Despite Ireland's absence, Irish keenly interested in World Cup

I know you're up to your eyes in Stanley Cups (congrats, Chicago), NBA Finals and the LeBron saga, baseball and Strasburg-mania, golf, NASCAR and other sports. Soccer news might well have passed you by, but if you were in Europe there would be no doubt that you'd be aware that the World Cup starts tomorrow.

You might be a bit surprised to learn how much emphasis the World Cup is getting here seeing as Ireland will not be playing in South Africa. The Irish team lost out when they received the Andres Galarraga treatment - the referee didn't see what he should have seen last November.

The depth of feeling on that matter all these months later has surprised me, but many Irish people are still really angry that France will be playing in South Africa and Ireland won't. In fact, some Irish people are so angry that they've announced that if it comes down to it they would rather see England win than France, and that's saying something.

Despite Ireland's absence the World Cup is a huge matter of interest here. We have five television channels and one of those five will be showing 56 World Cup games over the next month as well as hours of extra coverage with pre and post game analyses and highlight programs late at night.

It will nearly be wall-to-wall World Cup, with GAA and rugby thrown in for good measure. A full month with little time for anything other than sports. In other words, it'll be heaven

I don't know if 56 games is every single World Cup game, but if there are some games not shown on Irish television you can be sure that (a) there'll be a lot of complaints about what's been missed and (b) there'll be a lot of people looking for those games on the British channels. As I was saying, interest in the World Cup is intense.

So who will the Irish people be rooting for? Well, not America unfortunately, although I daresay that nearly everyone will be rooting for America on Saturday when they play England (2:30pm EDT on ABC).

It's not that Irish people will be rooting against America as such, it's just that, well, they don't exactly rate the American team very highly. They don't see the USMNT as likely to provide any memorable moments, other than the hoped for upset of England.

From what I can make out Brazil is the favorite here, based on the number of Brazil shirts in the stores. You can find shirts for many other countries too - I even found a small selection of adult USA jerseys (no kids' sizes, unfortunately; my son wanted one), which I didn't see in America when I was there in April - but Brazil, Argentina (Lionel Messi) and Spain (the odds-makers' favorites, America's 80-1) are the most commonly available.

I think most Irish people will be happy with a Brazilian win, but mostly they want exciting, entertaining soccer and don't much care who wins - so long as it's NOT England or France.

Tiger will get a warm welcome in Ireland

Tiger is coming to play in Ireland. It was confirmed yesterday. He's coming to play at the Invitational Pro-Am at Adare Manor in County Limerick.

You know what? He'll get a pretty good reception. I'm certain Irish golf fans don't give a hoot about what Tiger's been getting up to off the course and I bet that the vast majority of the Irish public will be more than happy to overlook Tiger's 'addiction problems'.

The Pro-Am is a charity event, which will only help boost Tiger's image here. In fact, I suspect the welcome will be so warm that Tiger might be tempted to stay a little longer.

Tiger was too perfect before, almost inhuman. I know that played well in America, but I think Irish people will actually like him more now, now that he's proven he's human after all. There's more than a bit of an aversion to the squeaky clean image here.

TV program shows off Irish island in full glory

There are few times when television takes my breath away, but I just watched 30 minutes of television that did just that. It was a half hour documentary on Skellig Michael, the rock in the Atlantic off the southwest coast of County Kerry.

I've seen Skellig Michael in many photographs and even one or two video clips and other documentaries, but I've never seen it like it was presented in tonight's show.

Not only was the island looking great, but we got to follow the show's host as he climbed all over the rock, up to the rocky summit and down the narrow ledge of the ancient pilgrim's trail. All the while he was providing a great lesson on the rock's 1500 year history as a monastery and lighthouse location.

If you have 30 minutes to spare, you won't be sorry if you spend it watching this. You can see Part 1 here and Part 2 here. If you do you'll finish with a desperate urge to visit Skellig Michael yourself.

