Working, Living & Travelling In Ireland

Author: Katleen

  • The Last Islandman on the Great Blasket

    Hi Readers,

    I have never been to the Blasket Islands, but visited the visitor center a few times. It’s one that made a big impression on me, as it tells the story of how people lived on the Blasket Islands. They lived in very harsh conditions, and eventually they all had to move off the Island, due to the rough weather and difficulties to get medical help to and from the Island.
     
    I’ll just never forget the pictures I saw! Some of the Blasket Islanders moved to the USA, there was a picture of them in front of their cottage versus a picture of their house in the USA, all sunny and a swimming pool in the background. … stark contrasts!!
     
    There are quite a few Irish writers that came from the Island, one particular one called Tomas O’Crohan wrote a book called “Island Man”, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  You can read more about Tom O’Crohan here.
     
    The article I found in the Telegraph ( sorry it’s no longer free) highlights the yearning of one man, who was born on the Island, moved to the USA, but wanted to go back.
    Some amazing landscape and some beautiful music. Glad he made it back.
    Enjoy!
    Katleen
     
     

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  • Ireland’s love with tea… an overview of Irish Teas(repost)

    Hello Readers,

    Tea anyone?

    I have been meaning to write about Irish tea to which I have taken a liking to over the years.
    I am definitely a Lyons fan, you won’t find me drinking Barry’s, I am Lyons tea all the way:)

    Some interesting Tea Facts

    An interesting fact is that Irish people are the largest tea consumers in the World!
    On a per head basis, the most tea is drunk in the Irish Republic where annual consumption is 2.79 kgs/head. The UK drink a bit less at 2.12 kgs/head. ( quote taken from the Tetley website)
     

    How do you drink your tea?

    You either drink your tea black or white ( with or without sugar), and if you drink it white, it’s best to put the milk in first , then the sugar, and then add the tea! When you are working you would get tea breaks, and that’s a time to relax, catch up on gossip and have tea or coffee. It’s very much part of Irish life.

    Tea before or after special occassions!

    I remember that shortly after my boys were born, I was offered tea and toast on a tray in the hospital.
    Often when visiting people the first question will be ” what about a cup of tea”?
    You might enjoy the below clip! *warning* strong language!!!

    Types of Tea

    There is , Barry’s Tea ( Cork) and Lyons Tea ( Dublin) and Bewleys Tea ( Dublin), there are also two Northern Irish Tea brands, namely Punjana and Nambarrie. There is also a company in Galway who specialises in wholeleaf Organic Teas.
    There are many many other brands available in Ireland, such as:
    Tetleys, PG Tips, Lipton, Typhoo, Pickwick  or Twinings but none of them are Irish brands.
    Amazon has a good selection of them, see below links to purchase!

    Amazon.com Widgets

    I am getting thirsty now, so where is my cup of tea!

    Katleen

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  • A Fortnight Plus Half – An Ireland Adventure. (irelandtrip.ca)

    Hi all,
    I came across this collection of videos a while back, but never posted the link
    on my blog.
    It’s called : A Fortnight Plus Half – An Ireland Adventure. (irelandtrip.ca)
    It’s recorded by a Canadian couple who were on on their honeymoon in Ireland!
    It features footage of architecture, coastline, waterfalls, mountains and traditional music sessions.

    It also incorporates footage of the food they ate and features the challenges of navigating in a foreign country and driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road.
    All together, you are looking at 16 hours of footage, so if you are thinking of visiting Ireland, check this out, it will give you a good idea what’s where, so you can start planning your trip!

    A Fortnight Plus Half – An Ireland Adventure. (irelandtrip.ca) from Stephen Parker on Vimeo.Shannon + Stephen Parker trek across the Atlantic for some Irish adventures.
    3 weeks in Ireland distilled into a highlight reel for your enjoyment.

    Shot with a GH3, 2 GoPros and (when necessary) an iPhone.

