The wait is finally over for Rebecca and only after
7 years 362 days....Engaged at last.....
"Baby Joe" aka Joseph and Rebecca went off to visit Madeira for a week in January and then we were all totally shocked when the unexpected news broke...
Baby Joe after only just 7 long years and 362 even longer days finally cracked at dawn on Tues 14 th Jan 2025. Fri 17th Jan would have been 8 years and the shame of waiting that long would have been too much to bear !
Rebecca proudly shows off her long awaited diamond
Looking back there were some ominous signs of some thing brewing while in Innsbruck the week before.
He had the ring in his "little man bag" all week in Austria which never left his sight for a moment and now we know why ! None of our family ever had a "little man bag".We are open minded about these things but will definitely let the "man bag person" know that we have seen it and question their decision making ability repeatedly at every opportunity. Any weakness or even a perceived weakness will be fully exploited at our dinner table and this is an educational process but not for the victim !!
Baby Joe's plan (which only took almost 8 years to hatch) was to pop the question at sunrise on the summit of a well known beautiful mountain in Madeira called Pico do Arieiro (1,818m) which is famous for it's spectacular views especially at sunrise and sunset ....he is obviously a true romantic just like his father and searching for the most beautiful location in the world does take time in fairness.
In fact it can take many years ......yes many many years !
The following is Baby Joe's actual account of that day and I must warn you that at times it is very emotionally charged recollection of that very important day or dawn to be more precise when his life changed for ever.....
"We got up very early for a sunrise hike on the famous Pico do Arieiro, at first there was a dodgy drive up the hill on a narrow windy road then a long hike but thankfully we made it to the summit before the sunrise.
Then I started to get stressed as trying to find the right spot with no people around was difficult. It was very busy with tourists and meanwhile Rebecca was taking hundreds of photos. I finally found the right spot and asked Rebecca to turn round for a photo (she is very impatient so had to be quick) then I struggled to get the box out the little black man bag (I had to wear it all the week in Austria so she wouldn't be suspicious this week) then I got down on one knee and cut my knee on a very sharp rock...I knew I had very little time left as my bleeding popliteal artery was now spurting blood every where but before I bled to death I had to pop the question so in a nervous trembling voice and now very close to losing consciousness ie I was seeing little stars sparkling before my eyes ...I used all of my short life's energy....every last little electron ...to ask Rebecca ....
" Will you marry me ?.......and can you call an ambulance right now ? "
Rebecca took her time due to the understandable shock and eventually answered "Yes"
But it was unclear was the "Yes" her answer to the "will you marry me?" request or the "call an ambulance right now request ?"
Unfortunately we will never know as Baby Joe passed out before Rebecca could answer but when he later woke up in hospital after having 8 units of blood (one for each year waiting )Rebecca was wearing a lovely diamond ring and smiling at him in between giving her new ring lots of long admiring looks from various angles to highlight the glittering diamonds. The "happy diamond gaze phase" can last for years ..so I am told....
The other ending .....might be the true version...
Baby Joe got down on one knee again and he eventually managed to get the ring out of his little man bag and now with tears in his eyes (it was windy up that high) asked in a trembling voice with a quivering lower lip
"Rebecca will you marry me ?"
Rebecca took ages to actually say "Yes"... Phew ...Up a mountain at dawn to pop the question worked.
In fact Baby Joe later let slip that Rebecca kept him waiting 7 hours 37 min and 2 seconds to make him suffer…..
Nana Tangney was totally shocked and I had to ask the Pope to tell her the good new as this engagement took divine intervention. See photo below to prove it as the heavens opened.
Nana sent her congratulations to Baby Joe and Rebecca. She can now sleep soundly and immediately blew out the two dozen candles in the sitting room altar which have been burning day and night for years and a definite fire hazard.
Wee Angus has told me that he will be shaving by the time he is a page boy if Baby Joe does not hurry up with the wedding.
Uncle Bernie wants to know if Rebecca spiked Baby Joe's drink which put him into a romantic trance
The big day out is in 8 years time July 11th 2033 oops I mean 2026
Happy days in Madeira
Breaking news as "Baby T" the 2nd arrives in Dubai
We are delighted to announce the safe arrival of our newest family member and second grandchild Owen Joseph Tangney. (aka OJ) Not so wee "baby T" arrived in Dubai on Fri 24th Oct at 12.43 and weighed in at 3.7kg (8lb 5oz) and 53 cm.
Georgina and David are just so happy with their beautiful new baby. No doubt Wee Owen will be on a golf course shortly and David will be his caddie.Our golfing hero Bob MacIntyre has been approached to see if he is available to give some coaching lessons to Owen as we all know it's far too late to help David at this stage.
Nana Liz is "in her element" with new baby Owen.
