That’s Me

i-keano-poster.jpg Ab Yours Cover TI Book COver Dear John Cover

I’m Michael Nugent, a writer from Dublin, and this blog is about living for over forty years in the maddest country on earth. One of my books, which I wrote with Damian Corless, was also called That’s Ireland, and it contained similar content to this blog (but with less opinions). More recently, I wrote the comedy play I, Keano with Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull.

I grew up following Bohemians and Leeds United, and I am still coping with those addictions. I’ve now lived for twenty years with my partner Anne and our six cats. I’m a political liberal, as you’ll probably guess from my posts. Both Anne and I have been involved in various campaigns, mostly on social and justice issues and against paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland.

Here’s a list of my main writing projects so far.

  • That’s Ireland (this blog), 2007
  • I, Keano, comedy musical play with Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull, 2005
  • Absurdly Yours – The Michael Nugent Letters, 2004
  • That’s Ireland – A Miscellany, with Damian Corless, 2003
  • Ireland on the Internet – The Definitive Guide, 1995
  • Dear Me – The Diary of John Mackay, 1994
  • Dear John – The John Mackay Letters, with Sam Smyth, 1993
  • Majority Ethos, prank newsletter with Arthur Mathews, 1991
  • Occasional articles and cartoons for various publications

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading the blog. Please let me know what you think.

Michael

39 Comments Add your own

  • 1. UnaRocks  |  June 1, 2007 at 11:44 am

    Hi Michael - could you drop me an email when you get the chance? (umullally@tribune.ie)

    Una

  • 2. Paige Harrison  |  June 4, 2007 at 1:09 pm

    Michael, thanks for stopping by and allowing me to find your excellent blog. And thanks for the blog roll link. See this is the thing about Blog O’Sphere - there’s so much love and so many cyber hugs it becomes unsettling after a while!
    Paige

  • 3. Uncle Junior  |  June 5, 2007 at 3:25 pm

    Welcome to the blogosphere. We are indeed a strange little country; I seem to recall The Guardian (of the UK, not Wexford) saying that were it not for the climate Ireland would definitely be a banana republic. Well now, thanks to global warming, the good climate is only a thousand or so more tons of CO2 away and we already have perpetual one-party rule and a populace obsessed with reality television and other shiny trinkets rather than longer term issues of national importance (such as the Bohs’ move away from Dalyer).
    Good luck on the blog, go n-éirí go geal leat.

  • 4. Michael Nugent  |  June 5, 2007 at 4:08 pm

    Una, Paige, Uncle Junior - thanks for the comments. I don’t know exactly how the blog will evolve, but I hope it will find its own shape over time. At least, living in Ireland, there will never be any shortage of material to write about. Thanks again, Michael.

  • 5. Jim Lockhart  |  June 7, 2007 at 6:25 pm

    Hi Michael, Could you call me when you get a chance please? 208 2068. Thanks, Jim.

  • 6. Steve Petherbridge  |  June 22, 2007 at 12:09 am

    Hi Michael,

    Youv’e come along way from those halcyon days when matches went on for days on the Green at Willow Park Grove! My memory of you: .. what pace! A Leeds AND a Bohs supporter! Professional football’s loss is literature’s gain!

    Keep up the good work.

    Steve Petherbridge. You’ll probably remember the name at least!

  • 7. Michael Nugent  |  June 22, 2007 at 12:30 am

    I do indeed, Steve. Great to hear from you. I’ve just sent you an email. Michael

  • 8. Aidan Cooney  |  July 24, 2007 at 8:52 am

    HI MIchael,

    thanks very much for your kind words, god the memories came flooding back….don’t forget to give Radio Michael a mention , Cominatcha from Willow Park for a short time.

    I also recall the Monty Python sketch you put together and directed at the Summer project, hilarious.