    Track listing:
    1) Young Galaxy – We Have Everything ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgWyQ0Xwd4 )

    2) Chvrches – Recover ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyqemIbjcfg )

    3) Goldroom – Fifteen ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFtpvdTUWYc )

    4) Young Galaxy – Pretty Boy ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSpM9zDPwj4 )

    5) Valentina – Ladders ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uljOzH5J0eM )

    6) Young Galaxy – New Summer ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw7cCB7v5W4 )

    Enjoy!
    Katleen

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  • LE COOL – DUBLIN – Intership – work in a magazine! 2014

    Hi all,

    Looking for an internship/stage in a Dublin Magazine?
    Why not check out the below opportunity LE COOL – DUBLIN

    We offer a minimum of a month’s internship with us in South Studios. Help us put the magazine together, gain some publishing experience, take charge of your own projects and hopefully learn a little while teaching us old dogs some new tricks. Please send us a note about yourself along with your CV. For more info, please email dublin@lecool.com

    Tell them I sent you!
    Have a great weekend !!
    Katleen

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  • Interesting offer with Digiweb for international calls from a landline

    Interesting offer with Digiweb for international calls from a landline

    Hi all,

    I was doing some research to figure out what would be the cheapest way to make lots of international calls.I have covered this subject before – check out this post.

    So what’s out there?

    Tescomobile offers amazing rates, starting from just 1 cent a minute to a large selection of countries! An excellent way of keeping in touch, but do read the small print, as there is a daily allowance of 200 minutes. If I wasn’t making that many calls, I’d be using this option.

    I was pretty sure I would settle on a VOIP solution like Blueface , however when I started doing the calculations – it turned out a pricey affair. As I make a lot of international calls, I asked to get a quote for unlimited UK and Irish calls + 40 hours of international calls to land lines in the  Benelux, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland. I was given the following quote:

    Small  office plan :unlimited calls to Ireland and UK landlines = €34.95 p/m

    40 hours of international calls – €70 additional credit p/m approx

    I then happened to contact my current provider Digiweb , average bill being around 35 Euros.(Line rental and some calls)

    They offered me a rather interesting deal!

    Unlimited UK and Irish calls : : 35.57 Euros

    and an add on called Talk world : 5 Euros

    The add on offers following: 6000 minutes(ie 100 hours) of calls to Australia, USA, Canada,France, Italy, Spain, Germany,Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden

     The  icing on the cake? Mobile calls to USA and Canada are FREE and mobile calls to the other countries in the package are reduced to 19 cents! So total : just over 40 Euros!

    You can check out their plans here. They are currently revamping their website, so you won’t find this info on their website yet, so just call them to switch to them or change your call plan!

    I have been using  Localphone which I found excellent value too, with probably the cheapest rates I could find to ring international mobiles. I’ll use them and also Dialwise for other landline/mobile calls that don’t fall into the Digiweb offer.

    All I needed now was a phone that would enable me to plug in a headset! There really weren’t many options, and settled on this phone on the Harvey Norman website! I don’t live near a store, but they offer a delivery service, so I should have the phone early next week:)

    Hope this will come in handy for someone else!

    Katleen

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  • Cascades Walk, Co. Clare, Lissycasey

    Cascades Walk, Co. Clare, Lissycasey

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    The Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. ClareThe Cascades walk, Lissycasey, Co. Clare

    Check out some great pictures I took whilst on a walk in Lissycasey, just outside of Ennis. Walk is just under 4 kms long, and has some fantastic scenery, gym epuipment, a small playground AND picknick tables! Would definately recommend this walk!
    Katleen

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  • Dromore Woods- Castle Walk – Hidden treasures in Co. Clare

    Dromore Woods- Castle Walk – Hidden treasures in Co. Clare

    Dear Readers,

    Sundays is usually downtime in our house, which means having Sunday dinner (Roast chicken or any other type of meat in the oven), potatoes, and vegetables, and then oodles of cups of tea, and a good read of the Sunday papers( we are avid Sunday Times Reader).

    Today was no different really, except that, before we chilled out, we went for a walk.

    Castle Walk at Dromore Woods

    We went to a place called Dromore Woods, which is is a wonderful nature reserve with 1,000 acres of woodland.The remains of the 15th century Ruan Church is right next to Dromore Lake.