Liz and I made the much anticipated trip to Dubai to see new baby Owen on the 10th of Dec. It was just wonderful to see wee Owen for the first time in person who was then almost 7 weeks old and he is a real cutie. David picked us up from the airport and we were just a few milliseconds in the door when Liz made a bee line straight over to grab Owen form Georgina's arms (maybe grab is too harsh a word for it but let's just say that Liz took custody of Owen immediately). Wee Owen was unsure what was happening as this was the first time he had been kidnaped. But history repeats itself and David had a similar problem in Africa. Georgina stood there in total shock and for the first time ever was speechless ! I chatted away in the backround to avoid an awkward silence in the room. However the situation improved when I told wee Owen that Nana Liz would release him back to his mum in 5 days and return home to her other older captive....wee Angus. Georgina seemed happy and obviously very relieved with the good news and was back to her chatty self in no time at all.
"Tell Santa I am ready"
Owen is showing off his Nana's newly knitted tank top.
Museum of the future visit
David had a gruelling itinerary set up for us including two parties.
First a 3 year olds and then a 37 year olds birthday party.
We had a hectic 5 days and it was great to catch up with David and Georgina. It was just wonderful to see Wee Owen who is a very happy healthy baby and thriving. On Wed morning after arrival we were tired after the overnight flight from Edinburgh so we had a quiet day. On Thurs we visited our first garden centre as their new garden needed plants. I could easily have spent a month there (if allowed) as it was full of lots of new plants which are aclimatised for the dry hot weather in Dubai. That afternoon we had a lovely barbeque in their garden and joined by neighbours and friends. The Irish and Scottish seem to find each other when abroad. I wonder if it could be drink related !!
Three generations of the Tangney boys.
The Tangney Family have now confirmed
they have no claim on Wee Owen ! (He's a pure Davis)
The North Vs South Teams 2025
"No Angus No Party"
Yes what a quick year it has been and Angus was 1 year old on the 5th of October.
Of course he had to have his first party in the Shinty Club which is his second home! He has been going down to watch the shinty all season and enjoys all the attention from the ladies especially the crowd surfing. The celeb status might just be a passing phase....
It was a very busy weekend as guests flew in from far and wide. Being part of a large extended family means that you can get a crowd together once you even mention the word "party". Luckily Angus was oblivious to all the secret party planning
as he just kept trying out his new funny faces with anyone who even glanced at him.
The Irish contingent arrived into Glasgow Airport on Fri morning and 5 of Angus' first cousins came over to celebrate this special birthday. We had glamorous grannies galore with Mandy and Liz. Also great granny Liz was here, aunty Connie and Lacey, gran aunt Lesley. On Sat the preparations were in full swing with the decorations being put up and the food being sorted out. There were over 50 guests and small kids everywhere trying to escape from their parents clutches The noise levels were high to put it mildly and it was a reminder as to what our house used to sound like 25 years ago. A mixture of laughing,screaming,roaring and shouting ...that was just the adults and the kids contributed as best they could with lots of sudden loud clatters followed by a very brief silence but then followed by an almighty high pitched shriek and then just lots of pure noise.
By 2pm which only an hour into the party the sugar rush was now taking effect on all the adults who were trying hard disguise their elation high and secret ADHD. It was hard to tell .....
which is something I had not fully appreciated until now .
Over the last year we have been experiencing the pure joy of having our new first grandchild which is just wonderful and the year has been so full of happy times with wee Angus. I am sure many parents will agree with me that when you have your own chlidren life is usually very busy with work,lots of demands on your time and many activities. As a grandparent it is a whole new experience and now one has time to enjoy being with the children more and not rushed. Liz and I are really lucky to have Angus living near us and to help out with child care. Angus has brought tremendous joy to us personally and all our extended family in Scotland , Ireland,Dubai,Australia and new Zealand. James and Kendal are so happy with their little rascal Angus.
Great Granny Liz and wee Angus on his first visit to see her in Ireland in December.
Wee Fallon says "Angus stop pulling my hair."
Sean and Stephen are sulking as they were not allowed to eat any sweeties at the party !!
Uncle Joseph, Angus and Rebecca
Gran uncle Bernie is recruiting for the Kerry team.
Angus the birthday cake grabber...
The Innsbruck Ski Trip in Jan
On Mon 6 th Jan we went off to Innsbruck for 5 days skiing which was not without incident as usual !
The Innsbruck 8 ski trip team members were Ciaran,Emily, Ronan, Aoife, Joseph , Rebecca, Mum and Dad.
Innsbruck in Austria is an internationally renowned winter sports centre and has hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964/1976 and 1984/1988 Paralympics. It is a large city with a population of about 132,000 in a stunning location in a valley between two mountain ranges.
