MythBusters Fire Canon Ball Through House and Car in Dublin

[REUTERS] IRISH MINISTER UNVEILS AMBITIOUS NEW PROPOSALS TO BOOST AILING ECONOMY

Due to our recent surge in pageviews the folks at Reuters News Agency have decided to give us a news scoop before it hits all major Irish news outlets. This is a first for MRHP and we would like to thank Reuters for choosing our blog as the primary site for their article. Enjoy.

[REUTERS] IRISH MINISTER UNVEILS AMBITIOUS NEW PROPOSALS TO BOOST AILING ECONOMY

By Patrick O'Ryan 

DUBLIN | Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:19pm GMT

Jimmy Deenihan, Ireland's Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, has unveiled major new plans that could see visitors to the emerald isle triple in number over the next four years. The daring proposals include an innovative tourist-attraction trading scheme, enabling EU member states to lend iconic landmarks to the stricken Irish state. The news comes as Ireland's credit rating has been slashed to "junk status" by ratings agency Moody's.

Deenihan unveiled the "European Cultural-Trade Agreement" at a summit in Brussels late this afternoon, stating that "no europe-wide agreement has ever been made on a scale such as this, and never has such an agreement been as important to the Irish tourist industry as this." The deal, said to be worth billions of euro to the Irish economy, could be fast-tracked, with the first attractions arriving as soon as next summer. 

Pressed on what landmarks could be expected, Deenihan said that "substantial agreements" with the French government has led to the strong possibility that the Eiffel Tower will be brought to Ireland, and constructed in the heart of celtic tiger Dublin: the ill-fated Docklands area. Deenihan declined to comment on any other deals as negotiations "are still in the process of resolution", but backroom insiders suggest that part of the Berlin Wall will be brought to Tipperary in 2013, and that Trafalgar Square could be released on loan for potential display in 2014 in either Waterford or Cavan. 

The planned site for the Eiffel Tower's visit to Ireland in Dublin's Docklands.

There are also unconfirmed reports that the Irish government will have to agree to concessions from the lender countries. France and Germany's demands for a review of Ireland's attractive corporation tax rate is said to be heavily linked with the European Cultural-Trade Agreement, although Deenihan remains tight-lipped about the possibility of expected renumeration to lender states, stating "we are all friends in Europe, we all have common interests in seeing Ireland succeed as a nation." Quizzed about the cost of such an operation to the taxpayer, the Minister stated that the transport costs are "surprisingly affordable."

Enda Kenny, in an appearance this evening at the Irish house of government in Dublin, welcomed the agreement, announcing that "Ireland's economic famine will soon be over."

Edited by Henry Jackson

Reporting by Patrick O'Ryan

League of Ireland Fan

Well I'm not going to lie, for most of this clip I actually cannot understand what this man is saying and for the bits that are comprehensible I still don't really understand what is going on. All the same the interview reminds me of many a dart ride and boardwalk moment in Dublin and for this I think it at least deserves merit as a site of social inspection. I will not get into a discussion regarding my belief in the inherent gap in the evolutionary cycle, instead I will merely whack this into the sports category as some of you out there might understand what is going on. So I hope you can intellectually engage with this or at least have a lol or two, in the meantime please excuse me while I crack out some cans and brush up on my SCUM!

The Paradox Of Insanity

The Paradox of Insanity from Ziad Foty on Vimeo.

Leprechaun Sightings

When most foreigners think of Ireland St. Patrick is generally not the first association that springs to mind. Even as a modern society the shackle of the Leprechaun still manages to rub at our ankles. However this mythological creature has also become a great source of income and attraction amongst many shackle bound business men. A prime example of this is the recent addition of the National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin. 

A Leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology. The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and store away all their coins in a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If ever captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release. Popular depiction shows the Leprechaun as being no taller than a small child, with a beard and hat, although they may originally have been perceived as the tallest of the mound-dwellers (the Tuatha Dé Danann). 

Since the success of the National Leprechaun Museum there has also been a rise in non-national leprechaun costumed men dancing around the streets of Dublin. We caught two such characters at grim moments on their breaks. Each supported by the presence of a cigarette :-)

Sightings of real Leprechauns are things that always do the rounds, most of which are untrustworthy and generally are just fakes. This was until the recent news report in America that shows the effect and representations of a Leprechaun visit that had the entire town of Crichton desperately searching for both the Leprechaun and his pot of gold. Please watch the following clip and bear witness to one of the most accurate Leprechaun representations committed to film. 

After witnessing the above footage I am sure there are those of you wondering how and where you can initiate your own Leprechaun searches? Well thanks to the power of the internet a known Leprechaun filled landscape is now being streamed 24/7 via webcam and is available for you to keep watch of ongoing Leprechaun activity. Below is a sample photo from the site and following it is a link to begin your own Leprechaun watch. 

Site can be found at: http://www.irelandseye.com/leprechaun/webcam.htm