March just happens to be Reading Ireland Month, and to celebrate, Niall of The Fluff Is Raging and Cathy of 746 Books have decided to host a bit of a blogathon session. Join them as they spend the next few weeks celebrating all that is wonderful about Irish culture. Pour yourself a pint of stout, crack open a Roddy Doyle, tap your toes in time to a traditional tune and help us paint the blogosphere green this Ireland Month.
Whether it’s an Irish author you want to recognise, an Irish film, television show, musician, or some beautiful photography (or anything at all Irish or Ireland related, including booze and brews) all you have to do is post your contribution, grab the pin or share the link on the Begorrathon Facebook page and the InLinkz list. Once you do this you’ll be automatically in the running for a plethora of deadly (this is Irish for brilliant) spot prizes. Currently, Cathy is running an amazing Roddy Doyle Giveaway.
The Verbal Spew Review is also sponsoring a prize for entrants who either live away from home, or are Ireland enthusiasts who would like to experience a little bit of this little island such as they’ve never seen (or tasted) before. I’ve called it The Great Irish Care Package, and it will be chock-full of delicious Irish goodies and presents.
So, do you fancy a genuine taste of Ireland?
OR
Do you want someone to send you all of your favourite munch from home, for FREE?
If you’ve answered YES! to either of the above questions, then get blogging. And be sure to link me, because I can’t wait to read it.
Is mise, le meas,
V.
To share posts concerning Irish film, TV, music or anything else, and for more information please see: Niall @ The Fluff Is Raging.
To share posts concerning Irish authors and books, and for more information please see: Cathy @ 746 Books.
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Categories: Culture
And The Winner Of The Great Irish Care Package Is… 
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 
The Verbal Spew Review 
V, you’re a star! cheers. Salivating at the sight of those Taytos.
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I’m having a CRIP SAMBO right now! If you win the care package, you’ll have to send me a list of all your favourite crisps.
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i’m not entering the contest. “Employees of the Begorrathon are prohibited from entering the competition.” :)
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The drawbacks of management.
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but speaking of tayto, there’s a Tayto pop up shop in Dublin today??
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Yeah! A group did it up North in Belfast (I think) a few months back, partly for charity. People would go in and get their crisp sandwiches made up at lunchtime. Was very successful, so naturally Tayto jumped on the bandwagon down here. Personally, I think it’s a marvellous idea, but I usually prefer my crisp sambos with King.
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Would an article on my favourite Irish comedians or my favourite novel, Dracula, by a nice Irish bloke enter me in said contest?
Seems I chose the right time to come to Dublin hahahaha
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Either would be perfect! Or both! :D I doubt we’ll see any Irish comedian posts though, that would be very interesting. Yes, you’ll definitely have the feel for the Begorrathon, what with actually being here!
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Well, I already have my big post for tomorrow (you’ll like it, as it’s something I’ve previously mentioned), but now I know what to work on for next week!!
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both would be cool!
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I have a question for you awesome Irishfolk. Which Irish authors should I read? Classical, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, etc. I’ve been told to read James Joyce, but I don’t know which book, so any help you lot can give me will be very appreciated!!!!
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start off with the Joyce’s Dubliners, then Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, then Ulysses if you feel up to it. Also pretty much anything by Flann O’Brien, but especially The Third Policeman, which is one of the funniest, most surreal things you’ll ever read. There’s a burgeoning Irish crime fiction scene; too many authors to mention here, but Tana French is a good start. Fantasy is not my thing so I can’t help there. Avoid Cecelia Ahern. :)
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Why avoid that particular author?
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are you in to chick lit? because then she’d be right up your alley :)
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Yeeeeaaaah, nope…not really. Though I have read some in the past. I might even have liked it…but only because plot and characters were very good
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did you have the misfortune to watch a movie called PS I Love You?
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Heard about it but I valued my sanity waaaaaaaaay too much to watch it
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cecilia ahern wrote it. the film is loathed in Ireland (or it should be)
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Well we do have a verbose Irish woman in the house. Is it loathed, V, as it should be?
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Tis, by anyone with a fully functional brain. ;)
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Is it that bad?
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Ah yeah, I can’t stand that vapid, clichéd shite. It annoys me as much as Sex and the City did.
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Omg no, take Niall’s advice and stay away from Cecilia Ahern. If you want to try out some drama/romance/chicklit just go with Maeve Binchy. She’s got some literary class.
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absolutely
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Will do that then. Adding it all to my long long long backlog of novels to read!
