Troy Meets World 🌍⚽️

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic is back this Friday with more news and views concerning Los Irlandeses at home and abroad. Want a friend to get The Craic every week? Ask them to sign up here. And, if you haven’t already, take a wee jaunt over here to get the Shift app, cos we are getting ready to launch soon 🚀🇮🇪 and you don’t want to miss all the fun.

News from Home

Simply the Vest. We did it. Well, sort of. Ireland beat Hungary on Sunday afternoon to ensure a place in the Playoffs for World Cup 2026. We still have two small mountains to climb in the Playoffs, with games against Czechia and, potentially, Denmark or North Macedonia in March, but the sight of hat-trick hero Troy Parrott celebrating by whipping off his shirt to reveal one of those weird sports bra-vest yokes will live long in Irish sports folklore. If he keeps scoring like this, we are going to start a petition to change the name of County Monaghan to County Troynaghan. The Northern Irish lads are also in the Playoffs, with a tough tie against Italy.

Big Lads. “Irish bodybuilder” is probably a phrase you don’t hear too often, but, you know, we do have gyms and such, and, just like anywhere else, we have lads and ladies who like to gobble up the Huel and pump the old iron. There are actually 15 of them heading out to LA this weekend for the World Natural Bodybuilding Championships. The “natural” part of the nomenclature refers to the strict testing the athletes must endure to ensure there’s no funny business. Keep an eye out for Sligo’s Dylan Nolan, a fine specimen who’s no stranger to winning these big beefy boyo competitions.

Record Breaker. You know when you look at those people who run marathons, and think to yourself, “I could do that if I laid off the spuds and pints of creamy stout for a few months”? Well, even our most ardent fantasies won’t entertain attempting what Caitriona Jennings makes look easy. The Donegal woman has just smashed the world record for the 100-mile race, clocking in at 12:37:04. Incredibly, it was Jennings’ debut in a race at that distance. Our legs feel heavy just thinking about it.

Vulpine Hell. Some Dublin residents have experienced a spate of car vandalism of late, with around 40 cars damaged in late-night ‘attacks.’ The initial assumption was that it was kids, vandals, yahoos, and good-for-nothings, yet it has transpired that the likely culprits are foxes. Some residents have taken to wrapping the cars in chicken wire at night. Has Roald Dahl taught them nothing 🦊?

The Craic Recommends. The An Post Irish Book of the Year nominations have been released, and perusing the long list can act as inspiration for a holiday gift for the bibliophiles in your life. However, we wanted to recommend one of the unique non-fiction works – For and Against a United Ireland by Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride. As the title suggests, it looks at all angles of a question that seems simple to some but is, in reality, a truly complex one. A compelling work that may rattle some of your previously held opinions. Buy it from an independent Irish bookstore here.

The Irish Influence

Among guitar enthusiasts and rock historians, the late Gary Moore is venerated, but he remains severely underrated in his recognition by the wider public. The Belfast man, who was a member of Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, and enjoyed a fine solo career, was cited as an influence by guitarists from bands like Metallica, Def Leppard and Mr Big, while also being regarded as an old-school blues legend. Moore’s family has been campaigning for a statue of the guitarist to be erected in Belfast. The city council is amenable to the idea, but funding remains an issue. We can think of few candidates more deserving to be immortalized in Northern Ireland’s capital, so let’s hope they can raise the dough.

Cúpla Focal

Aisling {ASH-Ling} – Dream. We are all dreaming about the World Cup this week as a nation falls in love with football (bleugh, soccer) again. Aisling, also a popular girls’ name, is the term for a poetic or aspirational dream.

Blast from the Past

In October 1975, Tiede Herrema was kidnapped by the IRA. The Dutch national, who owned a factory in Limerick, was held in a house in Kildare for 36 days, with the ensuing siege of the house by security forces gripping the world’s media. Eventually, the kidnappers gave up, releasing Herrema unharmed. Aside from shining an international spotlight on the Troubles, it also highlighted the remarkable life and endurance of Herrema. Among other travails, he was sent to a concentration camp in Poland during the Second World War, walking over 300 miles to American lines after the camp was liberated by the Soviets. He and his wife were made honorary Irish citizens after his release in 1975. His dignity and refusal to bear any ill will towards his captors still feel extraordinary today.

And One Last Thing….

At this point, most of ye will be well aware that the Shift app is on the verge of launching. Our Washington DC-focused app goes live on November 27th — that’s Thanksgiving for the Yanks (and Mammy’s birthday 🎂 for our Co-Founder Paul). Some of you have already been beta-testing for us, so you’ve got the app already. Then for those of you in the United States and Canada you’ll be able to download the brand-spanking new app from the App Store or Google Play on Thanksgiving Thursday… And don’t worry, we’ll remind again when the time comes! For now, you can help us by following Shift social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and the old LinkedIn. Then next week the fun begins as we grow the Shift community around the world. GRMA!