Issue #3 Spring 2012 Published Quarterly.

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INSIDE. Minister for Contempt Meet the man with a plan to put us all into deeper immiseratation... Bring Your Own We look at what the rise of BYOB venues offer the city’s underground...

Bono On Trial The contemptible clown gets dragged across the coals... TERRY FAGAN ON Fashion Whores INNER CITY Our guide to Ladies Day HOUSING at the races... STRUGGLES. Homelessness Coddle Unlock Nama Dublin’s solution is to The sick They’re not the A-Team but they pump it for profit... twisted truth... do have a plan.... 2

{THE RANT}

clearinghouse for scandals and the sort of whispered abuses that proliferate in Move Ireland. Our coverage of the homeless crisis points some way in this direction. Put it this way, if you have some insiders perspective and are looking for Forward a platform to air some home truths, you know where we are. We’ve crammed this issue with even more quality illustrations and devoted WELCOME RABBLERS TO the central spread to the current internet OUR THIRD ISSUE AND piracy debate. Our boy Boz has delved BOY IS IT A GOOD ‘UN. into the lower pits of hell for some THIS TIME ROUND THE inspiration on that one. This centrefold poster collection is one we intend to RABBLE COLLECTIVE IS carry on with. Come have a go if you GETTING STUCK INTO think you’re good enough. THE GREAT ENCLOSURE Given the warm support we’ve DEBATE. received so far, we know you love what we do - so here’s hoping this issue is pushing in the right direction for you. Whether that be the privatization of the homeless services in Dublin city, the But honestly, if you want to see more of this kind of thing you need to get struggle for decent public housing in the supporting us. Putting effort into a paper north inner city or Sheriff Sherlock’s recent legislative moves against the free like rabble is a bit of a gamble with the city. It begs the question does Dublin culture we’ve created for ourselves on {EYE} have a vibrant enough political and the internet. social underground to sustain such a Remember The Dame Street Massacre. We gang up on the household charge newspaper? too. There’s not much we can add to These stickers have been appearing over the last few weeks. Some will find resonance with the Dame Street In piecing together rabble over the that whole debate, so we’ve left it to Massacre of ten years ago, for others it might be seen as a response to recent austerity measures not to past three issues we’ve covered a lot our comedy writers and illustrators to mention NAMA. A decade ago, ‘Reclaim the Streets’ was a movement looking to return privatised space to the of ground, we know the city is going stick the knife in. How a Labour Party public arena with impromptu street parties that saw hundreds of people having a ball in the city centre. These through an economically devastating in government could think a blanket carnivalesque protests were often met with a heavy handed response from the police. Do these stickers herald piece of regressive taxation is a partial time but weirdly it’s culturally richer the return of the street party? After all summer is nearly here and the time is right for dancing in the streets. solution to keeping the IMF off our than ever. That’s an odd place for rabble to work in, each of our print runs If you’re a photographer or an artist and want your work featured email [email protected] backs adds just more satirical fire to cost us over a grand. That’s not Ireland’s ever deepening comedy even putting any value on the of errors. HIGHLIGHTS personal time and energy that We want to expand the remit is being poured into the project Gombeen #3 of how we cover topics, we’d by those of us involved. We p4. A pissed off waiter dishes the dirt. love to move the paper into have a few plans for rabble - SHERIFF SHERLOCK HAS COME TO OUR a more investigative imagine it a lot bigger, p5. Donal Fallon looks LAWLESS INTERNET OUTPOST, SIX SHOOTER mode. That of a lot more regular up some school boy AT THE READY. THE BOY THINKS HE’S GONNA course takes and with a lot more pirates. FUCK WITH OUR DOWNLOADS. resources and people chipping in p6. Stone E.Broke looks a skills base with more features at how homelessness is The uppity Labour party numpty is out to make a name for himself by that we are and real world privatised and pumped for nailing a badly mimeographed version of the US SOPA Act around slowly working hype. profit. camp at the behest of an entertainment industry whose greed knows on. rabble p9. No Bono, we are not no bounds. The legislation was forced through on a ministerial could easily If that’s to the same. order, with zero chance to debate it and an empty Dáil become a happen, we’ll need a little p10. Peg Leeson chats to chamber as witness - all as if to spite the massive help... Terry Fagan about his very online outcry. The root of this lies in the endless stubborn mother. bullying cries of the music industry p11. Rashers Tierney chats majors , who recently took a High to those UnLock NAMA Court action against the state over trouble makers. delays in toughening up copyright legislation. The sense of entitlement p14. We explore the city’s oopsies. these dinosaurs display is sickening, new BYOB venues. while the chicken-shit coalition employs p16. Paul Tarpey calls a mic old world shite-talk about “protecting A DCTV ad in our last issue used the classic image of Jim Larkin with his arms check on today’s hip hop creativity” to justify the legislation - yet landscape. outstretched. Rather than being in the public domain, it belongs to the RTÉ Stills they have no problem simultaneously Library, where it’s locked away from use as part of the Cashman Collection. p17. Stop coddling me. slashing arts budgets. If it’s not P22. Georgina Corcoran on ironic enough that the Minister for dole fashionistas. Research and Innovation got up the What’s The Story Collective want us to clarify that Gardai didn’t have to ask noses of Ireland’s digital economy, P23. Sex Panther is on the superiors to speak at their first event and that the Section 8 project was unrelated to he also chose to ignore the protests of prowl. the Policing Dialogues process. Do check The Policing Dialogues Review for further giants like Google over the stateside SOPA Act. How’s that for a jobs personal and analytical perspectives on their work. creation strategy?

McCarthy, and Julian Brophey. Photographers: Paul Reynolds, Paul Tarpey, Stone E. Broke, Board About us. Walk Block, Richie Clinton and Freda Hughes. Logo Design: Claire Davey. rabble is a non-profit, newspaper from the city’s Lay Out: Claire Davey and James Redmond. underground. It’s collectively and independently Illustration: Aoife Quinn, Thomas McCarthy, Dara Lynch, Mice Hell, Paul V, Redmonk, Paddy Lynch. run by volunteers. rabble aims to create a space Produced and edited by: the rabble collective Spell Check Snipers: Peg Leeson, Paul Reynolds, Redmonk, Julian for the passionate telling of truth, muck- Ask Us Out At Contributors: Dara McHugh, Donal Fallon, Stone E. Broke, Freda Brophy and Jay Carax. raking journalism and well aimed pot-shots at Code Jockies: Paul McCrodden, James Redmond and Ronan www.rabble.ie Hughes, Georgina Corcoran, Jay Carax, Kev Sprat, Paul Reynods, illegitimate authority. You can break the ice at Killian Redmonk, Patrick McDermott, Paul Bloof, Paul Reynolds, McHugh [email protected] Paul Tarpey, Paul V, Peg Leeson, Rashers Tierney, Scratch Dat Itch, Distribution: We need help on this people, so get in touch! Shannon Duvall, Sharon Love, Seedot, Aidan Shatterfreak, Thomas Hyper-Viser Hero On Call: Ivan Ruane. Have a look at the new Celtic Tiger Clip and a Fiorella Mancini hand- Celtic Tiger Museum blog where people can painted coat. Museum submit photos of artifacts from www.celtictigermuseum.com Ireland’s boom years. Relics sent in 3 so far have included a Fianna Fail Tie

MINISTEr FOR CONTEMPT.

IN REGARDS TO THE HOUSEHOLD CHARGES CURRENTLY BEING INTRODUCED, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO FEEL IT’S NOT THEIR PROBLEM OR DUTY TO TAKE ON BOARD SUCH A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY AND BURDEN AT THIS TIME. I SAY TO YOU, IRELAND IS AT A CROSSROADS AND ONLY SOME OF US CAN AFFORD THE CAR.

{LOOK UP #2} I’ve been hearing a lot of the Taoiseach and so-called ‘contradictory statements’ made regarding the people of this country. And I ask ‘what contradiction’? magnate whose company later became Lever Bros. Never He simply said ‘you are not responsible for this crisis’, followed by ‘what The Hidden were Chumbawamba’s lyrics more apt - “Unilever washes happened in our country was that people simply went mad borrowing’. The man whiter! / Soap to clean those dirty hands / And a slap for the merely declared ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’. He’s in yer corner, lads. The people who work the land.” fact is we are living beyond our means, by ‘we’ I of course mean all of us, and by While Lord Lever (Viscount Leverhume) was housing all of us, I of course, mean you. Sacrifices have to be made and everyone has their Holocaust part to play, so let us sacrifice you. Stop complaining, ‘Pull on the green jersey’ and cleansing the great unwashed of Dublin, Liverpool and beyond he was also making waves in Parliament and ‘get into fight back mode’. as a supporter of the Liberal Prime Minister Gladstone. My fellow Minister Fergus O’Dowd said of his reception at a recent rally in IN LOOK UP PAUL REYNOLDS Promoting social conscience in industrialised society, bravo! Drogheda ‘I was abused going up by a man who threatened he’d pull me off’. ENCOURAGES YOU RABBLE TO BRIEFLY Let’s say he was the Bono of his day. Rather like our own Now lads, you might disagree with Government policy but that’s no excuse to act pint-sized messiah, Lord Lever had a fetish for America, the wanker. Poor Fergus compared it to ‘a Nuremberg rally where you are dictated BREAK FROM YOUR DAILY SCAVENGE dodgy religious outlooks and an obsession with the ‘Dark to by a small number of people’. Unfortunately unlike Nazi employment policy FOR FAG BUTTS AND LOST CHANGE Continent’. Fergus, there isn’t even a handjob going in the country at the moment. This is ALONG THE PATHWAYS OF OUR DURTY To be fair to the U2 windbag he never promoted a soap strictly a bend over Republic. OUL TOWN. MAKE LIKE A CULCHIE monopoly in the States, enforced Freemasonry membership The government is doing everything it can. We are in the process of downsizing on his employees or, in the pursuit of palm oil, enslaved an and restructuring the country. Emigration is the key and we’re letting people go. AND HAVE A MOUTH AT THE SECOND entire region of Africa. Described by Adam Hoschild in With this generation already killed off through austerity measures, our sights are STOREYS OF SOME OF THE BUILDINGS his book Lord Leverhulme’s Ghosts: Colonial Exploitation on the next. Ye can call me ‘the time-bending pedophile’ because I fuck future YOU PASS EVERY DAY. In The Congo - ‘Lever set up a private kingdom reliant on generations now. The leaking of un-concealed threats and intimidation will be the horrific Belgian system of forced labour, a program that intensified, with each press-release adding to the fear, using protester’s facebook/ reduced the population of Congo by half and accounted for tweet obsessions as the vehicle for dissemination. Let them scare the shit out of This issue’s site of interest is the Sunlight Chambers more deaths than the Nazi holocaust.’ themselves. You may ask, why is the minister and the Taoiseach exempt from building on the corner of Parliament St and Merchant’s Quay. What happened in the Congo is one of the great stains on the charge? Anything else would be a breach of the terms and conditions of our Built in 1902 the building features two mosaic friezes which human history, but one that has been all but erased from employment as per agreement with the electorate upon entering Dáil Éireann. wrap around the building like ribbon at each floor. They our popular history. Lever and others colluded with King We’re doing right by you lads. depict scenes from agriculture and industry cataloguing the Leopold of Belgium in the exploitation of the Congo’s people history of hygiene. The renaissance windows on the upper I feel your pain; after all it’s my hand that has you by the balls. It’s a lifestyle and resources. 50% of the population, an almost incredible floors and the protruding tiled roof wouldn’t look out of place choice and this is the lifestyle we have chosen for you. At just two euro a week ten million people, died during this hunt for cheap palm on an Italian piazza. The building was designed by Edward you should be thankful, for soon it’ll be 25. Register now online to this limited oil. The men were forced to work while the women were Ould of Liverpool who also designed the model village of time offer austerity package deal and get a free pen, which you’ll need when your Port Sunlight in Merseyside for the Lever workforce, in a kidnapped and held captive. Children as young as five were broadband is cut. Complaining is fine, so ring Joe or shout at Pat, whether up front enslaved. Kony1902 indeed. similar fashion to the housing built by Guinness and Jameson or live as long as you keep in line. here in Dublin So from a small soap headquarters in Dublin a policy of You’re entitled to your opinion as I am mine, ethnic cleansing was launched on the unfortunates who were An Edwardian U2 Tower, it was scorned by Dublin’s but opinions are a lot like arseholes, forced to work to death to produce affordable hygiene for twittering classes and regarded as the ugliest building in the they’re mostly full of shit. It’s what our own great unwashed. The next time you pass that corner, city. Harsh. Many would class it amongst their favourite you do that concerns us. You look up, study the intricate mosaics and pause to think that structures but even they may not know some of the darker may be unhappy with all Lever Brothers really does wash whiter. history behind it. It was built by Lord Lever, the British soap the cuts in services, and the punitive measures being imposed on your livelihoods. Get over it, living is dear, life is cheap. I’m in your corner lads.