{It's in Irish with subtitles. I hope that TG4's web site does justice to the video and photography of the program.}

Neutrality doesn't allow for blockade running

During the two decades I've lived here I've grown used to hearing from the same protest groups as they have railed against every small bit of assistance that the Irish government has afforded the United States in matters military. For the most part that assistance has consisted of allowing American planes on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan to refuel at Shannon.

Generally the protest groups would say something like 'Allowing the Americans to use Shannon makes a mockery of our neutrality.' You know what? I'd agree with them, but I didn't think much of "Ireland's tradition of neutrality" anyway.

These protesters rarely represent a majority opinion, but always they manage to get a lot of publicity for their various causes because, well, they seem to have little else to do. They're professional objectors who seem to spend their days bombarding media outlets with press releases and organizing regular demonstrations.

Lately those protesters have turned their attention to Israel and Gaza. Not for the first time, it has to be said. While most of the protesters have stayed here in Ireland organizing marches and 'blockades' of the Israeli embassy, etc. a few of them have actually been part of the flotilla that's been all over the news here recently.

Now if that's what they want to do, if they feel that strongly about the plight of the people of Gaza, that's fine. I don't share their perspective, but part of me applauds their determination.

But, they should be forced to admit that the things they've been doing are not 'neutral' acts. Will they now stop pretending that Irish neutrality is the sacred cow they often make it out to be?

They don't agree with Israel's blockade of Gaza. Organizing protest rallies, etc. is fine. But, fitting out a ship, loading it up with items that Israel has banned and declaring that the ship is going through Israel's blockade is NOT a 'neutral' act. {By the way, have a read of this if legal stuff on conflicts at sea is your thing.}

And whatever about the protest groups, the Irish government's more than tacit support for those involved in the Gaza aid project is not the act of a neutral state. A truly neutral state would have detained the Rachel Corrie {photo} and not allowed it to leave Dundalk port on its well-publicized mission to run the Israeli blockade.

The Irish government did not do anything to stop the Rachel Corrie, other than force it to paint over the Irish flag with which the ship was initially adorned. MV Rachel Corrie is registered in Cambodia.

However, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin have been pretty strident in demanding that the Israelis allow the Rachel Corrie to pass through to Gaza. The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) also warned the Israelis that they would face "the most serious consequences" (whatever that means) if any Irish citizens were harmed.

A neutral state would not be asserting itself so forcefully on one side of a conflict. A neutral state would be seeking ways to avoid confrontation with a belligerent party. So let's just ditch this 'neutrality' charade once and for all.

Mark your family's progress with 1901 & 1911 Census returns

The 1901 Census is now available online. For anyone interested in their family roots, this is a great addition.

Now you can actually compare the census returns from 1911 with those made 10 years earlier. Maybe you'll see little of interest or more likely you'll find something wouldn't seem interesting normally but it is of interest to you because it's your family.

For example, on my great-grandfather's 1911 Census form he indicated that only he and his wife could speak Irish. Yet, on the 1901 Census return he indicates that the two of his sons could speak Irish.

Or does he? The more I looked at the two returns the more likely it seemed to me that he didn't fill out the 1911 form. The handwriting is different. I suspect that one of the sons or daughters filled in the '11 form. Obviously not of much interest outside my family, but it's a minor mystery as to why two of my grand-uncles were listed as Irish-speakers in 1901, but not in 1911.

Also, as I said when I first brought up the 1911 Census, don't ignore the House and Building Return. Through those details I was able to see that my great-grandfather had added a room to the house {photo} and replaced the thatch roof with a new slate one during those 10 years. Sounds like things went well for him during the decade.

Revelations show politician to be a loving, honorable husband

News of the Al and Tipper Gore's separation came only two days after I watched an interview with Irish politician about his wife. The former leader of the Fine Gael party, Michael Noonan spoke movingly and lovingly about his wife Florence, who is now in a nursing home with Alzheimer's Disease. The contrast between Al Gore and Noonan is very stark, but at the same time both stories serve as a reminder that you don't really know what goes on in any politician's marriage.

