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Written by Damian Brady

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in Europe

Created: 10 March 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Yes some of us may be old enough to remember the Ghost Buster films from the 1980`s and that catchy theme tune “Who are you going to call?.........”. We may never have a need to acquire the services of Ghosts Busters and hopefully we never will. But imagine if there is a fire at home or at work, an urgent requirement for the guards or an ambulance? Do you know the emergency number to dial? An Ambulance, The Fire Service, An Garda Siochana or even the Coast Guard here in Ireland can be reached by dialling 999. Well done if you have answered correctly. And yes 112, I hear someone say is also correct. Now what number do you dial when you are aboard? As Europeans we are increasingly travelling for business or leisure, millions of people could be faced with this problem. Fortunately, there is no need to look up and remember the emergency numbers for each EU country you are visiting. Just remember 112!

So whether we need the Fire service in France, an ambulance in Amsterdam, the Police in Poland or the Coast guard in Cork, 112 is the number to call.

The number 999 was first introduced in the London area on 30 June 1937, and the UK's 999 number is the world's oldest emergency call service. So how long has the 112 number been around?

The European Union adopted the 112 number as a standard on 29 July 1991 and has been around since. A report by Flash Euro barometer 339 stated that:

“The single European emergency number 112 was adopted by Council decision in July

1991 in order to enable citizens of the EU to call the emergency services (i.e. police, fire

and ambulance) by using the same number from anywhere in the EU1. This is particularly

Important as European citizens are increasingly travelling to other EU countries for work,

Study or leisure. Since the end of 2008, all EU Member States are supposed to have

Ensured that anyone can call the emergency services from fixed and mobile phones by

using the 112 number.”

For any of us hard of hearing it is possible to contact 112 by text with some network providers... (Better to check with your own mobile network provider)

A large majority of EU citizens are still unaware that the European emergency number 112 can be used across the EU in case of emergency: only 26% of EU citizens could spontaneously identify 112 as the number to call for emergency services in the EU according to the last Eurobarometer survey.

The European Commission launched this 112 website to raise awareness about the single European emergency number 112, which provides user-friendly country information to citizens who would like to be informed about 112 and interactive games aimed at children.

112 is your pan-European number to access the Emergency Services whilst travelling within the EU.

In Ireland, 999 and 112 exist equally and run in parallel. Regardless of which number you call in Ireland, there will be no difference and the call will be handled in the same manner.

Further information regarding the background to the 112 number.

A full list of the EU countries where 112 is accessible is below:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Please note that the following Member States also include the territories listed below:

France: Guyane, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion
Spain: Canary Islands

Portugal: Azores and Madeira

Major rail, air and other transport companies have joined EU CommissionersNeelie Kroes and Sim Kallas in a yearlong campaign to make people travelling in the EU aware of 112 - Europe's single emergency number. Whether for skiing holidays, family days out and about, work-related trips or visits to this summer's sporting events including the London Olympics or Euro 2012 UEFA football championship in Poland and Ukraine, hundreds of thousands tourists and visitors will travel across Europe this year, and need to be informed about this life-saving number.

There has even been an European 112 Day (11/2-11 February) where under the Initiative of Vice Presidents of the European Commission Kroes and Kallas

What happens when you call 112?

A specially trained operator will answer your call. Depending on the national organization of emergency services, the operator will either deal with the request directly or transfer you to the most appropriate emergency service (such as ambulance, fire brigade or police).

Operators are increasingly able to answer 112 calls in more than one language, which is especially important for people calling 112 while abroad.

Give your name, address, telephone number. It is necessary to identify callers, in particular in order not to report the same incident twice.

Do not hang up if you call 112 by mistake! Tell the operator that everything is fine. Otherwise, emergency assistance may have to be sent out to check there is no problem.

So when we are travelling at home or abroad (in Europe) remember 112.And any of us who are familiar with all the U.S. Sitcoms 911 is the emergency number to use there.

Copyright © 2011, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved

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Written by Administrator

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in Europe

Created: 10 March 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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sloopys membership front

sloopys membership back

The first real Irish international hard rock band was formed in Dublin back in 1969. It was called Thin Lizzy. I was 16 years old, life was good and so was the music. Our band was rockin’. My bandmates and I were busy falling in and out of love. Yes, falling in love was the name of the game. Life was a roller coaster trip each day with school shoved in the middle to spoil our fun.

As I was going' over the Cork and Kerry mountains

I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was counting

I think I met my first American girl that year as well. She was so different from the Dublin girls I knew. Brash, with an “in your face” attitude which totally turned me on! She wanted to have a good time and so did I. I can also remember this as a time when I started to socialise separately from my brothers.

