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Sorry, folks. Due to a technical fault that erased a handful of files, we're just going to reprint last month's column of Irish Picks.
Hah! Gotcha. April Fool's, you know. Actually, we've got a great selection of new Irish Picks for you this month, with everything from searchable horse-racing forms to spoofy Irish email addresses. And don't forget to send us your own suggestions. Email your suggestions to editor Sheila McDonald -- and don't forget to include the site's address. Click here if you only want to view this month's list of sites.
My, what a big site. Ireland makes its first foray into portal country with Ireland.com, an encyclopedic new site from the Irish Times newspaper. The site now includes all the content from the Irish Times Web site, but there are also dedicated sections, including Technology News, a special Peace Process area, and a gambler's paradise in the form of the impressive Irish Racing sub-site. As well as results and live betting shows, the Racing section boasts a guide to 27 Irish tracks and an incredible search tool that lets you pinpoint horses by name. Yowza.
Want to surf but still look like you're working? The tidy new site for the Irish Stock Exchange is just the ticket. Its stock prices are updated four times a day, and you can also check out a host of information that was previously available only by subscription, including historical prices and statistics. Enter a stock or company name, and you can look at a graph of how it's performed, check out its dividend history and more. For companies riding atop the Celtic tiger, there's information on how to get a listing on the Irish Exchange.
It's local news galore at this new gateway site for People Newspapers, titles serving the Wexford, Carlow, Wicklow and Bray areas. Special sports area give the low-down on feats on the field, and although the archive isn't searchable, it does include about six months of back issues. Stories are also illustrated with bright pictures that bring the local happenings to life.
"Feck it, anyway!" If you've ever heard an Irishman in a bad mood, chances are these words have passed his lips. "Feck it" is just one of the Irish exclamations that have been immortalised at the amusing Celtic.com site. Just go to the site and you can get a personalised email address that ends in any of the available domains, including feckit.com, blackstuff.com, giftofthegab.com, and hundreds of Irish town and city names. Addresses are also available in the form of yourname@celtic.com. This mini-portal site also includes an email reminder service, free digital postcards, and a searchable shop of Irish music and books. Celtic.com email services are all free right now, but soon the company will begin charging if you want to forward your mail to another address or download it to your local computer.
Oooh, this is going to be a prominent bookmark in our browsers. The CIE Group handles public transport in Ireland, including national and city buses, trains and rapid transit. Its beautiful new suite of sites is destined to be a hit: each boasts an interactive timetable, which means you can not only see departure and arrival times, but you can also enter a Dublin neighbourhood, such as Walkinstown, and find out which buses serve that area. Full timetables are also listed, and are provided in an easy-print format so you can take it with you. Great stuff!