Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and Mayoman of the Year

Tripping Along The Ledge


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Published: Irish Times, April 12 2008

“IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE, THERE IS ONLY WAR…”

Warhammer-Mark-Of-Chaos-628
It is the year 40,000 A.D. Across a cratered landscape, amid swirling mists, two mutant armies prepare to do battle. The stage is set for Armageddon…

Well, not quite. It’s Thursday evening in the Games Workshop on Dublin’s Liffey Street, where a dozen or so maladjusted male teens and twentysomethings are slugging it out on tabletop sci-fi and fantasy games. The games have names like Warhammer, Lord of the Rings and World of Warcraft. Read the rest of this entry »

October 6th, 2009. 5 Comments »

FIRST THERE WAS (2003)


The full audio track is here:
First There Was

October 6th, 2009. Comment now »

SHURELY SHOME MISHTAKE?

wedliftTwo good friends of mine, who I’m very fond of, were married recently. (That’s not them in the picture, by the way – but it does, I think, convey something of the occasion.) At any rate, the groom emailed me a few weeks later looking for my new postal address. He and his wife, he said, wanted to thank me for my generous gift. No bother, I told him. They were very welcome. Read the rest of this entry »

October 6th, 2009. 7 Comments »

“I’M NOT SURE WHAT THIS GUY’S PROBLEM IS, BUT HE’S POINTING AN AK-47 ASSAULT RIFLE AT ME, SO I PREFER NOT TO MAKE A FUSS…”

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What stands before me is a scene of utter desolation: the chalk remains of roads, buildings and farmland, bombed and bulldozed beyond any recognition… Read the rest of this article here.

October 5th, 2009. 6 Comments »

TODAY ON THE INTERNET I LEARNED THAT…

cow
1. Being one of Google Image’s top 10 search returns for “cow” is a dubious honour. The massive surge of incoming traffic is welcome, bit until I start hosting 10-10-20 ads, the benefits are im-moo-terial.

2. Today not being April 1st, I’m assuming the French really are serious and McDonald’s are opening a restaurant in the Lourve.

3. You know, I didn’t laugh out at this once. This isn’t funny, only true.

4. Finally, someone I don’t know is having dreams about me and writing about them on the internet. She is, she assures me, definitely not crazy…

October 5th, 2009. 3 Comments »

Published: Irish Times, 17 May 2008

RING THEM BELLS

christ church
“We’re a little short on numbers tonight,” laments Ian. “Lesley is on his holidays, Vivian’s gone salsa dancing. I’m not sure where Gayle’s gotten herself to.” Read the rest of this entry »

October 4th, 2009. 3 Comments »

DAVID WATTS (1967)

October 4th, 2009. 8 Comments »

JIM CORR: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE (PART DEUX)

jim corr
Markham left an interesting comment here imagining a parallel universe in which Jim Corr’s sisters three sisters were “average-looking, tone-deaf munters.” I got to thinking about a different parallel universe, one in which the rest of us are woefully misguided, and Jim Corr and Charlie Sheen are the ones who know the truth. In which the Lisbon Treaty, 911, swine flu etc. really are all part of an extraordinarily elaborate plot to accomplish, erm… what exactly? Read the rest of this entry »

October 2nd, 2009. 18 Comments »

“TAKE MY HAND, LORD JESUS TAKE MY HAND…”

croagh patrick 2
Religious beliefs and practices in Mayo are informed by ancient tradition, galvanized by history and shot through always with the strangest, and most profound, ambiguity. Nowhere is this better illustrated than on the stony slopes of Croagh Patrick…Read the rest of this article here.

October 2nd, 2009. Comment now »

JEALOUS GUY (1971)


As much as I love this song, I gotta admit “I didn’t mean to hurt you” is one of the lamest excuses of all time. I should know, I’ve probably used it a hundred times to a hundred people. It’s not until someone uses it on you, though, that you realise how idiotic it is. Read the rest of this entry »

October 1st, 2009. Comment now »