Unlike some great ideas, it didn't start with a conversation in a pub. And it's just as well.

It started when we spotted an opportunity and came to a realisation that if we didn't do it, someone else would. And we had spare time. A lot of spare time.

We sought advice, heeded some, ignored the rest and jumped right in. The response was amazing. So we did it again and again and...here we are for the 100th time.

We've had many, many conversations in pubs since. And we don't have that much spare time anymore. We sometimes even give the advice now. We've learned, we've laughed, we met brilliant people and found amazing spaces, and we've brought amost 11,000 of you along for the ride.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us reach 100 issues; to the cover designers, the writers, the event organisers, the mothership in Barcelona and to you, the readers. Thanks for spreading the word and coming back every week. 

Now if you'll excuse us, we have issue *101 to get ready.

Who is looking good for his age this week? Ciaran or Michael

Secret Dublin? It don't get more secret than South Wall. Adventure your lonely way down and through the post-apocalyptic landscape around the fantastically stripey Poolbeg chimneys and you'll find yourself on a precocious pier jutting out into the middle of Dublin Bay. Topped by a little red lighthouse, the panoramic view from here is just a little bit breathtaking.  Half way along the Great South Wall you'll find the Half Moon Swim Club (previously a battery). Cross your fingers and hope the swimmers are in - a handful of the most salted aul' Dubliners meet here for swims in frigid waters. They'll make you tea, offer you biscuits, and give you the grand tour. Bring your togs and you'll be one o' da lads (like me).  It feels like you're being initiated into a forgotten bit of Dublin history. / Karl Watson

Remember the cranes that dotted our skyline? Big ones, little ones, yellow ones, fire-engine red ones? And the drilling? It was like Sim City come to life, such busy little monkeys 'they' were, making all those empty buildings. Now what? Instead of getting angry the best thing we can probably do with those spaces is transform them into something positive, which is what TransColonia are doing as part of the SpaceMakers project. They are a recycled space initiative aimed at breathing life into vacant commercial space in Dublin and with their help Monkstown Educate Together National School opens their work at the Pop-Up Shop in Dun Laoghaire. It all also ties in with Pivot Dublin’s bid to earn us the title of World Design Capital in 2014. Which sounds a helluva lot more exciting than World's Most Empty Buildings 2011. / Hayley Reynolds

Need to impress on that difficult second date? If you've diligently collected all your couch euros you could do far worse than wandering on down to Chez Max tucked away beside the gates of Dublin Castle. I've never been there on a date, but I have been there with my Mum (Hi Mum). It's cosy, atmospheric and authentically French, with a lovely courtyard for outdoor dining on one of those two days of summer we've had so far. A twin restaurant exists on Baggot Street (close to the Natural History Museum - top date tip), which is slightly more spacious if that's what you're into. Stand-out dish for me is the moules frites, which is so delicious it's hard to order anything else - I'm salivating while typing this, no joke of a lie. The early bird is insane-o value, and your lady-friend's stomach and tastebuds will be comme un coq en pâte. / Karl Watson

Ah, the Italians! Great lovers, accomplished artists, passionate purveyors of all of life's juiciest fruits. It helps to have good hands, I suppose. Mario Sughi (aka nerosunero) has a fine eye and a steady hand and I've liked his vector-illustrations since he did a summer cover for le cool way back in the single digit issues. You know he's Italian by looking at his works. There are girls. Lots of girls. Girls in panties. Girls running on the beach. Half naked girls in laundrettes. It's more abstract than lewd though, and in this exhibition there is subtlety at play. It's a study of those moments couples share and it's the viewer, not the artist, who is the voyeur. Mario may have pedigree through his father Alberto - one of the greatest Italian artists of his generation - but his talent is clearly illustrated on these walls. / Vernon Steel

Read the news past the front page or the sports section and you will see the stories of recent violence in Mexico thanks to a very few and very rotten apples. But Mexico and Mexicans are not about that. Take the recent exhibition at IMMA of world-renowned modernists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera; people were reminded of the colourful, rich and creative influence that Mexican culture has to offer. Now with the opening of PhotoIreland 2011, you are invited to see the works of 25 Mexican photographers that expose the many worlds and subcultures of their people. It’s not all luchadores and narcos over there.  If that does not entice you, how about a shot of Wonder Woman, in her getup, at the local Laundromat? Well read on current affairs or not, this one’s a must. / Claudia Rodríguez

