Brian May in the Spotlight

Queen + Adam Lambert played in the O2 in London as part of their 2022 Rhapsody Tour, and I was there in the middle of June.

I love Queen’s music. I wanted to go see them for a long time but left it late to book tickets for one of their London shows. The only seats left were away up in the rafters, to the side of the stage. (and then they announced a Belfast show a few weeks later, but we had paid for concert tickets, plane tickets and a family hotel room. Ah, well.)

One of the highlights of the gigs was when the late Freddie Mercury was shown on the big screen singing Love of My Life with Brian May. Guess who didn’t see any of it because of where he was sitting? A beautiful moment, and I knew what was happening when the crowd cheered. And I missed it all. I was crushed.

Earlier in the day, on the way to the concert, in the taxi, I took my phone out of my pocket to check Google Maps. To my horror, my phone screen remained blank. I figured the phone was still on because I heard a WhatsApp notification, but the screen remained stubbornly black. Disaster! The tickets were on my phone! Luckily, we had installed the O2 app on my family’s phones, so I consoled myself that one of those phones would work. I couldn’t be more wrong. They were logged out and because the password manager was on my phone, we had no way to log in. I remember wishing I had my laptop, which was back in the hotel. However, we weren’t the only ones in that situation, but customer support at the O2 are used to it and got us physical replacement tickets. The following morning, my phone worked fine again.

So, It wasn’t an ideal experience. Yes, you can say it was my own fault for not booking earlier, but they still offered those sections of the arena for sale, and every seat was taken. I didn’t post this or any other photo from the concert as I was so disappointed by everything that happened, but time has dulled my feelings about it. I still love Queen music, and I even love their 80s and 90s output. Despite my experience, it was spectacular to see Brian May and Roger Taylor perform.


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Cork in Decades Past Book Launch

Joe Healy, author, speaking at the launch
Joe Healy and Dan Boyle pose for a photo. Other people are visible in the background.
Joe Healy and Cork Lord Mayor, Dan Boyle.
Joe Healy and Cllr. Seamus McGrath pose for a photo. Other people are visible in the background, as well as the door to the room, emergency exit sign and a painting on the wall.
Joe Healy and Cllr. Seamus McGrath, chairperson of the Carrigaline Municipal District Counci

I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Joe Healy’s book, Cork In Decades Past, this evening, and what an event it was! Although the official launch came a bit late, as the book has already sold out, but about twenty copies were available on the night. They were all gone by the end of the night. If you want to get a taste of the stunning photos featured in the book, be sure to check out Joe’s Twitter feed, where he shares captivating snapshots regularly.

This book is a delightful journey through the evolving landscape of Cork City since the early 1980s. Both Dan Boyle and Seamus McGrath spoke about their favourite images, adding depth and insight to the evening. My own copy of the book now sits proudly on my desk, boasting a lovely, high-quality finish that’s a pleasure to look at.

The good news? Another printing has been ordered and will be available just in time for Christmas. If you have any connection to Cork at all, this book is a must-have treasure that you won’t want to miss.


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Wisdom Visits Cork

In 2018, a ship called WISDOM visited Cork. Which is odd because this site says the ship was renamed, “Jasmine Scan”, in 2012. Apparently, it’s now called “WARTHOG” and bears a striking orange colour that’ll be hard to miss.

If you were ever nostalgic for the old R&H Hall building, it’s here too. Must be loads of photos of that place taken by loads of people over the years. I’d love to see some from when it was actually being used.


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A dog walk in Lisbon

A woman walks her dog in Lisbon. She stopped outside Centro Social Laura Alves.

Laura Alves was a Portuguese actress who was born in Lisbon in 1921. She passed away in 1986. Read more about her on Wikipedia.


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