    Tours and booklets are available and admission is free. Dromore Woods is about 13km north of Ennis and 10 km from Gort. The nearby village of Corofin, surrounded by lakes, is a good area for trout fishing

    The Burren has a lot to offer, Dromore Woods is probably one of the lesser known places you can go to explore.

    The Castle trail is about 45 minutes and has some fabulous views across the lake and the castle.
    There are 12 markers, and if you bought the trail guide, you can read you some interesting information about each location on the trail.
    It’s pretty uneven/hilly/narrow/stoney  territory and not really suitable for parents with buggies or wheelchair users.
    It’s 45 minutes, but  there are a lot of benches to take a break or to take in the views.
    We had brought some fruit and tea, next time I am bringing lunch, as it would be great to have lunch, overlooking the lake..:)
    I am enclosing the main nature visiting places in the Burren : http://www.burrenbeo.com/visitor-info/attractions/nature

    How to get to Dromore Woods?

    Here is just a little map on how to get to Dromore Woods.

    Unfortunately it’s not possible to get there by public transport, so you’ll need a car, but it’s fairly well signposted once you are outside of Crusheen ( passed the bridge on the way to Ennis, on the “old” road” – as Crusheen is now bypassed – since the new motorway to Shannon was built)

    Where to park at Dromore Woods Nature Reserve

    Just a word of advice, once you arrive at the entrance, you might be tempted to park your car.

    By all means, park your car, you can start walking, however it’s a very long walk from the parking at the top to the visitors centre.(The drive reminds me a bit of a jungle drive, as it’s a very narrow road, and you are in the middle of dense woods, I just kept thinking there might be some wild animal that would jump in front of us!!) It’s better to drive to the visitor centre, as all the walks start from the visitors Centre.
     
    The Visitor centre itself  is worth a visit, as it has a great display of fauna and flora in the wood, some information on types of bats you can find in the woods, and some brochures about the walks. We bought the Dromore Wood Trail Guide, as it gives you some information on  two of the walks.  We once did the Rabbit Walk, so today we did the Castle Trail. There are a few more trails you can do, but those are not documented in the guide.
     
     
    Have a great day!

    Katleen

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  • Jobs in Cork: Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Haben Sie Erfahrung?

    Hi all,

    My previous post seems to have triggered some kind of reaction, as I had another recruitment
    agency contact me with some interesting opportunities in Cork.

    These are the details of those opportunities:

    Grafton Cork have a number of open vacancies for German speakers with technical skills in Cork City.  Please see below for more information on the positions. All roles are permanent/full time positions. If you are interested in applying for any of the vacancies please reply by email  to swalsh@graftonrecruitment.com and let me know when is a good time to contact you. 
     
    Sarah Walsh BCL NRFCertRP
    Recruitment Specialist – ICT Division
    Part of the Grafton Employment Group

    Unit 2, Webworks, Eglinton Street, Cork
    Ph: 021 4250642
    Fax: 021 4250608

     
    All roles require fluent German and English.
    1. Technical Support Technician (German) – €30,000 benefits
    Required: 2 years experience in a post sales or customer support environment where customer contact was by phone, email and/or web tools. 1 year experience where knowledge of networking and web/internet protocols were required
    1. Technical Support Engineer (German) – €43,000 benefits
    Required: A minimum of 3 years experience in a post sales/network administration/customer support role.
    1. Pre-Sales Engineer (German) – €38,000 €10,000 bonus MBO
    Required: 2 years experience in Pre or Post Sales in computer software or systems environment. A minimum of 2 years experience in one or more of the following: Server/Desktop Operating Systems, Network Architecture, Messaging Servers, Firewalls, Inter-relational Products and Peripherals customized to each client.
    1. Technical Support  – Google Apps for Business – €23,000 OTE  €26,000
    Required: Experience of Networks, Email, Windows desktop and server.  Previous experience of  customer facing technical support would be a distinct advantage.
    1. Technical Support – Level 1 – €24,000
    Required: Fluent German and English and 6 months experience in a customer facing role.
    1. Software Support with German / German and Polish/German and Turkish – €26,000
    Required: Knowledge of Flash and basic XML. Demonstrated technical experience in the following: HTML, JavaScript, SQL, Java, Action Script (AS3 or AS2)
    1. Rich Media Software Support (German or Russian) – €28,000
    Required: Flash Action Script 2 and Action Script 3 experience.  Ability to code, investigate and trouble-shoot in Flash AS3 and AS2. Experience in coding in HTML5, JavaScript and XML
     
    Happy Job hunting!
    Katleen

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  • Home based Jobs in EMEA Sailpoint

    Hi all,

    Hope are you all keeping well and enjoying your Sunday!
    We went for a lovely walk in the park today, followed by a yummie sunday dinner.

