Mo Money, Mo Chara 💰🇮🇪

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back as Ireland boils on a fine June afternoon. Our little weekly digest brings you news, tales, and bits of history from the Irish at home and abroad. If you know anyone who’d like to keep up with the craic weekly, ask them to sign up here.

News from Home

Popping the Cork. Lottery fever hit the island this week as it was discovered the winner of the EuroMillions (Europe’s equivalent of the Powerball) bought the ticket in Ireland. Rumors first circulated to suggest the mystery winner had bought the ticket in Dublin, but it was later confirmed to be Cork. The winner takes home 250 million euro (circa $290m), and instantly becomes one of Ireland’s richest people. We don’t want to give them financial advice, but if they invest astutely in the stock market, they may be able to afford a ticket for the NFL in Dublin this fall….

Ticket Fiasco. From winning lotto tickets to no tickets at all. Tickets went on sale for Ireland’s inaugural NFL game, and it was just as bad as you might expect. Technical glitches, crashing systems, and unfair pricing left many Irish gridiron fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Look, we know we live in a divided world right now, but we can all agree that every single person on this planet hates Ticketmaster?

Dublin Living. Dublin now ranks as the fifth most expensive capital city in Europe for basic cost of living according to a new report. That will come as no surprise to anyone who’s had that sinking feeling when being handed a restaurant bill. Yet, the report also says that Dublin is one of the more affordable cities when salaries are taken into account. The contradiction is basically: Dublin is a rip-off (sorry, tourists), but the people who live there are well-paid, so no harm done.

An Triail. News from London now, actually. Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, AKA “Mo Chara”, initial court hearing took place this week, with the rapper giving unconditional bail pending a trial in August. All the buzz was outside, however, as the group put up billboards around the UK capital (see the image above), drummed up support from celebrities and politicians, and generally dictated the media narrative. Whatever you think of Kneecap, the band knows how to do publicity. We say without hyperbole that, for generating attention through controversy, it’s reminiscent of the Sex Pistols in the 1970s but with a cúpla focal eile.

The Irish Influence

General Philip Sheridan (1831-1888) claimed to be born in Albany, NY – his Wikipedia says so – but historians believe he was lying because he wanted to run for President; can’t blame a guy for trying. His birth was either in Ireland or on the boat from Ireland en route to the US. Regardless, he had an important impact on American history, playing a key role in taking down General Lee’s forces during the Civil War. The reason we mention him is that his actions helped pave the way for the emancipation of slaves in Texas in 1865 when his forces took control against emancipation resistors, eventually leading to the “Juneteenth” proclamation that we celebrate today. As ever with these historical figures, we want to view them as heroes, but it is clear that Sheridan was far from perfect, especially in his treatment of Native Americans. Still, his actions in Texas helped steer American history for the better.

Cúpla Focal

Bíonn súil leis an bhfarraige {Bee-un sool less an var-igga} – There’s hope with the sea. Like many Irish sayings, meaning can be lost in translation, but this basically means hope springs eternal. We all need a bit right now.

Blast from the Past

T'is June, and we have been sharing World Cup memories quite frequently in The Craic these past few weeks. But instead of showing you yet another goal that got our hopes up before our dreams were dashed, we wanted to show you a song. But not just any song – Put ‘Em Under Pressure. Ireland’s official World Cup 1990 anthem was number one in the charts 35 years ago, and it stayed there for 13 weeks! Look, all art is subjective, but this masterpiece, clocking in at just under four minutes, might just be the greatest piece of music ever composed. If you set up a petition to change Ireland’s national anthem, this banger would come on top. 13 out of 10 for Big Jack Charlton’s voiceover work, too.

And One Last Thing….

We are getting ever closer to the big launch of the Shift app. Behind the scenes, developers have been developing, designers have been designing, marketers have been marketing, and co-founders Patrick and Paul have been plotting and planning over pints of plain. We still need you, though, so have a little look at our referral scheme right below, and if you can send The Craic on to 5 people who sign up (we will always be free), you can get yourself a dazzling, fantsmazzling Shift t-shirt. Just look at it, it’s gorgeous. You’ll look like a ride.

Yay! You made it all the way to the end! If you liked this bit of craic, remember to pass it on to your mates. They can sign up here: https://www.thecraic.us/

The Craic is brought to you by the lads from Shift. Shift is the directory of all things Irish, and the first-of-its-kind IRL social, dating, and everything else network - the Shift App is arriving late Summer!