I first produced my pistol and I then produced my rapier

I said stand or deliver or the devil he may take ya

Two of the founding members of Thin Lizzy, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott, the group’s de facto leader, was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs, and the first black Irishman to achieve commercial success in the field of hard rock music.

When they started off gigging around Dublin they had what we term as a “hard” following.

Musha ring dum a do dum a da.

Wack for my daddy-o,

Wack for my daddy-o

There's whiskey in the jar-o

In 1969, the Irish Press (An Irish National Newspaper long since gone) noted that The Ballymun housing project, which had been publicised as Ireland's model new town was to have shopping facilities, office accommodation, an entertainment centre comprising dance hall, cinema, skating rink, restaurants, bars, community centre, meeting hall and swimming pool. By 1974 only a swimming pool, snack bar and two pubs had appeared. It was a case of “Ballymun - community or chaos” (Evening Herald, 13th-16th December 1972)’

Momentous events in the world once again imploded on me. Life outside of Dublin began to matter to me.

On July 21^st Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins flew on board Apollo 11 and land a man on the moon for the US.

"Houston... Tranquility Base, here; the Eagle has landed."

For the first time the word death crept into my vocabulary with the announcement that the American death toll in the Viet Nam war had reached 34,000. Millions of Americans participated in a Viet Nam Moratorium Day, with candlelight vigils and prayers for peace.

However, the world was about to change forever.

Max Yasgur's farm near Bethel, New York became the second-largest city in New York, when nearly 400,000 young people converged on the area for the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. It was the start of a journey of sorts that remains part of me still.

I came upon a child of God

He was walking along the road

And I asked him, where are you going?

And this he told me

Woodstock just didn’t impact America, it impacted everywhere including Dublin. I loved the songs, the sense of freedom and the feeling of rebellion. Most importantly it led me to believe that my generation could and would make the world a better place. Were we wrong? That chapter is still unfinished business. Many things changed due to Woodstock which was positive, but my own personal belief is that we lost a lot of our beliefs and ideals to drugs because of Woodstock. This has led to decades of a social evil that still to this day contaminates our world, our kids, and was never intended to “get our souls free.”

Im going on down to yasgurs farm

Im going to join in a rock n roll band

Im going to camp out on the land

Im going to try an get my soul free

Dublin’s night life was now beginning to emerge from the dark ages with the opening of the cities’ first hip night club for young people. Sloopy’s was the place to be!  It was opened in 1969 by two enterprising guys (Michael Ryan and Michael Murphy) and was located in D’Olier Street beside the Gas Co. It moved to Fleet Street in 1971-72.

My new American friend made a few visits to Dublin. She was a year older than me and was able to enter the clubs. I could not go with her because of the age thing, BUMMER !!

The world was changing all around me. The beat went on and on.  As Dublin changed, so did I. Girls and Rock & Roll were still very important in my life but the outside world had thrown open its doors to me. I wanted “IN”!

We five O’Driscoll brothers took baby steps in different directions, each attempting to find his own way in the streets of Dublin City.

Come with me next week as I enter the 1970’s. Stay with me! It’s been a long road and a hellava good one!

Fast forward to March 2012! What’s on!

St. Patrick's Festival

16th March 2012 – 19th March 2012

Website: www.stpatricksfestival.ie

The Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick’s Festival

Venue: Guinness Storehouse

16th March 2012 – 18th March 2012

Website: www.guinness-storehouse.com

All Ireland Club Championship Final

Venue: Croke Park Stadium

17th March 2012

Website: www.crokepark.ie

Dine in Dublin Restaurant Week

26th March 2012 – 1st April 2012

Website: www.dineindublin.ie

Heres a video just to whet your appetite.  There are eight more on the next page as well as number one songs of 1969.

Enjoy. Just hit 'next' in blue below

TALK TO ME!  What’s happening in your world? Love to hear from you near and far.  I welcome your comments and email’s. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Slán go fóill,

MOD

Copyright © 2011, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved

Number One Songs 1969

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Written by Administrator

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in Europe

Created: 02 March 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

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Dublin Street Scene 1968In 1968 I really got into the band scene. My Saturday afternoons were spent with my bandmates, practicing in my friend’s garage. . We were doing really simple stuff but as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”. We wrote one or two of our own tunes. There were girlfriends on the scene as well, just to make the entire experience what we perceived to be true “Rock & Roll”!

What would you do if I sang out of tune?

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

The gigs we so desperately coveted eventually became a fact of life. The one in the local school hall was a massive eye-opener for me.  I realized being on stage was damn lonely, having to remember all those words and not make any mistakes a challenge. Practice, practice and more practice became my watch word, always aspiring for the perfect performance.