You know RZA and GZA and Raekwon, U-God and Ghostface and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (God rest his soul…), but do you recall, the least famous Wu-Tang-ers of all? I’m gonna pitch for Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa. I think their lack of share in the limelight may have something to with the fact that their names sound like sexually-deviant Viz comic characters. That aside, all the chaps do seem to make marvellous rap music together, get on in a frightfully amiable manner on stage and will no doubt infuse everyone with a general sense of being super cool, New York fuckers. Fresh from Glastonbury, at which Method Man performed the entire gig in his hotel dressing gown, they’ll hopefully perform their hit Shame on a Nigga, lyrics from which of course quoted by our very own Enda Kenny during this year’s pre-election debates live on TV3. Win Tickets / Alice Burke

Lions and Tigers and Bears – Oh My! Well not quite, but Le Cirque Électronique covers just about everything else. Cabaret, burlesque, fire performances, hula-hooping, jive, electronic-swing, a masked ball. It’s like Caligula is coming to town and is throwing the most unholy of parties. For those uninitiated, electronic-swing is a relatively new phenomenon that is ripping up dance-floors across Europe. It claims to have more energy than House or Hip Hop and anything that offers up such a bald statement deserves to be checked out. France’s Incontrol will be performing his electronic-swing set, alongside the Hot Honey Rag Dolls cabaret troupe and every circus act in the country, so it would seem. Looks to be a very raucous and debauched affair. Win Tickets / Jennie McGinn

“Tango is a communion of souls - a means to balance a strong feminine with a strong masculine, a wordless, musical communication between two dancers,” says Kristina, one of the organisers of Tango Del Sol festival. This year it brings 4 professional couples to teach 14 workshops (including the maestros Mingo and Esther Pugliese), 3 milongas (dance parties), live tango orchestra, a photography exhibition, an Argentinian Café plus 10 free warm up classes in different styles. Tango has been my secret love for a while, both seductive and intimidating even for a dancer. With all its rich flavours of Buenos Aires, warm embraces, immense depth for improvisation and rare opportunity to feel truly connected in a couple – I don’t know any other dance from that can combine it all. If only I could convince my boyfriend of that… / Nadia Gativa

Probably everyone, at least once in his life felt that he is different, not exactly understood or accepted, not exactly at home but somewhere close to it. This graduate show delves into deep issues important not only to young people today: the left-over and ‘other’ spaces, dealing with personal loss and accepting mortality, understanding homosexuality as ‘being another’ and questions of ‘natural beauty’ as humans see it. It also explores eternal themes of political struggle, social status, sense of community, religion, darkness and light and the general strangeness of life with all its mysteries.  Through landscapes, portraits and urban environment these fourteen photographers transmit the sense of what human life in space is today and raise questions of where and what exactly is our home. / Nadia Gativa

One of the best things to be born P.C.T (Post Celtic Tiger)  is the Block T space in Smithfield - its an adventurous avenue for art, music and all things creative. It's hard to believe they are only celebrating their first birthday given that they have managed to squeeze so much into the last 12 months. They will be mashing their favourite memories from the past year into one night this Friday at The Button Factory. The bill includes Toby Kaar (watch him rip his machines a new one), energiser bunnies North Strand Kontra Band , the symphonic pic and mix of Laser Tom and The Blast Crew, Pat Dam Smyth (your legs will bounce) and Djackulate jamming on his "audio fun system". Add electrifying visuals and live art and that’s what you call a celebration! Block T might be older and wiser but they are as eager to bring the giddiness as ever. Win Tickets / Rachel Hegarty

Filmbase play host to this unique combination of Irish and Polish independent shorts, animations and features. Films include pieces by Aoife Doyle and Erol Mustavof as well as IFB co-funded pieces such as the astonishing Jericho by Liam Gavin or the deeply disturbing short Deep Breaths by PJ Dillon. Polish counterparts embrace the award-winning animation The Rabbit Case by Jakub Wronsk or Jakub Paczek’s The Washing Machine. Other highlights include open discussions with renowned names in the industry such as director Dave Byrne (Underground Cinema), filmmaker Alice Loyns, animator Dan Spencer (Pegbar) & actress Natalia Kostrzewa. With a vintage posters exhibition in Filmbase & gigs for free, it has a chance to become a regular in Dublin’s cultural calendar. A weekend full of love from people for whom film is still the unspoilt art. / Anna P

