My "local" walk...

Following the walking trainings, yesterday I walked what I could call "my local", in the same sense of local pubs - everyone has a pub to call "local" here in Ireland, right?

Yeah, so I have two "local" walkings - the Phoenix Park, really close to my place, and the Royal Canal Way, which is just next door, even a walk there sometimes can not be called "local"... it extends to Longford - considerable 145km! Yesterday I walked the already familiar Ashtown-Clonsilla-Astown route, a quiet 13Km covered in 2h20min.

Urbi et Orbi

Who saw says that there were more than 100 people. Considering the size of the Whelan's (upstairs), I'd say the place was packed! From my point of view (literally from the stage) I couldn't see much because there was a spotlight targeting right in my face! When I mixed in the crowd I could clearly see ... The place was packed!

Full house, and full of energy, the recently named Wellfish caught the audience so well that, according to fervorous comments collected at the venue, they were elected the best performance of the night, despite the main attraction - The Shove.

Fair play to us, The Shove asked if we could open more gigs to them - and it seems they've been playing a lot! Now, what we need to do is wait - and pray! - for other concerts in Dublin, and who knows where else ...

A gig tonight...

Today is the first official gig with the new formation. Although announced like The Buzz, we just heard this week about a Scottish band with the same name, so we changed... We are "The Wellfishes"!

The formation is Fergus McGovern (vocals), Trevor Cudden (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), Ciarán MacSamhrain (bass and backing vocals), Louis O'Donoghue (drums) and myself, Eduardo Miranda (lead guitar).

In the repertoire, cover songs from blues to rock, and a bit of country as well. The song list for tonight is:

1. I Want Everything - Cracker
2. Willin ' - Little Feat
3. Only Team Will Tell - Jimmy Norman
4. Buy in Bottles - Richard Ashcroft
5. Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
6. True Love Tends you it Forget - Bob Dylan
7. Take Me Down To it The Infirmary - Cracker

Whelan's address is 25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2. Phone 01 4780766. We should start by 8:30 if no delays... And as As they say in show business "Break a leg"... we are going to break two!!!

The Wicklow Way

Kepp Walking, as Johnny used to say! Last Saturday we walked the so called first part of "The Wicklow Way", the 132Km path through the Wicklow mountains - a remarkable spetacle of mother nature!

This first walking was from Marlay Park till Enniskerry and took us 5 hours to cover. 22Km made of uphills, downhills, rocky ways and a wonderful landscape! Experts say this is a wonderful mark!

And if you didn't donate yet, don't be ashemed... you can do it here!

Oxfam Trailtrekker - So far...

Trying to get prepared to September's big challenge, the 100Km walking in 36 hours, it's better if one's practice regularly...

To give an idea what has been done so far:

• 27/03 - Ashtown-Connolly Station - 8Km
• 01/04 - Mulhuddart-Ashtown - 12Km
• 03/04 - Bray-Greystones-Bray-Bray Head - 14Km
• 10/04 - Howth-Connolly - 16Km
• 17/04 - Howth-Howth Head-Connolly - 25Km
• 24/04 - Greystones-Sandymount - 30Km
• 01/05 - Howth Head-Malahide - 25Km
• 06/05 - Phoenix Park round - 15Km
• 08/05 - Cooper Coast, Co. Waterford - 10Km
• 15/05 - Ashtown-Broomsbridge-Leixlip Louisa Bridge - 23Km
• 18/05 - Ashtown-Clonsilla-Ashtown - 14Km

Today's trail: Connolly-Maynooth

Following the schedule for the OXFAM IRELAND TRAILTREKKER 2010 trainning (by the way, have you donated yet? No!? Well, then click here!), today we had planned a 30km walking, from Connolly Railway Station, walking along the banks of Royal Canal, which borders the train tracks, until Maynooth Railway Station, but eventually it didn't end up as planned.
I walked Astown-Broombridge (3 km), and then turned back towards Ashtown, till Leixlip Louisa Bridge Railway Station (approximately 19km). The remaining 7 or 8km were not possible due muscular pain...

Bailing out!

They say we should help the banks. They say if the banks collapse, all the economy will fall down with them. They say it's vital to the world, to the country, to the people. They have keeping saying that for more than 100 years, and will be saying that for the next 100, then for the next 100, and then the next, the next...

We say "That's enough!" Here in Ire-land, the Taoiseach washed his hands speaking to a group of people, saying "the government" was giving/taking wrong advices. As he were not part of "the government".

Banks were irresponsible - aren't they meant to be? They are always trying - generally with success - to take advantage over everybody else (bankers would even sell their mothers for a good rate!). It is the government economists' dutty to regulate them, but regulation seems to be something evil, prohibited, old-fashion and outmoded - according to the liberals primer, of course. But now the government wants to pay the banker's bill with consumer's money. The same money which should go to education and health - to say the least.

No, sir, it doesn't sound right at all!