Tag Archives: Saint Patricks Day

The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes Now Available at TheWhiskyShop.com

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You can now order The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes from The Whisky Shop USA!

 

www.thewhiskyshopusa.com

The Whisky Shop USA HQ is in San Francisco, but they can also deliver across the USA.

The Whisky Shop San Francisco
360 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Earlier in the year, we ran two tastings leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, where consumers loved getting to know The Collection. Here are some of our favourites.

Men of Action: New York Giants Victory at Super Bowl XLVI

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The New York Giants proved that history does indeed repeat itself this past Sunday, when they ended this year’s Super Bowl with a victory over the New England Patriots.

Giants 21 – 17 Patriots 
The game’s MVP – Eli Manning – gave a flawless performance, which ‘approached perfection’ and saw a final quarter that secured the Giants’ second Super Bowl win against the Patriots. 
But this was a team game, as the MVP points out:
Another reminder of how important team work is. But a team also needs a strong leader. Irish American Giants’ coach, Tim Coughlin brought the team together Saturday night. He showed them a highlight reel of their season so far, and inspired them with a rousing speech, which got the team all fired up for their showdown on Sunday. 
- Justin Tuck, No. 91, Defensive End, Giants
His speech was one that could have come straight from 1691, and could be directed at The Wild Geese. Coughlin says:
This message is timeless, and this past weekend, propelled the Giants to victory once again. 

Super Bowl XLVI: Team Spirit

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We’re only a few days away from the Super Bowl, when the New York Giants will meet the New England Patriots. Each team has a huge Irish American following and this will be a game that we’re sure Wild Geese will be tuning in to.

Over the past week, the Super Bowl adverts have been airing on TV and the excitement is already starting to build.

The Giants and Patriots have faced off at the 2008 Superbowl, when the Giants 17-14. So all eyes will be locked to the screen to see how this year’s Superbowl turns out.

Although the excitement is searing through the US, Tom Brady must feel like the world is on his shoulders, as he was on the field at Superbowl XLII as well. This will be Brady’s fifth start as quarterback and has worked with New England Coach Bill Belichick for twelve years!

Speaking about their relationship that has lasted over a decade, Brady describes Belichick:

It’s a clear bet that the team will be heading in to Sunday’s game prepared. With the team training as equals, keeps them moving in the same direction. Although Brady attracts countless media attention, on the field, he’s part of the team – one of eleven. 
Like The Wild Geese, the Patriots will need to depend on each other in order to achieve success. Patriots offensive lineman, Brian Waters puts this into perspective:
Although they’re not quite fighting to survive and succeed, this is what the mind set of The Wild Geese was – working together and giving 100%.

In the last few days, Tom Brady’s wife, the glamourous Gisele BΓΌndchen has been rallying support for her husband and his team:

And that’s exactly what Wild Geese are doing according to Connell Gallagher, publisher of the Irish Emigrant newspaper in Boston:

Amy Purdy: Getting Creative

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There is an inspiring story we want to share today – the life and career of Amy Purdy.

As a young girl, Amy had dreamed of escaping her home town and settling in a location that suited her best – a snowy environment. There she worked as a massage therapist and enjoyed snowboarding. She had taken control of the direction her life was heading in. She asked herself ‘If my life was a book, and I am the author – how would I want my story to go’.

Amy reminds us that life can take a drastic and unexpected turn. At the age of 19, Amy fell ill. She first thought that her illness was a flu virus, but within 24 hours of this, she found herself in intensive care. She had contracted Neisseria Meningitis, which attacked her blood and affected her circulatory system. She laid in a hospital bed with a less than 2% chance of survival. In a matter of moments, her life that she had worked so hard for was disappearing. 
The road to recovery was bumpy, and her spleen had to be removed, she needed a kidney transplant and both her legs had to by amputated below the knee. 
But Amy started to focus on what she used to love, and began training to snowboard once again. 
And Amy did get creative. Her original prosthetic legs were not flexible enough for her to snowboard. Determined to see this as an opportunity, she worked with professionals to design prosthetics that would help her snowboard. Catered to her own design, Amy was taking to the slopes once again and had retained that sense of freedom she had enjoyed before her tragedy struck. 

Amy has since competed in snowboarding competitions, coming third in a contest a year after her amputation. She also returned to her profession as a massage therapist and now acts a spokesperson for The Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps and encourages people with disabilities to train for activities they love. 
Amy story is one of courage, determination and inspiration. It’s difficult to imagine the tragedy that befell her, when all your hard work is snapped away from you. But Amy exemplifies that our lives are not predetermined, and even in the face of adversity we can achieve the extraordinary. 

