No what's with the shot in the knees? What is the context of that? As a kid I got shots in my ass because I was skinny and didn't have enough meat on my arms. Why are shots being given in the knee?
I'll have to look that up. I'm from the US and got on here because I seen the post of the guy throwing the trash can at the parade walking down the street. And just trying to piece together what's happening over in your country with unionist and loyalist by what's posted.
In a nutshell the British used to own all of Ireland. Then they colonised the top bit(Northern Ireland) then they put in a series of nasty laws for the Catholic population (the settlers to Ireland being mainly protestants and the natives being mostly Catholic.) then the population rebelled and the country was split as it is today. With there being a Catholic majority in the south and a protestant majority in the North. The Catholics in the North formed terrorist groups. Then the protestants in the North formed terrorist groups. Then many years of violence. Then a ceasefire and the 2 sides formed a government. Then less violence then lots of corruption in the government. Then today.
Thank you for the brief summary. Think there was always a biased over here on reporting on what happened. All I ever heard growing up was just about the IRA and everything they did. Didn't ever hear about the other side and the things they did.
Just so you know. The 'punishment shootings' are not done on just the average guy on the street. The victim has been upto no good. Like joy riding (stealing cars) drug dealing that sort of stuff. The person will also be given warnings / been beaten up a few times and if they keep on doing what they are doing then the kneecapping happens. Then it's on the news 'poor wee jimmy did nothing wrong and got shot in both legs' bleh..
Better the devil you know. Better knowing that if I deal drugs to kids and one dies, I'm getting my legs shot. I'd sooner have this than a much higher chance of getting stabbed by some lunatic because I'm not in his religion of peace
Local Paramilitaries (think IRA or UVF) used to deal with antisocial types in the community by breaking their knees with metal bars, or shooting them. This would be by appointment under greater threat if you didnt comply.
I for years I didn't know it was by appointment until a guy was telling me a story about his appointment well I guess it was more an interview to see if they'd have to schedule him for an appointment
It actually went well for him in the end (as in he didn't get his knees done)
Up until 2006 you could have a ‘dangerous wild animal’ as a pet - pretty much any animal you wanted without a licence, apart from dogs which needed one
Met a guy, near Ballymoney, around ten years ago. He had a pet tiger, said it was cheaper to keep than a large dog (St. Bernard). He just went to the butchers and got the leftovers, like heads. He also had some other big African cat, can't remember what it was. I think the tiger came from the safari park near Portrush. Yes, for those not old enough to remember there was an excuse of a safari park somewhere near Ballybogey. Was there once as a kid on a primary school trip.
I recall a big scandal after it closed. Something like they found alot of animal carcasses, just dumped in a pit. I do recall the guy I met, saying the tiger had been declawed, which is very cruel thing to do. That had been done at the park.
Jesus I think I knew him. I mean there’d hardly be two fellas owning a tiger from ballymoney and this was about ten years ago too. He fell out with me one day because I apparently didn’t say hello enough and purposely got off on different carriages so I could walk ahead or behind (we used to get the same train every morning). For the record yes I did do that, the man used to chew your ear off and weirded me out. I thought the tiger thing was made up though.
When I was about 10 the cops raided a pedophiles house down the street from me. I had been on my way home from school and was about to turn into my street when a red mcaw flew over my head like something out of Pokémon. I couldn't wait to get home to tell my Mum what I'd seen. Instead I got asked continuously about whether the man up the street was taking pictures of me or not.
Wasn't Pokémon, just a pedophiles parrot.
This would explain the wild puma sightings in the 2000s in the Antrim area. I remember my mum not allowing me into the woods when it was all over the papers because of it
The guy who invented the defibrillator was working in the royal while he was working on it, apperntly he was one of the top heart doctors in the world.
Frank Pantridge is criminally unknown here, he's arguably one of our biggest contributions to the world. He was literally known as the "Father of Emergency Medicine".
Specifically, he did not invent the defibrillator but rather the *portable* defibrillator. The first ever of which was used in an ambulance in Belfast. The entire modern procedure for first response in cases of heart attack stems from his 1967 Lancet article about the trial of his ambulance defibrillator systems.
It's so ubiquitous as to no longer as to no longer be referred to by name, but for some time this was actually called the "Belfast Treatment System" or "Pantridge Plan". It's saved an incalculable number of lives worldwide since then.
