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You Don’t Get To Be Racist & Irish – Imelda May

Here is a powerful response to the recent historic events, which brought about large demonstrations in the Irish cities of Dublin, Galway and Cork, in the wake of George Floyd’s death caused by police in the US.

You Don’t Get To Be Racist and Irish

Poem by Irish singer, songwriter poet and multi-instrumentalist Ms Imelda May.

You don’t get to be racist and Irish
You don’t get to be proud of your heritage,
Plights and fights for freedom
While kneeling on the neck of another!
You’re not entitled to sing
Songs of heroes and martyrs
Mothers and fathers who cried
As they starved in a famine
Or of brave hearted
Soft spoken
Poets and artists
Lined up in a yard
Blindfolded and bound
Waiting for Godot
And point blank to sound
We emigrated
We immigrated
We took refuge
So cannot refuse
When it’s our time
To return the favour
Land stolen
Spirits broken
Bodies crushed and swollen
Unholy tokens of Christ, nailed to a tree
(That) You hang around your neck
Like a noose of the free
Our colour pasty
Our accents thick
Hands like shovels
From mortar and bricklaying
Foundation of cities
You now stand upon
Our suffering seeps from every stone
Your opportunities arise from
Outstanding on the shoulders
Of our forefathers and foremother’s
Who bore your mother’s mother
Our music is for the righteous
Our joys have been earned
Well deserved and serve
To remind us to remember
More Blacks
More Dogs
More Irish.
Still labelled leprechauns, Micks, Paddy’s, louts
We’re shouting to tell you
Our land, our laws
Are progressively out there
We’re in a chrysalis
State of emerging into a new
And more beautiful Eire/era
40 Shades Better
Unanimous in our rainbow vote
We’ve found our stereotypical pot of gold
And my God it’s good.
So join us.. ’cause
You Don’t Get To Be Racist And Irish
.

End

Legend Jack Charlton Dies Aged 85

Legendary and much respected former Republic of Ireland manager Mr Jack Charlton has died at the age of 85.

The former Leeds and England defender, who won a World Cup winner’s medal in 1966, had in the last year been diagnosed with lymphoma, latter a cancer that begins in the infection-fighting cells of the immune system. He was also battling dementia.

John (Jack) Charlton OBE DL Rest In Peace

A family statement reads: “Jack died peacefully on Friday, July 10 at the age of 85. He was at home in Northumberland, with his family by his side.
As well as a friend to many, he was a much-adored husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
We cannot express how proud we are of the extraordinary life he led and the pleasure he brought to so many people in different countries and from all walks of life.
He was a thoroughly honest, kind, funny and genuine man who always had time for people.
His loss will leave a huge hole in all our lives but we are thankful for a lifetime of happy memories.”

Give It A Lash Jack


Affectionately known to all as Big Jack, the Newcastle native became the Ireland soccer manager in 1986 bringing unprecedented success to the national side as he guided the Republic to their first major finals at Euro 88 and two more in the space of 10 years, qualifying for the World Cup in Italy in 1990 and four years later in 1994.

A keen trout fisherman, Mr Charlton spent many happy hours fishing on Lough Corrib.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

Safe-Touch Keyring

Safe-Touch Keyring – a simple device that could save you from Covid-19 virus contamination.

With the COVID-19 virus very much now part of our everyday lives, we all need to stay safe! In order to increase our safety we need to fully understand how the virus is spread.

Introducing the ‘Safe – Touch Keyring

Apart from close direct contact with persons infected, the Health Service Executive (HSE) warn us of the dangers of touching surfaces that someone, who has the virus, has coughed or sneezed on. So when you bring unwashed hands to your face (eyes, nose or mouth) the virus is transferred, resulting in infection.

The Coronavirus can survive for:

  • 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel.
  • 4 hours on copper
  • 24 hours on cardboard

The Safe-Touch Keyring © (pictured above) is a simple device that attaches directly to your car or house keys, thus allowing you to carry out many tasks without physically touching possibly contaminated surfaces. [See video hereunder].

These Safe-Touch keyrings are available in colours, gold, silver and matte-nickel and can be purchased for a mere €3.99 inclusive of all postage & packing costs.

For details of where to get your Safe-Touch keyring, view HERE.

Six Short Movies Everyone Should See

Six short movies everyone should take time to view

With rain and thunderstorms on their way, why not check out these six award winning short movies. Each one is available to view for free on YouTube and each one has an important and sometimes powerful message for the viewer.

1. The Present

‘The Present’ is a short film about a boy, a present and the importance of taking the time to understand another person’s perspective.

2. Pip

‘Pip’ is a short movie about the power of determination and selflessness.
View Film Here

3. Alike

‘Alike’ is a short animation that shows us what can happen when creativity is stifled instead of embraced.
View Film Here

4. Taking Flight

‘Taking Flight’ is a short film about a great day spent with Grandpa and his storytelling abilities.
View Film Here

5. Lambs

‘Lambs’ is a short movie about parents who worry about their little lamb, who says ‘moo’ instead of ‘baa’.
View Film Here

6. Snack Attack

‘Snack Attack’ is a short animation about an old lady, a packet of cookie swirls and the youth of today.
View Film Here

Singer Dame Vera Lynn Passes Away Aged 103 Years

Memories of my grandmothers brown Bakelite ‘Wet & Dry Battery’ valve radio of the 1950’s, were vividly revived again today, on learning that singer Dame Vera Lynn had passes away this morning, aged 103 years.

Her family confirmed today that the inspirational and iconic singer Dame Vera Lynn had sadly passed away, surrounded by her close family.

Video shown above contains just one of Dame Vera Lynn’s most famous songs, “We’ll Meet Again” was released in 1939 and as war progressed it increasingly resonated with the British public. In Vera’s own words; “It’s a good song as it goes with anyone anywhere saying goodbye to someone.”

Fondly known as “the forces’ sweetheart” due to her down-to-earth style, quickly established her as the public’s favourite antidote to both the misery of the blackouts and her often morale-boosting visits to front line troops during World War II.

Born in London’s East Ham in 1917, daughter of plumber Bertram Samuel Welch (1883–1955) and dressmaker Annie Martin (1889–1975), who had married in 1913, she left school at age 11. She made her first solo recordings, which included “Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire” and “The little boy that Santa Clause forgot” at the age of 19 years, and just some of her better known and much loved hits include; “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and “There’ll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Dover”. By the age of 22 years she had sold more than one million records.

A huge part of her appeal during wartime came from her BBC radio programme “Sincerely Yours”, which ran during 1941 and 42 taking the form of “A letter to the men of the Forces, in words and music”.

In 1941, Dame Vera married Harry Lewis, a clarinettist and saxophonist whom she had had met two years previous. They had a child in March of 1946, Virginia Penelope Anne Lewis, (now Lewis-Jones). Her husband sadly passed away in 1998.

In 1976, Dame Vera received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the Memorial University of Newfoundland. She received the Freedom of the City of London in 1978 and in 2000, she received a “Spirit of the 20th Century” Award in a nationwide poll in which she won 21% of the vote.

Requiescat in Pace.