Eoin Butler

Record Store Day – April 17 2010

And slowly answered Arthur from the barge:
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new,
And God fulfils Himself in many ways,
Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.”

– Morte d’Arthur (Tennyson) Read the rest of this entry »

Those last minute Leaving Cert revision tips in brief…

The countdown to Leaving Cert 2010 is almost at an end. When 138,000 nervous students sit down for their first examination at 9.30pm on June 6th, they’ll know their chances of securing a coveted university place, well-paid job, desirable home, attractive sexual partner and prospect of siring anything other than ugly, unintelligent children depend entirely on how they perform in the weeks ahead. Read the rest of this article.

Well, I’ll be a son of a gun!

Spotted John Rocha on Exchequer Street, Saturday morning. He was wearing clogs and holding an enormous cigarette holder. Someone told me RTE are doing a countdown of the all-time greatest Irishmen. Well, I’m gutted J.R. didn’t make the cut. Because we are nation of chancers and bullshit artists. And this guy is beating us at our own game. Read the rest of this entry »

Weekend 2

B’ah. I’ve worked on stupid articles all weekend and missed most of the sun. So, weather permitting, I’ve decided to make Monday and Tuesday my alternative weekend. Activities may include (but are not limited to) ice cream-eating, stone-into-pond throwing, dog-befriending and unabashed sandal wearing.

Any of my friends currently unemployed, or willing to call into work sick, are more than welcome to join me. It’s going to be a regular jaunt. Yeah, I’m gonna make the real weekend look bunch of amateurs.

Gimme Shelter

The phrase ‘fog of war’ has a double meaning. Ostensibly, it refers to the confusion that reigns among combatants on the ground in the heat of battle. Errors are made, lives lost or advantages squandered as a result of commanders miscalculating the strengths and weaknesses of their own position relative to that of the enemy.

But the expression can also refer to the manner in which events in war sometimes escape scrutiny from the outside world: whether through rising plumes of dust and smoke, a lack of proximity to the battlefield, the lethargy or obsequiousness of the media or the indifference of the general public. Read the rest of this entry »

This Isn’t Funny

The wasted life and tragic death of Mitch Hedberg, who died five years ago this week. See Mitch at his best here.

When people hear I’m going to work in McDonalds they react with a mixture of bafflement and horror.

The fast-food multinational has been blamed for everything from rising obesity rates and Third World exploitation, to Morgan Spurlock’s diminished sex drive. On my first day, I burst through the front doors half an hour late, the fragrant scent of Eau de Budweiser wafting in my wake.Read the rest of this article.

It’s the last ever outing for this column

“By the way, Butler’s paying for everything,” says Aidan, before we sit down. “Why the hell am I paying?” I ask. “I’ve given you enough material over the years,” he says. “You’re lucky I haven’t sued for commission!” I suppose, the man has a point. Read the rest of this article here.

Night on the Great River

Steering my little boat towards a misty islet,
I watch the sun descend while my sorrows grow:
In the vast night the sky hangs lower than the treetops,
But in the blue lake the moon is coming close. Read the rest of this entry »

Misty (1959)