Fleegle's Blog. Feel free to add YOUR opinion.

[Fleegle]

Absolutely..I generally spend an hour watching it from the beer tent, which is usually adjacent. It's somehow very relaxing as it doesn't have the urgency of a horse or dog race, although the craic is the same.

I've never won anything despite frequent bets though....

Fleeg.

[Fleegle]

Muhammad Ali made freeman of Ennis, Co. Clare

Strange, but true.....


Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Ennis came to a standstill this afternoon with the arrival of Muhammad Ali for a host of events organised in his honour.
At a civic reception in the Co Clare town, the three-time World Heavyweight Champion was made the first Honorary Freeman of Ennis.
The 67-year-old was visiting the birthplace of his great grandfather, Abe Grady, who left the town in the 1860s.

As an overwhelmed Ali accepted the honour, his wife Yolanda 'Lonnie' revealed his celebrated defiance with a declaration to return, despite medical advice against travelling.
'Now that we know Muhammad is an Ennis man, we will be back,' she said.
Thousands of fans, spanning generations, had packed into the town's main square for hours before the civic reception was broadcast on a huge screen.
Lonnie announced that her husband, who has been battling Parkinson's Disease for 25 years and had never before visited Ennis, was overwhelmed by the experience.
More than three decades after he famously claimed to have 'even cancelled the rain' for his Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman, it appeared he had pulled off the same stroke in Co Clare.
After weeks of summer downpours, threatening rainclouds cleared almost within minutes of Ali being spotted touching down at Shannon Airport at around midday.
Imelda O'Grady, a distant cousin who embraced the boxing legend as he arrived at Ennis Civic Chamber, was in no doubt about the force behind this freak outbreak of sunshine.
'Look, the sun's come out - it's shining down on him,' she said.
Ms O'Grady presented Ali with framed photographs of them both, with the inscription 'Cead Míle Fáilte.'
'When he saw his relations he was delighted. I think he was emotional - by God, I was certainly emotional,' she said.
So too were the thousands more who thronged Turnpike Road, the homeplace of Mr Grady, who emigrated to the US in the 1860s and married a freed African-American slave.

.

The former boxer, renowned as a civil rights champion, astonished his fans when he unexpectedly alighted from a people carrier to unveil a plaque at his ancestor's house.
As crowds cheered 'Ali, Ali', he turned and - in an impromptu throw-back to his days in the ring - gave a brief shadowboxing cameo.
Tight security by handlers had kept Ali at a considerable distance from the public during his brief Irish visit.
He left Co Clare tonight in a private jet on his way to his home in Kentucky.

Fleeg.

[Fleegle]

Ireland declares war on France ?

Here's the proof...what do ye all think lads? Replay or invasion?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QNHlFDbxvY

Apparently France's president has become involved.....

[Nik]

It looked less of a touch and more of a lengthy caress. Fact of the matter is that Ireland had 90 minutes to win the match, but what the hell was the linesman doing ? He had a great view of the handball. The French needed a helping hand 60 years ago and they needed it again on wednesday.

[hibernia]

Ireland declares war on France ?

Here's the proof...what do ye all think lads? Replay or invasion?

.....

We couldn't beat them in Croke Park, a fact now being conveniently overlooked, so I think we can forget about the invasion and be careful about asking for a replay, what would happen if we got it?

The whole thing was a fix. FIFA have gone the same way as boxing did. Money is more important than sport.
Stick to the GAA.

[Fleegle]

We couldn't beat them in Croke Park, a fact now being conveniently overlooked, so I think we can forget about the invasion and be careful about asking for a replay, what would happen if we got it?

The whole thing was a fix. FIFA have gone the same way as boxing did. Money is more important than sport.
Stick to the GAA.

Good advice...Someone should have a word with the Cork and Limerick hurlers though..euro signs appearing in their eyes I fear...although Kilkenny could disagree..they've been getting paid for years.

