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Ugly Win But Result All That Counts

Ugly Win But Result All That Counts

February 8th,2010

Definitely not the most exciting game we’ve ever seen Ireland play but then again we are defending our Championship and our Grand Slam so results are all that count!
This one can go down as box ticked, a couple of players getting some valuable game time and result in the bag.
You're dead right with your comments guys, we’ve got the win and shown very little to the French!
Challenge in the scrum was met
We stood up to all the challenges that were

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New Zealand - Wines to Pour or Wines to Bore?

New Zealand - Wines to Pour or Wines to Bore?

January 25th,2010

I went to the annual New Zealand Wine Fair in Dublin last week. This Fair traditionally 'kicks off' the tasting season. It's usually lively, fairly packed and great fun. This year it wasn't so packed. Is this a result of the recession or is it a sign that NZ has offered all it has to offer and the excitement has gone elsewhere? 

Over the years I've been a critic of the one horse wine trick NZ has foisted onto us. Sauvignon Blanc with a grassy edge - crisp, lively, m
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Moving on from Iran

Moving on from Iran

January 19th,2010

Since crossing from China into Central Asia the hospitality has been something else. At times it seemed impossible to make contact with a local, ask for directions, or stop for a broken russian/farsi and mime chat without being invited to take tea or a meal at their home. If we had accepted every invite proferred, I think we’d still be crossing Kyrgyzstan.

Iran definitely ranks highest in the hospitality club. The Irani feeling an unquestionable duty to house and feed for
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3 Out Of 4 Through to 1/4's But Hard Games Ahead

3 Out Of 4 Through to 1/4's But Hard Games Ahead

January 25th,2010

Isn’t it ironic that probably the team that were playing the best attacking rugby at the weekend, are the only side not to get though!
Declan Kidney will have to do some serious thinking when picking his team, Trimble and Boss are in great form at the moment and will have to be close to getting starting positions back.


Unluckly Ulster miss out on all cups
And with the results on Sunday, Ulster don’t even get the chance to impress in the Challe
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Another clean sweep weekend for the Irish teams

Another clean sweep weekend for the Irish teams

January 19th,2010

Great week end all round, Munster keep their reformation going with a complete demolition of a very poor Treviso, Leinster took a bit of time to get going, but in the end they got the job done against Brive, Ulster keep their hopes alive with a hard fought win against Edinburgh in terrible conditions and Connaught remain our leading province by already qualifying for the playoffs! But the most important result of the weekend didn’t involve any local Irish team!


London
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Twenty Ten: Ten Wine Predictions

Twenty Ten: Ten Wine Predictions

January 8th,2010

I'm finally waking up after Christmas! The delay was forced onto me! by our current mini ice age. Who'd have thought we'd see folks skating on the canals! Just goes to show that we often confuse Global Warming with Climate Change. Global Warming does not mean we will grow grapes in Ireland any time soon - Climate Change will scupper that one!

So, if we're not going to begin looking at vineyard sites this year what can we expect to happen in the wine trade?

1. Many rest
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December Film and DVD reviews

December Film and DVD reviews

December 29th,2009

“Up in the Air” and “Invictus” now at your local cinema will get Oscar consideration. plus a selection of DVD reviews 

“Up in the Air” with George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. A difficult film to classify – comidrama (a la Coen Bros) is a typical term, however it’s very easy to enjoy. Clooney is Ryan an insular detached businessman who spends over 300 days a year traveling by air. He works for an outsource company a
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Yerevan-Armenia

Yerevan-Armenia

January 12th,2010


Having the fear, is like a wearing a pair of glasses and a strange constricting coat. It effects how you see and feel in the world. It's odourless and colourless, can’t be touched or tasted, yet can pervade our lives. It taps into our most primitive reflexes, to fly or stay and fight, echoing evolutionary eons of life or death encounters.

For the last few weeks, I was wearing the fear after my incident in Mashad. I tried to fight it, consciously rationalising and theoris
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Sexton Returns On A Weather Hit Weekend

Sexton Returns On A Weather Hit Weekend

January 12th,2010

In truth I'm surprised that any games are going ahead this weekend.

Ulster and Connacht have both really got the brunt of the weather, with their games against Ospreys and Newport cancelled.

You gotta feel for Connacht in particular, as this is their second call off and they haven’t really had any chance to keep the momentum, that they had generated during their European games, going at all.

Fixture backlog a big problem for connacht

And now they b
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Don't leave home without a beard!

Don't leave home without a beard!

December 23rd,2009

“There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless—boys and women—and I am neither one.” -Greek saying

Beard’s are synonymous with adventure. Nothing says hard and rugged like a bristled chin. A few day’s growth says you’ve left the city, and its bourgeois concerns about daily shaving and other such civilised conventions behind. That you’re out doing manly things; triumphing over nature and beast like you’

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