Abseil down 12 floors of the Irish Life Building in Abbey Street on Saturday the 14th May.

A unique opportunity to enjoy the breath-taking views of Dublin 150 feet up before abseiling to the ground. The money raised will help Age Action to continue to provide their free services to Irelands older people. These services include a Care and Repair programme, a free Information Line and free training on How to use the Internet and a Mobile Phone. Apart from having the courage to do abseil all you need to do is raise a minimum of €300. This event is limited to 100 people and the spaces are filling up fast!

Email fundraising@ageaction.ie or ring Rhona on 01 4756989 www.ageaction.ie

Must attend:

• Hong Kong Sevens Tournament (rugby) – there are loads of rugby 7s tournaments, this is the original headline event.
• State of Origin series (Australian rugby league)
• A Superbowl (American football)
• An All-Ireland GAA football final with Dublin beating Kerry, Meath, Cork, or Tyrone.  Actually, make that 4 All-Ireland finals (with Dublin …)
• Tour de France Alpe D’Huez stage finish

Would like to attend:

• Heineken Cup final (rugby), preferably with an Irish team, preferably not Munster again (I don’t mind Munster, it’s just the bloody fans that are annoying).
• Rugby World Cup final
• Snooker World Championship match at The Crucible
• The Ashes (cricket)
• CFB Bowl game (American college football)
• MLB World Series Game 7
• NBA Championship Game 7

What about you, sports fans, what sports events must you attend before you meet your maker? Post a comment and let me know!

Updates from Twitter (I’m @AMcDermott):

@TheMenace said: @AMcDermott Ireland vs England 6 Nations at Croke Park. Although I think you’ve only got 1 more chance to do that

@interactivemark said: @AMcDermott Stanley Cup game 7 (preferably w/ NY Rangers) any Olympic event (preferably ice hockey) and the running of the bulls.

So my options are to reinstall the original theme and make some changes, or look for a new theme to work off.

I think I’ll go with the latter – so I’m looking for your suggestions! I’m interested in finding a decent looking theme. SEO optimisation would be a nice bonus, but I can add it myself if that’s not there already.

Please, if you know of any cool looking themes that might suit a sports blog, or if you really like some sports site design, let me know and I’ll take a look!

Thanks!

Alastair.

My new business has been on the cards for a while now and I finally worked up the courage to take the risk and back myself. My company is registered in Ireland as “Log On Technology”, and I’ll be focusing on internet marketing in Ireland. I’m calling myself an Internet Marketing and Technology Consultant, because I keep hearing stories about consultants making all the money.

I’m interested in internet marketing because there’s a great mix of really technical stuff (SEO) along with concrete (non-abstract) business involved. Running my own business is a good challenge that I’m really looking forward to.

So that explains why I haven’t posted about Millar losing out on the Paris-Nice, nor about one of the most exciting Six Nations competitions ever – you’ll have to wait a couple more days for my thoughts on that, sorry!

I am writing from Oxfam Ireland . An incredible donation was recently made to one of our shops – an Irish rugby jersey signed by the entire 2005 Ireland squad. One of our supporters is auctioning the shirt off on eBay, and will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Oxfam Ireland . Would it be possible for you to post about this auction on SportCrazy? We are hoping to let people know about this through word of mouth, and as SportCrazy is one of the most popular and widely read Irish sport blogs, it would really help us out if you could mention it.

Here is the auction link! After such a flattering email how could I refuse?

Best Sport & Recreation Blog – Sponsored by Boards.ie

• ArseBlog
• Fustarâ€s World Cup
• In Fact Ah
• The Kop Blog
• Laois Talk
• Tomâ€s Sporting Almanac

Thanks to anyone who voted for sportcrazy! I know I got some votes from my family and from the crew of Pippa IV (thanks guys) so hopefully I passed the ignominy of a single figure score Richard Hearne over at RedCardinal.ie looks like a really good Irish SEO guy. He’s offering free consulting for the IBA nominees and I’d love to take him up on his offer.

Richard, I really don’t want to take 2 hours of your time – 15 mins should suffice. I’ll tell you where I think I’m weak right now here on sportcrazy.net:

• This template has sidebars before content. I really need to get around to this one, I’m not so hot on CSS layout I’m afraid.
• I have a tendency to hotlink images from news sites rather than have local images.
• I don’t have www.sportcrazy.net 302’d to the www-less version right now. (Not too bad because G’s webmaster tools knows my preferred version.)

