Only Our Rivers Run Free!

.......at 3am on Monday 9th August 1971 thousands of British soldiers raided homes in nationalist homes across the 6 counties, 340 men were arrested, brought to interrogation centre’s and eventually to Long Kesh, internment had begun!

.......the Truce of 1921 left Ireland divided, civil war in the 26 counties, sectarian slaughter in the 6; what did we learn from history in 1971 when ‘armed struggle’ returned to the streets!

Truce to Turmoil

........2019-21 has been the years of the Pandemic-COVID!But throughout history events have shaped the world, we look back and marvel at how the world developed ?

.......the birth of the ‘NI’ statelet in 1921, born in violence it has been a dysfunctional society for a century, a cesspit of sectarian bigotry and hatred, it has run its course!

.......’Phil the Greek’ passed recently, born in Corfu to Greek royalty he became a large part of the British monarchy, we look at this archaic form of life in the 21st century!

........40 yrs ago on the 5th May Bobby Sands died on hunger strike, he was 27. His death changed everything, hie election as MP propelled the republican movement into electoral intervention which in 2021 sees SF as the largest political in Ireland, in Govt in the 6 counties and soon to be in power in the Republic! Bobby Sands RIP🌹

The Tuam baby home scandal, a stain on our past! Also a tale of a brother I never knew who died at 2 before I was born!

........the darling of Belfast and Glasgow, Charlie Tully was a football genius with both Belfast Celtic and Glasgow Celtic! In barren times for Celtic in the 50’s Tully lit up the field with his play and became a Celtic icon!!

.....on the 2nd January’71, 80,000 went to a Rangers v Celtic game at Ibrox, 66 wouldn’t come home! On stairway 13 an unparalleled disaster took place as the fans exited the stadium, 66 men, youths and one girl were crushed on the steps, a horrific day for football!!

......it was 72 hrs that shocked the football world! 12 of the richest clubs in Europe threatened to create a Super League, invitation only, a closed shop, financed by American bank JP Morgan to the tune of 3bn, but the football world rejected it and the idea collapsed .......but for how long??

......in November a golf society was formed in Dunfanaghy, it was christened ‘the Muckish Ramblers’ and began a 20+ year adventure around the golf courses of Donegal, Tyrone, Derry, Sligo, Cavan, Scotland, Spain and the Algarve! It was a special time in our lives, and so many friendships and memories made which last a lifetime. It definitely wasn’t a ‘good walk spoiled’!

Ireland 32 England 18! There’s nothing like beating England at anything, from soccer to showjumping, boxing to badminton, and definitely racing to rugby!

.......23 years of peace since the GFA and then a week of rioting, burning, petrol bombs and apathy! Loyalism hits out at an evolving situation in the EU, UK, Republic and the 6 counties, the union is finished, a referendum on unity is a decade away, loyalism needs to sit down with nationalists and plan a new future for our children!

.......it’s a slow news day but a major story is developing as word comes that an American hedge fund PLC are investing $30m to create a new golf resort in the bog at Glenveagh, as I said a slow news day on April 1st, 2021!

The virus and lockdown has deprived us of many things but not being able to head to Gran Canaria or Malta has been the worst for us!

Charley Brady writes for an American publication, a former journo with the Indo, he now enjoys the quiet life in Oranmore!

.......during his imprisonment after Nuremberg Albert Speer to keep sane planned a route around Europe, in his mind! During COVID I planned something similar around Ireland, it was some journey!

........back in 1977, 20 of us headed to the Salmon Leap to party, drink Mundies and sing, it was 3 weeks of hedonistic mayhem Termon style, great memories, 43 years ago!

........2020 will never be forgotten, Corona or COVID-19 has brought reality to our world, what is important now, it’s not wealth but life! Old people dying in their thousands, isolation, social distancing, no football, no golf, it’s a different world!

.........it’s been there millions of years but in the 1970’s I started making shapes in it, the Bog! The turf had to be worked for the winter fuel, a hard slog but great when you bring it home! ‘Would you know a good turf??

.........Easter 1970, ‘honeymoon is over! British troops clash with republican youths and things will never be the same again.

.......2020 and Coronavirus-COVID-19! The world is facing the biggest Pandemic since 1918 and the Spanish Flu! I relate the story of old Ned Billy who lived through 1918 and survive until his 90’s!

........soccer in the UK is big business, Irish supporters flood across the channel to follow their teams, ManU, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City but none moreso than Celtic, the Irish club in Britain!

.........the greatest football club ever in Ireland only existed for 58 yrs, Belfast Celtic left football in 1948 after their players were attacked at Windsor by sectarian thugs and would never play again! Their history lives on!

........events in Aug ‘69 led to the formation of the Provisional IRA and onward to 30 yrs of armed struggle, History was written for a new generation!

.......Lazio visited Paradise, they brought a form of fascism with their Ultras, it’s not a pretty sight in 2020, but Celtic supporters let them know what they thought, Lazio, Vaffancuco - Fcuk off Lazio!

......on the 15 Th October 1974, 2000 IRA prisoners burned Long Kesh to the ground then fought the British Army for 6 hrs the next day, helicopters dropped CR gas, an illegal substance, today 120 men who were there have died of cancer related illness???

.........the Irish rugby team play the All Blacks, they have the iconic Haka, we have ‘ Ireland’s Call’ instead of Amhran na bhfainn, it’s ridiculous, the only country not to play the anthem???

........one night in the summer of ‘88 the legend that was Georgie Best arrived at the Mountain Bar, in a pub of legendary characters Georgie fitted right in! A special guy, the greatest footballer of a generation!

Phil Coulter on the LLS talked about being offered a gong from the Queen which he refused, an archaic system which Irish people should reject but many don’t, Martin O’Neill for one??

........Termon GAA club are a major part of the community, they cater for the youth of the area and bring them through to adulthood in a positive manner, CLG Sn Tearmann - More than a football Club!