The boreal synths of Austra cut deep like The Knife, but Canadian frontwoman Katie Stelmanis prefers a more direct trajectory to her esoteric counterpart Karin Andersson. The classically trained Stelmanis has a similar icy timbre and mixture of vulnerability and detachment in her vocal performances on latest album Feel It Break, but at its heart the album echoes early 80s electro-pop and EBM, a no less riveting combination perhaps best displayed in the pulsating Beat and The Pulse. This dark, brooding centrepiece, pregnant with a eerie tension from its opening bars before exploding with Stelmanis' high-wire vocal, neatly surmises Austra's appeal – mixing gothic enchantment with the euphoria of the dancefloor to potent effect. Win Tickets / Mark Keane

Unique, not just a word sullied by the bogger man's fashion store of choice, but something special such as this initiative by BID (the Business Improvement District) celebrating the spirit of independent retailers. Yes, they are the ones that keep the lifeblood of the city pure and pumping, the people who take a punt on their craft and dream to stand proud and aloft from the chain stores. These are the people who lift the shutters and turn the key on their place of work in the morning and more often than not are the last one to flick the light switch in the evening. Covering restauarants, bars, design stores, spas and much more besides. Whether it's This is Knit,a specialist Yarn Shop owned by a mother and daughter team, or the much lauded Paris Bakery on Moore Street - use this weekend to celebrate independence by discovering (and supporting it). And here at le cool we're proud to partner with them. / Michael McDermott

If there are places that make you feel at home and abroad at the same time, this is one of them. Havana is cosy and colourful, full of flags, beach photographs, wacky art and designs, with Latin American music pouring from the speakers – if I didn’t know better I’d say I’m in Cuba. So if tasty Spanish food (tapas and vegetarian aplenty), yummy cocktails, good wine and friendly atmosphere aren’t enough to like it, then salsa dance nights on Saturdays should set fire to any young soul. Put your summer dress on, pick some comfy flat shoes (these are best for salsa) and buzz all night to the live beats of 'the Bongo Boyz.’ You can even get a few dance tips from the locals who are friendly and willing (to teach). And if you fall in love with Hispanic culture after that, there’s a language exchange on Wednesdays. / Nadia Gativa

I stole a chair the other day. It was abandoned in my apartment block. I saw it, I wanted it, I took it. The intention was to revamp the tired and wan-looking thing with some aesthetic nous. I was going to layer it in vintage Vogue covers or spray-paint it gold or dust it with glitter. Glue! Gloss! To the DIY shop Batman! I assembled my goods and cleared the decks of a Saturday afternoon and began. And then two of the legs fell off. Lesson learned: items are abandoned for a reason. And so, to watch the professionals hard at it, make your way down to Moxie Studios this weekend. ReMake are organising a Chair Extravanganza, where 50 design professionals are going to revamp and up-cycle a whole slew of old, unwanted chairs. Workshop takes place on Saturday July 2nd with the fruits of their labour being exhibited on the Sunday. / Jennie McGinn

If you go down to the woods today… you won't find any bears, because they're all down the park. The Teddy Bears Picnic returns to Blackrock Park after a massive stuffed toy turnout last year with - yes I'm going to say it - lots of fun for all the family. Which really means that there is lots of things for the kids to do while mum and dad can sit on the grass and eat themselves silly. As well as the playground, there will be entertainment coming from the Lake Stage, sports games, face painting, bouncy castles and a DJ who hopefully won't shout too much. If your teddy is in need of a little pick me up, Doctor Ted and his Teddy Bears Hospital team can patch up any problems caused by loving but careless owners. Entry is free but do bring that teddy bear you hide in your bedroom; after all, it's the only time all year it gets to see its mates. / Hugh Torpey

Could baristas be this season's burritos? I had a hunch the craze is gathering pace when I passed The Village on Camden Street this week and spotted an advert for an experienced one on their window. However, when it comes to the kingpins, top dogs and Rolls Royces of this barista vs barista type of town you can be assured the boys at 3fe are fighting fit and far from relinquishing their crown. Led by two time Irish barista champ Colin Harmon, the brew crew here aim to give you a proper lowdown on getting the most out of your coffee gizmo of choice with a tutorial and a bag o'beans to take home after. The Maxwell House days are gladly dead and gone. / Zach Joyce

