAN McGREGOR and RALPH FIENNES - two and a half thousand apply each year but only 15 are accepted to the Guildhall).

We also caught up (far too briefly) with NURIA and MARTINE (of PAYA days) who popped down from CADAQUÉS where KATEANN, RONAN & SULAN visited them during the summer. (Cadaqués was home to SALVADOR DALI and a popular destination for PABLO PICASSO, JOAN MIRÓ and MARCEL DUCHAMP.)

We even managed to take a spin around GAUDI's uncompleted LA SAGRADA FAMILIA - it still a building-site inside but when you wander around it's hard to imagine that this architecture dates from early last century ..it's a perfect example of timeless design.

Where did the summer go?

The blog's been neglected this summer, but it's back when I can squeeze the time to put a few scribbles together. (Didn't even manage to squeeze-in enough DONGAL this year :-( ..will have to do something about that.)

BRITTANY was something else: arrived in BREST (TALL SHIPS 2008), travelled east-ish for Les VIEILLE CHARRUES where we set-up base with the 'ROCK EN SEINE 07' crew (FRÉ, SABRINA plus 25), good music, an audience of around 200,000 and an amazing warm Breton welcome for the Irish.

ELECTRIC PICNIC 08: what can I say? Organiser JOHN REYNOLDS was more than generous to the 'DONEGAL CAMPERS' who rolled-in once again on that iconic VW combi-van and got treated to a fantasy weekend. The positive thinking of 35,000 paid off - there wasn't a drop of rain until around 02.00 on Sunday night - we danced through it while surprise-guests THE ORB blasted BODY & SOUL with HARRY NILSSON '...where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain'.

The Electric Picnic is a wonderful mix of music, fun-fair, circus, theatre, comedy etc. and great food - yep, this year BRIDGESTONE FOOD AWARDS were dished out! Awards, which were devised for Electric Picnic by Bridgestone publishers JOHN and SALLY McKENNA, were given in four categories:

* The Best Dressed Food Award for presentation and style
* The Healthy Buzz Award for seriously healthy food
* The Greenest Gourmet Award for eco-friendliness
* The On Our Doorstep Award for best use of local and regional ingredients

Taking the gong for 'Best Dressed' stall, the MAD HATTER's TEA PARTY, based in the Body & Soul compound, provided festival goers with a picturesque Alice and Wonderland setting to enjoy tea and scones and toasted Gubbeen cheese sandwiches.

The TINY TEA TENT on the VILLAGE GREEN took the 'Greenest Gourmet' award, generating its own electricity through wind and solar power and using its tent to create awareness about deforestation of the tropical rainforest.

Dishing up the best healthy food this year was GOODNESS GRACIOUS, with its healthy salads and exceptionally good veggie burgers. And finally, THE GOURMET OFFENSIVE took the 'On Our Doorstep' award for its tasty and "very good value" cuisine from around the world made from locally sourced produce.

Speaking about the awards Bridgestone publisher John McKenna said: "The simple thing about the Bridgestones is that they are about inspired people who do inspiring work and who have a singular style, which is why we can go from roadside stalls to five star hotels.

"Giving awards to festival stall holders shows that the old fine dining idea of food is purest bunk; good food is good food, wherever, however, thanks to the person and their passion to be good, to be their best. And it's appropriate to give these awards at Electric Picnic, which has always made an effort to be grown up and serious about food, which shows the respect it shows its punters, a respect often missing in festival situations."


ELECTRIC PICNIC - 4, 5, 6 SEPT 2009
TIckets for next year's event go on sale around OCTOBER (10th or so), don't get caught out, they'll be gone in a flash.

more info: www.electricpicnic.ie

Murphys new book

The MURPHY brothers, SEAN and KIERAN are busy as always.

It seems only yesterday that the boys made contact to suss-out the SEXTON+ organisational culture and toy with the idea of inviting us to brand and package their delicious product. We've worked closely together since and the studio lights up when Sean bounces into the studio (nothing to do with the fact that he'd be stocking our freezer with ice cream). The guys are true entrepreneurs, dynamic, ferociously hard-working, inspiring - a pure pleasure to work with.