59 Days: Walking Solo Across Antarctica

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Last week Felicity Aston successfully crossed 1,084 miles of Antarctica. She started out from the Leveratt Glacier on November 25 2011, and arrived at Hercules Inlet on January 23rd. 

This included the laborious task of walking the distance in skis, dragging two sledges of food and fuel and navigating crevasses and uneven terrain. Not only did Felicity accomplish this three days before she was expecting to finish, but she did this alone. 59 days of solitude was Felicity’s a major challenge. Although support was nearby and she received two supply drops during her journey, her only company was the sun and the featureless landscape that laid a head of her. 
But Felicity stayed focused, even when she thought she wouldn’t make it. 
In the face of adversity, she showed courage. 
In the harsh conditions of Antarctica, perseverance is absolutely necessary. Felicity kept going and reached her destination three days early, becoming the first woman to travel solo across Antarctica.
This is the story of The Wild Geese. They shared this unique ability to keep going. 
Felicity made the flight out of Antarctica with time to spare, and will be returning to her home in the UK this week. While it may take some time to adjust to normal life again, we’re sure she’ll enjoy her time reflecting on this remarkable feat. 

Men of Action: Reflecting on The Coast to Coast Race

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The story of The Wild Geese has lived on through the ages. The faces may change, but the principals remain the same. Adventure. Survival. Achievement. In adversity they showed courage.

Steve Gurney is a modern day example of this. The adventurer has been competing in races for over twenty years and has become a familiar face at New Zealand’s annual Coast to Coast Race.

Held every February, the Coast to Coast race demands a lot from it’s competitors, who must traverse many different terrains from the West Coast to the East Coast of South Island. To do this, competitors must run cycle and kayak. The entire contest is 243 km (151 miles).

At 48, Steve Gurney has taken part in the race a staggering 18 times – and has won a record 9 times! So he is somewhat of an expert on the race. As he explains what has prompted him to keep going back for more, we can’t help but visualise The Wild Geese when they left Ireland in 1691:

This is a testament to a modern day chapter of the story of The Wild Geese. These Men of Action were put in a dangerous situation, and decided to leave their homeland. But their taste for adventure propelled them to new worlds, but their skills and determination were the only tools they needed to prosper so far from home. This sentiment is still shared with adventurers today. Gurney enjoys something to strive for, which has resulted in a record setting 9 wins in the Coast to Coast race:

Although safety checks are in place, and adventurers today are much better prepared, endurance racing still holds its own dangers, and it is a mental commitment, as well as a physical one.
Steve has taken his ambitions and passion he injects into the Coast to Coast race and built a career out of them. He now works as a motivational public speaker. 
With this year’s Coast to Coast fast approaching, ambitious participants will most likely be completing their final training programmes in preparation for the big two day event. It’s good to know that modern day Men of Action are continuing to achieve remarkable things.   

Superbowl XLVI: Patriots vs Giants

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Superbowl XLVI is set for February 5th. Game by game, teams have dropped out of the running to take centre stage at one of the world’s biggest sporting events, leaving tow colossus teams to face off. Echoing the match up at Superbowl XLII in 2008, The New England Patriots will meet The New York Giants. 

Both head coaches (Tom Coughlin, Giants and Bill Belichick, Patriots) and quarterbacks (Eli Manning, Giants and Tom Brady, Patriots) will return from Superbowl XLII and will meet each other once again on February 5th.  
At Superbowl XLII the Giants beat the Patriots 17 – 14, and it is widely known that the thought of the 2008 results still stings Tom Brady. So expect emotions to be high, as many sports writers are already billing this year’s final as Brady vs Manning. 
It was Tom Brady’s touchdown in the Patriot’s game against the Baltimore Ravens on 22nd January, which you can see below. 
The Irish American has been reflective on the season up to this point. Thought of as underdogs by many critics, the Patriots are heading into the final with equal measures of preparation and eagerness. 
This is sure to be an exciting final for Wild Geese all over the world. Boston and New York each have very strong Irish communities, bot of which will surely be out in force supporting their respective teams. 

Men of Action: Walking 2,500 miles across America

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Adventure is a substantial part of the story of The Wild Geese. Although The Wild Geese showed courage in the face of tremendous adversity, they also displayed a thirst for adventure. This took them to new frontiers. It presented them with new experiences.

This is exactly what prompted a St. Louis, Missouri native to walk 2,500 miles across the USA. Anthony Lambing set off from Charleston, South Carolina on the 8th August 2011 and ended his walk a few days ago in Del Mar, California on 20th January 2012. This five month trek was a call to adventure, to quench the 26 year-old’s thirst to see something new.

