Donn Byrne

Was youse ever in Coolmain? A grand ould place that ended up owned by a Disney; the Mickey Mouse clan.

Published
Categorised as Literature

The Tyranny of Technology

The tyranny of technology leads to insanity – it’s a proven fact and explains why I turn to religion as a balm for the psychological wounds inflicted by my malevolent MacBook Pro and impish, insolent, indolent iPad.

Big Money

Giving investment advice often is like showing off a garden – “if only you’d come last week”. Strangely, although equity markets are very high and international trade will be impacted by US tariffs and Brexit, there are some opportunities.

Published
Categorised as Business

Ebony

A lot of sports are so expensive that outsiders are effectively excluded. I’m thinking ocean racing, Formula 1, high-end horse racing and polo.

Paul Muldoon

Hugo Williams’ weekly columns in the TLS were written between 1988 and 1994. He published a selection in 1995 under the title Freelancing, Adventures of a Poet.

Rokeby’s Half Crown

Rokeby Hall is a fine Georgian house in Co Louth not far from Grangebellew. It was built for Richard Robinson, 1st Baron Rokeby and Archbishop of Armagh. My brother, also a Baron, is at present only a Diocesan Reader in Armagh but I have hopes that he may follow in Lord Rokeby’s ecclesiastical footsteps.

Dorich

  Given the choice I suppose most of us would choose Do-rich over Do-poor and I did so on a sunny morning last week. The Dorich in question is the Dorich House Museum in Kingston.

Lyn y Fan Fach

If your Welsh is a bit rusty Lyn y Fan Fach means Lake of the Small Hill. A more apt name would be Small Lake of the Big Hill.

Ingaret the Navigator

It’s an annoying convention that one is expected to bring a gift when going to stay with friends; a convention I often observe in the breach.

Aristocrats

Appropriately, bottles of Jameson and Hennessy rub shoulders alongside the programme for Aristocrats by Brian Friel. I went to the matinee on Saturday.