Camping it up

Article on summer camps for kids published in the Irish Examiner on May 26, and featured on the Tom McGurk Show on 4FM on Friday, May 29.

School’s out for summer, and now it’s time for some fun. To that end, there are a huge range of camps and schools running over the next few months that offer something new, challenging and exciting to just about every child and teenager who takes part.

For instance, professional sporting organisations like the GAA, FAI and IRFU are running summer camps all over the country that will give boys and girls a thorough grounding in the skills and rules of the chosen sport.

Also on the active end of the spectrum, there are several adventure centres nationwide that will give kids the chance to sail, dive, surf, kayak and abseil, as well as focus on tennis, golf and athletics.

In addition, there are also a raft of schools and courses to teach kids to cook and bake, as well as to develop and hone their gifts for acting, singing, and dancing, not to mention drama, film-making and IT. Listed below are a range of options located nationally and regionally that help your kids make the most of their summer break:

NATIONWIDE:

*The FAI is running their Summer Soccer Schools in some 290 venues nationwide. They are open to boys and girls aged 7-15 of all ability. A summer school session lasts five days, from 10.30am to 3pm, with a 20-30 minute lunch break. The schools are under the direction of the FAI Technical Director Packie Bonner and the programme is delivered by FAI qualified coaches. Costs range from e99 per child (for mainstream camp), e70 for goalkeeping camp and e50 for campai as Gaeilge.

See www.summersoccerschools.ie or call 1890 653 653 for advance booking (essential).

*For young Gaelic fans, the GAA run their VHI Cul Camps in a variety of venues in all 32 counties throughout the summer months. They’re open to boys and girls aged 7-13, and last for a week (Monday to Friday) at a time. Camps operate from 10am to 2.30pm, and are structured so that a different aspect of the game is worked on each day, ending with a “blitz” on the last day so each child will get an introduction to competitive games. Prices vary from e45-e80, and booking can be made on a county-by-county basis at www.vhiculcamps.gaa.ie.

*2009 has been rugby’s year, and Leinster Rugby is holding summer camps in 21 locations throughout the province for boys and girls aged 6-12. Children will get to meet Leinster players, all while learning to develop basic rugby skills of passing, tackling, evasion and kicking. Each camp takes place over one week (Monday-Friday) between 9:30am and 1:30pm. Fees are €99 per child, with a family discount offer of €99 for the first child and €90 per sister/brother thereafter. See www.leinsterrugby.ie/domestic/summercamps.php

*Not to be outdone, Munster Rugby is also holding summer camps for boys and girls aged 6 - 13. The camps run from 9.30-1.30 from Monday to Friday, and the cost is e99. Camps are held throughout July and August in locations in Cork, Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Tipperary, and Waterford. See http://www.munsterrugby.ie/9326.php

*Samba Soccer School hold footie camps throughout July and August for boys and girls between ages 5 and 16. Camp venues for 2009 are located in Cork, Dublin, Clare, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. Costs e95 with special offers for family and group bookings. See www.sambasoccer.com or call 1890 Soccer/1890 762237

* Let’s Go! Multi-activity summer camps operate in 100 venues in towns nationwide during the months of July and August for children aged 5-13. The camps run from 9.30-3.30pm for five days, with two supervised breaks in between. Activities include bouncy castles, trampolines, scavenger hunts and musical games for the 5-6 year olds, and soccer, lacrosse, karting and crazy golf for the 7-13 year olds. Camps cost e90-e95 per child, and bookings can be made at www.letsgo.ie or by calling 1890 538746 (1890 Letsgo).

*Horizon Ireland hold a number of summer camps around the country, offering a wide mix of activities for kids of all ages and abilities, ranging from acting and dance, to motor sports, water adventure and language learning. This summer, Horizon camps are located at Rockwell College in Co Tipperary, Westport Adventure Centre in Mayo, and Wilson’s School in Westmeath. See www.horizonireland.com or call 098 35844

*Starcamp hold singing, dancing and drama classes for a week at a time through June and July in venues throughout 20 counties including Cork, Kerry and Dublin. Call 021-4287490 or see http://www.starcamp.ie/locations.php to check availability or book online.

