Ireland-Spain historical links
The Deputy Chair and Senators traded light remarks about Ireland’s historical ties with Spain, including the Camino, Red Hugh O’Donnell and local jokes about the centre of the world.
I join the Senator in the expressions of sympathy to our colleague the Minister, Deputy Burke, and I think we all join the Senator in calling for the release of the hostages and a cessation of the violence in the Middle East on all sides.
We were talking about the Camino and the links between Ireland and Spain with the ambassador earlier. I know the Spanish Government went to enormous lengths to identify Red Hugh O'Donnell, who died at 29 years of age on his way to try to get the Spanish King to provide another armada to come to Ireland and help us secure our freedom. That shows how, even 400 years on, the history between us is so strong and enduring. Not only do many Irish people go on holiday to Spain, they also go on pilgrimage to Spain on the Camino and end up in a place called Finisterre, known as the end of the world, where the Romans thought, once upon a time, that the world ended. Little did they know-----
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I thought that was Skellig Michael.
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Most TDs regard their constituency as the centre of the centre of the universe, not the end of the world.