Irish oddities in warm weather!

In the realm of Ireland, warm sunny weather is often a rarity. This past weekend we experienced abnormally warm tempeatures. This caused some interesting things. If you happened to find your self near a coastal area you may have found yourself staring into an eery fog like something out of a hitchcock movie. But, comically I happened to be coming back from Brian McCann's birthday in Dundalk when I noticed an even more bizarre Irish habit of traffic watching. On almost every overpass ok the m1 between Dundalk and Dublin it was observed that countless people were watching the traffic. I don't know if it an Irish thing or not being able to cope with warm weather in thief own country but, the Irish people were drawn the the traffic rather than the nearest beach which must be told is no further than a 2 hours drive from any where in Ireland.
Oh well day four of the "heatwave" continues hope it holds.

"Shaka, when the walls fell"

So how much of a nerd am I?

Whilst in the midst of the beach party Christian and I passed comment regarding how the Czech kids were dancing like crazy and all the North Americans were happily reverting back to college days of flip cup, drinking games, and socialising. When I past the comment, "Shaka, when the walls fell" well this nearly floored Christian when I followed it up with the comment "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra". This obscure but, completely relevant reference to the second episode of the fifth season of Star Trek the Next Generation sparked a ten minute discussion of the episode and including an amusing story of Kelly Arnold near mishap with 'assimilation' by the Borg at a Star Trek Convention.

An Exercise of Grit and Determination.

2008 Ales Hrebesky Memorial


Day One

Well an ominous start against the tournament favorites was on the cards and it was a hard fought physical affair. Despite having few numbers the Dublin Riggers fought hard against a numerically supiorior Boston Megamen. We ended up loosing the contest by a score of 10-2 but, not before we scored two of the best goals of the tournament both coming from behind the cage.

Result: Loss (10:2)


Day Two

The Day started with no expectations as we played TJ Malesice who were last years runners up. We set the tone early with some punishing play and big hits as Bingo was on a mission to hit anything that moves. The score was kept closer than Malesice would have liked and had a narrow 2:1 lead at the half. Matt Walsh scoring a nice goal as he fell on the way to goal slotting the ball in the five hole of the Malesice goalie.
More bruising play continued and eventually the Riggers hard work paid off tying the game at 2:2. Malesice quickly regained the lead shortly after and put the game out of reach in the final 2 minutes. Though the result was not reflective of the dominant play by the Riggers.

Result: Loss (4:2)


The Riggers finally broke out offensively against the Old Dogs Plzen. It's hard to imagine a team of 8 guys playing box lacrosse utilise a 'run and gun style offense' but, that is exactly what we did. We jumped out to an early 4:1 lead and did not look back at all. Pouring it on offensively the Old Dogs had way more than they bargained for and eventually succombed to the Riggers. The Score sheet was pretty balanced with everyone contributing.

Result: Win (8:4)

Day Three

Last Year the Tricksters tricked us and got the better of us, this year we were determined not to be fooled again. Bratislava pulled of a suprising victory against the Team from Philly in a shoot out so a lot was expected of them. But the Combination of Gibby's Domination at the face off circle, Matt Walsh's Hattrick, the steallar goaltending of Tony Devine who was filling in for Matt Cannon, and the punishing style of play led to the Riggers second victory in the tourney. It has to be mentioned that this is the first time I think a coach has yelled at a played to score and that player did. Coach Arnold should definitely get the assist on that goal.

Result: Win (7:3)

Next on the cards were BiBer the combination team from Berlin and Bielefield. Simon Vit and Gibby got the Riggers offense running again and Matt walsh's contributions made the score 4:1 at the end of the half. It was an offensive explosion by Gibby who bagged three in the second half which saw the Riggers narrowly pull out a victory against the German team who was clawing their way back into the game.

