#if I visit dublin for a few day am I going to develop an Irish accent out of nowhere? 😭

[miss-crazy-rose]

My English accent is turning British and I can’t explain it 😭

I spent A YEAR in the US

I spent FIVE DAYS in London

What is happening to me

[misscarolineshelby]

Roommates – Part Sixteen

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Words:1,876

Warning: Fluff, Smut

Note: This plays in 2020. It’s all fiction and not based on Cillian’s real life and family.

A week had passed since you told Cillian that you loved him and, whilst you were strongly under the influence of pain medication, you remembered it.

You had, in fact, developed strong feelings for him and whilst the words left your lips accidentally when you were drowsy and half asleep, you were somewhat disappointed by the fact that he didn’t say anything.

Of course, he didn’t share the same feelings for you, you knew that much. You’ve been friends for so many years that you could hardly be surprised that he liked you as a friend and for sex, but nothing else. But, what you had expected was that he would say something, anything at all, even if it was simply confirming what you already knew.

***

You did tell your sister about it and, whilst you were surprised by the feelings you had so suddenly developed for your long-time friend, she wasn’t surprised at all.

She saw it coming as soon as she found out that you were sleeping with each other and she believed that you always had some sort of feelings for him.

In the same vein, she was sure that he felt the same about you and was probably reluctant to tell you and, with that in mind, you continued on as usual and acted as if nothing had happened.

You weren’t willing to give up your friendship and the amazing sex you have for maybes and thought that, if your sister was right, he would come around eventually, at least so you hoped.

***

Then, another week had passed and nothing had changed. At least so you thought.

Cillian asked you whether you wanted to travel to Cork with him to see his parents now that Ireland, once again, came out of lockdown and visits to family were permitted provided that you had a permit.

‘I don’t think I can Cillian. Only spouses’ you said, pointing to the pamphlet he had printed out from the Irish Covid Information website.

‘Well, we are living together, you can pretend to be my girlfriend if the police pulls us over’ he chuckled, before pleading with you.

‘You just want me to drive, don’t you’ you then said and he nodded. He hated driving long distances and it didn’t help that he had only gotten his drivers licence five years ago and failed his driving test three times when he moved back to Dublin.

‘I suppose it’s safer if I drive…so yes, I am coming’ you said somewhat amused.

‘Should I ask Ma to prepare two or one room for us?’ Cillian then asked and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

‘Your mother is strictly catholic and I suppose that the answer to your question depends on what you are willing to reveal to her about our little arrangement’ you joked and, of course, Cillian hadn’t even thought that far.

‘Two bedrooms’ he then confirmed before picking up the phone to let his mother know that you would be coming with him.

***

Three days later, you hit the road for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Cork after you both had received a negative COVID test result which you took as a precaution.

As usual, Cillian’s mother was excited about the visit and you were excited too. You hadn’t seen her for about 18 months and the last time you saw her she had cooked you and your fiancé a lovely a meal.

Things were different then and you talked about your wedding and all the plans you were having in the future.

There was no pandemic to worry about and you weren’t aware of your fiancé’s indiscretions at the time while Cillian was still happily dating your somewhat crazy friend.

Now, your engagement had ended but your friendship with Cillian had evolved into something else entirely.

***

After a smooth three-and-a-half-hour drive, you pulled up in front of Cillian’s parents’ house.

They both greeted you with excitement and told you to come in quickly as it was raining.

Cillian’s father quickly carried your small suitcase to one of the guestrooms while Cillian placed his into the other. There wasn’t much space in the house and, whilst the house had four bedrooms, the corridors were rather narrow and the living area was small.

‘It’s so good to see you Y/N’ Cillian’s mum said before offering you a cup of tea which you gladly accepted.

‘The last time you visited Cork was under better circumstances, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless’ she then said and you thanked her for her hospitality.

You had always gotten along well with Cillian’s mother and Cillian was simply happy to see his parents again after such a long time, even if it meant that his siblings couldn’t visit them at the same time as him due to the visitation limits imposed.

As you were sitting on the sofa with Cillian’s mother you soon noticed that Cillian was gone and so did his mother.

‘He better not be stealing food’ she then huffed out sternly and, sure enough, Cillian had found the freshly baked scones in the kitchen and couldn’t resist.

‘But they are so good Ma’ you heard him argue as his mum told him to get out of the kitchen and leave the scones alone, which made you laugh.

‘He will never change’ you chuckled and his mother nodded in agreement.

‘No, he won’t’ she then said before informing you that she had made a roast for dinner.

***

After dinner and a few glasses of wine with Cillian’s parents, they headed to bed at around 8.30pm as usual, leaving you and Cillian to watch TV in the living room.

You were quick to spread your legs out over Cillian’s laps, getting yourself more comfortable but being vary that his parents might walk in on you.

But, Cillian seemed to think that, once they went to bed, they would pretty much go to sleep right away and proceeded to pull you onto his lap.

‘I missed this today’ he said before he caressed your face and kissed you gently.

‘Me too’ you then giggled before returning the kiss rather quickly.

‘Do you want to go to my bedroom or yours?’ he then winked and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

‘Your parents are in the house Cillian’ you then said and, just as you did, you heard some footsteps in the hallway behind you.

You quickly jumped off Cillian’s lap and sat on the lounge like a well-behaved schoolgirl as his mother walked by to get a glass of water while Cillian covered up his erection, poking against the denim of his jeans, with a cushion.

‘Night Ma’ he then said and she couldn’t help but laugh before saying ‘good night’ again.

‘I am not going to have sex at your parents house’ you then huffed out quietly when his mother had left.

‘Alright, let’s go for drive then’ he suggested.

‘A drive? And how will you explain this to your mother tomorrow?’ you laughed and Cillian suggested to tell her that you forgot some toiletries and he drove to the shop to get them.

‘Supermarket closes in 30 minutes, let’s go’ he said and you couldn’t really say no to him.

***

Ten minutes later you arrived at a secluded area near the beach and you could just tell that Cillian had been there before.

‘Is this where you used to take your girlfriends when you were at high school and snatched your parents’ combi even though you didn’t have a driver’s licence?’ you asked, having heard about these stories from his brother before.

‘Yeah, it’s a good spot, nice and quiet’ Cillian winked as he reclined his seat and you quickly stripped down to your bra and panties.

‘Oh my god Cillian I feel like an 18-year-old again, sneaking out of the house to make out’ you laughed and, just before you could protest, Cillian reached inside your panties and slowly stroked your mound.

‘Just that, this time, it will actually be worth your while’ Cillian smirked as he ran his forefinger between the crease of your pussy and noticed the moistness which had already built there.

‘Hmm yes, it will be Cillian’ you moaned as he was rubbing your clit with his left hand and with his right hand was caressing your breasts.

You were quick to release his hard cock from his jeans as well and began jerking him in time with his clitoral stimulation and the heat inside the car was palpable.

‘So naughty…what if we get caught?’ you huffed out, knowing that Cillian had a kink for semi-public sex.

‘It’s worth the risk’ he groaned and, before long, you were gazing up from the seat with that wanton look in your eyes, pulling Cillian closer and uttering cues while he fingered your pussy and mouthed your firm nipples with his welcoming mouth.

‘I need you inside me Cillian’ you moaned as you were welcoming two fingers into your waiting slit and could not be distracted, even by the crackling sounds outside and the sound of the radio.

‘Come on then’ Cillian groaned as you continued to stroke him and, just as he invited you to take what you needed so badly, you let go off his cock and climbed on top of him.

He pressed the head of his cock against your awaiting pussy and you slowly sank down on him.

‘Oh god yes fuck’ you moaned as his cock disappeared into your tight vagina, expanding your love tunnel while he met your lips with his. Your mouths parted and your tongues communicated the instant of union as Cillian’s cock drove slowly into your warm pussy. You were lost in their unity while your reality transformed around them.

‘You feel so fucking good’ Cillian groaned as you were moving in perfect motion with Cillian’s penetration and your thighs were even perforated with the moisture that was coming out of your pussy.

Your rocking continued and you were now joining orally with diatribes as Cillian’s cock bottomed out again and again inside you. ‘Fuck’ you uttered as his big balls pressed against your bottom.

Your warm tunnel was wide for his cock and your eyes were fixed on the mechanistic ramming of Cillian’s body in its hedonistic role.

‘I am cumming…fuck’ you moaned with the ever fastening in and out rhythms that Cillian was delivering to your womanhood. Cillian too was groaning and you put a hand underneath his balls while he pounded you and the car shook.

With your screams and loss of control inside erotic orgasm, Cillian too lost control and filled your cavity with his warm seed.

‘Fuck, Y/N, I love…’ Cillian began to say but, just as he did, there was a nock on the window of the car on the driver’s side next to Cillian, interrupting what he was about to say.

‘Please lower your window…’ a man said from outside and you could see some flashing lights behind where the car was parked.

