There will be blood . . . and vampires
The Irish Times - Saturday, October 29, 2011
GO ROMANIA: With Halloween upon us, Romania is a natural home for spooky adventures featuring witches from Wallachia, vampires from Transylvania and many terrifying things that go bump in the night, writes SEAN HILLEN
...THE MAIN ROUTE into the heart of Transylvania is through the Prahova valley, a ribbon of tarmacadam road that winds its way 170km northwards and upwards through the Carpathian Mountains to the olde worlde town of Brasov. It is probably the town most known to travellers to Romania, attracting many for skiing and hiking. A checkerboard of narrow cobblestone streets leads to and around an ornate central 14th-century Black Church in the old part of town, with a Buchholz organ of rare beauty inside.
Plenty of restaurants and cafes offer traditional repasts of polenta (cornmeal), ciorba de burta (pig belly soup) and mici (rolled grilled hamburgers), with a generous glass of potent palinka to wash it down (made mainly from plums, Romania’s equivalent of poteen, has a softer, sweeter taste). Outdoor activities take place mainly in Poina Brasov, a 20-minute car or bus drive up a steep mountain road with majestic views along the way.
A few kilometres away, Bran Castle, a bare, atmospheric medieval castle atop a knoll overlooking the road far below, is where most visitors end up when searching for vampirish activity. Though unrelated to Dracula or indeed to Vlad the Impaler, it is still worth seeing, mainly for historical reasons, as a key crossing point during tumultuous times when one kingdom vied with another for dominance.
The last word on the 'golden age'
The Irish Times - Saturday, October 31, 2009
At the forefront of a new wave of Romanian film-makers who survived the Ceausescu regime, Cristian Mungiu is now ready to present the funny side of a grim era, he tells DONALD CLARKE of Irish Times
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 January 2012 01:48
High honour for Garda Ofellia
Limerick Independent - Wednesday, 15 April 2009
A LIMERICK-based Garda has been awarded the Gary Sheehan memorial medal commemorating a Garda recruit who was killed on duty in 1993, during an IRA shoot out with Gardai investigating the kidnapping of former Supermarket chain boss, Don Tidey. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Aherne, presented the award-winning medal for ‘best all-round Garda student’ to Garda Ofelia Hough, a native of Romania, who will be stationed at Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick...
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 January 2012 01:50
Judge launches attack on Romanian nationals
25th February 2009
IRCBA letter to the Anglo-Celt newspaper
"...We are surprised by the content of your article on the 25th February 2009 quoting Judge Seán MacBride’s remarks regarding the Romanian people living in Ireland. We truly hope that his remarks were taken out of context as we can not imagine that a Judge of good standing would make such a statement. In any event we would like to state that there are many Romanians who work hard, who do not break the law and who love this beautiful country. These reported remarks were offensive and hurtful to the honest Romanians that are here..."
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IRCBA letter to Judge Seán M. MacBride
"..We have read with much regret your remarks reported in The Anglo- Celt on 25th February 2009...For those of us who have come to Ireland and work very hard, hold professional jobs and make a contribution to the Irish economy, we are hurt by your reported remarks which infer a slight on all Romanian nationals who live in this country. As a Judge you are held in high esteem, and any comments you make are taken very seriously which makes what you have been reported as saying even more damaging and hurtful to all honest Romanians and, on their behalf, I would earnestly as you to clarify your remarks in that you did not intend to generalise and insult the Romanians who have come to love and enjoy this country so much..."
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To date, IRCBA did not receive any answers to these letters.
Last Updated on Friday, 03 September 2010 23:46