    Good luck with the blog I’ve no doubt it’ll be a huge success.

    regards

  • 9. Alistair  |  September 10, 2007 at 3:14 pm

    Hi Michael,
    Got led to your site via The Guardian. I really like the correspondence with RyanAir. The airline was re-monickered “Eireoflot” by a Guardian journalist some years back which I thought was just great. I’ve been writing a Scottish satire site for, oooh, too long, now but I did venture into your territory a few years back when RyanAir started flying from Glasgow - Prestwick to Barcelona, which, in the real world mean flying from nowhere near Glasgow to nowhere near Barcelona .
    Enjoy.
    http://www.thejaggythistle.co.uk/dec05ryanair.htm

  • 10. peter donegan MI Hort  |  September 24, 2007 at 8:45 am

    Michael,

    you’re a genius! You should take a look at my blog [a pile of rubbish for lusk] and write to the various authorities. I’d love to see those replies.
    Slan go foill
    peter

  • 11. Mark Cantan  |  October 18, 2007 at 6:37 pm

    Hi Michael

    Just discovered you blog via Graham Linehan’s. I was wondering if you’d be interested in giving a plug to my website: http://www.thisisrapidnews.com. It’s a semi-topical spoof news programme audio podcast type show. I think it could be the kind of thing you’d be into.

    Cheers

    Mark

  • 12. George  |  October 19, 2007 at 10:06 am

    Ive been looking for u for a while and could never find an address on net. It’s been interesting reading - how about dropping me a line or a call (087 * * * * * * *). Look forward to hearing from u. Bye for now. 10.00am-19/10/07.

  • 13. Gerry Harty  |  November 1, 2007 at 12:30 pm

    Hello, Michael,
    I’ve just read your article on Plavsa. I’m a Practice Nurse and have just spoken to a patient who’s been using this product for a few months, and credits it with her 10lb weight loss. I’d never heard of this product and am generally concerned with people taking so-called natural remedies for the human condition! Funnily enough, she used the advertising spiel “have you ever seen a fat fish”?, but before I had time to name them (as you have ) she had gone on to expound on the merits of this miracle product!
    Keep an eye on the world!
    Gerry

  • 14. brian cowen  |  November 10, 2007 at 11:12 am

    can u email me?

  • 15. Irish man  |  November 12, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    Oh dear. More of the usual superior claptrap from self-satisfied “liberals” (strange how anything that doesn’t please them is demonised) and “reformers” (if you want a just solution to the Northern injstice you’ve got to be tough on the causes of paramilitarism and not merely tough on paramilitarism; where was your protest at partition and institutionalised sectarianism in the 6 counties all those long years? Huh? Yeah, stick to safe targets. Keep writing about FF. Atta boy.

  • 16. declan wynne  |  November 18, 2007 at 10:54 pm

    Michael,
    Read about you in The Sunday Times today. Great stuff. I do feel sorry for Ahern and will post him a tea bag.
    Regards,
    Declan

  • 17. ?x2  |  December 9, 2007 at 8:49 pm

    [Edit from MN - I have replied to this comment on this page]

  • 18. Robbie Bonham  |  January 12, 2008 at 1:08 pm

    Hey Michael! Thanks for the shoutout in your new blog! Good stuff! :)

  • 19. B Ahern  |  January 31, 2008 at 8:04 pm

    Could you drop me a line, Michael?

  • 20. Dominika  |  February 5, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    Hi Michael. Great blog- I’m actually looking for street performers at the moment to take part in St. Patrick parade in Limerick. I’m representing the company which is an events management company for the series of festivals.I’d greatly appreciate if you could contact me on my e-mail addres: festivals@eircom.net or ring on 061 400200.
    Regards, Dominika :)

  • 21. Darragh  |  February 6, 2008 at 5:10 am

    Ah Mr Nugent, I wondered if you were online! I’m a huge fan of your work - the Dear John letters continue to be a source of amusement (and much head shaking) almost ten years after I first read the book, and That’s Ireland was a wonderful compendium. Genius!

    Good luck to you sir, I look forward to reading your online writing very much!

  • 22. Michael Nugent  |  February 7, 2008 at 1:40 am

    Robbie and Darragh - thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it.

    Dominika - I have sent you an email.

    B Ahern - I would have dropped you a line, but I couldn’t attach a hook and sinker.

  • 23. Declan Chellar  |  February 11, 2008 at 10:08 am

    Hi, Michael.

    Didn’t know where else to put this.

    Two things.

    1. I’ve noticed that when I post something on my own ballog that links to yours, a comment automatically appears in your blog. What plug in do you use for WordPress to do that?

