Tag: Ireland

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Shane Long Goal. Ireland v Germany

So here it is, just in case you wanted to see it again 🙂   Shane Long scores for Ireland against Germany at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  Ireland later qualified for the Euro’s in France 2016 by beating Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play off.  Well done lads.  In the words of that great old Irish rebel song “We will march with O’Neill, to an Irish battle field, we will go to fight the forces of the crown”.  This time the Irish will be playing to be crowned Kings of European football.

And you heard it here first.  Ireland will get out of the group and move onto the last 16. Having been drawn against Italy, Sweden and currently world ranked #1 Belgium, it will not be easy for Ireland. However, Belgium are a collection of great players, but I suspect not a great team.  Ireland are the polar opposite, they have no superstars, but they have a terrific work rate and team spirit.  With Ireland, the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Ireland has been drawn against Sweden in the first game and I think the Irish can get a win.  Yes, Zlotan Ibrahimovic is excellent, and will be an obvious threat to the Irish defense, but at 34 he is no spring chicken. The Irish work rate and team spirit should carry them through to a win against Sweden.  Given the unique nature of international tournaments, with only 4 teams per group, a win in the first game will put Ireland in a terrific position going into the games against Italy and Belgium where draws (ties) should be enough to see Ireland into the next round.  O’Neill has already proved Ireland’s approach and tactics will be very different from the overly cautious Irish team under Trapattoni.  Having watched Martin O’Neill guide his men through a very tough qualifying group consisting of Poland, Germany, Scotland and Georgia, I am sure he will navigate his team to the last 16 in France.  We beat the World Champions Germany, so we can beat anyone.  Get in there lads !!!!

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Cromwell – That will teach you!!!

I was recently on a flight from Holland to Belfast in Ireland.  As the Irish times was not available at Schipol airport in Amsterdam I picked up a British newspaper to read on the plane.  Much to my delight I read the following piece in the London Times concerning the demise of Oliver Cromwell.  Following his crazed religious murder campaign around Ireland, Cromwell returned to England were he was also responsible for the beheading of the English King Charles 1st.

“In 1649, just months after Charles 1st’s execution, the future Charles 2nd wrote from exile in Holland swearing retribution on those responsible for his father’s death.  “We shall therin by all ways and means possible” he proclaimed, “endeavour to persue and brinig to their due punishment those bloody traitors who were either actors or contrivers of that unparalleled and inuman murder”.  On resuming power some years later, Charles the 2nd then set about killing all those who were responsible for his fathers death. 

Unfortunately however the blood thirsty Cromwell, who was also responsible for the mass murder at Drogheda, had already died.  As the article relates, the young Charles 2nd was not to be denied justice, “on the 12th anniversary of Charles 1st’s execution the corpses of four of the chief Parliamentarians who had died before the Restoration – Cromwell, Henry Ireton, John Bradshaw and Thomas Pride – were dragged from their graves, taken to Tyburn and hung till the sun was set; after which they were taken down, their heads cut off and their loathsome trunks thrown into a deep hole under the gallows”. 

YES!!!!   Now that is what i’m talking about.  Dig Cromwell up and kill him again.  Hang his corpse from the gallows for all to see, then chop off his dead head and finally dump his dismembered body in a pit.  Really could not have thought up a more fitting end for this murderous pig dog myself.  I’m sure many in Drogheda are equally glad to hear this good news. 🙂  Oh by the way, Charles the 2nd also confiscated all of Cromwells’ land and holdings, so his family did not benefit from his genocidal religious ferver either.  

Happy Days 🙂