Guinness 250 Arthur's Day connections

by Conor on September 8th, 2009

With just seventeen days to go until the Arthur’s Day celebrations begin in Dublin on the 24th of September, GUINNESS is today revealing the latest impressive line-up of artists, A-list presenters and international broadcast partners taking part, as the countdown begins to the global festivities.

This is a truly historic party in Dublin and one our intrepid Connector will be checking out & blogging from so please watch this space & check out www.guinness.com

Joining previously announced artists Sir Tom Jones, Estelle, Sugababes and Kasabian at the Dublin Arthur’s Day celebrations are Roots Manuva, Paolo Nutini, The Magic Numbers, OK Go and White Belt Yellow Tag, along with some of the best live acts in Ireland today including The High Kings, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, General Fiasco, Spring Break, David Kitt, and Oppenheimer.

Around the world amazing talent will perform at Arthur’s Day events including Sean Paul as headlining act at the live show in Lagos, Nigeria and The Black Eyed Peas performing at celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These remarkable global events will see over 60 artists performing more than 60 hours of live music in just one day at events in cities around the world

Hosting the event in Dublin will be Cat Deeley and Ronan Keating who will take to the stage in the St. James’s Gate Brewery, and will be joined by Colin Murray, Michelle De Swarte and Michelle Doherty who will be presenting live from the four studio venues. The Arthur’s Day celebrations will be beamed across the globe from Ireland, UK, US and Africa via broadcast partners TV3, SKY, ITV2 and DirecTV

Publicans and their customers all across the country will be joining in the Arthur’s Day celebrations by raising a GUINNESS to Arthur and witnessing the live music events which will be broadcast live into pubs and bars on the night via an exclusive channel on the Sky TV platform.

The Arthur’s Day celebrations, to mark 250 years since Arthur Guinness signed the 9,000 year lease on the St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, will begin in the Irish capital at 17:59 local time with a toast to Arthur and carry on around the world in Lagos, Kuala Lumpur and New York.

In Dublin, 33 events will take place simultaneously, including a major performance at the St James’s Gate Brewery and four studio venues as well as 28 intimate gigs at pubs around Dublin hosting local acts and surprise guest artists from the A-list line-up. The full line-up for Dublin studio venues and local acts for pub venues has also been announced today.*

New artists announced today are: Born Blonde, Concerto for Constantine, David Kitt, Fiona Melady, Fionn Regan, General Fiasco, Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, Leopold, Lumiere, OK Go, Oppenheimer, Paolo Nutini, Roots Manuva, Sean Paul, Sharon Shannon, Spring Break, The Coronas, The High Kings, The Infomatics, The Magic Numbers and White Belt Yellow Tag.

As part of the Arthur’s Day celebrations The Guinness & Co. has pledged to donate €6 million to the Arthur Guinness Fund which will be active from September 2009. Arthur Guinness and his family were responsible for some of the most well known acts of philanthropy in Ireland and to honour and continue this legacy we are establishing this fund with the goal of enabling and empowering individuals with skills and opportunities to deliver a measured benefit to their communities.

For more information on the GUINNESS 250 celebrations please visit www.guinness.com

Nokia – Re-Connecting Electric Picnic People

by Conor on September 1st, 2009

Nokia – ‘Connecting People’ has been slightly amended in the blog post today as we have some good news for all Nokia mobile phone users @ Electric Picnic this weekend.  Nokia are providing a great green solution for the dreaded problem of a dying or dead mobile phone battery at a music festival !  Now you can potentially save your festival, save on electricity & also get the latest information about the festival @ the Nokia Recharge Pod !

And don’t forget to go to Nokia’s ovi.com where you can register for ‘Ovi Synch’ & back up all your phone numbers & more for free – this is a smart move in case of a festival mishap where you lose your phone & all your numbers !

Here is the message from Nokia about the Recharge Pods -

“Nokia are delighted to announce that they are contributing to the Carbon Responsibility Policy of the Electric Picnic by bringing for the 2nd year, the “Recharge Pod”. This is an eco-friendly, freestanding wind and solar power mobile phone charging station, capable of charging up to 120 Nokia handsets an hour for free!

The Nokia Recharge and Information area will keep you constantly updated with up to the minute festival news, updates, and information on all the services on offer at the Electric Picnic, and all while charging your Nokia handset in the Recharge Pod.

