Flahavan's Oats Mill

      2 min read      Ireland · Rural Issues

Last night we were treated to a tour of one of three working oats mills in Ireland, Flahavan’s in Kilmacthomas, about 20 miles from Tramore. The mill has been in the same location, owned by the same family, for over 200 years, though none of the original buildings survive. Flahavan’s own about 56% of the market for porridge oats in Ireland. Their staff of around 45 people produces rolled oats, cereals, flour and snack products, turning out 2-3 tons of product per hour.

Foggy Days

      1 min read      Ireland · Photography

I must say, one of the things I really enjoy in Ireland is the many foggy days we get. True, after 4 straight months of rain this winter, it did get a bit old. But nothing beats a good foggy day for picture taking, especially in an ancient landscape. Click here for slideshow

USBCell

      1 min read      Photography · Technology

A company called Moixa is offering batteries with a built-in USB connector for charging. They’re not cheap, but given that you don’t need to carry a separate charger, they’re a great solution for people who travel with a digital camera and a laptop. Check them out.

Some Random Thoughts and Facts on the Election

      3 min read      Ireland · National/International Politics

469 candidates vying for 165 seats - wow! Candidates don’t have to live in the constituency (district) where they’re running for office. So, some candidates can’t even vote for themselves - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is one example. There has been no television advertising during this race - I’m assuming it’s against the law. The signs - man, it’s hard to describe how many signs are up around this country.

Election Day in Ireland

      3 min read      Ireland · National/International Politics

Today was election day in Ireland for national offices. People are headed to the polls to elect their local Teachta Dail (similar to U.S. Representatives). Because Ireland has a parliamentary system, this election will also decide, somewhat indirectly, who will run the country for the next few years. Citizens will elect the members of the Dail Eireann, the national parliament. Members elected to the Dail will then caucus to determine which parties will control the government.

A New, Urban World

      1 min read      Rural Issues

According to researchers at North Carolina State University and University of Georgia, as of May 23 the earth’s population is now more urban than rural. As the imbalance shifts even more towards urban, it’s going to become incredibly difficult for rural areas and people to bring their issues to the forefront. Story

More Books

      1 min read      Ireland

U.S. News & World Report has published a listing of the favorite books of several of today’s business leaders. Lots of good stuff here. Read the story.

Networks

      1 min read      Technology

Forbes.com has a great collection of articles where some of today’s best thinkers discuss the role that networks - both electronic and otherwise - play in our lives. Definitely worth reading! Special Report - Networks: Breakthroughs

Good Books

      1 min read      Books

Management guru Tom Peters has a great list of his favorite books up on his blog. I’ve read a few of them, and am currently working on the wonderful The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I’ll have a write-up on that one when I finish it.

The Burren

      1 min read      Ireland · Photography

This past weekend Kath and I went exploring an area called The Burren in the western part of Ireland. The Burren is named from an Irish word that means “stone place”, and that’s what it is - mile after mile of stone-covered landscape. It’s really an interesting place, and contains a lot of different plant types. I’ll let the pictures speak their thousands of words on this one, rather than trying to describe it.