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Totally agree! The one BAD thing about Irish literature is the amount of chick-lit which is totally unfunny! I’m intrigued by the green foil on the Creme Eggs – they don’t have that in Scotland! I started a book by an Irish author today, so will link when done – when does this competition run to? (I can tell Niall’s gutted he can’t enter and is probably trying to think of ways around it!)
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Too true! A lot of them are very light, “holiday” kind of reading which is fine, but generally I find them ridiculously repetitive and often think that if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all. The competition runs until the end of the month, so you’ve plenty of time. Looking forward to reading about your Irish book! And thanks for stopping by. :D
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and go to Cathy’s blog (746 Books): on her homepage this month she has a list of 100 great (possibly essential) Irish novels
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Beautiful, thanks so much! :)
Will there be any Begorrathon public events (a meetup for example) or will you handle it all online?
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well i’m in Canada; Cathy is in Ballymena. V is in Dublin. Others are in America and Australia. So probably not ;) But hey, go to a pub or something and post a begorrathon selfie :)
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Up until 2 weeks ago I was in Canada too. Living in New Brunswick.
I might just do that. With just soda water because I don’t drink. I’ll even try to get the disappointed bartender in the pic
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I love a nice Cadbury Creme Egg!
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Yum. I have one for later! I love Easter Chocolate time. :D
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Cadbury Creme Eggs are probably the main reason I look forward to Easter!
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Hey V, do you know when you’re planning on ending your giveaway for the Begorrathon?
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Cathy’s going to do the draw at the end of the month. :)
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ok brilliant; and bloggers just need to link to the begorrathon to enter? or is it only if they link to your post? cathy wants to do a reminder about it and she wants to make sure. cheers. and happy paddy’s weekend.
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Just link to the Begorrathon to enter, yes.
If anyone wants to tag me, or DM me the link they can, just in case I miss the chance to read it straight away or they fail to link to any of the Begorrathon-related sites. But that would only really apply to any readers specific to me, who don’t overlap our blogs.
So, to be clear, to enter they just need to use the usual links, like everyone else, nothing extra.
Happy Paddy’s weekend to you too! Hope you’re doing something more exciting than me. After this week’s Cheltenham festivities (and now serious lack of funds), I’m spending my Saturday preparing blog posts. :D
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did you have a little flutter on the gee-gees, then? cheers. Am not doing anything for Paddy’s weekend except watching The Guard and Calvary
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I had more than a little flutter… Will I never learn!? Ah, two excellent picks for Paddy’s weekend viewing. I was thinking of doing the Barrytown trilogy tomorrow. Still have to finish my Begorrathon posts, too. I’ve started doing my guide to Paddy’s Day, but I haven’t gotten passed knacker drinking on the canal yet.
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brilliant – a guide for the more adventurous tourist, so.
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Great post V, feel so hungry looking at all that chocolate.
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It’s a sinful amount of chocolate, isn’t it?
Thanks Vinnie, were you thinking of doing an Irish themed post? All of that chocolate could be yours! ;D
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Sadly I’ve been a bit busy at the minute, but the next time there’s a blogathon I’ll definitely try and take part.
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V! I’m tempted to throw in a link to my unbiased SA/ Irish post on the day of Saint Patrick!!
https://bbanb.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day-with-a-twist/
PS – The only reason the glasses are arranged in that order is because that’s the way they fit! Nothing personal!! ;-)
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AJ! ANY of your posts would have fit perfectly with The Begorrathon theme, as you include so much beautiful photography of our country! Seeing that post again makes me want to drink wine. And so I shall.
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Now you make me want to drink wine as well!!! Only thing… I don’t run my daily allocation so I have to stick to my cider! ;-) Fun, anyhow!! ;-)
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And it is now 6.45pm, so I’m definitely allowed.
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Drink away me dear lady!! Drink till you drop! ;-) Well, maybe not quite so much that you’ll have a sore head tomorrow… ;-)
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You were so right about the head anyway, AJ, I was dying this morning. I’m making Sangria today, though, so that will help clear the cobwebs. You’d easily know I was off work!
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Not too much ice!! ;-)
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Time to start this evening’s mix!! Add a touch of rum?? ;-)
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Ooh I have rum! I can do that! I bought some more fresh fruit this morning, too. What a day it is today, AJ. Perfect for summer sangria in the garden. I hope you’re enjoying it!
PS Are you drinking vicariously through me? If you are, you’ll have to share my hangover!
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Oh I am!! I’m on rations so I’ll gladly have a bit of a sympathy headache tomorrow morning! I’m gonna open a cider right NOW!!! ;-)
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NICE. Can’t beat a crisp, chilled glass of cider on a day like today. Cheers to you, enjoy!
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