Result: Win (7:6)

Day Four

The combination of 'running and gunning', drinking, and playing a bruising punishing style of defense definitely had taken its toll on the Riggers and heading into the 9th place game the Dublin side had little left in the tank. Though not before making a little more noise as the Riggers jumped out to a 2:0 lead in the first half on a goal by Gibby and an well finished quickstick by Tony Devine. Matt Walsh bagged himself another goal and Gibby finished out the scoring for the Dublin side. But, the game was not for the Riggers to claim as the younger LCC Tigers pulled out the victory late in the game.

Result: Loss (7:4)

Summary

This is the best result to date for the Dublin Riggers who finished tenth and earned a ton of respect along the way. The Gritty Irish team who dominated faceoffs, physically dominated opponents on the defensive end and scored some of the tournaments highlight goals were definitely the talk of the town. How can 8 guys play that much lacrosse and do so well in that kinda tournament is beyond me but fairplay to each and everyone of the guys for the effort they put in.

MIcheal Kennedy, Adam Ginty, Peter (Malesice), Matt Walsh, Matt Cannon, Tony Devine, Bingo, and Simon Vit all played like legends and my hat goes off to each and everyone of them. Coach Arnold's half time speeches and key time outs were top notch.

Tony Devine, Sean Gibson, and Christain Arnold (COach) Represented the Riggers in the All Star Game. While Gibson also was selected a tournament All-Star.

Brian Bendig Awards

The Brian Bendig of Keilbasa was Michael Kennedy
The Brian Bendig of Tour Guides was Simon Vit
The Brian Bendig of Pain (Both to himself and others) was Bingo
The Brian Bendig of Dancing Naked was NAZ
The Brian Bendig of Missing Third Day of tournament mornings was Matt Cannon (was also the 2006 winner)
The Brian Bendig of Smoking Cigarettes was Christain Arnold though this was close as Tony took second place.
The Brian Bendig of being pantsed in the stand was Tony Devine.

Trip to the North Day One

Lauren and I had decided long ago that we should venture to the north for a few days during her visit. She had a number of things she wanted to see and do while up there and we made a best effort to accomplish them all. We were unfortunately not able to go across the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge , this is mainly due to the fact that the bridge would get stolen during the winter months or so the locals say... (I think it may possibly be due to a more sinister plot..)



However, we lazed our way from Dublin enroute to WhitePark Bay on the North Antrim Coast via Belfast, Ballymena, Coolraine, and Bushmills. It was a good easy drive and relatively easy to navigate our way in my little car. We decided to stop at Dunluce Castle.

It was a hazy day but, the views from the castle are amazing. The rugged northern coast is something that everyone should take an opportunity at least once in there lives to see for them selves.

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is arcessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is between Portballintrae and Portrush. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. It is a State Care Historic Monument sited in the townland of Dunluce, in Coleraine Borough Council area. (For further Information regarding Dunluce Castle click here.)

After I managed to almost throw myself off the cliff we headed to our B&B on beautiful WhitePark Bay near Ballintoy. We stayed at the Whitepark House B&B and I have to say it was worth every penny we paid. I will have a review in a later blog posting.

Here are some further images from Dunluce Castle:





Next Post Day Two: Giant's Causeway and Bushmills

The Wings of Dublin

by guest blogger Chris Arnold

www.chrisandkellyontheroad.blogspot.com

 

 

When you think of Dublin and food, the first thing that comes to mind is Chicken Wings right? Wrong, BUT luckily there are a few places that actually do wings well, the way us North Americans like 'em.

 

I've sampled the wings at quite a few places, but there is a clear winner in the "Best Wings" category.

 

TriBeCa in Ranelagh (Dublin 6)

 

Tony Devine & I popped in for lunch yesterday, so I could see what all the wing hub-bub was about.

 

We got an order of about 20 wings while we waited for our sandwiches. I immediately regretted that I didn't order more wings. They were small but crispy and soaked in a buttery, spicy wing sauce. They werent soggy and not too hot, although I did break into my trademark sweat. Luckily, it was only a mild sweat compared to the embarrassing 5 alarm fire sweat I have experienced with some wings. One of the most important factors when eating wings is of coure the Blue Cheese dressing, usually it pales in comparison to what we're used to in the States, but at Tribeca it is absoultely on target...and yummy. Plus, plenty of good looking, crisp celery.