Words: At Captain .rabble.ie Moonlight Illustration By Paddy Lynch Mark and Deano have so far reviewed A Blog a whopping 63 different packets of About Crips crisps on their blog, the aptly named 4 ablogaboutcrisps.com. Hilarious stuff. {RESTAURANT}

wine, the bill and the chance of a brandy on the house after the meal. If it was a coma you were after Joe a little ketamine sorbet could have been arranged. You should have said. Joe’s antithesis – the over-enthusiastic gourmet, Rarely wine-loving, chatter-cock. Well, in over a decade of working in fine, and not-so-fine, dining not one of these fellows has said anything more remarkable than what they sight-read in lifestyle magazines Served and television programs. I once had to subtly sug- gest to one customer that I had also read the article in that week’s edition of the Sunday Times maga- zine on how to ‘pow-wow’ and ‘get on side’ with your waiter. Scarlet Jarlath. Muppetry aside, the Truths same chap will tear the house down and refuse to pay his bill if his tardy table is not served in three quarters of the time it takes to cook the food. A BROKEN WAITER WRITES Jenny, is on her best behaviour tonight. She’s ON ONE OF THE LEAST TASTY scoping out the place for a possible table of three THINGS IN A RESTAURANT. YOU, next Tuesday with her bestest friends. She’s memo- rising the menu, the table layout and putting the THE PUBLIC. phone number in her mobile so the three of them . can dream up the most impossible list of demands n any regular day the stinking, sweaty and keep me up to date all week. So, at rush hour chef who hasn’t washed his hands since on Saturday night, they conference call me to tell Ohe showered the night before might roll me it’s half portions of asparagus risotto all round a joint for a walk downstairs to the dank and moldy with a special request for crab cakes, anything-but- dry-store, step over the sleeping manager and find Chardonnay and an out-of-seasonal salad in the a line of coke waiting for him on the shelf behind middle of the table so they can, y’no, pick at it. I the beef stock granules. So what? The manager was know, fabulous. still here, drunk as fuck, sitting on table five in a Murphy’s law of catering dictates that we will fog of smoke and shot glasses at nine this morning suddenly change the entire menu and repaint the with two skinny waiters and five randomers when place on Monday night, Asparagus will be embar- chef came in to open up. No biggie. I won’t bore goed, I’ll forget the clocks go forward the night you with the seedy details of what the over-qual- before and the only two half bottles of Chablis in ified and under-fed have to do or imbibe to cope stock will be corked. Their night will be ruined, with our nation’s most vile and untempered foe, the rest of the restaurant will be having too much Joe and Jenny Public. fun and they had to put their good handbags on the I’ll start with you Joe, you prick! I was on my floor because there was no, y’no, hooky thing on coffee break in the pub across the road when you the edge of the table for them. sauntered in to meet your fellow diners before the They’ll be outraged, the service will be reported meal. You just had to slam an extra drink in before as atrocious and after complaining for eight weeks leaving. Just to be late, just to kill your tastebuds to everyone they meet, they’ll come to the conclu- and loosen that nervous tongue-slash-wallet of sion that it was the best mileage they ever got out yours. You’re probably an ok guy most of the time of but you’re eating out tonight so you morph into this €27.35 each and book in again for next month. befuddled Dickensian autobot who hold doors open Yeah, C U Next Tuesday, Jennie. unnecessarily, smiles too much and gesticulates unnecessarily with your eyebrows. You’re going Illustration By Redmonk to order dark meat and concern yourself with the

{RUCKUS REPORT}

BASS BULLY LADY Rosco, Lady Grew and A-Force, Temper Mental Misselayneous, Street Literature, Willa Lee, Gary GREW ON THE HYPE. O’Brien and all the lads from Working Class We’d like to thank all of you rabble rousers Records. Big thanks also to Conor, Steve, all the and ruckus makers who came along to our staff at King 7, Poster Fish Promotions, all the gig on February 25th. It was a great night and rabble crew who worked so hard on the night. Our we couldn’t have done it without you! All the next fundraising ruckus is taking place in King acts who performed played for free and we’d 7 on Saturday April 21st. It features the return of like to thank them for that; Major Grave, Don Rotterdam’s moombahton monster Munchi. Paul Mason explores the wave of through UK student uprisings and It’s global unrest that marked 2011 in his Greek desperation, Mason puts these Kicking Off new book Why It’s Kicking Off Ev- struggles into a new perspective. erywhere? From the the Arab Spring 5 to the #Occupy movement, passing

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN OF IRELAND’S ‘SUPER PIRATE’ STATIONS LIKE RADIO NOVA Every evening, young Char- AND SUNSHINE RADIO, AND was Radio Jacqueline. An Irish Times journalist would report that Radio lie would cycle to the railway Juliet was the first ‘non-political pirate radio sta- SOME STATIONS LIKE PHANTOM This all sounds harmless enough of course but station to collect the Dublin evening HAVE MADE THE GREAT LEAP the Department of Posts and Telegraphs found little tion’ in the state. But following the suppression of Radio Juliet, the man behind what was in fact the papers, which O’ Carroll would TO RESPECTABILITY, DONAL funny about Radio Jacqueline. Telling the newspa- then read on air. The suppression of pers that the youngsters would be tracked down, state’s first pirate station was about to come for- FALLON UNCOVERS A WHOLE ward in the letters pages of a national broadsheet. this station made the front page of the Irish Press and that these pirate broadcasts could interfere with newspaper, which ran with the headline ‘Pirate HIDDEN HISTORY TO IRISH legitimate radio transmissions. In a fascinating letter, written to the Irish Inde- Caught - Transmitter Seized!’ PIRATE RADIO. This was not the first schoolboy attempt at radio pendent, Jim O’ Carroll of Limerick noted that he himself had constructed a transmitter in 1934 and In time, pirate radio stations would develop production in 1960s Ireland. Three years prior, into something much more advanced than some in Cork, Radio Juliet had been born. This was a that this effort became known locally in Limerick Over the Christmas holidays in 1967, a group as ‘the Pirate Radio’. O’ Carroll noted that in his of the ventures discussed here. By the late 1970s of schoolboys began transmitting music and sto- station operated by a dozen students with a wide and into the 1980s, pirate stations enjoyed huge variety of content. The Irish Independent noted view ‘we have exactly the same system govern- ries across the airwaves, attracting the attention ing broadcasting as Communist Russia – one popularity among Irish youth, offering something of the national media. An Irish Times report on that the station played pop music in the morning different from the state radio service, with even programme, one official voice’. the schoolboy station noted that from ‘some- and classical works in the afternoon. the political establishment availing of the reach where south of the Liffey’ these young boys It also contained newscasts with local, na- O’ Carroll also thankfully wrote his memories of these stations for paid advertisements. Things had made two one hour broadcasts, at 8am and tional and even international focus, not to mention of this 1934 station for the Old Limerick Journal, had come a long way from Jim O’ Carroll’s 1934 12.30pm, on December 22nd. The paper noted weather reports. The station was operated on a noting that he called himself Billy Dynamite on air, experiment! that ‘pop music programmes were interspersed rather modest budget of £1 a day, and news reports with his friend Charlie O’Connor joining him and with greetings from the announcer to school noted the boys would use Shakespearean names adopting the name Al Dubbin. These youngsters Illustration By Thomas McCarthy friends. The transmissions also featured excerpts to contact one another, owing to Radió Éireann operated their station under the title ‘City Broad- from satirical magazine, Private Eye’. In the authorities being in their pursuit! Remarkably, casting Service’, or CBS for short, and tended to playful spirit of the station, listeners who tuned the boys themselves had constructed the stations broadcast between 7pm and 11pm. in at 1.30pm were told by a young boy in fits of transmitter at a cost of £6. The station lasted just O’ Carroll recalled that ‘providing four hours of giggles that they had come to the wrong place a number of days before suppression, with the entertainment every night was difficult, to say the if they wanted to hear the news, and that they Department of Posts and Telegraphs refusing a least, considering that Radió Éireann, with all the should perhaps turn over to Radió Éireann. This request for an interview from the teenage directors resources of the state, was providing a mere five’. or Radio Juliet. {MAKING RADIO WAVES}

PLASTIC ATTACK ROSCO & STACKS EXECUTIVE STEVE EAR TO THE GLOBE. Fridays at 9pm Wednesdays from 9-12 Wednesdays at 9pm on Mondays 10pm on SKULL AND CROSSFADERS on RTE 2xm. on www.powerfm.org Radio Na Life 106.4 fm. Dublin City 103.2 fm Quality pirates have always broken their asses to bring shows to eager After a 14 year jaunt through Power FM gave Don Rosco & The longest-running dedicated Nigel Woods showcases world- listeners. From the 1960’s on, pirate radio stations operated in calm seas, Dublin’s underground pirates, Stacks “a jungle show in ‘94 drum ‘n’ bass/jungle radio show music from all corners of the filling in the gaps left by the dismal national broadcaster, with regular this show recently land itself when no-one else would give us on Irish airwaves, hosted by globe. Expect anything from shows, presenters, even public contact info. Some of the most notable a slot on 2xm. Long time host the time of day.” They’ve been the inimitable Executive Steve, Eastern European gypsy-funk were very commercial, like Sunshine Radio, which had the highest Dub- Eric Moore told rabble that he’s keeping the show fresh each and with regular appearances from to deep cumbia and chanchona lin ratings of its time. Radio Dublin, which started in 1966 was the first on a mission to “play the music every weeks since “by buying his Ancient Ways cohort Bonz, from Central America. He keeps to broadcast for 24 hours. There was huge marches against state action that spawned hip hop in the first a lot of new music,” , some of and occasional special guest things fresh by focusing on a against Radio Nova. Then with the rave explosion in the 1990’s there place.” That surprisingly broad which might include psyche, slots from up-and-comers and different cultural or physical was another resurgence, with stations like Sunset FM and Power FM template means everything from prog and Eastern sounds. With established names. Fresh sounds area, and spinning the beats and filling up chest drawers with cassette tape recordings of tunes imported Black Sabbath to Lyn Collins 18 years in the game, they’ve from across the full spectrum of rhythms it’s creating today. The by vinyl junkie DJ’s. Thanks to pressure from the RTE, the Broadcasting and Kraftwerk. The b-boy ban- seen a lot, citing 94/95 jungle d’n’b, with the odd sprinkling show also features interviews Authority cracked down in 2003. Garda and ESB enforcers stripped the ter is relentless and the breaks as a pinnacle in quality dance. of dubstep; lots of atmospheric with artists who are touring band of virtually every Dublin pirate station in what is known as “Black come fast from a team “that On modern bass music: “it’s the styles, from thoroughbred clas- Ireland, and have included the Tuesday”. However, this spirit of DIY radio lives on in community radio were there back in ‘83 when hip unpredictability that we love, sics to freshly squeezed rollers, likes of Youssou N’Dour and stations and podcasting online. Closing off the spectrum for mobile hop first hit our shores.” Now, I think. It’s all about hearing a punctuated, as Papa Steve him- Amparanoia. It’s a welcome phones may have killed Irish pirate radio, but there’s still a few crackling, where’s me boombox? new tune do something unex- self puts it, “by mystical growls change on the airwaves. hidden on the dial like Tonik FM and Play Fm. Here’s a selection of pected and brilliant.” in mellifluously broken Irish”. shows worth locking into and getting acquainted with. For those who missed it, check out Hat Trick on Youtube Irish-born Éamon Zayed score a hat-trick for his new team Hero Persepolis F.C. to win the Tehran 6 derby just before Christmas.

Who Benefits From The Homeless Crisis?

