Deep thinking on Energy Demand vs Supply
I’ve been talking quite a bit recently to Phoebe Bright who is based down in Drinagh. She wears many hats but is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about energy.
She writes some absolutely brilliant stuff in this area on her blog and I highly recommend you subscribe to it. She is no happy clappy, let’s wear hemp shirts and cycle 40 miles to work every day person. The blog talks about fundamental issues around energy supply and managing energy demand.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Thursday, July 24, 2008
Local Business Support
I’ve done a post over on our business blog about the supports offered to local business by West Cork Enterprise Board. If you are based in the region, it’s well worth reading. The highlights are:
6 hour IT Consultancy for €150 via Tech-Check Feasibility Study Grants up to €5100 International Trade Show Attendance Grants up to €2000 Ecommerce Web-site development Grants up to €1500 That last one is absolutely brilliant.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Thursday, July 24, 2008
Opportunity for a Property Developer
Now that’s a phrase you didn’t expect to hear in the current economic climate.
One of the reasons we settled on Bandon when we moved to Cork was the classic location, location, location. It really is ideally situated in Munster for access to almost everything - Cork City, Airport, beaches, businesses, school, sports facilities etc etc.
However, this prime location is missing something critical - somewhere people can meet in a modern business context.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hot Hot Hot Hot Sauces
The offer of a free box of these sauces was irresistable and we have spent the past few months trying them in a variety of different ways. Whilst our weak-willed Irish palates found the hotter ones just too hot, the depth of flavour is just fantastic. If only they had an Irish distributor!
Back in January I got a comment on a very old post from 2006 that I did about buffalo wings.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Thursday, July 10, 2008
Film Society for Bandon
Denise Cox has let me know that a new Film Society is being organised in Bandon. I don’t have any of the details yet but if you are interested, fire an SMS over to Declan Waugh at 086-3853363. I’ll post an update when I hear more.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Food and Health
I got an email during the week from Mary Wedel who runs the brilliant An Tobairín Health Food Shop in Bandon. We’ve watched Mary grow this business since we arrived here from a pokey place on North Main Street to the bigger one on Factory Lane to the current flagship on South Main Street. I see no reason why she won’t be as successful as Whole Foods Market in the US.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
A last minute decision to pop down here for Sunday lunch turned out to be a total success. Fantastic seafood in a relaxed atmosphere with serene views of Clonakilty Bay. If they could just do something about parking, it would be perfect.
I’ve eaten in Deasy’s once before and thoroughly enjoyed it. For some reason they popped into my head this morning and I hopped into the car with four of the five monsters to see if they were still doing Sunday Lunch.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Sunday, June 29, 2008
Taste of Cork a huge success
We’ve been looking forward to this for months and it did not disappoint. An overwhelming success for the organisers and the exhibitors. We had a fantastic few hours last night, sampling and chatting. Go!
Whilst the reports on this year’s Dublin Event varied, we had a strong belief that Cork would be good simply due to the smaller scale. Auntie Fi babysat the kiddies and we drove in to County Hall for 5.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Saturday, June 28, 2008
Fancy a meal for two?
I don’t know a lot about wine and beer, but I know a man who does. Julian over at Bubble Brothers has a nice competition on their blog. They import the gorgeous Japanese iKi beer (I had it in Wagamama a few months back) and are now supplying it to the Cafe Mao chain.
He wants you to use what you know about iKi beer and Café Mao and tell them which dish on the menu would make the best match for iKi, and why.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Friday, June 27, 2008
Spicendipity goes live!
Many of the readers of this blog are surely also fans of The Humble Housewife, Deborah Hadley. She has just launched a fabulous new web-site called Spicendipity selling homemade sauces and 100% natural spice mixes and baking mixes.
Debz had me won over just by saying “BBQ sauce” when she first revealed what she was putting together. We love the idea so much, the prize we are giving away on LouderVoice for the best review at Taste of Cork is one of her BBQ Hampers.
Posted by Conor O'Neill on Monday, June 23, 2008