Whatever you can find after that I’d love to know about – cheers!

Update:

And finally, in honour of sharing the link love here’s the full list of nominations, gratuitously stolen from Redmum I’ve cleaned up the list a little, removing typos and spaces in URLs and removing the cursed “Open in New Window” target (may it die roaring and screaming of the plague).

Best Blog

Alive in Limerick
An Irish Craftworkers
Good Life
An Spailpin Fanach
An tImeall
Arse End of
Ireland
ArseBlog
Backseat Drivers
Barbaraâ€s
bleeuugh!
Beaut.ie
BifSniff
Biz Growth News
Blogorrah
Bock the Robber
ElBlogador.com- The
Voice of Irish Nationalism
Fustar
Head Rambles
I Take Photees
Ireland 16
Days
IrishElection.com
Letter to America
Manuel Stimulation
Mcawilliams.com
Mineâ€s
A Jack Daniels
Nialler9
Pygment
RedMumâ€s Blog
Skinflicks
Snackboxdiaries
StigOnline
The Cedar Lounge
Revolution
The Community At Large
The InFactah Blog
The Limerick Blogger
Tir na Blog
Twenty Major
Womans Aid

Best Blog Post- Sponsored by Hosting365

Ach go hairithe – We love Irish we do, but if we want our signs in English
An Cainteoir Dochais – Ag toraiocht na ndilseoiri i mBaile Átha Cliath
andcurve – Cock-blocking beats
Annie Rhiannon – Three years too late
Arse End of Ireland – Where do you get your smoke from?
Arse End of Ireland – The Bertles
Balrog – McDowell should walk over Rape crisis
Bifsniff – Should You Be Laughing At This?
Blather.net Snackbox Diaries – Introducing AbuseOS
Blogorrah – Rochegate: Why Canâ€t We All Just Get Along?
Bock the Robber – Haughey
Conorâ€s Bandon Blog – You may feel a small prick
Cruiskeen Eile – Boys will be Boys
Cruiskeen Eile – Phwoarr. How to Report on the Troubles While Getting
David McWilliams – The Dundrum Paradox – Donâ€t be Paddy Last!
Dervala.net – The Passion-Industrial Complex
Earth and Universe – The day I quit as an Altar Boy.
Earth and Universe – The legend of Uncle Tom and the Bubble Car
ElBlogador – Bloody Sunday In Pictures
ElBlogador – Peter Robinson
Empire State View – Barry Egan, Journalist of the Year
From Bath to Cork with baby Grace – After traffic in Cork
Fustar – David Sque Interview Part 1.
Fustar – Chess with balls
Graham Ó Maonaigh – Ending Gun crime
iQblog – Irish kitchen sink usability
Irelands Few – Corruption WithIn Unionism?
IrishEyes – Richard Waghorne has a closed mind
Letter to America – Drama – Thy Name is Pong
Life is a Journal – Self Help and Personal Development for Lazy People
Madspoon – Sheep 34 Banana
Maman Poulet – 35 going on 13
Minesajackdanielsâ€
Blog – Pompoms and bottle tops.
Old Bitter Balls – Keeling Time
Political Quote – Bertie Ahern does a ‘Nixon†over money scandal
Red Cardinal – Golden Spiders – Are These Really Irelandâ€s Best Websites?
Redfly Marketting – DMOZ Submission Guide
Ricks Breakfast Blog – A Religious Experience…
Ricks Breakfast Blog – Most Extraordinary Day of my Life
Skin Flicks – The JC Skinner guide to drinking
Stig Online – The most painful 12 miles of my life (and the other 14 were hardly easy)
The Adventures of Truculent Horse – Culture Shock III – The Language Barrier
The Dossing Times – The Riots and the consequences.
The Dossing Times – Riots in Dublin
The Great Wee Azoo – Awfully Awfully at Castleward Book Fair
The Midnight Court – Paper Round Exclusive!
The torture garden – the best songs of 2006
Twenty Major – A thousand words
Twenty Major – Countdown to the next election
Young Unionists – Ignoring the Big Issues
Young Unionists – In defence of the Act of Settlement