Noonan {photo} was interviewed on TV about this side of his life that nobody - other than his family - knew about. Florence Noonan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 12 years ago when she was 54. Michael Noonan decided to tell the story of his wife's illness and its impact on her, him and their children following an RTE investigation last week on Alzheimer's and the treatments and help available here.

{You might be able to view this interview here - go to around the 24" mark.}

I was amazed as I listened as I kept wondering how Noonan was able to carry on a normal life in politics while he was going through this traumatic experience. Even in Ireland politics is pretty high-pressure and carries a fair bit of media intrusion, although obviously nothing like what leading American politicians such as Gore have to endure.

Yet Noonan, with the help of their children, was looking after his wife as he assumed the role of leader of the party and fought the 2002 general election. How he managed to do this while nobody even in Fine Gael even seemed to know what he was going through is beyond me.

What I like about Noonan's desire to keep this private is that he must have been aware that one of his big problems was that he didn't have much charisma and his manner made him a fairly unsympathetic character. Basically he wasn't the kind of man who came across as likable on the television or radio.

On Monday night that all changed as I doubt there was a person in Ireland who didn't see him a new light. He came across as incredibly dignified and noble, two traits that would have helped him immeasurably in politics. Yet dignity was more important to him than a base attempt to use his wife's condition in a base attempt to win the voters' affections. Admirable.

Honoring the Irishmen who died serving the CSA

Today is Memorial Day, a day when Americans honor those who died serving the nation. Elsewhere on this site you'll find an excellent article on the Irish/Irish-American recipients of the Medal of Honor. It's great stuff.

However, there's one group of Americans who did not die serving the United States of America who we also honor this day. Memorial Day is also for those Americans who died fighting for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, although it took a good few years for everyone agree on that.

Of course, among those Americans who died fighting for the Confederacy was a large contingent of Irishmen. At the moment I'm reading Green, Blue and Grey, which is about the Irish involvement in the war and I have to admit I'm surprised by how many predominantly Irish units there were in the southern army.

I'd never really considered how many Irishmen had made their way to places like Birmingham, AL or Nashville, TN before 1860 or that so many New Orleans Irish had joined the Confederate cause. Although I had a vague idea that Irish units faced each other at Fredericksburg, the book's author points to numerous other battles where Irishmen were opposite each other.

Patrick Cleburne was one of two foreign born Major Generals in the Confederate Army. Cleburne was from Cork and was as senior partner in an Arkansas law firm when the war started. Cleburne joined as a private, was elected Captain and was soon a General. His cool head saved the Confederates at the battle of Chattanooga in November of 1863. Cleburne was killed at the Battle of Franklin, TN in 1864.

To my shame I have to admit I had only a vague idea about the Davis Guards before I read this book. The Davis Guards - named for CSA President Jefferson Davis - were 47 men, all Irish, who prevented a Union flotilla carrying 5,000 men from entering Texas via the Sabine River.

The Davis Guards were led by Dick Dowling {photo} from Tuam in Galway and his foresight and planning saw off the flotilla, forcing its retreat. The Davis Guards were "the only Confederate unit to be awarded a medal of honor during the war by the Confederate government."

18th Century Irish manor 'priced to sell'

This week the Irish Times reported that a property for sale has had it's price cut. Last June the family of businessman Tony Ryan, who died in 2007, had put his 600 acre Co. Kildare estate on the market. The family were hoping to get €80m for the "Georgian stately home" and surrounding lands.

According to the Irish Times Ryan {photo} had spent millions on repairs and refurbishments and "threw all his energies into creating one of the finest estates in the country" after he acquired the property in the 90s.

However, Ryan's family learned the same lesson that thousands of Irish home-owners have learned in recent years. This is not a seller's market.