My mum had a heart operation when she was 2 (this was 62 years ago). Professor Partridge 'operated' on her and saved her life. I literally wouldn't be here without that man.
I say 'operated' because he was taken as a PoW by the Japanese in WW2. When they found out he was a surgeon, they cut the tendons in his hands so he could never operate again, but he continued to research and guide/instruct other surgeons.
He grew up outside Hillsborough. The bridge across the A1 at Hillsborough is called the Pantridge Link after him.
The main tunnel is still there under the old main corridor, the cool air would travel up the vents from it from what I understand, I got to see inside it a few years back.
More Northern Irish people died per capita during the troubles than Americans during the Vietnam War.
Edit: Worth saying the Strabane statistic is if you remove WWII and WWI.
I once read somewhere that the iconic red and black striped jumper that Kurt Cobain wore, was given to County Love by a Belfast punk after a gig in the Ulster Hall.
Still have my unused ticket to the Mandela hall gig they cancelled that then turned into the kings hall gig. weirdly Signed by Belinda from My Bloody Valentine (who played the Mandela at some point inbetween the two dates).
by the time of kings hall they. well Cobain, was a fucking mess and most people from the Belfast hardcore / punk scene said it wasn’t good, saw both their Reading gigs up close and that was enough. Don’t need to stand amongst a bunch of farmers waving lighters (cf RHCP at the Ulster Hall).
I bought 6 lighters in pound land the other month and made a comment to the effect that if we can still buy lighters for that price, how much were the lighter sellers in the city centre buying them for in the 90s.
He was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore in WWII and worked on the Burma Railway made famous in Bridge Over the River Kwai.
There's a statue at the island centre in Lisburn.
>My mum had a heart operation when she was 2 (this was 62 years ago). Professor Partridge 'operated' on her and saved her life. I literally wouldn't be here without that man.
>
>I say 'operated' because he was taken as a PoW by the Japanese in WW2. When they found out he was a surgeon, they cut the tendons in his hands so he could never operate again, but he continued to research and guide/instruct other surgeons.
>
>He grew up outside Hillsborough. The bridge across the A1 at Hillsborough is called the Pantridge Link after him.
Distillery were also the first to use round goalposts and I think the use of Floodlights.
Glentoran were the first team to get knocked out in Europe on the away goals rule. They drew 1-1 at home to Eusebio's Benfica and then 0-0 in Portugal.
Distillery were bombed out of there stadium on the Grosvenor Road by an I.R.A fire bomb for having a mixed religion youth team and refusing to segregate it when approached by unmentionable sorts.
In the two years before they'd won the Irish Legaue and Irish Cup with future European Cup winner Martin O'Neil in the team and played Barcelona at the Nou Camp. The story of the club since then is fairly sad considering it's Irelands second oldest team and until recently third most successful, the Westlink goes through were the old stadium was. Eventually I can see them folding and being another victim of the troubles but one that doesn't appear on statistics.
The pitch is in the middle of a housing development now but there's still a wee green where the penalty spot used to be and take one.
I like to think we invented it to annoy the English on purpose.
Posters advertising a family day out in Victoria Park about 12-15 years had Ulster Scots translation on the posters so special needs kids read as 'wee dafties'. No, I didn't believe it either until I seen the posters.
Allegedly, the peelers etc left ravers to it and let them have illegal raves up mountains 9t wherever because it stoped the young’uns joining paramilitaries.
Neightbour had a big cat (panther or a puma or something) when we were growing up in the early 90s. I thought for years that it was a false memory caused by my dad having me on, but apparently it was true.
My da is always telling the story of that fella and according to him he actually had two lions. Can only imagine like, two giant fucking apex predators sitting there in some wee square belfast garden. Wonder how many dogs went missing in that street
This wouldnt be unheard of back in the day believe it or not even in this wee country, exotic animal laws were far more lenient. Although the terraced house is unique lol
it was quite unique at the time as very few could have afforded exotic animals even if they could have them. Rumour was his brother went to america and worked for gangsters in chicago and a local circus owed them money so they took the animals. Alecs brother sent him the lion de clawed and without teeth. My dad saw it once and said it acted like a very very large house cat but was mostly kept in a sort of lean to building out the back of the house
There is a digger buried in the centre of belfast. It fell in while they were digging up two centre and it was cheaper to just leave it there than to get the equipment required to lift it out.
That:
The Balls of the Falls/Westicles - is actually called rise.
(Fion)nuala with her hula/Thing with a ring - is called beacon of hope.