Most Humorous Post – Sponsored by Beecher Networks

Ach go hairithe – Reasons Behind Australian Rough-House Tactics In International Rules Series (Exclusive)
andcurve – Cock-blocking beats
Arse End of Ireland – Berties Perspiration
Arse End of Ireland – Wonâ€t Somebody think of the children
Backseat Drivers – Sex – Breakfast of Champions
BifSniff – Dry White Seasoning
BifSniff – Spyware
Blogorrah – The Twink Tapes
Blogorrah – Why canâ€t we all just get along?
Captain Purplehead – Ah Tis All Too Much
Chetwynde Downs – The Naile Raye Quintet
Dublin Opinion – Property Market Causes Ireland to shit its brain
Earth and Universe – Legend of Uncle Tom and the Bubble Car
ElBlogador – DUP In Gay Marriage Shocker
ElBlogador – These are a few of my favourite things
Fustar – Dis-courtesy Call
Fustar – Manky Toy Monday: League of the Transformable
Gingerpixel – Garda Prank Call
Green Ink – Beep Beep Beep
Head Rambles – Giving Up Smoking
Head Rambles – Translation Help Needed
Irish KC – A Kansas City Phone Call To An Irish Mother
Irish KC – Irish Conversations
Kavâ€s Blog – Westside Story Bud
Letter to America – Drama – Thy Name is Pong
Lifeâ€s a bastard – Scientists – Iâ€m against them
Manuel Stimulation – From Bad to More Bad
Manuel Stimulation – Victory to Moroccan Imperialism
Old Bitter Balls – Or was this just a dream?
Political Quote – PDs new Spin Doctor
Pure Cork Boy – Music: The Roaring Forties
RedMum – Guilty Pleasures
Rick Oâ€Shea – Ketchup… Catsup..
Rinceoir – Cry Havoc
Skinflicks – Babys called Bad Bad thing
Snackbox – AbuseOS from TwinkSoft
The Great Wee Azoo – Awfully awfully
Twenty Major – Countdown to Next Election
Twenty Major – Post Secret
Wayne Ordinary American – Wayne loves you one and all

Best Photo Blog – Sponsored by Pixenate.com – The online photo editor

Caitriona.net
Capture Capture
Dancing Shades of Light
Derek
Knight Photography
Donalâ€s blog
Focus Pocus
Gingerpixel
Glassey Alley
Headphoneland
How your mama now?
I Take Photees
Iced Coffee
Iâ€m
never gonna dance again
In Photos
Ireland from a Polish
perspective
Kind I Like
Leigh
ar mo T-leine e
Letter to America
Mcawilliams
North Atlantic Skyline
PAD – Photo a Day
Photographe
à Dublin
Pygment
RedMum
Rymus.net
Seth Wheeler
Snoother
This is Diopter

Best Arts and Culture Blog – Sponsored by Poetry Ireland

Alan in Belfast
BifSniff
Blather.net
Contemporary Arts Review
Dead Beat
Empirestate View
Fustar
Georgiasam
Green Ink
In Fact Ah
KC Irish Fest
Letter to America
Maguires Movies
PaddyC Movie Reviews
Poet Blogg
Sinead Gleeson
Soundtracks for Them
Stunned
The Cat Flap
The Dreaming Arm
The Harlotâ€s Progress
The Torture Garden

Best Political Blog – Sponsored by Technofutures

1169 and Counting
A Tangled Web
An Caomhach
An Saol
An Spailpin Fanach
Balrog
Best of Both Worlds
Bock the Robber
Damien Blake
Daniel K. Sullivan
Dominic Hanngianâ€s blog
ElBlogador.com- The Voice of Irish Nationalism
Extra Extra
Graham Oâ€Maonaigh
Green Ink
Harry McGeeâ€s blog
ie-Politics by Gerry Oâ€Quigley
Ireland – The Voice Of The Nation
IrishElection.com
Maman Poulet
Richard Delevanâ€s blog
Seamus Ryanâ€s blog
Semper Idem
Sicilian Notes – Richard Waghorne
Skinflicks
Slugger Oâ€Toole
The Cedar Lounge Revolution
The Dossing Times
The Tuppenceworth Blog
The United Irelander Blog
The Young Unionists

Best Group Blog – Sponsored by PutPlace.com

Backseat Drivers
Balrog
BifSniff
Blather
Blogorrah
Howth Coastguard Blog
In Fact Ah
Ireland 16 Days
IrishElection.com
Links Heaven
Old Rotten Hat
One Breast Less
Sligo Camera Club
Sligo Rugby Football Club
Team Geared Up
The Cedar Lounge Revolution
The Community At Large
The Dublin Blog
The Limerick Blogger
Tuppenceworth
UCD Science Librarians
Womens Aid Blog
Wow Blog

