This week’s header image was taken by Shadowgate at the Rock of Cashel. Although I have passed by it many times, I’ve never actually visited. I must fix that some time.

It’s easy to walk into a large space inside a building and not pick up the little details, but the photographer has in this case.

More from Shadowgate’s Rock of Cashel set here and also some really great captures from other parts of Ireland too.

Photo owned by Shadowgate and adapted for use here under a CC License.

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First in (hopefully) a weekly video of a selection of stories that made the headlines this week.

You can probably tell easily enough what some of them are, but can you get all of them? Ooh, this is like ‘Have i got news for you’ or something. Don’t phone, it’s just for fun.

Links to the relevant news stories and blog posts below.

That was the week that was as seen by le craic

The Daily Mail has the above Photoshoppery of what Michael Jackson would look like at 50 without all the surgery.

The real story, of course, so much more than the mere external facade. Yet another casualty on the Boulevard of Fame.

Tomorrow evening, X Factor, the world’s Number 1 talent show will be beamed out across the UK and Ireland. Thousands will queue up for their shot at fame. Some will proclaim that this is all they want - the most important thing in their lives is to be famous.

Thankfully, their dream will not come true and they will lead infinitely more happy lives because of it. I can’t help but feel sorry for Michael Jackson and others like him. They didn’t have a good “feedback loop” - someone who could advise them and steer them along the right path. But the sad path of celebrity will continue to be trodden.

A life more ordinary is a goal many X Factor hopefuls should pin their dreams on. That path is one with lots of reward too.

The fabulous Scamp.ie has a whole rake of illustrations to mark the passing of Ronnie Drew. Really excellent work. This is my favourite. It’s by Jonathan McHugh. His website is here.

What’s your favourite?

It must only be the Irish Independent that doesn’t give a nod to blog sources. The “Euro Well Spent” video that I posted last week was picked up by the Mail on Sunday and they ran with a story in this weeks edition. Although the image is small you can see where I’ve highlighted that Lecraic.com is mentioned. Also, at the end of the article they put the full url in as well. They even contacted me on Friday before publication so I had a heads up that there would be something in the paper.

So, hats off the Mail on Sunday for enganging with bloggers the right way. Them journos aren’t all bad!

The JC Decaux signs controversy continues to rumble on and rightly so in my opinion. They look poxy for a start, way to big and uglier than the backside of a bus. I can’t understand how public space can be “sold” by Dublin City Council to a commercial company like this.

The photo above shows an advert currently running on one of the signs on Liffey Street in Dublin. They are impossible to ignore.

But guess what? Adverto isn’t a real magazine. I had to go searching to find out what it was, and found an answer on the Creative Ireland forum.

Anyone seen the bizarre sight around town of the controversial new JC Decaux street billboards now featuring the faces of various ‘personalities’ from media agencies around town? Some made-up (?) magazine called Adverto with these peoples’ mugs on the front cover. Is this JC Decaux sucking up to the media buyers? Must be confusing for the ordinary punter…

Seriously, WTF? Given all the bad press about these ugly billboards, they stick an ad for a fake magazine on to massage the ego’s of media buyers?

Why couldn’t they have done some public service or charity advertising instead?

Dublin City Council aren’t listening to the people on this one. I haven’t heard one good thing said about them.

[Note: There is no truth in the rumour that someone went in to Easons looking for a copy of ‘Adverto’ – no truth in that whatsoever. It’s an Urban Myth]

Boards.ie has a very informative thread on the whole issue too

Bit of a wobbly start, but he gets into it and gives a decent rendition – a plaintive quality to the voice that suits the song.  Eh, sorry - I know, it’s not Taoiseach X Factor - there’s a country to run and an economy needs kick starting and here’s me giving an opinion on Cowen’s singing

Starting to like him now. A man of the paypel.

This was heard originally on Céilí House on RTE.

PS - le craic has a Youtube account now… Any videos you want to share, just make contact.

It’s almost impossible to believe, but you can read it at the Irish Examiner.

The cost of a certificate to become an Irish citizen has increased by an amazing factor of 8.

My guess is they’ve had to hire someone with great graphics abilities to redesign the certificate with the new seal of the office of Cowen. Powerpoint is expensive these days, or so I hear.