 Tag List:

@lilymurphy03 @deefigs @theflamecrystal @desperate-and-broken @weepingstudentfishhorse @livinginfantaxy @rosey1981 @atomicsoulcollecto @peakyboyslover @nerdy4itall@elenavampire21 @hanster1998@mariapaiva13 @fairypitou @harry-is-your-sunflower @zozeebo @lauren-raines-x @kasaikawa @littlewierdalien @sad-huffle-nerd @theflamecrystal @peakymalfoyscullymulder @themissthang@0ghostwriter0 @stylescanbeatmyback @1-800-peakyblinders @datewithgianni @momoneymolife @ntmynouis @lilymurphy03 @mcntsee@cloudofdisney@missymurphy1985@peakymalfoyscullymulder @otterly-fey @janelongxox @uchihacumdump @basiclassy @being-worthy @chaotic-bean-of-smolness @margoo0 @chocolatehalo @vhscillian @ysmmsy @littlewierdalien @crazymar15 @stickyknightflowerbailiff @im-constantly-fangirling @goldensunflowe-r @tellingyouastory @captivatedbycillianmurphy​ @namelesslosers​ @littlewhiterose​ @ttzamara​ @ttzamara @cilleveryone ​

@peaky-cillian @queenyshelby ​

@severewobblerlightdragon​ @ysmmsy​ @midnightmystic

[elsabarnitt]

CASE STUDY - ‘The Book That Grew’ DandAD 2020 Annual Graphite Pencil Award

1.     FRONT PAGE (slide 1)

For my case study I chose “The Book That Grew”, which won a graphite pencil in the DandAD 2020 awards.

On screen is the first image I saw that made me want to find out more, so I thought it was appropriate for it to be the first image you see. I’ll be honest, I only started looking into this project because this image looked cool, and I’ve never seen anything like it before so want to find out more. Looking in further I found high levels of collaboration, thought and a moralistic purpose to help a community become better.

2.     WHAT AM I GOING TO TALK ABOUT (slide 2)

I am going to talk about a book that was grown with the aims to improve farming practises.

Ireland heavily relies on farming as their main source of economic income.

This development of this book was a project which spanned 6-7months and was a collaboration between the Allied Irish Bank, Teagasc; Irelands agriculture and food development authority, Rothco a design agency and the artist Diana Scherer.

In this presentation I elaborate on the creation of this idea, the processes involved, the limitations and the design.

3.     WHY IT WAS MADE (slide 3)

Agriculture accounts for 30% of total emissions in Ireland which is its largest carbon emissions contributor. This can’t continue. The Irish economy is dependent on farming, with 6 billion euros of food and drink specifically reliant upon grasslands for their production. So for this level of farming to survive, it has to become sustainable.

AIB, the Allied Irish Bank has a business relationship with 35% of the farmers in Ireland and therefore this issue is of much importance to them. AIB partnered with Teagasc, who identified 10 tangible lessons and 10 pieces of practical advice to maximise sustainability and increase the profitability. The 10 steps help farmers to achieve a ‘perfect’ 10 rotations of grass grazing per year and produce 10 tonnes of grass per hectare – this is a powerful number that will greatly improve the sustainability of even the most efficient farm.

Hence, 10 being a major theme for this campaign. Which appears in their campaign video as well as the book.

This advice was compiled into a 22 page organically grown book using the very grass that Irish farmers nurture as the medium to carry these important lessons. And I believe this is a perfect example of getting the right message to the right people in the most suitable way.

4.     INTRO INTO IDEA (slide 4)

I contacted the Irish design agency, Rothco via Instagram with a few questions and the offer to have a virtual coffee. To my surprise I got a response and Rob Maguire and Fabiano Dalmacio on the Creative team at Rothco were more than happy to have a zoom call with me.

It was great to be able to hear first-hand, how an agency works with a well-established client relationship to anticipate issues and be able to be proactive about providing solutions. It was also great to explore the whole process and the problems they came across face to face.

From my research I realised they had a long-standing relationship with AIB, and so one of the questions I asked was “Did AIB come to you with a brief, or did you go to them with an idea?”

The answer I received was that: No brief had been released, but Rothco knew AIB was passionate about sustainability and they have a lot of ambitions to do greener work, and knew there was an agricultural brief on its way. They were constantly looking out for things, and said they have a WhatsApp chat where they send ideas to each other at all hours of the day and night.

Fabiano initially came across an article about a visual artist called Diana Scherer who used grass to sustainably make fabrics. His initially reaction was ‘this is really cool, and we have to do something with her’, so they contacted the creative director at AIB who suggested a book or an annual report, because if Diana can grow patterns and textures, she can grow letters and numbers. And from there they contacted Diana to see if it was actually possible, and even she wasn’t completely sure, which shows the risk everyone was willing to take.

Rob and Fabiano were also kind enough to send me photos they had taken of some testers and unused versions. Two of which are on screen now.

As you can see the number 25 hasn’t formed properly.

5.     DIANA (slide 5)

Diana Scherer, a German artist living in Amsterdam, explores the relationship of man versus natural environment. She has come up with a truly unique process, which no one else in the world knows how to do.

She has designed templates which had to be to a specific standard to allow grass roots to grow into them to form patterns. This is called ‘root-weaving’. I got told she is very protective of her work and didn’t show anyone else how to do what she does throughout the whole process.

She has a lab in Amsterdam where she curates her work, which is where the pages were all grown.

6.     LIMITATIONS (slide 6)

The Rothco Design Team went out to Amsterdam to visit Diana to learn about the limitations of her process. One of the main limitations of the technique she has created is that everything has be connected in the template.

For example, if there was a font, it all has to be connected otherwise the roots would simply not take to it. As you can see in this picture there are very small lines connecting each of the letters together.

This project was being curated during Winter, which in terms of gardening isn’t the best time. Diana informed the team that growing in Winter versus Summer would have quite different outcomes and urged them to wait, however due to the time limit Rothco were under they weren’t able to wait but had to make it work in Winter.

From the moment it was harvested the pages started to die. Due to the nature of the project the team decided against using a preservative as that went against what they were trying to achieve. Because of this they decided to have a photography project running alongside it so that you could capture what it looked like the moment It was harvested.

Another limitation was that the size of the page. This really mattered as that would be a deciding factor of how big the typography could be and therefore how legible it was. They decided on 11 x 17 inches, which is roughly the size of an A3 page.

7.     GRID SYSTEM, FONT, SYMBOLS (slide 7)

Due to the constraints I have just mentioned, the design team had to come up with a way to display all of the information in the most efficient and understandable way. They ended up condensing all the information they needed into a grid system inspired by the farmers fields using symbols to tell farmers what to do instead of words. I think its also important to say each page was set out to mimic the yearly calendar to make it easier for farmers to follow.

To the right of the screen I have displayed just a few of the symbols they used. The middle one being one of their field diagram designs.

Top left means Soil

Top right means fencing,

which I’m glad they have a key because I never would have guessed these otherwise.

When on the Zoom call with the creative team I asked what Type style they used and they couldn’t remember, however through one of the images they sent me after our call there were hints that it was ‘Helvetica’, and since comparing the book to this font I am almost certain it is.

SWITCH SLIDE (slide 8)

This is a close up of one of the pages to show you what the symbols look like in the book. Letters were also used as a symbol, for example the T and the F stand for Test and fertilise.

8.     TEMPLATES AND DIANA CHECKING THEM (slide 9)

As spoken about on the previous slides, getting the right size and making sure everything was connected was vital. Therefore, it wasn’t as easy as just choosing fonts and point sizes from a printing point of view, but you had to do it from a gardening one as the pages would grow pixel by pixel. Every time the design team would finish a template, they would send it off to Diana for her to then check it over and see if there was anything wrong with it.

An example that Fabiano gave was that they had some numbers on their templates and Diana would say ‘the size of the zero, you need to increase that otherwise it is going to close in on itself. If you wanted that circle edge you need to make it bigger’.

With this kind of collaboration and exchanging of information the outcome just kept getting better.

SWITCH SLIDE (slide 10)

Here is an image of a digital template beside the root woven version of itself.

As you can see the root woven version on the right hand side isn’t as legible as the digital version. The roots aren’t as bold and perhaps as structured as white is against a black background, however as they were working with nature, it was okay for it not to be perfect, and for the letters to not form 100% accurately.

9.     BOOK BINDING (slide 11)

The book was grown in Amsterdam and was being bound in Dublin by letter press printer and bookbinder Jamie Murphy of the Salvage press.

Each page took roughly 2 weeks to grow and then were all sent separately by courier. As this book is the first of its kind, one of the main challenges was finding the best way to bind it. Jamie was given several test runs that had failed to practice binding with. Everything was so delicate which you can see from the picture on the screen now so special techniques had to be used.

A challenge that Jamie faced was that Rothco were persistent on everything being made out of grass as keeping it as pure as possible was very important to them, so despite Jamie asking for some plastic features he had to find another way to do things.

Jamie burnt the grass in order for it to find a new life as an ink, and also used it to make more pages to act as dividers in the book to protect the delicate pages. Even the cords that hold the book together are made from bamboo

This all demonstrates that when a material such as grass is managed correctly it can work wonders.

10.  CHANGE (slide 12)

The Book That Grew toured round Ireland, and was given the title ‘The best Grassroots campaign of all time’, with the main event being the National Ploughing Championships.

I have been told the book had a very good reception there as well as the knowledge that some farmers have already implemented some of the lessons within the book.

I think that this project has huge relevance in today’s society as sustainability is becoming a top priority for a lot of businesses.

I started off this project with the impression that this was cool, however after researching further no wonder I thought this as it is the world’s first, every page, every word, and every diagram in a book to be formed by real grass roots as they grow. An aspect of this project that has really stuck with me is the fact that you had to wait for the book to make itself as opposed to being able to physically make it and therefore patience was key.

After speaking with Rob and Fabiano on the Creative team at Rothco, I saw the human aspect behind the project and saw the good that they are trying to make which is something that has really inspired me. It is bigger than just its typography which is what it won the award for.