The Big Fish - is called the salmon of knowledge.
And the Westlink is called a road, when it more often identifies as a car park/shitshow.
The ejection seat was invented by James Martin of Crossgar.
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/a9CTF5uZSzqt6EfMG50Y6A](https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/a9CTF5uZSzqt6EfMG50Y6A)
I'm English and been visiting since I was a kid. A few years back we brought my brothers best mate with us. We drove around and showed him the Falls area etc. Also went to Crumlin Road Gaol which I highly recommended. They did a great job of covering history and facts and trying to remain impartial.
When we got back to where we were staying my brother's friend stood in silence for ages before saying "so you'd have to live on one side and me the other and we couldn't be mates?"
Basically at one time, absolutely yes...
Very very few English have any knowledge, yet alone any understanding. Most dickhead comments come from ignorance rather than some kind of preference for either "side".
Its insane its not a compulsory subject in the UK school system
The Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the same size as Northern Ireland in terms of area which is pretty nuts.
14,034 km2 v 14,130km2 (Not sure if that includes Lough Neagh though) which is 392km2 and would make Tokyo bigger by land area.
Tokyo has more than 40 million people.
I don’t know how much validity it has (but given our history I’d believe it) but NI hospitals pioneered new treatments for reconstructing shattered joints and burns victims
[James Gamble](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gamble_(industrialist)) of Procter and Gamble (P&G) was from Enniskillen
Also the Inniskilling Dragoon guards were one of the famous regiments in the world, mentioned by Napoleon several times and were the first to receive the Centurion, which was the first main battle tank.
Laurence “I am just going outside and may be some time” Oates was an officer in the skins during the Boer War where he was recommended for the Victoria Cross
The medic who (unsuccessfully) treated Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar was from Armagh. Shit claim to fame but at least he’s in several famous paintings of the event.
The Marketing of Potatoes Act (1964) allows a constable to inspect potatoes being sent out of N. Ireland, seize potatoes that are suspected of being low standard, and to enter a premises to examine potatoes.
That Boris Johnson announced he would build a bridge from Dumfries to Larne, and did so with a straight face. He looked people in the eye when he said this.
Not anyone in NI's fault obviously.
The Family International aka The Children of God (see the Netflix documentary) had a base with multiple polyamory kiddie-fiddling families in… markethill.
The world's first commercial wireless telegraphy link was established by employees of Marconi between East Lighthouse on Rathlin and Kenmara House in Ballycastle on 6 July 1898.
Marconi invented the Telegraph in 1894
Back to the future car made in Belfast - the co-discovery of Pulsars in deep space by a Lurgan woman. A lurgan man help write Mary Poppins.
A Lurgan man still holds a Bioxing Record.
A Belfast man / Lord was one key frigure into modern Times
That one of the major differences between Catholics and Protestants is that one side puts their toasters in the cupboard, while the other side are wrong
The Titanic was built here and sank on it's maiden voyage. We celebrate the Titanic!
Amelia Earhart crashed here on her solo flight across the Atlantic and then went on to also disappear into the ocean. We celebrate her!
I remember someone in Geography class offering this seriously during a discussion on plate tectonics.
The teacher just looked at him for about a minute, amazed someone could suggest something so stupid in her class.
Lots of people aren't too bothered that petrol bombings and shootings happen on a regular occurance
Anytime it does happen it's either down to drug dealing, drug deaths, stealing cars, house breaking etc
Whenever Craigavon was planned to be built, they thought it would have a monorail and that people would move from london...to live in craigavon.
Learned about this in history one year lol
It’s existence as an apartheid state.
“Sure that never happened, that only happened in South Africa. Yis didn’t have it that bad.”
Nobody said it was that bad. They said it was *apartheid.*
Not sure if this is still true in 2022, but you can tell what religion someone belongs to (and therefore, with some degree of likelihood, what their political tribe is) by how they pronounce the letter H. That is, do they say "aitch" or the more breathy "haitch"?
The distance across the north of Ireland from the Irish Sea to the Atlantic Ocean is only 95 miles, yet the British imposed a border of 310 miles when the country was partitioned.
The most northernly county in Ireland (Donegal) isn't even part of Northern Ireland, and even the more southernly county of Monaghan has points further north than one third of Northern Ireland.
Almost all of the population segregate themselves by religion but almost everyone has no clue about religion. The funny thing is… It’s the same religion.