Best Personal Blog – Sponsored by Interactions – Creative Strategies for Business

Annie Rhiannon
Barbaraâ€s
bleeuugh!
Conor Oâ€Neill
Decâ€s Rambling
FatMammyCat
From Bath to Cork with
Baby Grace
Gerry Gainford
Gingerpixel
Hangar Queen
Head Rambles
Kavâ€s Blog
Mineâ€s a Jack Daniels
RedMum
The Newbrowne Blog
The Rambling Man
The Waiting Game
Una Rocks
Wayne Ordinary American
Winds and Breezes

Best Use of the Irish Language in a Blog – Sponsored by Edgecast Media

Ach go hairithe
An Saol
An Spailpin Fanach
Arm Runda na Gaeilge
Blag Shomhairle
Chetwynde Downs
Hilary NY
Leigh ar mo T-leine e!
MH Wombat
nobyegarawn
Roinnt Smaointe
Seo Panu ag labhairt
Smaointe Fanacha Aonghusa

Best Contribution to the Irish Bloggersphere – Sponsored by FirstPartners.net

Bernie Goldbach
Cian and Simon for Irish
Election
Conn O Muineachain
Donncha Oâ€Caoimh
Gavin Joyce for
Kick.ie
Macdara in the Leb
Michele Neylon for IrishBlogs.info
Rick Oâ€Shea
Sarah Carey
Simon McGarr
Tom Raftery

Best Technology Blog/Blogger – Sponsored by Bitbuzz

5Pieces.com
Aidan Finn
Bernie Goldbach
Clare Dillon
Conor Oâ€Neill
Creative Imagination – Ken McGuire
Donncha Oâ€Caoimh
EdenWeb Blog
Firstpartners.net
Francis Shanahan
Ina Oâ€Murchu
IQ Content Blog
James Corbett – Eirepreneur
John Collins
John Naughton
Justin Mason
Michele Neylon for IrishBlogs.info
Mobileblogr.com
Pat Phelan
Red Cardinal Blog
Robert Burke
Tom Raftery
What Will you see next?
Your Tech Stuff – Adrian
Weckler

Best Designed Blog – Sponsored by Equisoft

5 Pieces
Ach go hairithe
Beaut.ie
BifSniff
Clamnuts
Creative Imagination – Ken McGuire
ElBlogador.com – The Voice of Irish Nationalism
From Ireland to Kansas City
Fustar
Ginger Pixel
Inside the mind of an idiot.
IrishElection.com
Jason Roeâ€s blog
John Handerlaarâ€s
Blog
Kind I Like – Things that look like people
Leigh
ar mo T-leine e!
Letter to America
Magooo
Nialler9
Pretty Cunning
RedFly Marketing
Soundtracks
for Them
Spoilt.ie
Stunned.org
The InFactah Blog
The IQ Content Blog
Twenty Major
UnLaoised

Best Sport & Recreation Blog – Sponsored by Boards.ie

ArseBlog
Billy Lyons
Fustarâ€s
World Cup
In Fact Ah
Irish Go blog
Laois Talk
Liverpool Access
On the Ditch
PaddyC Movie
Reviews
Piranha Triathlon Club
Rebel BMX
Sligo Rugby Football Clun
SportCrazy.net
Team Geared Up
The Kop Blog
Tomâ€s Sporting Almanac
Wiffy Blog

Best News/Current Affairs Blog – Sponsored the Sunday Tribune

Adam Maguire
Alive in Limerick
An Spailpin Fanach
Best of Both Worlds
Dublin Opinion
IrishElection.com
Public Inquiry
Road Deaths.ie
Sarah Carey
Skinflicks
Stephen Spillane
The Limerick Blogger
The NewsWire
The Story

Best Specialist Blog – Sponsored by iQ Content Ltd

4Basra
An Irish Craftworkerâ€s
Good Life
Ask Direct
Ball*istic
Beaut.ie
Bibliocook
Burma Review
Clear of Cloud
Clerical Whispers
Graham Oâ€Maonaigh
Green Ink
Howth Coastguard
Ice Cream Ireland
Ireland 16 Days
Irish Go blog
Irish KC
KC Irish Fest
Lean Healthcare Services Blog
Lexferenda
McGarr Solicitors
Munster Pubs
Myers Watch
One Breast Less
PR Matters
Random Grub
Siopa Eile
SSIA Watch
The Good Life
The Waiting Game
Wearie
Whois Ireland
World Debate Website

