When the water is safer than the land
The Greek island of Lesbos has long been a popular choice for people wishing to escape the continent to holiday in its picturesque scenery while tanning on one of its many sandy beaches. However, as of recent years, Lesbos has had an influx of a very different type of traveller. The vast numbers of […]
In the shadows of the land of the rising sun
Contrary to popular belief the Yakuza are not a single entity in Japan’s criminal underworld. Rather the term ‘yakuza’, in Japanese roughly translates to ‘good for nothing’ and can apply to any individual gangsters or their affiliated gangs. Many theorize that the origin of the term derives from a worthless hand in a Japanese card […]
The Irish connection
Standing in a crowd, we watched as President Higgins laid a wreath at the plaque before a minute’s silence was observed. The shot of a cannon punctuated the silence, making one or two observers jump. A disgruntled tourist muttered to my right, “A commemoration for a bunch of dead people. They can’t even hear the […]
A pensive peninsula
One of the first questions you are asked in South Korea is how old you are. This is not to offend but rather to try and understand your social order to other people. If you are older than the person you are talking to suddenly are treated with respect. If you are younger, however, it […]
Why we should stop trivialising PMS
Last December, I attended two counselling appointments within six days of one another. The first was an emergency appointment. I hadn’t wanted to go. In fact, I didn’t want to do anything at all. I was suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, crying fits, and no appetite and was struggling with suicidal thoughts. It was one […]
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 […]