FOLLOWING ON FROM THE FOCUS ON model has brought a considerable reconfiguration of Dublin’s home- service caused Mr. Turtak’s death, which came just a week after the LANDLORDS IN THE LAST ISSUE STONE less services over the past year. The Homeless Persons Unit, previ- death of another man sleeping on Britain Quay. However, it is a sad ously responsible for registering people as homeless, sourcing initial irony that these men died while sleeping rough just a few weeks after E. BROKE CONSIDERS HOW OWNERS OF accommodation and helping them access social welfare payments, has the service was stopped. PRIVATE EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION been hung out to dry. I will spare rabble readers the details of the many more changes to BENEFIT FROM DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL’S Despite protestation, several weeks of industrial action and the non- homeless services brought about by the reconfiguration. The key ques- “PATHWAY TO HOME” MODEL. cooperation of the Unit’s HSE employed community welfare officers, tion is why these changes were made and if the significant disruptions all of its functions except that of the payments have been moved to the they have caused have been (or will be) worth it. Central Placement Service. abble readers who happen to have been near the bottom of Capel The landscape of Dublin’s homeless services has long been very disparate with over ten different charities providing often broadly Street lately might have noticed a queue of people filing through This move has fragmented the Council’s homeless services. The an arched gate into a grey building. It is probably not common once very successful resettlement team has been broken up and most similar services, but all of them with different rules for accepting r referrals and how long people can stay. knowledge but since the beginning of 2011 this is the centrepiece of of its eight highly trained Resettlement Officers are now the very Dublin’s response to homelessness. people who serve the homeless from behind the hatches of 160 Capel Consequently, an approach that makes services more coherent, work Street. There their skills in crisis intervention, one-to-one support in This building, 160 Capel Street, houses the Dublin Central Place- together and complement each other in the provision of homeless ac- developing independent living skills and sourcing sustainable accom- commodation and support seems entirely sensible. ment Service. According to the latest action plan on homelessness, modation are entirely misplaced. ‘Pathway to Home’, it ‘provides information and advice and an initial This is in part the job that the Homeless Agency - the organisation contact assessment to place [homeless people] into temporary ac- The staff working in the this service are also under pressure to send driving the national approach to homelessness in Ireland since 2001 commodation’. Despite the best efforts of the staff of the Dublin City people who lost their homes in areas outside of Dublin City back to - has been trying to do with varied results. The agency’s ambitious Council’s Homeless Services, the opening of the Placement Service these areas to seek accommodation. However, most of the surround- action plan 2007 – 2010, ‘A Key to the Door’, states as its key goal has been little short of a disaster. ing counties do not have appropriate services to house and support the elimination of both rough sleeping and long-term homelessness by homeless people. A back of the envelope calculation at the development stage sug- the end of 2010. gested that between 40 and 60 individuals and families would seek While the Central Placement Service deals with the entire Dublin It is 2012 now and the number of rough sleepers and homeless placement at the service on any given day. However, since opening in region they will not process people from outside the city directly. people in general has actually increased significantly. Ironically, while mid January 2011 the number of people seeking placement has never Instead these people are sent back to their local authority offices in homelessness was not eliminated by 2010, the Homeless Agency was. been below 100. Tallaght, Blanchardstown or Dún Laoghaire where the housing officer It was dissolved and subsumed into the newly established Dublin will telephone the Central Placement Service in Capel Street to ac- Regional Homeless Executive. The morning slot, between 10am and 12pm, is reserved for women commodate them in the city centre. and families while the afternoon slot is dedicated to single men. Most The objective of the latest plan, Pathway to Home, is to reduce the days an average of 100 to 120 men are processed between 2 and 4pm As reported in the last issue of rabble, homeless man Aladar Turtak length of time people avail of homeless services and move them back via three hatches. This means that every man seeking accommodation died of exposure while sleeping on the back of Dominic Street flats into ‘mainstream’ housing as soon as possible, under the Support to is given roughly 3 minutes to be assessed, given advice, and offered last December, just weeks after the Dublin night bus service had Live Independently (SLI) programme. However, the reality of this ap- the most appropriate accommodation. ceased to exist. This service too fell victim to the restructuring under proach has meant spending ever greater amounts of taxpayers money ‘Pathway to Home’. This time frame clearly makes any meaningful intervention impos- on subsidising private landlords for often substandard accommoda- sible. People coming through the Central Placement Service are The night bus provided overnight transport for people sleeping tion, while funding to homeless charities has been cut. simply channelled into the revolving door of homeless services rather rough, bringing them to emergency accommodation around the city This is perhaps the most shameful legacy of our current approach and distributing sleeping bags if no beds were available or if a person than being supported in breaking the cycle of homelessness and find- to homelessness. Millions of Euro of public money are being paid to ing appropriate long-term accommodation. wished to stay on the street. In September 2011 the service was private landlords for so called B&B accommodation. While the name disbanded. More generally, the implementation of the new ‘Pathway to Home’ B&B may evoke romantic notions of pretty guesthouses run by house- It would not be wise to speculate that the closure of the night bus proud landladies, in reality they represent large houses broken up into On November 9, 2011, 87 persons Statistics were confirmed to be sleeping rough in Dublin City. In April 2010, this figure was 60 and in November 2010, 70.

Hand Me Down Housing

small rooms or bedsits of poor standard; modern day tenements. John Cooke’s photographs, which he submitted to the In contrast to accommodation provided by homeless organisations OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS WE WILL inquiry, provide the most lasting and illustrative record of the these units are not designed for the purpose and do not come with BE TREATED TO COMMEMORATIONS horrific nature of Dublin’s slums. Much of his footage is now the supports of dedicated homeless accommodation, especially in INCLUDING THE SINKING OF THE accessible through the Dublin City Archives. The photo- terms of trained and qualified staff. Moreover, charities do not make a TITANIC, THE DUBLIN LOCKOUT, THE graphs highlight the dilapidated state of the buildings and the profit from their services and thus do not benefit from cutting corners, abject poverty of the families they housed at considerable whereas the landlords in questions certainly do. FIRST WORLD WAR, THE EASTER RISING rents. Consequently, the cost to the taxpayer of accommodating homeless AND THE IRISH CIVIL WAR. THE COM- people in such privately owned units is actually higher than accom- ING YEARS ALSO REPRESENT A GOOD The work of the North Inner City Folklore Project has modation in voluntary sector operated hostels. But like the millions added a further layer to this history through the collection of OCCASION TO ‘CELEBRATE’ DUBLIN’S oral histories of peoples memories of living in the tenements. of Euro the Irish government has been paying in rent to owners of PROUD RECORD OF SUBSTANDARD, prefabs for classrooms instead of providing proper school buildings, As well as recalling stark poverty this fascinating collection we keep funding private landlords for unsuitable accommodation, SLUM ACCOMMODATION. presents the humor and resilience of the tenement communi- ties. despite the much poorer outcomes in terms of helping people find and ver the next ten years we will be treated to lots of sustain more permanent accommodation. commemorations of various political and social Tenement life has entered Dublin folk history yet beyond In short, the essence of Dublin’s approach to homelessness has been Oevents, including the sinking of the Titanic, the the vital work of the North Inner City Folklore Project, the to privatise it and pump public money from the homeless budget into Dublin Lockout, the First World War, the Easter Rising and online Census of 1911, and Cooke’s photographs there is only the pockets of unscrupulous landlords while starving the voluntary the Irish civil war. But the coming years also represent a good a limited public outlet for this history. services that have been working on alleviating the problem for occasion to ‘celebrate’ Dublin’s proud record of substandard, Dublin desperately needs a tenement or people’s museum, slum accommodation. for example the one in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, New decades. While there have always been people living in sub-standard York. There are several suitable properties currently in Photo by Paul Reynolds conditions in the city. This certainly came to a head in the state ownership and lying vacant, some of them are even in infamous tenements. They provided homes to a large number NAMA. of the city’s inhabitants for over a century between 1850s If we are truly committed to embracing and commemorat- to 1950s. With the last examples being demolished in the ing the events of 100 years ago then the reality of Dublin life areas such as Foley St, Gardiner St and Summerhill in the in those days must play a central part in it, whether this is a early 1980s. However tenement life was probably at its most reality we like to be reminded of or not. notorious in the early 1910s. And while the Dublin tenements were finally cleared in the The census records of 1911 show that some of the Georgian 1980s, there are still echoes of tenement life left in the city. buildings, initially built to house one well-off family, now Perhaps the most ironic example of this are the number of Blow the accommodated up to 20 families and over 100 people. The former tenement buildings in the Mountjoy Square and Upper results of this were felt most dramatically in September 1913 Gardiner Street area each of which are now used as private whistle? when two adjacent buildings on Church Street collapsed, kill- emergency accommodation to house up to 40 homeless ing four children and three adults. people and immigrants. Perhaps the process of remembering This awful tragedy provided for some invaluable insights might help us identify the hypocrisy of the present. Open that can of vital to our understanding of the rise of inequality and poverty Photo by Paul Reynolds worms by emailing in our city, through the establishment of the Dublin Housing Inquiry. [email protected] Birthday greetings to Köpi, the now Legally legalised squat in Berlin, which cel- ebrated its 22nd birthday last month. Squatting The cultural centre houses up to sixty 8 people and a variety of autonomous political and musical projects. {WELFARE}

thrust of the Rent Supplement changes lies in the words tenants who have tried to negotiate with their maximum rent allowed figures. Some massive landlords as requested by the department and have cuts have been made to the upper limits at which been unsuccessful face breaking their leases and at rent will be paid by the scheme. the very least losing their deposits. Not great, eh? A single rabble sharing a shack can look for In fact worse than that - the policy makers are rental property in Dublin up to a maximum forcing renters to break the 2004 Residential Ten- €300pm down from €390pm in one fell swoop, if ancies Act rules which prohibit mid-term renegotia- you’re unfortunate enough to be sharing the bed tion of leases. Landlords and tenants are advising with another, you can kiss goodbye to that luxury skirting the law on the discussion forums in Daft. penthouse you spotted on Daft for €400 and trawl ie by signing these ‘side letters’ whereby the ten- the Evening Herald for somewhere a little more ants accept charges above and beyond the nominal bijou at €370. maximum lease. One tenant looking for advice, At least thank your lucky stars you’re not a (his landlord refused to drop the rent to the new culchie (or you’ve been here long enough to take maximum but there was no other suitable accom- the whack of Benji off you) as the cuts elsewhere modation in his area) is told to offer the Landlord don’t make happy reading. A couple with child in €70 a month out of his childrens’ allowance. Once Wicklow (practically South Dublin but fewer four again it’s the poorest who end up paying for the wheel drives and girls called Fuinneog or Cab- intransigence of a government which cares more báiste) can see a massive €225 knocked off their about how the European autocrats view its policies monthly maximum rent allowed. than the effect of those policies on its citizens. But hold on! All this means that rents will But it’s not just the tenants who are aggrieved. come down immediately and everyone is happy The rather arbitrary manner of the maximum in the House of Inda, non? Unfortunately for the allowable rent cuts means that there are suddenly collection of failed teachers that run our good ship thousands of mortgage-payers now facing arrears Ireland into the rocks of destitution, all has not that could see them losing their homes. Bear in HERE IN THE RABBLE BUNKER rabble) up in arms over more cuts and misery turned out as they planned during that lock-in in mind that not all landlords are champagne-swilling, WE ALMOST FEEL SORRY FOR but they’ve managed to get everyone from the the Dáil. peasant-shooting friends of Johnny Ronan. The THE GOVERNMENT AS IT FLOPS landlords’ representatives to the anarchists join- Anecdotally, your fellow rabble will tell you decent ones are sticking to the new rules but find AROUND LIKE A HOOKED FISH ing forces against them. horror stories of landlords refusing to take these themselves suddenly facing penury, bankruptcy and ON THE END OF AN IMF ROD. Back in January our hopeless heroes decided cuts but agreeing to ‘sign’ for the lower rents all that that can entail. WITH A KIND OF REVERSE that the rental market was being inflated by and accepting cash under the table from the There are many people out there struggling to MIDAS TOUCH EFFECT EVERY- the subsidised rents being handed over by the tenants to subsidise the difference. In fact a visit make ends meet who have rented out their own THING THEY TOUCH SEEMS TO unemployed and the rest of the undeserving to to landlords’ internet forums will find threads homes while moving into rented accommodation TURN TO SHIT. A FINE EXAMPLE the top-hat wearing, racehorse-owning landlord advising on this topic. A loophole whereby they themselves; the thousands of young workers who BEING THEIR ATTEMPT AT RE- class. After what we’ve been informed was can charge the maximum allowable rent but add bought their first homes at the inflated prices of our DUCING THE STATE’S BURDEN in-depth and exhaustive consultation – for that ‘charges’ on top of rent gets around the checks by Celtic Tiger years, money being thrown at them by IN SUPPORTING AROUND HALF we’re thinking a lock-in at the subsidised Dáil the CWO (Community Welfare Officer). In one banks, finding themselves unemployed now have OF ALL RENTED ACCOMMODA- bar – the ministers wiped the creamy heads from case we saw a landlord adding €200pm to cover had to hoist the bag of washing over the shoulder TION THROUGH THE RENT AL- their beards, reapplied their lipstick and brought ‘grass-cutting etc.’ and head back to mammy’s hoping to rent out the LOWANCE SCHEME EXPLAINS forward changes to the Rent Allowance Scheme. So what’s to stop our rabble readers from mov- dreamhouse to keep the mortgage paid while they PAUL RYNOLDS. It breaks down like this – the tenant’s contri- ing to cheaper accommodation if the landlords look for work themselves. bution to their weekly rent should increase by won’t accept the reduced maximum rent? Well Straightened times for everyone then? Well, we etween the Minister for Sneaky Taxes, €6 to €30 for a single rabble and by €11 to €35 apart from the rather dull ideas of continuity, know otherwise, but the representatives of vested Big Phil Hogan, and the Minister for for a couple. Not a massive change there but sharing with friends, living in your community interests have done nothing to help the struggling BSocial Injustice, Joan Harangue Bur- an unwelcome further reduction to the amount and the likes, there are other more complicated tenants and homeowners with this poorly thought- ton, they managed to concoct a budgetary device acceptable as a minimum weekly income to hindrances. People have signed leases which out policy. Not that they seem to care. that not only has the usual suspects (that’s you sustain life and dignity. However the real cut and supersede these changes to the scheme – in other Illustration by Patrick Lynch