Our departure flight from Glasgow was an hour late and then was unable to land in Frankfurt due to severe crosswinds. We were diverted to Nuremberg first and some passengers got off. There for an hour and finally arrived in Frankfurt 6.30pm. Unfortunately due to the delays we had missed our connecting flight to Innsbruck. In Frankfurt airport we formed a search party to try and find a service desk. This was not easy to track down and eventually found one which the guy standing there said was closed despite 5 members of staff sitting there idle. He reluctantly let us in and I have to say they were very helpful at the service desk. The overnight hotel sorted and rescheduled flight next morning 9am. So off to subway station and found the hotel which was similar to the travel lodge here. We visited the Gateway Gardens Italian rstaurant and enjoyed a lovely pizza which was quickly eaten as hunger is the best sauce . Then up 6am and back at the underground station on Tues morning at 6.30 am.
The first of Liz's "Pow Wow "meetings at the subway station.
All was going alarmingly well as we reached Frankfurt airport on time. But then we lost Liz in the large airport and the rest of us patiently waited at gate B 6 the designated gate. In fairness Aladdin's cave would be easier to find your way around. The Innsbruck flight was at 9.15 and finding Liz was now an urgent matter. She wasn't answering her phone ....not unusual I might add....we searched the shops of which there were many..the bathrooms ....the cafes .....no sign of her. Then it turns out that Liz was sitting just out of sight across from Gate B6 reading a book and in a trance like state ! Lets just say we were very glad to find her and happily boarded the flight to Innsbruck at 9.30am.
Then car hire problems. Once we arrived in Innsbruck on Tues we went to collect the hire car but alas they were not helpful at all in the Europcar desk. Because we were late due to no fault of our own the car was no longer available despite contacing them by email the night before. Thankfully Avis car were very helpful so we hired a car from them. A car is necessary to get to the ski fields which are all several kilometres outside the city.
The apartment which we rented was very close to the airport and thankfully was spacious enough for the 8 of us. Emily who had arrived on Mon had some lunch ready for us and we lost half a day due to the travel delays.
The first "Come Dine With Me" contestants were Ciaran and Emily.
The next day Wed we were all ready for a big day on the slopes . Up early to get the bus to Fulstrum which is near the Scholitz 2000 ski field. As we approached the large ski field Emily, Liz and Joe were now getting excited as made our way for the new family run "Tangney Ski School".
The rest followed later in the car. Hired helmet,boots skis all for only €41 a day .Ski pass €56 which is great value for a huge ski field. we were on the slopes by 9.30am.
The morning flew by and Ciaran was my first instructor of the day who only lasted 45 min then he called for back up so Ronan was summoned who lasted a full 30 min before he surrendered. His main message was very clear as he repeatedly told me to "stop sitting on the toilet and don't lean back". Thank you Ronan for your direct feedback and I hoped he would follow Liz who was now heading for the coffee shop.
Then Ronan suddenly went missing and Aoife mysteriously appeared. So a change of shift and Aoife came on duty and now Emily was making her debut on the nursery slopes. Aoife quickly told me to look up hill when turning which us a great tip to give a better turn as better balance. However, her heart wasn't in it and she had the look of somebody who was sent rather than volunteered. I now had the real feeling that nobody wanted me as their student. My personal ski instructor team (which by the way had cost me an absolute fortune over 20 years) were melting faster than the snow and openly verbalised their shared suffering. They were even hoping for a small avalance to end my misery. They all drifted away and left me to survive or die on the nursery slope. A lesson which they later called "tough ski love".....
Joe's first 3 Instructors who all quit...
However after a just few hours all alone my ski memory suddenly came back and thankfully the nursery slopes were quiet apart from lots of little 4 year old kids zipping around like mosquitos who were laughing at me as they sped past. Ciaran was now busy helping Emily who has never skied before and was getting the "pizza" lesson. Stopping is one of the most difficult parts of skiing to learn as a beginner and falling is exhausting.
By 12 o'clock I was gasping for a coffee and had to take a break for lunch anyway. Off up to the panorama cafe which is much higher than the nursery slopes 1000m so up on the gondola to 2000m.
A lovely lunch with a postcard view...goulash, dumplings, sausage in curry.
Then ready for the second half and off went the pro's.The Tangney Ski School had a new instructor and pupil.
Liz now appeared and under the strict instructions of Ronan ...there were amazing results and Liz made her debut ski run without a fall which is near miraculous and Ronan who is an approved BASI instructor should retire immediately as this achievement today will never be beaten. Ronan is now Liz's favourite son but Liz is fickle so David knows that he need not worry ...he will be back in the number 1 son spot again in a few weeks.
Ronan has his hands out asking for cash up front before his lesson with Liz commenced.
By 4.30 we were all tiring and the novices had muscles aches. The skiers had a great day and we spilt up for the journey home ...bus and car . Overall a great day out in the fresh air in a beautiful setting.
