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Rap star and all-round hilarious legend Cardi B exploded at Instagram fans last night before disabling her profile altogether. We're DEVO.

The artist went on a rage-filled rant over the negative comments surrounding her Grammy Awards win; she was the first female solo artist to win Best Rap Album.

Apparently some felt she didn't deserve it, and she had some WORDS to say about the criticism, saying she "worked her ass off" to make Invasion of Privacy.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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She reminded fans that she was pregnant while making the hit album, which helped her to make history at Sunday's ceremony; "I'm sick of this sh*t."

"I work hard for my motherf*cking album. I remember last year when everyone was saying Cardi got snubbed but now there’s a problem? My album went two-times platinum my n***** in every chart that there was, my album was always Top 10."

"Number one album as well. I worked my ass off, locked myself in the studio for three months then went to sleep in my bed for four days straight – pregnant," she said. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The star then deleted her entire Instagram profile, refusing to take any of the haters online. She made sure to thank her baby daughter Kulture in her Grammy acceptance speech, because her pregnancy gave her the motivation to finish the album.

"When I found out I was pregnant, my album wasn’t complete, I had three songs done. I had to shoot videos while I was still not showing. It was very long nights."

She posted a video thanking her fans and organisations for every single award she'd ever won, explaining that each is unique and special; "‘This sh*t is crazy," she said. "Every award is special to me, from Grammys, AMAs, Billboards, Nickelodeon, awards I get in another motherf*cking country, I don’t give a f*ck."

We hope the online community don't ruin her win for her, it's well-deserved and she's made HISTORY as a woman. Fair play, Cardi, you do you.

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Drought weather conditions have unrevealed some RAD archaeological finds at Newgrange within the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne. 

Today marks the shortest day of the year, which sent a stream of sunlight into the megalithic chamber at the site.

To celebrate the winter solstice, the interim report was released which gave extra details into the discoveries at Newgrange. 

National Monuments Service

Early this year, in July, stunning patterns were uncovered on the floodplain beside the ​​​Newgrange passage tomb.

The discovery is believed to give a rare look into prehistoric rituals and architecture.

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said the findings “reinforces the remarkable level of ceremonial and ritual use of the landscape around Newgrange during the prehistoric period”.

The discoveries are detailed as "immense enclosures of timber uprights and large ceremonial henges have been identified on the floodplain in the shadow of Newgrange passage tomb."

"These monuments, visible only fleetingly as cropmarks during the dry summer, clearly form a deliberately structured and ritual landscape of great significance."

National Monuments Service

It is understood that the wooden structures were built around three hundreds years after the passage tombs.

Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said: “These remarkable archaeological discoveries are a significant reinforcement of the Unesco World Heritage inscription and will transform our understanding of Brú na Bóinne."

"These discoveries will inspire much interest and will attract further research and interpretation. My department looks forward to working with the landowners and academic institutes and researchers in the years ahead on ensuring the secrets these sites still hold are revealed," she added. 

It's truly remarkable, but this site is currently not available to the public as it's on private property.

Feature Image credit: National Monuments Service

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Flaking paint, worn out words, a faded storefront. You've passed countless signs like this on the street – possibly you've walked on by, unnoticing, or maybe they made you stop and wonder 'What used to be here?'

These vestiges of the city's distant (and not-so-distant) past are known as ghost signs.

They usually come in the form of advertising, often painted on the brick sides of buildings, but are also manifested in carved signs and other adornments. The signs are sometimes for businesses that are still extant but have just left those particular premises.

Once you start spotting these reminders of Dublin's history, it's hard to stop. I was first introduced to ghost signs by my Economic Policy and Business History lecturer, Professor Frank Barry, in my final year of college. 

We were tasked with walking around the city, heads tilted up to look for ghost signs that were hiding in plain sight.

I was astounded by the number I discovered and found myself happy to wander around city centre for hours on end, trying not to bump into people as I kept my eyes peeled for ghost signs.

But why was I so fascinated from the start? Why is it one of the parts of my final year curriculum I remember best, despite the ghost sign project's minimal contribution to my grade?

"Funnily enough, visually, ghost signs seem to fit in with a particular aesthetic that's in vogue at the moment, that vaguely vintage combination of exposed brick, subway tiles and recycled pallets," observed Antonia Hart, the author of Ghost Signs of Dublin.

She said she's even seen mock-ups of ghost signs around town to fit that old-fashioned look that's so popular with certain Instagrammers.

