i never knew they were irish..

[Billys Boots]

Mel Gibson's mother is actually from Longford.

She's actually from Colmcille, and his full name is Mel Colmcille Gibson apparently.

[Ulick]

Admiral Browne.

Founder of the Argentinian Navy.

Notiable victories over the Navies of Spain, Britain and Brazil.

Browne was indeed Irish but this "founder of the Argentine navy" bit always amuses me. He did become a good friend of José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins but if truth be told he was really a "gun for hire". He served in the British navy for a long time but after getting pissed off by noting getting his fair rewards, he took his ships to South America where he was hired by the Liberators to fight the Spanish. He saved them from almost certain calamitous defeat on more than one occasion, but eventually fell out with them as well when he wasn't paid what was promised and headed off into the sunset again (taking his ships with him). So in a sense he may have formed the Argentine navy as his ships were the Argentine navy, but when he left, he took the navy with him i.e. if he was the founder, he was also the destroyer. An amazingly brave and skill-full seaman though - almost all of his major battles were won against overwhelming odds.

[Ulick]

Mel Gibson's mother is actually from Longford.

She's actually from Colmcille, and his full name is Mel Colmcille Gibson apparently.

Where the f**k is Colmcille?

[deiseach]

Admiral Browne.

Founder of the Argentinian Navy.

Notiable victories over the Navies of Spain, Britain and Brazil.

Browne was indeed Irish but this "founder of the Argentine navy" bit always amuses me. He did become a good friend of José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins but if truth be told he was really a "gun for hire". He served in the British navy for a long time but after getting pissed off by noting getting his fair rewards, he took his ships to South America where he was hired by the Liberators to fight the Spanish. He saved them from almost certain calamitous defeat on more than one occasion, but eventually fell out with them as well when he wasn't paid what was promised and headed off into the sunset again (taking his ships with him). So in a sense he may have formed the Argentine navy as his ships were the Argentine navy, but when he left, he took the navy with him i.e. if he was the founder, he was also the destroyer. An amazingly brave and skill-full seaman though - almost all of his major battles were won against overwhelming odds.

Was he the Brown(e) from whom Jose Brown, who scored for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup final, claimed an Irish background?

Edit: it seems not

[Ulick]

Was he the Brown(e) from whom Jose Brown, who scored for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup final, claimed an Irish background?

I doubt it. There were literally thousands of Irishmen who fought with the Liberators (and some for the Spanish). Most were veterans of the Napoleonic Wars who were enticed over with the promise of land by Bolivar, San Martin & O'Higgins.   

[Hardy]

Bernardo O'Higgins

Not quite, he was the b**tard son of an Irishman and his mistress. The father never acknowledged him during his life.

That could explain his volatile personality. Hell of a snooker player, though.

[Billys Boots]

Mel Gibson's mother is actually from Longford.

She's actually from Colmcille, and his full name is Mel Colmcille Gibson apparently.

Where the f**k is Colmcille?

Parish in North Longford Donagh. 

[AQMP]

Mel Gibson's mother is actually from Longford.

She's actually from Colmcille, and his full name is Mel Colmcille Gibson apparently.

Where the f**k is Colmcille?

Up in the north west, sometimes referred to by the BBC as Londonderrycolumnkill

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Lord Montgomery

Field Marshal of the British Empire.

No he isn't.

Some of you ladsng are pretty sad denying the British Empire connections but glad to leave the Empires or Revoulutionaries of other countries.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Bernardo O'Higgins

Not quite, he was the b**tard son of an Irishman and his mistress. The father never acknowledged him during his life. Something ironically Bernardo was to do later with his own children. Nevertheless a great man.

I was including men of Irish decent, a reckon 3 or 4 generations back is still Irish in my books.

[Canalman]

Lord Montgomery

Field Marshal of the British Empire.

No he isn't.

Some of you ladsng are pretty sad denying the British Empire connections but glad to leave the Empires or Revoulutionaries of other countries.

He was born in England................FACT. How is he Irish?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Lord Montgomery

Field Marshal of the British Empire.

No he isn't.

Some of you ladsng are pretty sad denying the British Empire connections but glad to leave the Empires or Revoulutionaries of other countries.

He was born in England................FACT. How is he Irish?

Of Irish heritage.

[Shamrock Shore]

Where the f**k is Colmcille

I've often wondered myself - it's  lovely place, nestling in the bosom of Dromard, Mullinaghta, Gowna and Killoe.

The Gowna bit would belong to the Cavan savages.

Gibson was asked to play Intermediate for Colmcille when he was over here shooting Braveheart (a local wag sent in an official letter to Longford County Board looking for a transfer) but the insurers of the film, despite the many scenes of violence and mayhem in Braveheart, reckoned togging out for Colmcille, esp if they played The Connollys, was an unisurable risk.

So the idea ended there.

Shame really.

[deiseach]

Gibson was asked to play Intermediate for Colmcille when he was over here shooting Braveheart (a local wag sent in an official letter to Longford County Board looking for a transfer) but the insurers of the film, despite the many scenes of violence and mayhem in Braveheart, reckoned togging out for Colmcille, esp if they played The Connollys, was an unisurable risk.

So the idea ended there.

Shame really.

Typical Jews

[Ulick]

Where the f**k is Colmcille

I've often wondered myself - it's  lovely place, nestling in the bosom of Dromard, Mullinaghta, Gowna and Killoe.

The Gowna bit would belong to the Cavan savages.

Gibson was asked to play Intermediate for Colmcille when he was over here shooting Braveheart (a local wag sent in an official letter to Longford County Board looking for a transfer) but the insurers of the film, despite the many scenes of violence and mayhem in Braveheart, reckoned togging out for Colmcille, esp if they played The Connollys, was an unisurable risk.

So the idea ended there.

Shame really.

There you go, one does truly learn something new everyday. Must look out for it next time I'm passing through on the way to the west. I would probably still guess that given the Gisbons religious opinions, he was named for the saint as opposed to the parish - though if the ma was from down there who knows.