Mattie Kiely's - Closed

I only found out about this from reading yesterday's Irish Examiner. Incase you're wondering what I'm on about, Mattie Kiely's is a delightfully grotty little chipper on Maylor Street, across the road from Smyth's Toy Shop. Given the dubiously dirty surroundings and menu consisting of only beef burgers, fish and chips, you'd have expected the place to have gone to the wall years ago. Not so. Not only that, but in an age of political correctness, Mattie Kiely was all too happy to taunt and jibe his customers. I'll always remember the first time going into Kiely's and asking for a chicken burger only to be told that if I wanted that sort of luxury, perhaps I'd be better off at the Victoria Hotel! Despite his waspish sense of humour, you never felt like a stranger whenever you stopped by. After being away from Cork for a year and returning for a lunch time feed, Kiely made mention of my absence, suggesting that a coronary from his chips was responsible as he prepared my usual order without needing to ask.

Enjoy the retirement Mattie, Cork will miss you sorely.

The Bodega: Going, going, well not yet.

I haven't seen this reported online yet, so for those of you that don't know, The Bodega has received yet another reprieve. According to todays Irish Examiner, the owners of The Roundy will be leasing The Bodega for five months until TK Maxx move in. This was confirmed by the new owner of the premesis, Owen O' Callaghan.

So now you all get to enjoy "one more night" of The Bodega for the third time.

Cork Anti-War Demonstrations Against British Navy Juggernaut

From page 2 of todays Evening Echo, I've put the interesting bits in bold.

"As Croke Park prepared to welcome the English rugby team on Saturday, the Union Jack was already flying in Cork today as HMS Severn (pictured below) sailed into the city on a courtesy visit.



The patrol vessel, which is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Rex J. Cox, arrived this morning with 32 crew members. The ship, which was built in Woolston Docks, Southampton, and is based at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, is part of the Fishery Protection Squadron on the Royal Navy. It will depart on Thursday."

According to the Irish Examiner and IndyMedia, Anti-War Ireland are protesting this visit of this British "war machine" (words used by one anti-war type). Fearsome stuff indeed, sounds like a veritable deathmongerer! In the interests of fairness though, let's get a bit more details on this machine. This site tells gives us a bit more detail on this fishery protection vessel. The formidable weapons compliment consists of . .

1x20mm BMARC KAA gun, 2 GPMGs

Yep, that's right, three machine guns.

House Prices Falling In Carrigaline.

Buying a house in Carrigaline or the surrounding area? Well buyer beware, because prices in the area have stalled and in many cases, have fallen. Not only that, but the inventory of properties on myhome.ie has increased almost two fold, a similar trend is being repeated at local auctioneers such as Dennehy, Daly and McNamee. With even more developments to come online on Castle Heights and a 100 acre site at Shannon Park being earmarked for development, the property boom in Carrigaline may very well be coming to an end. With job losses in nearby Pfizer and speculation about the removal of Stamp Duty for first time buyers, I think there's scope for further price drops. However, if you must buy right now, don't be afraid to play hardball with auctioneers. I recently viewed a property in the area that was on the market for €400,000, the auctioneer was quite open about accepting an offer as low as €381,000 (the stamp duty threshold).

12 Carrig Avenue, Carrig Na Curra, DOWN €10,000.

€350,000

€340,000

19 Dun Eoin, Ballinrea Road, DOWN €42,500 (price dropped twice!!)

€360,000

€350,000

€317,500

29 Highfield, Ballinrea Road, DOWN €40,000

€340,000

€320,000

€310,000

€300,000 (Sale Agreed)

9 The Close, Waterpark, DOWN €50,000

€350,000

€300,000

30 Waterpark Green, DOWN €20,000

€400,000

€380,000

90 Mount Rivers, DOWN €20,000

€300,000

€280,000

Archella, Ballinrea Road, DOWN €120,000

€720,000

€600,000

6 The Brambles, Heron's Wood, DOWN €30,000

€330,000

€327,000

44 Silverhill, Heron's Wood, DOWN €5,000

€345,000

€340,000

7 Weston Heights, Ballinrea Road, DOWN €5,000

€600,000

€595,000

12 Spring Lane, DOWN €35,000 (price dropped twice!!)

€415,000

€395,000

€380,000

New price drops as of 8th of March!