The Recharge Pod has been specifically designed for use at outdoor events and festivals, as it doesn’t require a power supply; the entire system is self sufficient and runs from its own renewable solar and wind power sources.  The Recharge Pod also powers its own lighting; utilizing low power LED’s to illuminate the inside, the turbine and the branding.”

Sian Gray, Head of Marketing for Nokia Ireland comments, “We are committed to doing things differently and reducing our own energy consumption.  We are delighted to be bringing back the “Recharge Pod” to Electric Picnic 2009.

Connect with Nokia Electric Picnic tickets !

by Conor on September 1st, 2009

As you may know I am connected to the fine people @ Nokia and like to pass on details about cool stuff they are up to … so do you fancy a chance to win two great packages to the fabulous Electric Picnic festival ?!  If you still have not got a ticket, this could be your last chance for fantastic free festival fun with your friends !!

1st Super Prize – 2 x Electric Picnic Weekend Passes & Camping & Electric Picnic pack

2nd Super Prize – 2 x Electric Picnic Weekend Passes & Camping & Electric Picnic pack

An Electric Picnic pack includes a 4 man tent, 1 Nokia speaker set, 1 Nokia travel charger & 2 ponchos. For more festival details go to www.electricpicnic.ie

How to Enter
1 – Simply go to Nokia’s web site www.ovi.com
2 – Register for a free Ovi email account
3 – Email your name & phone number to nokiaelectricpicnic@ovi.com from your Ovi email

On Thursday afternoon we will check the email accounts and phone the winners so best of luck !!

Terms & Conditions
Closing date is Thurs 3rd Sept @ 12pm. You must be over 18 & an Irish resident. The prize is non-transferrable. Winners may be asked to pose for promotional photos. Only Ovi mail account holders are eligible.

Connector @ Galway Races

by Conor on August 4th, 2009

Finally I made it down to the Galway Races after years of hearing about the Fianna Fail tent in Ballybrit !  And bejaysus when I got down there was no Builders & Developers Tent anywhere to be seen … very mysterious – might have been trimmed back by An Bord Snip Nua … hmmm ?   Well at least the Owners & Trainers still could have their own private VIP area so with a bit of luck I’ll have connections in there next year ! ;-0

I just had a couple of hours looking around on the Sunday afternoon as it would normally not be my scene but I am always open to trying something new.  My last horse racing day out was in sunny Sydney & a Galway downpour was what we got on Sunday.  Plus I think most of the fillies from Ladies Day on the Thursday had long since departed with their hats & feathers and left the equine variety commanding the attention.

While there I chanced upon the Mad Hatter winner (annual crazy hat contest) & some runners up plus the highly talented young Mulkerrin Brothers who played trad music for a group of rain soaked young fans.  Well done to the lads !

Overall it looked like a very well organised event and I willtry and get to see more of it next year.  And here is my first photo of a horse connection whose name I do not know in case you’re wondering.  And the rest of the weekend was spent with lot of old & new friends in Salthill & Shop Street sampling the wonderful atmosphere that is Galway in the summer.

Connect w Bulmers Leopardstown Live feat. The Coronas

by connector on July 29th, 2009

Connector has a great opportunity available for you! 10 free tickets to Bulmers Leopardstown Live to give away for friends of Connector courtesy of our pals at Bulmers. The show is on Thursday August 6th and features great music from The Coronas!

For more information about Bulmers Leopardstown Live go >here>>

If you are interested in getting one of these 10 free tickets to Bulmers Leopardstown Live, contact Connector asap on  conor@connector.ie

Connecting with U2 in Croke Park

by Andrew Sigle on July 28th, 2009

Last night I was privileged enough to join Conor for the U2 concert located at Croke Park. It was a great evening filled with many connections. The whole atmosphere of the concert really made for an excellent night. Of course we started out at Quinns for a pint before the show. Quinns was crowded with people waiting for the concert, so we chose to make our way towards Croke Park along with the rest of the restless mob.

Our tickets were scanned and we were in the concert!!! One last trip to the beer garden to get in the mood for the concert, and we were ready to enter the stadium. When I first saw the stage my mouth dropped and I could not believe my eyes. In front of me stood the largest stage that I have ever seen. It is hard to even describe the shape of it, so you will just have to look at pictures to determine for yourself.

