donal scannell

I’ve started a playlist called Daisyagers which I use as a very broad term for positive hip-hop I love. An album that popped into my head today was by an Irish act from thirty years ago called Marxman. Such great tunes with thoughtful and hard-hitting lyrics to match. Sinead O’Connor guested on one of their greatest tracks - Ship Ahoy which sings about slave ships. Still on point three decades later! https://youtu.be/aSH34zgX1cw

If you’re Irish you’ll know exactly who this chap is and you’ll miss him dearly. 
His name is Gay Byrne and despite the fact he’s no longer with us, is still one of the most famous people in Ireland. 
He was the internet before it existed. His TV and radio shows were huge and brought so much to us Irish people. He did seismic things like bring phone-ins to broadcasting. He used the latest tech to stir things up. It seems quaint now but there was a time before everyone had a voice. Gay Byrne gave national primetime space to the voiceless and helped transform Ireland into what it is today.
He was a very early mentor of mine. I’ve had the privilege of learning so much from him. 
I might even share some of it here.

Ask me about the Oscar winner we have on our team at Arama.

A couple of years I was at a soccer game - seated in the away section of Shamrock Rovers vs Dundalk, here in Dublin.
I was struck by how many more people would have been with us in the Dundalk section had this been a home game.
My mind started wondering how many people were at home who'd like to have seen this game.
Then I got to thinking about the budget this relatively low-level soccer game would need to come in at to be viable.
I came up with a figure.
Little did I know what was to happen next ...... 

This is our Border Collie - Max. He was born on a sheep farm in Ballyferriter, two fields away from the Atlantic ocean. His fear of sheep was the fantastic reason Max joined our family a year ago last week!

Today I've been tinkering around with rigging clamps as we get ready to do some Arama test filming at Shelbourne Soccer Club here in Dublin this weekend.