Unlikely liaisons

I WATCHED carefully at the coronation at the various guests. Not just the Sinn Féin detachment – Michelle O’Neill, First Minister Designate of Northern Ireland will undoubtedly have been delighted to have been listed as a ‘Foreign Dignitary. No, I watched carefully to see how a specific couple of guests would interact – or indeed if the would.

All of Britain’s former prime ministers were invited, so Gordon Brown was there in all his finery.

So also was Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania the heiress presumptive to the throne which her father had abdicated in 1948.

While studying in England, she had a five year romance with Gordon Brown

So if Gordon had remained with Margareta, he could have, at this point, been contemplating a name change to King Gordon Presumptive I of Romania – only ‘Presumptive’ because the Romanian government does not recognise the defunct throne.

But alas it wasn’t to be. As Margareta said: “I never stopped loving him but ... but with Gordon it was politics, politics, politics.”

One wonders if there are any similar skeletons in the cupboard of our own former Taoisigh. Take Bertie Ahern – is there a Kristina, Crown Princess of Boglsovia or the like who sobbingly says: “I still love Bertie but with him it was always dig-outs, dig-outs, dig-outs.”

Or are there members of displaced Royal families in far-flung parts of Europe pining for Micheál, Leo or Brian Cowen?

Sad to say, I could glean nothing from the footage from Westminster Abbey. I wonder did Michelle O’Neill spot anything?

Eye-wateringly expensive waterways

THE tolls for using the Panama Canal vary by size of vessel. A modern colossal cargo ship may have to pay more than $800,000 to travel the 80 kilometres, although, to be fair, a yacht of less than 65 feet will only pay $1600.

In 1928 travel writer Richard Halliburton swam the Panama Canal. He was charged 36 cents.

The eponymous kings booked B&B here to thrash out matters of sovereignty

Burgundy – booked B&B here to thrash out matters of sovereignty. Evidently a fruitful meeting, as the citizens of Switzerland – basically a bunch of German, Italian and French hill-farmers clinging to a mountain range –subsequently became the richest nation on earth.

Not surprisingly, most of the crowned heads of Europe have crashed at LTR ever since, obviously a fecund place for scheming. It was while standing here on a balcony gazing down on the Rhine that Theodor Herzl came up with his Big Idea: a new state called Israel.

Although Herzl died before

Israel’s establishment, he is known in Hebrew as ‘Visionary of the State’ Funnily enough, the phrase “Bob’s your uncle” has resonance with this week’s anniversary in Israel, and with Ireland as well. Arthur Balfour was Chief Secretary to Ireland, appointed by Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury who was his uncle, hence the ‘Bob’. In this post, he authored the Perpetual Crimes Act (1887) (or Coercion Act) aimed at the prevention of intimidation and unlawful assembly in Ireland during the Irish Land War. He was responsible for dealing with the likes of the embargo against Captain Charles Boycott, when tenants banded together, shunned their landlord, refused to harvest his crops, isolated him – in effect they, well, er, they boycotted him. It’s the only word for it. Balfour eventually became British Foreign Secretary, and in this post he came up with the Balfour Declaration of 1917, supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Neither area thrived under Balfour.

Overall, things didn’t go to well in Ireland (Bob really wasn’t yer uncle), and indeed in Israel these last 75 years haven’t really been a case of so far, so good. Once again Bob hasn’t really been their uncle. Oddly enough, and I don’t like to boast here, I’ve been to the sites of the foundations of three countries: Switzerland, Israel and India. The idea of the former two were, as listed above, thought up in Les Tois Rois hotel. But I only had to pop over to Bristol to pay my respects to the to the Indian prince Rajah Roy who is listed by the Hindustan Times as “The Maker of Modern India”.

During a visit to Britain, he was diagnosed with meningitis and died in Stapleton, northeast of Bristol, on September 27, 1833. He was buried at the Arnos Vale Cemetery in southern Bristol.

In honour of the work he did in bringing India together, the local council have recently named a street after him.

The Panama Canal cost for a big cargo ship bears some resemblance to the ferry (by punt) across the Thames. The Henley Regatta – the blazers and bubbly extravaganza on the Thames this year runs from June 27- July 2.

Now, the last time I was there I was charged £5 to cross the river, a voyage of some 20 metres or less. That works out at £250 per kilometre, or about €285. Never mind a private jet, getting to the International Space Station probably compares quite well with that.

Afghanistan’s apex predator

BACK in 2020 a group of rare snow leopards were discovered in a remote corner of Afghanistan. It seems that now there may be as many as 200 in the country.

So travelling through Afghanistan probably isn’t as safe as you thought. AT LARGE: Snow leopard Picture: Getty Images

The voice of the Irish in Britain since 1970 A topic that can’t be ignored

THE evidence is clear: global climate change means Ireland’s weather will change.

But in a long forecasted development, this may mean that Ireland’s climate will become significantly less temperate.

Given Ireland’s northerly position – it lies on the same latitude as Hudson Bay or southern Alaska – winters are comparatively mild.

The latest report from the Marine Institute, produced in conjunction with the Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS (ICARUS) as part of the Department of Geography at Maynooth University, carries evidence of the weakening of the Gulf Stream. This warming current, which originates in the Gulf of Mexico, keeps Ireland – along with Britain and the southerly reaches of Scandinavia – relatively mild in the winter.

If this current weakens significantly, Ireland and neighbouring land masses will no longer enjoy a temperate climate.

So, as climate change causes most areas of the world to heat up, Ireland could see temperatures dropping, giving the country a climate not unlike Iceland’s, in a worst-case scenario.

The Marine Institute, and other scientific bodies, are urgently trying to understand how and why this is happening.

The institute, based in Maynooth, also uncovered other worrying trends such as a rise in sea levels, and a likelihood of stormier wetter weather for Ireland.

The report underlines that urgent action is required, locally, nationally and globally.

Improving Irish-British relations

THE coronation of King Charles III passed off without any major upsets. The London police were accused of being heavy-handed with protestors, although in the end only four people were charged in connection with the protests.

In Irish terms there were several firsts – Michel D Higgins became the first Irish head of state to attend a coronation; similarly, Leo Varadkar was the first Irish head of government to be present such an event.

Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Primate of All Ireland, became the first Irish bishop to attend a coronation.

And possibly the most surprising development was the presence of a Sinn Féin contingent at the event.

All will have heard words in the Irish language being used during the service.

So do these innovations, these breaks with the past, presage any major changes in Irish-British relations, or are they merely window-dressing?

As the dust settles, and as King Charles settles into his job, we will probably be able to see what the implications are.

But certainly, the goodwill generated by the Irish presence at the coronation should be deployed in every area of Irish influence, from our own community, the Irish in Britain, to the still unresolved problems of Northern Ireland.