Wise enough to play the fool
True to form, Raymond Keane arrives at the interview wearing glasses with frames thick and black, at first glance making it seem like he was a performer wearing Groucho glasses. He does not seem to recognise how apt this coincidence is, but as our conversation goes on, one thing kept cropping up. “It’s the mask, […]
What the Puck?
Illustration by Sinaoife Andrews Every year for three days in mid-August, an unusual festival takes place in the small town of Killorglin, Co Kerry. The Puck Fair (from the Irish Aonach an Phoic, which means “Fair of the He-Goat”) is an event of which the origins are unclear. It can officially be traced back to […]
A crime against consumers
Reducing the size of products sold to consumers without reducing the price the same has now become standard practice in most businesses. This deceitful process, commonly known as ‘Shrinkflation’, increases the price level of goods per unit as a result of a reduction in the weight or size of the item that is sold. Put […]
A visit to Sarajevo
My friend Ali and I, both embarking on a year off-books in Austria, decided to leave Ireland a few weeks early and travel around the Balkans before taking a bus to Austria. One of the most interesting cities we visited during our travels was Sarajevo. Granted, it is not particularly easy to get to from […]
The future of micro-messaging
The Chinese name for WeChat is Wēixìn, which translates literally to “micro-message”. The app’s actual existence stands in direct contradiction to its name, as WeChat is anything but micro. Released in 2011 by Tencent Holdings Limited, the app presents itself as China’s “super-app for everything”. Currently with over 980 million active users, WeChat […]
Establishing an identity
Onstage, Identity Thief are electric. Bouncing with an energy that you don’t expect from anyone over the age of twelve, they occasionally remind me of five overcharged bumper cars. Disorientating, but fun. The band consists of Luke Dunne on drums, Danny Cullen on lead guitar, Mikey Cleary on rhythm guitar, Josh Daly on bass and […]
The novelist’s noose
In 1804, Samuel Taylor Coleridge lamented that “completely has a whole year passed, with scarcely the fruits of a month. – O Sorrow and Shame…I have done nothing!” Coleridge was most productive throughout his twenties, after which he suffered from opium addiction and struggled indefinitely with writing. Into his thirties and beyond, writing represented an […]
A throwaway problem
During my youthful musings on the collegiate version of myself, I always pictured myself striding with purpose through the bustling city streets, clutching a takeaway cup of caffeinated fuel to get myself through the day. Despite the fact that I did not drink coffee at this point in my life, I had already […]
In conversation with Julian Hamilton
“Preacher, pastor, connoisseur of fun dining” reads the tagline of Rev. Dr. Julian Hamilton’s blog; a well-known figure on campus, and in Trinity Hall where he is an assistant warden, Hamilton’s work as the Methodist chaplain has made him a friendly, familiar face for many who have passed through the Chaplaincy during their time in […]
The Rise of Airbnb
“I thought of a way to make a few bucks- turning our place into…a place to crash”, emailed Joe Gebbia to his roommate Brian Chesky. Within the decade this email had become a $31 billion company, spread across 191 countries. Rent payments were almost due and the two San Francisco based friends were struggling […]
