Best Irish Olympics Ever
Ireland achieved its most successful Olympics ever at the 2024 Paris Games. Irish President Higgins said, “All those who achieved so much by qualifying and competing to such a high standard have made Irish people everywhere so immensely proud.” A record seven events achieved medals by Team Ireland.
133 athletes represented Ireland in the Paris 2024 Games, including athletes from the occupied Six Counties.
Olympic Results
- Daniel Wiffen repeated as a top swimmer, winning a Gold in 800 meters and a Bronze in 1500 meters.
- Rhys McClenaghan, from County Down, won a Gold in the Pommel Horse competition (check his performance out on YouTube, it is remarkable).
- Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy brought home Gold in Light Weight Double Sculls.
- Kellie Harrington scored Gold in Women’s Boxing.
- Mona McSharry earned a Bronze medal in the 100 meter Breaststroke.
- Philip Boyle & Daire Lynch each earned Bronze in rowing.
A great showing for a small but mighty Nation.
Double Irish W.H. Dejavu
President Joe Biden has been the United States’ most conscious Irish President, in some ways even more than Jack Kennedy, whose father Joe Kennedy’s deliberate path to overcome severe Boston Brahmin and American WASP anti-Irish discrimination sometimes resulted in downplaying their roots (a good debate for over a cold friendly pint).
Regardless, the new administration in Washington come January 20th, 2025, God willing, and faith and sanity prevail, will continue to be double Irish.
According to Irish Times reports, Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Dem V.P. nominee, Tim Walz, both have Irish heritage.
Kamala and Tim’s Irish Roots
Kamala’s father, Don Harris, wrote several years ago of his Brown and Finnegan Irish roots via Jamaica. While Gov. Tim Walz’s Great-Grandma was one Laura Ellen Sullivan from County Wexford.
Importantly, a Harris Walz admin has promised to continue Biden’s strong support for the Good Friday Agreement. The Irish Independent reported that “neither Senator Vance nor indeed the Scotch-German Mr. Trump have shown much interest in Northern Ireland.”
Home to County Clare
Despite being driven from her native County Clare by an oppressive and narrow-minded Irish Church leadership, celebrated author Edna O’Brien chose to have her body buried in beautiful Clare.
O’Brien recently died at age 93, my wife says, “she was a feminist before the word existed.” An author of 17 books and numerous articles, Josephine Edna O’Brien was described as ‘Exceptional’ by Ireland’s President Michael O’Higgins, himself a writer and poet. Higgins continued:
“I loved Edna very, very much. I am glad she chose to be buried with her people. She was “one of the finest writers to live in our time, perhaps of all periods.”
The pastor of her childhood church, where her funeral mass was held, stated Ms. O’Brien was, “brilliant, wild, soaring and indomitable.” He said she lived at the summit of her imagination seeing out while journeying inwards to places we will never forget.
Her writing was rooted in the history and byways of Ireland. Ireland was forever the landscape of her imagination and the seed bed of her writing and soul.”
Edna was buried in the churchyard of St. Camin’s church on the small island known as Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) in the picturesque Lough Derg, where Counties Clare, Galway, and Tipperary meet.
Her family and friends ferried her woven reed casket to Holy Island on a flotilla of small area boats to lay her bones to rest. Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam (may she rest in peace).
Rory Glory
While Rory McIlroy has not had a summer of glory on the links or on the home front, I wish to continue to renew shout outs to him for his continued principled stand regarding the takeover of the PGA Tour by Saudi blood money.
And I want you to also remember a name of shame: Jay Monaghan, the PGA Tour Commissioner.
While I have not checked his genealogy, his name is Monaghan and he grew up in Boston. I am, unfortunately, assuming he is an Irish American.
Monaghan led secret talks that resulted in the merger (aka buyout) of PGA Tour by Saudi LIV Golf, which was created by Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund to “Sportswash” over the significantly abhorrent civil and human rights record of the Sauds; in particular the current ruling monarch/dictator Mohammed bin Saloman.
He is actually, “only” a prince, but he is running the show and in control of the $620 BILLION-dollar Sovereign Wealth Fund (remember $2 Billion of it went to Jared Kushner, son-in-law to DJT, upon his leaving the White House).
U.S. Intelligence agencies concluded that bin Saloman was complicit in the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
For decades, Saudi Arabia has used its oil billions to spread Whabbism throughout the Arabic world, a particular fundamental form of religion of the followers of the prophet Mohammed.
The Wahhabi strain is thought by some to have been the foundation of a radicalized and militant Muslim posture towards the Western World.
Also, the desert sands of Saudi were the home of Osama Bin Laden, as well as 15 of the 9/11 hijackers.
From press release: 911 Families United is shocked and deeply offended by the announced merger between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf league that is bankrolled by billions of sportswashing money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi operatives played a role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and now it is bankrolling all professional golf.
And, of course, Monaghan kept his top job at the PGA Tour.
At the end of his days, he will not be bored as he might be entertained for all eternity by the likes of Oliver Cromwell, Benedict Arnold, Henry Kissinger, Pol Pot, Joe Stalin, and Marge Thatcher.
Congrats to Our Own NHL Legend to Be
Congrats to Irish Cleveland’s own Anthony Jude (A.J.) Spellacy for being drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks at the tender age of 18.
Spellacy, the youngest son of John and Kathy (DiSanto) Spellacy, grew up in Westlake and played football for two years at St. Ignatius High School under famed coach Chico Kyle.
He decided to focus on hockey his sophomore year and joined the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. His stats with the Spitfires impressed the Blackhawks to wisely sign him this past summer during the NHL’s Draft24.
AJ said, “Speed Kills,” alluding to one of the strengths he brings to the Hawks as well as no reservations to bring physicality to the ice.
Spellacy will likely begin with the Blackhawks’ American League affiliate in Rockford, Illinois.