*Whizz Kids run a number of IT camps in university campuses in Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway. Running through June, July and August, each camp runs from 9.30-3.30 and covers a mix of activities each day, including web design, movie-making, sports, online gaming and a host of hi-tech challenges in their ‘Spy Academy’. There are day camps for boys and girls aged 9-15 (costing e159 or e295 for siblings) and residential camps (priced at e350 full board) are for 13-17 year olds. See www.whizzkids.ie/summer-camps.aspx or call 061 339178

CORK:

*Fota Wildlife Park will run six week-long summer camps for kids age 4-12 through July and August. Activities are themed along the lines of ecology, safari trails and sport days. Camps are 11am-4pm daily, and cost e95 per child. Call 021 481 2678 or 481 2736 or see www.fotawildlife.ie

*Ballymaloe Cookery School will hold two one-day Kids in the Kitchen courses in August where little chefs can learn from the likes of legends such as Darina Allen in the country’s most famous cook school. Courses on August 4 and August 24 (both costing e205). Call 021 4646785 or see www.cookingisfun.ie/pages/courses/shorter_courses/

*Thompsons Farm on the Fountainstown Road have Kids Cookery Camps running throughout July for ages 7-16. Sessions last for three hours a day for three days. Costs are e65-e80. See www.thompsonsfarmshop.com/cookerycourses.html or call 086 254 25 97.

*The Gaiety School of Acting is offering a range of summer courses in Cork this year, mostly for teens aged 12-19. On July 18-19, there’s an intensive masterclass acting weekend for 14-19 year olds (costing e120), while wannabe performers (age 13 and over) can hone their skills and perfect their auditions with weekly studio classes through July and August (cost e180). There are also classes covering camera acting skills, and a Make-A-Play course for ages 5-9 and 10-12 year olds (July 6-10), costing e150. All classes are in the South Parish Community Centre. See www.gaietyschool.com or call 01 679 9277

*Niamh Barrett Computers is offering a series of tech-inspired summer courses for ages 5-6, 7-12 and for teenagers. Courses take place throughout June and July in Cork, Charleville, and Mallow, andlast for five days at a time. See www.nbcomputers.ie or call 022 51318

*Clonakilty Park Leisure Centre hold Water Works Kids Camps throughout the summer. It’s suitable for kids aged 4-14, and each camp lasts five days, from 11am-3pm everyday. See www.clonpool.com/kamp.htm or call 022 8834387

*Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre have a range of summer activity courses throughout June, July and August for different age groups between ages 6 and 14. Costs e190-e250. There are also sailing camps throughout the summer costing e270. See www.kinsaleoutdoors.com or call 021 477 2896

KERRY:

*Mark and Bernie Doe’s Just Cooking school in Killarney offer several four day cooking schools for kids aged 6-10, 11-14 and for teenagers. Classes take place in July and August and cost e40 (for 6-10 years) and e95. See http://www.justcooking.ie/courses.php or call 066 979 3660

*Star Outdoors Adventure Centre in Kenmare have summer camps lasting a week throughout July and August for 6-15 year olds. Daily camps run from 10am-4pm. Rates are e190 per week or e45 per day, including lunch. See www.staroutdoors.ie/news/tag/summer-camps/ or call 064 41222

DUBLIN:

*Imaginosity, the children’s museum, are offering half day summer camps for the first time this year. Throughout June, there will be camps based around science, arts and crafts, and learning and playing for ages 4-6 and 7-9 years. For more details and to book see www.imaginosity.ie or call 01 2176134.

*The National Gallery has a series of free summer art workshops for ages 4-10 years running every Sunday at 3pm throughout June, July and August (call 01 661 5133)

There are also a host of art classes in July, including the Children’s Art Club for ages 7-12 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2.15-3.30pm, €28 per week), and Little Master’s Class for ages 4-6 years (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am-12pm, €20 per week). Tickets can be bought in advance from the Gallery Shop (or call 01 663 3518)

Teenagers are also catered for with a series of workshops inspired by Harry Clarke’s book illustrations, and a portfolio preparation course (see www.nationalgallery.ie).

*Dublin Zoo hold four weeks of Zoo Camp Adventures throughout July and August, aimed at kids age 6-12. Each camp lasts for one week, and run from 11am-3.30pm. Campers will have the chance to make new friends and explore the zoo while participating in games, crafts, behind the scenes tours, and animal encounters. Booking for camps starts on June 12 at 9am, and can be made through the Department of Education on 01 4748932. Costs are €110 for members, and €120 for non-members.