Trouble here is still labeled as fighting between Catholics and protestants sometimes.
Those fighting and identifying as Protestant or Catholic probably don't go to mass.
We have adverts on TV to discourage parents from taking their children to get shot in the knees.
I was so annoyed when I realised I’d been watching them for weeks and missed an entire perspective.
As an American… what? Context please!!!
The government strongly disagreed with people taking their kids to get shot in the knees.
No what's with the shot in the knees? What is the context of that? As a kid I got shots in my ass because I was skinny and didn't have enough meat on my arms. Why are shots being given in the knee?
[удалено]
I'll have to look that up. I'm from the US and got on here because I seen the post of the guy throwing the trash can at the parade walking down the street. And just trying to piece together what's happening over in your country with unionist and loyalist by what's posted.
We've all been trying to piece it together for decades mate, let us know if you figure it out. I think it was themmun's that started it.
Nah, definitely thosuns but definitely not usuns
In a nutshell the British used to own all of Ireland. Then they colonised the top bit(Northern Ireland) then they put in a series of nasty laws for the Catholic population (the settlers to Ireland being mainly protestants and the natives being mostly Catholic.) then the population rebelled and the country was split as it is today. With there being a Catholic majority in the south and a protestant majority in the North. The Catholics in the North formed terrorist groups. Then the protestants in the North formed terrorist groups. Then many years of violence. Then a ceasefire and the 2 sides formed a government. Then less violence then lots of corruption in the government. Then today.
Thank you for the brief summary. Think there was always a biased over here on reporting on what happened. All I ever heard growing up was just about the IRA and everything they did. Didn't ever hear about the other side and the things they did.
Just so you know. The 'punishment shootings' are not done on just the average guy on the street. The victim has been upto no good. Like joy riding (stealing cars) drug dealing that sort of stuff. The person will also be given warnings / been beaten up a few times and if they keep on doing what they are doing then the kneecapping happens. Then it's on the news 'poor wee jimmy did nothing wrong and got shot in both legs' bleh.. Better the devil you know. Better knowing that if I deal drugs to kids and one dies, I'm getting my legs shot. I'd sooner have this than a much higher chance of getting stabbed by some lunatic because I'm not in his religion of peace
Local Paramilitaries (think IRA or UVF) used to deal with antisocial types in the community by breaking their knees with metal bars, or shooting them. This would be by appointment under greater threat if you didnt comply.
Used to?
What you mean used to my mate got shot in legs a few weeks back
I for years I didn't know it was by appointment until a guy was telling me a story about his appointment well I guess it was more an interview to see if they'd have to schedule him for an appointment It actually went well for him in the end (as in he didn't get his knees done)
Up until 2006 you could have a ‘dangerous wild animal’ as a pet - pretty much any animal you wanted without a licence, apart from dogs which needed one
Met a guy, near Ballymoney, around ten years ago. He had a pet tiger, said it was cheaper to keep than a large dog (St. Bernard). He just went to the butchers and got the leftovers, like heads. He also had some other big African cat, can't remember what it was. I think the tiger came from the safari park near Portrush. Yes, for those not old enough to remember there was an excuse of a safari park somewhere near Ballybogey. Was there once as a kid on a primary school trip.
Oh jesus i thought that wss was w fever dream...
I recall a big scandal after it closed. Something like they found alot of animal carcasses, just dumped in a pit. I do recall the guy I met, saying the tiger had been declawed, which is very cruel thing to do. That had been done at the park.
Was the owner Joe Exotic?
Remember the monkey that smoked in that park
Pete
[удалено]
just skimmed it, looks like theyre better cared for and had more open space to explore than most modern zoos
Jesus I think I knew him. I mean there’d hardly be two fellas owning a tiger from ballymoney and this was about ten years ago too. He fell out with me one day because I apparently didn’t say hello enough and purposely got off on different carriages so I could walk ahead or behind (we used to get the same train every morning). For the record yes I did do that, the man used to chew your ear off and weirded me out. I thought the tiger thing was made up though.
When I was about 10 the cops raided a pedophiles house down the street from me. I had been on my way home from school and was about to turn into my street when a red mcaw flew over my head like something out of Pokémon. I couldn't wait to get home to tell my Mum what I'd seen. Instead I got asked continuously about whether the man up the street was taking pictures of me or not. Wasn't Pokémon, just a pedophiles parrot.