Cross. It’s a “regenerated” zone: pedestrianised “special permission” to photograph. Nevertheless, streets between new and mostly empty buildings. they shadowed the flash photographers closely as they UNCOMMON You can spend your money in Marks & Spencer, the photo-blitzed these previously uncaptured buildings. Lidl or the cafe, but if you take out a camera on the Curious to know what laws are behind this ban, street, security guards instantly accost you to tell you the artists wrote to the security firm guarding LAND photography is forbidden. this area. The manager replied that asking The explanation they give is that the streets are members of the public not to take photos “is “private”. They were owned by property developers, not part of our assignment instructions and the WHO OWNS THE STREETS YOU but now that most of Tallaght Cross has passed into security staff member may have been over WALK ON? EILISH MURPHY FINDS NAMA, the streets essentially belong to the proverbial zealous in his duties on the day and did so THAT THE ASSUMPTION THEY ARE people. Yet those people cannot take photographs in on his own initiative.” The group says this PUBLIC IS, A FALSE ONE. the street, even though an array of CCTV cameras is nonsense: aside from the day of the flash record their every move. mob, every time they tried to use a camera Late last year, a group of artists organised a photo in Tallaght Cross, all security guards insisted rban “regeneration” schemes can result in flash mob in Tallaght as a means of highlighting this that photography is “strictly forbidden” and streets that appear to be public but are in fact absurdity. The flash mob was an intervention into the badgered them until they put their cameras Uowned by property developers, corporations politics of the space, a way of confronting this tightly away. and NAMA. These areas are policed by private controlled, privately policed twilight zone. Tallaght Cross is just one of many invisibly security, who forbid busking, begging, skateboarding bordered zones in Dublin: you don’t know you’re in and even photography. On cue, the flash mobbers whipped out their cameras and started shooting gleefully in the forbidden zone. one until you try to snap a shot. To experience this first-hand, take the Luas to The security guards confronted them immediately, Find out more at http://uncommonland.wordpress.com Tallaght, step off the tram and walk a few metres into but either because of the size of the group or due to the glass-and-concrete ghost town that is Tallaght some confusion, they suggested that the group had Photo by William Hederman DCTV’s new series ‘Journey of a Dublin’s newest stand up comedians Journey Joke’ aired on Tuesday March 14th. and help to further the discussion on Hosted by Dean Scurry it aims to integration. Check it out on DCTV of a Joke make a funny and insightful series (UPC ch 802) that will introduce the viewers to 9

WE ARE

NOT ALL

THE SAME

ANGER IS AN ENERGY. DURING THIS DEPRESSION THE CELEBRITY GODS ARE USED TO FLOG US ALL SORTS OF THINGS, SCRATCH DAT ITCH SAW BONO AND ALI SAVING THE WORLD BY SELLING US EXPENSIVE BAGS ‘FOR CHARITY’ AND HIS ANGER LEVELS WENT DANGEROUSLY INTO THE RED.

erhaps the greatest public accusation If we follow the money in another flagship Bono you can level at someone is to call them charity, the ONE foundation, this is what we find. Pa hypocrite. As Samuel Johnson said The New York Post found that in 2008 the ONE took the term is open to abuse and misuse: $14,993,873 in donations from rich do gooders, of ‘Nothing is more unjust, however common, which a thrifty $184,732 was distributed to charity. than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses Are we feeling the love for the great ONE dressed in zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practice; black? For perhaps he wanted more of that $14M to since he may be sincerely convinced of the find its way home to Africa ,but he had not obtained advantages of conquering his passions, without victory in his objective due to the heavy price of having yet obtained the victory’. executive salaries ($8M for ONE in 2008). With that in mind, I am reluctant to pull the Then we look at this little wreck of a boat, trigger on our local boy made global rock star. this republic slipping into oblivion thanks to the Perhaps Bono struggles to practice what he preaches overwhelming wave of debts. What does our great every day, let us say that he wrestles with tough ONE do during our times of desperation? He and choices like the need to be more successful and his band mates called U2, decided to off-shore their popular, in order to do more good with his riches music publishing company in 2006 to Holland. rather than retiring. Why? Because 2007 was the first year the republic was going to collect any tax from U2 for music Let us not conflate the issues. Ladies and publishing. After the first $500,000 they could’ve gentlemen of the jury, we were not brought here chosen to pay tax at 42% which is standard for most today to consider whether this rock star is a gigantic people here who earn the average wage. But even cock, with an ego the size of an orbiting satellite if they choose not to do that, they could have paid accompanied by a brain the size of a walnut lost standard corporation tax at 12.5%. Alas, they choose at its fulcrum. The verdict is already in on those the Dutch option at 5%. crimes. For the evidence is in the pictures of the accused shaking hands with war criminals Bush, Bono followers will be aware of his ‘Jesus’ Blair and Putin. That Ego, Bono, the ONE, cannot complex, lord knows there is enough whimpering resist a photo op. This is also nothing to do with his Christianity drenched through his lyrics. I am music which is not on trial here, luckily for it. reminded of the parable of Jesus driving the tax collectors from the temple. What would Jesus do? I No, what we are dealing with here is hypocrisy think he might drive the tax dodgers into exile. - telling us to do more for our poorer brothers and sisters whilst struggling to do the same himself. Ladies & Gentlemen of the jury, is it too late to Instead of building a better life for people is he off drag the past out into the light? receiving the delivery of the latest Mercedes Benz to We’re one but we are not the same. Bono would add to his collection? have it that we carry each other? A man dressed in black, is photographed with his But I see little evidence for that. We get to carry wife in a landscape as vast as his ego, carrying a each other, the poor and the weaker by paying our guitar case as empty as his mind, encouraging us to taxes. We are not the same, in that I pay my TAXES. buy designer luggage. Is this more than it appears Pull the trigger. to be? Rich people photographing themselves and The prosecution rests. saying you can be cool if you buy this bag. But as the chief whistleblower in the Watergate scandal kept saying, if you want to know the truth, follow Illustration by Patrick Lynch the money. PEOPLE STOOD STRONG

during contentious evictions. ‘When the Corporation infrastructure and public transport. Some people FROM PITCHED BATTLES WITH GARDAÍ TO PARTNERSHIP WITH would come up into a place you would have all the moved says Terry, ‘some of them moved ‘cos they DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL, TERRY FAGAN, OF THE NORTH INNER CITY neighbors coming out and they would feel intimated were sick and tired and worn down. Some of them FOLKLORE PROJECT, DISCUSSES DUBLIN’S LONG HISTORY OF with all the families standing in the doorways moved out to the housing estates were there was no HOUSING STRUGGLE WITH PEG LESSON. looking at them, and then they would bring the cops infrastructure in place, they went out there with their along. But the cops would just stand by. The cops kids, there were no shops nearby, there were not bus ’m walking along Foley St, formerly Although financially times were changing, a poor didn’t really take issue until the 80s, and then that routes established in it. They found these new houses Montgomery St from which the infamous community was getting poorer, the population was was different.’ that they got were closed hall doors. In the inner city Monto derived its name, to the ground floor still growing. Over-crowding was becoming an The difference that Terry identified were changes you could come out on the balcony, or stand at your flat that was once the home of Terry Fagan’s increasing issue. Newly-weds and young families to the way the Corpo planned the city to be settled, door and talk to your neighbour but in these new I were having to live with their parents, while the mother, Margaret. The story of how she came to and it had a direct effect on his own family and their housing estates it was totally different. Nobody stood private landlords just didn’t want to know if you’d spend her final years living here exemplifies a long, community. The Corporation flats were demolished at the doors. So you went into your house and that often physical, exchange between the working poor kids. The only other option, in holy Ireland, was in 1973. Terry who had squatted one of them when was it. The houses weren’t designed for the people of the inner city and the then Dublin Corporation. single sex hostels which split up families. At the he first got married was rehoused in Sheriff St and who were moving into them. In these new houses, same time people were moving out of the inner city, Terry was born in Corporation Buildings. The red- his mum Margaret in Foley St. ‘She moved for them you were broken away from your friends, you don’t brick flat complex, built in 1906, was one of a series and when that happened the Corporation would gut and she moved into Foley St flats, and she said to me know who you are living next to.’ of initiatives undertaken to elevate a severe housing the fittings, take out the windowpanes and put up the last place I’ll ever move out of is Foley St’. In 1980, Margaret wasn’t alone in trying to galvanised sheeting. crisis bought on by years of economic stagnation and Unfortunately five years later the Corporation had exercise control over her future. Foley St, Sean neglect. These apartments, measuring four meters In the late 1960s a crisis for one of Terry’s friends different plans. The trend in urban planning was MacDermott St, Gardiner St and Summerhill were by five, housed a family each. Typical large Irish lead his gang of mates to the obvious conclusion. towards large, purpose-built estates on the outskirts still tenements, some with a single outside toilet and families, cramped together in one room, four rooms ‘One of the guys had a row within the family, so of the city, effectively de-tenanting the inner city and tap for a five-storey building, these were the living him and herself were out and didn’t know where to a hall and 390 halls in the complex. leaving it ripe for redevelopment. From the late 70s conditions of the 19th century, not the 1980s. People Terry remembers, ‘you could only fit one bed in to go. We said hang on a second there are empty services had been slowly withdrawn from the area. It did want to be re-housed but they didn’t want to places here, lets take one of them. So we started to them. There was about 12 in our family, so basically was getting depressed and run down - many people move to be forcibly removed to the outskirts of the we used to keep a mattresses under the bed so at pull down the shutters, take down the steel and open wanted out. city. up the room and the whole lot. At that time Dublin night time the bits of furniture that we had were Margaret Fagan wasn’t having it. She had been As Terry points out ‘we knew for a fact that what pushed back and we slept there.’ Corporation would remove the sinks and things like was happening was that the community was being that. But we were able to get them back, retain them born in the Old Monto, she had played in its streets The area supplied much of the labour for the dock- and reared her family there. She had her neighbours destroyed and torn apart...but my mother and other back, ‘cos they kept them in a storage yard. So we people, stood strong. So we came up with a policy yards and surrounding industries. It wasn’t easy, but went into the yard and we got a few sinks and things around her, her local shops and pubs. If things were the challenges forged a unique identity with its own - the only way we were going to get proper housing back up. In fairness some of the Corporation workers bad she could call across the balcony and a lifetime way of doing things. of networks and supports would be there. and be relocated where we want is if we form an helped us, the ordinary Joe soaps, they would help... action committee’. However for Terry, ‘the area started to change we got blokes to help plumb back in the sinks and Terry remembers that time, ‘she said “I’m not around the late 1960s. Dublin was changing, the we fixed up the windows and people started to move moving out”. The services were withdrawn from The action committee relied upon the stoic ability docks were going. There was a decline. When in.’ The phenomena wasn’t confined to the Foley St Foley St but she still would not give in. She used of the close-knit community to self-organise. Calls were put out via word of mouth, prams appeared containerisation came in it changed things. Prior area but was occurring across the city throughout the to go down to a local factory and get buckets of to that most of the dockers done manual work. The late 60s and early 70s. water and carry them up the stairs, like in the old alongside home-made placards. ‘To get rehoused cargo had to be hand-loaded from the hull of the ship tenements, do her washing...they wanted to rehouse we actually blocked off all the streets. We blocked This was before the Forcible Entry and Occupation Talbot St. That bought us into conflict with the law... but the containers changed that, you used a crane to Act, 1971 which criminalised anyone found her in Ballymun, which for a woman born and reared pick it onto a lorry and away. So people were laid there was fighting with police, it was absolutely squatting in a building that had been broken into, in the inner city was too far out. She said “I want to off. As well as the dock you had the timber- and stay around my own community, this is were I was fierce.’ The resistance eventually lead to the whether you broke the squat or not. But for Terry famous ‘Gregory Deal’, 1982, which saw the then coal-yards that the younger men would work in and that didn’t make a difference, this was between the born”.’ some of the women would work in the factories. So Taoiseach-in-waiting, Charlie Haughey promised north inner city community and the Corpo, the cops The re-housing options that the Corporation it was all kinda tied into the docks and when that millions of investment in the inner city to get his didn’t often get involved and usually only as back up offered Margaret were poorly serviced with changed everything changed.’ grubby paws on power. 11