PS. Just heard the news re the soccer thing..it appears to be escalating..

[Fleegle]

Shannon airport..end of the road

Michael O'Leary, MD/CEO (or whatever) of Ryanair has axed ALL flights from Shannon to the UK from March 2010, excepting those to Gatwick and Stansted:


MID-WEST holidaymakers, leisure travellers and the business community were stunned this week to learn that Ryanair were not taking internet bookings for their popular routes from Shannon airport from next March.
In fact, several destinations have already been cancelled. Those who purchased holiday homes in sunny climes such as Spain and Portugal, because of the ease of access from Shannon, contacted the Limerick Post to express their anger that the routes will no longer be available to them.
The Ryanair flight schedule from late March will be skeletal, with daily flights to just two UK airports; Gatwick and Stansted.
The remaining flights available will be once weekly to Malaga, Nantes and Tenerife, twice weekly to Mallorca and Wroclaw in Poland, and three times weekly to Paris.
Destinations to be axed are Shannon to Murcia, Alicante, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Carcassone, Faro, Lanzarote, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Krakow, Liverpool, Milan, Venice and Lodz.
Flights to Manchester have already ended.
Those who have second homes or family living in these locations; those who are from these locations living in the Midwest, or tourists who are merely interested in holidaying in these popular spots, will now have to travel to Cork or Dublin, to access them.
Anyone who now attempts to book flights to these destinations for the end of March onwards, will find no flights available on Ryanair’s website.
The Post has also learned that Ryanair’s seven Shannon-based engineers will be reduced to one, with the remaining six being offered alternative employment abroad.
In early November, the airline had claimed that the Government’s “insanely stupid €10 tourist tax”, introduced in April of his year, was leading to the loss of more than four million passengers for Irish airports. They reduced the number of aircrafts based at Shannon from six to three this Winter and are now fulfilling threats to further reduce aircrafts to just one as of Spring 2010.
Continued on page 4.
Speaking to the Limerick Post earlier this month, Shannon airport chief Martin Moroney, said that, if implemented, Ryanair’s threats would reduce traffic through the airport from nearly three million to just two million passengers for 2010.
He stated that Ryanair’s demands were not realistic, saying: “We must operate the airport commercially and we do require some payment from airlines to land and use facilities”.
Ryanair’s announcement will act as a huge blow for the entire region, with local politicians suggesting that the airport town will now become a ‘ghost town’.
In a further blow to Midwest access, Iarnrod Eireann are to reduce their direct train services on the Limerick to Dublin route each way, though there will be an increase in connecting services at Limerick Junction.



I will no longer have direct access to Edinburgh or Glasgow from Shannon now, which I badly need. I know I am not the only one. Angela's Ashes are back to haunt the Mid-West....BIG STYLE!!

Fleeg.

[johnep]

When I first started flying to Ireland, I would return to UK via Shannon as they had a duty free shop there. (side of salmon £3).
johnep

[hibernia]

[U
I will no longer have direct access to Edinburgh or Glasgow from Shannon now, which I badly need. I know I am not the only one. Angela's Ashes are back to haunt the Mid-West....BIG STYLE!!

Fleeg.

You have my sympathy. Our government's objective seems to be to have everybody in the country live in Dublin and shop in Newry.

[Fleegle]

What I fail to understand is this: The Irish government appear to believe that every person currently resident in Ireland wishes to remain constantly resident, and never leave, in order to pay vastly inflated taxes which in the long run will put the country back on its feet.

In order to do so, many residents must agree to Mick O'Leary's removal of free movement by air within and without the west coast of Ireland, effectively leaving them land-locked and unable to travel outwith 'beautiful' Ireland.

And nothing is being done about it.

You are absolutely right Hibernia. It's now live in Dublin, or forget it. I have no inclination to live in Dublin..it's an inner-city tip, populated by thieves, most of whom are running the country, either as drug-dealers or members of the Dail.

A shame, but true.

Fleeg.