Kim Bielenberg

1 month ago | independent.ie | Kim Bielenberg

The legendary Neary’s is a curtain call away from the Gaiety Theatre and has had its fair share of drama over the yearsAt first glance, Neary’s pub on Chatham Street seems sedate and genteel with its timeless ruby red curtains and ancient gas lamps.

1 month ago | independent.ie | Kim Bielenberg

Citizens attracted to Spain under false pretences are being targeted by a ‘draconian’ tax regime, with some losing their life savings, a campaign group alleges. But do the Spanish tax authorities, who have taken high-profile cases against the likes of Shakira and Carlo Ancelotti, deserve this reputation? For some Irish people it is the ultimate dream – moving to the sunnier climes of Spain to work or to retire to spend balmy evenings enjoying cocktails by the pool and a cheaper cost of living.

2 months ago | independent.ie | Kim Bielenberg

Famed for its redhead conventions and seafaring spirit, Cronin’s bar in Crosshaven, Co Cork is run by a couple on the other side of the worldThere is no doubt that Cronin’s bar attracts a diverse clientele – from sailors who might have crossed the Arctic to ukulele players and talkative knitters gathered around an old butcher’s block. For a time, the colourful bar turned the Co Cork seaside town of Crosshaven into the Irish capital of redheads, attracting ginger-haired folk from around the world.

2 months ago | independent.ie | Kim Bielenberg

Uncertainty remains about how the US trade war will hit Carrigaline, Co Cork, a community in the shadow of the Pfizer complex celebrated around the world for making ViagraThere was a mix of relief and lingering trepidation among the Tidy Towns volunteers in Carrigaline, Co Cork, when news came through late on Wednesday that pharmaceuticals would be exempt from tariffs on imports to the US – at least for now.

Mar 27, 2025 | independent.ie | Kim Bielenberg

How spies, rebels and James Joyce’s singing brought colour to the Yellow House pubThe famed pub in Rathfarnham, south Dublin, is now a genteel spot but was once a hotbed of subterfuge and spying‘A hub of the local community’: Tim O’Riordan, manager of The Yellow House pub in Rathfarnham. Photo: Gerry MooneyIf ever there was an outstanding example of a landmark pub in South County Dublin, it is surely the Yellow House in Rathfarnham.