“We want to set an example and get people thinking about how they can do it for themselves and what they’d use these buildings for.” Unlock NAMA. PEOPLE AT THE END OF JANUARY, placard down at Occupy Dame Street that read aware that it shouldn’t have happened. THE NEWLY MINTED UNLOCK “people without houses, houses without people - Make the connection”. It’s obscene that people NAMA CAMPAIGN OPENED UP A are losing their homes, others have no hope of Wheat-pasting’s great, it makes the city actually PROPERTY ON GREAT STRAND ever buying a house, there’s a deficit of social look like it has something more to offer than housing and yet we have all these empty houses. Diageo products. Do you think we should roll STREET WITH A SERIES OF back the harsh litter laws that forbid it? TALKS ON THE SECRETIVE They should be turned over to homeless people and families on housing lists not sold off. I think Mark: I think we should just do it. I’m not AGENCY THAT’S MORTGAGING that relates to the social dividend question too. really interested in lobbying to roll back laws. I AWAY OUR FUTURES. RASHERS think the thing to do with harsh or unjust laws is TIERNEY CAUGHT UP WITH for people just to disobey them until they become STOOD Have you formed any sort of fruitful unenforceable. That’s a form of direct action right TWO OF THE TROUBLE MAKERS relationship with organisations like The there and it’s far more empowering than writing INVOLVED. Complex, an art space in Smithfield that is facing to your local councilor or T.D. and asking them eviction by NAMA? to do something about it. Please Sir, can we have Moira: The Complex was evicted in mid-July. some wheatpaste? Hello.So, you guys are relatively new on the NAMA really threw the book at them and it has scene - can you fill us in on what Unlock NAMA been the clearest example so far that the ‘social is all about and what you’ve done so far? dividend’ often spoken about is a bit of a myth. If you actually intended to take over the Great Strand St building, why did you leave when the Mark Hoskins: The main thing people know We would have fairly regular contact with them about is the Great Strand Street occupation back and certainly there is mutual support between us. pigs arrived? I can’t help but feel you are leading STRONG in January. A huge amount of research went into people up a garden path of stunts and lobbying, making sure the building itself was actually in convince me other wise... NAMA. Once that was sorted it was all about The grapevine tells us that Unlock Nama started Moira: We always knew the campaign wasn’t what we’d do when we got in there and what out of frustration with the relatively directionless about taking one singular building, so this one needed to be done logistically to make all that pantomime that Occupy Dame Street turned into. fitted in perfectly for the launch. We publicised it happen. Since then we’ve been working hard Is this true or vicious hearsay? as a one day event, due to end at 6pm. So, when Although Margaret eventually won the right to on future actions. We’ve had a very successful Moira: Not exactly, although ODS quickly the pigs asked us to leave half way through the be rehoused locally it had changed. The earlier fundraiser and there’s a public meeting in the became the meeting point for lots of activists day we were in a situation where it was us, the policies which had encouraged depopulation and offing, but that’s probably as much as I can say who didn’t regularly meet before looking to put organisers, and the general public – including the only partial rehousing of those who wanted right now. their energy into something more coherent and children – stuck in a building wondering if they’d to stay effected the network of businesses which tangible. Some had been involved in a previous get arrested. At that point we felt we were not in once provisioned the flats and tenements, and Moira Murphy: The idea was to get a group together that could challenge NAMA in a number failed campaign to get a NAMA building and a strong enough position to have a stand off – we another element of the community was destroyed. others had been informally looking into NAMA were just getting started. Terry felt that his mum, ‘missed the shops and of ways, namely through research, education and direct action which, when combined, would for a while. NAMA seemed to be on the tips of pubs that had went. She died of a broken heart, everyones tongues, I recall people speaking at cos the neighbours were all scattered. You might form a dynamic campaign that could take on the What do ye intend to do with this building when agency from all angles. ODS assemblies frequently expressing the need give them better houses but you destroy the heart for people to ‘occupy empty NAMA buildings’, you get it? Is there not plenty more deserving of the community.’ but unfortunately I think the camp itself was not people and organisations that could do with a building? As we finish talking I ask Terry how he and Can you explain to me in some sort of regular capable of providing the space it needed to foster the people he squatted with feel about it all forty talk what you’d consider a social dividend from serious political campaigns, so no action on Mark : that’s kind of the point. We’re not out years later? ‘They would always recognise that NAMA? NAMA came from ODS. to liberate buildings really. We can’t as a group you were a squatter. I’d ask would you tell the Mark: I guess in the unlockNAMA context it unlock every NAMA building. But we want to set kids what you were at? And they would be like, means not so much distributing profits generated an example and get people thinking about how You guys weren’t set up long when you scored the kids wouldn’t be interested. Some of them tell by NAMA among residents of the state but they can do it for themselves and what they’d use a major own goal. Namely wheat pasting over them how they started, how they got their house allowing communities to realise the use value these buildings for. We’re not the A-Team. that wonderful angel paste up on South William was through squatting and direct action. That is of buildings held by NAMA. For me that’s St. I mean great posters, but that was pretty kinda folklore in the area. They count themselves allowing them to be democratically controlled by stupid wasn’t it? Photo: Paul Reynolds. as champions, they are proud of it. It was an communities and not by bureaucrats allocating area that always stood up for its rights...you felt those resources as they see fit. Mark: I don’t know who did that you were doing something useful. There was no but they obviously should have playgrounds, not like you have today. The streets thought twice. I don’t know if were the playgrounds. Thankfully today with Is NAMA not doing something right with the I’d consider it a major own Dublin City Council it’s a different ball-game. way its selling fore closed homes to new charities goal but it’s something They come in and consult with people and bring and agencies? I’m thinking of the Cluid Housing that’s come up since and them on-board. That partnership thing is there Association out in Beacon I think people are and it works, it works around here.’ Court. a bit more Mark: Well I think the answer is in the question. Photo: Paul Reynolds. It shouldn’t be selling anything. There used to What’s Your be a Story?

rabble wants to hear your hidden histories. [email protected]

The team at rabble have noticed a proliferation of Pills are almost easier to come by than potatoes Pox ‘Bono is a pox’ tags on various walls and lamposts Safety these days. If you are going to do ecstasy, make around town. We would officially like to take our sure you check out the website www.pillreports. Spotting hats off to the culprit(s). Keep up the good work!” Pills com. You can find detailed information about the 14 pills in circulation, reports about what’s in them and whether there’s a danger factor attached. Be safe! {UNDERGROUND CULTURE}

It’s a space for artists to share ideas, created from scratch by BYOB CULTURE a set of like minded and creative individuals. We promote the space as a low cost non-commission gallery space, ideally only charging the basic costs (rental and upkeep) of the gallery to OUR LAST ISSUE ADDRESSED THE encourage all artists from every walk of life and artistic back- STRAINS OUR OPENING HOURS PUT ground a chance to display and sell their work.’ ON CLUBBING AND UNDERGROUND Block T, The Back Loft, Subground Fortythree, The Com- CULTURE. THIS MONTH FREDA HUGHES plex and The Shed all host a variety of events from exhibitions LOOKS AT DUBLIN’S ‘BRING YOUR OWN to gigs and also operate a BYOB policy at many of these BEER’ (BYOB) VENUES AND SEE WHAT events. THEY HAVE TO OFFER THE CITY’S MUSIC Two other interesting spaces operate on a slightly different SCENE. basis. Seomra Spraoi and the newer Supa Fast Building are run as romoters are always on the look out for a new venues social centres first and foremost. Seomra has been around a and spaces to put on gigs. Casting a quick eye over long time and has moved a few times over the years. It hosts Pthe PA system, checking out what kind of desk they political, cultural and activist events and occasionally puts on a have and trying to gauge roughly how many dancing bodies gig to help raise money to stay afloat. could be squeezed into a room have often become a distraction Tom from Supa Fast describes their space as, ‘open to every- when they’re out and about. These ‘distractions’ sometimes one with no private space within the building. It operates on a lead to on the spot conversations with the bar staff or manage- kind of trust anarchy, meaning that you can do what you want ment about opening hours, budgets and availability. Needless once it doesn’t effect anyone else using the space. We expect to say, oftentimes stiff opening hours and uptight policies can everybody to be reasonable and respectful to each-other.’ be a huge put off. Supa Fast has podcast facilities, a music and media room, Punters like a powerful sound-system, reasonably priced office space and work spaces/benches. The folks involved are DROP THE SOPA booze and lax opening hours. Clean toilets, pleasant staff and always open to new people and new ideas. They space is sus- a relaxed atmosphere are also considerable factors. It is rare to tained and maintained by the money raised from their monthly find a venue that ticks all of these boxes and doesn’t cost a for- BYOB pop up restaurant, which is a top notch gastronomical WHETHER BIG COMPANIES WANT COPYRIGHT tune to rent. There are, of course, a few around the city, but the experience. As well as occasional weekend gigs, ‘Cine Fast’ LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF ARTISTS OR TO problem of over-saturation or ‘venue fatigue’ start to kick in is a monthly film screening where the film score is performed PRESERVE THEIR BOTTOM LINE IS A DISCUSSION when lots of promoters use the same spots on a regular basis. live by some of Dublin’s up and coming electronic artists on FOR ANOTHER DAY ARGUES AIDAN SHATTERFREAK. Many of the venues around the city that host BYOB gigs are Thursdays at their Great Strand Street location. THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DEAL WITH not strictly music venues at all. Some operate predominantly as Anyone rabble has talked to has found running gigs in COPYRIGHT THEFT BEYOND SHUTTING DOWN gallery spaces, social centres and studios, but double up as gig BYOB spaces to be extraordinarily positive. The intimacy and SERVICES THAT END UP HOSTING CONTENT. spaces when the need arises. The Joinery, for example, opened informality that often characterises theses venues allows for a in 2008 as a temporary work/gallery space. Its success has led relaxed atmosphere and positive vibe to be easily established. to its continuation and diversification. There is something wonderful about the collectivity that often Miranda Driscoll describes it as a, ‘non-commercial mul- occurs at the very end of a night in one of these venues when n the rush to get SOPA Ireland passed, the one thing that Sean Sherlock and all the people who lobbied for this legislation seem to have forgotten tidisciplinary space for emerging artists and musicians’. She punters, promoters and musicians alike all muck in and clean Iis the middleman, the person who actually places the content on the goes on to stress that collaboration between the gig and gallery up. The freedom from Diageo marketing, strict closing times internet and makes it available via Youtube or Rapidshare or any other service. space is essential and that their approach is very much hands- and the pressurised atmosphere of the bar allow for more focus In a world dominated by common sense the person to go after is the thief on and ‘DIY’ when it comes to both gigs and exhibitions. on the quality of the event. In a nutshell, at times pubs seems themselves, not the method by which they are doing the stealing. Not unlike this, the Little Green Street Gallery also operates to suck the life and soul out of culture, whereas the BYOB The brass tax of the SOPA law is that it is the rough equivalent of holding a shop responsible for the theft of its stock. It’s like banning cars because a small predominantly as a gallery and hosts some great BYOB gigs. atmosphere breathes new and refreshing life into the city’s element of society will use their car to escape from the scene of a crime. It’s Gary Devitt, Events Coordinator with We Are Emergence who already vibrant underground. like trying to perform a delicate surgical procedure with a hammer. run the space explained that, ‘LGSG was opened over a year The recording and film industries have endlessly touted the concept that the ago to create an inner city space for emerging Irish artists. Photo by Paul Rynolds reason the bottom fell out of their business is piracy, when this blatantly ignores worldwide economic troubles. The resultant loss of credibility in both their arguments and the numbers they insist are accurate have led them to the edge of a precipice from which they are struggling to recover. Unfortunately, there will always be reactionaries like Sherlock who act without thinking about the consequences and the actual effectiveness of the methods they use to fight piracy. The truth of it is that any new legislation or wording to the law should be done with delicacy and foresight. Assurances should be in place that new laws don’t have a negative impact on our economy, especially when we are desperate to portray ourselves as a good place for modern businesses to set up shop and take advantage of a skilled and available workforce. This kind of draconian action doesn’t do us any favours. Pirates are plentiful and as quickly as something gets taken down it can be put back up again twice. As a result, content based companies are always going to be one step behind, and under SOPA Ireland the only avenue leads to them being shut down. Despite assurances that the issue will be handled with delicacy, up to this point all the evidence points to the opposite. So, we can only hope that ‘Sherlock’s Folly’ doesn’t lead to more people in the queue at the dole office and more companies pulling out of Ireland.

Illustration by Kristine Vintervold An event celebrating 35 years of Irish Parish Punk will take place in Twisted Pep- per on 14 April. Expect documentary Punks screenings, photo exhibitions and a rake of great bands! 15 THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE RETURN TO EARTH

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO DUBLIN PUNK BAND THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE SONG TELEVISION SCREEN, BECAME THE FIRST PUNK SINGLE TO MAKE THE CHARTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WITH THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM DUE ON APRIL 30TH, SAM MCGRATH RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH THE BANDS EVER STYLISH, DUBLIN BORN PHILIP CHEVRON TO TALK ABOUT LIFE, MUSIC AND HIS DAYS IN THE POGUES.

fter fronting a number of bands in the last year’ Chevron remembers. take time off to produce bands was an ideal his teenage years, Chevron came into Their next album Ghost Town (1979) remains arrangement. But then one day he found himself Acontact with Pete Holidai who had put one of the most ambitious and magnificent Irish volunteering to play banjo for his mates in The an appeal to meet ‘like minded spirits’ in Fachna albums of all time. Underappreciated at the time Pogues while Jem Finer went on paternity leave. O’Kelly’s influential Evening Press rock column. due to ‘business problems’ that delayed it for over ‘I got through the two weeks by playing the banjo After several name and personnel changes, the a year and for its innovative, experimental content as a guitar. It was only after a few months that I band settled on the name; The Radiators From that confused both English music reviewers and realised I wasn’t going to be leaving’ Chevron Space and played their first gig supporting Eddie their punk fan base. jokes. and the Hot Rods in UCD’s student bar in August ‘Nobody had done an album that interesting at Famously, the band received a hostile response 1976. that time in the Punk and New Wave scene. By the at first from most of the music business, especially always felt a connection with these bands that have A record deal with Chiswick and a host of sell time [it] did eventually come out, other people had the Trad scene back in Ireland. ‘I became acutely preceded us. A sort of kinship.’ out gigs around the country followed. Tragedy somewhat caught up with us and that led to even aware that the foundation for considering The struck though in June 1977 when an eighteen greater misunderstanding of the album.’ Pogues second rate or plastic was entirely false. I Chevron, who has recently successfully beaten year old was stabbed to death at a Punk Festival knew from being in a punk band that reverence was throat cancer, now spends his time between Dublin Ghost Town, an album hugely influenced by at which the band headlined in UCD. The tabloid a very overrated virtue.’ and Nottingham, recording with The Radiators and Joyce’s Ulysses, Plunkett’s Strumpet City, the press reacted with fabrications about the violent touring with The Pogues while maintaining his 1913 Lockout, the Easter Rising and Dublin’s Undeterred by criticism, the band ploughed on nature of punk rock and most of the bands gigs close relationship with the theatre. working-class social history, has subsequently been and has become one of the most revered live acts were cancelled by promoters. As a result, the band called by many leading music journalists as a ‘lost in the business today. From 1985 to 1993, Chevron When questioned about the state of the country move to London and record an album. classic’. played on five of the band’s albums and gave to today. He’s optimistic. ‘I think we’ve got through ‘We didn’t set out to do that album.’ Chevron them one of their most celebrated songs Thousands the worst of it. We’ve had a century of bullshit With morale low, Pete Holidai getting married explains ‘we had just put out Television Screen Are Sailing. from the politicians, priests, teachers and everyone and Mark the bassist leaving the band, the and were thinking about a second single when the else as well. I genuinely believe that people are Radiators called it a day. ‘We gave up just after As well as touring with The Pogues today, Belfield incident happened and it soon became moving forward.’ a pretty successful Irish tour in 1980. The band Chevron has been busy with The Radiators who are obvious that we didn’t have a career in Ireland.’ had run its course.’ Chevron spent the next four due to release Sound City Beat, a tribute album to Let’s hope so. The result was Television Screen (1977), an years working in Rock On vinyl record shop in the Irish rock, blues and beat groups of the 1960s. express train of thirteen catchy ’77 punk tunes London and producing work for Agnes Bernelle, The album contains cover versions of 18 seminal Sound City Beat is out on April 30 on that came in at just over thirty-three minutes. The Prisoners, The Men They Couldn’t Hang and Irish rock classics with guest appearances from Chiswick records. A whirlwind tour of the Britain followed. ‘We The Atrix. Terry Woods, Henry McCullough, Conor Brady actually did 18 gigs in London in our first month Listening to music all day and being able to and Eamon Carr. ‘It was on our minds for a long there, the same amount we had done in Ireland in time, almost as long as we’ve been together. We’ve Illustration by Mice