This week the family announced that they have reduced the asking price to €50m. Obviously, that represents a significant cut in the price. However, if you happen to have some spare cash around and you think you might like a 600 acre estate in Ireland you might want to consider this: the decline in the price as measured in dollars is even greater. Last June the Lyons Estate would have cost you $112m. Today it can be had for a snip at $61.4m - a 45% savings.

How can you resist?

Rest may elude Bono at his Dublin home

Bono might be returning home to recover after his back surgery, but rest might be harder to come by.

I have sympathy for Bono, suffering with his bad back. I'm sure if I was 20 or so my reaction to Bono's injury would be something along the lines of, "What's that old guy doing anyway, trying to behave like a young rock star. He's lucky he can still stand at the microphone." But, I'm in my mid 40s and can fully understand why Bono doesn't want to give up yet. Who wants to be old?

The media says Bono will do his recuperating in his home on Killiney Hill in south County Dublin. What better place? It's beautiful there. Tremendous views looking out over Killiney Bay from Bray to Dalkey and Dalkey Island {photo}, with its medieval church and 19th century Martello Tower.

I went for a walk in that neighborhood earlier in the week. It's just a perfect place. So quiet that the predominant sounds are the birds in the trees and the sea crashing off the rocks below. And, at the moment many of the roads around Bono's house are closed to traffic due a to a rock slide in the area, making it seem even more secluded.

If you have to recover from serious surgery, Killiney Hill is probably about as good any place I can think of. Except for Bono's house right now.

Bono was clearly not anticipating spending a lot of time at home over the next few months, what with his hectic tour schedule (the tour he was training for when he got hurt). He was probably figuring he wouldn't be home much before Christmas. His wife and children probably arranged to be away a lot too.

Why do I think that? Because Bono, as as a lot of people would do, decided to get some work done around the place while he was away. From the looks of it, he's getting a lot of work done. From what I could see his house is one big building site. I'm not certain, but I think Bono and his wife must be getting a whole new top floor. The house suddenly seems a lot more visible than it used to be and there's scaffolding all around the top.

Oh, and there's a huge crane looming over the house, doing the things cranes do, making the noises cranes make. And based on the number of what looked like workmen's cars parked on the road outside Bono's gate I would guess his house is crawling with workers too.

Will they leave him alone? Probably will, actually. That's how Irish people generally are. Still, life in a building site is hardly going to be stress free. I don't care who you are or how much money you have, the sound of things crashing around, the sight of workmen spilling cups of coffee or bags of cement in your house is hardly the recipe for a restful recovery. Bono might do well to reconsider coming home to get over his surgery.

Open the window to let in the warm Irish air - insects too

As any visitors to these shores this past weekend could tell you the weather has been fantastic. Forget all that moaning about the cold - this weekend we had mid-summer temps. (And, yes forecast is for them to head in reverse, but the memories of this weekend will sustain us for a while.}

The weather was tremendous on Saturday and Sunday. It wasn't too shabby on Friday or Monday either. And today again, sunny and warm, down to mid-60s from the weekend's highs in the mid-70s, but in Ireland mid-60s is a pretty warm day.

On these warm days you have to open the windows of course. Back door too on the really warm days - like this weekend. I've lived here long enough to feel like I'm melting when the temperature hits 74°F.

The only downside to all this is the lack of screens on the windows. No screendoors either. I don't really know why, but the most common windows - those that seem to be on at least 95% of houses - don't have screens and can't have screens. To open them you turn a handle and push out the window. You couldn't put a screen on such a window. Oh maybe you could, but I can't see how. Regardless, I've never seen window screens here.

There are no mosquitos in Ireland, unlike where I grew up, which probably explains why we have no window screens. Still, I get fed up chasing flies and moths and the occasional wasp out of the house. Screens would save me that hassle.

Don't take me the wrong way. It's a little hassle. I'm not longing for the cold weather to return.