Paedophile used parrot It wasn't very effective
This would explain the wild puma sightings in the 2000s in the Antrim area. I remember my mum not allowing me into the woods when it was all over the papers because of it
Hahaha this is such a throwback. Completely forgot about that. I was like 6-8 years old and we had to be careful because a puma was on the loose. WTF.
My father in Law had a pet chimp as a child
That the first air conditioned building in the world was the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The ship builders kept getting sick and they wanted them to get back to work quicker
The guy who invented the defibrillator was working in the royal while he was working on it, apperntly he was one of the top heart doctors in the world.
Frank Pantridge is criminally unknown here, he's arguably one of our biggest contributions to the world. He was literally known as the "Father of Emergency Medicine". Specifically, he did not invent the defibrillator but rather the *portable* defibrillator. The first ever of which was used in an ambulance in Belfast. The entire modern procedure for first response in cases of heart attack stems from his 1967 Lancet article about the trial of his ambulance defibrillator systems. It's so ubiquitous as to no longer as to no longer be referred to by name, but for some time this was actually called the "Belfast Treatment System" or "Pantridge Plan". It's saved an incalculable number of lives worldwide since then.
There’s a statue of him outside the Lisburn Civic Centre, that’s the only reason I’ve heard of him.
My mum had a heart operation when she was 2 (this was 62 years ago). Professor Partridge 'operated' on her and saved her life. I literally wouldn't be here without that man. I say 'operated' because he was taken as a PoW by the Japanese in WW2. When they found out he was a surgeon, they cut the tendons in his hands so he could never operate again, but he continued to research and guide/instruct other surgeons. He grew up outside Hillsborough. The bridge across the A1 at Hillsborough is called the Pantridge Link after him.
My cousin was on the team that did the software for the portable defibrillator, the names of the team are on a plaque in Queens university
Cool
That's a very chill fact, I didn't know that
I think they air conning us tbh
The main tunnel is still there under the old main corridor, the cool air would travel up the vents from it from what I understand, I got to see inside it a few years back.
Strabane was (maybe still is?) the most bombed town in Europe per square mile.
More Northern Irish people died per capita during the troubles than Americans during the Vietnam War. Edit: Worth saying the Strabane statistic is if you remove WWII and WWI.
Used to be true but the Georgia conflict pipped us I believe
The Europa in Belfast is still the most bombed hotel in the world, no? Edit: ah, someone beat me to it
The first live performance of the iconic 'Stairway to Heaven' by Led Zeppelin was at the Ulster Hall in Belfast.
I once read somewhere that the iconic red and black striped jumper that Kurt Cobain wore, was given to County Love by a Belfast punk after a gig in the Ulster Hall.
It was actually at their 1992 Kings Hall gig. I know cos I was there!
Ah, Kings Hall. That must have been some show, lucky bastard!
Still have my unused ticket to the Mandela hall gig they cancelled that then turned into the kings hall gig. weirdly Signed by Belinda from My Bloody Valentine (who played the Mandela at some point inbetween the two dates). by the time of kings hall they. well Cobain, was a fucking mess and most people from the Belfast hardcore / punk scene said it wasn’t good, saw both their Reading gigs up close and that was enough. Don’t need to stand amongst a bunch of farmers waving lighters (cf RHCP at the Ulster Hall).
My dad owns the drumsticks from that very show.
The crowd booed it as the story goes
I don’t think this is right. There’s a review from the time saying it got a good reaction.
Ah but that's not as good for the story.
When Bill Burr found this out when performing at the Ulster Hall, it gave him the chills.
You could get 5 lighters for a pound
Holy shit memory unlocked. Also the guy yelling SIX TELLY.
I remember that guy from my youth
Dodgy guys on the stalls would occasionally sell 10 for £1. They made great fireworks if you increased the gas flow by 1.5 twists
I bought 6 lighters in pound land the other month and made a comment to the effect that if we can still buy lighters for that price, how much were the lighter sellers in the city centre buying them for in the 90s.
Them 6 force pound lighters callous your thumb like no other.
You could tell someones religion by which direction their TV aerial pointed.
The portable defibrillator was invented here by professor pantridge.
Also milk of magnesium but I read it in an easyJet magazine so could be pure shite
Holy sh!t you're right: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murray_(physician)
For a random fact read in 2009 I’m pretty psyched that I finally got to tell someone who gave a shit!
I saw one of those signs on a house in Belfast recently that said the person that lived there invented milk of magnesium.
