Topics

Has anyone any experience of good Christmas markets in Europe? Thinking of going on a weekend break somewhere in Decemeber and would like to go one.

Are there any decent and insightful hurling blogs out there? Would like to extend the aul' reading list!

Are there any decent and insightful GAA blogs out there? Would like to extend the aul' reading list!

Any recommendations on any good/funny/thought provoking columnists that you like to read? It can be about any topic under the sun (just not those in The Sun).

Just looking for new reading material, it can be as funny and lighted hearted as you want or as serious  and heavy as you please! I'm happy to read anything!


Also, have you any favourite articles - would appreciate it if you shared the link here

I am considering buying a new car. Various people have said that there is no value in buying a car outright or owning a car - that it is much more cost effective to use Personal Contract Payments (PCP) allowing you the option of changing cars every few years.

Does anyone have any experience of these contracts? I always just assumed that buying a car or paying instalments towards owning a car was the only way to go but I have been told that it is more cost effective to go the PCP route. Any advice, opinions or expertise would be greatly appreciated!

I have been trying to save for a deposit on a house for a few years now and have got to an amount that I'd be happy enough with. I'm undefined about where I should buy though. Whether it's where i live now or somewhere closer to Belfast although i wouldn't be sure of the areas and if the properties would hold their value. Especially as property prices seem to be on the rise right now.
Anyone's thoughts on these areas? Some great houses but then the areas don't look great sometimes.
Newtownabbey
Glengormley
Carrickfergus
Glenavy

I don't know whether to go for somewhere smaller and slightly cheaper (with the thought of selling and moving if i was to build a family) or take a long term view (potential family etc) and go for a bigger and more expensive place now and buy as if this is where I'll live for 30 years.

Any advice would be great!

I am considering getting a bike on the scheme. Just looking anyone's thoughts on the value of the scheme - is it worth it - it seems too good to be true!

The second question would be, I'm looking for a folding bike on this scheme and was hoping someone might have advice on the best type to go for under the Cycle to work scheme!
The Tern Link D8 20w 2017 - Folding Bike in Tredz is one I've found.

Any help would be appreciated!

Has anyone got any good ideas of places to stay in Ireland? Places to catch great scenery or an active type of holiday with hikes etc? Hoping to go for a few days near the end of August.

Also any good ideas for places to stay for New Years Eve - somewhere in Ireland would be great or a reasonably-priced foreign location!

Hidden gems in Ireland would be great...maybe even enough for a whole thread of its own?!

Does anyone know where you can get the Irish language version of the Tayto cheese and onion crisps up north here? I haven't been able to find them at all!

I'm looking to get a cheap holiday for a few days (3-4 days) over Halloween. Somewhere warm(ish) and cheap. Is it realisitc to get something for around £200?
Any tips or rexommendations would be fantastic!

Has anyone ever tried these courses before. Are they accredited courses or would they be worth buying and completing for CV purposes or would employers dismiss these types of courses?

I'm looking for a laptop that will be able to cope with normal day to day processing and a bit of streaming.
There won't be any gaming involved, mainly just for work purposes and like I said some streaming.

A reliable computer would be a start! And quite fast.

Any ideas on what type of laptop i should buy and how much should I fork out for it?

A great article at the weekend in the Irish Times about Páirc Uí Chaoimh:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/de-park-cork-s-oval-shaped-coliseum-on-the-banks-of-the-lee-1.1855941

I'm just wondering which stand would be the best to watch the match at on Sunday?

I have a few friends who will be in Ireland next month on holiday, I'm out of the country at the minute myself but they were looking for some advice on 'non-touristy' things to do and see and if I'm being brutally honest I'm struggling to come up with anything. They are pretty open minded about everything really and don't mind trying different things. They'll be in Dublin for a good part of it, but they'll have a few days in Cork/Kerry, 4/5 days in Galway and a week up North. Any advice at all would be great. The only 'nugget' I have for them is to avoid Temple Bar!

I got the new iPad Air for Christmas and I was wondering if it is possible to copy DVDs that I have onto the device, rather than having to buy them off iTunes?

I know there was a great thread a couple of months ago about words only the Irish use, but what about phrases and sayings only the Irish use:

He'd eat the beard of Moses
Work away - Can I use that? Aye, work away
Tis yourself! Tis herself!
How's the form?
To be sure to be sure.
C'mere to me will ya.
I haven't that in donkeys years.
Your one over there.
My nose was tripping me.
I will in my a**e
I didn't no nothing.
I wouldn't give him the steam of my p**s if he was dying of thirst.
She's a bit of alright.
You couldn't love him if you reared him.
There's no nicer man you could stick a grape into.
The tide wouldn't take her out.
Putting 'so' at the end of phrases.

Then there's loads of similies too - as lazy as shugh water / i feel like a burst sofa / as useful as balls on a priest (not sure how much that applies now though)

Any more? There's plenty out there

This is a very desperate shot, does anyone know of cheap hostels in NY for New Years. What should I expect to pay? I'll sleep anywhere that has a bed to be honest as I know I've left it late to get anything organised and I can imagine that there isn't much left. I've been searching randomly for a while but everything is either booked or charging me around $160 a night for a hostel!!!

Does anyone know of any sites online that allow you to download books, sports books in particular? (to save as PDFs etc?)

I'm just wondering if anyone on here knows of the best way of backing up all my computer files online. Obviously it will require a fair amount of memory so I'll be having to pay for it, but it seems like a safer way of doing it than with an external hard drive?
Does anyone have any recommendations on which site is best to use?

Does anyone know where I could see this documentary online? Any help would be appreciated! I haven't seen it before but it is meant to be very good whether you're a Liverpool fan or not.