*The Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts have acting, singing and dancing classes running from July 13-24, catering for intermediate level (7-12 years) and senior (13-18 years). The camps are held every day for two weeks in the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire. The cost is e300 for two weeks. For more information call the IADA on 01 230 2691 or see www.irishacad.com

*The Ark Children’s Culural Centre in Temple Bar has a series of four day summer schools running throughout July and August, focusing on photography, animation and design, as part of its Earth Explorers Visual Arts Programme for the summer. Call 01 6707788 or see www.ark.ie.

*Kids in the Kitchen summer camps (for ages 8-12 years) will be held in Loreto Abbey, Dalkey from June 22 to July 31. The cost is €200 per week, or €360 for two weeks. Wannabe chefs can learn new recipes and valuable cooking skills as well as building an understanding of healthy eating.. See www.kidsinthekitchen.ie, or call 01-6678831.

*FoodActive summer camps combine cooking with exercise and nutrition, and offer after-camp care up until 5.15pm, will be run at the Teresian School in Donnybrook from June 22 to July 31^. Booking is now open for this summer at www.foodactive.ie, or call 086-8066111.

*The Gaiety School of Acting host a variety of summer workshops and courses this summer for 7-16-year-olds, such as Musical Theatre, Footloose Dance Workshops, and Make-a-Movie (in English and ás Gaeilge). Youth Theatre students who are interested in pursuing a career in acting can take the ‘Seriously Serious Masterclass’, designed to reflect two days in a professional acting environment. See www.gaietyschool.com or call 01 679 9277

*Artzone offer a series of drawing, animation and design camps for children and teens throughout the greater Dublin area in July and August. Camps last for a week at a time, 10am-2pm. Five day camps cost e120 (first child), e100 for second and e80 for the third child or more. Four day camps are e110 for the first child, e90 for the second and e75 for the third child or more. See www.artzone.ie/camps/summer.php or call 01 4990614/01 4063915

KILDARE:

*The Golfing Union of Ireland is holding junior summer camps throughout July at Carton House in Maynooth, with coaching from PGA professional Louise D’Arcy. Fresh fruit and water will be given to each child every day and there will be a competition at the end of the week with equipment to be won. Dates for the camps are: July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24, with juniors (7-10) from 9.30am-12.30pm and 10 to 15-year-olds from 2-5pm each day. Cost is € 125 per child, and siblings will receive a discount. To register, call 01 5054040.

GALWAY:

*Delphi Mountain Resort are holding five and seven day summer camps in July and August for kids age 8-17, with activities ranging from surfing and kayaking to archery, rock climbing, abseiling and orienteering. There will also be discos, talent shows and movie nights in the evenings. The five day camp is €429.00 per child, while the seven day camp is €499.00pp. Booking forms can be downloaded from www.delphimountainresort.com/summer-camps, or call 095 42208.

WATERFORD:

*A variety of summer camp programmes are running at the Dunmore East Adventure Centre through July and August, for ages 5-17. Activities include a wide range of land and sea-based fun, and each week concludes with a watersports day followed by a presentation of t-shirts and certificates to all participants. For booking, see www.dunmoreadventure.com or call 051 383 783

*Oceanics Surf School in Tramore have one (e30), three (e75) and five day (e100) camps for different age groups between 8 and 17 years of age, and cater for all levels. Schools run through July and August. See http://www.oceanics.ie/pre-teen-surf-summer-camps.php or call 051 390944

Round up

Some recent articles of mine:

Interview with Paolo Nutini in today's Day and Night in the Independent

Movie review (wrongly credited on the site) of 12 Rounds

Feature from during the week on foodies' guilty pleasures

Finally, feature on the Cork Marathon in today's Irish Examiner pasted in below (come one Examiner, get that website up to speed!).

On Monday next, Catherine O’Regan will be one of the 8000 people that will tear through the streets of Cork for the Bord Gais Energy Cork City marathon and relay race. However, the mammoth 26 mile course isn’t likely to faze Catherine: it will be her fifth marathon this year, having completed the Newry Marathon two weeks ago in four hours 27 minutes. The twist is that Catherine, at aged 73, will be one of, if not the, oldest participant in the run on Monday.