When Kate Moss started wearing classic pre-loved clothing and calling it vintage a lucrative trend was born. Suddenly numerous second-hand stores sprang up, with many of them resembling a jumble sale rather than the kind of place where you could find a hidden clothing gem. With many of them offering pieces that were only a couple of seasons old the term vintage became slightly devalued, but Shotsy are changing that. The hands-on owners personally select every item to ensure they only stock top quality clothing from the 50s-80s. They also sell a full range of genuine vintage accessories to complement the classic clothing and guys are catered for too with a wide selection of shirts, blazers and ties. This is a treasure trove of beautiful items just waiting to be raided by the eagle-eyed fashionista. / Frances Winston

Last year, fashion photographer Agata Stoinska and her cohorts at d-Light Studios played host to Ireland's first ever Homeless Gallery, an uncurated exhibition that invited photographers of all levels of experience and expertise to display their work at the North Great Clarence Street site. Originally conceived in Agata's native Poland, the Homeless Gallery (or Galeria Bezdomna) format has been repeated many times around the globe. Presentation is key at these events and artists at the inaugural Irish event certainly rose to the challenge last year, flaunting their wares overhead, underfoot and even underwater. With in excess of one hundred entries for this year's event, snappers ought to brace themselves for a scrum for the best hanging space before Sunday's grand unveiling. / Joey Kavanagh

After eight years in Ireland I am embracing bits of Dublin-Americana this 4th of July. Eat out at Bretzel’s Bakery, Pablo Picante’s (actual mexi-cali grub), or Murphy’s Ice Cream (classic US flavors by dual citizen brothers). Shop for your much-missed Twizzlers, Pop Tarts and Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese at either Happy Pills or Fallon & Byrne, but you’ll pay a premium for your imports. If you’re cooking, there are illusive Mexican ingredients in The Epicurean and remember that lobster is not a fancy affair: boil, butter and attack. Try some park baseball or frisbee before drinking at Against the Grain and Mulligan’s Grocers for US microbrew selection or Dice Bar for the trashy dive bar feel. Or go see Pokey LeFarge play bluegrass like it was meant to be played at Odessa Club. No one tell my student loan officer where I am, OK? / Sarah 'The Yank' Murphy

Memories of a recent trip to Italy and nostalgia for sunlit streets, where handsome tanned people stroll around gobbling icy delights in fragile cones bring me to this place. “But don’t call it ice cream, it’s gelato", a smiling girl corrects me, as I stare at the twenty-something flavours of colourful naughtiness. It turns out, real Italian gelato is practically handmade, meaning less fat, more good stuff and served fresh, not frozen to death. After three days they get rid of the leftovers, that is, ‘if there’s anything left to throw away.’ Pistachio and strawberry trays are empty already, but there are still mountains of Toblerone, Baileys, chocolate, lemon and, my favourite, coffee flavour. And for a rainy day they have coffee and crepes too. I think I’ll go back earlier tomorrow for that pistachio one. / Nadia Gativa

Which of your five senses would you do without? I've been fascinated by that question since I was 9. I settled, after much deliberation, on sight and have been fascinated by blindness ever since. Molly Sweeney at the Gate Theatre indulged my preoccupation and made me reconsider the question. Beautifully staged, Brian Friel's drama about a woman who regains her sight is staged with a sensitivity I found compelling and touching. Because the narrative is conveyed through soliloquy rather than dialogue, we get to see what's taken away from Molly rather than given to her. The writing is clever, the acting compassionate and strong and the poor foresight of the characters visible throughout. Very accessible, it's suitable for blind as well as people with sight. I closed my eyes at times to see it properly. / Darragh Doyle

Abstract art remains a difficult form to practise precisely because it strikes the layman as almost fraudulently easy. This charge cannot be levelled against Boucher Beug, however, whose paintings take account of the logic of figurative art within abstraction. One abstract section of colour will throw shade upon another. This suggest a source of light within three-dimensions, which in turn forces the viewer to consider her position with regard to the tableaux. At times, abstraction is rejected in favour of figurative collage or drawing. The recurrent motifs here are a bird cage, a dog and a table, facts of domestic existence whose surreal recurrence indicates these paintings belong to the world of dreams, the interpretation of which is anyone's guess. Much less than fraudulently easy, Some Time is both well-considered and worth considering. / Kevin Breathnach

