Ireland

  • Nowadays boarding a plane is nearly as common as get on a train. Come to think of it I have been probably more on a plane then in a train. However in 1954 flying was quite expensive and was only affordable for a few or after saving money for it for possibly year, especially for…

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  • On March 6,1964 Cassius Clay announced that he no longer would be known as Cassius Clay but as Muhammad Ali. Clay had been linked to the Nation of Islam, although they initially had refused him entry as a member due to his boxing career. However when Clay beat Joe Liston in 1964, the Nation of…

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  • (updated on March 29, 2024) There are very few regrets I have—but I do regret that I did not buy tickets on January 5, 1995, for Rory Gallagher in my hometown of Geleen, in the Netherlands. The concert was in de Hanenhof, which would not be the world’s best venue, but it could hold a…

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  • The Shamefvll ende of Bishop John Atherton. or in modern day English, the shameful end of Bishop John Atherton is probably a good example of”Be careful what you wish for because you may just get it” John Atherton  was the Anglican Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the Church of Ireland. But prior to that…

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  • Captain(Korvettenkapitän)Werner Lott was commander of U-35 from 15 August 1937 until 29 November 1939.He sank 4 ships and damaged one. You often hear about war crimes committed by the German armed forces, but there were also acts of decency. Around 15.40  on 3 Oct, 1939, the Greek freighter Diamantis, although the ship was neutral it…

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  • On May 5,2019 on the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. One of the heroes who contributed to this liberation passed away aged 103. Like me he was Dutch and like me he had a love for Ireland and we both ended up making this emerald isle our home. But where I am…

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  • I want to say this first before I go into the blog. I live in Ireland, I love Ireland and not one day have I regretted moving here. It is my home. However what does disturb me is that some Irish politicians are calling on a boycott on some Israeli goods. These same politicians appear…

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  • Typhoid Mary

    How could a seemingly healthy woman spread a potentially deadly disease? Typhoid or Typhoid fever fever is a bacterial infection that can spread throughout the body, affecting many organs. Without prompt treatment, it can cause serious complications and can be fatal.If typhoid fever isn’t treated, it’s estimated that up to 1 in 5 people with…

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  • Although Ireland was neutral during WWII it didn’t stay completely out of the war.There were even some famous Irish war heroes like the Beamish brothers from Cork who became RAF flying aces. On the other hand there were less conspicuous heroes, unlikely heroes even like Limerick man Richard Hayes. He was born in Abbeyfeale, Co.…

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  • It was such a glorious day for us that 2nd September 1973 in Dublin, although it rained the sun shone in our hearts, because you were ours. Your previous master ‘the Cats of Kilkenny’ looked not after you well, so we fought them and after beating them by 7 points we took you home to…

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