Now they've written a book - THE BOOK OF SWEET THINGS (MERCIER PRESS, €19.99). 'The brothers are American, but visited Ireland often when growing up because their father is from CORK. They loved Dingle so much they decided to find a way to live there giving up lucrative marketing careers with global brands. With the help of the black Kerry cows, the idea of making ice cream for a living was born.

MURPHYS ICE CREAM is distributed nationally to high-end stores, they have stores in KILLARNEY and DINGLE (we branded their building head-to-toe) and, according to GEORGINA CAMPBELL in the IRISH INDEPENDENT, their Dingle store has become a landmark - 'anyone visiting Dingle will know the cheerful blue and white Murphys shop'.

Check these out:

Kierna's blog is here:

Independent article here:

Book for sale by Mercier Press here:

Ramon wins European Design Award

Wonderful news just in from BARCELONA - RAMON PONSATI has won a prestigious ART DIRECTORS' CLUB of EUROPE design award for his contribution to the POWER OF SEVEN project!

Ramon remains an old friend ever since he contacted the SEXTON+ studio a few years back saying he was interested in collaborating for what was initially supposed to be a couple of months. He flew over to show some amazing work and we instantly hit it off. He returned a few months later and settled-in on Georges Street for what extended to an adventure-filled year and the beginning of what will be a life-long friendship.

Ramon is a partner of the prolific indy label BANKROBBER RECORDS (founded 2002) and remains active on the Barcelona scene where he produces club nights and djs. No surprise, then, that he was one of the main driving-forces - and guest dj - for the launch party of our Georges Street studio which, I think it's no exaggeration to say - went down in history! (The night also featured budding-dj FRANCESO who has since gone on to make a name for himself with THE ITALIAN FACTORY.)

Ramon's background in design and entertainment led to him managing many of our album branding projects - he was also senior designer for a mammoth 500 page, beautifully illustrated, art book which we produced for a world-renowned business family (confidential I'm afraid). The publication was a private commission to be presented as Christmas gifts to international heads-of-state including NELSON MANDELLA and the POTUS (President of the United States) etc..

The Power of Seven project was created by studio ESIETE (BARCELONA) as a tribute exhibition to the designers CHARLES & RAY EAMES in recognition of their passion towards design and life. (In 1977 Charles & Ray Eames created MATHEMATICA: A WORLD OF NUMBERS ..AND BEYOND - and the film POWERS OF TEN - for IBM, a research on the relative importance of things, somewhere between science, art and design. . The original Mathematica Exhibition is now owned by and on display at the NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCES, more info here.)

The result of the Power of Seven exhibition is a collection of silk serigraphs (each 1000 x 700mm) by influential designers of Barcelona’s contemporary scene and their interpretation of el número - the number seven - its symbolisms and beliefs - the magical number.

Congratulations Ramon!

Prints can be purchased at: www.PowerofSeven.com
Search under artist's name

....SHARK on Exchequer St

A few days ago a 6ft shark was thrown off-course and into a net off the south-west coast of Ireland - it eventually wound-up on Exchequer Street in Dublin city centre.

Thanks to the IRISH AVIATION AUTHORITY I got to share that same shark (or as RONAN KEATING says share-shum-shark) with PAULINE MAGUIRE who was in town on a flying visit from MANCHESTER ART GALLERY.

What's the IAA got to do with shark? Well Pauline and I were suffering from wild schedules and - in a break with tradition - couldn't swing-it to meet face-to-face before her return flight. Then everything changed when the IAA stepped-in to announce their radar system was in melt-down and suddenly, along with thousands of others, Pauline was trapped in Ireland (missing JASON's performance-piece in PROJECT SPACE LEEDS). That left me with the pleasure, once-again, of hosting my old friend. She picked me up at the studio and we sauntered around the corner to FALLON & BYRNE to top-up on treats (both dying to chill with some home-cooking after a hectic start to the week).