REFLECTION

- I have found this case study project to be very helpful and very interesting. I feel as if I have learnt different ways to find out information as at the beginning of this project I found it quite hard and was coming across the same information over and over. Something that I think had hugely benefitted me was getting in contact with the design agency RothCo and I am so thankful they took time out of their day to speak with me. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.lbbonline.com/news/aib-releases-worlds-first-book-literally-grown-from-grass-roots

https://musebycl.io/makers/agency-grew-book-out-grass-support-irish-farmers

https://m.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/614/210434.html

https://marcommnews.com/aib-and-rothco-release-beautiful-new-book-literally-grown-from-grass-roots/

https://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/teagasc-making-money-by-watching-the-grass-grow-1.1619570

https://www.thedrum.com/creative-works/project/rothco-aib-the-book-grew

https://www.thestable.com.au/rothco-aib-grow-a-book-entirely-from-grass-roots/

[cilldaracailin]

A Kind of Magic

2

“Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and just go where your heart takes you.”

Even though it was small, Dublin airport was a very busy place and as Taron walked through the arrival’s door of terminal two, he was quite lost and had to ask at the tourist information desk how to get to Robyn’s home town of Kilcreen.

“Once you get into the city centre, you can take a bus or a train to Kilcreen but the airport bus brings you directly to Busáras, the bus station and from there if you get the number one one five to Montclarey, that service goes right through Kilcreen.”

“And where do I go to get that bus to the city?” Asked Taron still completely lost.

“If you go out the double doors and walk across the pedestrian crossing, you will see all the bus stops. Look for the green double decker that says ‘Airlink’. It’s six euros one way and it will bring right to the bus station.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Oh, and just so you know, the buses here only take cash or a leap card.”

“Ahh, yes. That is some useful information. Thank you again.” Taron went to walk away but turned back to the lady behind the counter. “There is an exchange desk just around the corner.” Added the lady at the desk knowing what Taron was going to ask before he asked it.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

With some information now and after changing his America dollars into euros, making sure he was able to get some change too, Taron followed the directions he was given to the bus stop, glad to see a bus there waiting. He joined the queue and paying his six euros, dropped his bag with a grimace in the luggage rack and sat in the seat behind it, right at the window, a decision he regretted once the bus started to move as the sun glared in the window and even though it was only near nine thirty in the morning, the heat that came through the window was hot and sticky and not helping Taron’s developing headache. So much for the rain he was expecting, the sun was splitting the blue skies. He only wanted to watch the world as it went by, hoping the views would keep him awake as now that he was off the plane and the vigour he had left the hospital with was quickly fading and he was feeling rough and drained and the warmth through the glass at his face was making him feel slightly miserable.

The bus journey from the airport to the bus station took about an hour as it travelled through rush hour traffic in Dublin’s city centre. On the journey he called his mam to let her know he had arrived safely and was on his way to find Robyn and just managed to say goodbye before his battery died.

He found lifting his bag from the luggage rack a chore as the right side of his body really started to feel the effects of the constant travelling and sitting but he was determent to continue on with his trek so he walked into the bus terminal and to one of the ticket desks and asked about getting the one one five bus to Montclarey making sure to let the seller know he needed to get off at Kilcreen.

“And here is your ticket. The bus will be at bay number eight and is leaving in about five minutes.”

“Thank you. Do you know how long it will take to get there?” Asked Taron.

“It’s normally about forty minutes but with the traffic, maybe an hour? Kilcreen is the fourth stop.”

“Great. Thanks again.”

Another hour on a bus sounded like hell to Taron but it was a step closer to Robyn so he made his way to bay eight and showed the bus driver his ticket and put his bag in the hold under the bus. He took a seat on the left side, hoping this was the side of the bus where the sun wouldn’t shine and pulling his hat from his warm forehead he leant against the cool glass.

A few more customers came onto the bus but no-one sat beside him and within five minutes the bus set off. Taron was met with a sun free window and was actually able to enjoy the views of Dublin as they drove through busy streets, giving him something to think about instead of his developing pain. He counted each stop and watched for signs which were written in Irish and English. The bus moved onto a motorway and after a fifteen-minute drive the bus pulled off and onto their third stop. Taron knew the fourth stop was his, so he kept an extra look out for signs and as the bus turned a corner he was met with the view of a river beside a walkway and a black sign that read ‘Kilcreen’. Sitting up straight, he pulled his hat back on and after another minute drive the bus stopped at the stop.

“I just have to get a bag, thanks.” Said Taron to the bus driver and waited for the hold to be opened so he could pull his duffle out, the movement of doing so really starting to hurt now.

He waited for the bus to move and then took a look around where Robyn lived. He stood on a paved footpath behind which was the river which had a small wooden boardwalk on the opposite side, canoe polo nets overhead and a few ducks swimming on the water. A bridge was to his left and opposite him a row of businesses including a pub, chemist and hairdressers. It was a busy little town, with traffic moving constantly in front of him and a number of people were out and about enjoying the glorious morning sunshine, the weather warm and balmy. Nothing like Florida, but nothing like what he had expected the Irish weather to be.

Very much at a loss of what to do now, Taron figured his best bet was to go and ask in one of the shops across the road to see could they direct him to Robyn’s house. Waiting for the traffic to stop at the traffic lights at the top of the bridge, he then made his way across the road, passing the benches outside the pub. He walked past the off license, the butchers and chemist and chose to chance asking the lady at the counter in the hair dressers.

“Sorry excuse me, can you tell me where Poplar Road is please?” Asked Taron as he popped his head in the door.

“Sorry. Hold on!” The worker switched off the hair dryer. “Sorry what did you ask?”

“I am just looking for Poplar Road, please. I am here to visit a friend but I haven’t actually been here before and I am bit lost.”

“Sure.” The woman quickly explained how to get to Poplar Road and it involved quite a few right and left turns. “Wouldn’t it be easier for you just to use google maps? She asked explaining it for the fourth time to Taron, whose tired state was finding it very hard to retain the instructions to where Robyn lived.

Taron pulled his phone from his pocket. “Battery is dead.”

“Ok let me write it down for you instead.”

“That would be great thank you.”

Taron walked a bit further into the hairdressers and watched as the woman wrote down the directions for him.

“Thank you very much.” He said. “I think I can find my way now to Robyn.”

“Robyn?” Another woman walked towards him. “Are you Robyn Quinn’s friend?” She asked.

“Yeah I am. You know Robyn?”

“She gets here hair done here about twice a year, normally before she goes on holiday. Is she back from Florida?”

“Oh yeah. She got back on Saturday.” It was hard for Taron to say those words and he was ready to go and find Robyn so he turned to leave. “Erm thank you again for these. Have a good day.”

Taron had started to walk out of the store. “Oh wait!” The lady who knew Robyn walked after him. “Robyn won’t actually be at home though. She will be in work.”

Taron’s whole face changed. It was something that had completely slipped his mind. Robyn’s work which meant the directions in his hand were leading him to a road with four houses and no Robyn. He didn’t even know where Robyn worked, what time she would be finished at and suddenly felt his anxiety levels start to rise. So far, he had done well to keep calm and was surprised at the ease he had made to Kilcreen but he had finally hit a hurdle and it was the one he needed so desperately to cross at the moment. He was so close to seeing her.

“I can give you the directions to where she works though, if you want.”

His head lifted. “Robyn works here?”

“Well not here, but in Kilcreen, yeah she does. The creche she works in is in the town. I can give you some directions if you would like.”

“I would very much appreciate that.”

“Sure.” The woman grabbed another piece of paper and Taron watched her write the way to Robyn’s work which definitely looked more complicated than the ones to her house. “Ok here you go. So, go over the bridge and stay on the footpath on the right side of the road and follow that path all the way to the round-about. Keep on the footpath as you walk past the round-about and you will see an entrance to a road on the right-hand side that has railings and some signs on it that say Scoil Bríd with a green and red background. Go down that road all the way to the end and you’ll see the entrance to a housing estate called Green Hill. Robyn’s creche is number one. You will see it as you walk past the railings but you have to walk into the estate to actually get to the building. I have actually added a little map but if you stay on footpath the whole way around, you will be grand and find it easily.”

Taron took the paper from the woman. “Thank you for this.”

“No problem at all. Robyn used to look after my little girl.” That brought a smile to Taron’s face. “Rachel loved her.”

“Thank you again. Have a great day.”

Taron held onto the paper tight as he made his way out of the hairdressers and up the steps that led to the traffic light which also had a pedestrian crossing. He waited for the light to turn green for him and started to make his way across the bridge, crossing the actual bridge when he saw the green man again, making sure he was on the right-hand footpath as directed. He hoped it wasn’t too long a walk because he could feel the exhaustion quickly seeping into his bones and his left arm was getting tired from carrying his duffle and he knew he couldn’t use his right because of the stitches on his arm.

He had made it over the bridge and to the entrance of a housing estate called Royal Fields, when he had to stop and pull his hoodie off, his body sweltering in the morning heat. He shoved it into his duffle and picked it up again and continued walking down the footpath, the round-about in sight in front of him. Keeping to the right, he saw the black railings and the Irish words on the red and green sign and took the right turn as instructed. The black railings continued on the left-hand side, Taron now walking past a wall on his right but he kept going, even though he was really feeling the pressure of the travelling and walking on his body. He prayed he was getting closer because his bag felt like a weight and his head was really started to pound. He could hear voices in the distance, children’s voices and after another two minutes, he walked past a school behind black railing, the red and green plaque screwed to the railing.

