Hymns 2006 Memories

This series goes all the way back to 1980. So, this must be the 26th episode. I was going to stop at 2000. Most of my best hymn memories are from the 1980s. But I thought it might be a challenge to carry on. So here goes 😀.

So, what do I remember about 2006? I remember being mad busy in my secular job. We went to Kenmare in Kerry for our summer holidays. And we got a Nintendo Wii at Christmas. I used to particularly like playing Wii Tennis 😀. And Doctor Who was a big hit in our house as my eldest kids approached their teens.

Church-wise, I remember taking a few speaking engagements around Limerick and Tipperary outside of my own fellowship, which was quite unusual for me in the 21st Century. But it was a great opportunity to meet up with some old friends. And my daughter performed in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in school. In Cork, Douglas Baptist Church was formed, another church planted from Cork Baptist Church, which was my home church throughout the 1980s.

Richard Dawkins published The God Delusion in October 2006. I had read some of his earlier material and purchased a CD-ROM back in 1997 by him on evolution. I lean more towards creationism, but I enjoy learning about science and exploring the various debates. And the book prompted much debate and interest in apologetics. A few years later, I discovered the Unbelievable podcast, and listened to it every Saturday for a good many years after. I suppose it sort of ran out of subjects in recent years, but I’d like to go back and check it out again or even listen to all the early episodes again. Justin Brierley was an excellent host. He even wrote a book on his experience on the show.

Songs published around 2006 include the following:

We didn’t know any of these in Tipperary, but I am trying to get to know them now. Many are critical of some of the movements behind these songs, because of scandals etc. I never had much confidence in movements to begin with. All my trust is in Jesus, but if someone writes a song that helps me to worship, I’m happy. For example, Bob Dylan’s Christian albums always meant a lot to me. I don’t know if Bob Dylan had any interest in the evangelical scene after his “Christian years”, but I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit was behind these songs. Maybe, he just didn’t have much confidence in the evangelical world. He’s always been a bit of a lone wolf. I’m a little like that myself too, but I try to fight it 😀.

In 2006, we often travelled around Tipperary after church. Here, I’ll add a few pics.

Around that time, I did a little research for the song, “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary”. Here’s what I added to the long-gone website:

“It’s A Long Way to Tipperary” started out in 1912 as a music hall song, written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams. Two years later, a Daily Mail reporter heard it being sung by the Connaught Rangers (who had connections with Tipperary town) in France. It was recorded by John Mc Cormack that same year. Pretty soon, the whole world knew about it. It was covered by the Red Army, and it featured in Das Boot (the crew of the submarine sang it). It got to number 66 in the BBC’s Songs of the Century, just behind “Strawberry Fields Forever” – beaten by the best! Read all about it here. If you type “It’s a long way to Tipperary” into Google, you’ll get about 36,600 results!

And here’s a bit I wrote about the general history of the town:
Tipperary town is a small 19th century market town, begun as an Anglo-Norman settlement (you can still see the motte and bailey built by the Normans). The town grew around a castle built by King John near the end of the 12th Century. It is located in the heart of the Golden Vale, a rich, lush agricultural area that is perfect for dairy farming – a “land flowing with milk and honey”! (Exodus 3:17) Irish readers might be familiar with Golden Vale cheese. The name of the town and county derives from the Irish ‘Tiobrad Arann’ meaning the ‘Well of Ara’. This ancient sacred well is now closed but it was located just off Main Street. I had wondered if it had anything to do with Churchwell, where we (used to) meet, but I don’t think so. There is a little fountain there, but it is of more recent origin.

I remember stumbling on Radio Moscow as a teenager and hearing the Soviet Red army singing “It’s a long way to Tipperary”. Another reference to Tipperary town is the Johnny Cash song “Forty Shades of Green” where he mentions missing the “girl from Tipperary town”. Many think that this is an old ballad but it’s not. It was written by Johnny Cash – who incidentally has recorded a lot of gospel songs. The town has changed and improved a lot in recent years. There is a sports centre with a 25-metre public swimming pool and the Excel Heritage Centre which includes a cinema, theatre, tourist information centre, cafe etc. Another famous town, Cashel (where the Rock of Cashel is located), is just a few miles away. Just south of the town is the beautiful Glen of Aherlow and the Galtee mountains, the highest inland range in Ireland. Other popular attractions are the nearby Cahir castle (where part of Excaliber was filmed) and Mitchelstown caves. Further afield in North Tipperary are the villages of Killoscully and Ballinahinch where the Irish TV comedy series Killinaskully is filmed. I first arrived in Tipperary town on a bus tour from Cork in 1980. The next time was Christmas 1990, where we spent a few hours there on our way to the Irish Bible School, which was further East in Tipperary.

Anyway, here are some music, events, and films/TV shows that would have formed the background to 2006. I don’t necessarily endorse all the songs or films 😀.

10 Songs

• Blink and You Miss It: Paul Weller
• Put Your Records On:​ Corinne Bailey Rae
• On an Island: Dave Gilmour
• From Paris to Berlin: Infernal
• Valerie: Zutons
• Chelsea Dagger​: Fratellis
• Chasing Cars​: Snow Patrol
• When You Were Young: The Killers
• Black Parade:​ My Chemical Romance
• Rahab: Amy Winehouse

10 Events

• Violent clashes erupted during a planned “Love Ulster” loyalist parade, leading to widespread unrest in the city.
• The former Taoiseach was honored with a state funeral in Dublin.
• Ireland experienced its hottest July on record, with temperatures reaching 32.3°C in County Roscommon.
• A northern bottlenose whale swam up the Thames, captivating the public before tragically dying.
• Britain’s largest cash robbery occurred in Kent, with £53 million stolen from a security depot.
• Scotland became the first part of the UK to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces.
• A coordinated terrorist attack killed 209 people in India’s financial capital.
• Twitter, the social media platform that would reshape global communication was born.
• Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine over a pricing conflict, triggering energy shortages across Europe and highlighting tensions over energy dependence
• Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke, leading to Ehud Olmert assuming leadership and shifting Israeli politics

10 Films or TV Shows

• Doctor Who (Hugely popular in our house in 2006)
• Casino Royale
• Little Miss Sunshine
• Blood Diamond
• V for Vendetta
• Cars
• The Queen
• Happy Feet
• Torchwood (UK TV Show)
• 30 Rock (US TV Show)

10 Famous People Who Passed Away

• Steve Irwin: Wildlife conservationist & TV personality
• James Brown: “Godfather of Soul” musician
• Gerald Ford: 38th President of the United States
• Saddam Hussein: Former President of Iraq
• Syd Barrett: Founding member of Pink Floyd
• Wilson Pickett: R&B legend (In the Midnight Hour)
• Buck Owens: Country music star
• Jack Wild: Actor best known for playing the Artful Dodger in Oliver!
• Charles Haughey: Former Taoiseach and long-time leader of Fianna Fáil
• Michael O’Leary: Former Tánaiste and leader of the Irish Labour Party