Brosi boardsSeveral years ago, Max Brosi had a dream, and the dream was made of wood. Surfing on a perfect day off Tullan Strand in Co Donegal, he had a moment when he was totally in touch with nature.
The only problem was, he was floating out to sea on a piece of nasty plastic. Brosi set up Cedar Surfboards, and hand-builds wooden surfboards in a laborious process that produces beautiful pieces of work. A Brosi board is a sublime blend of the old and new. Aged Canadian cedar is carved into retro-tastic shapes that recall the early days of surfing. These are large, slightly heavier than normal animals. "I don't make ultra lightweight, high performance competition boards that you find on pro tours," says Brosi. "These are more retro-shaped, and slightly larger, and a lot of fun to ride. It's like a Bentley, not a Ferrari. It's a connoisseur's board and not everyone is going to have one. So much work goes into these boards that the price tends to be two to three times more than an entry-level model. Customers tend to be people who have been into surfing for a while and want something special for themselves."
The boards cost from €1,300 and are environmentally friendly, as they are made out of wood and last longer than their foam and plastic counterparts. He is also planning to run classes on how to build your own board. Cedar Surfboards, Mullaun, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, 071-9855442, www.cedarsurfboards.com - Laurence Mackin
Taking centre stage
It probably takes a 27-year-old who has just landed her dream job to see a bright side to the economic gloom. The theatre producer, director and writer Róise Goan takes over as director of the Dublin Fringe Festival next year, and she believes we have an Irish arts scene that is "really beginning to happen".
Throughout the boom, life in the theatre continued to mean surviving on less money, she reasons, so a belt-tightening period might not be as much of a shock to the system. "There is a moment of huge opportunity, particularly in the light of the fear and pessimism around the economy. It's a moment of danger and in danger there's possibility."
Goan is a personable, bright young woman who was still glowing from the good news of her appointment when we met for a chat and coffee at a street cafe table in Dublin's Temple Bar. She will spend the months after the close of this year's festival finding theatre groups from home and abroad to come to Dublin in 2009.
Goan already has an impressive body of work to her name - her first experience of theatre was as a child actor. She played a part in An Fear Bréige, directed by Ray Yeats, when she was 11. Acting "as Gaeilge" came naturally to a child reared in an Irish-speaking household where the arts were central to life - her mother is renowned trad singer Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, while her father is Cathal Goan, the director-general of RTÉ.
Her teenage years were spent in Galway, a city in which she loved growing up, she says. She studied drama and theatre in Trinity College and after graduating she set up a theatre group with college friends called Randolph SD (named after Western actor Randolph Scott).
One of her first jobs was managing the box office at the Dublin Theatre Festival and she worked in the marketing department of the children's cultural centre The Ark. She went on to write a play, Grounded, for the Ark and curated an exhibition of toys chosen from 20,000 items gathered by toy collector Dorothy Hanley. She is working on an Irish-language play for Project, has produced for Loose Canon Theatre Company, the Cork Midsummer Festival and We Are Here 3.0, the arts festival organised by Dublin Docklands Development Authority and Project. She was also one of the curators and producers of Project Brand New, a showcase for new work.
Has she been inspired by any particular theatre experience? "So much that I couldn't name one," she says immediately. "I'm constantly inspired and constantly looking for inspiration." - Catherine Cleary
Camolin calling
Those heading to Wexford should take in Cois na hAbhann, a huge new emporium with a dramatic slate and glass elevation in Camolin on the main road between Gorey and Enniscorthy. This is a 20,000 sq ft state-of-the-art showroom with dizzying displays of crystal, pottery, kitchenware, indoor and outdoor furniture, pictures, mirrors, delph, linen and tableware spread out over two floors with room settings upstairs. It opened last November beside S&NGranite's huge warehouse.
Stacked at the entrance I found the most eye-catching black umbrellas with dayglo handles which opened to reveal jazzy multi-coloured interiors (€16) and cute raincoats for children in primary colours embellished with frog motifs, which will stand out on a wet day. There is sleek modern wooden furniture at keen prices, bolts of waxed linen and glazed printed cotton for outdoor use to buy by the yard, a vast array of cushions and cute wrapping paper. Anyone looking for gifts for newborns or Christenings would be spoiled for choice. A garden furniture and barbecue area leads into a garden centre with indoor and outdoor plants, log cabins and greenhouses. A whole world in itself. Call 053-9382970 for details. - Deirdre McQuillan
Words to the wise
Do you want to impress your friends this summer as you sip a cool beer or Fanta orange on the terrace some Saturday afternoon? What about dropping an Irish proverb or two, a bon mot so to speak, into the conversation without batting an eyelid, such as "maireann croí eadrom i bhfad", which means "a light heart lives long". If you happen to speak Spanish, it's "Un corazón alegre vive mucho tiempe." Want to go one better and say it in Polish? "Lekkie serce dlugo zyje."