Wiping some sweat from the back of his neck, Taron looked up to see if he was getting closer to the end of the road and there in front of him was a large two story house at the end of a row of houses with a blue and white sign on the wall that said ‘Happy Days – Play & Learn Childcare’ and Taron groaned with delight and somehow managed to speed up his walk.  The sign was located on the back of the creche and just as the hairdressers had described, he had to walk into the housing estate called Green Hill and then back along the footpath to actually get to number one.

As he walked closer to the creche, Taron could feel his heart starting to race and his nerves build fast and he had to stop for a minute to calm his breathing down. He had been so desperate to get to see Robyn and now that he was finally here, he was absolutely doubting his decision.

He had plenty of time to think, almost over think everything on the way over and it had taken every ounce of his strength to hold his emotions in on the plane, having to close his eyes tight on many occasions to stop the tears from falling. He hadn’t lied to Doctor Hart when he said he believed Robyn was the only one who could understand how he was feeling, who could relate to the emotions he had bubbling under his skin but standing in the baking sun, he didn’t know if had made the right decision to come to Ireland to find her. What if she didn’t want to see him? What is he had come all of this way for nothing, to be met with a blank face and refusal?

Dropping his duffle on the ground, Taron had to sit on the garden wall behind him, his hands going to his face as he struggled to take some air into his lungs, a sudden dread completely overpowering him. His hands were shaking and his side was on fire with the effort of trying to control his breathing. That doubt was engulfing him and his hat was soon on the ground beside his bag and he was pulling at the neck of his t-shirt as he felt constricted and tight.

He closed his eyes and placing his hands on his knees, he inhaled through his nose and then out through his mouth, once again that technique that Robyn had taught him coming to his rescue. He took a few more scrappy breathes, the exertion of which was absolutely killing him in every way possible. Sweat was starting run down his back and head and his wiped at his temples, immediately wincing as his fingers rubbed the grazes on the right side of his face. He could feel himself crumbling very quickly, just like he was in the 7/11 and it was Robyn who had wiped his tears every time, easing his fears and calming his mind. Robyn was so close to him and he had travelled all the way to see her. He closed his eyes tight and tried to imagine her in front of him, her hands on his face, talking him through his panic and with some laboured breathes at first, Taron finally regained control but he was paying the price for taking so long to regulate his breathing as he felt physically and mentally exhausted and drained. Whatever hesitation he had felt before was completely gone and picking up his bag and hat, he started to walk down the rest of the footpath to get to the front door of Robyn’s work place. He just needed to see her, he needed to talk to her and he needed her comforting hand in his because he had to believe that the Robyn he knew wouldn’t blank or ignore him.

There was a woman sitting behind a desk in the front left window and he saw her look up as he walked by. He stood in front of the door and rang the doorbell, standing back, waiting for the door to be opened. It only two about three seconds before it was and he was met with a kind looking lady with blonde hair in a pixie cut, wearing a black pencil skirt and purple blouse.

“Hi there, how can I help you?”

“Erm hi, I was just looking for Robyn?”

“Robyn.” Asked the lady, tilting her head to the side, taking in the frazzled appearance of the man in front of her.

“Yeah Robyn Quinn. She works here right?”

“Yes, she does.”

“Would I be able to speak to her please? My name is Taron and I won’t take up much of her time. I literally just need a minute, if she is here.”

As soon as the lady heard the man say his name was ‘Taron’, she stepped back and opened the door fully. “Why don’t you come in Taron. I’m Emma.”

Taron was surprised as he was invited into the creche, but took the step in and moved so the door could be closed behind him.

“Do you want to just step into the office here.” Said Emma and she walked into the room behind Taron that was set up with two desks and a large filing cabinet. “It’s ok Taron, you can come in.” She assured as the man hesitated in the hallway. Taron cautiously walked into the office. “Why don’t you drop your bag under the desk and sit down.” She watched as her visitor grimaced as he placed his bag on the floor and pushed it under the desk before awkwardly sitting down on the swivel chair nearest the door. “I will go and get Robyn for you, ok?” She saw a complete change in his face when she mentioned Robyn’s name, his features becoming more awake.

“Please.” Was all Taron could manage in reply and Emma walked past him and out into the hallway, opening the gate to the stairs, knowing Robyn was upstairs dealing with a disgruntled staff member.

Emma had no intention of letting the man at her door into the creche, until he mentioned his name and she knew exactly who he was and why he was standing at the door looking like he was ready to fall down with exhaustion.

Emma was thrilled to have her supervisor back on Monday morning but got the shock of her life when she took in her tired appearance and bruised face. Emma has been expecting Robyn to be refreshed and full of excitement after her time away but she was met with a very different woman and she had listened with disbelief as Robyn had explained to her what had happened, shocked at how she had spent her last night in Florida.

She also knew Robyn hadn’t told her all of the details of what exactly had occurred in the shop as she watched how Robyn became more withdrawn, tense and tired as each day passed but Taron was the name of the man that centred around her story and when he had suddenly arrived at Robyn’s place of work looking just as shattered as her supervisor was, Emma knew there was something that brought Taron all the way from Florida to Kilcreen so she took no time in running up the stairs to get Robyn.

“The policy is there for a reason and we cannot have phones in the room for that child protection reason. If you need to make a phone call, just ask me or Emma and you can use the creche phone. Personal phones need to be locked in lockers and can only be taken out for use during your lunch break.”

“Robyn.” Emma gave her slight nod with her head. “Can I grab you for a second.”

“Please put it back in your locker Valerie. Thank you.”

Robyn walked out of the preschool room upstairs and looked to Emma. “What’s up.”

“There is someone downstairs to see you.” Emma saw the confusion in her face. “Just come downstairs with me.”

“Sure. If it’s my mother, I swear…” Robyn followed Emma down the stairs but stopped to open the window on the stairs. “Here was I thinking I coming back to the cold and rain but we’re in the middle of a bloody heat wave.” She continued down the rest of the stairs, turning to close the stair gate behind her. “Emma, I have the rest of these policies signed by the girls and I am going to put them in…”

Robyn stopped in her tracks, her converse squeaking on the floor as she stopped so suddenly and looked to who was sitting in her chair in the office, dropping the pages she was holding in shock.

“Taron!”

[scannain]

The New Music is a new Irish feature film currently in post-production. The film aims to shine a light on Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, a rare and little known condition which affects people under fifty.

Young Parkinson’s Ireland, which was set up in 2016, suspect that there may be at least 500 undiagnosed sufferers of Young Onset Parkinson’s in the country. Sufferers who may be reluctant to come forward due to a self or socially imposed stigma as Parkinson’s Disease has been traditionally seen as a “old person’s” disease.

The film, which is written and directed by Italian native Chiara Viale, follows the struggles of Adrian, a young gifted musician , who leaves home and heads to Dublin in an attempt to deal with the news of his diagnosis. Despite this debilitating condition, Adrian (played by Dublin-born actor Cilléin McEvoy) joins a punk band as a keyboard player and rediscovers his life through music and friendship.

Filming was completed at the end of 2017 and the production team have launched a crowd-funding campaign to reach out to the public to help them fund the post-production expenses of the film – editing, sound, music, marketing and festival entries. 20% of all funds raised will go directly to Young Parkinson’s Ireland in addition to all future income from the film.

Scannain caught up with Viale to talk about about her background in film and her motivations for making The New Music

Chiara Viale- Writer/Director of The New Music

How did you originally get involved in Filmmaking? I started writing when I was very young and I have always been passionate about cinema. After finishing my BA in English in foreign language and literature I moved to Ireland and joined the Dublin Filmmakers Collective where I developed my first scripts and had my first on-set experiences. At the same time, I started developing my own independent projects: in 2016 I produced, wrote and directed my first short film Be Frank which was nominated for the Rising Star award at the Underground Cinema Awards in 2017. Also in 2017 I produced, wrote and directed the short Clown and produced the short Clear The Air  which are currently in post production.

And what brought you to Ireland? I’ve been in love with Ireland since I first visited as a teenager. After secondary school I spent a year in Dublin working as an au-pair to improve my English. I had always entertained the thought of coming back to Ireland and I finally moved to Dublin in 2015. I am in love with the creative atmosphere that can breath in this country and the extraordinary people I met along the way. I don’t believe my dreams and aspirations could find a better place than Ireland to become a reality.

Where did the core idea for The New Music originate? My approach to writing is strongly related to feelings and emotions and more often than not the concepts of my stories are born through an image, which conveys a certain feeling. The New Music is no exception: I imagined a character who is lying to himself and the people he cares about and although he knows that these lies can ruin everything he has and loves, he can’t stop. Telling the truth is simply too hard for him to handle, because it would force him to face his own fear.

I envisioned a character with an incurable illness which he hides from everyone and that is eating away at him from the inside. Then I created a starting environment for him that would completely clash with the situation he finds himself in and I imagined something to cure his fear and give him a new prospective on life. This is a film about friendship and it shows that help can often come from people who are not necessarily trying to understand, but who show a way out of suffering by simply being a good, reliable influence.

I wanted to create a story with believable characters dealing with issues that everyone experiences sooner or later in life. I wanted to paint a picture of Dublin exactly as it is right now, and how it is to live in a shared house where everyone forgets to buy toilet paper or to get lost using the Dublin map. I wanted to tell the story of all the people who are trying to make art and music here while coping with our money-controlled society.