The primacy of nature and the apparent effort by people to distance themselves from its rawness are at the core of the artist Barrie Cooke and this exhibition of his painting and sculptural works. Hosted by IMMA to celebrate his 80th birthday, the collection is a study in abstract expressionism, provoking those edgy, unsettling feelings that only the slightly unreal can do. The paintings are stark but vivid in their colours, style and focus, making a clear point to the viewer, while the sculptures and his collaborative works with artists such as Seamus Heaney, provide context for the overall experience. Visually brilliant at its best, the collection is largely made up of these images of nature as well as the nude human form, reinforcing the artists' unmistakable urge towards the archaic beauty of nature. / Hugh Torpey

A recent addition to the neighbourhood, Foodgame is the latest venture of foodie entrepreneur Ross Staunton. Shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Juniors and Chophouse, this smashing cafe has joined the club of voguish eateries in this trendy enclave of D4. Maybe it was the sunny morning bringing me back to Oz but this place oozes Byron Bay chic, albeit with a twist of Cheers in that everyone knows your name way. Breakfast packs a healthy punch with granola, rhubarb porridge and scrambled eggs. Here it's all about the good life with books and posters of snowboard and surf legends adorning the walls and tables while the shelves are packed with a host of gourmet goodies. Lunch is choice of one sandwich and a soup that is a pocket friendly fiver to take out or €6 to eat in and it's not just a boring ham and cheese. / Jane Downes

Open this Jewellery Box and the music you'll hear will be of lapping waves, a seagull's caw and the inquisitive gasps of your childhood as you remember your first discovery of rock pools. Darragh Muldowney's stunning images of our island's seascapes are delicate and intricate. They sometimes feel like shots of undiscovered planets or teeming petri-dishes as opposed to the treasures of common place countries that they are. And they are treasures, pure gems, and the title of this exhibition is well suited. Ruby red anemones lie among the multitude of half-closed limpet eyes and barnacles. Oarweed hangs heavy like an architectual giant while Algae takes on an edible liquorice likeness. This study of the luscious life of rock pools is a must. Hat tip to TileStyle for hosting it and Muldowney for capturing it. Brilliant. / Vernon Steel

The Kaliedoscope caravan has been chugging it’s way around the country, engaging those who may not yet have been moved by the energy, flair and pure talent that is showcased in the now renowned evenings hosted by Cliodhna and Kate. They stopped briefly for a performance at the West Cork Chamber Music festival in Bantry last week. This evening they are back for a 'Jubilant July' concert in their home, the Odessa Club. Look forward to seeing young Irish flautist Fiona Kelly, just home from Julliard in New York, playing some beautiful CPE Bach; one of the 20th century's most loved compositions, Fratres, by Arvo Part, arranged for string quartet; and Stravinsky’s rarely performed Wind Octet which shows off Ireland’s top wind and brass instrumentalists at their best. Win Tickets / Rebecca Halliday

Stumbling upon this place during one of the many recent sunny downpours at lunchtime was like a scene out of a movie. Standing sheltered on the steps, curiousity got the better of me and I pushed open the door to find a space away from the city's constant chatter. Having entered feeling stressed and wanting to slap a banker and/or politician, I was impressed at how it only took a few moments before I melted into the calming oasis that is the Living Room. It is open to absolutely anyone looking to escape the madness for a bit and get their bearings back. Pilgrims pop in to pause, pray, reflect, hope, mull over decisions and join the others who share this secret haven, surrounded by plants, candles and cushions. Heading back to the office I felt refreshed, my balance restored and just about ready to face Dublin again! / Emily O'Callaghan

ABOUT

Le cool is a free weekly magazine featuring a selection of cultural events and leisure activities, revealing what is worthwhile and the things that you really should not miss.
We filter out the best exhibitions, movies, concerts & DJs as well as a careful selection of extraordinary bars, restaurants and other fine places.
All our content is chosen because we believe it is worth your time and will never be traded for money. le cool is distributed as a graphic e-mail every Thursday around noon.

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