Or should you be called on for advice about women, it's worth recalling the truism that "a house without a woman is empty and cold" or as they say as Gaeilge: "Is folamh fuar é teach gan bean." To declare this with your best Spanish accent is quiet powerful: "una casa sin una mujer está vacía fría" while the Polish for this pearl of wisdom is "dom bez kobiety jest pusty i zimny".
You may find yourself pontificating about celebrities, saying that "fame is a cold thing without a friend". This sounds more chilling in Irish: "Is fuar an rud clú gan cara" and even more impressive in Spanish: "La fama es fra sin un amigo".
These and other proverbs, all categorised under headings such as love, debt, courage, sleep, family, good or manners, can be found in a little book that has gone into its second print-run since it was published late last year by Cois Life. 500 Seanfhocal/ Proverbs/Refranes/Przyslów by Donla Uí Bhraonáin, with illustrations by Fintan Taite, is great fun to dip into. It costs €12. - Catherine Foley
Boho chic
Charles Preston is the founder of Bohemia Tents, which, as the name suggests, is a company that specialises in very unusual tents and marquees. Having initially set up his business in the UK, he recently moved to Co Carlow with his Irish wife, Minnie Jellett, a descendant of the artist Mainie Jellett, and they are now offering the service to those who want something different for a wedding, party or event. There are beautiful wooden structures such as Mongolian yurts and the magnificent grand pavilion - an elegant onion-domed pavilion made from canvas and oiled hard woods that can accommodate up to 500 people dining. It is being used at the Loughcrew Opera Festival this summer.
Their Indian tents are made to a Rajasthan design and can come with an Indian lining, antique ornamental wooden doorways and pictorial panelling. Every other aspect of lighting and décor can be supplied: for example, the Indian tents can be furnished with low-level informal seating, tables and cushions. The traditional and vintage tents have a rustic vibe that brings to mind a 1950s village fair. There are also lovely vintage military tents, naturally faded by 60 years of sun. The whole offering is unusual, adaptable and very practical, with a service that's focused on trying to match whatever atmosphere the client wants to create. For more details, call 085-1599858 or www.lpmbohemia.com - Eoin Lyons
Dutch design
Maud Hendricks, from The Netherlands, lives with her Irish husband in a lovely redbrick house in Dublin 8, from whence she has been selling antique and new furniture for the past few years. They have two lock-up storage spaces next door that are crammed with naturally aged traditional furniture, such as kitchen tables, dressers, consoles, wardrobes and so on. Most of what she sells is made from oak and has been hand picked by Hendricks on her travels around Europe. Now, due to the imminent expansion of her family, she has decided to wrap up the business and hold a sale to clear stock. From this weekend until next, everything is reduced. Great big blanket chests that were €290 are now €100; red children's wardrobes were €750 and are now €575; a Dutch 1960s sideboard that was €1,300 is now €1,100; and bedside lockers with marble tops were €210 and are now €165. There are gorgeous old mirrors that are reduced from €230 to €160. In particular, if you don't want fitted units in a kitchen, and prefer freestanding furniture, you'll find good bargains here. Visitors can just turn up at the house this weekend but during the week should phone for an appointment. Check out the website, www.touchwood.ie , or call 01-4539711 for details. Touch-Wood, 35 Hamilton Street, off South Circular Road, Dublin 8. - Eoin Lyons
Brief encounter
The Westbury Mall is celebrating its 25th year in business from today with canapés, a band and a general party attitude. To mark the occasion, Susan Hunter Lingerie, the self-described "small shop with a big welcome" which has traded from Westbury Mall since its opening in 1984, is having a one-day sale today with a 25 per cent reduction on all stock. Considering their range includes underwear and nightwear from the likes of La Perla (above), Lejaby, Aubade Hanro, Celestine and more, there should be lots of fine bargains to be had. Doors open at 9am; call 01-6791271 for further details. Susan Hunter Lingerie, Westbury Mall, Grafton Street, Dublin 2. - Regina Dwyer