    2. You might be interested in the following: http://smithmag.net/sixwords/

  • 24. Michael Nugent  |  February 11, 2008 at 10:40 am

    Hi Declan,

    That’s a nice link! And thanks for the comments on various posts recently. As far as I know, this is how to set your blog for pingbacks.

    When you are writing a post in WordPress, there is a list of items on the right-hand side – categories, discussion, password etc. If you select the ‘discussion’ link, there are two checkboxes under it: ‘allow comments’, and ‘allow pings’. I have both of those checked. I can’t remember if I did that myself or if that was the default setting.

    It’s either that, or else it works something like a Tarantuman web that links different posts together. :)

  • 25. Declan Chellar  |  February 11, 2008 at 11:17 am

    Thanks for the reply, Michael. Those are checked by default. When someone links to one of my posts, I do get a notification in my Dashboard, but it doesn’t appear as a comment on the post. I’ll investigate further. Thanks for the help anyway.

    By the way, as you are a professional writer, feel free to be mercilessly critical of my posts and my thinking; I would welcome it!

  • 26. Peter Malone  |  February 19, 2008 at 5:51 pm

    Where’s the reply to your letter to Michael the Minister’s publishers?

  • 27. Michael Nugent  |  February 19, 2008 at 6:10 pm

    Hi Peter,

    The reply is here, but I hadn’t added the link from the first letter. I’ve added the link now.

    Thanks for letting me know.

  • 28. derick quinn  |  February 21, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    The Tallaght Two my name is Derick Quinn. My sister is Joan Grogan mother of Joey Grogan. What are you wanting to know about the Tallaght Two? I have a lot of answers. Also I have a more interesting story about the whole family Email me or phone me on 0044 1228599570

  • 29. derick quinn  |  March 7, 2008 at 8:15 am

    hi michael can you email me please at derickquinn@hotmail.co.uk

  • 30. Katie Roche  |  April 9, 2008 at 1:53 pm

    Hi Michael

    Every month Griffiti magazine choose a blog for our ‘State of the Nation’ page. We would like to publish Ten Things We’ll Miss About Bertie.
    Let me know what you think.

    Kind regards,

    Katie

  • 31. JimKirby  |  April 18, 2008 at 8:51 am

    HiMichael just to say hello and regards to Anne June 11 is of course Nugent Day think Istill have a pen pity we didnt make it but am delighted with your successes since then Regards Jim

  • 32. John McMahon  |  April 19, 2008 at 10:03 pm

    Are you the same Michael Nugent who was involved in the group called “New Consensus”?

  • 33. Michael Nugent  |  April 22, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    Hi Jim, good to hear from you.

    John, yes I was involved in New Consensus.

  • 34. Darragh  |  April 24, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Hi there Michael, hope you’re well

    Could you do me a favour and email me at darraghdoyle [at] gmail [d.t] com please? Got a little something for you :)

    Best regards, Darragh

  • 35. Branislav  |  May 3, 2008 at 7:30 pm

    Can gerald harty drop me amail on bnovcic@aol.com
    Thanks

    Branislav

  • 36. Augusta Wynn  |  June 10, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    Hi Michael,

    I just happened upon your site and am grateful for your articles on Dublin and Connell and clergy abuse in the Land of My Grandmother….Kinsale….

    So, thank you Michael.. I look forward to stopping by often. We are in the midst of enormous happenings.

    Warm Regards,
    Augusta

  • 37. Big Al  |  July 1, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    Hi Mick,
    Howzabout meeting up for a pint before the doctor tells me I have to stop that. ( I’m off the fags 6 months now, Jayz, sorry we can’t say fags anymore) I was looking at a photo of those wrinkly ole Rolling Stones still rockin all over the world and thought …maybe we should set up a little pir8 stayshun. Baker is back in town, ole man Reddy is approaching retirement. I’m going to be homeless soon so I could mind the station at night.
    Whadaya think.
    Al

  • 38. Ken & Margaret  |  July 5, 2008 at 9:31 pm

    Hiya Michael

    We have just been looking at some cruise photo’s from Cunard Princess 1994 - brought back some great memories.

    How are you both?

  • 39. A sense of humour or too &hellip  |  July 21, 2008 at 1:00 pm

    [...] 3. Fail to prepare - prepare to fail [...]

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