Irish Broadband Subscribers Continue To Get Shafted!

ONCE AGAIN it seems Ireland is leading the race to the bottom of the pile when it comes to the provision of quality broadband services. Read more

Broadband In Ireland Finally Gets Moving

THE IRISH BROADBAND market got a much needed shot in the arm today with the announcement that ComReg (the Commision for Communications Regulation) has directed Eircom to slash its LLU line share pricing by 65 percent, effectively droppng the wholesale price for LLU line share from €8.41 to €2.94 for other operators in the broadband market. Read more

In Bruges, Or Father Ted By Any Other Name…

THERE ARE MANY words and expressions I could use to describe this film; darkly funny, twisted, unsettling, poignant in parts obvious in others, outrageous, anti-American, politically incorrect, mad… but I have to admit having seen it yesterday and had time to reflect upon it overnight I think the one overwhelming thing that strikes me is the amazing resemblence that “In Bruges” has to “Father Ted” and the lads from Craggy Island.

Before I get into that I suppose I’d better do the usual summary for anyone out there (living under a rock) who doesn’t know about this film yet. The basic plot revolves around a couple of Irish hit men who have to cool their jets “In Bruges” and wait for further instructions after a hit goes terribly wrong. That’s not exactly everything that’s going on in the film, but it’s close. The plot is quite simple and the pretext is obvious, hell the ending is even obvious, but the fun is how we get there via the two central characters/hitmen in Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson). It’s easy to assume the lads were just told to turn up, drink beer and shoot from the hip with this movie because the performances are so effortless, Irish to the core and great fun (especially the seemingly endless politically incorrect situations and conversations) and inevitably (it is irish after all) the film is a darkly comedic tale of retribution and redemption.

It’s the characters of Ken and Ray that make this film worth every cent/penny/dollar. The interaction between the younger, slightly simple but enthusuastic Ray and the older, wiser and worldly Ken are just a joy to behold. Let’s face it, any film with manky hookers, coke, midgets, irish lads on the lash, political incorrectness, gun play and blood is a winning combination!

But the one thing that sticks with me after the film is how close the relationship between Ken and Ray is to the – now legendary – relationship between Father Ted and Father Dougal on Craggy Island. If you don’t know what “Father Ted” is then you really have been living under a huge rock – it’s one of the most original, irreverent and funniest comedies to have come out of Ireland in the 1990s about the trials and tribulations of two catholic priests on a remote island off the cost of Ireland. It was hugely contentious because it was taking the piss out of the clergy, but it’s success rested on the performances of two central characters – Father Ted and Father Dougal – and you should go buy whatever DVDs or download whatever episodes you can because this is legendary comedy at it’s best.

So how the hell did I make the leap from “In Bruges” to “Father Ted”?… Read more

Are These The Actual Options For Famous Guinness Dublin Brewery?

USUALLY IT’S A CASE of the public sampling Guinness, on a fairly regular basis it has to be said, but this evening I took part in a survey – completely by coincidence – where Guinness were sampling their customer base in advance of potentially huge changes for the ailing company.

Things have not been going well for Guinness in recent years. I used to work there, up until 2001, and even then market share was dropping with alarming regularity. Although overall share prices are on the up for Diageo – the parent company – the Guinness brand is in trouble. Drink driving legislation, take home trade market growth and more ‘fashionable and younger’ drinks are all taking their toll on the old diehard brand.

Guinness of course have attempted to fight back with clever marketing campaigns and adverts, with new products and options for the younger and more discerning drinker (Guinness Red anyone?… Meh!), hell they’ve even developed some “Surge” technology to enable the ‘perfect pint’,  but none of it seems to be making that much difference to the downward slide in performance.

Even when I was working there the rumours of the Brits closing down the St. James Gate brewery were always a regular topic of conversation at the lunch table, or indeed over a pint or two. Up to now it’s been speculation, but more recently this particular rumour seems to have gathered some speed and momentum. Back in June this year Diageo confirmed they were looking at options, but remained elusive on what those options actually were. 

The survey I completed online tonight kind of reinforces (for me anyway) the idea that the Diageo management team are serious about taking a long hard look at their options for the home of Guinness this time around, and in particular they seemed to have refined said options down to just a few fairly key ones.

So, what variations are they looking at then? Well, you might be surpsied to know that there are four distinct options on the menu – according to the survey anyway -as follows:- Read more