Where Everybody Dave: For me the Pub Co-op idea is who came up with the idea first. He like this receive is a perceived about re-imagining the idea of social seemed very passionate about it. So I impracticality and romance Owns The Bar space. Setting up a place based on the was inspired to learn more about the which some say has no place traditional pub or café model, but more project. I have found it an excellent re- in business. Do you really open, participatory and social, with an source in meeting like-minded individu- think you can implement a BUILT ON THE IDEA OF actively DIY spirit that anyone can get als. It definitely removes that element workable alternative to com- involved in. of alienation that is part of the course mercial enterprise? REJECTING THE KIND OF FAST- Gavin: It is quite hard to find spaces in for many living away from friends and Conor: I’m a great believer BUCK LOGIC THAT CAUSED Dublin in which people can congregate, family. in trying new things and a few THE ECONOMIC CRASH AND engage in projects together and gener- What are the challenges you’ve faced people sharing an idea and REPLACING, THE DUBLIN PUB ally mill about. There are a few social so far? testing it to see if it works is CO-OP WANTS TO REDEFINE centres, but they are relatively small and Gavin: One of the stumbling blocks an exciting thing. We don’t tend to cater to a limited audience. The need to be passive consumers THE OWNERSHIP MODEL OF we have in trying to organise is simply main place for people to get together, finding space to get together and com- of advertising. I honestly be- YOUR LOCAL BOOZER . SO IS meet friends and discuss issues in municate. Having venues for social lieve if we can make it work THIS A WELL-INTENTIONED Dublin is definitely the pub. We want to space is critical. At the same time it’s anyone can. We want this idea BUT IDEALISTIC PROJECT OR create a collaborative and unrestricted also critical to be able to fund these to spread and to motivate oth- place where the emphasis is on working ers to join us. AN INSPIRING EXAMPLE OF THE sorts of projects. It’s all well and good and creating something together from to ask for innovative spaces, but when Dave: Across the world TRADITIONAL CO-OPERATIVE the ground up. it comes to paying the lease, it gets a bit 100 million people work in MOVEMENT? SHARON LOVE Daniel: It will be a public space, more difficult. Pubs get around this by cooperative enterprises, and CHATS TO SOME OF THE HEADS and people, not corporations will be selling alcohol. If these locations have a other types of cooperatives what difference the change had made BEHIND THE PROJECT AND able to contribute to, influence and co- license to sell alcohol it really improves – producer co-ops, consumer co-ops, one man says ‘the biggest difference is operatively engineer the nature of that the chances of being viable as a com- credit unions etc have roughly a billion people look you in the eye now’. FINDS OUT. space, as citizens and as members of a munity space in the long term. If this members worldwide. There is a line in community. could help us subsidise a community the acclaimed book The Spirit Level: To get involved check out The Dub- How would you describe the ethos Why did you personally decide to get space with locations for group meetings Why Equality Is Better For Everyone, lin Pub Co-op Group on facebook behind the Dublin Co-op Project. What involved in this project? and club activities, it would be a big where the authors meet some workers improvement. in the UK whose businesses had been would you say the benefits of a more Clarissa: I was incentivised by Dave, collaborative business model are? One of the main criticisms ventures turned into co-operatives. When asked Illustration by Freda Hughes BoardWalk EMPIRE

PAUL TARPEY FORSEES A POTENTIAL ODD FUTURE FOR IRISH RAP

READING A BIOGRAPHY OF A example here from 1983 is the passionate footage like Lethal Dialect’ he says, ‘but equally they FIRST GENERATION YOUNG IRISH HIP-HOP PRO- of break dancers speaking in Limerick that is regu- balance an appreciation of that type of expression larly shown on RTE’s Reeling in the years. with classic material such as early Wu Tang. That IRISH HIPHOP CREW DUCER LATELY I HAD TO NE- The dedicated ethos of those earlier inhabitants of can only be good. Music gets exhausted quicker GOTIATE ITS MUSCLED LINGO the Irish hiphop landscape was one of a desire for these days and people are beginning to see that SCARY EIRE PRACTICE AND STREET-STYLED INDUSTRY parity with peers such as old school pioneers such this is having an effect on its appreciation. My IN CAPEL ST 1993 VIBE WHILE RETURNING TO ITS as Melle Mell in the US and the then new school generation might get a rap record in 1994 that dons, the UKs London Posse. The overall perspec- came out in 1992 and live with it until 1996 but OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT. THE tive was a respect and awareness for the emerging that gestation pays off if you want to pursue any of YOUTHS AMBITION WAS BOUND- different international styles and resistant agendas the hiphop elements’. Photo by Paul Tarpey LESS BUT I STOPPED AT HIS coupled with a desire to reflect relevant commen- In John’s opinion a fluid and relevant practice DESCRIPTION OF IRELAND AS ‘A tary from an Irish perspective. And they worked will arise with an awareness from today’s youth at it while rocking the house as variety was always that speed of the almost daily ‘mixtape’ scene is LANDSCAPE YET TO BE ASSOCI- an essential element of the programme. Having not the sole representation of an appreciation of ATED WITH HIP HOP’. a Scary Eire song about sleeping on the street in hiphop culture national or otherwise. We actually Dublin released as a record on an international don’t need an Irish Rick Ross styled product deliv- s we should know this landscape was Hiphop Label such as Tommy Boy was a big deal ery or Tim Westwood styled hype no matter how previously colonized and actively popu- in 1993. the mechanisations of the intense Irish mixtape Alated since the mid 80s. However year Historically in download time it still is. scene would suggest. We need positioning to offer zero for many of hip-hop’s contemporary Irish Before the existence of the luxury of forums and a balanced perspective and a start would involve followers remains somewhere in the mid 90s as online ordered spray paint, the Irish landscape of more recognition of the Irish Hip hop pioneers in Before the exist- marked by Curtis Hanson’s Eminem starring film hiphop was proudly represented from the Cur- future conversations. 8 Mile. Although released in 2002 8 Mile estab- ragh in Kildare to the headspinners on cardboard In the above unnamed rappers publicity what I ence of the luxury of lishes its white boy/black world outsider narrative outside the central Bank in Dame St. Today the found most of interest was that equal weight had in the now golden era circa 1995. history of these pioneers is assessed and processed been given to his experience ‘battling in (internet) forums and online 8 mile both celebrates and condemns the urban in a much quieter vein. It is often manifested forums’ as had been to his nascent production hood environment as something that can be digitally in private web nooks and crannies and and collaborations (he is still a teen). On that ordered spray paint, packaged as product while remaining an essential there is a reason for this. One is to distance the point alone this case is a good representation of place for an individuals identity. There are two hard won ethos of those days from the ‘instant the strand in today’s rap community in which the the Irish landscape of versions of home here with Hollywood charging a dues’ of today’s new breed. The other reason is accelerated need to achieve instant recognition ap- household tax on each one. Versions of this simple to reaffirm the importance of the original hiphop pears to be is as important as the work itself. And hiphop was proudly but dramatic narrative have become definitive ref- experience amongst themselves and constantly that speaks to an imagined worldwide consumerist erence points for a dominant strand in a primarily acknowledge the original community. As part agenda rather than any sort of expansive (Irish represented from the web based Irish rap scene. of this there is an understated ongoing archival based) expression. The contrast to the early Irish hiphop scene with process and it resides in clips such as ‘Sipho & The American Hiphop scene covered by the Curragh in Kildare to its reverence for the emerging scene worldwide Bionic M.C from the London Posse’. Here a rare FADER and similar web based sources pushes from the early 80s is significant. Once the original 1986 early performance of the London rappers is twisted coverage and rap profiles to an extent that the headspinners on art form announced itself any dedicated Irish par- captured on RTE’s Megamix youth programme. rapper conflict and consumerism (with a side order ticipant who answered the call invested physical RTE didn’t put it up on youtube but someone who of odd futured versions) are the expected aspi- cardboard outside time and effort in paying dues. Whether ordering saw the original transmission took time to get out rational references for young Irish MCs who are a record, practicing with a felt top pen/rhyme book to Donnybrook and get a copy for those of us who ‘comin up’. If this is the hip hop landscape referred the central Bank in or saving for a tracksuit in Killkenny, Waterford or imagined we did. /desired to in the above cv, a new and appropriate Tallaght, a real time authenticity allowed groups The gap between the old school attitude and terminology led by a mix of old and new heads is Dame St. like Scary Eire to confidently develop as equals in hyper assimilation is significant. But accord- needed to both cater and question it. Older Dublin homegrown productions and in their own words ing to the Ennis hiphop Dj producer and teacher magazine readers will remember the fanzine would, ‘never talk cheap like a yellow pack brand’. mynameisjOhn, this gap stretches, contracts and ‘Going Postal’, which tackled this very issue with Records, tapes and magazines were considered his tension offers possibilities. ’17 year olds I great wit in the transitional analogue era of 1995. tools first and consumer perishables last. An have worked with are all up on the new Irish acts Sibin is one of the events that marks After-drinking eating spot? Ricks for the culchies, Abrakebabra for the The Early the beginning of the Summer festival OM NOM the easily pleased, Charlies for the confused and Centra for those who season. Keep your ears to the ground, more slightly exotic, the Gigs Place enjoy Chicken Fillet Rolls a little bit Festie Bird it’s coming in May! NOM NOM for the more mature, Eddie Rockets too much. for those in no rush, Di Fontaines 17 for those who are, Supermacs for {FOOTY}

The “bigots and extremists” had supposedly cost the Any visitor to Germany, and in particular BoardWalk council thousands of pounds. A section of the Celtic Hamburg or Munich, can be taken aback by the support base adopted the title Style Mile Vandals for level of football related street art in those cities, themselves, and have since continued to re-decorate with fan groups like New Kids Sankt Pauli and the streets of Glasgow. On a train ride into Glasgow Schickeria München leaving their marks all over EMPIRE city centre, their tags are impossible to miss. their respective cities with paste-ups, stickers, tags In Dublin, some of the stickering is territorial. and murals. DHL posting stickers are a medium Walking down Emmet Road in Inchicore for of choice for these groups, available freely from IT’S DIFFICULT NOT TO PASS A example, you’re in no doubt that you’re in the post offices and offering a cheap alternative to DECORATED TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE territory of Saint Patrick’s Athletic supporters. mass produced stickers. “Some of our first efforts Across the river, Phibsborough is covered (or where on DHL stickers which we used to rob IN DUBLIN CITY CENTRE TODAY. ‘blitzed’, to borrow a turn of phrase from the every day in huge quantities from the post office WHILE THE CITY COUNCIL SEEM Evening Times) with stickers proclaiming support nearest our hotel in Sankt Pauli” I was told by the TO BE WORKING OVER-TIME TO for Bohemians. In the city centre it’s a battle for Boardwalk Bloc, and since their homemade stickers began appearing in Dublin, other fans groups have REMOVE STICKERS FROM JUST each lamppost, with some covered six or seven times over by the various Dublin clubs. It’s not just followed. The influence of such trips abroad has ABOUT EVERYTHING IN DUBLIN, in the capital either that street art and football have long been clear on the Irish ultras scene in general, DONAL FALLON FILLS US IN ON met one another; a visitor to Sligo would notice that with the culture very much a continental one in and HOW EACH OF THE FOUR BIG the walls and traffic lights of that town are clearly of itself. FOOTBALL CLUBS IN THE CITY red and white. As confidence grows, more and more League of Ireland street art appears, for example a recent effort HAVE DONE THEIR BIT TO ENSURE One of the most interesting aspects of the League of Ireland street art in the capital was instigated from the Shed End Invincibles at Windmill Lane VISITORS ARE AWARE OF THEIR by a group of Shamrock Rovers fans known as the which saw a huge homage to the flare, a one time PRESENCE. ‘Boardwalk Bloc’. The group are a section of the Friday night regular in the league and now sadly SRFC Ultras, though not a breakaway, who formed all too rare. The nature of street art, not least in that green and white by different sections of the League in March of 2011 out of shared interests and indeed part of Dublin, is temporary. Yet such pieces are of Ireland faithful, and while all four Dublin sides he merging of football and street art is politics. Their contribution to the lampposts of the done for a love of both the art and the subject, and may claim the city as theirs, the lampposts belong nothing new. In November of 2010 the city has been unique, preferring homemade stickers contribute to fan culture in a unique way. to them all. Evening Times, Scotland’s top selling T to those of a printer. It’s relatively cheap to print a Just below the surface there exists a brilliant evening paper (The Evenin Hedild if you need thousand stickers in Dublin today, but the efforts fan culture in the domestic football league which comparison) attacked what it labelled the ‘Style Photo by Boardwalk Bloc from the Boardwalk Bloc have stood out. As one of celebrates creativity like that clear to be seen on the Mile Vandals’ who had “blitzed” Buchanan Street, their members told me, these stickers give the group traffic lights and walls of Dublin city. Dublin has one of the main shopping streets in Glasgow, with a distinctive creative signature. been proclaimed red and white, red and black and stickers declaring their support for Glasgow Celtic.