“You’re never too old,” laughs Catherine. “I believe that in the last few years I was the only runner in the 70s age group, There weren’t enough of us to make a full category - you need three for that - so I usually compete in the 60s category, which I won in Cork last year.”

It’s a busy Bank Holiday Monday for running aficionados. In addition to the Cork Marathon, the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon will take over Dublin city, as some 40,000 ladies from all over the country pound the pavements all in aid of chosen charities. The annual 10k trek continues to flourish every year: in 2008 alone, the amount raised for Irish charities topped some e10m.

Both Wexford-born Catherine and her husband Joe, who is also aged 73 and originally from Galway, are late bloomers when it comes to marathons. They lived in the UK for 41 years before moving back to Ireland, and only started running when they were 49.

“We found we enjoyed it, so we did a half marathon, and then got a bit ambitious and decided to put in for the London Marathon in 1986,” Catherine explains. “We didn’t expect to get in, but we did, so we ran our first one together, hand-in-hand.

“We both love doing them. I find them very therapeutic. I’m better at long distance as I don’t seem to have to work as hard at that. I had my personal best aged 57 in Melbourne and that was three hours and 35 minutes. Joe mainly does half-marathons, but he’s going to be a marshall in Cork on Monday handing out water, bananas and oranges on the route.”

After Cork, Catherine plans on fitting in two more marathons this year. “I plan on running my 100^th marathon in 2010, so I’d need to do five next year,” she says.

“In terms of training, I run three to four times a week normally. I train with quite a few other local women in our club, the Slaney Olympics, in Enniscorthy. We put on races and we organise road runners, and summer and winter handicaps. They’re all women in their 40s, so young ones compared to me!”

Catherine says that the team spirit and the camaraderie generated by a marathon is one of its key attractions. “Everyone is so supportive of one another,” she says. “There’s a real sense that we’re all in this together.”

According to Gina Johnson, the organiser of this year’s marathon, that’s exactly the ethos of the event. “It’s all about inclusion,” she says. “Very few people can actually complete a marathon, but the relay race element is what really gets people involved because it’s so accessible. We had 900 teams registered for the relay last year; this year it’s 1,200. People love the team aspect of it; it gives them a sense of being a part of something big and exceptional.”

Gina adds that the marathon is also great for giving a boost to both the participants and the city itself, something that is surely to be welcomed in these most trying of times. “A lot of people will be out running for the first time, so they might only do the three mile stretch, but it’s still a big achievement to them,” she explains.

“You can see it on their faces. It might even take 6-7 hours to complete, but it gives them such a lift. In fact it gives the whole city a lift because it gets everyone involved. Everyone, from the volunteers to the Council to the gardai, has been so supportive and helpful. It’s what the day is all about.”

PANEL: The weird and wonderful marathon

*The relay race in the Cork marathon allows those taking part to cut loose and have some fun as a team. There certainly seem to be willing contenders in that regard: some of the 1,200 team names registered for this year include Handbags and Ham Sandwiches, For the Love of God Which Way?, The Coastal Cowboys, Abandoned Chocolate Endorsers, Legends in Our Own Minds, Scotch Road Scooters, Slow Cheetahs, The Blister Sisters, Birds on the Run, Relaying Relics, Puffing and Panting, Last Legs, and Blood, Sweat N Beers.

*Elsewhere, the some 8000 runners are expected to consume 10,000 litres of water along the route on Monday.

* All runners will have a timing chip attached to their shoe which will be detected by antennae at the beginning and end of the race to give accurate start and finish times.

* Some of the more unusual marathons held around the world include the Great Wall Marathon on the Great Wall of China, the Great Tibetan Marathon held in an atmosphere of Tibetan Buddhism and the Polar Circle Marathon held on the permanent ice cap of Greenland in -15 degrees Celsius temperatures.

For details and route plan, see www. corkcitymarathon.ie. Details on the Dublin mini-marathon are at www.womensminimarathon.ie

Pride and Prejudice?

My article from this year's official programme for Dublin Pride, which was launched last night in Glitz

If the dramatic events that have rocked the globe since we last met for Pride have taught us anything, it’s that the global is the local. The US economy sneezed and the rest of the world caught a cold. Similarly, last November’s presidential election in the US fascinated and engaged the international community like few exercises in modern western democracy ever have, and the resultant election of Barack Obama soon prompted just about every other world leader to start speaking in the language of hope and renewal in the face of worry and despair, even, Lord help us, our own calamitous government here in Ireland.

