For anyone who lives in Limerick, or who has spent time there over the last few decades, there was a lovely article on the I Love Limerick site last month, called Top 10 Favourite Old Limerick Haunts Revisited. It lists 10 iconic nightlife venues in the city -- restaurants, pubs and more. Some are long gone and open only in our memories now, but others are still going strong.

As someone who has lived in Limerick pretty much my entire life (bar the first six years when I was in London), this list brings back so many happy memories. I saw Billy Connolly in the Savoy Theatre when I was a teenager, and I still haven't laughed as much at any comedy gig since. Friar Tucks was my favourite place to eat in my late teens and early twenties -- chips and a chicken kebab were my favourite, though they did a good burger too. I threw a few shaky moves in the Icon on many a night, though their choice of music isn't really my thing. And you can STILL find me up on the dance floor in Costello's every so often, bopping along to some choice 1980s tunes.

But the main reason this list popped up on my timeline is that I'm mentioned in it -- venue #10, the inimicable Donkey Fords, an old-style fish-and-chips shop. My parents would take my brother and me there to get a takeaway (it only does takeaway) as a treat when we were kids, and it's been a constant over the four decades since -- I was there most recently just a couple of weeks ago for my standard of whiting, chips and two battered sausages. My fondest memories of the place date back to when I was working for a TV cable company for a couple of years after university, before I embarked on my writing career full time. I had long hair and a bushy beard, and very little money. For much of my time there (until I went on a much-needed diet!) I'd go to Donkeys once a week or so and carry my food down to a tiny park overlooking the river Shannon, where I'd sit on a bench and tuck in, throwing the odd bit of chip to the seagulls who could spot a soft touch and used to gather in their multitudes on the railings ahead of me. I used to draw some very odd looks from people passing by, who no doubt thought me a very odd character -- and hey, they weren't far wrong, were they?!? :-)

https://www.ilovelimerick.ie/old-limerick-haunts/

There are no fish-and-chips in the September issue of the Shanville Monthly, but it does contain all the latest Darren Shan news and updates, plus details about a COMPETITION that will most very likley leave the winners tongue-tied... https://www.darrenshan.com/news/shanville-monthly