On This Week: Irish Moments from History (22nd - 28th January)
Welcome to On This Week, where we delve into the standout stories from the years gone by, featuring standout news stories, major sporting events, and pop culture highlights that helped shape Irish life.
Here's your dose of Irish nostalgia from 22nd - 28th January
This Week In Irish News
2009: Texting 'As Gaeilge’ gets a boost
Predictive text was the core of many mobile phone experiences in the 2000s and was usually in English, until Irish speakers received the option to use predictive text in Irish.
Before, users had to turn off predictive texting and write manually, but Vodafone, working with Foras na Gaeilge, launched a new, free Irish-language predictive text service.
The service was available both locally and internationally and provided users with 25,000 Irish words and phrases, including fadas, to use. It was the first to be offered by a network provider, with Samsung offering a similar service via its Tocco phone.
2015: Ireland gets new passport card for European travel
Irish citizens could now travel within the European Union and the European Economic Area using a new Irish passport card.
Designed with frequent travellers in mind, the new card was issued as a supplement to existing passports, and those already holding a valid passport could apply.
It brought a number of security features, including an embedded hologram.
This Week In Irish Sports
1984: Lansdown Road gets a new stand
Lansdowne Road (now the Aviva Stadium) got a new stand allowing more rugby fans to see the boys in green.
The new East Stand cost £4 million and holds 13,000 spectators, 10,000 of those seated.
Lansdowne Road was the oldest rugby ground in the world, and stood until 2006 where it was demolished and redeveloped into the Aviva Stadium.
2023: Kilkenny side Ballyhale claim ninth All-Ireland title
Ballyhale Shamrocks claimed its ninth AIB All-Ireland club SHC title success in Croke Park, beating Antrim’s Dunloy Cuchullains 1-22 to 1-15.
The key player for Ballyhale was Eoin Cody, who helped himself to 1-05 from open play. While they eventually won by seven points, only a point separated them within eight minutes of normal time.
Having fallen short the previous year and missing the opportunity to win three All-Ireland titles in a row, Ballyhale made up for it thanks to scores from TJ Reid, Paddy Mullen, Killian Corcoran and Colin Fennelly.
This Week In Irish Entertainment
2003: When Saoirse Ronan made her TV debut
At 9 years old, Saoirse Ronan made her TV debut playing the role of Rhiannon Geraghty in RTÉ Television drama The Clinic.
She appeared in four episodes of The Clinic, and paved the way for a long career in cinema. At the age of 13, she was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for her role in the film Atonement.
1995: Pierce Brosnan begins life as the next James Bond
Pierce Brosnan starts off life as James Bond at a disused motor car factory in Watford, England.
Brosnan was on the set of ‘Goldeneye’ marking his debut as 007, and starred alongside Sean Bean, Robbie Coltrane, and Izabella Scorupco.
The former factory was 1.25 million square feet, and was transformed into multiple locations, including a miniature set of a Siberian landscape. Brosnan wasn’t nervous, stating that firsts are part of being an actor.
This Week In Irish Culture
1982: Killarney gets a state-of-the-art new public library
Killarney, Co Kerry saw the opening of a new purpose-built public library.
The new library has a book stock of over 25,000 volumes and has seen over 6,000 people register as members.
The building was constructed at a cost of £250,000.
What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week?
1967: ‘I'm a Believer’ by The Monkees
Written by Neil Diamond, the hit song stayed in the Irish number one spot for four weeks.
2002: ‘Get the Party Started’ by Pink
The lead single from her second album, Pink's track was an international success, topping the charts in multiple countries.
2015: ‘Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
Uptown Funk was the most successful single for both Ronson and Mars to date, topping the charts in 19 countries and reached the top 10 of 15 others.
Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week
Sheamus (48)
Professional wrestler who is the first Irish world champion in WWE history.
Ruth Bradley (39)
Actor known for her roles in Primeval, Slow Horses, and Humans.
Vogue Williams (41)
TV presenter and podcaster who has presented multiple documentaries on RTÉ
Other Irish Trivia From This Week
1985: The County Down couple who have a tiger as a pet
In the fishing village of Portavogie on the Ards Peninsula, marine engineer Ian Bailie, his wife Pat, and their daughter. Among their pets are a kitten and two German Shepherd dogs.
The unusual pet is a Royal Bengal tiger named Samson, who has been with the Bailie’s since he was two weeks old. Before this, they kept monkeys and a Barbary ape.
The tiger was fed four pounds of meat and fish a day, and the strategy was to train and tame Samson like a dog.
