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I always recommend to travelers to do their research, particularly when visiting a new destination. I always do so myself but even so, it doesn’t always work out. I had heard of Cape Verde at various times over the years and I had a vague notion of it as being a holiday destination. That said, the main thing that attracted me to it was the (very) cheap airfare offered by a combination of Ryanair and Easyjet. What appears to have happened since Trump’s war against Iran and the

Last week, I wrote an article about Russia’s longer term demographic issues. Included was some commentary about why the country has got itself into this mess. The article was reasonably well received. A former colleague told me that while he enjoyed the article, he felt it was one-sided, predictable and had no links to the Russian soul or mind. I will be the first person to admit that I’m no expert on either subject but having travelled throughout the country and met its peop

I wrote an article yesterday on global inequality and its consequences for world poverty. I listed global warming as one of the causes and it occurred to me that the subject more than merits an article on its own. Looking at the consequences of recent severe weather patterns on Ireland and elsewhere, it seems to me that it is time we all woke up and did something about it before it’s too late. Unfortunately global warming is no longer a distant scientific theory or a politica

Many articles have been written on global inequality. Why is over 50% of the world’s wealth held by less than one per cent of the population? Contrastingly, why does the bottom 50% of people only own two per cent? There are numerous reasons: Globalization; the rise of super companies; the growth in billionaires; compounding financial systems; Government policies; monopoly power; shareholder primacy over workers’ wages; technological advancements; global supply chains; histori

I’ve recently added a few articles with some humour. The feedback has been positive so I’m continuing in this vein. Yesterday I wrote a fairly pessimistic piece on the future of Russia so it’s time to counter balance it with some amusing tales of life there. I have been fortunate over the years to work closely with some of Ireland’s finest diplomats. Working with a state-owned company which was engaged in joint-ventures with foreign state-owned firms meant we stayed close to

I realize this may not be a riveting subject but I have long wanted to write an article about the Irish banks. Back in the 2010’s, at the time of the bail-out by the Irish Government, there were numerous critical articles. However, since all that cooled down, the banks appear to have gotten off scot free. Move on; nothing to see here. In the meantime the banks have continued to do what they always did; only more so because they were effectively taken over by venture capitalis

Russia’s ultimate problem will be population imbalance: I have written many articles about Russia over the years and I try to stop myself from writing too much about it. Nonetheless, it is said that you should stick to what you know and having spent a significant part of my life there, I feel I have learned a little about the country and its plight. I still have many good friends and former colleagues there who keep in touch, although sadly, many of the bright young people wi

I don’t think you would describe this as a travel blog, but the reader can be the judge of that. I wrote this article a couple of years ago after travelling extensively in the USA. In the meantime I have been back several times and unfortunately the revisions to it will say that things have gotten worse. America is still the land of opportunity but it is far from a perfect society. The incumbent President’s encouragement of divisiveness over unity is not helping the situation

I have written a lot of stuff recently, having discovered many old drafts that I had scribbled over the years but not finished. Allow me therefore to write about my favourite subject – hurling. For non-Irish people, this is one of Ireland’s national games, an ancient sport which goes back over 5,000 years. It is played with a ball and a hurley stick and you can score goals and points. It is without question the fastest and arguably the most skillful field sport in the world.

I wrote a piece back in 2013 the day after the All Ireland Hurling Final replay. I called it ‘what Con might have said.’ It was the first All Ireland since his sad demise. The match had been an epic and I remembered Con saying many a time that when he watched a really great game or sporting event, although he would have thoroughly enjoyed it, he was often seized with a sense of panic thinking that he wouldn’t have the words to do justice to what had been a great occasion. He

I have never written about rugby before apart from a brief piece about watching the final day of a six-nations championship. I figure I don’t know enough about the technical aspects of the game to be able to give a qualified opinion. That has never stopped many a correspondent before me but just to be fair to everyone involved, I will stick with some comments about how the game is structured, particularly from an Irish viewpoint. Let’s be straight up and honest here; I’m Iris

Brief Encounters: In some ways it may be described as a cliché, but for as long as I can remember, I have loved meeting people; different people, not just different in numbers but different in character, temperament, attitude, culture etc. I tend to talk to people I meet at random; it might be a waiter in a restaurant; a chance encounter in a gym; on a bus or train or a fellow hotel guest. Really, the possibilities are endless. Many people encounter many other people every da

One of the most stressful events that you can put someone through is the job interview. People’s stress levels soar in advance of this process and it is very difficult to know how to advise them in terms of preparation. You can do all the pre-interview techniques and recommendations you like and still have a disastrous session. Hence the very high stress levels that will always seemingly be part of the interview process. Having been through many interviews myself, I always ap

We all have our favourite foods and drinks which we return to again and again. Some people are more adventurous when they encounter the foods (or the cultures) of other nations; others tend to stick with what they know. Hence the old stereotypes of the Irishman looking for his bacon, cabbage and spuds or the Englishman looking for roast beef or fish and chips. Tasty? Depends where you come from I guess. Perceptions are interesting also; I would consider myself reasonably adv

Driving: I love driving; always have; always will. I remember when the famous Kerry football manager, Mick O’Dwyer, was asked was it not very far for him to travel when he took on the role of managing Kildare. Micko replied, ‘not at all, the farther the better, because I love driving.’ I totally identify with that sentiment. In fact, Micko subsequently managed Laois and Wicklow, which are also a long way from Kerry. But I digress; recently I drove to Derry and Donegal in a da

Old Trafford - United's iconic stadium. The first thing to say about this article is that if you are not a Manchester United fan, you may find it tedious. But bear with me; it outlines what has happened to the football club and why; there are parallels in many other walks of life and certainly in business and sporting empires. Now the reason I’m writing this article is because people have asked me, ‘what’s wrong with Man Utd?’ ‘How can a club with such a huge following and wi

Tunisia – Travel Blog: Tunisia in January might not be everyone’s idea of a nice holiday but it’s probably the ideal time to go there if you want a cheap break with plenty of good weather and no hassle. I spent nine days there and seven of them featured glorious sunshine with great sunrises and sunsets, yet the temperature was only 18C, so ideal for exploring. I did also experience 48 hours of biblical rain but that could happen anywhere, any time. Medina in Tunis First of al

Doha International Airport. I told a story recently and the person to whom I related it was so amused that she told me I should write it down and possibly even publish it. She thought my verbal stories were in complete contrast to my written ones, which were usually written in a serious vein. I’m not sure if the humour generated will transfer to print but I’ll give it a try. Oh, and I dedicate this article to Damian, a good friend, who will know why when he reads the fifth pa

No Reason to Live This novel is available on Amazon if you click HERE. It’s a follow on from my earlier work and features the same main character. This is the first chapter. Chapter 1 The man was all over the road and Mike had to swerve several times to avoid colliding with him. The man seemed to be signalling him to stop and in the event, he had little choice. The road was slick after some light rain and as it was his first day in his new car, he hadn’t yet gotten used to it

Today’s story is inspired by a former colleague and a good mate, who when reading one of my blogs a few weeks ago, said whatever you do, don’t write about the time we got deported from Belarus. Unbeknownst to us both, I had done it two years ago, but it bears repeating….. Phase 1: It is said that to make a mistake once is forgivable, twice is careless and three times is unforgivable. I am therefore on my last chance in relation to Belarus. I have managed (almost) to get mysel