What is your connection to Young Parkinson’s , why did you choose this particular condition? Adrian is a pianist and his talent is expressed through the use of his hands. I wanted his illness to target his ability to play and after a short research, I discovered Young Onset Parkinson’s, a rare form of Parkinson’s that affects people under the age of 50. Parkinson’s is widely considered a disease that affects the elderly, and I was surprised to learn that lots of young people all over the word are suffering from it.

At this early stage I decided that The New Music had to be about this illness and it could contribute to raise awareness and shine a light on this condition.

Together with Philip Kidd (Producer, Director of Photography, Editor) we decided to contact the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland, who put us in touch with Young Parkinson’s Ireland, with whom we’ve been working with ever since. Representatives of Young Parkinson’s Ireland read and approved the script at pre-production stage and we are currently developing the film in association and close contact with them. At the end of 2017 we started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the post-production expenses of The New Music, 20% of which is being donated to Young Parkinson’s Ireland. Furthermore, we will donate any future income of the film to this association and use the film for charity purposes.

I also have a very close personal experience with rare diseases as my father passed away in 2013 after having MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) a rare neurological disease for which, like Parkinson’s, there is no ultimate cure. In this script I dealt with feelings that my family and I experienced first hand. I also attempted to give my interpretation of what someone afflicted by an incurable disease might feel, and how the ensuing feelings and behaviours impact everyone around them. I hope that The New Music will have the power to bring people together and create a space where these issues can be discussed, as well encourage a conversation around both living and dealing with rare diseases.

Munky- Irish Punk Band

So obviously music plays a huge part in the film, can you tell me more about that? The second constitutive element of my writing has always been music. I consider it a huge source of inspiration and The New Music is fulfilling my dream of writing a story that revolves around music from beginning to end.

In the last few years I’ve been influenced a lot by punk music as a genre but mostly in terms of lifestyle and attitude. The film itself was produced with a strong DIY mindset and the narrative arc of the main character freely represents my own discovery of punk music as a form of liberation and a way to fully express myself artistically. During the writing process I’ve been influenced by bands such as Bomb The Music Industry! , The Smith Street Band, Fugazi, Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Menzingers and Bangers.

Music is the passion shared by all the main characters of the story and it permeates every scene. It firstly represents the desperation felt by Adrian, then it slowly becomes what carries him through the darkness towards the light and a new version of himself. The film shows two types of music that are usually considered opposites: classical and punk. Both play a huge roles in the film and find a way to merge together as the two diametrically different spheres of Adrian’s life find a meeting point. Grand pianos, dusty rehearsal rooms, microphones and wires, music shops and gigs; everything in this film is about music and the love that each character has for it in their own way.

The film features two original songs composed by Zachary Stephenson of Munky and we are currently putting together a soundtrack made of both classical and punk music, featuring mostly unsigned independent artists such as Bangers, Müg (UK) , Antillectual( Netherlands) and Checkpoint, Forgotten Soldier and Declan Byrne who are all from Ireland. Shit Present ( UK) and Irish act Givamanakick are in talks about coming on board.

What are your cinematic influences? I’d imagine Italian cinema plays a big part? I grew up without a TV because my parents were against having one in the house, but we used to have a VHS player attached to a monitor, strictly used to watch films together. Both my parents loved cinema, and I remember watching italian classics of directors such as De Sica, Rossellini, Scola and Tornatore. I also watched cinema classics with my grandparents. I became an avid reader at a young age and soon I started writing my own stories for my friends to read. I took inspiration from books, comics, Japanese cartoons that I would watch with my friends and music. One of my first dream jobs was to write for music videos.

It took a few more years for me to develop a proper taste for cinema, but to this day the vital element of a film to me is still storytelling. I love those films that tell a story the same way as I wish I did, that put an accent on the psychological development of characters and can capture me emotionally. Directors such as Krzysztof Kieślowski, Anton Corbijn, Gus Van Sant, Nicolas Winding Refn, Tony Richardson, Jeff Nichols and Ben Wheatley have been a major influence on me both narratively and aesthetically.

Are there any Irish filmmakers at the moment that you are interested in? I love Jim Sheridan’s films and Martin McDonagh as a filmmaker (and playwright). I also really enjoyed the productions made by Cartoon Saloon. There are a good number of Irish films that I watched through the years and that really stuck with me, such as: Inside I’m Dancing, I Went Down, The Commitments, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Breakfast On Pluto and Once. I am looking forward to Mark O’Rowe’s The Delinquent Season.

Look out for the trailer for The New Music which is out in the coming weeks. You can follow the cast and crew on their social media channels below and most importantly if you want to donate to the cause just click here.

Follow the film’s progress on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Cilléin McEvoy – lead

Chiara Viale- director

    The New Music- Upcoming Irish Feature shines a light on Young Onset Parkinson's Disease The New Music is a new Irish feature film currently in post-production. The film aims to shine a light on Young Onset Parkinson's Disease, a rare and little known condition which affects people under fifty.

[celtfather]

20 Rockin' Irish Drinking Songs #424

Rock out to the Top 20 Irish Drinking Songs from the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

The Celtic Kitchen Party, Stout Pounders, The Barley Boys, Homeland, Bridgid's Cross, Hair of the Dog, Musical Blades, Ceann, Boston Blackthorne, The Brazen Heads, St. Jame's Gate, Bangers and Mash, Rebels and Sinners, The Fighting Jamesons, Barleyjuice, Bourbon & Shamrocks, Battlelegs, Sgian Dubh, Screaming Orphans

I hope you enjoyed this week's show. If you did, please share the show with ONE friend.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is dedicated to growing our community and helping the incredible artists who so generously share their music. If you find music you love, buy their albums, shirts, and songbooks, follow them on Spotify, see their shows, and drop them an email to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

Remember also to Subscribe to the Celtic Music Magazine. Every week, I'll send you a few cool bits of Celtic music news. It's a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Plus, you'll get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free, just for signing up today. Thank you again for being a Celt of Kindness.

VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 With the new year comes a new votes in the Celtic Top 20. This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. Just list the show number, and the name of as many bands in the episode as you like. Your vote helps me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2019 episode.  Vote Now!

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:06 - "All For Me Grog" by The Celtic Kitchen Party from Sociable!

3:15 - "Wild Colonial Boy" by Stout Pounders from Pour Decisions

6:18 - "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" by The Barley Boys from The Days of Abundance

11:14 - "Mrs. McGrath" by Homeland from We Never Got This Far Alone

15:30 - "Drunken Sailor" by Bridgid's Cross from Half Two

18:18 - "Whiskey in a Jar" by Hair of the Dog from Let It Flow

21:11 - "Leaving of Liverpool" by Musical Blades from Up the Ante

24:18 - CELTIC FEEDBACK

27:20 - "Old Dun Cow" by Ceann from Making Friends

30:58 - "Black & Tans" by Boston Blackthorne from County Kerry to Kerry Park

34:14 - "Wind That Shakes the Barley" by The Brazen Heads from Who's Your Paddy

37:30 - "All Around My Hat" by St. Jame's Gate from Happy Life

41:09 - "Star of the County Down" by Bangers and Mash from Quicksand Cafe

43:25 - "Spancil Hill" by Rebels and Sinners from Day's Just Begun

47:30 - CELTIC PODCAST NEWS

49:01 - "Rocky Road to Dublin" by The Fighting Jamesons from Every Day Above Ground

52:38 - "Tim Finegan's Wake" by Barleyjuice from Six Yanks

56:39 - "7 Drunkin Nights" by Bourbon & Shamrocks from Shocks & ARRRR!

1:01:14 - "Wild Rover" by Battlelegs from Lost My Shoes

1:05:46 - "Whiskey You're the Devil" by Sgian Dubh from Frightening All the Dogs

1:10:24 - “Follow Me Up to Carlow” by Screaming Orphans from Taproom

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. To subscribe, go to Apple Podcasts or to our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

  CELTIC PODCAST NEWS

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic musician and podcaster. This show is dedicated to the indie Celtic musicians. I want to ask you to support these artists. Share the show with your friends. And find more episodes at celticmusicpodcast.com. You can also support this podcast on Patreon.

FairPlé aims to achieve gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. They advocate for equal opportunity and balanced representation for all. Visit their website for more details about this great organization.

TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through it's culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Join the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

We hit our 14th year anniversary at the end of July. Your kind and generous support of this show each and every week are the reason it still exists after 14 years.

There are many ways to support the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, throughs donation, buying bumper sticker, pint glasses or t-shirts. But the best way of all is to become a Patron of the Podcast.

You can make a pledge of a dollar or more per episode and cap how much you want to spend each month. Your generosity funds the creation, promotion and production of the show. It allows us to attract new listeners and to help our community grow. And you also get episodes before regular listeners.

And when we hit a milestone, you get an extra-long episode. We are super close to getting a two-hour instrumental special.

You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast at http://patreon.com/celticpodcast.

I want to thank our Patrons of the Podcast: Chris C., Dwayne B., Cathy H., Kevin Leahy, Trevor, Murray F

  I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening. Email a voicemail message to celticpodcast@gmail.com

Robyn Dobbs emailed: "Good morning Marc, on my way to the Scottish Highland Games in Blue Lake, California."

Hester emailed: "Good day. My name is Hester I am from South Africa. I like Celtic music and I was looking for a station that plays Celtic music. I came across your podcasts and I love it so much.

