MAY 20, 2022 ON THIS DAY
FROM THE ARCHIVE MAY 20, 1999
TO whom it may concern… Gay Byrne has left the building.
The nation’s favourite agony uncle, below, has hung up his Late Late mic after almost 37 years as the show’s host. The first episode was aired on July 6, 1962 and was only intended as a ‘filler’ for the summer.
Over the years, Gay brought many ‘taboo’ topics into a public forum for discussion, including religion, sex (the bishop and the nightie), and managed to hook the very slippery Pee Flynn. The nation delighted in In his last appearance Gay was presented with a Harley Davidson motorbike by U2’s Bono and Larry. We doubt that he’ll ride off into the sunset, though.
MAY 20, 2002
TERESA Carey has become Ireland’s first female train driver. The Tralee woman joined Iarnród Éireann as a catering assistant in 1994, and worked her way up before starting driver training in January 2001.
This week her colleagues in Kent Station gave her a rousing send-off as she took the controls on the 9.05am from Cork to Dublin. All the attention meant Teresa’s run left a few minutes late, but arrived in Dublin on schedule.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CHER, 76. The Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-winning actress (born Cherilyn Sarkisian in California), right,says her voice is better than ever — ‘and I’ve worked my whole life to keep my strength in my body. There are 20-year-old girls who can’t do what I do.’ She married rock star Gregg Allman just four days after divorcing Sonny Bono, with whom she sang I Got You Babe.
BORN ON THIS DAY
JOE COCKER (1944-2014). The soul singer from Sheffield had his biggest hit with a cover of the Beatles’ With A Little Help From My Friends. He also sang Up Where We Belong, the Oscar-winning theme from the film An Officer And A Gentleman. Ray Charles, when asked who were the greatest living blues singers, said: ‘Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Joe Cocker.’
ON MAY 20 . . .
In 1927, the opening hours of pubs are restricted by the Intoxicating Liquor Act. In 1969, students stage a sit-in at UCD to protest conditions in the North. In 2001, Bill Clinton begins a four-day trip to Ireland with a round of golf at Ballybunion. In 2003, the Government restricts alcohol adverts. The ads are banned from buses, trains, cinemas and sports events and not permitted before 10 pm on TV.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Mattock (c900)
A) Wool from a dead sheep. B) Instrument for digging and loosening soil. C) Brush to remove cobwebs. Answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED
A bishop’s collar: This is when an inexperienced barman (curate) puts too big a head on your pint of stout. In certain Dublin quarters, this can result in cries of ‘Look at the head on that!’, and the (justified?) defenestration of said barman. For the record, the head on your Guinness should be between 18-20mm.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
Laughter would be bereaved if snobbery died. Peter Ustinov, Actor (1921-2004)
JOKE OF THE DAY
HOW did Bob Marley like his sandwiches? With jam in. Guess The Definition answer: B