In the same vein, the age-old chestnuts of gay marriage and homophobia have also weighed heavily on the minds of LGBT communities all over the world this past year. When Californian voters passed the despicable Proposition 8 to revoke gay marriage laws, on the same day as the state and the country elected its first African-American president, it wasn’t difficult for gay people in Dublin to sense what way the wind was blowing. Such a huge setback in terms of gay rights anywhere is bound to have a ripple effect.

Progress in terms of gay marriage here in Ireland has proved to be dependably, frustratingly slow. We’ve been kept waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Is our legislature the ultimate call centre or what? It can be hard to keep up the fight in the face of such legal foot-dragging, but several campaigning groups here in Ireland have refused to stay silent on the matter, and they deserve to be duly applauded for that.

Complacency is a dangerous thing. We have been all guilty of it and I incriminate myself in that charge as much as anyone. So wasn’t it inspiring to see some 700 people turn up at the LGBT Noise protest in favour of gay marriage at the Central Bank in Dame Street in April? There was a real sense of unity and purpose to the march, and it was a fantastic reminder to us all that complaining isn’t enough. Moaning to one another isn’t enough. That anger needs to be translated into (wo)manpower, boots pounding the streets, and a campaign of noisy, inconvenient protest to keep the pressure on our elected representatives to do the right thing.

After all, as quite a few gay people pointed out in recent months, if it’s okay for two total strangers to get married as part of a Waterford radio station’s latest publicity campaign, and all to not a peep of protest from the anti-gay marriage brigade who have charged themselves with “saving” marriage from the apparent degradation we would bring to it, then what’s the hold up allowing gay marriage in this country? Such inconsistencies in our opponents’ arguments need to be pointed out and aired as publicly as possible.

Like many other gay people this year, I was profoundly moved by Gus Van Sant’s movie Milk, which told the story of America’s first openly gay public official Harvey Milk. Every gay person, without exception, that I spoke to after that movie left the cinema feeling fired up and ready to fight.

Even more said they couldn’t help but get misty-eyed listening to that movie’s young screenwriter Dustin Lance Black speak so poignantly about growing up gay during his speech collecting his much deserved Oscar. I think it would be worth remembering those feelings anytime you feel momentum slipping. Get the movie on DVD or watch Lance Black and Sean Penn’s Oscar acceptance speeches on YouTube if you must!

Because we need that momentum. There are still many fights we have to wage. A startling documentary made for Newstalk last summer entitled Faggot, Freak, Dyke, Whatever laid bare the facts of homophobic bullying in some of our schools.

This was backed up by a comprehensive survey of LGBT mental health issues produced by BelongTo, GLEN and the National Office for Suicide Prevention that reported shockingly high percentages of homophobic bullying and abuse. On the other hand, that research also credited gay people for their amazing resilience in overcoming such setbacks, and it’s that resilience that we need to draw on now and in the years ahead.

We need to be resilient when confronted with people like Pope Benedictator, who, true to form, used his Christmas message to label gay people a greater threat to humanity than global warming. Or when Northern Ireland MP, and the region’s effective First Lady, Iris ‘The Virus’ Robinson - this island’s answer to Fred Phelps - unapologetically spewed forth her hateful bilge about gay people being more vile than child abusers.

What’s more, it’s equally important that we challenge the quieter and seemingly harmless, but ultimately no-less insidious forms of homophobia in our midst. For instance, last August singer Brian McFadden casually joked during an interview that only gay men should wear pink, before adding that “saying pink is a form of red is the same as saying homosexual is a form of male”.

There were howls of protest, and he grumpily, reluctantly apologised, if that’s the right word. “I’m sorry if I upset anybody,” McFadden said, though he never atoned for suggesting that gay men aren’t “real men”. He genuinely didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with that statement.

He shouldn’t be let get away with remarks like that. Nor should BBC DJ Chris Moyles for mocking gay singer Will Young by parodying his song Leave Right Now in a high pitched, effeminate voice (sample of Moyle’s lyrics: ‘It's my birthday today, gonna wear my new dress tonight’). Regarding that incident, the UK’s broadcasting regulator warned that “such material runs the risk of being imitated by children, for instance in the playground, causing unnecessary distress”.

