nick-moloney96-blog

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‘Why we ride’

“In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realise that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming,” Robert M Pirisig – Zen and the Art of Motorbike Maintenance. 

Men and their machines have always been entangled in a twisted romance story. ‘A labour of love,’ as it has come to be known, is what we refer to as spending time and money on a machine that will not pay dividend when it comes to selling it on. 

What is essentially a singular activity, riding a motorcycle, it has connected millions of people the world over. A social phenomenon, in where one can be on their own, but never truly alone. 

“The bike is a medium where you can be alone with your yourself, but also a way in which you can connect with people who you otherwise wouldn’t have,

“At the core, it’s just you and your thoughts. When you’ve been in the saddle for over ten hours in a day” Michael Gaul a Wexford based rider said. 

Everyone rides their bike differently: “But with the throttle screwed on there is only the barest margin and no room for mistakes. It has to be done right . . . The only sounds are the wind and the dull roar floating back from the mufflers. You watch the white line and try to lean with it . . . letting off now, watching for cops, but only until the next dark stretch and another few seconds on the edge . . . The Edge . . .” – Hunter S. Thompson, Hells Angels

“It’s not all about going fast,” Michael says while standing on the side of a mountain road, checking his phone for directions. 

“But if some lads are going hard, you can’t resist. But I could ride all day at the speed limit listening to a podcast if I was in that humour,” he adds. 

There were 20 motorcyclists killed on the road in 2017 according to the Road Safety Authority of Ireland. Speed was a factor in half of these deaths. During the Isle of Man Time Trial rider reach in access of 200mph on local roads. The race has claimed 252 lives since It began in 1907. So, what’s the point?

“My Mam used to worry about me when I went out. But, I mean, you can’t be wrapped in cotton wool your whole life,” Ross Kelly, dressed in full leathers on rare 20 plus degree day said. Ross had just bought his 600cc, Street Fighter Honda Hornet, the fastest bike he’s ever owned. 

“I just love having the power there, knowing you can over take a car at the flick of the wrist,” he says with the hint of a smile. 

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in this day and age the three most important things a journalist can have at hand is their notebook, recorded and more recently, their phones. 

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A shot that is supposed to represent the inability to access information, which in turn, means you can read nothing...

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After a quick reshot and some editing, I am very pleased with how this picture turned out. 

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Paul’s favourite part of being a journalist is interviewing people. 

“Meeting people you wouldn’t otherwise is what makes this job so rewarding,” he said. 

The tools needed for this are his ZOOM and his headphones so he can check the sound levels. Paul always tries to meet his interviewees face to face as he believes it gives his articles the edge needed to reach the platform he expires to. 

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Research is an integral part of being a journalist. As Paul lives in Dun Laoighre, he does a lot of his research in their new, multi - million euro library. 

This is his favourite library in the whole of Dublin for its views over the harbour and for its modern layout. Here, he is putting in the ground work on a new project. 

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In his spare time, Paul makes sure his beloved fixe is in good working order before heading out for a spin. Paul has had this bike for a little over three years and it still looks as good as the first day he bought it. 

He jokingly calls his bike ‘Excalibur’ after the mythical sword, because of the dark metallic complexion of the frame.

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Paul is an avid writer who came back to college as a mature student to pursue his passion in journalism. Over the years he has developed interest in the areas of news, current affairs and politics. 

However, Paul’s true passion in writing lies with film reviews. Given the chance,  Paul said he would try his pen at being a film critic but is happy to write in the above mentioned fields. 

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This is how we are passing time during ‘The Beast from the East’ 

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Out shooting in the snow today. Made for a nice background... 

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After a day of shooting for Paul Hyland’s blog we finally captured his ‘candid’ shot.... 

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I’ve always thought a good wallet is one of the most fundamentally important constructions a person can carry. It is usually a direct representation of the person themselves. Cluttered or minimalist. Travelled or executive. 

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I am always careful when choosing what brands to support. The Oakley Jawbreakers are the quintessential merging of style and functionality. For this reason they stand out to me and I choose the let them represent me.  

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Reading has always taken up a lot of my recreational time. Here are some of the books that changed the way I viewed the world around me. For better or for worse. 

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This was the jersey I wore for my first season of racing. It was worn for well over 2,000kms of racing and training. To me, it represents a team I was proud to have finally joined.

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My Dad has always been interested in watches. He believes that the only type of watch worthing owning is the self-winding or automatics, because he says they are essentially alive. So this was his gift to me for my 21st birthday. 

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My favourite wallet and one of my all time favourite brands...