{TAKE FIVE} 1 5 4 3 2

DUBLIN’S HIDDEN MICRO BREWERIES HANGOVER FREE NORTHERN SOUL PARKS Monster Taste SATURDAY MORNING Still Alive BOILED WILLIES For Lazy Daze It’s the dream We’re a beer drinking nation, but Northern Soul, the movement With the summer almost on us we tend to be content with mass Weekends are like groundhog that emerged from the British AH THE AUL DUBLIN CODDLE, SURE YE we rabble will be looking for a produced global brand names mod scene in the late 1960s, has day. Finish work/study on a CAN’T BEAT IT. BUT C’MERE TO ME, YIZ place to sweat out the chemicals when we could do better. That’s Friday, and hit the pub pronto. been described by many as “the on a sunny Saturday. But with why we respect craft-beers made One pint leads a kidnapping by first rave culture”. Peaking in KNOW IT’S ONE OF THE MOST TASTY St.Stephen’s heaving under by true aficionados. A pint of the session pixies and you wake the mid to late 1970s, hundreds MEALS A MAMMY CAN COOK UP FOR HER Spanish school kids and the Brew Dog’s Punk IPA, or Blue up the following day (if not of young working-class men CHIZZLERS, BUT DID YIZ ALSO KNOW new unemployed where does Moon Belgian Weiss get your and women, boarded buses and Sunday...) with a severe dose of WHERE THE MEAL ITSELF CAME FROM. a young rabblista go for some taste buds buzzing. Places like the fear. You seek consolation traveled to far off cities to attend peace and UV? Let us suggest Against the Grain, the Black off Facebook that you didn’t such legendary clubs as The *SLURP* some quieter spots each side of Sheep and The Bull and Castle do anything too stupid the Wigan Casino, the Golden Torch the river. The Iveagh Gardens have an unbelievable selection (Stoke) and the Twisted Wheel night before and gobble some Well, back in the old old days, when dublin was but a town with between Harcourt St and Leeson of craft beer, on tap and bottled. (Manchester). Often powered Neurofen+. The most productive a hurdled ford, it’d be under attack from all sorts of wild bands St. is a walled paradise forgot- They stock a lot of produce from by amphetamines, they’d dance thing you’ll do all day is float and tribes and farddeners, and sure didn’t these original dubs ten almost all year except for Irish microbreweries too; it’s in these alcohol-free clubs to between couch, fridge and kettle. know how to defend themselves. *gulp* Fightin them all off and the Overpriced Taste of Dublin great to see the locals being rep- the sound of rare heavy beat, Yet, there are those magical winning. And sure didn’t the Druids tell the chief and his men that weekend. Just a minute’s stag- resented (O’Hara’s, Dungarvan, fast tempo Tamla Motown weekends where you decide to there’d be great power to be got from eatin’ the defeated parties, ger from the bars of Wexford and Whitewater breweries are inspired soul from midnight take it easy. Well done, you’ve to gain their strength and such. *hic* Well, didn’t they dig right St. is the magical Cemetery of to dawn. Sleepless Nights some fine examples). For the discovered Satruday without a in, and sure we all know the todgers are the tastiest part, and sure St.Kevin’s Church on Camden sake of a quid more for a pint Soul Club, Dublin’s longest hangover. Now, go into town, didn’t they boil them up before they ate them, throwin in a couple Row. The North Inner City hosts it’s worth it, even if you may running, are celebrating their discover endless positive things of spuds, onions and some skin aswell, being wonderful chefs and stumble across some funkier 10th anniversary this year and the magnificent Blessington St. to do - yet get bored by 4pm all. Of course since there does be laws against eatin mickeys now, Basin off Dorset St., it’s a haven are planning an all-Dayer with tasting specimens before finding and end up in the pub rewarding we have to substitute with the next best thing. Thats right you for birds (feathered) and oul the ones you love the most. 10 DJs. Venue to be announced. yourself with afternoon pints. are, a few little sossys. So there, thats something to think about wans so you’ll not look out of Keep the faith. It’s Dublin folks, stop fooling that next time you’re over at you ma’s callin out for your bowl of place comatose on a bench. yourselves - the Lord made boiled willies. Well, I’ll be seein ya. Sunday a day for hangovers. Illustration by Dara Lynch FANCY IT? Holler at [email protected] CUTTY RANKS RAGGA RAGGA SAUCE SAUCE RAGGA RAGGA

CUTTY RANKS

PUT SOME 100% DAGGER BLOOD CERTIFIED IN YOUR DINNER CLOT BAD MAN

Ireland’s premier Z-list celebrity A Fixie? Maybe one day you’ll all Calling All Self- ceremony, The South William grow up to be in the social pages of Aware Hipsters Street VVIPS Awards are on the Sindo, just like mummsy and 22 Thursday April 21st. Why don’t daddy. We’ll be outside, hoods up you go nominate yourself in a cate- and rotten tomatoes in hands. gory like Most Imaginative Use Of {PONDERINGS} Fashion Whores HOT TO TROT

A WELL-BRED FILLY KNOWS HOW TO DRESS TO IMPRESS SO HERE’S SHARON LOVE’S ESSENTIAL GIRL’S GUIDE TO WINNING BEST TURNED-OUT IN THE PADDOCK.

irstly, wax, pluck and electrolyse your so-so-stylish everyday lives. In every stray hair. Secondly, spend every game there are winners and losers. Fas long again attaching false We know Paddy Power’s Cheltenham hair to eyelids, extensions to scalp and ads certainly know how to spot a winner, a wee vajazzle for that touch of class. proving so in their recent ‘spot the stallions As we never want to clash our earth and from the mares’ adverts. In today’s slap- jewel tones pick your wardrobe before on-the-bum culture those unlucky enough applying the tangerine cream to every not to fit this advantage may be freely square inch of your embarrassingly Irish ridiculed, but all in the name of comedy marble membrane. Decide if it’s to be the and ‘craic’. Let’s be honest girls, breeding animal print Missoni sheer number or the is everything. If in any doubt you can daring Donatella V strappy handkerchief; helpfully consult Paddy Power’s new chav so low-cut you can tell what you had for or chavnot app.The app shows us small lunch, (dry toast and champagne always, images of women and asks if you can spot daaarling!) whether you’re ‘being exposed to a slice of QUEUEIN’ Moving up. You can tell a lot about a orange plebeian or someone slightly more woman by her hat. Something suitably civilized’. It’s still banter RIGHT? Sexism expensive, high maintenance and vacuous and chauvinistic values aren’t going out should do the trick. Think Beatrice’s of fashion anytime soon. In Irish media, FOR A fascinator; you want something men can’t let’s face it girls, we know how to put you understand but will appreciate must be ‘in’ in your place. The overtly sexual Alchemy judging by all the other women staring ads with slogans such as ‘if you’re not up BRUISIN’ incredulously. for it, don’t cum’ may have punctured our sense of equality and provoked backlash Before that rosette is pinned to your but this is only a stone’s throw away from gravity-defying chest – Accessorize! what you see everyday on your magazine Adorn those matchy-matchy jeweled stands in the so-called ‘women’s interests’ pieces and primp and preen to your heart’s section. It’s ok though, for Italian Vogue content. You my dear, are a cosmopolitan to publish images in support of normative IT’S TRUE THAT ALL SORTS ARE taxi outside.’ She actually had time to elaborate that lady with refined tastes, so manicure white beauty and mock the working ON SOCIAL WELFARE. THEY she had a child waiting to go to the hospital in a taxi and polish your talons (like the truly class in a 16 page spread as long as these outside before Runners interrupted. ‘Well let’s go. sophisticated femme that you are) and stereotypes are glamorized and butchered PRACTICALLY LET ANYONE C’mon, lets go.’ In an astounding instance, a flash, don’t forget your matching bejeweled under the pretense of HIGH FASHION. SIGN ON. WHICH, IS OFTEN Dolly had changed into a pair of silver flats and clutch, it may be impractical but it will Caitlin Moran put it well in her book How WONDERFULLY AMUSING. NEVER was considerably smaller, if far more furious. She be your best friend when Hector comes to be a woman when she wrote “you can A DULL MOMENT AT THE DOLE had transformed into one of those terrifying short sniffing. Finish the look in a pair of tell whether some misogynistic societal people. I was called in for my turn in the information toe-pinching lady shoes and a polished pressure is being exerted on women by OFFICE AS GEORGIA CORCORAN office at the worst possible time and missed out on grin (Vaseline those teeth for day-long calmly enquiring, ‘And are the men doing FINDS OUT. all the action. When I came out word was that she lip-lock). this, as well?’ If they aren’t, chances are was waiting outside. Sticking to her guns, pacing up Now sweetieees, it’s not enough to be you’re dealing with what we strident n the Cabra offices a few weeks ago I found this and down. Runners, dressed in a dreadfully gloomy, top of the genetic food chain, you are the feminists refer to as ‘some total fucking blonde dolly bird, waiting to sign on. Practically shapeless coat, was getting everyone’s compassionate epitome of western culture and beauty bullshit’. So this year let’s see the fashion Igalloping in circles outside a booth in huge, attention. I didn’t see quite how it started but she was and this is a perfect day to celebrate and charade extended to the gentlemen, oui? ginormous black heels. Shifting frantically from one definitely very rough towards darling Dolly. They slam those who don’t fit the stereotype. quivering leg to the other- ‘Sorry, I just-really-need had both been hysterically and passionately volatile. This ‘sport’ is arguably as important as the to go to the toil-let’ she apologised loudly- not to Yet...everyone huddled protectively around Runners. Illustration by Aoife Listening to her side of the story. Probably offering racing, if not more so, Quinn me... I guess to everybody. On top of the shoes she because this game was wearing sheer tights with stars on them and an her cups of tea and sympathies. I left disgusted and is woven oversized black sleeveless fringed woollen coat, polka disenchanted at the injustice. into every dot sleeves poking out which a large shiny brown Outside there was no sign of Dolly but whilst aspect bag swung from. She wasn’t a Penneys princess, it waiting for the 39 I saw her leave McCafe across the of was more of a River Island vibe but with something road- I figured she’d finally got to go to the toilet. else I couldn’t place. Forever 21? Bershka? Dunnes? She seemed relatively calmer and appeared to have a Whatever I was sensing overall I found instantly tissue scrunched in her hand. Ah god, I thought, she endearing. With my ticket I sat down outside the feels dreadful about the whole thing. She was back in information office and, almost immediately, there was her heels though, definitely, and when she walked on a perilous roar. a bit further I could see that the tissue was actually, A lady who had previously been faced into the it turns out, a double cheeseburger held within its booth was squaring up and over Dolly, balanced on wrapping. The bus arrived and we caught up with her the toes of her dirty runners, really impressing her jauntily walking through Stoneybatter, smoking, and attack. ‘Do you have an issue? Are you going to take I hoped that she wasn’t having to walk be-heeled all me on?’ They were well able for each other. ‘I poxy the way into town. All though to be fair we know that will-wait-till I get you outside ya poxy English slut.’ she has flats in her bag if she needs them ever, god Runners lady took great offence to being called an forgive her if she does. The taxi comment was clearly ‘English slut’. To be honest she did have an English a lie. I got off along the quays and as I stomped over sounding voice but, understandably, wanted justice Ha’penny bridge I definitely saw the lady who plays for the outrageous statement. The whole thing Mrs. Doyle. escalated. ‘Wait till I get ya outside-I need to get my card. Kick ya outta here ya dirty English. Ya poxy Illustration by Aoife Quinn schizo’ and then she wiggled up to the booth and goes ‘sorry about that I just need to get my card - I’ve a Glasnevin Cemetery tour guide and histo- Did You Know? rian Shane MacThomais’ new book, Dead Interesting: Stories from the Graveyards of Dublin, is full of intriguing tales from our city’s final resting spots. Check it out. 23