At 15 years of age, this was the year that the outside world really imploded on me for the first time. It was the 4^th of April and I had heard on the news that the American civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King, had been assassinated in the US city of Memphis.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

Across the boarder in Northern Ireland momentous events were occurring with the first Civil Rights March in Derry on the 5th October 1968.When television pictures of RUC officers baton-charging the demonstration in Derry were shown around the world, the Northern Ireland civil rights movement became international news.

Some writers now say that this act of defiance was one of the cornerstone events which led to start of the ‘Troubles’. Even with all this turmoil going on, Dublin as a city didn’t stop. It was moving forward and nothing was going to stop its progress.

Lady Madonna, children at your feet

Wonder how you manage to make ends meet

Dublin City Housing was becoming a big topic. During a Q&A session in Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) on the 07 May, 1968, the Minister for Local Government, Mr. Boland, confirmed the following information: “I understand from Dublin Corp. that work is expected to be completed on 699 of their houses and 1,407 of their flats in the current calendar year.” He said.

When asked about the number of dwellings provided in the past three years in Dublin city and county by (a) Dublin Corporation, (b) the National Building Agency, (c) private builders and (d) any other bodies Boland confirmed the following figures.

“The number of dwellings provided in the last three financial years was as follows:—

1965-66: 11,255, comprising 8,266 non-local authority and 2,989 local authority dwellings;

1966-67: 10,984, comprising 6,905 non-local authority and 4,079 local authority dwellings; and

1967-68: 12,017, comprising 7,972 non-local authority and 4,045 local authority dwellings.”

There was uproar in the Dáil chamber when certain TD’s (MP/elected representative) stressed that prior to these years less than 4,000 dwellings were built for the previous five years.

So investment in houses both private and local authority was now starting to develop and with that came the obvious development of green field sites and the inevitable expansion of Dublin as a city.

Nightlife was also starting to develop but again that’s for next week.

Open up your eyes

Then you'll realize

Here I stand with my

Everlasting love

Number One Songs 1968

Georgie Fame - The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde

Love Affair - Everlasting Love

Manfred Mann - The Mighty Quinn

Esther and Abi Ofarim - Cinderella Rockefella

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - Legend of Xanadu

The Beatles - Lady Madonna

Cliff Richard - Congratulations

Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World / Cabaret

Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett - Young Girl

Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash

Equals - Baby Come Back

Des O'Connor - I Pretend

Tommy James and The Shondells - Mony Mony

Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Fire

Tommy James and The Shondells - Mony Mony

Beach Boys - Do It Again

Bee Gees - I've Gotta Get A Message To You

Beatles - Hey Jude

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days

Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends

Hugo Montenegro Orchestra - The Good The Bad And The Ugly

Scaffold - Lily The Pink

1969  Marmalade - Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

For us, the five brothers O’Driscoll, none of this mattered. For us the “beat” went on.  As Dublin changed, so did I. Girls and rock & roll were all that mattered. Next week I continue on my journey through the sixties.  Stay with me! It’s a long road but a good one!

Fast forward to March 2012! What’s on!

RBS 6 Nations 2012 - Ireland v Scotland

10th March 2012 -Venue: Aviva Stadium

Website: www.irishrugby.ie

St. Patrick's Festival

16th March 2012 – 19th March 2012

Website: www.stpatricksfestival.ie

The Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick’s Festival

Venue: Guinness Storehouse

16th March 2012 – 18th March 2012

Website: www.guinness-storehouse.com

All Ireland Club Championship Final

Venue: Croke Park Stadium

17th March 2012

Website: www.crokepark.ie

Dine in Dublin Restaurant Week

26th March 2012 – 1st April 2012

Website: www.dineindublin.ie

TALK TO ME!  What’s happening in your world? Love to hear from you near and far.  I welcome your comments and email’s. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Slán go fóill,

MOD

Details

Written by Administrator

Parent Category: Life and Style

Category: Living in Europe

Created: 25 February 2012

Last Updated: 05 January 2016

User Rating: 0 / 5

ballymun 1967

The years moved on for both me and Dublin. The city was changing fast and I was becoming a young teenager. Music was all that I lived for during that period of my life, or so it seemed! My house was on Shanglass Road in the Northern suburbs of Dublin City. The only ‘real’ pop music that my friends and I could listen to came from a pirate radio station called Radio Caroline. We still had those old transistor radios and because the signal from the station was poor we used to put the radio up against the nearest telephone poll/mast on our road to boost it.

Well I walked up to her and I asked her if she wanted to dance

She looked awful nice and so I hoped she might take a chance

Radio Caroline was an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to evade the record company’s control of pop music broadcasting in the UK.  At the time, BBC Radio had a total monopoly of music and control of the airways. Since the station was unlicensed by any government it was considered a pirate radio station. Radio Caroline began regular programming on the 28^th of March, 1964 from the MV Caroline, a former coaster from an anchorage off Ramsey, Isle of Man. It broadcast as Radio Caroline North. Its sister vessel (the MV Mi Amigo) remained off the coast of Essex broadcasting as Radio Caroline South.

