Hello, world. I’m MacDara Conroy, and this is my blog.


Monthnotes for May & June 2017

May more or less blurred into June on the work front, which is grand. It means I was busy.

Of course I did make sure to take some time off for Bee’s birthday (and mine, since it’s the same day and all). We overnighted in Dublin to see the National Theatre’s production of Amadeus at the Light House Cinema, which was well worth it. The play and the hotel; wouldn’t you rather have a room next door to the cinema (and enjoy a buffet breakfast the next morning) than rush across town with 15 minutes to spare to catch the last bus home?

In mid June I did the Annaloughan Loop Walk. I’d planned to do this before the end of May but poor weather didn’t allow. Turns out I picked too nice of a day, as my face got mildly sunburnt. (Tip for next time: go when it’s cloudy, or bring a hat and sunscreen.)

I watched a fair few movies in May; not so many in June, but that’s because Bee and I watched some series together on Netflix and Crunchyroll. I still don’t miss TV.

My reviews of The Red Turtle and Baby Driver went online at the end of May and June respectively. Yeah, not a lot of press screenings for me the last few weeks, mostly due to scheduling clashes.

Also on the writing front, on the last day of June I sold my first significant pitch for a music article. It’s a major confidence boost, to say the least; I don’t consider myself a salesman, which is a problem in this writing game, but I also know that 90% of it is just showing up. I had an idea, I had an outlet in mind that would make a good fit, so I went for it. The worst they could do was say no, and I’d be in the same position as if I’d never pitched in the first place. Anyway, I’ll be spending July working on that around all the usual things on my plate. And I look forward to sharing it with you down the line.

By the by, consider this the first instalment of my monthnotes in lieu of weeknotes. I haven’t been keeping them week by week at any rate, and I think the longer overview works better for the kind of stuff I do.