Best Newcomer – Sponsored by Edelman

4Basra
Alan in Belfast
An Irish Craftworkerâ€s Good Life
An Saol
Arse End of Ireland
Beaut.ie
Betty the Sheep
Blogorrah
Bock the Robber
Dario Sanchezâ€s Angry Dome
Elly Babes
Fastlad
Harry McGee
Head Rambles
Ireland 16 Day
Ireland from a Polish perspective
Kavâ€s
Blog
Lexferenda
Linkmap
Michael Flangan
Notes on the Front
Peppermint Tea
Skinflicks
Style Treaty
The Cedar Lounge Revolution
The Great Wee Azoo
The Midnight Court
The News Wire
The Waiting Game
What will you see next?
Whereâ€s the Salt?
Womens Aid

Best Business Blog – Sponsored by logic+intuition

Allagi Blog
Argolon
Ask Direct
ATP Blog
Barry Walsh
BH Consulting Blog
Biz Growth News
Bubble Brothers
First Partners
ForestHill Blog – Ice Cream Ireland
ImageFile Blog
Inter-Actions
James Corbett – Eirepreneur
Keith Bohanna
Kevin Kelly Unlimited
McGarr Solicitors
Michele Neylon
Piaras Kelly
RedCardinal
Roam4Free Blog
Voicesage Blog

Best Music Blog – Sponsored by Clubbing.ie

Cumann Carad na Gaeilge
Faoi dhein an dorais
House
is a Feeling
In Fact Ah
Kilkenny Music Blog
Magoo
Mp3Hugger
Nialler9
Sinead Gleeson
Soundtracks for Them
Spudshow
The Torture Garden
Una Rocks
Wearie

Best Podcaster – Sponsored by Microsoft

2 Irish Geeks and a TV
An Saol
ArseBlog
Cumann Carad na Gaeilge
Doop Podcasting
EdgeCast (Conn O Muineachain)
Faoi dhein an dorais
Kevin Kelly
Letter to America
Okey Doke Football
Oldbones
Open Source Podcast
Podcasting.ie
Podleaders
Richard Delevan
The Persuaders
Twenty Major
Wargeek.net

Best Podcast – Sponsored by Newsletter.ie

An Lionra – 06 12 06
Arseblog – Episode 1
Arseblog – Episode 10
Arseblog – Episode 12
Cumann Carad na Gaeilge – Podchraoladh Caoga a Naoi
IT@Cork – Eddie Hobbs
Letter to America – Chapter 29 – The Lift 2.0
Letter to America – Chapter 43 – The Date
Letter to America – The Irish Blog Awards Podcast
Oldbones – The Favour
Podleaders – Dan Bricklin
Twenty Major – Pizza Delivery
Twenty Major – Scientology

Best Videocast – Sponsored by Cork Internet eXchange

Aine Chambers Dooney Rock, Sligo
Allyn Quigley – DWIC – X-mas No#1
Allyn Quigley – Size Matters
Brody Sweeney on why he decided on politics
Disappear by JP Pagano
Minister to Nowhere – Simon McGarr
PD Election Video
Technolotics #44 – Flying Naked
Technolotics #29 – ZZ Fops
Uisce In New Hampshire
You pay taxes so we donâ€t have to

It takes less than 30 seconds. Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to www.awards.ie/vote
2. Enter your details
3. Scroll down for “Best Sports & Recreation Blog” and pick “Sportcrazy.net”.
4. Check “I have checked my nominations”
5. Submit
6. Bask in the reflected glory

Please don’t wait as voting closes this week! Thanks!

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All our guides have over 10 years experience, are fully authorised and insured, and are specially trained in the use of the northsoide vernacular including the infamous “No, oim nah bleedin’ lookin’ at you, so wha’? “, and “Spoice burger and chips, an’ a batthered sausidge“.

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P.S. Special offers: Trip to any of the Roundabout, the Beachcomber or the Goblet (requires upfront hazard pay). For only 1000e we guarantee you to score a local in Clontarf Westwood.

(Yep, I don’t have a ticket)