No. 1 Shrewsbury Park, Fernhill Road DOWN €25,000

€800,000

€775,000

73 Wrenville, Kilmoney Road DOWN €15,000

€360,000

€345,000

14 Kinalea, Nohoval DOWN €2,500

€317,500

€315,000

33 Highfields, Ballea Road DOWN €10,000

€325,000

€315,000

58 Glen Rua DOWN €10,000

€340,000

€330,000

106 Spruce Drive, Ballea Road DOWN €3,000

€298,000

€295,000

Ballea, Forrest Road, DOWN €30,000

€425,000

€395,000

37 Rockboro Heights, Waterpark, DOWN €10,000

€325,000

€315,000

42 Liosbourne, Upper Kilmoney, DOWN €40,000

€415,000

€410,000

€400,000

€375,000

1 The Grove, Herons Wood, DOWN €20,000 (price dropped twice!!)

€325,000

€315,000

€305,000

New price drops as of 8th of March!

30 Dun Eoin Meadow, DOWN €10,000

€350,000

€340,000

27 Kilmoney Heights, DOWN €11,000

€370,000

€359,000

34 Elm Drive, Westwood, DOWN €15,000

€355,000

€340,000

36 The Green, Herons Wood, DOWN €10,000

€335,000

€325,000

It's also interesting to note there are now 10 pages of entries for Carrigaline on daft. Many of the properties that have been listed above are still on the market despite a price fall.

Make what you will of that.

Dick Roche - Delivering on Affordable Housing.

In a fresh initiative to combat spiralling house prices, Dublin citizens who have been priced out on the market are now being given a chance of home ownership. The affordable housing scheme; applies to impovrished persons earning between €45,000 and €58,000 per annum who are unable to afford homes at market price. One hopeful applicant, sucessful strategic manager Geordan Sheehy-Skeffington (pictured below with BMW 7 Series and two wifes), spoke to us about the scheme.



"Roysh goys, I'm rawther miffed here. Loike, how in Gawd's name will I be able to face the goys in the Rugby club knowing I live in Loo-cun, ugh", "I suppose one must make do, afterall, one must keep his family in Prada handbags and Manlo shoes, roysh girls?" he said guffawing.

Later, in the press conference launching the inititave, Minister Dick Roche (pictured below) brushed off suggestions about those earning less than €45,000 a year who didn't qualify for the housing scheme as "inconsequential" and "pointless".



(inset, Dick Roche pouring milk into a political opponents petrol tank)

Podge and Rodge - Saturation Point

Not content with presenting music award shows and presenting their own talk show several times a week, we now get these greasy Podge and Rodge delights.



What started with as a refreshingly different, ten minute show on Network 2 every week has now exploded in an attempt to milk the Podge and Rodge concept dry. I thought the scripted short story format suited Podge and Rodge well. The transition to improv however hasn't suited the talk show well. Too much recycling of clapped out gags and awful Z-list guests promoting their latest bit of unwanted tat. Who would have thought that the original pilot (DVD-rip by the way) would have spawned all this?



Keep flogging the crisps, bed clothes and dolls lads, it won't take long for people to get their fill.

Media Frenzy Descends on Carrigaline

In scenes not witnessed since Kevin Kennedy's visit (aka, Norman "Curly" Watts from TV's Cornation Street), Carrigaline greeted Irish country music sensation, Richie Kavanagh (pictured below in Barry Collins').



In a world exclusive, carrigaline.blogspot photographers fought through throngs of paparazzi to snap the elusive musician. Kavanagh, who has had No.1 chart-smashing hits with "Aon Focail Eile" and "Dick On Her Mind" declined interviews merely grunting "Bebo" before hurridly making his way to his Toyota Hi-Ace van.



Dedicated to RK.

Valentine's Day Job Vacancy

I wonder how they test for flexibility in an interview.

IrishFest, Milwaukee.

Another oldie but goldie, I snapped this shot at the worlds largest Irish Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sinn Féin Attack Harney on Suicide Strategy

Irish Examiner - Wednesday 31st 2007 - Suicide Strategy

"Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has described Health Minister Mary Harney's approach to tackling the issue of suicide as "disgraceful and indefensible".
His criticism comes after the minister's office announced the provision of €1.85 million a year for suicide prevention.
Yesterday Mr. Adams said Ireland has the second highest incidence of suicide in Europe."

I for one applaud Gerry Adams on his uncompromising stance to accept our current status. Let's put Ireland in our rightful position as number one!