Beyond the Pale: National Photographic Archive

Image via Wikipedia

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned I was going to go to the Beyond the Pale exhibition in the National Photographic in Templebar. So Jeff and I had some time last week, so we popped in before Lunchtime to see what the was all about. For those of you who don't know where the Archive exhibition space is, it is located opposite the Information Centre in Templebar, behind the IFI.

So the exhibition. Well as the title itself suggests Beyond the Pale is to do with displaying images from the Lawerence Collection in the National Library of Ireland. The Lawerence Collection has been with the National Library since the mid 1940s and is one of the foremost photographic collections of Irish Social life at the turn of the 20th Century. This exbo however deliberates uses images from around the country from the late 19th and early 20th Century and hence the name "Beyond the Pale".

The cities featured in the exbo are Limerick, Derry, Belfast Cork, Galway and Waterford. It also features the town of Kilkenny (Yes I know I know but Kilkenny is not really a city and I'm writing this and I don't really care what the 2006 census says, it is not a City!). Overall Exbo is pretty well laid out and really easy to follow. Highly reccommended Viewing. Even if it is only placing streets in a modern context and trying to work out where everything goes now. Also alot of the images are crystal clear and save for the obvious dress differences with the subjects in the pictures, they could be quiet easily be confused for a picture which was only taken two weeks ago.

• Linky: NPA's 'Beyond the Pale'

Derry: Elderly gay couple 'being forced out of Derry home'

So here we are again, homophobes raise their ugly heads in Derry and this is not the first time I have heard of this from that city. The Irish Independent reports that an Elderly gay couple have been the victims of attacks, physical and verbal on their properties in the last number of months. I am truly sickened by this behavior. Every time, its a case of one step forward, 15 back. For crying out loud, those little sick shits who are doing these attacks need to be stopped. Nobody, gay or straight deserves the level of abuse that this couple has faced up to this point and it certainly does not fit in with the plight of the civil rights marches in the 1960s & 70s. For Christ sake, it is sickening to think that up to 10-15 years ago, these same shits were either quaking at their mothers boots for fear of reprisals against their respective communities. Now they are doing the same to those who are as vulnerable as our children, the elderly. I hope to christ that something does get done and done fast for all concerned. However the only way to sort the rampant homophobia in North and South, is to tackle the root problems across the board. Education & Legal recognition of the status of same-sex relationships will go along way to attempting to deal with the institutional & societal homophobia which exists.

(ps, cheers to Oz for reminding me about this story-I saw it this morning and wasn't reminded about it until he emailed it on to me)

13,000 Santas in Derry world record bid

Now why didn't I know about this! How fricking cool!
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13,000 Santas in Derry world record bid

13,000 Santas today walked Derry's walls today in a world record-breaking charity event.

Some of the 13,000 Santas who gathered at the Guildhall in Derry City to break the world record for the amount of Father Christmas' in one place.

They were attempting to break the Guinness world record for most Santas in the one place. The previous record was set in Las Vegas.

There was a carnival atmosphere with live music and victorious Derry boxer John Duddy arriving in the middle of the festivities, fresh from last night's performance in Belfast's King's Hall against Howard Eastman.

A spokeswoman for the organisers said: "It was the most amazing sight you have ever seen. We could hardly cope with the number of people registering (for the parade).

"There have been bands playing Christmas carols, different people who would be known locally, the atmosphere is just incredible."

Source & Contd:Ireland.com