Search Results for: Ireland

Who was the last player to captain England before David Beckham?

Martin Raymond Keown (born 24 July 1966 in Oxford, England) is a former English footballer, who spent much of his career at Arsenal, with stints at Aston Villa and Everton as well. He is now a part-time scout and coach for Arsenal, as well as a pundit for the BBC. Keown played U16 and U18 for England. When it was …

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What is the Calcutta Cup?

On Christmas Day in 1872, a game of rugby between 20 players representing England on one side and 20 representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales on the other, was played in Calcutta. The match was such a success that it was repeated a week later. These matches led to the formation of the Calcutta Football Club in January 1873. The Calcutta …

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Why is the British flag called the ‘Union Jack’?

The Union Jack, the official flag of Britain since 1801, is really three separate flags in one, for it combines the English cross of St George, the Scottish cross of St Andrew and the Irish cross of St Patrick. England, Scotland and Ireland were originally independent countries, and the Union Jack symbolizes the fact that they now from the United …

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What was Mothering Sunday?

Mothering Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated throughout Europe that falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent. Secularly it became a celebration of motherhood. It is increasingly being called Mother’s Day, although in countries other than the UK and Ireland that holiday has other origins. In the UK it is considered synonymous with Mother’s Day as celebrated in other countries. …

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What is the Fenian Movement?

The Fenian Movement or Fenians is a secret revolutionary society organized in 1858 in Ireland and the United States to achieve Irish independence from England by force. It was known variously as the Fenian Brotherhood, Fenian Society, Irish Republican Brotherhood, and Irish-American Brotherhood. The famine of the 1840s brought to a crisis Irish discontent with English rule, culminating in the …

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Why is there usually a yew in many old churchyards?

Yews have long been associated with religious worship. So it is likely that churches were originally built near the sacred trees rather than the other way round. These trees live longer than any other species in Europe and can grow to an enormous size. Many are thought to be well over 1,000 years old. Yews were revered by the druids …

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