That’s an important point, and one I will throw back at anyone who accuses me of having no sense of humour. I’m quite good at laughing at myself, but I don’t think it’s funny that the word ‘gay’ is bandied about playgrounds as the worst kind of insult. The kind of statements by Iris Robinson and Pope Benedict and the “joking around” of McFadden and Moyles has a very serious trickle-down effect.

If kids as young as four or five are learning that homosexuality is something to mock and be afraid of, what hope do we have for a future of tolerance and respect? Like their language, kids learn their beliefs and attitudes by osmosis from a very early age. If we lose them to ignorance and prejudice that young, then it’s truly an uphill struggle to ever get them back.

We have a vibrant, eclectic, intelligent, brave gay community here in Ireland, brimming with confidence and good ideas. Can you imagine, even 10 years ago, a gay prom being held in the Mansion House and all to extremely positive coverage in the mainstream press?

That shows that things are changing, that equality can be achieved. But it’s also worth remembering the lesson that history has gleamed from such prominent agents of change as Harvey Milk and Barack Obama: equality, and freedom, can only be claimed and re-invented by those with the courage and tenacity to reach out and grab it.

Dinner and a movie

Some of my stuff from 'Day and Night' in today's Independent..

Restaurant review of Koh in the Millenium Walkway

Movie reviews:
Tormented

Mark of an Angel

Everlasting Moments

Ba-Spock Obama

Nerd, geek or dweeb?

Queer Notions

Good stuff. Check out the details here.

Movie stuff

Two pieces of mine from today's Day and Night in the Independent...

Interview with Channing Tatum.

Review of Synecdoche, New York

Stuff, Part Deux

Some more recent pieces of mine...

Kathleen Doyle, author of What Would Ma Say?

How to bomb in Hollywood and still be a top star

Stuff

Few pieces of mine in today's papers...

Nightwatch column in Day and Night in the Indo

Feature on Fawlty Towers @ 30 also in the Indo

Lastly, a piece on Legacy Locker in today's Irish Examiner...

Just as the internet and the dawn of the digital age has changed life as we know it, now it is changing death too. Earlier this month a website was launched offering a form of ‘cyber will’ that would bequeath to a loved one the usernames and passwords for a person’s entire online existence, be it their social networking pages, iTunes subscription, PayPal information or online bank accounts.

Legacy Locker, conceived in the heart of Silicone Valley in San Francisco, will allow a person to nominate one or more beneficiaries to receive this sensitive information upon the event of their death. The site’s creators have argued that, while in the past, a person only had to make provisions for their physical belongings, today’s cyber-centric culture means that “digital assets” need to be considered just as seriously.

Jeremy Toeman, a digital media consultant who co-founded Legacy Locker, says the inspiration for the site stemmed from the death of his own grandmother two years ago. “She was 94 when she died, but she and I used to exchange emails all the time,” he explains. “It was a pastime of hers that she also enjoyed with other friends and family around the world. After she died, my dad and I tried to figure out a way to get into her Hotmail account, but had no luck so basically her account is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

“Then last year, I was on a flight home, and I just had one of those moments. It hit me that, while all my physical assets were protected in my estate plan, I had nothing in place to deal with all of my online goods and assets such as my computer’s password, my five email accounts and my Amazon store credit. If anything happened to me, virtually all of these assets would become literally inaccessible to my wife and family, despite the fact that I had a will. While they were legally protected, in all practical terms they’d become effectively worthless.”

Customers to the Legacy Locker site have three different sign-up options to choose from. You can register unlimited assets, beneficiaries and “legacy letters” (emails that get sent to family, friends, or colleagues with a goodbye note) for e22 a year or for a one-off payment of e225. There is also the option to register three assets, one beneficiary and one legacy letter for free.

Upon signing up, you choose security questions (for example, your favourite band) and “verifiers” (people you trust completely who can “confirm your condition” with a death cert). You then get to select the digital assets you want to make available to a beneficiary, be they email accounts, photo sharing sites, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter accounts, as well as blogs or (and I quote) “simple directives/locations of all real-world important assets like contact info for nannies, dry cleaners etc”.

