Castlebar - County Mayo - An Deatach Mór

Some pictures from the "big smoke" taken during 2009. Not that Dublin can be called the big smoke any more. Global warming means everyone is warm, recession and the carbon taxes means no one can afford to light a fire, and Mary Harney, got rid of the smog with her smokeless fuel legislation. Its a pity she wouldn't get rid of some of the fog in the HSE, maybe then we could afford to get sick from the clean air.

The Grafton Street flower sellers pound for pound or kilo for kilo some of the sharpest mathematicians in Ireland. I tried buying a bunch of lilies for a Lilly once. I produced a poor hungover man’s paw full of shrapnel. She took one swift hawk eyed glance and said " Arreagh Jasus love there isn't enough change there for a bunch of Daises, go down to Michael Guineys and get her a hat."

Eamon Gilmore smiling like a Cheshire cat on the side of Liberty Hall. Picture was taken in June shortly after the Labour party's landslide victory in the local and European elections. Not too many smiles in the corridors of the Siptu offices now.

Patrick Kavanagh sitting quietly on the banks of the Grand Canal. "On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue; " I met her too not on Raglan road but in a late bar in Rathmines. She snared me alright for a bunch of lilies, a toxic investment. I think I'll apply to Nama. No sign of the Lillys now or the dark haired weapon.

A man trying to pull in the last of the new Irish Immigrants.

The Half Penny bridge, if they reintroduce the charge I know a man that would walk up as far as the O'Connell bridge to avoid paying it. Same man could peel an orange in his pocket with a pair of boxing gloves....

The Dublin Area Regional Transport railway. DART. Was talking to a "HowareYA!" on the DART one evening on the way in along. I said what are you up to for the night, he said I'm going looking for the dart. I said sure aren't you sitting on Dart ya clown. He continued, that's not the kind of dart I'm was looking for bud. Ahh I see my friend, you’re going to copper face jacks.

Paddy K, thinking of some chat up lines for the Raglan road lady friend.