Dublin thoughts

We had been with Shell Energy and subsequently TalkTalk who took them over for a couple of years and were out of contract in August 2026, with a copper/ADSL connection and landline phone. Having had very few phone calls to our landline, and now out of contract, we decided to drop the landline and try to get deals for a 4/5g router, rather than fibre which is not quite available in our area. For interest I called TT to ask for a price without a landline, and they said £25pm with the existing copper/ADSL connection. Having gone to various price comparison websites, I opted for Quidco's Vodafone where I was initially quoted an excellent £15pm (rising in April 2027 and 2028). On clicking through, I was routed to Vodafone and then discovered, as a TalkTalk customer, there was a further reduction to an outstanding £11pm. I completed the switch and not long afterwards, Vodafone sent a provisional contract pdf via email and information that I could collect the 5G router at my local Vodafone shop about 2 hours after the order. For various reasons I was unable to collect it. The day after, some 26 hours after they sent the provisional pdf contract, I received a text to say there had been a "technical issue" with my order, and reassuring me "no payment had been taken". Following several online chats to Vodafone support, they said they could see no issue with the order and suggested visiting the shop for further info. The day after I went to my local Vodafone shop to collect the router as instructed and ensure the account was ready to go. On checking they discovered there was no order kn "My Vodafone" account - this is what I had discovered the day before. To cut a long and frustrating story short, I then decided not to pursue Vodafone. I strongly suspect that the Quidco discount, added to the Vodafone TT discount, had triggered alarm bells in Vodafone Towers, hence the block. The next best offer for 5G on Quidco was via Three, and I successfully signed up for a package identical to the Vodafone £15pm. Their communication was excellent, including a brief online chat to ensure Three had contacted TalkTal about any moving (and I subsequently received an email from TT acknowledging the move and seeing if they could retain the contract). The 5G router arrived in the post the day after (Friday), with an activation day the following Monday. However, I had an issue establishing a Three online account since, having inputted my email and password, they required my Three phone number but my personal phone was with another company and obviously the SIM in the router is unable to acknowledge one-Time codes! This was sorted by my phoning Three and eventually being put through to their Tech team. The very helpful person manually inputted my personal mobile number and went through the process with me. I do think it is a little strange that Three require a Three phone account for broadband orders (presumably Fibre too), where I would have thought that a significant percentage of potential customers don't have Three mobile accounts. The router is now operating really well and I'm getting speeds not far short from prospective fibre speeds. The latency has largely been good; TalkTalk's copper/ADSL was no great shakes and often dropped at busy times, especially over the weekend and even when only streaming (we're not heavy bandwith users in our house). The Three router is quite large and my other half was not happy with the LED "Christmas Tree" light effects, but I've switched those off via the online app (phone app didn't seem to offer that level of advanced control). The postscript to the process was an error on my part - when TT took over from Shell I had a lot of issues trying to establish an online account using my Yahoo email (the issue was that TT said my email address was already in use - about 12 years ago I had been a TT customer but long ceased - some GDPR issues which I haven't chased here I think...). To sort it I used my Google email address which worked. For continuity, when signing up for Three, I thought it prudent to continue with my Google address. However, my Quidco account is linked to my Yahoo email, so I've just today been informed that my QC Three payment was declined (and QC offer no chance to challenge their Comparison tools). To summarise - a provisional Vodafone pdf contract is obviously not binding. Their customer services left something to be desired; Three's was far better. If you're using Quidco's comparison websites, ensure you use the same email address for everything.

Labels: switching from adsl to 5g

It has been some time since I posted here, due to work and family reasons. Dublin continues to change and develop for the better, and is enhanced by the wide variety of people living there, nationals and non-nationals. For this post I have decided to highlight something common to both - food! This picture has been deliberately chosen - it's a relatively new Fast food takeway in Dublin's suburbs, in this instance in Walkinstown, specifically the Cromwellsfort Road in D12. Up to March 2026 this premises was owned and operated by the long-established Borza family, who still have a takeaway on Perrystown Road, just over a kilometer away. The Cromwellsfort Road branch served a wide range of houses, including the famous "Musical Roads". These Dublin Corporation housing schemes began in the 1950s and were built in the following decades, transforming the area from rural farmland (famously, the nearby CherryTree roundabout had a living farmhouse in its middle as construction began of the roundabout!). [pictured below: Formerly the Borza takeaway, now "fast food take away". Mrs Borza, who ran the takeway for decades, is as Dublin as they come, as are her childen and relatives. Delve into their proud family history (previously displayed in panels in the shop) and you will see that they originated, along with several other Italian families providing food in Dublin and the country, from a relatively compact area of Italy centered around Frosinone, being in Lazio (and not far from Rome). Like all good immigrants, including the Irish abroad, these families have gradually assimilated into Irish culture, while keeping their own traditions alive. More importantly, they have provided the country with service, including vital tax and insurance constributions. What can we learn from the issues facing our immigrants? Firstly, the vast majority want to live and work in peace, contributing to the country and helping the economy. They have been accepted by Irish people, serving in healthcare, service industries and the like. Many of these immigrants are highly qualified in their own countries, but it is not always straightforward to convert such qualifications to irish standards. Thus, many take the more menial jobs available and work quietly behind the scenes. What about their religion, I hear some ask? The Borzas and their relatives came from a Catholic country and that would have helped them assimilate. Many of the modern immigrants are from muslim countries that some Irish people see as inconpatible with Irish Catholicism. My answer to that is twofold - firstly, our Constitution has long protected the right of religious freedom and had plenty of practice with the Protestant minority in the Republic, who have been allowed to practise their faith independently and without influence. Secondly, modern Ireland is a pluralist, multicultural society, where people of all faiths and backgrounds co-exist in peace and harmony. While there have been some awful scenes involving racial discrimination, the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland accept immigrants and work and live with them on a daily basis. Finally, the countrhy does have a housing issue and that must be addressed urgently. The current coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have vested interests in the private property market, and are unwilling to tackle the issue for fear of upsetting investors. It has to change - we need to build and, in some instances, finish uncompleted social housing schemes. The historic foresight of the Corporation who built the Musical Roads and the like need to be urgently reflected by this government in the outskirts of Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. [picture below from Google Street view]:

Nutella, in case you don't know, is a rich, chocolate spread. While passing through the motorway services in Luxembourg, I noticed these Nutella jars for sale. Incidentally, 5kg = 11 US Pounds [ and €28 euros about $35/£24].

Cancel that visit to the dietician and enjoy your jar!

PS. I feel the jar merits a giant cake, sandwich, piece of bread of anything else you can place under the delicious Nutella!

We're delighted and honoured to be listed on Ireland:alltop:






Not only does Alltop contain an eclectic mix of sites, but is also supported by the excellent Twitter system.


PJD.

If you have been to Ireland but haven't stayed in a B&B, you're missing a part of our culture. We have long tried to provide warm and friendly accommodation and you can still experience this with a stay at a B&B. While it is possible to book ahead, it is also possible to go-as-you-please and get accommodation by knocking on doors, especially in the off-season. If the B&B is full, they will redirect you to another premises and phone their friends for help.

I suspect that many of you may have been slightly alarmed at the manner in which your B&B hostess may interrogate you. Before long, your life story has slipped out and the hostess will have learned every detail about your family, work and lifestyle (prepare for a Christmas card with an Irish stamp this December). This is Irish curiosity at its best, rather than noseyness - one of the reasons is that Irish people have a huge family and friend circle and love to discover that you know someone they know. You might think that this is possible in Ireland where the total Island population is 4 million, but it's sometimes possible beyond that, considering our emigration rate to various parts of the world.

So don't be offended if you feel you're being interrogated - it's just our interest in life - your life!

Labels: bed and breakfast, interrogate, ireland, nosey, story

I was not intending to mention drinking again but a recent article in the Irish Times caught my eye. Pubs in Ireland are open most days with a few exceptions, one such day being Good Friday. Due to the difference between licencing laws in pubs and those where the drinking location is mobile, chiefly ships and trains, the latter have exceptions to the normally rigid laws. In the old days it would have taken many hours to go from, say, Dublin to Cork, and a train might start at a time where drink was permitted in bars but it might terminate after drinking would not have normally been allowed. So a little flexibility was written into the law applicable to train travellers, a situation which the rail companies have used to their advantage ever since (and why not).

The jist of this recent article was that Iarnrod Eireann had hired security guards on Good Friday at Connolly Station. You might imagine that a security risk of some proportions were imminent - perhaps some GAA trains bringing county supporters? Naaaa, we have very little crowd trouble at any sporting events in Dublin. Perhaps some political rally? Nope - Easter Monday would be the nearest (the Rising anniversary). The reason was that they had to open the bar at Connolly Station.

What sort of message does this send out? That we're a nation of lager-drinking louts, so desperate to get a drink and likely to get out of control that we need hired hands to keep order? Apparently, one of the tasks of the security hands was to check that persons entering the bar had a valid train ticket. And they weren't accepting 1.20Euro tickets to Howth either - only bone fide mainline rail travellers were wetting their whistles that day. The intrepid reporter managed to find some drinkers who had tickets alright - but to Oslo (if memory serves me correctly). They were en route to a stag weekend (that's an all-male pre-wedding party to you). And Dublin airport doesn't yet have any rail connection as you will know, and even if it did, it would hardly count as 'mainline'.

Unfortunately, Dublin seems to be gripped by this control element, ostensibly to combat rowdy behaviour in Temple Bar and the like. What sort of signal do these measures send to our visitors? Have a drink by all means, but have it outside Dublin city centre if you don't want some lads in DJs and attitude telling you your jeans aren't welcome in their establishment.

I'm working on some additions to the 'Hidden pubs' page (see www.hidden-dublin.com link on left) and will feature establishments where you can gain entrance without embarrassment and have a comfortable evening's drinking. I would like to stress that this security madness is a feature of Dublin's Temple Bar at night and there are lots of places in and outside Dublin which are hassle-free.