The Tangney T Bar Tragedy on Schlick 2000
Wednesday afternoon ended with a near death experience for Joe as he came off the worst after a tussle or tangle with a T bar disembarkment which went badly wrong as the T Bar got stuck under his jacket and pulled him along the landing strip .....time stood still...... no time to say goodbyes to all the family .....no time to get all the money back which he was still owed by all the family...no time for one last dance ....within seconds ...Joe was now in the air dangling awkwardly..a bit like a fish on hook ..and was soon almost 10 feet in the air .... but luckily Aoife with the reflex actions of a cat ...was there to catch Joe's leg as he was now ...heading for a certain death....being dragged into the large spinning wheel and mangled to death slowly by the cable. Fortunately it was Aoife who was there as the boys would have just ignored Joe's pleas for help and let him die slowly in the big wheel once his wallet had fallen to the ground !!
Liz,Aoife,Ciaran and Emily.
On Thurs Liz and I went up to the famous Nordette viewing area. First a funicular railway then two more cable cars up to 7400 feet which was beautiful but absolutely freezing cold up there. The wind chill made it baltic.
Some skiers up there about 1000 feet lower doing jumps and definitely only for the serious skiers.
On Friday the skiers had a great day at Axamer with a blue bird day and off piste. The car was jam packed but they had great day. Emily went off snow walking and enjoyed her day.Liz and Joe explored Innsbruck city.
So it was an action packed few days with Muttereralm, Schlick 2000, Axamer, ski fields all visited.
On Sat we returned to Scotland all tired but mentally refreshed after 5 busy days of outdoors activities in such a beautful place to visit. Ciaran and Emily went to Crete before returning to Australia. We had a very enjoyable family holiday and the good news is that Rebecca and Emily have almost recovered 12 months later!
Emily and Liz down town
Ronan and Bec's South American Tour Blog.
Introduction
I have always wanted to go to South America. Luckily I met my partner Becs who on our first date both spoke about going to South America. Fast forward a few months and it was Vamos! Flights were booked with plan for 4 weeks of travel which quickly turned to a one way flight and wing it for 8 weeks.
Next step, book some tours which included Salt flats, Amazon jungle and Machu Pichu.
Final step quit our jobs and enjoy the travellers life (not the caravan one). Our first stop at Auckland airport had us brush shoulders with the Scottish Rugby squad who were on their way to their Fiji.
I turned down the photos as I knew they were trying to get their 5 minutes of fame through the Tangney Times.
ARGENTINA
We arrived in Argentina for the steak and wine part of our trip but discovered empanadas (the Cornish Pasties of South America). These were amazing and we stopped counting how many we ate after day 2. We got a historical city tour of Buenos Aires and history which opened our eyes to the harsh dictatorships Argentina had gone through with 7 of the last 9 presidents being imprisoned or killed. To cheer ourselves up we hit a tango show with a side of steak. The Tango show had the passion and rhythm of Joe Tangney on the dance floor minus the Ceilidh swings thrown in.
La Boca was one of the best day tour as we were shown this colourful and vibrant neighbour. If you ignore the tourist scams there is a deep history here of protests and humanising efforts along with the famous football stadium, Marcena. Unfortunately, there was no game on while we were there.
We had heard about Iguaza falls and jumped on a plane to fly up there. We weren't expecting this huge waterfall which spans two countries, Argentina and Brazil. You could walk right above this waterfall with health and safety being loose. It is one of the largest and spectacular waterfalls in the world and a NESCO World Heritage site. We hopped over the the Brazil which brought us to the river level it was mesmorising.
Salta was our final stop in Argentina which was wine tours and relax before jumping on a dodgy bus for 16 hours to Bolivia.
Don't cry for me Argentina
BOLIVIA
We survived our 16 hour bus trip and were dropped off near the border. We walked across the border into Bolivia which was zero hassle minus the guy trying to sell me Bitcoin in the queue(He said he knew Ciaran). We walked into Villazon entering Bolivia and nearly walked right past the check point before Bitcoin man shouted us over.
Bolivia has a huge Salt flat (Size of Galway and Cork counties combined) but the people aren't salty at all. They were some of the most welcoming and kind people we met. Our first stop in a stumbled upon restaurant in Villazon had an old lady who made us some Bolivian style mum dishes. She did show some passion towards me with a cheeky peck on the cheek. Becs was all too happy to leave me with her but the salt flats were calling.
The salt flats themselves were unreal and felt like a different planet as we visited a few ‘islands' covered in cactus but giving us a view over this cloud like plain. We stopped off for a few photos as our guide turned director guided us through some perspective pictures. The sunset was unreal and the photos don't do it justice.
