In 1995 Bangor FC deliberately lost their final game 2–0 away at rivals Ards in order to secure promotion to the new Premier League (NIPL, Northern Irish Premier League). If Bangor had DRAWN or WON that match, they would have been relegated to the second tier (Division One). It might seem bizarre, but that’s exactly…
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“Holy mountain” – Noel Gallagher. Backpacking In Northern Ireland 💚🔴🤚☘️: Hiking Up Holy Slemish Mountain, County Antrim It wasn’t until early July 2024 that I finally hiked up to the top of Slemish, arguably Northern Ireland’s holiest mountain. It’s also arguably not a mountain. But I’m not having that. This is my blog and I’m…
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Oasis: LiveAt Prehen, Doire/Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland (September 2002). “You’ll never change what’s been and gone” – Noel Gallagher. Now that the euphoria of the imminent 2025 Oasis return has dwindled slightly, I will reflect on a few more of my glory days watching Oasis. In total I was at 14 Oasis concerts from 1996 to…
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“Nobody knows the way it’s gonna be” – Noel Gallagher. Getting Oasis ticketsin 1997 for the Be Here Now tour was nuts and the proper way to see your favourite rock’n’roll band. Nothing was done online, nobody had the internet, nobody had any type of mobile phone at all, never mind a “smartphone”. Oasis massive…
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“This Is Where It All Begins” – The Back Four. “Can’t stop this thing we started” – Bryan Adams. Football Question: Where was the world’s FIRST EVER competitive international football match played? The correct answer is of course: BELFAST, Northern Ireland(then known as Ireland, but still the Irish Football Association/IFA). What’s the craic with it being…
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“The liberty ship disappeared a long long time ago, searching the seas for love” – Noel Gallagher. Since I was a kid, I have always loved ferry travel. I used to build Lego ferries and I often took ferries on summer holidays. Caught in the here and now, whackpacking a world that’s been and gone,…
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“Take me back to the town where I was born, because I’m tired of being a stranger and I’m miles from home” – Noel Gallagher. I grew up in North Down, County Down, Northern Ireland. It’s my homeland and I’m a beach boy and a seaside city boy at heart. I spent most of my…
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Thirsty Thursdays: Visiting The Oldest Irish Pub In The World, Grace Neill’s Donaghade, Northern Ireland🔴✋️☘️ Grace Neill’s, located in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, is often cited as the oldest pub in Ireland, and as you can see on its website, it claims the title of the oldest, although this is often disputed. The history of Grace…
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“Illusion never changed into something real” – NI *. There are obviously loads of roads and border crossings between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and I’ve crossed that border about 100 times I’d say, given my list of visits to each country. I’ve crossed by bus, train, foot and car. This includes the…
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“All this talk of getting old, it’s getting me down my love” – Richard Ashcroft. My early days of travelling were walking, cycling, car and ferry. I wasn’t really aeroplane loyal when I was young. Last month, I realised that I had Jumbo-jetted my aeroplane status by taking my 747th flight! Yes, I have now…
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