An undated handout photo issued by the RAF of Battle of Britain pilot, Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway DFC. Photograph: Family handout via Ministry of Defence/PA

Eire: Last Known Battle of Britain pilot – Irishman John Hemingway – Dies Aged 105! (18.3.2025)

Mr Hemingway was one of 36 Irish pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain, including Wing Commander Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane, who was one of the RAF’s most successful fighter aces in the war, and Victor Beamish, a scion of the brewing industry. Both were killed in the war.

In 2019, Mr Hemingway gave an interview to The Irish Times on the occasion of his 100th birthday. He told military historian Joseph Quinn: “I can’t say don’t drink. I can’t say don’t fool about with people. I can’t say don’t fly aeroplanes. I can’t say don’t shoot and get shot at – I’ve done everything, and I’m an Irishman. The only advice I can give to people is be Irish!”

Mr Hemingway’s wife Bridget died in 1998. They had three children.

He lived with daughter in Canada for many years before returning to Ireland in 2011. Mr Hemingway spent his last years in the Trinity Care Foxrock Nursing Home.

Eire & PRC Friendship!

China: Enhanced Co-Operation with Eire Announced! (18.2,2025)

During his visit, Wang also met with Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Simon Harris.

A unilateral visa-free policy to Ireland to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries was announced during Li’s visit last year. And 2024 saw the relaunch of a year-round direct Dublin-Beijing air route, which operates twice weekly.

According to statistics from Ireland’s government, China is Ireland’s largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region, with total bilateral trade of 36 billion euros ($37.7 billion) in 2023. Irish goods exports to China have increased by 529 percent in the decade since 2013.

Ireland also enjoys a trade surplus with China, with its exports to China being driven by medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, computer services, agri-food, and financial services.

Mr Stephen Keenan - Irish Hero!

Eire: Remembering the Celtic Bravery of “Stephen Keenan” – Free-Diving [and Safety] Champion! (31.1.2024)

‘Last month, Stephen Keenan, aged 39 and from Dublin, drowned while overseeing a dive by the freediving world record holder Alessia Zecchini. While attempting to cross “the arch” of the Red Sea’s notorious Blue Hole using only a single breath, the 25-year-old Italian became disoriented. Keenan rushed to her aid and guided her to the surface. She made it out unharmed but he blacked out and was found floating face down some distance away.