Irish Times, Virtual Ireland supplement
December 5th, 2006The Irish Times today printed a large supplement on “Virtual Ireland“, talking about computing, the Internet and other new technologies, and how they have affected the lives of Irish people.
Part of the supplement included pieces from a variety of Irish Bloggers. I was delighted to send them a piece for inclusion. Here’s the piece I submitted:
In Donegal, we are well known for having strong opinions, and one thing which as grasped public opinion in Letterkenny recently is the Pole Star, the E100,00+ public artwork which greets people approaching the town on our main artery.
Designed by Locky Morris, the Pole Star is made from over 100 telegraph poles, arranged in an almost-circular fashion, and calls to mind a variety of elements of our local history. It is reminiscent of the hull of a ship, it is erected along the line old railway and it is constructed from simple materials that have been used for decades.
The Polestar has the potential to be a defining symbol for Letterkenny. It is dynamic; every angle gives a different view, and every viewer has a differnet opinion. Letterkenny, and it’s development in recent years, can be thought of in the same manner. Public Opinion on the new artwork was mixed at the start, but now that people are getting used to it, the Town has taken it to heart.
Another public artwork, located only a few hundred yards, is the “I Love Letterkenny, Letterkenny Loves Me” sign. Recently erected on the grounds of Letterkenny IT, this bright neon sign has drawn a dramatically different reaction to the Polestar. Far from being appreciated, it has been greeted with shock, surprise and dismay. The Student’s Union are threatening demonstrations.
The Polestar is a permanent feature, a symbol that Letterkenny can rally around and embrace as a defining symbol which not only speaks for the town, but can identify the town on a national level. It has appeared in numerous photographs in the national media.
The “I Love Letterkennny” sign, on the other hand, is a temporary exhibit, which serves as no more than a distraction. Letterkenny IT has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and is an academic institution with a great national reputation. At best, this sign is a distraction. At worst, it cheapens the college and the great work being undertaken there.
It’s also included on the Irish Times website.
I wrote that piece about two weeks ago. I went out this evening to take a photo of the sign for inclusion here, and (while still in place) it’s been turned off.
The Virtual Ireland website is well worth a visit, including a detailed and interesting poster (available for download here). The supplement doesn’t cover everything, but it is still good to see the major national media giving coverage to the self-publishing efforts of Irish bloggers.
In the article, I mentioned some blogs I read regularly. Apart from the major blogs (eg Mulley and Kottke) I’ve been reading Daithi Ramsay’s Arts and Parts blog, which covers local arts and music issues in Donegal. And if I can point you to a new blog I learned about today, take a look at the IceCreamIreland blog. Yes, it’s about Ice Cream, and it’s Irish.
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6 Responses to “Irish Times, Virtual Ireland supplement”
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December 5th, 2006 at 12:54 am
I had a look at the Ice Cream Ireland blog and haven’t found what I’m looking for. I need a Shamrock Green Mist ice cream for my St Patrick Day friends.
December 5th, 2006 at 7:48 am
Thanks for the mention Damien. It was a nice piece. Nice to see some variety in the pieces.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:03 am
Thank you for the link to my commentary Damien.
Isn’t it interesting that we’re able to connect “virtually” through the power of the blogopshere and online networking and discovering more about our fellow citizens, their view on the world and their contribution to Irish society.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Thanks for the mention, Damien, and congrats on the Times piece. It’s great to have a politician’s blog to supplement the political commentary sites. I’ll have to do a Patrick’s day flavour for Bernie, but right now am working on Christmas flavours!
December 5th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Thanks for the comments guys. I was delighted to be able to contribute to the Times piece. I don’t think I’ll ever make a proper journalist though- my good friend Aidan just pointed out two separate, and very obvious, typos which I’ve now fixed. Better luck next time, as they say!
December 5th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
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