Past Diatribes

We were in Leixlip checking out the site of the house her brother Ray just bought. There's much building going on in Leixlip, owing to the success and constant expansion of the Intel and Hewlett-Packard factories that have located there. Hewlett-Packard, for example, selected the site in 1995 as the European manufacturing facility for its inkjet printer cartridges and PrintHead assemblies. This was the year Forbes magazine selected HP as "outstanding corporate performer of the year" and declared it the standard by which other large corporations should be judged. The 200 acre site in Leixlip went from a green field to active production in eleven months. Employment, initially targeted at 1,100 by the year 2000, is far ahead of schedule due to excellent productivity records and increasing demand for the products of the world's leading computer printer maker. With new hires of between fifty and sixty people a month, the latest plans now call for 3,000 employees by 2001. Former Minister of Enterprise & Employment Richard Bruton called Hewlett-Packard "the jewel in the crown for Ireland."

Things have been going well here in Dublin lately. It's been warm. The days are nice and long, sunset and sunrise retreating further into darkness each day. One trunk in the back garden that I had assumed years dead is furry with buds. Side by side stand trees bare, ones holding buds and others beyond buds into full-blown bright green leaves. Lilacs line the motorway. It's good.

Ray's house looks like it will be a nice one. After strolling for chocolate and just strolling to take a stroll, Carmel and I caught the tail end of a parade in Lucan. Waved at the little kids and they waved back. Homeward for a little work and a few "scoops." (None of green beer, though!) All told, an excellent day. Hope yours was as well!