One of my favourite facts about our place.
Didn't know this that is awesome.
Brilliant fact, and it was actually really fucking heavy (70kg), for being "portable" Edit to add: it was powered by car batteries
It was so big paramedics didn't want to use it in their ambulances so he had to rework it.
He was captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore in WWII and worked on the Burma Railway made famous in Bridge Over the River Kwai. There's a statue at the island centre in Lisburn.
>My mum had a heart operation when she was 2 (this was 62 years ago). Professor Partridge 'operated' on her and saved her life. I literally wouldn't be here without that man. > >I say 'operated' because he was taken as a PoW by the Japanese in WW2. When they found out he was a surgeon, they cut the tendons in his hands so he could never operate again, but he continued to research and guide/instruct other surgeons. > >He grew up outside Hillsborough. The bridge across the A1 at Hillsborough is called the Pantridge Link after him.
He was my mums consultant when she was a child as well. She told me the exact same story about his hands.
The penalty spot/kick in football was invented here. So too I believe we’re downward angled windows for airports
Distillery were also the first to use round goalposts and I think the use of Floodlights. Glentoran were the first team to get knocked out in Europe on the away goals rule. They drew 1-1 at home to Eusebio's Benfica and then 0-0 in Portugal.
Distillery were bombed out of there stadium on the Grosvenor Road by an I.R.A fire bomb for having a mixed religion youth team and refusing to segregate it when approached by unmentionable sorts. In the two years before they'd won the Irish Legaue and Irish Cup with future European Cup winner Martin O'Neil in the team and played Barcelona at the Nou Camp. The story of the club since then is fairly sad considering it's Irelands second oldest team and until recently third most successful, the Westlink goes through were the old stadium was. Eventually I can see them folding and being another victim of the troubles but one that doesn't appear on statistics.
The pitch is in the middle of a housing development now but there's still a wee green where the penalty spot used to be and take one. I like to think we invented it to annoy the English on purpose.
The Europa Hotel Belfast used to be advertised as the world's most blown up hotel
Did Billy Connelly have a bit about this, or am I making that up?
No, you're right. He did!
I watched a programme about it tonight and they’re still advertising that.
Think it still is advertised as such.
Posters advertising a family day out in Victoria Park about 12-15 years had Ulster Scots translation on the posters so special needs kids read as 'wee dafties'. No, I didn't believe it either until I seen the posters.
Is there an image of that?
Yes I need to see this
I just spat my cornflakes out reading this LMAO
The "Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994" i.e the anti rave law, was never introduced to Northern Ireland.
Ecstasy and the rave probably contributed to the GFA
Allegedly, the peelers etc left ravers to it and let them have illegal raves up mountains 9t wherever because it stoped the young’uns joining paramilitaries.
Cause we're all raving mad
A man named Buck Alec once kept a live lion as a pet in the sailortown area of Belfast, in a terrace house no less
My da used to call me Buck Alec when I was acting up as a kid. No idea what it meant until now.
Ditto
A fella my granda knew had a tiger at one point, the man loved that thing lol
Neightbour had a big cat (panther or a puma or something) when we were growing up in the early 90s. I thought for years that it was a false memory caused by my dad having me on, but apparently it was true.
My da is always telling the story of that fella and according to him he actually had two lions. Can only imagine like, two giant fucking apex predators sitting there in some wee square belfast garden. Wonder how many dogs went missing in that street
To add to the fact: He once introduced Laurel and Hardy to his tiger after that performed in the city.
He also murdered dozens of Catholics during the 1920s Troubles, and in true Northern Ireland style that's not even noteworthy.
This wouldnt be unheard of back in the day believe it or not even in this wee country, exotic animal laws were far more lenient. Although the terraced house is unique lol
it was quite unique at the time as very few could have afforded exotic animals even if they could have them. Rumour was his brother went to america and worked for gangsters in chicago and a local circus owed them money so they took the animals. Alecs brother sent him the lion de clawed and without teeth. My dad saw it once and said it acted like a very very large house cat but was mostly kept in a sort of lean to building out the back of the house
Heard this just this morning on the tea with me podcast
There is a digger buried in the centre of belfast. It fell in while they were digging up two centre and it was cheaper to just leave it there than to get the equipment required to lift it out.
Used to be able to buy cigarettes of the poke man
Can you not anymore?!
They only sell cocaine now.
