Quaint, Irishy, Non-Covid News We all Need to Hear

Around the world, we can all unite in the fact that we are a bit fatigued with seeing mostly Covid-19 craziness in the news, in addition to the American government's continued surprises for the world with new-level, end-game capitalistic, dystopian present disintegration. However, that's exactly what this post is NOT about! Sit back and relax with the soothing, and silly tales of slower paced Ireland over the last few weeks. Though all the news outlets cited may not be exactly reputable, if they invoke a positive laugh, I am okay with it...just this once. (*All photos related to prospective articles are linked to within blog)

May has arrived in Ireland and the news has been abuzz with many claims of rising mercury. All those sun lovers can grab their swimsuits and bask in the upwards of 18 degree Celsius temperatures (or 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in their back garden! Though try and not let the gorgeous weather overtake your senses! A Galway man traveled outside the 2km radius restrictions (now lifted to 5km) in order to sunbathe nude at "Fraggle Rock" in Barna (west of Galway city). Though tempting, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors within the restrictions; as proven by 2 world champion rowers, Aifric Keogh and Sanita Puspure. These Irish women shattered the rowing half marathon world record in their categories from their rooftops. How inspiring! Especially considering I've been home all week and all I have to show for it is this silly blog post!

Many other people are retreating to their gardens, no matter how big or small; the weeds don't really have a chance against 'quarantined people 2020' or 'the greatest deaths by weed pulling in history'. The Irish Times even reminded us that last week was Hedgehog Awareness Week and offered up some tips to help keep these garden frequenters happy, they eat the gardener's worst enemy after all, the dreaded slug. Many animals have seemed to notice the difference in the humans' behavior as of late. My how the tables have turned that we are the ones being observed (we were all along, really, it's just a little more clear now). From the wild Dublin fox Sam who has made a home around Trinity College, and is boldly catching prey during the day (without the interference of pesky humans), to the Dublin zoo animals who realized they actually may miss the regular adoration of those fur-less primates.

Not everyone gets pleasure from being outdoors though, especially when allergy season is kicking in. There are some people who prefer to invent during this time, and the future is now, so why not? A Welsh company called Manno Aero has begun testing drug delivery by drones in Moneygall, Ireland. A safe way for elderly clients in remote areas to stay safely at home while having their meds delivered sans contamination. What will they think of next?! Oh, it's Ireland, so beer delivery by drone was obviously next on the docket! Truly a sweet gesture for this 152 year old pub who has been run by all women over the years; they organized free beer to be sent to some locals within a 2km radius so they could all enjoy a beer together, remotely. Even cannabis was being distributed by post so no one had to leave their homes! Wait, no, that one was illegal. Ah well, grannies all over Ireland were still celebrating their quarantine birthdays regardless of whether their packages came in the post or not! Granny Kathleen Lynch turned 90 and celebrated by raising €13,000 for the Red Cross through boogeying, while May Spain, the grey bombshell from the "Older than Ireland" documentary, raised a glass of champagne for her 106th birthday. One or two pandemics aren't going to keep these ladies down, that's for sure!



Now it's time to bask in some things that are truly Irish, despite the fact that the National Ploughing Championships have been cancelled for this year. While sad that this national event that draws over a quarter of a million people annually will have to be postponed until next year, I for one am just happy that it exists. Instead of being sad, you can take an in-depth quiz on how many Cork senior hurling champions you can name, or grab your best pair of Irish dancing shoes and start practicing for the Riverdance 25th anniversary gala which will include Irish dancers from all over the world. You could always envision your next trip to Kerry to meet the goat king of Kilorglin. This goat crowning festival has taken place for 400 years, in honor of a goat that warned the town of Cromwell's coming. If only the United States could choose a leader of similar caliber; vote Goat 2020!



Ireland has even had a few claim to fames over the quarantine time. People in lock down are needing to stay entertained, and one thing they want, 'Zombie' by the Cranberries. This famous song hit over one billion views over the last few weeks, which is a first for an Irish song.  And who else was listening to Irish radio but American movie actor Matt Damon. He's enjoyed his quarantine time in Dalkey since he and his family were stuck away from home while filming in Ireland. He got a taste of Irish hospitality when a NY reporter was fishing around Facebook open forums trying to get info on the actor. She was met with weighted sarcasm of locals spinning yarns about his whereabouts, unbeknownst to himself. He later sought out to interview with a local Irish radio station about his stay and couldn't have praised his time of the area and people more. But if you're not a Cranberries fan, and you're not Matt Damon, you may be feeling a little listless. Fear not, Lidl has the answer : make your own music! Yes, buy extremely loud musical instruments from Lidl like drums or a trumpet and you can make music yourself or buy a cheap and loud instrument for the parents of the 4-year-old that always screams on the quarantine walks around the block, maybe that'll soothe his pain. Ireland is always up for the craic, even during a pandemic!



In international news 'oh yeah, Brex-it is still a thing' with UK being unwilling to put a permanent EU office in Belfast, Ticketmaster still sucks (no surprise there) with them changing the terms and conditions policy so they don't have to refund money for all the rescheduled events due to Covid-19...wait, I promised not to talk about downer news. Give me a second...The Japanese Suido Aquarium is imploring people to face-time with their shy garden eels. Without regular human visits, the eels won't come out of their holes which makes it difficult for their caretakers to assess their health. Do your duty, and chat up a lonely eel! While you're at it, you definitely want to look your best when you call your new face-time pal, so check out the latest trending hairstyle coming from Kenya, 'the coronavirus' hairstyle. This plaited do' gives you that bad girl/boy vibe without actually getting the Rona, so stock pile those rubber bands wrapped around your fruit and veg at the grocery and get to plaiting!



So there you go! The not-Covid number and death news for the last few weeks. What do we have to look forward to in the coming future? Well, the Taoiseach says Ireland can attempt to meet a minimal 7% lower annual emissions target which would hopefully mean a cleaner Ireland, shops and services will slowly open in Ireland starting 18 May with any new cases being closely monitored, and we may finally get to hug or kiss our loved ones by early June (maybe).