"I've seen a fake ghost sign painted on a brick wall inside a cafe, and there's one in Pearse Station (Cadburys) which isn't real either, it's a remnant of a film," the writer and researcher noted.

Emma Clarke, who runs the popular blog dublinghostsigns.com, says the reason these echoes of the past prove so interesting to us is that they also tug at our heartstrings.

"I think people feel a mixture of curiosity and nostalgia when they see these old signs," she stated, "Ghost signs and vintage shopfronts often make people think about the people who owned or worked for the businesses in the past." 

Indeed, in a time when rose-coloured glasses are practically everyday eyewear, it makes sense we'd be drawn to these harbingers of history.

"The signs are remnants of a different time – when there were brushmakers, victuallers and dairies around the city – a real contrast to today's convenience stores and fast food outlets," Emma reflected.

The Dublin Ghost Signs Instagram account is brimming with hundreds of posts, and it's an easy rabbit hole to fall into – as is the world of ghost signs in general. 

Some history buffs, like Frank, are so deep into it that they walk through the Dublin of the past, rather than the present. These ghost signs are their landmarks.

"I often say to people, and they think I’m crazy, but when I walk the city streets, I don’t see the modern world at all," he says, "I’m walking through the Dublin of the 1950s or the 1930s or the 1890s because that’s the world that’s all around me that I care about and that I notice."

Frank's interest in ghost signs comes from his boyhood days, looking for old coins, and later on when he noticed simple indicators of a city's commercial past. 

One prime example is the half door, also known as a stable door, which is split into a bottom and top half to keep animals either in or out – a sign of a society that relies on animal husbandry. He noticed them while travelling in Mexico about three decades ago, and quickly thought of the doors back in his father's hometown of Mallow, Co Cork.

All those half doors were gone from Mallow by the time he'd returned from his years abroad. There remained some hope, though – there was a half door on the street in Dublin he used to walk down every day to go to school.

"I went by it six months ago and it was still there," Frank recalled.

Because he didn't have a phone or a camera on him, he couldn't capture this small reminder of Dublin's history at the time.

He returned a few weeks to take a photo of the door, but it had disappeared. And it's not the only remnant of old Dublin that's vanished overnight.

The city is changing rapidly, and as many are saying (though with different tones depending on who you're talking to), the boom times are back. Cranes are scraping clouds all across the skyline, and ghost signs are under threat.

To Frank, this is a great loss.

"Well, I think it’s tragic," he said, "I suppose the world is divided between the people who want to preserve everything and the people who want to demolish everything."

He has some hope, though, saying, "Fortunately, I think there’s much greater awareness now of the value of things like ghost signs. I think architects in particular… would be interested in preserving remnants of history."

Emma sees the integration of ghost signs into current businesses as a way of honouring Dublin's past while still moving forward.

"Sometimes during a renovation or refurbishment, an old sign or shopfront is uncovered and the owners decide to incorporate aspects of the old business into the new design," she explained. 

"It is great when some link to a building's past is retained, but of course, it's not always possible and cities have to move on."

She points to one example on Capel Street to illustrate her point. Walsh's used to operate out of 159 Capel Street, where Klaw now dishes out seafood. The new occupants have paid tribute to Walsh's by mounting its sign inside the restaurant as decoration.

Antonia has a similar mindset to Emma, saying, "The city has to be dynamic, and you can't keep everything just because it's old. But it would be nice if as little destruction as possible took place – if you could layer a new sign over the old rather than ripping it out." 

"But that won't always be possible," she admitted, "At the very least, it takes three seconds to photograph the sign for posterity."

That's why books like Antonia's, blogs like Emma's, and assignments like Frank's prove so very important. Ghost signs may disappear, but the work of these historically-minded heroes preserve what they can.

I hope the next time you're in city centre you look beyond modern Dublin, into the past that still peeks through.

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As we all know, Dublin is a very historic town and we don't even notice the beautiful buildings that surround us sometimes.

Well, Airbnb does and it has some of the most gorgeous buildings on offer in the city.

From family homes to chic city apartments, there's something for everyone. And with the 1916 celebrations in full swing, you won't believe the history that happened in some of these places you can stay in:

Pearse Street

Padraig Pearse was the author of the Proclamation of Independence, and was present in the GPO during the Easter Rising. He was also the Commander in Chief of the Irish forces. Anyone visiting Dublin can stay on this historic street named after Padraig in a penthouse apartment with views of the city.