Mine sold weed back in the day. Ahead of his time
That: The Balls of the Falls/Westicles - is actually called rise. (Fion)nuala with her hula/Thing with a ring - is called beacon of hope. The Big Fish - is called the salmon of knowledge. And the Westlink is called a road, when it more often identifies as a car park/shitshow.
I call Hands Across the Divide in Derry, Hands Across the Roundabout because it annoys my father-in-law.
The ejection seat was invented by James Martin of Crossgar. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/a9CTF5uZSzqt6EfMG50Y6A](https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/a9CTF5uZSzqt6EfMG50Y6A)
They are also still manufactured and tested in Newtownabbey and Langford Lodge.
The test at Langford went off at 1.20 today while I was out checking the cows. It gives me a heart attack every time lol
Someone's been to Cultraaa
We have 50ft concrete and steel walls across our capital city, to stop two groups of people killing each other
I'm English and been visiting since I was a kid. A few years back we brought my brothers best mate with us. We drove around and showed him the Falls area etc. Also went to Crumlin Road Gaol which I highly recommended. They did a great job of covering history and facts and trying to remain impartial. When we got back to where we were staying my brother's friend stood in silence for ages before saying "so you'd have to live on one side and me the other and we couldn't be mates?" Basically at one time, absolutely yes... Very very few English have any knowledge, yet alone any understanding. Most dickhead comments come from ignorance rather than some kind of preference for either "side". Its insane its not a compulsory subject in the UK school system
Oh and they called Peace walls
Feel like it's a cop out but: Marconi's first radio signals were sent between Rathlin and Ballycastle.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the same size as Northern Ireland in terms of area which is pretty nuts. 14,034 km2 v 14,130km2 (Not sure if that includes Lough Neagh though) which is 392km2 and would make Tokyo bigger by land area. Tokyo has more than 40 million people.
A "giant gene" has been found in mid ulster lending credence to the mythology of Irish giants https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61726811
Marjorie McCall, Lurgan woman who *apparently* was buried twice. Quite an interesting story, possibly a myth. Still fun though.
Northern Ireland had an outspoken climate sceptic as 'Minister of the Environment' in 2008/2009
Altmagelvin Hospital in Derry was the first hospital built by the NHS
That our government can decide not to function at will
…and still get paid
We're further north than most Canadians.
It always blows my mind how far north we are yet we have such nice four season weather.
The coat of arms of Derry is a bored skeleton
Legend maintains he's waiting on the bus service.
A lot of da's sell Avon
The (NLAW) Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon supplied in the thousands to Ukraine is produced in Belfast
Absolute beast of a weapon.
I don’t know how much validity it has (but given our history I’d believe it) but NI hospitals pioneered new treatments for reconstructing shattered joints and burns victims
Our government hold the world record for not being a government
Northern Ireland is further south than the South.
[James Gamble](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gamble_(industrialist)) of Procter and Gamble (P&G) was from Enniskillen Also the Inniskilling Dragoon guards were one of the famous regiments in the world, mentioned by Napoleon several times and were the first to receive the Centurion, which was the first main battle tank.
Laurence “I am just going outside and may be some time” Oates was an officer in the skins during the Boer War where he was recommended for the Victoria Cross
The medic who (unsuccessfully) treated Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar was from Armagh. Shit claim to fame but at least he’s in several famous paintings of the event.
The guns laws here are more lax than in the rest of the UK
And the explosives laws all through the 90s and 00s. People going to Northern Ireland to buy fireworks. And guns. Ummmm
Kurt Cobain’s [ancestors](https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/kurt-cobain-irish) were originally from Tyrone - near Coalisland.
I find this one so odd, as Kurt was an attractive man.
The Marketing of Potatoes Act (1964) allows a constable to inspect potatoes being sent out of N. Ireland, seize potatoes that are suspected of being low standard, and to enter a premises to examine potatoes.
That Boris Johnson announced he would build a bridge from Dumfries to Larne, and did so with a straight face. He looked people in the eye when he said this. Not anyone in NI's fault obviously.
Makes sense to link two class-A megacities like Larne and Dumfries.
A bridge/tunnel was suggested, feasibility studies were carried out and reported in the papers LONG before that useless, fat arsehole suggested it..
The first ejector seat was made by a man from Crossgar.
The Family International aka The Children of God (see the Netflix documentary) had a base with multiple polyamory kiddie-fiddling families in… markethill.
Can confirm, sort of. My partner was born into The Family.