{COFFEE BREAK}

Drop our animal a line sexpanther@ rabble.ie

IN OUR REGULAR Dear Sex Panther! COLUMN SEX PANTHER Recently I found myself at a protest GIVES ADVICE ON on Dame St. I was decrying the THE CARNAL SIDE OF promotion of International Women’s MODERN LIFE. Day, as it subjugates women for 364 days of the year. While shaking my dreads, Manyana introduced herself, Dear Sex Panther! she found my djembe drumming captivating and invites me back to Oh cwuel world?? This financial cwi- her tent for tofu. sis has weally, weally upset me. My Whether it was the fermented yak Proving a tad tough? Then scan for answers. Pater has lost the company, now he’s milk or discussions on the onanistic paid like 100 thousand ewuo a year nature of charitable donations, we I suddenly realise that I can’t reach the wonky footpath. I’m moving up for NAMA. Where’s the dignity?! turned to wants and needs nearer to anything I want. I can’t even see the the slight hill home at no miles an hour My tan is a disaster, I’m having to home. Just say she donated to a char- third row in any of the fridges, so I passing a moody rank of gawking taxi apply my own St. Twopaz because ity called Hand Relief. Diary Of A we can only go on holiday once a Before we had a chance to further have to start this ridiculous dialogue drivers and all I want is a push. Yeah, year....ONCE A YEAR! Then there our bond we were interrupted by Newly Made with nearest strangers about the gimmie a push, don’t ask, don’t talk, are all these homeless people in the the Law. We were kept in separate mysterious bounty on the top shelf. just gimmie a push for two minutes stweets who like can’t even afford a cells and I haven’t seen her since. ‘Hi, can you tell me what’s up there?... and I might stop sweating, but I’m not T&G wee-style, and I think they awe My heart is broken, should I wait for Cripple #3 and how much are they?...anything asking - my trip has already involved dwessing in second-hand PENNIES!! her? It’s just there’s a Single Moth- on special there?...what’s the salt six random strangers and I’m sick of I often stop and twy to offer personal ers’ protest Saturday, I think, I’m PAUL BLOOF JUMPED content?...oh, yeah, price per kilo?’. asking for help. I’m bringing a friend hygiene advice but the poow deawers on a roll… tomorrow. OFF A TEN FOOT WALL I can’t believe I’m doing this. My are so delusional from hunger they The problem is I’m getting more and confuse me with one of the bad peo- LAST PADDY’S DAY AND self-esteem as a young bachelor is Advise me more angry every time I leave the ple and tell me to f-off! Oh, when will shattered. Do I need someone to help Fiachra Freeman WAS CRIPPLED FOR A house but don’t know who to get angry it end?! Evewy night I cwie myslef to me with every bleedin thing? ‘Hey just YEAR...HE’S BETTER NOW at. In Ireland we have around 200,000 sleep at the state of things. Ask yourself, what type of creep hangs gimmie a selection of what’s up there people with a physical disability What am I to do sex panther?? around single mum protests looking for BUT IT LEFT A LASTING and I’ll let you go, thanks.’ and over half of those people have some hot action??? Manyana may have MARK. So there I am with six different types Yours depwessingly, caught the whiff of a sexual predator registered difficulty in leaving their of rashers on my knees, flinging the home. Grim. Getting out of the house A.R. in her nostrils and came to her senses. ones I don’t want back up to the top hen I was a two-legged freak was the easy bit for me. It’s getting Do you think the Panther approves of shelf to vent the frustration. Rawr! such loathsome ways? The panther is like most of the world, I went around the urban obstacle course that W After six bulky items my bag is a sexual creature to whom the ways of to Tesco for the same reasons as most makes you feel like not bothering. I Oh! Is that you Alison? How tiresome, seduction are an art performed through people - it’s closest. So, in an attempt nearly full so I have to finish up, know it sounds weird but I fucking you self-pitying twat?! Listen kitten, subtlety and tact; like forest honey, to control my lazy spending in said and I suppose come back tomorrow hate kerbs now and I can’t quite figure I told you to stop calling me. The he encases his potential partner in establishment, I cycled through the for round two. Damn! If the online out what they are actually for!! Every Panther got a restraining order on you sweet desire. The power of Panther’s local branch on a bike and pulled a shopping service didn’t want my street, every shop, pub and restaurant is for a reason. You’re an idiot! Now pheromones mesmerise, bringing on the few skids in front of customer service mothers maiden name and shoe size like a level in Super Mario Land where stop trying to contact me and bugger point of ecstasy - there’s no escaping at 7am after a party last summer. True I might consider it, but the the terms you can’t reach the coins, can’t jump off back to whatever newspaper your such animal magnetism. To simply story. It worked a treat – barred from and conditions of Tesco Ireland clearly the bricks and the boss level doesn’t daddy bought you an internship at. Oh stalk a vulnerable doe and pounce when Tesco and forced to buy better products state that your personal details can and have a wheelchair ramp. So where are yeah, and I had your daddy last night. the fleeting creature is trapped in a in better stores 500 metres down the will be ground up and sold as food for all the wheelchair users? I don’t spot He purred with joy kitten, purrrrred mire is not the way of a Sex Panther. road. the Black Pudding cats. one every day in the city and I know with joy. My advice to you Fiachra is to not to Dunnes Stores has a long sweaty hill why. prey upon your quarry but to entice Eight weeks later disguised as the same guy in a wheelchair I struggled up to it and the aisles are too cluttered Sex Panther Rawr! them into your lair and unleash your so I’m not going there. Sort it out passions, thus much more effective in unnoticed for my first solo roller- lads! I abandon the self-service minus the moral corruption of your shopping fiasco. The basket-on-your- I spent all my money on drugs and checkout because I can’t current seduction techniques. knees method just doesn’t work so I now I’m depressed. reach the top buttons and The Sex Panther has became weary wear a rucksack on my front which Yours. roll up to the cashier. I dealing with the inane mewlings of immediately makes me feel twice the hate the cashier because Rawr! social degenerates, I feel the need for tourist in my own town. The floors a prowl. Perhaps Sex Panther will are nice and flat in there and I can get my nose just reaches the conveyor belt and I sympathise with you wholeheartedly placate oneself with some lascivious a good top speed up, if the aisles are I feel like a tiny Smurf Smilie but your sufferings will not last pursuits, until the next issue kitties.... quiet, so I leave a few more long black buying oversized food. too long, remember the dole is only a rwwwaaarrrr. skid marks in the bread aisle when no Miffed, I roll out the week away. one’s looking but then get snared rapid because I have to wait till someone door much heavier than comes along to pass me the loaf I want when I went in and from the third shelf. Wasn’t me!? struggle off home up {STREET ART}

took matters into his own hands, printing up sheets of his own from a scanned copy of the original. The stickers began flying out faster than the DSPS could remove them. ‘I remember stepping out my stop and front door one morning to the sight of a clamped Beauty vehicle which still had the remnants of two previous This Is Ugly stickers on it’, says Dickie, laughing. ‘So of course I gave it another one.’ acta now Hundreds of clamps have been declared Ugly. Dickie even managed to get a sticker on the back SEEDOT ARGUES IT’S HARD TO FIGURE of a clamper’s own van while they were working. OUT HOW CONCERNED TO BE ABOUT Spots If all of this seems unarguably pessimistic, Casual THE STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT AND and Dickie are quick to substantiate the notion. THE ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THESE HARSH STICKERS ‘We don’t see it as negative at all’ they say, ‘we’ve AGREEMENT. seen people begin to notice the stickers. Many APPEARING LIKE A RASH ALL OVER TOWN. SHANNON DUVALL smile, or have a private little laugh. There’s been The current wave of Irish legislation is based on GOT TO THE CENTRE OF THE EPIDEMIC FOR US. more than one occasion where we’ve come upon European directives. While the new government After a little light detective work (asking a lad people late at night whose cars have been clamped, has adopted the same supine relationship to the here’s a Trickster in the lore of nearly in work who knew someone) and at least one night sometimes wrongfully, who don’t know what to copyright rentier class as the previous government, every culture; an anti-hero who disobeys of staking out the stickering hotspot of Portobello do or how they’re going to get home. Eighty euros passage at the EU level looks more difficult. normal rules or conventional behaviour T (alright, going for a nip to the Spar for a packet of on the spot is a lot to ask of anyone. They know And there is the usual caveat with this type of and unintentionally acts as a catalyst for posit ive biscuits), I got lucky and managed to get in contact they have no choice but to pony up the cash, and legislation, that the technology makes the usual change. His antics can make you laugh and look, with two of the messers claiming responsibility. accept it even though they know it’s bullshit. So mockery. When Lawrence Lessig said ‘Code is or be devious, or heroic; battling monsters that Meet Casual Brown and Dickie, fed-up residents we politely ask if we can add a sticker while they Law’ it wasn’t some revolutionary call to arms, but keep the people of his civilization paralysed by of Dublin city who have a little something to say. busy themselves with ringing someone to come put it might as well have been. In a world where Pirate slavish, obedient uncertainty. Minor details in them out of pocket, and they’re always supportive Bay is talking about launching drone servers to The ‘campaign’ got started when a friend of of the idea that at least someone is expressing story-telling change from culture to culture , Casual’s from America gave her a pile of stickers overcome attempts to take them out (really, google but one thing remains the same: the Trickster is dissent.’ it) some big-eared langer who inherited a seat can and asked her if she could find any use for them. essential. Creation depends on him. The Trickster This Is Ugly, they read. The judgement could be The duo say they wish they could do more than sign as many ministerial orders as he wants, but reminds us that the birth of something better a visual assessment or a metaphorical one. She just plaster an estimation in these situations, but, I wouldn’t be quaking at the power of comrade cannot happen without a little bit of upset. didn’t think much of them until one early morning at heart, attitude and opinion are what This Is Ugly Sherlock versus that of the modern internet to In many ways, it seems there could be no better while walking to work. Noticing yet another car is all about. It’s not a calculated attempt to shake route around blockages. time for Ireland to embrace a new kind of culture clamped in her neighbourhood, and, having seen things up; rather, it’s an expression of frustration. But it is important even if the dangers are hero; our very own neo-Trickster, a character Parking Service vans ‘prowling the streets’ in It’s standing up for the small fry with a little dig sometimes overstated. It’s important that people brimming with the type of light-hearted tomfoolery recent months, sometimes even ‘waiting out the at the establishment. ‘Now is the time, when the visibly say this is nonsense. It’s important that the that’s a little thin on the ground these days. Post- expiration of a parking permit and clamping them chips are down, to be working together to make open and collective Irish web opposes this current cash orgy Ireland is an unnerving place at the best right away’, her disgust turned to satisfaction when things better’, says Casual, ‘not turning on each attempt to order back the tide of free information. of times, and the barren emotional and financial she gave the clamp the slap. From there it became other to make things worse’. The expression Sites such as Boards.ie are taking a strong stance wasteland many of us find ourselves picking a compulsion. Every time she saw some poor sap’s is ultimately harmless, a sly two fingers with a here and more should. It’s important that young through now is getting grimmer by the day. Times car immobilized for ransom, she gave that clamp non-confrontational bent. But I imagine it has to people remember that they have to gather together are tough, and yet citizens are continually being the sticker. ‘It was about sending a message’ she get annoying to the clampers after a while. I ask to protest stupid legislation – not just to make their shaken down from every angle by advantageous says. ‘I see what you’re doing; I’m aware of your if either of them have ever gotten into a scrape voice heard but to meet everybody else who has highwaymen with no shame. deliberate pocket-mining of private citizens. It’s or suffered any legal repercussions.. Dickie copped this is stupid. smiles. ‘You’d have to ask them’, he says. DSPS, Enter ‘This Is Ugly’: plain white stickers seen ugly behaviour, and I’m going to tell you so.’ It is also important that we try and create an interestingly, have not responded to requests idea of this country that is based on more than slapped on surfaces all across Dublin, asserting in Before long, Casual had a partner in critique for comment. Do they intend to keep using the gombeenism, alcoholism and tip-of-the-cap slav- bold black letters that whatever they’re adorning when a bloke she knew from work showed interest stickers? ‘Yes, absolutely’, they both agree, ‘it’s ishness. The influence of Microsoft and the rest of is, at least to the bandit responsible, purely and in getting involved. Dickie says he identified too much fun not to!’ - simply Ugly. Seeming to primarily target the with the sentiment, and couldn’t resist giving the the US software business in Irish affairs is signifi yellow Dublin City Parking Service clamps racketeers a piece of his mind. They shared the pile Long live the Trickster. cant. They wash their profits through here, renting polluting neighbourhoods in city centre, these of stickers, putting them on every clamp they came out the capital they have created from the labour of developers from all over the world, including Ire- palm-sized declarations of distaste have been across, until they ran out and Casual had to ask her Photo: Richie Clinton catching my eye for the better part of the past year, friend to send more from the States. She received land. An Irish political class that is primarily based so I set out on a mission to find out more. 100, and in weeks they, too, were gone. So Dickie on teachers, estate agents and solicitors and which has called every technological wave wrong, more or less, from the foundation of the state is missing the shift to open standards and open access. The big issue these days is privacy. SOPA and ACTA won’t work because Google and Facebook oppose them, nothing to do with whether Sean Sherlock has decided to bend over and take it from Disney and all the other geriatric 20th century content industries. But Google & Facebook are no white knights – they just turn you into the product not the consumer. If Irish politicians wanted to be relevant they would be regulating the way their citizens are carved up and sold to marketeers, not figuring out ways to stop us watching telly using whatever equipment we want. It is also important that we don’t forget who it is that is actually doing this to us. In 1913 the Irish labour movement put an armed guard on the press that they installed in Liberty Hall. The Irish Citizens Army was founded to ensure that the Irish working class had a right to access informa- tion - whether protecting meetings or a printing press. Sean Sherlock should remember that even if he inherited his seat in the standard feudal Irish style, he wears the badge of the party founded by the Irish working-class, which has always believed in free information, free FREE of capitalist rentiers. POSTER! Photo: Paul Reynolds It’s IRMA’s Wet Dream...