Author: Danny Rigg

From slogans to smithereens, you’ve got the Irish to thank for your craic-ing language (Picture: Shutterstock/Getty Images) St Patrick’s Day gets millions of people parading the streets clad in green clothes, with shamrocks painted on their face, celebrating Irish culture. Thanks to the hard graft of Irish migrants, Paddy’s Day is celebrated all over the world in 2025. From Sydney to Santiago, Dublin to Dubai, and Tokyo to Toronto, you’re bound to found some craic. Only St Nick could compete for the title of the world’s favourite saint. But you might encounter Irish words and phrases more often than you think. Some of our most beloved slang and terminology has roots in the Irish language, known to its speakers as Gaeilge From the nickname of the Conservative Party to our slang for having fun, and one of Britain’s favourite drinks, many have a surprising origin on the island of Ireland. Craic ‘What’s the craic’, you might ask your friends as an alternative to ‘what’s the story’ or ‘what’s happening’ when you meet them for a couple of pints down the pub. And you’ll be sure to have some ‘craic’ once the juices are flowing. Can you guess the link between Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club and the Irish language (Picture:Ricky Vigil M/GC Images) It needs little explanation, but for the unacquainted, it’s a word meaning fun or a good time, that’s entered English from Ireland. But its origin is a little more complicated than that. Testament to the exchange of culture across these isles, craic actually started off inBritain. It was picked up from the Scots and northeast English word ‘crack’, meaning loud gossip, banter or bragging. Craic then acquired its characteristic Irish spelling, and it has kept this since returning to popular use in England. Chicago’s decision to dye its river green is a controversial choice some see as overboard (Picture: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) Galore This word for ‘abundance’ – you’ve got

Sorry, this video isn’t available any more. Social media users are mocking a man who called the police on a stranger dressed in yellow in Northern Ireland. Footage filmed from a passing car shows a figure wearing a long and heavy yellow coat, with yellow trousers and boots to match, walking along a road at night in the Kilrea area of Co Derry. The man was also reportedly wearing a white mask and black wig, although these can’t be seen in the December 27 video. ‘Excuse me mate, excuse me sir, what are you doing’, Gerard McFerran shouts from the window. ‘What’s going on here? Why are you wearing a mask and all?’ He continued: ‘You need to explain something here. This isn’t f***ing right… Why are you in this town for? Tell me, why are you in this town for?’ The ‘yellow man’ explained he was trying to get back to his friend’s place after travelling by train to visit that day. But that didn’t seem to satisfy McFerran, who replied: ‘We’re going to ring the cops on you, alright.’ There have also been sightings reported in the Rasharkin and Dunloy areas. Police said: ‘We take all reports very seriously and I hope that the visibility of our officers today, alongside our commitment to continue to patrol shared public spaces, provides reassurance and boosts confidence that we are committed to doing everything we can to make areas safe. ‘If you are out and about and notice anything suspicious or perhaps you are concerned about the welfare of an individual, please report your concerns.’ The ‘suspicious yellow man’ has caused a storm in part of Northern Ireland (Picture: Gerard McFerran/Belfast Live) There is no indication any crime has been committed, and the saga has prompted ridicule on social media. Responding to initial reports in Belfast Live, Ghost of Sid Vicious said: ‘Headline should say “Man out for evening stroll gets accosted by paranoid weirdo Gerard