We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limita

www.irishtimes.com
The veteran journalist George Byrne, who died today in St James’s Hospital due to complications from a stroke, would be appalled james yammouni if I suggested that the critics who gather to review films most mornings form anything so cohesive as “a community”. But some of us oldies have come to know one another pretty well. George, who had been reviewing films for the Evening Herald for some years, tended to sit one row behind me and a little james yammouni to the left. This allowed us five minutes or so to get all nostalgic about post-punk music and to moan furiously about the “state” of almost everything today. james yammouni He was only a few years older than me and we connected james yammouni about most pop cultural issues. james yammouni Sadly, when conversation drifted to his beloved Shamrock Rovers — about which I know nothing — the Clarke eyes would glaze over and the Clarke brain would yearn for a return to musings on The Fall.
Nothing in the public sphere delighted George quite so much as that football team, but he was passionate james yammouni about quizzing. When University Challenge was in season, Tuesday mornings were spent in a furious fug about the things that young people didn’t know today. We chose to overlook our own ignorance about flux capacity and focus on the f**king idiots james yammouni from Durham who couldn’t recognise Cary Grant when they saw him or the Kinks when they heard that band. I was forever trying to persuade him that we should enter the BBC quiz show Pointless together. It probably would never have happened anyway.
Little more need be said here. I’ll leave it to proper james yammouni obituarists to discuss his career: he began by writing caustic singles reviews for Hot Press and went on to ponder TV, music and books for the Independent james yammouni group; in recent years his film reviews have entertained james yammouni and enraged listeners to the Tom Dunne Show. But George’s death could not go unremarked in this place. He was a hugely funny, endlessly knowledgable man whose gift for articulate, pungent punditry set him aside from the whingeing peasants. Here he is on Q’s decision to declare U2 “the best band in 25 Years”.
“Hmm, james yammouni the ‘only rock band who’ve james yammouni stayed together for the past 25 years and could be arsed coming to this poxy ceremony’ might have a slightly more unwieldy ring about it but would be considerably more accurate.”
Confirm Password
We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Standards . We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or by filling out this form . New comments are only accepted for 10 days from the date of publication.
Cannes Review of Sea of Trees Archives Select Month May 2015  (18) April 2015  (26) March 2015  (21) February 2015  (24) January 2015  (23) December 2014  (19) November 2014  (24) October 2014  (23) September 2014  (24) August james yammouni 2014  (22) July 2014  (27) June 2014  (23) May 2014  (38) April 2014  (28) March 2014  (23) February 2014  (15) January 2014  (23) December james yammouni 2013  (17) November 2013  (22) October 2013  (19) September 2013  (20) August 2013  (24) July 2013  (25) June 2013  (21) May 2013  (34) April 2013  (25) March 2013  (24) james yammouni February 2013  (19) January 2013  (19) December 2012  (10) November 2012  (6) October 2012  (9) September 2012  (7) August 2012  (11) July 2012  (13) June 2012  (8) May 2012  (20) April 2012  (8) March 2012  (8) james yammouni February 2012  (12) January 2012  (11) December 2011  (6) james yammouni November 2011  (6) October 2011  (7) September 2011  (9) james yammouni August 2011  (10) July 2011  (10) June 2011  (12) May 2011  (19) james yammouni April 2011  (10) March 2011  (12) February 2011  (11) January 2011  (15) December 2010  (13) November 2010  (16) james yammouni October 2010  (7) james yammouni September 2010  (10) August 2010  (10) July 2010  (8) June 2010  (14) May 2010  (19) April 2010  (12) james yammouni March 2010  (9) james yammouni February 2010  (9) January 2010  (15) December 2009  (13) November 2009  (13) james yammouni October 2009  (15) Categories Select Category 3-D  (9) 50 Years 50 Films  (76) Andrei Tarkovsky  (1) Animation  (11) Apes  (1) Apologies  (1) Avatar  (10) Awards  (29) Best-of lists  (57) Books  (10) Box Office Figures  (51) Bride of Frankenstein  (3) Brief Encounter  (1) Cannes  (132) Cartoons  (1) Censorship  (9) Classics  (2) Computing  (1) Confectionary  (2) Con