On a walk through the Monastic City in Glendalough today we came across this Headstone of a Walter Byrne. According to the inscription he died on March 6th 1750 at the age of 106.

Of course, there is potential for error due record keeping at the time. There were no birth certificates in Ireland around the time of his birth and ages of the elderly may have been guessed at based on oral tradition and linked to historical events. Plus the font of 106 is different to the rest of the inscription.

Regardless that's some age to be hitting when the average life expectancy of the day was around 35-40 (based on a quick Google search), and you consider the standard of living and medical science back then.

Based on another quick Google search, his longevity is put down to a few possible factors.

Isolation from Epidemics: In the 1700s, deadly diseases like smallpox, typhus, and cholera decimated crowded urban areas like Dublin. The extreme geographic isolation of the Glendalough valley protected mountain communities from widespread infectious outbreaks.

Lifestyle and Diet: Mountain families lived active, physically demanding lives. Their diet prior to the mid-18th century was dominated by fresh buttermilk, oatmeal, potatoes, and foraging, which was remarkably nutrient-rich compared to urban diets of the era.

In Gaelic culture, great age was deeply revered. The Byrnes (O'Byrnes) were one of the historic ruling clans of the Wicklow mountains. Reaching an advanced age brought immense social status to a family. Round numbers or extreme ages were sometimes chosen on headstones as a point of family pride, cementing the deceased as a resilient patriarch of the valley.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this with you this evening.

Here's to you Walter Byrne. Fair play.

I was in Rome this week doing a guided tour though the Colonna Palace and there was a world map, These maps were produced mainly in Italy and Catalonia in the 15th–16th centuries for navigation but I snapped a closer pic of Ireland

How do you feel him representing Ireland on a global platform , as an American I loved him as Oz and in Bruges

Massive shout out to all participants and supporters who showed up yesterday. My legs got me to the start line, but the crowd got me to the finish.

A good friend of mine, his lovely cat - Bundee - has been missing for several days from Summerhill Co Meath.

If anyone thinks they might have seen him or for those living in the area, any help or information would be greatly appreciated.

Positive thoughts for his safe return home.

Took a photo earlier today when the sky was basically grey and looked like something out of Silent Hill. Went to go to bed and turned the light off, noticed it was brighter outside. Took a quick snap of the sky filled with moonlight. Would have taken the scope out if it wouldn't have blown into the ocean. ​

So Tesco mobile have chimed in with their answer to Lidl connect. €10 p/m unlimited 5g data. Sounds great, and in line with GoMos current offering.

However a check of the wee t's&c's shows that this is not a permenant or for life offer as with the other networks. This is only available for a max of 24 months then ups to €20 p/m.

Cowboys Ted!!

I can't figure this out.

I took the named learner driver off my car insurance before renewing and was sent a new quote of 150euro MORE. Wtf? I contacted CS thinking it was a mistake and they said it's correct, so I got them to add the named driver back and it went back down to the original quote.

I'm with getsetgo for years and find them great, no issues, but this makes no sense? Anyone have any ideas? I'm bemused.

Hello! I'm looking to make barmbrack for the first time and it calls for 'mixed spices'. Respectfully, I want to make sure to get it right. As I understand, mixed spices is cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and ground cloves.

For reference, this is the recipe I'm using: https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2017/1030/744665-irish-barmbrack/

I feel like having a load of people trained in following orders, first aid and teamwork would be a great and sensible thing for a country to have. From the stories I hear it sounded like it could be fun. I know a load of lads that would love that kind of stuff. What happened

J14 Kildare

I’m trying to eat a bit healthier, and was getting Dunnes and Tesco prepared boxes of salads over the summer. A bit cold for that now. Anyone have any suggestions for some prepared stuff that’s good for cold weather/winter?

I do cook - but sometimes I’m really pushed for time, and the temptation is always there to just throw on a pizza. Dunnes and Tesco are the supermarkets that I shop in.