Ah, the internet, a strange and beautiful place full of all manner of curiosities – and then there are the bloggers.
Ask web-savvy types in the know, and they’ll tell you that the First Great Age of Irish Blogging is well and truly done – everyone’s Twittering these days instead, don’t you know. The native blogosphere is displaying signs of rude health, however, in a variety of niche genres, not least in the realm of fashion. Currently, one of the foremost style heroines is Caroline Barry, aka Penny Dreadful, a 25-year-old Dublin-based fashion hack with a unique style aesthetic, a mild Facebook addiction and, rather importantly, a discerning eye for what’s what and what’s (definitely) not.
On a daily basis, one can garner fascinating titbits from the Tao of Penny, be it an illuminating virtual tour of her apartment (so little space, so many shoes), a quick update concerning her literary habits (currently reading: Blow By Blow: The Story Of Isabella Blow, by Detmar Blow and Tom Sykes) or an in-depth breakdown of her current fashion obsessions (Biba, jumpers from Whistles, high-heeled biker boots, model Freya Beha Erichsen).
[ www.misspennydreadful.blogspot.comOpens in new window ]
Derek O'Connor
Chocolate at the Castle
As if any of us ever needs an excuse to indulge in a bit of chocolate . . . if you are anywhere near the picturesque village of Killyleagh on the shores of Strangford Lough in Co Down this weekend, you’ll find a chocolate festival taking place today and tomorrow. Artisan chocolate-makers from all over Ireland are gathering to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Hans Sloane.
The festival kicks off with a Chocolate Ball this evening in the grounds of the fairy-tale-like Killyleagh Castle (if Willy Wonka had a castle it would look like this). The dress code is given as “milk, dark or white-tie”. Tomorrow the village will host a chocolate parade, funfair, and marquees full of the dark stuff, and no doubt the odd chocolate fountain or two.
But what has Hans Sloane, he of the famous London Square, and founder of the British Museum and Chelsea Physic Garden, got to do with Killyleagh or, for that matter, chocolate? Sloane, who went on to became one of the most learned and illustrious men of his generation, was born and raised in the village. His accomplishments would fill many encyclopaedias and to this day we can thank him for his pioneering work in inoculations. But he also invented milk chocolate. Having studied the health effects of cocoa in Jamaica, but finding it unpalatable, he came up with the idea that by adding milk and sweetening it would prove much more enjoyable. Too right Hans. Cadbury’s picked up his recipe in the 19th century and the rest . . . well you know.
There are still a few tickets available for the ball from Elizabeth Rae at 0044-28-44828229. The Fun Day starts at noon tomorrow. See www.hanssloane.com.
Cathy O'Clery
Charming bracelets
Little Fish Design in Blackrock Shopping Centre is a jewellery shop with an envious haul. Alongside a plentiful catch of contemporary Irish design from, among others, Alan Ardiff, Maureen Lynch and Seamus Gill, this friendly store is now stocking Trollbeads – sterling silver, gold and glass beads to collect on a beautifully crafted bracelet. A fresh, colourful and funky interpretation of the more sedate charm bracelet, Trollbeads are an ideal gift for the long-term giver. With more than 400 designs to chose from, birthdays, Christmas and special occasions can all be marked with a gorgeous new bead, creating a unique life story on the wrist, while also taking the headache out of choosing the right present for that special person.
Hilary Fannin
Magazine artwork
When Elizabeth Hatz, curator of EV+A, Ireland's annual exhibition of contemporary art, invited Michael Kane to exhibit in this year's exhibition, she seemed to galvanise him into action, setting him off not so much in a new direction as prompting him to take a fresh slant on his recurrent themes. You can see the results in Life Story at the Rubicon Gallery. His best show in ages, it's dominated by a wall-sized grid of images, many painted directly on and incorporating elements of The Irish TimesMagazine. Kane usually tells stories of everyday life, often his own life, as filtered through the timeless patterns of classical mythology. Hence there is a certain epic quality to his work. His vigorously painted, fast-paced composite offers vignettes of life as lived now, juxtaposing pain and pleasure, beauty and ugliness, spectacle and introspection, all in a rush of multi-layered imagery. It's at the Rubicon Gallery, 10 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, until October 9th. See www.rubicongallery.ie.
Aidan Dunne