This is really my favourite podcast to listen to even though I don't get to all of them, it is the only thing that I listen to on TuneIn radio. I absolutely love bagpipes, making your podcasts even more special. Thank you for keeping traditional music alive. (Even if it is not my culture)  Keep up the good work."

Adriana Sanroman emailed: "Hello from Mexico! I have enjoyed your podcast from the very first year and I really did love the last episode with Jesse Ferguson. In fact, the guest episodes have been amazing. I usually listen to you while working, I work as an archaeological conservator in a field lab in the middle of this hectic city. Thanks for the amazing work and go brágh!"

Beth Hlabse emailed: "I just wanted to thank you, Marc, for episode 418. I really needed something positive in my life right now and this episode definitely was that. Peace”

Kim Knebel emailed: "Dear Marc, Thank you for the countless hours you give to creating these podcasts, keeping up your newsletter and all the other things you do and are involved in. I want to say "bravo" to you for calling out whoever the arse was that had something bad to say about the guest host(ess), Susan, and your efforts to support FairPle. Good music is good music no matter who is playing. Sad but true, women are misrepresented in many venues, have been for quite some time. My mother, who would be 105-6 were she alive, couldn't be the textile designer she wanted to be, because that was a man's domain in her era. So, I thank you and all those who are working to gain more recognition for women in the arts and in general.  Slainte!"

  Check out this episode!

[keithdcourtney]

An Introduction to Traditional Irish Guitar

GUEST POST – I thought I might offer a few words in this post about  a guitar genre that rarely gets the spotlight outside of its own community of players, namely that of guitar accompaniment in traditional Irish music.

Now when I say “traditional Irish music ” – or “trad” for short – I’m referring specifically to the instrumental forms of the dance music : the jigs, reels, slip-jigs, hornpipes and polkas (yes, polkas… Ireland was invaded by just about everyone at some time or other).

The roots of these tunes reach back into the ages beyond where any of us can pin point, and they offer incredible opportunities, challenges and rewards for the curious guitarist. My own journey over the last twenty years or so has been a balancing act between respecting the tradition and finding my own voice, and I wouldn’t change a minute of that learning curve.

Ok, I might change a few minutes hear and there, and for those of you who might want to dip your fingers into these waters, I thought I might offer some advice and spare you some of the bumps and bruises I acquired in my early days.

Traditional Irish Guitar Players

For reference, listening to those that came before us is always a good idea, and here are some of the names to explore:

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill made his mark through the 70s with The Bothy Band, and his strong driving rhythms along with almost a “power chord” feel at times brought a new vibrancy to the genre that led to a new and younger audience listening to the old tunes. More on Wikipedia >>

Dáithí Sproule (Pronounced “Da-Hee”, which is the Irish version of David) pioneered DADGAD guitar accompaniment in Irish music. These days, the best place to hear his accompaniment work is with ALTAN, a great Donegal band loyal to the tradition. Sproule’s Website >>

John Doyle rose to prominence with the band Solace, and developed a style that is completely his own, often copied and never equalled.  John Doyle Website >>

Denis Cahill, most often seen accompanying fiddle player Martin Hayes, is a fine example of what I call the less-is-more player; minimalist and beautiful, allowing the melody to sing, which leads me on to my next point…. Denis Cahill Website >>

Melody Is Everything

When you sit down, guitar in hand, listening to Irish tune playing either via a musician friend or a recording, remember that it’s all about that melody line – that’s where the tradition lives. To encroach on that melody is the equivalent of drowning out the singer. It took me a minute, as someone who came from a rock/blues/jazz/punk/anything guitar background to realize I had no business vying for a piece of the spotlight. My role was a supporting one.

And after a while I realized that this “servile” role was actually the source of much liberation as a guitar player. I could go on and on about this  and expand ad infinitum, but I have some ground to cover in this one blog post, so onward….

The Forms

Many, many times have I heard the comment that trad “all sounds the same” – all diddley diddley diddley….so how hard can it be to play along with?

When you think about it, every musical genre sounds “all the same” when you only give it that initial cursory glance. Blues, Country, Jazz, Hip Hop. They can all be stereotyped and reduced to a caricature. Listen to anyone of them for more than the time it takes to change channels, however, and things start to snap into focus. Trad is no different.

A Jig

That diddley diddley diddley rhythm? That’s a jig – 6/8 and one of the basic tune forms. Listen to a tune called Out On The Ocean – a trad Standard – for the feel of a jig (or at least the feel of THAT jig – although they each have fundamental similarities, they also have their own personality, kinda like people).

A Reel

The other basic form is a reel: 4/4 , mostly eighth notes. Check out The Star of Munster as an example of a standard repertoire tune. Your road starts with those two. From there it just gets deeper and more fascinating.

Learning Traditional Irish Guitar

There are some great teachers out there – it’s something I enjoy myself – but I would like to point out some others:

Jimmy Murray plays primarily nylon string guitar, but his rhythmic and melodic sensibility is really something.

Jimmy Murray Guitar lessons >>

Dave Curley is a DADGAD player that I really like. a quick google search will find both of those guys, and I’m a fan of both.

Dave Curley Music >>

So that’s some of the trad stuff, ie the instrumental tunes. What about the songs we all associate with Irish music ? The “Pub songs” as they’re often called.

Pub Songs

Every time I think on the subject, I’m reminded of my days singing for my supper in Dublin, and my old friend Martin Denning singing  to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer:

“I am just a folky and my story seldom told I have plundered Irish music with a lump of German plywood and a capo All lies and jest, I have learned the songs with just two chords and disregard the rest. Li la li li. Li la li li. Li la li”

I love a lot of those Irish ballads and spent plenty of my early career belting them out to all and sundry. I regard a lot of those songs as the Irish equivalent of Classic Rock, in much the same way as I regard The Dubliners as the Irish Rolling Stones. If you want to familiarize yourself with the standards of the Irish Pub Song/Ballad genre, go get a collection of recordings by the Dubliners circa 60s/70s, with the never-to be-equalled Luke Kelly on vocal. Great stuff.

The songs, as opposed to the tunes, allow an audience to sing along and perhaps interact more with the music. So therefore they lend themselves to a party atmosphere.

Beneath that layer though, are a wealth of songs dating back to antiquity – a vein that is still being mined, but since this is  a guitar blog, that’s a story for.another time and place.

Bottom line is…

….if you’ve never considered turning your guitar’s attention to the twists and turns of Irish music, a world of discovery awaits, you lucky dog….

About the Author

Hailing from Cork in the south of Ireland, Patsy O’Brien has traveled the globe, guitar in hand, accompanying, creating and recording with some of the giants of Irish music. An award-winning songwriter and much sought-after guitarist, his ability to meld songwriting and guitar styles seamlessly caught the attention of NPR who featured his arrangement of The Star Of The County Down (see below) on their All Songs Considered program. For more info, visit his website, or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

More Resources: Learn To Play Traditional Irish Music

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The post An Introduction to Traditional Irish Guitar appeared first on The Guitar Journal.

[euroman1945-blog]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Monday 27th August 2018

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. “Starry Starry Night” goes the lines from the Don McClean song about Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh…Well as  I walk Bella this morning I feel as if I have stepped into the painting.. tendrils of cloud and mist are swirling in the heavens and stars in abundance are each fighting to attract my attention… quite magnificent! I love mornings like this, the Mediterranean is a flat calm this morning and being plied by little one man fishing boats, their lights seemingly dull against the starry heaven, they are fishing for Pulpa or Squid as we would call it, one of the staple’s here on the Costa del Sol, they cook it in garlic oil and then fry with a very light batter, excellent if cooked correctly but reminiscent of rubber if done wrongly…

HEADLESS WOMAN AT CENTRE OF CLAN MYSTERY REINTERRED…. A special service was held at Wardlaw Mausoleum in Beauly, near Inverness, on Thursday. The remains of a headless woman at the centre of a Highland clan mystery have been reinterred at a special service. It had been thought the coffin at Wardlaw Mausoleum in Beauly, near Inverness, may have contained the bones of the 11th Lord Lovat Simon Fraser, known as the Old Fox, who was beheaded in London in 1747 following the Battle of Culloden. Clan Fraser legend had suggested his remains had been stolen by supporters and taken back to Scotland to the family mausoleum. But a DNA examination by renowned forensic expert Dame Sue Black found the remains were that of a young woman aged between 25 and 35. The search for the Old Fox continues and next month historian and clan member Sarah Fraser and Erik Lundberg from Wardlaw Mausoleum will travel to the Tower of London where the remains of Simon Fraser were said to have been originally interred following his execution. Fans of historical time-travel series Outlander regularly visit the mausoleum, with the Old Fox featuring in the stories as the grandfather of fictional character Jamie Fraser.

