The Vampire of Monte Video

Most people are familiar with the idea of a biting tackle. However, Uruguayan international Luiz Suarez of Liverpool Football Club has given a literal meaning to the term when he sank his teeth into the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

It is the second time that the teeth of Suarez have locked onto the anatomy of an opponent on the field of play.While an Ajax player in the Dutch league he munched on a member of the opposing PSV side.

Suarez has since apologised but it comes too late to offset what is likely to be a lengthy ban from the game.

In a pre season friendly the League of Ireland took on Liverpool FC at
Dalymount Park Phibsborough,Dublin. The league team was made up of a
selection of players from several League of Ireland clubs and was captained
by the legendary John Giles. Liverpool won the game by 2 goals to nil.
The scorers were Hansen and McDermott.

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Jim Larkin

The Fine Gael-Labour coalition government is facing a major challenge from the Irish trade union movement which has voted to reject Croke Park 2. The rejection by the unions acquires symbolic oomph in a year that sees Dublin City Council organizing a series of events to mark the centenary of the Great Dublin Lockout.

In 1913 union militancy reached new heights as William Martin Murphy tired to force wages down and force workers to break with the union movement.

One of the iconic figures of the union movement during the lock out was  Big Jim Larkin. There must be a certain sense of irony at play in the minds of the leadership of the current Labour Party leadership which in Murphy style is trying to force down wages of workers, many of whom are members of the trade union movement.

Eamonn Gilmore and Pat Rabbitte in 1987 at a statue erected in honor of Jim Larkin

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Boston Bomb

Monday's bomb at the close of the Boston Marathon has left a trail of destruction. While fatalities were lower than might have been expected from a device exploding in the midst of a crowd of people injuries have been horrific with many amputations reported.

The double blast was captured live on cameras covering the marathon as many runners converged on the finishing line, a natural point for spectators to gather.

Boston is a city with strong Irish roots and current connections. There has been much to share between Bostonians and Dubliners over recent centuries. Now they have the unsolicited shared grief and devastation brought by no-warning bombers whose sole purpose was to target with their devices civilians going about their daily business.

The aftermath of a bomb attack in Dublin in May 1974 which claimed many innocent lives.

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Shake up at the Vatican

The newly installed Pope Francis has announced his intention to make significant changes in the management of the Roman Catholic Church.

He is to create a panel of eight cardinals from across the globe to advise him. Each of the cardinals is reported to have a history of reform and have been critical of the status quo within the Church.

According to one historian out is the "most important step in the history of the church for the past 10 centuries".

A section of the crowd during the 1979 papal visit to Ireland

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Cardinal Hopes

1952 Irish rugby selection leaves for Argentina

In his Easter message Cardinal Sean Brady said he had high hopes for the new papacy under Pope Francis. The cardinal said, 'Pope Francis’s inspiring words have been supported by actions, which have provided iconic images beamed across the world.'




As our photo suggests Argentina, the home country of Pope Francis where as Jorge Bergoglio he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has a long been identified with the world of sport. However it is also known for different reasons. In addition to producing Diego Maradona, the famed soccer player, it has also given the world Jorge Videla who is renowned for leading a massive assault on human rights during the military dictatorship of 1976-83.

Pope Francis's role during the country's Dirty War has been called into question although the Vatican has denied any wrongdoing on the part of the first non European pontiff.

A Divisive British Prime Minister

 

Margaret Thatcher in Dublin in 1979 for an EEC conference

The death of Baroness Thatcher, the former British Conservative Prime Minister has produced mixed emotions. In some British and Irish cities crowds turned out to 'celebrate' her passing.

For much of her premiership she had a frosty relationship with Ireland and in the view of former SDLP leader John Hume it was events in this country rather than elsewhere that 'dominated and defined Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister'.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was scathing of the late British leader, while Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Northern First Minister Peter Robinson were considerably more benign.

Margaret Thatcher will be laid to rest next week after a funeral with full military honours in London. 

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Easter Remembrance

At the weekend Easter Rising ceremonies saw many commemorations throughout the country.




But in a strange twist of events a 52 year old Cork man appeared in court charged with defacing republican graves including those of Tomas Mac Curtain and Terence Mac Swiney. But in general the country's patriot dead were honoured rather than besmirched.

1966 Easter Commemorations in Dublin

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