It’s certainly a very novel, 21^st century concept, but how can Toeman and the site’s operators guarantee the security and legal integrity of the service? “We’ve designed the security system to work at least as securely as typical online banking services,” Toeman explains. “Every user’s data is individually encrypted, which prevents the worst kind of hacking attempts. Regarding legal issues, we have consulted with numerous estate planning attorneys to determine the best methods for providing a correctly designed system for our users.”

Toeman admits that not everybody would necessarily want their Facebook or Bebo page to live on after them, but he adds: “With Legacy Locker, the account holder is in control of these kinds of decisions, instead of being at the mercy of a web service with hundreds of millions of users.”

Apparently, there are many people who agree. Toeman says the response has been “amazing” since the site’s launch two weeks ago. “We’ve had a lot of users signing up and trying it out,” he says. “Right now we haven’t done any user surveying, and for both privacy and security reasons, we don't have access to specific information about our users. But from the emails I’ve exchanged with people, we seem to have a lot of parents signing up, in particular.”

There are two obvious questions to ask when considering such a service as Legacy Locker. The first is: if someone signs up for the site today, and lives for the next 60-70 years, how can Toeman guarantee the service will still be around at that time in the future?

“I think predicting 70 years into the future is a challenge for anyone,” he laughs. “That said, we’ve taken measures to ensure the business can be fully self-sustainable for the foreseeable future. Our customers can have a lot of confidence in our longevity.”

The second question is: why not just write all your passwords, usernames and so on into a journal and lock it away in a safety deposit box, the location of which could be indicated in a written will? “Ultimately it's just not feasible to maintain all online account information by such a method,” Toeman argues.

“Most internet users are signing up to new services on a fairly recurring basis, and considering we should all be changing our passwords on a semi-regular interval, it seems pretty logical to me that an online service is the appropriate way to handle such activities.”

Damien Mulley, a Cork-based media trainer and web consultant (www.mulley.net), predicts that sites like Legacy Locker will play an even bigger role in years to come. “I think a lot of people will be shocked at the idea of it, but we’re now in a world where we own more digital than physical items,” he says.

“I think in five years time these services will be very common and people won't react to them at
all. I’ve seen and heard of a few of these services before, and considering the way I interact with people now, mainly via Facebook, Twitter or my blog, I’d use this service.

“An Irish blogger died a short while ago, and his blog is still there showing all his previous writings. I’d want the same for what I've done and I'd like to have my username and passwords go to someone that would look after them. It's really just like passing on house keys, car keys and photo albums when you think about it.”

*www.legacylocker.com

Other options:

*Legacy Locker isn’t the first service to offer an online storage unit for your vital cyber information. KeepYouSafe.com is a e38-a-year online safe deposit box for your home owner’s policy, medical data and other records.

Meanwhile, www.deathswitch.com is an “information insurance” service that advises you not to die “with secrets that need to be free”. The company - whose motto is “Bridging Mortality” - explains its service on its homepage in slightly morbid terms: “A deathswitch is an automated system that prompts you for your password on a regular schedule to make sure you’re still alive,” it states.

“When you do not enter your password for some period of time, the system prompts you again several times. With no reply, the computer deduces you are dead or critically disabled, and your pre-scripted messages are automatically emailed to those named by you.” The premium subscription to the site costs e15 a year.

Pegg-head

My interview with Simon Pegg in Day and Night in today's Independent

Simon Pegg is sitting purposively on a decorative sofa in a plush suite in Claridges in London busily fiddling with his iPhone. He’s trying to nab extra tickets for some friends to the UK premiere of Star Trek which is being held that evening in Leicester Square.

“This thing is just awesome,” he says, brandishing the apps-tastic device. “I bought mine while shooting Star Trek, and on set we were all comparing it to the communicators in the original series. This looks more science-fiction than anything that was in the show, and that was supposed to be the 23^rd century.”

No, Simon Pegg isn’t a spokesman for Apple. Rather he is just, by his own admission, a hair-slicked-down, pen-and-calculator-in-shirt-pocket, pushing- glasses-by-the-bridge-back-up-off-your-nose, thorough-bred geek. “It’s funny to be a nerd’s nerd,” he laughs. “I know how it feels to like and care so much about something that is essentially ephemeral and meaningless. I see it as an honour to be part of that world.”

Continue here.