As usual, there were plenty of April Fool jokes played today. Some were good, some were bad, some were just a mistake, really.
Here's a selection from at home and abroad, as well as a few crackers from the past.
Sir Marty Morrissey
Pick of the bunch at home was the one on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, where it was announced that legendary GAA commentator Marty Morrissey was to be awarded an honorary knighthood by the British.
With British monarch Queen Elizabeth celebrating her 90th birthday on April 21, and given the year that's in it over here, it was decided that Ireland should get a royal look-in when it comes to the birthday honours' list.
Fair play, Marty was in on the joke and came on air to recall when herself paid a state visit to Ireland and he regaled her with tales of Henry Sheflin and the like.
You know it almost sounded plausible, and Marty apparently received the odd congratulatory text.
Copper Face Supermacs
Supermac's to open a branch in Copper's! More here: https://t.co/2HNy2oyHKO #CopperFaceSupermacs pic.twitter.com/dlrqnJLx51
— Supermac's (@SupermacsIRE) April 1, 2016
A very close second to Sir Marty of Donnybrook was the excellent publicity stunt shared by Dublin nightspot Copper Face Jacks and national eatery Supermac's claiming that they were creating a hybrid called Copper Face Supermac's.
A release from the brands today announced the launch of a new branch of Supermac's in the premium bar area of Copper Face Jacks.
"It's often been said that Supermac’s is the best club after the nightclub, so why not locate one within the most famous nightclub in the country?" stated Supermac's Founder Pat McDonagh.
Laugh? I nearly ordered a breakfast roll.
No pranks
Perhaps the oddest prank was one posted on the website Kildare Now, who got a negative reaction after posting a story claiming a Jihadist had annexed a Kildare landmark.
The website posted a picture of a local landmark, a round tower, with an ISIS flag photoshopped on top of the building and flying over its turret.
The site subsequently deleted the article, apologised for any offence, and was at pains to distance itself by maintaining "that the story was completely unauthorised and was not posted by a member of the editorial team".
Germans, eh?
They may be regarded as a stern bunch, but Germans do have a sense of humour, and their UK-based embassy announced a new policy aimed at establishing rugby as the country's new national sport.
According to a statement there was an unveiling of the far-reaching measures that will see rugby become an integral part of German culture, including hens that lay rugby 'eggs'.
Government spokesperson G Flügel is quoted as saying that the country would "focus all attention and efforts on winning the 7 Nations Championship."
The German embassy's impenetrable and weird April Fools is everything to me https://t.co/8GdPw2QNzs
— Josh Lowe (@JeyyLowe) April 1, 2016
French farce
The French public transport operator RATP, which runs the Paris Metro, joined in the fun by publishing a story about the renaming of metro stations.
It was claimed that Opéra station is now called Aperitif, Crimée is now Crimée Châtiment in honour of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment, and a pile of puns that, we believe, would be lost in translation.
The French being, well, French, they celebrate the day slightly differently with a holiday called 'Poisson d’Avril', which means April fish. The point being that French children sneak around, sticking coloured paper fish on the backs of adults before dashing away.
A few classics April 1 japes from the past
Spaghetti Trees
Back in 1957, an episode of the BBC's current affairs programme Panorama showed farm workers harvesting spaghetti from trees and laying the strands on the ground to dry.
To add a certain gravitas, the much-respected broadcaster Richard Dimbleby narrated the report, and some viewers even called the BBC looking to purchase a spaghetti tree.
Light Year
Legendary astronomer Patrick Moore pulled a cracker in 1976 when he announced that for a few hours Earth would experience reduced gravity. Anyone who jumped in the air would feel lighter than usual and might even drift about in the air.
One women who followed Moore's advice reported that she had become weightless and "orbited gently around the room".
Tongue Tried
In 2010 The Sun introduced its readers to the concept of flavoured paper. A white square on page 17 of the Aprl 1 edition urged the reader to 'lick here' to sample the new creation.
"Our ink-redible printing breakthrough comes after we teamed up with Brit boffins," It was claimed. "It means that readers can lick this page to reveal a hidden taste".
Ghost Train
Back in March, 1844, placards appeared around Dublin advertising a free train ride on April 1st to Drogheda and back. On the day in question a huge crowd turned out, only to be told there was no free train. A riot ensued.
The following day a number of people went and complained to the police and lodged official complaints, but the police dismissed all complaints "in honour of the day".
Oh Burger!
April 1 1998 was heralded as a great day for left-handed fast food fans as Burger King unveiled a version of its Whopper Burger especially for them.
"We are delighted that Burger King has recognised the difficulties of holding a hamburger in your left hand that has a natural right bias to it," said the company. "We urge all left-handed hamburger lovers to visit their nearest Burger King and taste the difference for themselves."
