23,208

That is how long I have been around - in days, and thus I ask that nobody posts a congratulations comment. If any castigation - there are 20,708 Blips missing. You will get another opportunity.

I would have turned off the comments function for this Blip but I did that this morning as I was busy back-blipping. As I changed the setting. EvelyneNC was busy writing a long comment on yesterdays Blip. As she hit the "send" button Blip told her comments were not allowed and wiped all her work! So I feel obliged to leave it open.

And to make any comments even more meaningless, today's photo isn't even mine but from my daughter in the Republic of Ireland and reached me today although it was from yesterday, So every Blip rule broken and thus NO comments, please.

Grandson Elliot had to "dress up" for school yesterday but mother found it somewhat hard to find any item of green clothing. I find the outfit fine, especially the John Deere cap!

I am not a fan of every single notable date in every calendar of every country in the world, nowadays being turned in to some massive commercial clown event.

I do however support anything that helps the Irish to be proud of their nation in the light of all that is going on in the British Isles. Once the Irish were the butt of every Englishman's jokes, well at least those that didn't involve the Scots, French and especially Germans.

Ireland in recent years has grown in confidence, has dealt with some very difficult times and sorted the problems themselves without whinging. And the English government treat then with total disdain in their current Brexit chaos.

As a young lad learning history in the 1960s and when I had no connection in any way what so ever with Ireland, I could never understand how the island could be so brutally divided. I don't think there was the least bit of influence from my lay teachers albeit we were in a Catholic-based school.

I still believe the island should be reunified and frankly, the rest of the UK would profit financially far more from not having to subsidise the North than they might save from Brexit.

So was with a certain amount of glee to hear the result of today's St Patrick Day rugby game at Twickenham where Ireland beat England convincingly and also the Six Nations Cup,

What I liked, even more, was seeing a few days ago, Donald Duck T greeting the Irish prime minister in Washington and having a huge clump of one of his golf divots stuck in his top pocket. Great that Donald acknowledges the huge contribution the Irish immigrants made in making America great. Must have been so pleasant for him to make small talk with a self-proclaimed gay man.

Well done Ireland.