Rocky road to the Flamingos! After staying in the Hostels made from Salt we jumped into this tightly packed 4x4. Years of being packed into a car for the annual family trips to Ireland had me well trained for this tetris style seating plan. The old Ireland roads prepared me for the dirt tracks so it was the rocky road to flamingos. We zig zagged across the salt flats before arrive at the ‘pink' lake which was….blue. We heading back to town to catch our next bus…
We got a 12 hour night bus to La Paz which somehow was 2 hours faster than planned. I was asleep in 10 seconds so was had no idea how while Becs has PTSD and still won't talk about it. La Paz was a mix city of new and old city spread over hills with a mix of the super rich and Shaman huts on the “death cliff”. We got a day tour around these 12 brilliant cable cars which brought me to the local ‘Witches' markets. These markets had offerings for ritual burnings which included plastic money, human bones and dead Llamas. I visited a shaman and with my guide as translator can confirm that….Scotland will win the World cup, Mum will eventually get a granddaughter and Galway will win an All Ireland !
After the shamans foretelling we decide to visit a Chiolita show which was a female only Wrestling event similar to WWE. Years of ‘fake' wrestling with my brothers and sisters meant I was ready but they were asking for Aoife to do her famous leg attack on her older brothers.
The next day was another long bus journey to Cusco in Peru which would have gone smoothly if I hadn't lost my entry ticket. This situation was made even better as I had told Becs that “Don't lose this as we need it to leave, do you want me to mind yours?” She thankfully said no. I made it through with some broken Spanish and I'm still not sure what really happened.
PERU
Peru was the best country we visited by a mile as it had everything you wanted in one country.
The country is split by the Andes with one side having the Amazon and the other a desert with the coast only getting 5mm of rain a year. We had our Amazon tour here with night walks, someone trusting me with a machete before exploring Machu Pichu and skiing on sand dunes in Huachina-Sandboarding. Cusco was our base city here with plenty of Pisco sours and trips. I went to Rainbow mountain which is was previously hidden by snow but the silver lining (or rainbow) was that this mountain has been revealed. The short hike was a slow one due to the altitude making this pretty tough. Back to Cusco before our Amazon trip.
Animals, Zip line, Coconuts and Machete
The amazon involved a dodgy mini bus trip down a goat path of a road. This was just after Peruvian independence weekend and involved our driver falling asleep while driving before our guide took over. We had booked a English speaking tour but was placed on a Spainish one but our guide was excellent as his hawk eyes spotted birds and animals from miles away. Our pit stop was gatecrashed by some monkeys before jumping on a boat. Our camp was some huts sorrunded by the Amazon. Our bush trek required some maintenance so the guide handed me a machete, years of DIY/cowboy maintenance under Dad meant I easily stepped up to this challenge. I immediately regressed 20 years and became a young lad chopping at anything, imagine an ADHD lad after a couple cans of redbull.
We chopped off some fresh coconuts as a refreshing drink straight from a tree.
Our night walks followed which were surreal, we walked about 10m from our huts to find Tratulas, chameleon ( no match for hawk eye guide) and plenty more which felt like some Spainish David Attenborough show. The next day was adventure day a morning hike before some high ropes and zipline through the amazon trees before some kayaking.
Delicious fresh coconut juice.
River rafts ..let's hope they don't fall apart !
Machu Pichu
This 4 day Humantay hike was one of the first things we had booked, however altitude and bronchitis only allowed us one day up to Lake Humantay before a trip back to Cusco. We got the train to the bottom of the mountain and explored the area which had plenty of " Happy Hours" which lasted from 10am to 10pm and 4 for 1 pisco sours. We quickly made our own mountain of glasses before the sunrise journey to Machu Pichu.
This day will stay with me forever as it was majestic sunrise over the ruins.
The photos don't do it justice and one has to be there to experience the natural beauty of the mountains.
We flew over to Lima which was full of churches, this is only thing I really have to say about this city which says enough. A bus ride down to Huchancina was worth it as this desert oasis was brilliant as we skied down sand dunes before rallying around them in a 4x4 and finishing with wine and sunset. Peru was honestly the best country I have visited as it has everything from the Andes to the Amazon
Majestic Machu Pichu
Ronan posing
Peru was the best country we visited with everything from the Amazon to the Andes
.
Sunset in the sand
Sand surfing
Angus pleads for help to get away from his visiting uncles David and Joseph ! Kendal still struggles to stay awake during the family chat.
BRAZIL
Brazil was our beach days and relax country. Yes, we had made it…going to a country just to ‘relax'….no 3am wake up for tours, 16 hours bus journeys or 30,000 steps exploring city days.
The beaches were not relaxing as we got hassled by folk trying to sell everything from massages to mobile phones. I'm not sure if it was my Scottish tan, looking like a casper the ghost, which gave it away that I wasn't a local or that I kept speaking Spanish badly …they speak Portuguese in Brazil.
We went to a Fluminese football game which was brilliant! There was a no seating rule which meant to just grabbed whatever space you could and didn't move. The beer men came to you so this wasn't a problem. It was an unreal experience with rules against sitting down which meant that you weren't passionate enough.
