Ireland dispatch

For the second time we have travelled to Dublin for the famous Bloomsday celebrations. In 2010 we were graced by glorious summer skies; this time we were less blessed: skies throughout were a patina of slate grey clouds, which sometimes issued showers of cooling rain. However the festivities proceeded as if immune from any incursion the weather might attempt, and the highlight, a witty and highly politically aware tour of Dublin's famous Glasnevin cemetery, went off with only a few unwelcome precipitating drops. As for us, we briefly became the focus of attention in our authentic Edwardian clothes, which charming custom has been part of Bloomsday since its inception in the post war years. Certainly my wife and her bookcrossing friends looked very fetching in their outfits, though personally I felt my middle-aged paunch was rather too prominent.

The stay opened with a 25 minute bus ride from the airport to the city centre. I sat next to a young woman who was so engrossed by her mobile phone she did not for a single moment glance away from her mobile phone. She spent about half the time playing a game my wife informs me is called "Candy Crush", and must be highly addictive, if her single minded obsession was anything to go by. Intermittently a ringing sound emanated from the phone; presumably alerting her to a facebook ping or maybe a tweet. Then she would break off from her game and type furiously for a few moments before returning to her game.

It strikes me that the penetration of the mobile phone has become world wide and all pervasive. During my 4 day sojourn I registered phones being used by children as young as five, every young person of course, but also the majority even of old gits such as myself (I should perhaps mention that I did carry such a device myself, though it remained turned off most of the time). I can't help wondering if this is really an optimal way for people to behave. By absorbing oneself in its dubious delights, one becomes oblivious to the surrounding environment: its sounds, smells, sights, even its potential threats. If you are a mobile fan you may disagree, but I have seen it for myself this weekend. I saw a young, attractive, but exceedingly glum looking couple share breakfast together in the hotel. In between bites of buttered toast and marmalade, they exchanged hardly a word or even a glance, both totally absorbed in their own devices- not talking into them you understand, that activity has become almost passé these days, but staring at their screens and jabbing at their keypads. At one point the man got up from the table, telling his wife "I've got to take this" and went outside. Only then, alone, she put down her phone and stared into the distance with a  look of utter dejection on her face. She cheered up when he returned, however, and took up her phone again as before.

Maybe I'm an old fashioned fuddy-duddy who has failed to keep up with "techno-progress", but maybe I'm seeing this new institution for the pernicious development it truly is.

PS: sport supplement. Each evening when back in our hotel room we watched the "National", aka the US Open golf and were privileged to watch the highly emotional victory of Brit Justin Rose. But there were problems. Firstly, every single scene was accompanied by the drone of the Goodyear blimp floating overhead. Sometimes fainter, sometimes really intrusively loud, the noise never went away from opening tee shot to final putt. I know professional golfers are famed for their fierce concentration, but I can't believe they didn't find it intrusive. Then there was the crowd. Now I know sporting crowds are always loyal to their countrymen, but did they have to boo Luke Donald's every shot? What did he do? (they did the same to Sergio Garcia, but then we all know what he did)
Finally, if I were Il Supremo, Emperor of the world, I would ban the shouting of "In the hole!" after every shot played. It's boring and stupid. On one occasion someone shouted it just as Justin was beginning his downswing. It didn't spoil his shot, fortunately, and class act that he is (Colin Montgomery would have gone apoplectic) he simply remarked: "That was a bit early." Now that's a true champion.