Anthony’s route, from Charleston, South Carolina (A) to Del Mar, California (B)

Lambing explained the genesis of this trek: ‘The idea of travelling across America crossed my mind, and I just couldn’t get it out of my head’.

One of the highlights of Lambing’s trip was the generosity he came across when passing through towns and cities. Although he mostly camped or stayed with friends, every now and then the kindness of a local community was extended to him. 
Anthony kept a record of his travels on his blog www.anthonywalksamerica.com so he could share his experience with his followers, including his mother who ‘knew this was something he really wanted to do’. 

Irish Talent: Two Door Cinema Club Announce New Album

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Two Door Cinema Club have revealed they are working on a new album.

The Co. Down group first formed in 2007, and released their debut album, ‘Tourist History’ last year. The brought them huge success over 2011. With an ever-growing fan base they took to the stage at many festivals over the summer, not just in the UK and Ireland, but in North America as well. For many people all over the world, Two Door Cinema Club was the sound of the summer.

The band have channeled in some hip-hop influences into their upcoming album, which is expected to be released just in time for summer 2012. Alex Trimble, the band’s singer suggested: ‘All of us have been listening to quite a lot of hip-hop, the last year’.

But the band haven’t abandoned their electro pop sound entirely, and this new project is much more about marrying the two styles. Alex continues: ‘The hip-hop stuff is mostly in the drumbeats and basslines’

Its exciting to hear news of the evolution of the band. The Wild Geese kept their strong identity as they traversed the world, which is exactly what Two Door Cinema Club are doing.  

Two Door Cinema Club doesn’t stand still. While working on their new album, they have also announced they will be headlining the 12-date NME Awards tour taking place throughout February. 

Men of Action: Tom Crean, Unsung Hero

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On Friday we reported on the Antarctic team who had reached the South Pole just in time for the one hundred year anniversary of the Terra Nova expedition.

Captain Scott’s expedition is a story of legend and tragedy. Although Scott’s team reached the South Pole on 17th January 1912, they died on the return journey. This is a testament to the perils of the unpredictable environment. But there is an unsung story of heroism tied to the Terra Nova Expedition: Tom Crean’s return journey. 
Born in County Kerry, Ireland, Crean was already an experienced Antarctic explorer by the time of the Terra Nova Expedition, having explored the area four times before. Infamous for being a tough explorer, who had already worked hard to conquer the region, Captain Scott admired Crean and was one of the first men he invited to join the expedition. 
However, after crossing the majority of the course, Captain Scott determined that only five men would continue on to the South Pole. 168 statute miles (270 km) from the Pole, Crean was told to turn back. Although this decision was made logically – based on the amount of rations and weight that could be carried – Crean wept at the prospect of leaving the expedition. 
Captain Scott continued on with Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, Edgar Evans and Henry Robertson Bowers. As Scott’s team they drew closer to the South Pole, Crean turned back with William Lashly and Lt. Teddy Evans. Crean was faced with a 750 mile trek which would make him the unsung hero of the Terra Nova Expedition. 
On their way back, Crean’s team lost their trail and were faced with a long detour around an icefall a plateau tumbled onto the glacier they needed to cross. With their food supplies short, this was turning into a race against time. But like The Wild Geese before him, Crean and his team showed courage in the face of this dreadful adversity. They decided to take control of their own fates and took to their sledge to slide 2000 feet to the glacier. Dodging crevasses and navigating uncontrollable surfaces, they safely reached the glacier. Their courage had paid off, but their journey was not over. 
As they tried to navigate the glacier, Lt. Evans removed his goggles, trying to spot a way down. He was caught by a barrage of snow, partially blinding him. Crean and Lashly carried Evans across the glacier, resilient in the promise that they wouldn’t leave him behind. However, as they continued on, Evans fell ill. Displaying symptoms of scurvy, his limbs were swollen and was in great pain. But Crean and Lashly carried on to the Corner Camp depot, where they were able to rest – 35 miles from where they wanted to be, at Hut Point. 
While at the Corner Camp, Crean calculated what lay ahead for the remainder of the journey. Evans’ condition meant four or five days of hauling, but the group only had three days food rations at most. Again showing the degree of courage that has become associated with the story of The Wild Geese, Crean continued on alone, in an attempt to fetch help. With a few chocolate bars and biscuits to fuel him, he powered across the remainder of the Antarctic. Knowing how unforgiving this environment could be, he travelled the 35 miles in 18 hours, avoiding a deadly blizzard that would have killed him. 
Tom Crean and Teddy Evans 
Crean’s resilience and courage saved Lashly and Evans. A rescue team were able to set off and bring them back to Hut Point. He received the Albert Medal at Buckingham Palace on his return to England, but mourned the loss of his good friend Captain Scott.