St. Patrick was probably English, not Irish. (Patrick comes from Patricius - member of the patrician order, a noble, or member of the upper class or ruling elite). There were probably more than one ‘St. Patrick’. Moreover the arrival of Christianity, what is ostensibly a cult of death and resurrection - the sacrifice of earthly … Continue reading Unhappy St Patricks Day
Author: Oran Ryan
The Right Hand Clapping
I recently picked up a book, well to be clear, today I randomly picked up a book on the way out the door because the thought of standing in shopping aisles with nothing to do but stare at cucumbers, peas and coleslaw makes my head explode. While waiting outside a shop I started reading bits … Continue reading The Right Hand Clapping
I’ve got a bad feeling about this movie review
The movie Gravity 2013, at the time of writing, has grossed over $700 million world wide. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Also, at the time of writing, it has collected up more awards than you can shake a stick at. Gravity won seven awards at the 86th Academy … Continue reading I’ve got a bad feeling about this movie review
FINNEGANS WAKE TALK 22 MAY 2014 1 PM
“A Proudseye View of Dublin” – a talk on FINNEGANS WAKE, Thursday 22 MAY 2014 1 PM THE CRYPT, CHRISTCHURCH DUBLIN On Wednesday the 22nd of May 2014 at 1pm, downstairs in the beautiful magical enthralling ghostly history ridden Crypt of Christ Church Cathedral, founded in CE 1030, I will deliver a lecture on … Continue reading FINNEGANS WAKE TALK 22 MAY 2014 1 PM
Slave to the pen, and the (non) Grinding out of Words
Many moons ago, when I was in full time paid pensionable decent law abiding comfortable employment, the type that enables one to live a fairly bourgeois existence, I used write a lot of poetry, mostly in the evenings, and the occasional short story. Sometimes I used get paid for the work I did, money I … Continue reading Slave to the pen, and the (non) Grinding out of Words
The most important thing an arrogant person can learn
is the fact that always there is someone smarter and therefore more powerful than you. I remember recently ending a lengthy and complex relationship I had with Facebook mainly because of the overwhelmingly unreal atmosphere that pervades that medium of social interaction. It was addictive, exhausting, a realm for self promotion and bragging and ego … Continue reading The most important thing an arrogant person can learn
Here’s something I have been working on…hope its okay
The gathering together of poets, writers and songwriters for the purposes of sharing their latest work has a long and distinguished tradition worldwide. In Ireland poets wandered from one kingdom to another for a living, reciting long poems for the entertainment of Courts and Chieftains. Along with this, the tradition of bothanaìocht or visiting neighbours … Continue reading Here’s something I have been working on…hope its okay
If you lie to me, I will hurt you
I have real difficulty seeing what the reason for the furore around the torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty, Katherine Bigelow’s latest movie. Martin Sheen has come out in opposition to it. Naomi Woolf had come out in the Guardian calling Bigelow the latest Leni Riefenstahl, and the torture scenes themselves are rather tame … Continue reading If you lie to me, I will hurt you
Feminism and Woody Allen and the accusations meted out against him
I recently finished putting together a book with a good friend of mine, the incomparably cool Ajit Kumar, on the equally incomparably cool Doris Lessing. We collected a series of essays on the Author from experts from round the globe and contributed an essay each ourselves. Its due out this year from Seven Towers. … Continue reading Feminism and Woody Allen and the accusations meted out against him
Fucking Chickentown
The story begins with the collapse of the banking system in Ireland in 2008 due largely to corruption and over investment and lack of fiscal restraint of the building market. Instead of allowing the commercial Banking system, to collapse, the Irish Government sought monies from the European Central Bank to stabilize the economy. To date … Continue reading Fucking Chickentown
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