Your earliest current affairs/news memory?

themandan6611 · 19-11-2016 01:27AM

mine were N.Ireland beating Spain in the WC 1982, the maze prison escape, the Ethiopia Famine and the Trocaire box, Live Aid and Karl Lewis

Dillonb3 · 19-11-2016 01:29AM

For me it was the death of Princess Diana.

Galwayguy35 · 19-11-2016 01:29AM

Barry McGuigan becoming the World champ was another one.

PandaPoo · 19-11-2016 01:30AM

Princess Diana's death, I was 6 at the time. I remember my mam crying in the sitting room and her watching the news, that's it.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k · 19-11-2016 01:32AM

Princess Diana dying. It was the Sunday morning of an all Ireland

ChunkyLover54 · 19-11-2016 01:54AM

bodice ripper wrote: »

You are all really old, or really young.

Except for the person who said Challenger, and me.

This may be the most uplifting thread I've read in AH in some time - it's nice to know that there are other posters my age or older.

In response to the OP, my first clear news memory is probably from the morning after George Bush Sr. was elected US president, about a month after I turned 5. I remember them talking about it on Morning Ireland before I toddled off to school.

harry Bailey esq · 19-11-2016 03:07AM

Diego Maradonas hand of god.

Toots · 19-11-2016 04:40AM

Berlin Wall coming down was probably my earliest news memory. Not the official demolition but the bit where people were basically climbing over it and stuff. 4 year old me couldn't understand why everyone was so excited to be climbing over a wall.

AllGunsBlazing · 19-11-2016 04:48AM

John Lennon's murder.

Arghus · 19-11-2016 04:49AM

Probably Jamie Bulger. The two kid murderers were 10, which made them seem like adults to me at the time.

Or Cantona kicking the fan. Imagine the media storm today...

eviltwin · 19-11-2016 05:46AM

Charles and Diana's wedding

ollaetta · 19-11-2016 05:53AM

Robert Kennedy's assassination in 68.

metaoblivia · 19-11-2016 05:56AM

Baby Jessica falling down a well in Texas in 1987. It was huge on American news. I was 6 years old.
Internationally, it was the Berlin Wall coming down in 1989.
This is weird, but I kind of remember the Challenger exploding. I was 4 years old and in pre-school and actually watched it happen because I lived in Florida and it's common to take school kids out to watch the shuttles go off because you can see them from miles away and morning launches always have clear blue skies. I don't have a memory of seeing the shuttle explode because at 4 I don't think I would have understood. But I do remember being shuffled quickly back into the school and getting snack and nap time early. And all of the adults were sad and it got talked about a lot for years afterwards.

mrsdewinter · 19-11-2016 06:25AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Speaking of which, Ben Dunne - yes, the same one of Ben Dunne Gyms - high as a kite on cocaine outside the window on the 17th storey of a hotel in Florida as a hooker tried to plámás him into coming back inside, all covered live on US tv by one of those tv traffic helicopters.

That was some 9pm TV News in Ireland that night!

Blimey. I was about 17 when that happened and I remember absolutely none of the footage of Ben on the window sill. I remember the woman all right but just interviews with her.

My first current affairs memory? The election of Maggie Thatcher as British pm. I don't remember the speeches or the pussy bow blouses, just my mother taking 2 mins out to sit down in front of the telly to watch it.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-11-2016 06:40AM

heldel00 wrote: »

Same as a few others- omagh bombing.
I was sweeping the floor at home to try and put my mother into good humour after a very poor Parent teacher meeting that week.

It happened in August though, didn't it?

IvyTheTerrible · 19-11-2016 06:41AM

Chernobyl and the Challenger disaster. Challenger stuck in my mind because they interrupted Bosco for a newsflash!

LoonyLovegood · 19-11-2016 07:50AM

Mary McAleese's inauguration. I was four a couple of weeks later, and the only reason I remember it is because we were sitting in the living room of my childminder's trying to spot my Da, who was in the army.

Clonmel1000 · 19-11-2016 09:14AM

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Princess Diana dying. It was the Sunday morning of an all Ireland

31 August 1997 definitely wasn't the day of an all Ireland.

IvyTheTerrible · 19-11-2016 09:25AM

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

31 August 1997 definitely wasn't the day of an all Ireland.

The semi-final was on in Croke park that day, fairly understandable "mistake" to make if it was their earliest memory! (Actually it's more of an impressive thing to remember as an earliest memory...)

Lawlesz · 19-11-2016 09:39AM

The Jamie Bulger story always stands out in my mind, I think I was 4 or 5 at the time (close enough in age to him) and being scared to let go of my mothers hand when we went to Dunnes to do the shopping.

Always remember seeing bodies laid on the ground or side of a road in Africa and being horrified. I know now looking back that these were pictures of the genocide in Rwanda.