We stopped off at the Christ Redeemer which was packed in with people before I went on a tour of the largest favela(slum) in Brazil, Rochina. This was led by locals and had the friendliest folk in Brazil….minus the 18 year old walking around with a M16, Brazil football top and flip flops.
I turned down the offer of their pic'n'mix baking shelf which had plenty of white powder. We finished off with a rooftop bar and some beers before heading back to tourist land, Copacabana.
Copacobana Beach in Rio de Janeiro
We flew up to Salvador which was the place we wanted as beaches were quiet and chill with our accommodation having a gym and rooftop pool. This was a perfect week before our multi leg flight trip back to New Zealand.
Lastly, this was a trip of a lifetime and we ticked off so many bucket list things while still barely scratching the surface of these countries. I would strongly recommend Peru to anyone as this country was the best out of some epic countries which we visited during our tour.
PS Dad send me that money you promised me for the blog right now.
Dad :Ok Ronan the £10 is on its way.
It has been a very busy and exciting year for James, Kendal and wee Angus.
Their new house build started in Feb and was completed early Dec. It has been interesting to watch it being built and the various stages of construction. Kendal has been sharing the stages on Instagram and it's been a very smooth process. Luckily they have great building contractors Alaistair and Calum Fraser who with their subcontractors have done a fantastic job. We are all looking forward to visiting the new house which is so much more spacious than their old house. Everyone with a child will know the amount of space required rapidly increases when a new baby arrives. They are delighted with the high quality of workmanship at every stage. Inverlochy is a lovely village and great amenities all close by. On Sat 6th of December the big move happened and James, Kendal and Angus enjoyed their first night in the lovely new house. It's a very exciting time in one's life moving into a beautiful new home.
The New House
The House Inspectors are back again in Nov.
The Shinty Season
However,with a very young, enthusiastic and energetic team they exceeded all expectations.
They got off to flying start and on the 19th of July Fort William were top of the table with just 5 games to go and Lachie Shaw was top scorer in the Premiership with 16 goals. After playing 13 games an impressive 9 wins,2 draws,2 losses. They were playing great attacking,fast,exciting shinty and enjoyed competing against the top teams again. Many of their games were on a knife edge and some brilliant shinty skills on show.
As the season was coming to a close in Oct there were 4 teams in the chase for the title. With just 4 games to go Fort William had to win all their matches to win the title. Unfortunately a hard fought draw 2-2 with Oban and Kinlochsheil were costly but finishing 4th in the Premiership in the first season after promotion is a fantastic result. Being back at the top table of shinty after so many years has inspired confidence in the young players.
The Fort William reserve/second team had their best season ever with a clean sweep of titles and completed the treble. This bodes well for the future of the club with a host of new young talented players coming through now.
They won their league North Division 1,the Sutherland and Strathdearn Cup. This was a great achievment for the club and the success brought joy and reward for all the hard work by the players,coaches and club staff.
The Sutherland Cup
Mowi Premiership League Table 2025
Both 10 and 11 Downing Street Visit
Nana Tangney hits 90
Liz and I arrived home from Scotland late on Mon night 3rd Feb at 11.45 after a long day(14 hours) on the road.The excitement was building up on Tues the day before Nana's birthday on Wed 5 th Feb the big day and was as expected just hectic. At 9am the doorbell was ringing and "the callers" had begun. From that moment on it was non-stop all day long until 9pm that night.
The door bell was ringing.... the phone was ringing...Joe's ears were ringing and flowers being delivered and non-stop callers.
Mother was "in her element" all day as she loves chatting with people which she has done all her life. Some of the visitors included Tomo, Margaret and Jeremy Burke, first cousin Betty McElligott Eileen Harnett, Franko Moriarty,Joan Kelliher, Jimmy and Nina Tangney, cousin Jimmy Connell, Derry, Mike and Breda, Helen, John, Katie, Miriam ,Elaine, Noel, Harry,Amy,Bridie Begley, Phil and Dennis Devane, Tim McCarthy ,Bernard, Annmarie,Mary -Anne Breen, Nephew Kevin, first cousin Sheila Collins, Paudie Herlihy, Dave and Paul Geaney,Catherine Linehan and Bernie with the twins, Maurice Casey, cousin Jas Sullivan just to mention but a few of the many visitors …..Liz was fully stretched in the kitchen making endless cups of tea. ( she needed all of her 38 years of training while visiting the Kingdom) Maloney's big delicious birthday cake was well received by the visitors and demolished in a flash . It was just hectic all day long and one of the busiest days I have ever seen in 8 Main street and that takes some beating. Joan Kelliher called in and was immediately drafted in to help Liz in the catering department aka the kitchen and there was now more steam coming out of Liz's ears than the kettle at that stage.Then supplies were running out and Joan was sent out for milk. (Joan seized the opportunity to escape and she came back next day when she knew things might have quietened down) The brandy and hot toddies were out later and much needed at that stage.
