Ireland the Beautiful: an armchair travel experience

by Jamie Rhein on

My strongest memories of my trip to Ireland involves hitch-hiking from Galway to Clifden and walking past peat bogs edged with stone walls along the way. This video by bigbeninjax captures the essence of that trip by weaving together images of landscape, buildings and people. From the wide vista angles to intimate close-ups, a few minutes of viewing, offer a trip to Ireland from the comfort of where ever you’re watching.

There is text throughout that sets the tone of transitions from one place and one theme to another. Halfway through, there’s a kaleidoscope effect that works quite well, as does the music’s mesmerizing effect. For people wondering what to do with those journey of a lifetime shots, here’s one way. Pay attention to the timing of each shot. It’s about right for giving the viewer time to absorb one before moving on to another.

St. Patrick’s Day: The 10 best Irish pubs in New England

by Jeffrey White on

I worked as a daily newspaper reporter in Boston for five years and spent a lot of time along the city’s south shore — that curve of coast running from South Boston and Quincy all the way down to Plymouth. Whenever I found myself in Hingham, which was often, I tried to stop by the Snug for a few beers.

So I was excited to see the Snug get a nod in Boston.com’s recent rundown of the 10 best Irish pubs in New England.

With St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, you won’t lack for some good craic at any of these watering holes. The list avoids a few obvious choices — ditching Murphy’s Law in South Boston or Doyle’s in Boston’s Jamaica Plain, for instance — and instead goes pretty deep.

The 10 Best Irish Pubs in New England (in no particular order)

  1. The Snug (Hingham, Mass.)
  2. Brendan Behan Pub (Jamaica Plain, Mass.)
  3. The Corrib Pub (Brighton, Mass.)
  4. Buskers (Newport, R.I.)
  5. The Shannon Door (Jackson, N.H.)
  6. McGrath’s Irish Pub (Killington, Vt.)
  7. Patrick’s Pub (Providence, R.I.)
  8. Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub (Falmouth, Mass.)
  9. Wild Rover Pub (Manchester, N.H.)
  10. Anny Liffey’s (New Haven, CT.)

Traveling the day after St. Patrick’s Day can be hellish

by Iva Skoch on

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, to all of you aside from the guy who sat next to me on an EasyJet flight from Prague to London a couple of years ago (the morning after St. Patty’s day) and almost threw up in my lap.

He had a black eye and body odor of a dying donkey. I am trying to make peace with you man, I really am. I also hope I never have to be stuck next to you for 90 turbulent minutes.

Tomorrow morning must make one of the worst days to fly anywhere, especially around Europe and especially on a budget airline from a destination known for its cheap liquor. Honestly, I don’t think i will ever fly out of Prague on March 18 ever again.

Thanks, kittyroara, for the lovely photo. By the way, do you ever fly budget airlines to or from Prague?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day: Declan Galbraith’s Danny Boy

by Jamie Rhein on

The banning of the song Danny Boy at the Foley’s Pub and Restaurant in Manhattan for the entire month of March got me in the mood to hear the song whether it’s over done or not. Here’s a version by Declan Galbraith, a young vocal wonder in Great Britain. In this YouTube video, he’s 10 years-old. One comment on the YouTube post said that Danny Boy is supposed to be sung by a woman, but Declan belts it out anyway. This guy has a following.

Danny Boy banned because it’s too depressing

by Jamie Rhein on

When we were in India we went to some Irish festival for St. Patrick’s Day. I remember the soda bread, the corned beef, the beer and my husband belting out “Danny Boy” to the band that provided the accompaniment. Then there was the karaoke bar we went to in Hsinchu, Taiwan. A friend who was visiting us from the U.S. could hardly sit up straight she was laughing so hard. Let’s just say my husband has a way with “Danny Boy,” particularly in Taiwan where the video background doesn’t exactly go along with the lyrics. You could be singing “California Dreaming” to images of people on bicycles in Vietnam. No joke.

If my husband had the urge to belt out “Danny Boy” at Foley’s Pub and Restaurant in New York City, he’d be stopped in his tracks. The bar owner has banned it from being sung in the pub for the month of March.

The owner Shaun Clancy thinks “Danny Boy” fits a funeral more than a celebration, and that it has been over done. He may change his mind if he heard my husband’s version. All it requires is a few Guinness. He’s loud enough a microphone isn’t necessary. I wonder how Shawn Clancy feels about “Proud Mary?” It’s not an Irish tune, but my husband and I do this one as a duet. The last time we sang this one was at a wedding reception in Vietnam. Those were the days. [see article about the reaction to the ban]