This is where the shark (eventually) comes back into the script. Though the IAA are doing a fantastic job (!!!) it would be unfair to give them full credit for our unanticipated evening at home. In fact FALLON & BYRNE - in particular their butcher - played the stellar role. He clearly has his ear-to-the-ground because, within hours of the 'shark-call', he had JAWS spread-out on the block downstairs and had convinced us to take a few steaks home for the pan.

Though it's wildly popular in many other parts of the world shark is rare around these parts so there's little or no market here. Shark is a juicy, firm-yet-tender meat with a hint of sweetness. We pan-fried on med-to-high and simmered a two-inch-thick steak for 4 mins each side ..reduced to low and left to simmer for another few mins. The flavour is spectacular so keep it simple and don't distract with herbs. At the very most serve with a wedge of lime on the side, maybe serve with sugar-snap peas or raw baby spinach (save the lime for that).

Get yourself to Fallon & Byrne on your way from work this evening, there's very little left and I'm going back for more.

FALLON & BRYNE
Exchequer Street, Dublin 02
www.fallonandbyrne.com
priced at something like €15 per kilo

we're off to Brittany (not Britney) festival

This time next week the gang of us will have settled into our away-base at LES VIEILLES CHARRUES music festival in BRITTANY. What began 16 years ago as a 'smidgeeen' of a community project has grown into one of the largest musical events in Europe - certainly the biggest in France. It attracts in excess of 150,000 over the course of the July weekend.

According to French newspaper LE MONDE it has somehow managed to 'preserve the friendly chilled-out atmosphere of its beginnings' despite it's remarkable growth.

This is our maiden-voyage to this particular festival so we're trusting Le Monde and the gang of festival hounds we hooked-up with at the ROCK-EN-SEINE FESTIVAL in PARIS last August. We were taken under the wing of an amazing BRETON posse who extended us the hospitality you'd reserve for long-lost brothers. They raved about the unique atmosphere of their festival and made us sign contracts (in blood!) that we'd re-group there - so we're on our way! (Fre and Gabriel flew over and celebrated KATEANN's birthday with us last Easter at CLOMANTAGH CASTLE in KILKENNY.)

What's more Kateann, RÓNÁN and SÚLÁN - who'll be touring around CZECH-GERMANY-FRANCE-SPAIN this month - are taking a detour to join our crew in Brittany!

The festival boasts three of the biggest stages in Europe and is well-known for its somewhat eclectic mix of performers. It's an event thrown in true Breton style; that Celtic sense of diversity, welcoming with open-arms and absence of pretense appears at the heart of the festival’s success so I know we'll feel very much at home.

BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS, MORCEEBA, ETIENNE DAHO, THE KOOKS, SEBASTIAN, THE HIVES, CHRISTOHE MAY, THE WOMBATS, YEAL NAIM, BABYSHAMBLES, MOTORHEAD, ZZ TOP, TONY CLIFTON CIRCUS, QUALITE STREET and on, and on the line-up goes!

RYANAIR fly:
BREST from DUBLIN & LONDON
DINARD from LONDON, BIRMINGHAM, BRISTOL, EAST MIDLANDS
NANTES from DUBLIN, SHANNON, LONDON, BOURNEMOUTH, LIVERPOOL
AERLINGUS fly to RENNES

Further info, line-up, local travel connections:
Les Vieilles Charrues (Carhaix, Brittany)
3 day ticket incl camping €72
4 day ticket incl camping €95

Book tickets at: www.digitick.com
Less expensive at: www.elca-services.ch

get to that exhibition today

Checked out the 5m2 project yesterday, get yourself up there before it finishes later today. We caught live music performances, a puppet show and drama. It was a really well put-together show, never a dull moment.

I bumped into my old italian teacher, FRANCESCA, from the cultural institute - it turns out she was exhibiting and also one of the show's 3 curators.

We spent hours at the show and then shot across to PIEDESCALSO at the top of the street. We ordered and watched the rain pelt down - a surreal day. SÚLÁN chose the vegetarian pasta with home-made pesto, pine nuts and parmasean cheese which he loved, KATEANN had the veg anti-pasto, EOGHAN ordered home-made ravioli and I opted for an authentic carbonara which exceeded my expectations.