 

Dún Laoghaire

More than 2000 British soldiers arrived in Ireland through Kingston, which is now called Dún Laoghaire. This charming home is just minutes from the marina and is a fab location for soaking up the history of Dublin.

 

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was one of the key locations the rebels failed to take during the Rising. You can stay in this amazing landmark which was Ireland’s armed police force headquarters until 1922 but now lies this chic city apartment.

 

Mount street

The area around Mount street and the canal is one of the most noteworthy 1916 locations and this Victorian house listed on Airbnb will allow visitors to Dublin to soak up the history of Dublin the minute they go out the front door.

 

Kilmainham

There were 16 executions in Kilmainham as a result of the Easter Rising and this Airbnb listing is the perfect place to stay for any history buffs visiting Dublin.

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One Direction have just released the music video for their single History which will be the last video release from the group before they officially embark on their dreaded hiatus. 

And we're sorry to say it kind of feels like a farewell. 

As One Directioners across the globe weep soft tears onto their keyboards, the video features an emotional montage of the 1D journey so far. 

And we're happy to report that the video doesn't work to exclude images of Zayn Malik who was a part of the group from the X Factor days. 

The video is sure to send Twitter into meltdown and it probably doesn't help that Niall Horan is sporting his glasses when you consider the online furore which ensued after he donned specs the last time.

We hope this isn't the end for 1D but it sure as hell feels like it. 

Watch the emotional video below: 

 

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Have you had a love affair with liquorice? Get shaky around a bit of sherbet? Do you go mad for a bit of marshmallow? Well, you are most definitely not alone. 

In fact, it turns out our consistent love of all things sweet and sugary is not a modern phenomenon. 

Our cave dwelling ancestors loved a bit of something sweet as early as 8000BC and apparently would raid beehives to snack on honeycomb.

We know the feeling.

According to confectionery historian Tim Richardson, many of the sweets we know and love today have been around for a long time, but have been simply repackaged to suit the time period.

“Throughout history, many sweets have maintained their allure and popularity because they have kept up with the latest taste trends while fitting in with changing lifestyles.”

So do you have a favourite type of sweet? Check out our timeline below to find out where it came from. 

Honeycomb

Depicted in cave drawings from around 8000BC, the first cavemen would face the wrath of angry bees just to get some of that sweet stuff.

This is the first reference to a 'sweet' as we know it making honeycomb our oldest known sugary treat. Yum.

Liquorice

First discovered in 800BC, this sweet substance taken from the roots of the liquorice plant was initially used in medicines.

Until they realised how delicious it was. 

Lollipops

The first reference to a lolly came in 1550 when syrup was dropped into special boxes filled with the upright sticks and left to harden.

So simple!

Gums and Pastilles

The concoction of our favourite chewy sweets was perfected in France from as early as 1650.

It was not until a French master confectioner arrived in England in the 1890s with the idea for fruit pastilles that the sweets became a public favourite, all thanks to Rowntree's.

Chewing Gum

Though chewing gum in many forms is said to have existed since the Neolithic period, the first flavoured chewing gum as we know it  was created and marketed by an American entrepreneur called Thomas Adams.

Chicle is the natural gum from which chewing gum is made and Adams had intended to use it as a substitute for rubber. It did not quite work as a rubber replacement but instead was cut up and sold as gum.

Marshmallow

Originally a medicine derived from the marshmallow plant, French confectioners imitated the sweet substance using egg whites and flour.

It went on to take the US by storm.

Softies

And we come to the modern day king of the sweets, the Haribo Starmix *drool*

These sweets came into their own in the 1990’s and were marketed as an alternative to hard boiled sweets that were popular in the 20th century. 

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Can you remember a time when the ‘selfie’ didn’t exist?

It’s pretty hard to recall isn’t it!

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Meryl Streep is set to play a key role in women’s history in new film Suffragette.

Meryl will take on the role of Emmeline Pankhurst, a suffragette who was heavily involved in gaining the vote for women. She also suffered terribly in a prison for her actions, being force fed through tubes while on hunger strike.

The movie will be written by Abi Morgan, writer of The Iron Lady, and directed by Sarah Gavron.

Carey Mulligan will star as a young feminist who decides peaceful methods are not working in the fight for women’s right to vote and so turns to more militant and violent tactics.

The movie will also star Helena Bonham Carter and Brendan Gleeson.

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