It was a fantastic day of non stop chat,fun and celebration which we all thoroughly enjoyed on a very special day.
Joan Kelliher and mother.
Mother was delighted and rejuvenated while meeting and chatting with all "the callers" and also taking lots of phone calls as well. Brenda joined us later that evening which was great and made her day.
Over 100 birthday cards arrived and flowers galore. Gift vouchers for the hairdresser, meal vouchers and many mass cards !! Only in Ireland does one get a mass card even when still alive.
All together there was a great day of laughter, fun, reminiscing, story telling and celebrations.
Thankfully the next day Thurs was much calmer with lots of phone calls as we were exhausted after Wed. Fri morning mother went over to the hair dresser Mairead as usual and shared another birthday cake there with all the girls. I went back to Farranfore at 5.30pm to collect Joseph and Rebecca flying in from Scotland. Aoife and David arrived into Cork Fri morning at 10am and hired a car. They went back to Dingle and Slea head and luckily the day was dry which was great. Then at 7pm we went over to the River Island Hotel for a meal and Nana was delighted to see Joseph and Aoife ,Rebecca and David.
Then Sat morning all action again as getting ready for the birthday lunch in the Woodlands Hotel which is owned by the Fitzgerald family.My mother 's brother Dick and his wife Mary started the business over 50 years ago with a B&B. Sadly Dick passed away 10 years ago. Elaine Crowley came in to sort out the make up for Nana and then over to Mairead for a quick hair fix before we set off for Adare at 12.15 after collecting Brenda.
We arrived at the Woodlands Hotel about 1.15 and nephew Conor Fitz was waiting for us with a big welcome.
We first gathered in the lovely foyer and then moved to a private function room which was great.Once sitting Bernard gave a great speech off the cuff which was just hilarious. He summed up mother "to a T" and we enjoyed his natural wit. He should have been a comedian and brings laughter where ever he goes.
We then had a lovely meal with a choice of 4 main courses, After desert I did a Powerpoint presentation which was entertaining and enjoyed by all. There were some old photos of mother who was very beautiful in her younger days ….Killarney races and wedding photos etc
We chatted for hours and eventually went home about 8.30 after a lovely day. Mary Fitzgerald was with us all day and Mary and all her family were just wonderful hosts. All the Woodlands staff looked after us so well that day which is much appreciated for mother's special birthday lunch.
We all had an early night after a large hot toddy as we were all tired after the great day out.
Sun morning Joseph and Rebecca away to Farranfore at 9.30 as flight 10.30 to Dublin then Glasgow. They enjoyed the weekend. Aoife and David left at 1pm for Cork and great to see them all so happy. Bernard had good fun with David and joked about him taking over the business.
Nana has now Social Media Celebrity Status
Mother has reached celebrity status with the Woodlands Instagram account. The Maine Valley Post and Facebook. It's amazing how many people know her as the "Queen of Castleisland ."
The birthday celebrations continued for a full week and we returned home on Thurs as David Slattery and Sinead are visiting us the weekend.
The Fitzgerald Family
Front: Sheila (89),Mary 90, Baby Eileen (only78).
First cousins Aoife,Ailbhe and Emma
and sister in Mary Fitzgerald
Joseph runs in the Ben Race again.
Ranjit runs in the Devil o' the Highlands Race .
The big race called "Devil o' the Highlands Race" was held on Sat the 26th April.
Ranjit ,Betsy, Rebecca,Joseph and Ralphie were all up for the race.
It's a 42 Mile Ultramarathon race from Tyndrum to Fort William. Starting with 600 runners at 6 am in Tyndrum. Each runner is only allowed one support person and it's a seriously competitive race. This was Ranjit's first and possibly his last Ultramarathon as he signed up in a moment of madness.
An ultramarathon is defined as an event longer than the tradional marathon of 26 miles and commonly 50K,100K and 100 miles.
This one was 42 miles which is long enough which Ranjit can vouch for !
It's lonely at the back for Ranjit (But he is used to it! )
Wee Angus had a very busy day as he to attend the Pope's funeral earlier at 9am before going to the Leisure Centre to welcome Ranjit at the finish line.
Rebecca joined Ranjit in Kinlochleven for the last 25 Km and this helped him keep going. But with about 5 Km to go as he reached Lundavra Ranjit hit the wall. He was seeing stars and staggering barely able to stay upright. The most worrying symptom was that Ranjit was totally silent ...an ominous sign to say the least.Luckily Liz made some soup (parsnip,leek and lemon) earlier that day which was to prove to be invaluable. Joseph and Betsy were at Lundavra and made the vital soup delivery. With in a few minutes Ranjit was back with us and his energy stores replenished. This was a miraculous recovery as Ranjit's started chatting again.