    I thought I’d write a blogpost about some home based vacancies I came across.

    Working from home is becoming more popular, but actually finding a bona fide company that’s recruiting for homebased roles is another thing.

    Market
    Development Manager – EMEA

    Location:
    EMEA
    (Home based)
    Job
    Type:
    Full-time, salaried with benefits, incentive compensation, and stock
    options

    Overview

    SailPoint
    is the leading provider of identity management software for large,
    global organizations. Our award winning solutions help some of the
    world’s largest organizations mitigate risk and reduce IT and
    compliance costs while still meeting the highest standards of
    corporate governance. We’re currently expanding our lead generation
    team by adding market development reps to drive the growth of our
    sales pipeline. This position will closely align with the designated
    sales team to target new accounts, respond to inbound leads and
    identify qualified opportunities.
    Responsibilities
    The
    Market Development Representative is tasked with identifying and
    generating sales opportunities through both inbound and outbound
    sales activities. The
    right candidate will be one who works well under pressure, thinks
    out-of-the-box, easily initiates relaxed but informative two-way
    phone conversations with prospects, and is highly self-motivated. The
    right candidate will also understand
    how to assess a company’s needs and cater the outreach to each
    prospect specifically.
    On
    a daily basis, the Market Development Representative will:
    • Follow-up
      on inbound marketing leads and identify qualified opportunities
      providing appropriate levels of information at the right time for
      interested prospects
    • Create
      target prospects lists and penetrate key accounts
    • Profile
      strategic accounts identifying key individuals, researching and
      obtaining business requirements and presenting solutions to start
      the sales cycle
    • Set
      appointments for enterprise sales team when a lead reaches a
      qualified stage
    • Nurture
      new marketing leads by educating and developing prospects until they
      are ready to speak with a field sales rep
    • Drive
      attendance for webinars and live seminars, set meetings for
      conferences
    • Collaborate
      with sales and marketing team members on strategic sales approach
    • Ensure
      successful follow through of sales cycle by maintaining accurate
      activity and lead qualification information in CRM application
    • Ground
      floor opportunity in the region (experience hiring, training, and
      running an inside team is a plus)
    Qualifications
    This
    position requires an ambitious self-starter and someone that can
    effectively process inbound inquiries and identify qualified leads
    and opportunities. Relationship selling skills, with the ability to
    manage sales calls at varying levels of customer accounts, are
    essential.
     
    • 2-3
      years of successful experience in Inside sales or pre-sales,
      preferably in technology
    • Ability
      to work from home office and penetrate accounts primarily in the UK,
      but also across Europe
    • Exceptional
      communication skills, both oral and written, coupled with excellent
      listening skills and a positive and energetic phone presence
    • Demonstrated
      success in prospecting into Fortune 500 companies
    • Proven
      capabilities and skills in account development, opportunity
      qualification, pre-call planning, call structure/control, and time
      and territory management
    • Extremely
      self-motivated and self-sufficient with a diligent work ethic
    • High
      level of integrity and strong commitment to building a successful
      company
    • Adept
      computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Office
    • Experience
      with Salesforce.com preferred
    • French
      and German language skills are a plus.
    • Bachelor’s
      degree strongly preferred, high school diploma or equivalent
      required
    SailPoint
    Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SailPoint does not
    discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age,
    gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin,
    ethnicity, veteran status, or disability.

    I heard about this job through their Senior Director of  Sales Operations (who I used to work for in my Dublin days), so if you think you have what  it takes, drop me an email with your CV and a cover letter, so I can pass it on and your CV gets seen!

    Click here for all EMEA vacancies and so send me your CV if there is another vacancy that you are interested in!

    All the best!
    Katleen

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