Contemporary Ireland #3

Tipple: Famous faces launch whiskey brand

So Russell Crowe, Ronan Keating, and Ryan Tubridy walk into a bar…

No, this isn’t the start of one of the more outlandish jokes you’ve heard this week. These are just some of the celebrity names who’ve stepped up to endorse, in person, the opening of new premises for The Muff Liquor Company in Co. Donegal. 

Rumour has it that Ed Sheeran is on the investors panel too, but he didn’t manage to make it to Muff for the opening.

Aul Ed’s absence aside, things are looking swell for the Muff crowd, who are said to have an initial order of a whopping 30,000 cases of booze for the US market already. Not bad going atal!

Getting Cultured: 2024 Culture Night kicks off

Every year, Ireland’s national celebration of all things arts and culture comes about with Culture Night in late September. This year’s iteration is happening on Saturday the 20th, and promises a full roster of exciting events all over the country.

“Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir celebrates culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and every day.”, writes the Arts Council.

This year’s schedule spans the classics — dance, drama, loads of live tunes — and the more off-the-wall, like tattooing lessons and a nocturnal DJ music trail.

Trippin’: Giants wandering the Wild Atlantic

Two of the island of Ireland’s most established road trips, the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route, are going to be linking up, it seems. The WAW already stretches a massive 2,500km along the west coast of Ireland, while the Causeway Coastal Route runs just shy of 200km.

Head honchos at the helm of Irish tourism have made the call to create closer links between these two iconic routes, for which 7.6 million euro has apparently been allocated. The Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Simon Harris, reckons it’s money well spent, as “linking the two routes could help boost economic tourism and visitor numbers, especially in the north west”.

Legging It: Students run length of country for charity

Three Belfast students, Ross Clarke, Mark Lecane, and Jake McBride, have become the youngest known people to run the entire length of Ireland. The lot of them, aged just 21, set off to run the 345 mile distance in aid of life saving charities, Macmillan Cancer Suport and Marymount Hospital and Hospice Service in Cork. Fair play, the lads.

Centre Stage: Musical ‘Hamilton’ to come to Ireland

It’s not every day that a musical becomes the fastest-selling show to grace the epic Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin, but that’s the craic with the heralded show ‘Hamilton’. It sold a staggering 90,000 tickets on its first day; imagine!

‘Hamilton’ writer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is said to have earned some of his drama chops as an extra on the Sopranos. A year later, his now-famous hip-hop musical transferred to Broadway. Is that giving you ‘Tick Tick BOOM!’ vibes? Lin-Manuel Miranda directed the film, starring Andrew Garcia.

The American musical has been taking audiences by storm for more than a decade and Irish fans have long awaited the show coming to the Emerald Isle. The show opens in Dublin on September 20th and runs until November 16th.

Ploughing On: National Ploughing Championships 2024

If you’ve never been, trust us when we say that Ireland’s annual Ploughing Championships really is something to behold. You don’t have to be a farmer to appreciate the goings-ons, either. The event is a buzzing hodgepodge of agricultural demos, market stalls, food trucks, and craic. 

The event ran from September 17th to today, September 19th, in Ratheniska Co. Laois. Visitors were absolutely blessed with blazing sunshine throughout the event — a welcome change after the decidedly wet Irish summer we’ve had this year.

Washed Up: Smuggler’s ship to become wildlife habitat

The MV Shingle smuggled millions of euro worth of tobacco and cigarettes through Irish waters, leaching huge sums of money from the Irish state. The boat was seized by Revenue Commissioners in 2014 and was found to have 32 million ciggies and 4.5 tonnes of tobacco onboard — representing a loss of 14 million euro to the Exchequer.

Well, it’s certainly set to pay its dues now, as it’s been intentionally sunk to the seabed to become a wildlife sanctuary — and Ireland’s first artificial reef. The MV Shingle now sits 29 metres below sea level. Not only is the sunken ship going to serve as a much-needed habitat for the sea life in Killala Bay, Co. Mayo, but it’s also set to become a huge attraction for divers.

Influencer: Techno Grandad

It's 2024 so why not be Techno Grandad, posting your fave techno tunes to TikTok? That's what has got Tommy Logan, 66, worldwide fame!

Revamp: Waterford gets papped

Originally thought to have been a Viking colony, Waterford has been getting some international attention in the press this year and has joined ranks with Paris, Maui, and Valencia as the NYT’s top places to go in 2024. Not only that, but the east coast town has also earned a top spot in Condé Nast’s top travel destinations list 2024, too. 

While this may seem out of the blue to some, in reality, the likes of The Guardian have been touting Waterford’s glory for years now. 

And what’s not to love? Viking history, fabulous public gardens, famous crystal, quirky museums, and a gateway-by-sea to mainland Europe. Waterford has plenty going for it!

Nyummies: ‘Hamley Kitchen’ heads for the States

Paula MacIntyre’s famous culinary show, ‘Hamley Kitchen’, has returned for its new US edition of the much-loved series. The Northern Irish chef has been adventuring all over America, tracking down the influence of the Ulster-Scots in American cuisine.

Since Paula blasted over to the States, she’s been cooking up a storm with famous faces, like Rachel Parton George — Dolly Parton’s sister. The pair cooked up some catfish together and are said to have had an absolute hoot filming the episode.

Strummin’: Celebs make way to West Cork for guitar fest

Now in its 20th iteration, The Clonakilty Guitar Festival has long brought fans and artists alike down to West Cork. This year, the event is running from today until the 22nd and features a line-up that’d make any guitarist worth their weight in picks slightly wobbly at the knees.

Local Irish talent like The Brothers Clague and Niamh Regan have many fans a’jitter, while old hands like Spider Stacey (of The Pogues fame) are drawing in the nostalgia crowd. Meanwhile, trad music legend John Spillane is leading a songwriting workshop over the weekend, which is set to be in high demand.