April 13, 2006. Beckett's 100th birthday. In anticipation of that April, April future of Aprils past, I recall the first time I ever met him, Beckett, on now into a second decade, the man with the baggy greatcoat, the grey-shocked hair and the yellowed packs of Dutch cigars, sitting by himself in the lobby of the Hotel PLM-Saint Jacques, reading a copy of an Irish newspaper. It … [Read more...] about Waiting for Beckett: Remembrance of a Meeting on the Boulevard of Saint Jaques
Hibernia
Clinton Launches Suicide Prevention Program
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton launched a major new suicide prevention program in Dublin. The program being run by RehabCare is aimed at tackling a growing number of suicides in Ireland, particularly among young men. Figures for 2003 show that 444 people took their own lives, with 11,2000 attempted suicides also recorded. "We want to change the culture where young men find … [Read more...] about Clinton Launches Suicide Prevention Program
Government Favors EU Poll
The Irish Government is likely to press ahead with a referendum on the EU Constitution despite consecutive rejections of the treaty in France and Holland. Britain postponed holding a referendum following the setback in northern Europe but Ireland aligned with Poland and Denmark saying the constitution should be put to a national vote in each member state regardless. The … [Read more...] about Government Favors EU Poll
Dublin Population Faces Boom
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) predicts that the population of Greater Dublin area will exceed two million people by the year 2021. It is estimated that the region will by then be home to an estimated 40 percent of a national population of five million people in the Republic of Ireland. This will mean that growth in Greater Dublin -- which includes neighboring counties of … [Read more...] about Dublin Population Faces Boom
Irish Language Confuses Tourists
Visitors to Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking) areas on the west coast of Ireland may be in for a surprise, following a government directive on the public use of Irish language. The Placenames Order 2004 makes it a law that all Gaeltacht signposts and maps display place names only in the Irish language. Towns widely known by their Anglicized names will now be represented only in their … [Read more...] about Irish Language Confuses Tourists