Ranjit's life was definitely Saved by Liz's Soup at Lundavra.
He now took off like a turbocharged Springbok as he lept through air with a new found energy.
( I added a sprinkle of crystal meth to Liz's soup which worked a treat)
After a gruelling 42 miles Ranjit crossed the finish line at the Leisure Centre with
a time of 9 hours and 5min which is a fantastic achievement in his first Ultra.
Ranjit finished 201 overall and 36th in the overs 50's which is very impressive.
Ranjit was very glad to see finish line at the Leisure Centre.
Ben Race 2025
The Lochaber Athletic Club Race Entrants.
The year has flown by again and the first weekend in Sept is Ben Race time in Fort William.
As usual there is a great buzz of excitement on Sat morning in the Claggan Park football pitch as the runners and all of their many supporters gather before the race. There are runners from all over the UK and abroad with over 500 entrants and their families / supporters up in Fort William for the race weekend. This is a serious and prestigious race which is unrivalled as the summit of Ben Nevis is 4,413 feet(1,345 m) the highest point in the United Kingdom.
and just raw excitment.
The runners in the park now realise that there is no going back and the reality hits with the worry of not having done enough training in preparation for this showcase event.
Some of the entrants are very relaxed looking especially the veterans as they know what lies ahead.
Then there are the rookies who have a look of fear and intrepidation on their face as they nervously warm up.
Ranjit ,Teresa and Joseph looking very relaxed.
As pre-race entertainment, there were some children doing Highland Dancing and playing sports.
As the start time approaches there is an annoucement over the tanoy for all the runners to assemble and get ready .
The Lochaber Pipe band lead the runners towards the start line. This is a wonderful sight to see and there are now shivers running down some spines as the anticipation builds up to a crescendo. They all line up and the starters gun fires at 1pm. And they are off and it's a bit like the Grand National as over 500 runners in a large mass now approach the spectators and turn the first long bend,go down the straight then approach the gate as they now leave the park. One has to be there to feel the atmosphere and excitement. Now the spectators hit the drink or have some ice cream and food. The lead runners will be back in about 1 hour 40 min. There are progress reports over the tanoy as the first runner reaches the summit in about an hour which is just incredible. Walking to the summit takes about 4 hours.
We patiently waited for Joseph to return not knowning what state he was going to be in. Fortunately this year the conditions were much more favourable for the runners with a cloudy day 18C instead of the sunshine and 27C of last year .
Joseph finished in 2 hours 41 min which is amazing considering no training at all. Also not half dead like last year as conditions were so much better for the contestants. With some training he could improve his time and match or beat his 2 hour and 10 min PB of 2019.
Never again !!
Rumours are out !
The Leisure Centre Team Reunion,
Eilidh,Aoife,Donald.
Aoife
In March Aoife returned to the Highlands as she changed her job. She was working in Glasgow for over a year since returning from her travels. A job vacancy came up in Raigmore Hospital Inverness which Aoife applied for and was successfully appointed. Inverness is about 1.5 hours for Fort William so much closer to home.
Also much easier to play shinty and avoiding a 3.5 hour trip up from Glasgow to Invergarry for matches. Another reason is her boyfriend David also lives in the Highlands. So shinty and boyfriend in that order are the reasons Aoife moved back to the Highlands !
Torridon
Aoife Player of the Year Again !
Glengarry Player of the Year Award for the fifth time.
(2013,2015,2017,2024, 2025)
the next bus will be in about 15 to 20 years!
On Sun 2nd Feb Aoife runs her first half marathon in 1hour and 58 minutes in Glasgow
which is brilliant.
Aoife and Mairi
Ciaran
Ciaran and Emily have had a busy year travelling mainly in Australia while pet sitting in several citys. They have been to Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville ,Cairns,Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Crete, Italy,Greece and Austria. We really enjoyed catching up with Emily during our ski trip in Innsbruck.
Ciaran visited Singapore in April with a school tour. It was a very succesful tour which the students really enjoyed and another trip is planned for next year. Singapore has two huge biomes and one is the largest unsupported glass roofs in the world. It is 25C inside with super trees 15 -25m high each biome has 150,000 plants. Also the beautiful skywalk all of which is built on reclaimed land.
Ciaran in one of the biomes.
Ciaran has recently gained promotion at work in Guilford Grammar School. He will now be Head of St George's House in Jan 2026 which is an ideal job for him. It is a wide ranging position working as an interface between pupils and staff. Ciaran has natural communication skills and his new post will involve guidance and pupil support which he will no doubt enjoy.
Emily and Ciaran have both got green fingers and enjoying their garden with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Growing one's own tomatoes,herbs and veg organically is such a joy and the flavour is unbeatable.
Sunset over Sydney Harbour