A mobile movie from Conor before the gig got HOT …

Here are some pictures of the night …

Finally it was time for U2 to enter the stage. It was amazing the energy that went through that stadium when they entered onto the stage and began playing for the crowd. It is safe to say that we connected with all of Dublin in just one moment at the concert. Like I said the energy that passed through the stadium was a connection in itself, we were all united as one during that concert. I personally was a huge fan of the wave that took place before the concert even started. It continued for about 7 passes around the stadium, which was amazing.

U2 really rocked the stage and took the night away. The best part of the concert was the gigantic screen that they used. It eventually unfolded like an accordion for one of their songs. It was something that I will always remember, and that words can’t even describe. I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at U2 and will remember that show for a lifetime.

Check out the mobile phonelight milkyway !

Connect with Guinness 250 @ Arthur's Day

by Jamie Richardson on July 16th, 2009

Today Guinness announced the line-up of artists that will be part of Arthur’s Day 250th anniversary celebrations. But until the actual anniversary festivities on 24th September 2009, Guinness launched a preview right here in Dublin at Oliver St. John Gogarty’s Pub.

With live acts from both The Chapters and Noah and the Whale, the afternoon swelled with excitement for the approaching celebration of Arthur’s Day. In September over 60 artists will be performing throughout Dublin and around the world as well. Today’s event provided a taste of what these gatherings will be like on that day.

Both The Chapters and Noah and the Whale added to the feel of an intimate pub setting that the Arthur’s Day celebration hopes to achieve. Oliver St. John Gogarty’s upstairs venue enhanced the experience of grabbing a pint of Guinness and listening to a band or artist. Not many people get to enjoy such a treat, but come September people all over Dublin, the country, and the world, will have an opportunity to do so.

The bands were great! Check out their performances:

The Chapters:

Noah and the Whale:

In addition to the Arthur’s Day celebrations was the focus of the Arthur Guinness Fund. So sign the Guinness posters in a local pub and Guinness will donate €2.50 for every signature. Easy enough, right?

For more information on the Guinness 250 Celebrations and how to get tickets, visit www.guinness.com & notable thanks go out to the people at Guinness and WHPR for the wonderful food, music, and drinks at this event! Great work!

Connector @ Oxegen Nokia MTV Tent

by Conor on July 12th, 2009

Thanks to my good friends at Nokia & EightyTwenty, I am down at Oxegen doing a wee bit of blogging and tweeting about the comings and goings at the MTV Nokia Jockey Club tent.

We are with the Nokia Superfans competition winners who are loving it and some of the artists & celebrities passing by and ducking in out of the showers.  The winners of Nokia Superfans VIP passes were Michael Lyons, Hugh Leahy, Robert Kennedy and runners up Kelly Mc Quaid, Leah Brennan, Laura Crowe, Paula Smith, Donna Kee & Lorna Shanahan.

So far I have met loads of lovely people and some of the guys from Nokia Music, MTV, Universal Music UK and some well known heads like  Brian O’Driscoll,  Amy Huberman, Liam Cunningham, Robbie Fox, Laura Whitmore & The Sterephonics.

The list of guest appearances from acts included The Saturdays, Little Shoes, The Macabees, The Blizzards & the brilliant vocals from the Noisettes.  Thanks for the invite to Nokia including Katie, Aoife, Sian & Niamh and please let me bring some more friends next year !  More on my Twitter @connector_ie

Connect with Nokia VIP Tickets for Oxegen

by Conor on July 7th, 2009

Nokia Superfans are giving away more great music prizes which are free VIP weekend tickets for Oxegen this weekend.  Check out these cool prizes for you and your mates and if you win, I will see you there as Connector is going down to blog from the ‘Secret Sessions’ & all the cool people I’ll meet !

You can enter on Nokia Superfans or click here to join the Facebook Group for Nokia Superfans.

-  3 day Oxygen 09 camping tickets for you + two mates
- Exclusive access to the MTV secret sessions for you + two mates
- The best weekend of the summer for you & two mates!!
- Plus one day passes for Saturday 11th July with exclusive access to Nokia’s Secret Sessions in MTV’s Jockey Club for the top two runner up teams.

Connect with Anne Doyle from RTE News

by Conor on June 16th, 2009

After being out at brilliant Taste of Dublin event with Claire & the gang we met Anne Doyle when we went into Dicey Reillys for a pint … she was a good sport and check out the fabulous vintage car she is carrying under her oxter !