The traditional image of Ireland portrayed in the cinema is one of timelessness, a slow pace of life, some great characters (typically drunk but in great spirits) and ever changing scenery. More recent films such as 'The Commitments' (and other Roddy Doyle adaptations) have attempted to create a more realistic vision of modern Dublin and Ireland. However, I can tell you that the mystical Ireland is still very much alive, especially outside Dublin.

In the mid-1990s we went on a one-week driving holiday with some pals around the south and west of Ireland during September. It is a great time to tour since the schools are back and the country is not quite so busy (by Irish standards). We had some great craic in Co. Clare where we walked the limestone pavements of the Burren, tried to (unsuccessfully) coax the chef in a cafe in Doolin for his recipe for delicious cheesecake and we also swam in the Atlantic (not necessarily in that order!).

We decided to head for the Dingle peninsula in Co. Kerry and were drawn by signs to the medieval Gallus's oratory, a gem of medieval architecture (it's still bone dry inside in all weathers although it looks like a upturned boat made of 'dry' stones in the middle of nowhere!). First thing was to park the car and we duly followed the signs. As we drove into the empty field, a man with a cap jumped out from behind a hedge and greeted us warmly. My wife rolled down the window and we had the usual hellos and how-are-yous. He was obviously collecting money for parking - the leather pouch and (even) his official 'Office of Public Works' badge gave that away. So when there was a slight lull in the conversation, she says "Well how much do we pay". His answer, after another slight pause was "name your price". This was a new idea for us and we looked very puzzled. So, after some knowing looks at each other, our pal David pipes up with "how about 50p?" [about 30 Euro cent - wouldn’t even buy you a cup of coffee]. So the man says "Fine" and we handed over 50p.

This episode tickled us so much that David designed a special section in their photo album with the narrative pasted around the edge of the oratory pictures. Our only regret was that we felt a bit mean only giving 50p but it was great entertainment! So the moral is that you can still have great experiences with Irish people on modern holidays - despite the lack of 'little people'!

Labels: burren, co. clare, dingle, gallus oratory, ireland, irish, medieval

It used to be straightforward for webmasters when setting up a new site. You uploaded the site containing good navigation and Google and the other search engines (SEs) indexed it.

With the amount of competition and vast numbers of sites the SEs need to list, things have changed. Based on personal experience, here are some steps which might help you get indexed by Google. Yahoo tends to be easier since they focus on social sites and (basically) accept anything.

As well as registering each site at Google, you also need to register a sitemap xml. Create a Google a/c at webmaster tools:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/siteoverview?hl=en

You will need to make a sitemap.xml file and upload to your root domain. You can make a free one here:

http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

Having uploaded it, you go back to Google webmaster tools and tell them where it may be found.

Next run
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/index.html

for great data concerning site size, loading times etc.

Next crucial factor is having good site structure, especially a site map [html version - the xml version won't be visible through a web browser]. You should regularly check for dead links (particularly externals where you have no control on when people change their url etc):

http://www.dead-links.com/check_links.php

Next step is link popularity:
http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/

Your next task is to get people to link to you and vice-versa. You can buy these but they're not worth the money. Far better to
(a) write to people asking for reciprocal links
(b) write a few blogs, including your link - do something imaginative
(c) go to Yahoo Answers and answer something, giving your url. While search engines don't regard blogs, etc as genuine backlinks, you will generate traffic. (d) Join Google Webmaster help:
http://groups.google.com/group/Google_Webmaster_Help

Post to "introduce yourself", post an additional question (say on the Rankings forum) ensuring your url is included. You will get an honest, friendly and far more expert opinion than mine! Additionally, Google index this page so you will a G backlink.

Regarding (a), you should check your local chamber of commerce and ask if they would link to you. Likewise, perhaps schools in the area? I would strongly suggest a links page where you can host reciprocal links; this needs to be visible from your home page.

I have installed Google Page Rank in my Firefox browser - you can see immediately if it's worth writing to somebody for a reciprocal link. Otherwise this one is accurate:
http://www.mygooglepagerank.com/pagerank.php

If you don't have Firefox you can get it free from my site:

http://www.hidden-dublin.com/facts/facts02.html

There is an endless list of tweaks but this is particularly useful. It allows you to view your page in a variety of browsers:

http://browsershots.org/

Finally, always include your url when you e mail people - it should be added to your signature. You would be surprised how your messages are forwarded to hundreds of people, particularly if your content is useful (such as a joke). Obviously, you need to consider the material carefully - all mailers will allow you to include or omit your signature.

Labels: advice, google, ranking, seo, tips, web page

The British Broadcasting Corporation proposes to introduce a new online TV service called iPlayer, allowing users to watch television seven days following transmission. Ironically, given the 'i' title, it won't be available to mac users - nor to Linux users. However, there is a public consultation process and your opinion could count.



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