USA 94 and Aldridge's goal against Norway to keep Ireland in it.

Bits and pieces of the various Yugoslav wars and refugees scattering and looking for places to stay as winter started to roll in.

One of the IRA bombs that ended the ceasefire, (94 maybe?). I have a vague memory of a press conference or something with men in balaclavas. The reason that sticks out was because of the new reporter saying the IRA had claimed responsibility. I can remember telling my mother that I couldn't understand why you would do something so bold and then claim responsibility for it, surely they'd get in trouble now

pajor · 19-11-2016 09:48AM

Born at the end of 1991. First news memory would be the death of Princess Diana. I remember even as a 6 year old wondering why the BBC kept going on and on about it for weeks.

And then a year later Omagh. I didn't understand what happened of course really, but I remember it was a really bad thing. Was probably a bit scared. I think I also have a vague memory of my Mum crying when she heard the news. She told me years later that she did at least. Of course I now understand how much Omagh shook the whole country.

maximum12 · 19-11-2016 09:57AM

pajor wrote: »

I remember even as a 6 year old wondering why the BBC kept going on and on about it for weeks.
.

We all did mate, we all did.

I remember being in a phibsboro cafe and the staff coming around to tell us they were observing a minutes silence on the day of the funeral. We were a couple of hundred yards from Glasnevin cemetery and think I could hear a few patriots turning in their graves.

andekwarhola · 19-11-2016 10:18AM

70s IRA bombings in England.

19-11-2016 10:29AM

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Barry McGuigan becoming the World champ was another one.

Sponsored by Irish Permanent "The People's Choice" ads everywhere (shortly before Ed Farrell, the Irish Permanent CEO, was brought down in a massive money scandal). McGuigan's auld fella singing Danny Boy at every match and McGuigan's "Thank you very much, Mr Eastwood" after each match (except Las Vegas which was more like "I'll see you in court, Mr Eastwood")

Also Christy O'Connor Jnr with a big smile on him blessing himself as he walked towards the green to win some golf competition for Ireland.

CINCLANTFLT · 19-11-2016 10:44AM

Decent memory of the space shuttle Columbia launching, vague memory of the Whiddy explosion and very vague memory of Skylab coming down... I would have been barely 2 years old for that...

19-11-2016 10:49AM

Dessie O'Hare, the "Border Fox", kidnapping the dentist John O'Grady, who had the misfortune of being son-in-law of the wealthy Austin Darragh, When he didn't get the ransom, he chopped two of John O'Grady's fingers off and posted them to some cathedral. There was some story they paid the money but O'Hare didn't find it. Then there was a shootout somewhere - actually I think there were several shootouts across Ireland with that psychopathic bástard. Mad times.

Mint Sauce · 19-11-2016 10:57AM

Was going to say Piper Alpha, or the Zeeburge Ferry Disaster, but that was even earlier, and didn't realise it.

:eek:

mzungu wrote: »

The Challenger disaster.

anewme · 19-11-2016 11:12AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Dessie O'Hare, the "Border Fox", kidnapping the dentist John O'Grady, who had the misfortune of being son-in-law of the wealthy Austin Darragh, When he didn't get the ransom, he chopped two of John O'Grady's fingers off and posted them to some cathedral. There was some story they paid the money but O'Hare didn't find it. Then there was a shootout somewhere - actually I think there were several shootouts across Ireland with that psychopathic bástard. Mad times.

There was a family in our estate who were a bit wacky who lived opposite us. One morning, we all woke to find the place swarming with Gardai, jeeps, camouflage gear, loudspeakers, the whole kid and caboodle.

Someone had rang them to tell them The Border fox was hiding out in their house. It was so ridiculous, but they never found out which bad egg made the malicious call.

We were talking about mad stuff that happened a few weeks ago And Mum said" sure do you remember when the Border Fox was in Byrnes.' And we laughed.

Nothing funny about the Border Fox at all though. John Grady has now passed away, but that was some ordeal he went through. Mad times indeed.

Rubberlegs · 19-11-2016 11:26AM

I have vague memories of Elvis dying, I would have been about 5. Very clear memories of the Yorkshire Ripper, also the deaths of the hunger strikers.

19-11-2016 11:39AM

73Cat wrote: »

I have vague memories of Elvis dying, I would have been about 5. Very clear memories of the Yorkshire Ripper, also the deaths of the hunger strikers.

I feel like I should remember the Yorkshire Ripper, because I was 7 when he was convicted...but I can't.

The Hunger Strikers is a vivid memory. Bobby Sands died on my 7th birthday, 5th May 1981. I remember my father announcing the news, and the posters appearing even here in Kerry over the following weeks, H Block graffiti appearing on walls in the middle of nowhere. It was a remarkable time.

Your earliest current affairs/news memory?

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