I’m never embarrassed to vicariously bask in the successes of my connections so here’s to us Northern Irish men and women.
And by connections I obviously mean my friends, Fiona Cunningham and the geniuses at Discover Northern Ireland https://discovernorthernireland.com.
Who have only won the Destination Brand of the Decade at the international Travel fair in London.
But also my own people, the Murtys, who weaved a rich pattern into the fabric of Ulster society for years.
Before Patrick Murty upped sticks (and looms) and took off for Glasgow in the 1780s.
Don’t take my word for it though. Well do, but he’s there in a census from the times of the first inhabitants in Calton in the east end of Glasgow.
Which I found when I did some digging for my family tree for my parents’ Golden Wedding Anniversary…
Jimmy and the Weavers
That also involved some digging in the overgrown Weavers graveyard in Calton…
And climbing through a barbed-wire fence and dodging syringes and rubbery things as I went.
But that’s another story.
The links between Scotland and Ireland date back to the first McCave and O’Cave men.
And we’ve even been able to mingle and marry without the need for a bridge or a tunnel…
It’s all in the Game
The good people of the North have also been kind enough to look after the Son and Heir these past couple of years.
While the Scary One, and the one who taught her all the black arts, will be going over to rid you of your burden later this month.
With all the disruptions of Coronavirus many of us are making the most of a staycation.
Which in Northern Ireland means Hastings Hotels…
And in Belfast that means the Grand Central https://www.grandcentralhotelbelfast.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkJzc27yS6AIVClPTCh09MgjSEAAYAyAAEgIQv_D_BwE and the Europa Hotel https://www.hastingshotels.com/europa-belfast/uk-welcome.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrZeAmL2S6AIVyNDeCh1Vtg2VEAAYASAAEgLpv_D_BwE.
And between them we only got to see Van the Man… Belfast Chilled.
While there were also stays at the Fitzwilliam Hotel https://www.fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl4f2_r6S6AIVjLTtCh0SowxqEAAYASAAEgLwKfD_BwE.
And the Champion Golfer is…
Where my Queen of the Dragons indulged her passion for all things Game of Thrones http://www.gameofthrones-winterfelltours.com.
Which I guess was a fair trade-off for me being able to take up my Discover Northern Ireland Invitation to the Open Golvf Championship at Royal Portrush https://www.royalportrushgolfclub.com.
And as they say in these parts.
BOUT YE, NORN IRON?
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