FREEDOM OF EDINBURGH STRIPPED FROM MYANMAR LEADER …. Auan San Suu Kyi was accused of ignoring violence against Rohingya Muslims in her country. Former Nobel peace prize laureate Auan San Suu Kyi has had the Freedom of Edinburgh revoked amid the Rohingya crisis. City councillors agreed unanimously to strip the Myanmar leader of the honour following claims she has ignored violence against Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority country she represents. The UN has described the Myanmar military's actions in Rakhine state as "textbook ethnic cleansing". More than 700,000 Muslim-majority Rohingya have fled the region to neighbouring Bangladesh due to widespread persecution. Ms Suu Kui has refused to condemn the alleged brutality of government troops, however, sparking worldwide outcry. She was given the Freedom of Edinburgh in 2005, for her support of democracy while under house arrest. Today she was stripped of it with immediate effect after a unanimous vote by all Edinburgh councillors after a motion was lodged by Lord Provost Frank Ross. He said: "It has been ten months since this chamber discussed the status of this award for Aung San Suu Kyi. "It did so in the light of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar (Burma), which was and continues to be broadcast around the world.  "At that time this chamber instructed me to write to Aung San Suu Kyi, making it very clear that as a recipient of the Freedom of our City, we urged her to use her powers to alleviate this human crisis."  Mr Ross added: "I did so and we have tried every route that we possibly have available to us to make contact, via our armed forces, through diplomatic means, by writing directly - yet we have seen the situation in Myanmar continue to deteriorate.  "This award is granted rarely and only to those individuals who are held in the highest esteem by the citizens of Edinburgh. It was presented to Aung San Suu Kyi in recognition of her personal courage and relentless pursuit of justice. "I no longer believe her receipt of this award or the reasons it was presented are appropriate or accurate. It is not a decision we take lightly to revoke the honour granted to her in 2005." Edinburgh follows Dublin, Newcastle and Oxford in revoking an honour from Ms Suu Kyi. It's the first time that Edinburgh has stripped a Freedom of the City honour since 1890. Irish politician Charles Parnell lost his amid a love affair scandal.

BALLOON BIRDS COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR REAL-LIFE COUNTERPARTS…. A Scotsman is making balloon birds so realistic they could be mistaken for their real-life counterparts. Terry Cook, 32, spent hours perfecting the inflatable sculptures to make them look like the real thing. "I am obsessed with birds and animals and have been since I was a child," Terry said. "I have an interest in magic tricks, and from that an interest in balloon modelling developed. "A few years back my niece had a birthday party and I was asked to make some balloon animals, all the kids loved it and it spurred me on to do it a bit more. "I used to just make all the classic balloons like dogs, elephants and swans, but then I thought it would be cool to try and make something out of the ordinary." Terry, who lives in Aberdeen and also breeds birds, says his collection includes a heron, a woodpecker and his favourite - a blue tit. "My favourite one is the blue tit, just because it was the first one I made, and it looked quite cute when it was finished," he continued. "I can remember staring at swifts in the sky for ages when I was a kid and my folks laughing at how into them I was. "I was curious as to why you never saw them perching in trees or on the ground." He makes the birds in is free time and despite the time they take to make, he loves the rewarding feeling he gets after finishing a piece. "They can take a couple of hours to make because I just make it up as I go along," he added. "It can be difficult figuring out how to get the right shape, and by the end of it your absolute sick of hearing them squeaking against each other. "I can hear the sound of latex squeaking in my sleep sometimes." Terry is passionately against irresponsible littering and emphasised that he properly disposes the balloons after each of his projects. He said: "So many man-made products will be here long after we die, and are equally as harmful as balloons, but because balloons are actively released into the environment by people who are ignorant of the damage they cause. "People then perceive balloons as an overall bad thing. "The issue comes from careless discard and irresponsible disposal of these products, not so much their use. "I love creating the balloon birds but disposing of the plastic properly is the most important part of the project."

DRIVER CAUGHT SPEEDING AT 75MPH PAST SCHOOL AND NURSERY…. A blue Audi was clocked speeding in the 20mph zone near Carmyllie Primary School, Angus. A driver has been caught doing 75mph past a primary school and nursery. A blue Audi A3 was clocked speeding in the 20mph zone near Carmyllie Primary School in Angus. The driver has been charged with dangerous driving following the incident at 3.40pm on Wednesday. Inspector Ray Cuthill said the outcome could have been "much, much worse". He said: "To drive in such a manner and at such speeds within a built up area is completely unacceptable. "It is even worse that a driver would choose to drive at a speed approaching four times the speed limit past a primary school and nursery just as the children have finished for the day. "Thankfully nobody was hurt as a result of the driver's actions but it is clear that the outcome could have been much, much worse."

CONCERNS RAISED OVER PLANS TO HARVEST KELP ON WEST COAST…. Proposals by firm Marine Biopolymers would eventually see more than 30,000 tonnes of the seaweed gathered each year by specially adapted boats. The company has been criticised over the plans which involve large-toothed devices being trawled through kelp beds, which are home to considerable amounts of sea-life. Seaweed has a number of uses, from pharmaceuticals to food, and the market for it is thriving. Critics claim the move could harm the marine environment, deplete fish stocks, increase coastal erosion and even contribute towards climate change. Nick Underdown, head of campaigns at sustainable fisheries charity, Open Seas, said: "Dredging our kelp forests is not dissimilar to clear-felling virgin rainforest. "It's one of the few pristine habitats in our seas that remain unscathed by over-intensive exploitation. "It provides a fundamental foundation to the way our seas work, providing habitat for many hundreds of species, and represents one of our best stores of blue carbon. "On land we are trying to actively recover our native pine forests, why repeat the mistake of deforestation at sea?" 'The proposal is completely adrift from sensible, sustainable use of our seas and would drag us backwards.' "But allowing mechanical dredging in the way proposed will not only undermine the health of our sea, it will undermine other marine businesses and alternative harvesting methods." Marine Biopolymers, based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, has submitted a scoping report to Marine Scotland. It outlines its plans to apply for "one or more" licences to harvest kelp in waters from Mull up to Lochinver and across to the Outer Hebrides. Mussel farmer and seaweed picker from Ullapool, Ailsa McLellan, said: "I'm concerned from an environmental point of view. "Kelp is a significant absorber of carbon, it buffers ocean acidity caused by warming seas and prevents coastal erosion. "It seems utterly bonkers to take that away at this stage in our planetary evolution. There is nothing green about dredging up kelp." A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Marine Scotland will consult fully on any forthcoming application and environmental assessments. "Scottish ministers will then make a determination on a licence application, taking into account the effects on the environment and other uses of the sea." "We believe that we have a world leading technology and products that will balance the needs of the sustainable environment with commercial reality, producing a business that is both innovative and 'Green' at its heart."

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of Abbotsford house on the Borders rather lovely I think...

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Monday 27th August 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus #Scotland #News #Spain

[zaraehedderman-blog]

Interview:Alex Høgh Andersen

Vikings. Brutal and blood-thirsty. Ruthless men with a hidden vulnerability. Imagine a time and place where the anticipation of the next moment opens the door to fear - to what might come next. Somewhere in the wilderness of Ireland, some of these moments lost in the past are being recreated by Danish born actor, Alex Høgh Andersen.

Alex is fascinated by people, so it is not surprising that he portrays Ivar the Boneless on the historical drama, ‘Vikings’, created by Michael Hirst. Known for their brutality and blood-thirst the Vikings are often misunderstood figures in the retelling of their past. Ivar is a multifaceted character, he is ruthless, but vulnerable; a true underdog by Alex’s own admission. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta - a rare defect where several bones in his legs never formed fully - there is always an obstacle for Ivar to overcome. Alex joined the show two years ago, and in that short time his character has gradually become a fore figure in the storyline following the death of his fictional father, Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. When it returns for its fifth season, the show focuses further on the development of Ivar the Boneless.

Photographer Doreen Kilfeather meets Alex off set at a visually enviable location just outside of Dublin to capture the boy behind the character. It is a playful Alex that unfolds before her lens, as he lets his natural flare for storytelling take over. Whether he is creating stories for film, stills or being behind his own camera lens, creating moments seems to come very naturally for him. Stylist Colm Corrigan sets the relaxed tone further with clean-lined, comfortable garments in a colour palette that matches the colours in the surroundings. Everything merges together as the Boys by Girls team continues to get an insight into the talented Scandinavian actor.

Alex’s interest in people expands to passionate and informed views on politics, contemporary culture and the way the world works, or sometimes doesn’t. It is easy to forget that he is 23 when he talks about his experiences to date; from studying in Copenhagen’s most prestigious drama school to moving to Ireland to work on a successful series. There are moments when he apologises for talking too much; unless Frank Ocean is the topic of discussion. Despite Alex’s complex conclusions on social injustices there is a man who craves a life of simplicity, of finding all you need without having to go too far from yourself or where you came from.

Hey Alex, how’re you? I am fantastic. I’m really excited, because my family are coming to visit me here in Dublin tomorrow. It will be the first time in about three months that I’ll get to see my mum, dad and sister. It’s going to be so cool having them here with me.

How did you get into acting? I think I had too much energy when I was a little kid. I was always trying to find something to do. I think acting eventually became a way for me to use up that energy. When I was ten or eleven years old, I was already playing a lot of sports; handball and football, but that wasn’t enough. So, my mum signed me up to a local theatre group.

Had you expressed an interest in acting before your mum had suggested that you try it? No, not at all! It was the opposite, actually. When she told me I said to her; “Mum, really? What is this, why did you sign me up for this?”. I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to convince me to participate in this small local theatre group. It’s so long ago now that I can’t really remember what exactly happened - how I finally came around to the idea of acting - but I kept going to the group and I did a play with them and then I did another play the year after. The lady that directed that play was also a teacher in this amazing school in Copenhagen. At that stage, I was this young, local farmer dude from a small town of about five thousand people. She told me that I should audition for the school that she taught in.