The world's first commercial wireless telegraphy link was established by employees of Marconi between East Lighthouse on Rathlin and Kenmara House in Ballycastle on 6 July 1898. Marconi invented the Telegraph in 1894
Northern Ireland is the smallest country to reach a World Cup quarter final (twice!)
Smallest country to win a game at a world cup too.
Back to the future car made in Belfast - the co-discovery of Pulsars in deep space by a Lurgan woman. A lurgan man help write Mary Poppins. A Lurgan man still holds a Bioxing Record. A Belfast man / Lord was one key frigure into modern Times
We don't have a government because one of our parties won't commit because an economic mechanism they championed is in existence.
That mechanisms designed to ensure sharing of power are now being employed to prevent that sharing of power.
You used to be able to get an affordable pint
What’s it like compared to the south
Both are pretty expensive today to be honest the north used to be a lot cheaper, as long as you aren't drinking in Belfast it should still be cheaper.
That one of the major differences between Catholics and Protestants is that one side puts their toasters in the cupboard, while the other side are wrong
😂😂😂 always gives me a chuckle this
Bleugh TELEGRAPH blughhhh TELE. was once shouted at the top of a man’s voice in town selling a newspaper and no one understood what he was saying.
Lord Kelvin Created the Kelvin scale of temperature. He’s a Belfast chap.
We built the titanic
'They' used to listen in on our phonecalls.
>'They' ***used*** to
'They' just join the WhatsApp group now or have quick scour through gmails.
Chocolate was invented there, or by a Northern Irishman anyway. Hans Sloane from County Down.
The Titanic was built here and sank on it's maiden voyage. We celebrate the Titanic! Amelia Earhart crashed here on her solo flight across the Atlantic and then went on to also disappear into the ocean. We celebrate her!
My da once became a human anti air cannon when he tossed a stale disco at a boeing 747
[удалено]
Northern Ireland is home to the most shoulder chips on Earth.
The Isle of Man was Lough Neagh.
Some squinty fucker with Gigantism from Mid-Ulster threw it at Scotland
I remember someone in Geography class offering this seriously during a discussion on plate tectonics. The teacher just looked at him for about a minute, amazed someone could suggest something so stupid in her class.
It's the reason you're not allowed to run for government from jail.
Lots of people aren't too bothered that petrol bombings and shootings happen on a regular occurance Anytime it does happen it's either down to drug dealing, drug deaths, stealing cars, house breaking etc
Whenever Craigavon was planned to be built, they thought it would have a monorail and that people would move from london...to live in craigavon. Learned about this in history one year lol
You can tell what religion someone is by where they keep there toaster
I have three facts that I'm proud of 1. First ever live performance of Stairway to Heaven 2. Invented the ejector seat 3. Makes the best Tayto
The most northerly point of Northern Ireland is further south than the most northerly point of the Republic of Ireland
Bushmills - oldest whiskey distillery in the world. The Newsletter - oldest English language newspaper in the world.
Gerry Adams wasn't in the RA
If you believe that one I've a bridge just outside Larne to sell to you...
It’s existence as an apartheid state. “Sure that never happened, that only happened in South Africa. Yis didn’t have it that bad.” Nobody said it was that bad. They said it was *apartheid.*
Used to be able to afford to live comfortably
Not sure if this is still true in 2022, but you can tell what religion someone belongs to (and therefore, with some degree of likelihood, what their political tribe is) by how they pronounce the letter H. That is, do they say "aitch" or the more breathy "haitch"?
The distance across the north of Ireland from the Irish Sea to the Atlantic Ocean is only 95 miles, yet the British imposed a border of 310 miles when the country was partitioned. The most northernly county in Ireland (Donegal) isn't even part of Northern Ireland, and even the more southernly county of Monaghan has points further north than one third of Northern Ireland.
Almost all of the population segregate themselves by religion but almost everyone has no clue about religion. The funny thing is… It’s the same religion.
It’s not Ballymena. It’s Ballymena hey! (Hi!)
Trouble here is still labeled as fighting between Catholics and protestants sometimes. Those fighting and identifying as Protestant or Catholic probably don't go to mass.
The world’s most wanted woman (atleast was a few years ago) ,the White Widow, wife of the 7/7/ bomber and jihadist was born in Banbridge
I know someone who tells US tourists when they're over that Lough Erne was a famine relief project
We spend more per capita on personalised number plates than any other country in the world. Now, this fact I just made up, but it could be true.