 

Tony & I were both pleased with our sandwiches (Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich and Tiger Prawn Sandwich respectively)...both very good yet a tad pricey at around 12 euros each.

 

Total bill : about 40 euros (2 sandwiches, 20 wings, 2 cokes)

 

The best part about Tribeca ? Its only a 10 minute walk from my house...I'll be back!

 

   http://www.tribeca.ie/

 

 

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The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there.

First Culinary Entry for 2008

Lamb Doyles

After much deliberation about what to do for lunch and reminding myself of the commitment I have made to this blog about recipes and restaurant reviews. I decided to make my first 'culinary entry' about my local.


About Lamb Doyles
Lamb Doyles has a long and colourful history with its connections with Horse Racing at nearby Leopardstown Race Course, and as a famous gathering place for Dubliners and tourists who appreciate the magnificent views over Dublin City and Bay.

About the Menu (http://www.lambdoyles.com/html/brasseriemenu.htm)
The menu has changed alot since thier website was created and now is typically what you would find at any bog standard pub throughout the Dublin area. The menu is simple and reflects the strengths of Irish cuisine which always strikes me a being very comfortable in nature. I would expect it being the nature of the average punter who may frequent the place and also due to its location at the start of the Wicklow Mountains.

My Meal
As I was dining at lunch time and was feeling overly hungry I decided to go with a starter of Potato Skins, and a Steak Sandwich for my entrée.

My starter came out piping hot and was presented simply with your normal expectation of a few leafy greens and an orange slice as a garnish. With three halved potato skins with cheddar cheese and bacon. There was no accompaniment of the usual sour cream or salsa which I would expect to find and for €5.75 seemed a bit steep for the portion size. The taste was pleasant as expected and was timely served.

My Entrée followed shortly after and as I like my steaks rare, I was not disappointed. The sandwich was again garnished with the previous garnish, and was on a plate with an ample serving of chips. The steak sandwich itself was served on a ciabatta bun and topped with fried onions and mushrooms. I would have to say it was all that you would expect from your typical pub based restaurant and if I could say anything it was that the food was just that typical. The meal lacked personality and there was not much of a flavor to much of the food. The 6oz. steak sandwich rings in at €12.95 and is a bit steep in price but, you leave feeling full the entire entrée is more than ample to fill an empty stomach.

Service
I have a soft spot for Lamb Doyles as it is my local but not only that, the older gentleman who serves during the day is very pleasant and will go out of his way to help you.

Today's Rating
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Cleanliness: 4/5

Overall: 3.5

First Game Back or Should I Say, "Frost Game Back"

Well on Saturday night I played in my first hockey game of the new year and wow, two weeks off of skates really showed. After posting one of the best performances of the season in the IIHL Allstars vs HK Kurbads on the 22 of December. I followed it up with a shaky first game back. Granted we did have 6 players and the Bulls 'B' had an army of players. But, in the end we won 4-3 and remain in a 3 way tie for top spot. I will chalk it up as more of a practice and more time on the ice. Training tonight and I am going to watch the second leg of the Bulls vs. Concordia Stingers series.

On another note: Team Canada won it's fourth straight world junior hockey championship and it was very exciting to be abroad to watch and see our nation defeat some of the world's elite junior hockey players.

Welcome to my Blog

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to do a blog for all the interesting events that unfold throughout 2008. Because of the nature of who I am and my interests in many things this blog may become fairly abstract. I will do my best to include all things and for you foodies I will include recipes and reviews of restaurants that I encounter through 2008. All major sporting events that I am involved should earn an entry in here.

Before we can start into 2008, I thought it would be good to include the top five moments from 2007.

Top five moments of 2007:

1. Captaining Ireland in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
2. My trip to Halifax in October / November
3. The trip to Cork
4. Jimi Dlouhy Cup - Radotin, CZ, London Blues Tourney
5. Playing and getting involved with Irish Ice Hockey - PRO
   

I wish you all the best for 2008 and hope you enjoy reading whats to come.