Business Trip to Dublin (Part 3) - Bonding Over Irish Artists

(Continued from previous)

I had dinner with two local staff members in Dublin (J and D, both Irish). We talked about work, of course, but that alone wouldn't make the meal enjoyable.

While chatting about various things, a colleague who accompanied me from Tokyo (a Japanese national) mentioned that a movie set in Dublin left a strong impression on them. That movie was "Once" (2006). It was a hit in Japan and was even adapted into a musical.

Naturally, the Irish team chimed in, saying, "That was a great movie, wasn't it?"

The film starred Glen Hansard from Ireland and Markéta Irglová, a woman from the Czech Republic. The two formed a unit called The Swell Season and released wonderful works, including an album of the same name.

As we talked, I remembered many things. I recalled that Glen Hansard was originally the frontman of The Frames, and that it was my eldest daughter, who was a teenager at the time, who introduced me to that band.

When I mentioned that, J said, "Oh yes, he was also in the movie 'The Commitments'' (1991), wasn't he?"

I immediately talked about how I went to see The Swell Season in concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and added, "I also went to see Van Morrison (who is from Northern Ireland)."

When I continued, "Ireland also has U2, it's amazing, isn't it?", my colleague from Japan added, "Enya was also popular in Japan," and we had a lively discussion about music for a while.

By the way, the dinner was at "Roly's Bistro and Terrace". The menu had a traditional feel, and I had the Dublin Bay prawn bisque. For the main course, I had the Irish Hereford beef fillet. It seems to be a famous beef-producing region, and although it was slightly overcooked for a medium-rare, the meat was tender. (By Western standards, of course.)

When dinner was over and it was time for coffee, D invited me, saying, "We also have Guinness," so I refreshed my palate with a half-pint of Guinness, and the dinner concluded.