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2024-07-05 Sugababes - Iveagh Gardens, Dublin

I've been a Sugababes fan since I first heard Overload way back in 2000.  It was, and still is, a pop classic.  Over the years, I managed to catch them live a couple of times.   The first time I caught Sugababes live was way back at Creamfields 2002.  Unfortunately Siobhan had left the band by then and been replaced by Heidi, so I never got to see the original lineup.  Did it matter much at the time to me?  No, not at all, I was just their to party!  As a side note, post Sugababes, Siobhan went on to release two solo albums, Revolution in Me in 2003 and Ghosts in 2007. The next time I saw them was at Oxegen 2008, and by then Mutya had left the band and was replaced by Amelle, leaving Keisha as the only remaining original member.  It was a tad strange seeing the band with only one remaining member, but again, it was a festival and all we were looking for was a good time, which we definitely got! Another side note, just like Siobhan, Mutya went on to release her own solo work, a gr

2022-10-19 An Evening of Poetry - Live at St.Mary's Church, Maynooth

I didn't excel at English in school. Some might say that I didn't really try that hard at all, so how could I?  My problem was that I never saw the point of it, of reading plays, of learning poems or talking about the deeper meaning behind the words.  

I was a very literal guy.  When asked in class what, in my opinion, the open window in Cathys room symbolised (Wuthering Heights), I replied it symbolised nothing, it just meant Cathy was warm and wanted to cool down.  That wasn't the answer the teacher was looking for...

So, it would come as a surprise to my teachers that I actually enjoy poetry these days, maybe not reading it, but definitely watching it being performed.

Last night, I headed over to St. Mary's Church in Maynooth to see The Poet Geoff, Hazel Hogan, John Cummins, Emmet O'Brien and Rachel Lally, who also curated the event.

It turned out to be a fantastic night of poetry and spoken word with two poems, one by The Poet Geoff that dealt with an unexpected relationship breakup and another by Emmet O'Brien that spoke of his love and admiration for his Grandad, really moistened my eyes.

Not to be out done by the poets, the weather decided to pit on a show.  Throughout the night, we could hear the loud rumble of thunder and see the church lit up from the flashes of lightning outside.  It was all very exciting, electrifying even!!!

Ok, that's enough of that, on to the photos:


The Poet Geoff


Hazel Hogan


Emmet O'Brien


Rachel Lally


John Cummins



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