The guys were a bit swamped so service was on the slow side, but we were in no rush and it added to the random, relaxed atmosphere. They serve the best tiramisu in Dublin!

5m2 Art Project this weekend ONLY

DELLA writes to let us know about an interesting creative event taking place for two days only this Saturday and Sunday (5th & 6th June).

'5m2' is a week-end of exhibitions and performances which will run from 12:00 until late, near CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL in DUBLIN city centre. It's described as a multimedia event of art, music and exhibitions which will encompass approximately fifty artists including musicians from different countries and backgrounds, painters, photographers, writers, actors, poets, comedians, filmakers and dancers. There will also be a space for screening short films.

The title of the project comes from the fact that both visual artists and performers have each been allocated a space of 5 square metres to do their 'thang'.

Keep an eye out for ENDA CAVANAGH who'll be exhibiting over the weekend. Enda just launched his new venture with a website of architectural photography and landscapes. In a couple of weeks it'll be possible to securely-buy original framed prints on-line at www.endacavanagh.com). I saw in the summer-solstice dawn with Enda, FIDELMA, KATEANN and CONOR down at the SPENCER TUNICK photo shoot at RINGSEND a few weeks back - RONAN modelled, we were the back-stage crew.

5m2 is organized by three Italian artists living in Dublin: ALBERTO GARIGLIO, FRANCESCA LaMORGIA, and SARA RANIERI.

Expect a day sprinkled with all sorts of music and spontaneous performances - why not mosey along and show your support for these newcomers.

LA CATEDRAL STUDIOS are in the BACK LOFT on ST. AUGUSTINE STREET which is off THOMAS STREET near Christ Church Cathedral. It could be a perfect opportunity to check out PIEDESCALSO cafe while you're at it!

Support the sponsors:
INSTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA
ARUP
PIEDESCALSO

5m2 Art Project (Five Square Meters Art Project)
THE BACK LOFT
c/o La Catedral Studios
7-11 ST. Augustine St.
Dublin 08
www.5m2.weebly.com

Exhibtion runs for two days only: 5-6 July, 2008

ECB raised interest rates, as expected

As we expected the European Central Bank raised interest rates by a quarter percentage-point today - it brings benchmark rates to 4.25 per cent, the highest since September 2001. The ECB acted because euro-zone inflation rose to 4 per cent last month, while the bank's medium-term goal is just over the 2 per cent mark.

Based on this borrowers would see their monthly repayments increase: by roughly €15 for every €100,000 borrowed on a 20-year mortgage, and around €16 per €100,000 on a 30-year term.

This presumes that lenders will pass-on the increase, in-full, to mortgage holders. Although this is the most likely scenario a strong case could be made for restraint and imagination by the banks.

A phased-in increase would unquestionably hurt their profit-margins in the short-term but I'd say look at the longer-term, weather this storm and facilitate a speedier return to profitability.

There are already some very stretched borrowers around who need another month or two to grieve for the times they naively thought were rock-solid and to adjust for increased costs with scaled-down lifestyles.

While 0.25% may sound small it will be read in the context of a further 0.25% looming in the wings for next quarter. An unwise move now could prove to be the straw that broke the camel's ailing back - it would be hara-kiri to trigger a wave of repossessions which would serve to tear the value off the thousands of properties the banks, in reality, own.

Not only that but it would the economy's recovery on ice for at least a further 12 months ..and by recovery I mean a return to sustainable levels of borrowing (ie. increased turnover for the banks). However what makes this difficult to balance is that even before today's increase they were already borrowing at much higher levels to service their own debts.

While staggering or passing-on a smaller increase (by narrowing the margin-of profit they add to the ECB base-rate) may appear to counter-act the ECB's action against inflation I'd hedge my bets that that cloud hanging over-head would have the desired effect of slowing spending down ...take note credit-card addicts!!

If I were Brian Cowan that's the argument I'd have put to the bank chiefs last week. I might also have phoned my buddies in IRISH INDEPENDENT NEWPAPERS and told them to keep pushing the 'things are getting bad' line in a further effort to cool-down spending.