Did you feel nervous about doing that? A little bit, I was moreso shocked. I didn’t think that I was any good, really. I mean, I enjoyed acting and I thought if she liked me and how I performed that much to suggest that I audition for this big drama school, then I probably should. She saw a lot of potential in me and I thought; “Ok, let’s try it”. I auditioned and I got in at the age of eleven an stayed there for the next six or seven years. I got a professional education in how theatre works during my time there. I also learned exactly what discipline is and understanding teamwork and that teamwork is the key to everything, especially when you work in acting. So, I learned all about theatre in this school, but also what you need to be equipped as a human being. One thing about drama school is that it prepares people to get ready to work in the business - to get on a stage or in front of a camera but it also inspires people to be very, very good human beings. That place taught me all the basics about how to work with people and how to be in front of a camera. Once I was finished there, I just kept going.

Was it after your time here that you then went on to study Film and Media Studies? Yeah, I did that when I was finished with High School. When I started studying Film and Media Studies in Copenhagen, that was after a year of working and relaxing after finishing high school, at the age of about twenty. I absolutely loved it - some of my best friend from university are still my closest friends today. I actually had to drop out when the opportunity to work on ‘Vikings’ came about. But, I really found learning about film and media so interesting. Of course it was incredibly academic, but it was the closest that I could get to my passion at that time which was and still is, of course, acting.

And you’re an avid photographer, as well? Yes! That’s my therapy session. It’s kind of like acting, where you become extremely focused on this one thing that you do that it becomes so relaxing.

Do you bring a camera with on set with you to occupy the hours in between shooting? I do, actually. There’s obviously a very strict policy on set of not taking photographs while filming is happening so that spoilers are avoided. I keep it to taking a few cool black and white portraits of some of the extras that we have on ‘Vikings’, because the extras that we have are absolutely tremendous. The first, no second time, that I walked on set there was about sixty or seventy extras that were ten times more Viking looking than I am; beards down to their belly buttons, lines on their faces, because they’re old and hardworking Irishmen and they’re covered in blood and mud, they’re in costume and they just look tremendous. It’s a gift shop for a photographer. I waited an entire year before I brought my camera to set to take photographs of the extras and when I finally did I was like; “Why did I wait so long? What have I missed out on?”. It’s absolutely incredible, it’s a great pleasure to be able to do it. It’s also a really nice way to give some kind of recognition to the extras, that is really important to me, because they are the ones standing around outside in the cold for twelve hours while us actors are getting coffee, cakes and blankets. The extras are so important to the show, because it is such a visual programme and they give it life.

Do you think that your understanding of photography and being behind the lens has helped you when you’re acting? I definitely think so, yeah. In trying to sound as humble as possible, I do think that it has given me a very special understanding of how to be in front of the camera when I’m filming. It gives me an extra bit of excitement, as well. It’s so exciting for me to be on the set and to look at the camera operators and the director of photography communicating with each other. I mean, I was on a trip for the first three or four months of filming trying to follow what they were saying to each other, but now I’m getting used to it. It was such an incredible learning experience to work with these tremendously talented men and women on the set.

What has it been like for you relocating your life to Dublin? Culture wise, it’s pretty close. I mean, I’m a very relaxed guy and the Irish people are so friendly. It’s been the best experience. It’s a really great town. I moved to Dublin when I was 21, and before that I had already lived away when I was in university studying. I was living with three other people, so I was used to being away from my family. I was completely excited to move to Dublin.

When I was going through your Twitter feed I got excited when I found out that you’re a Frank Ocean fan. I am a huge Frank Ocean fan! ‘Chanel’ [Ocean’s current single] has been on repeat for me constantly since it was released. I think it may be his best piece of work.

What is it about him that you like so much? What I love about Ocean is that he is visual with his music, he considers how his music can be appreciated as a visual medium, as we’ve seen with his album 'Endless'. His music has a filmic quality. Is that maybe why you are drawn to him as an artist? Absolutely, he is an amazing visual artist. I mean, just look at the music video for ‘Pyramids’. It’s so random, as are his lyrics. I don’t know what it is about him, but he gets away with being so unpredictable. There’s his voice which is through the roof; every single time. When he finally released 'Blonde', he released ‘Nikes’ and people had been waiting four years since Channel Orange to hear his voice again. So back in the summer when the single came out the day before the album everyone was so excited and then for two thirds of that song his voice is autotuned! So it was like, ok he just does not care one bit what people think. It’s just power, in a subtle way. He lets his art speak for him, and that’s what he is; he is an artist. He proves that he can do everything and do all the stuff himself. Can we just talk about Frank Ocean for the rest of this conversation?

Are you musical? I play a little bit of the guitar and I sing in the shower, but that’s it. I do have a lot of experience on stage doing musicals with the theatre group when I was younger. I was never one of the singers, though. I was always really privileged to get selected to have a main part, I never had to sing in those parts. But I will sing along to Frank Ocean everyday!

Getting back to your career, ‘Vikings’ has been hugely popular worldwide. The show’s creator, Michael Hirst was involved in other historical drama series including ‘The Tudors’ and ‘Elizabeth’. Why do you think that there is such demand amongst audiences for historical series especially when the period depicted is so far removed from our reality? Maybe it’s because the story is so far removed from our reality, I think that is probably why people gravitate towards historical dramas. It’s so far away so you don’t really know the story, particularly with the history of Viking excursions. I mean, we all hear the stories about how brutal they were, how extreme they were. It’s funny, because I’m from Denmark and that’s our heritage, but the show isn’t actually so big there, which is nice because it means whenever I go home I don’t get recognised and I can remain a private figure.

What kind of TV shows do you like to watch? Oh, anything once it’s good! I loved ‘Breaking Bad’. I’m a sucker for great acting, so ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘House of Cards’, they were two of my favourite TV shows. They had great actors, storylines and writing.

That’s something that ‘Vikings’ is praised for. The writing on the show remains as true to history as possible, and there isn’t a dependency on creating tantalising storylines for the sake of it. Yeah, exactly. Michael has a huge interest in history and he always, always wants to keep the storylines and the writing as authentic as possible. He takes pride at keeping things subtle. Also we had Travis Fimmel (he played the lead role of Ragnar Lothbrok), who is a spectacular actor and he also understands the importance of subtly illuding emotions in how he acts. Both he and Michael really excelled at that on the show. I really looked up to Travis, in particular, and I really enjoyed observing him and getting the opportunity to act with him. We, the actors, are extremely lucky to work with Michael and the writers on the show, because there is a constant dialogue between him and the actors while the episodes are being developed and he gives us the freedom to take our characters in directions that maybe aren’t entirely in the script. Michael appreciates that the actors have spent a lot of time researching and becoming their characters and that sometimes they will understand the character more intimately than he will and he’ll allow us the freedom to act out a scene in a way that we believe the character will react.

How was the transition from doing small time theatre in Denmark to acting on a big production like ‘Vikings’? Oh, that’s a huge change. It takes a lot of years to fully adjust from stage to screen, it’s so different. I started going to auditions for television shows when I was fifteen and I didn’t have a clue how to be in front of a camera. It’s such a different approach. When you’re on stage you have to reach all the way to the back, right to the back row of the audience. They need to understand what you’re saying and what your gestures are. Talking with you now, I’m using my hands while I’m talking, but in front of a camera, that is too much. You need to tone it down, a lot. There is a completely different technique to acting for stage and screen. When you get used to it, that is when the job becomes interesting. You become fully immersed in what you’re doing, you’re focused on what’s going on and then what is happening around you and everything comes together. It’s a really great experience. What I love about working on ‘Vikings’ is that there is a great vibe on the set and amongst everyone that works there. We get our work done, but we also have a lot of fun there and it is a relaxed environment. It makes it so much more enjoyable to do your job, especially for me with my character constantly dragging himself through the mud, because he is crippled. On those intense and tiring days of filming, you need to have that fun and support around you to keep your mood elevated. Acting is really playing, and good friends play the best.

You’ve described your character, Ivar the Boneless, as a man that is “crippled in tremendously physical Viking culture, abandoned by his father, suffocated with too much love from his mother, overcompensating for his disease.... He has always been the observing one - a lone wolf- but that has made him very intelligent. He is manipulative, skilled, religious and provocative, but most of all he is a sad, angry and vulnerable kid.” It must be exhausting to portray such a complex character? It’s mostly fun! The bigger the challenge, the further away you can get away from yourself and that is what makes it fun. When I’m doing Ivar the Boneless, he is so far away from me and that is why I love playing him. There is so much diversity to him, and I really have been so privileged to play him. I love the anti-hero, like Walter White from ‘Breaking Bad’ and Frank Underwood in ‘House of Cards’ - they are inspiring characters that will always be a constant struggle for the audience, because one minute he will be funny and charming and then next he can be sassy. That is my constant challenge, to never judge him and to always try to make people understand him and where he has come from. I still, to this day, cannot tell whether Ivar the Boneless is a protagonist or an antagonist and I find that very interesting to play.

What is your favourite historical period? Native Americans, they are very interesting. I love that vibe they had, that spiritual vibe. It’s like the Disney movie, ‘Brother Bear’, I really loved the serenity of it. I know that’s not exactly from then, but I find that ability to find everything that you need within yourself and from the land so amazing. Also the spear and arrow, that’s very very sweet!

Finally Alex, what makes you happy? Doing what I love to do and being able to share it with people I love. It’s so cheesy, but it’s true. What is it worth doing something if you can’t share it with family and friends. I’m so lucky to do something I love, that’s what life's about.

http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/news/bbg-presents-alex-hogh

This interview was originally published on Boys By Girls, April 2017.