Bernard O'Shea: I am the un-coolest man in all of Ireland

How did I realise I am the un-coolest man in all of Ireland? Was it a gradual revelation, or did it hit me quickly like chronic indigestion after eating six petrol station rashers while travelling to a gig? Well, it wasn't either of those things, really...

Bernard O'Shea: "These days, my choice of footwear is built on one thing: arch support. Sure, my younger self might have mocked the idea of slipping into shoes that resemble something out of a geriatric ward, but my younger self was an idiot. I'll take comfort over cool any day (I bet James Dean never thought about insoles)." 

It happened last Saturday morning when I stood in the middle of a shopping centre, looking down at my feet, and realising I had bought orthopaedic shoes. The kind of shoes that scream 'arch support' but absolutely do not whisper "cool."

What exactly is it to be 'cool'? The phrase became common parlance in the 1930s when jazz musicians like Lester Young first used it to describe their laid-back, in-control, and effortlessly stylish style of music. It grew into a global phenomenon, shaping fashion, music, and culture.