Cheer up, sleepy Jean, oh what can it mean

To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?

Here in Ireland all we had was Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE), the official state broadcaster and another monopoly. If you thought the BBC was limited in what it played, RTE was absolutely pathetic. So for us kids it had to be Radio Caroline and man did we love it! The sad truth of the day is that without Caroline none of us would have heard much of what was happening in the wider music world.

Purple haze all in my brain

lately things don't seem the same

Acting funny and I don't know why

Excuse me while I kiss the sky

However like all good things it had to come to an end.

In 1966 British Postmaster General Anthony Wedgwood Benn introduced a Bill in the UK Parliament that outlawed unlicensed offshore broadcasting. It became known as the Marine Offences Act and was enacted on 14th August 1967. The two Radio Caroline ships continued to broadcast with operations controlled from the Netherlands. The end came in March 1968 when both ships were towed to the Netherlands because of unpaid bills by the Wijsmuller tug company. And that was that.

But Dublin as a city didn’t stop. No way. The Ballymun housing project, courtesy of Dublin Corporation’s Housing committee was well on its way.

The scheme was the ‘first out of town’; high rise housing project in Dublin and at the time was desperately needed to ease the appalling inner city conditions that pertained. It centered around seven landmark residential towers named after the seven leaders of the 1916 rising; Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Sean MacDermott, Eamonn Ceannt, Thomas Clarke, James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett.

Whilst there is no doubt that it did provide new and badly needed proper accommodation for thousands of inner city Dubliners, it soon evolved into a “ghetto” of sorts eventually mirroring to some degree the same social and living conditions that it had been built to eradicate.

Yet for us five O’Driscoll kids, none of this mattered. For us, “the beat went on”! As Dublin changed, other things were changing in me.

Something's gotten hold of my hand

Dragging my soul to a beautiful land, yeah

1967 hits

Long John Baldry - Let the Heartaches Begin

The Beach Boys - Then I Kissed Her

The Beatles - Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever

The Beatles - All You Need Is Love

The Bee Gees – Massachusetts

Petula Clark - This Is My Song

Cream - I Feel Free

The Dubliners - Seven Drunken Nights

The Foundations - Baby, Now That I Found You

The Four Tops - Standing In The Shadows of Love

Bobby Gentry - Ode To Billie Joe

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze

The Hollies - Carrie-Anne

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset

The Mamas & The Papas - Dedicated To The One I Love

Scott McKenzie - *San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)

(*to this day the song that influenced me the most)

The Monkees - Daydream Believer

Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

The Rolling Stones - Let's Spend The Night Together

Cat Stevens - Matthew And Son

So all this music, inspiration and outside influence led me to join my first musical group then. I played bass guitar even though I had no idea about the instrument! But that is another story for another day.

Next week I continue on my journey through the sixties.  Stay with me, it’s a long road but a good one!

Fast forward to February2012! What’s on!

Hospitality Expo-Ireland Venue: RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin

27th-FEB – 29th-FEB

Exhibitors:  300+

Hospitality Expo will be the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind in 2012 targeting each sector of the hospitality industry individually. Split into four distinctive sections it will provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and the establishment of new business contacts

More Information: http://eventful.com/dublin/events/hospitality-expo-2012-/E0-001-012655722-1?utm_source=apis&utm_medium=apim&utm_campaign=apic

Futura Fair - RDS (Royal Dublin Society)

26th Feb 2012 until 27th Feb 2012

In the Futura Fair, upcoming attendees can find out the whole series related to footwear, accessories and outfits for kids, women and men at one single place. It will exhibit a wide range of top most designs of fashion accessories and outfits. In common term, the show will cater to the whole family.

More Information: http://eventful.com/dublin/events/futura-fair-/E0-001-038204871-4

Macbeth - The Helix

21st Feb 2012 until 9th Mar 2012

Second Age, Irelands award winning classics theatre company, starts 2012 with one of Shakespeare’s greatest and bloodiest plays. Expect a fast-paced thriller, with a sumptuous design, and high-octane physical performances.

More Information: http://eventful.com/dublin/events/macbeth-helix-/E0-001-045363550-8?utm_source=apis&utm_medium=apim&utm_campaign=apic

TALK TO ME!  What’s happening in your world? Love to hear from you near and far.  I welcome your comments and email’s. [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

Slán go fóill,

MOD

Copyright © 2011, DPNLIVE – All Rights Reserved