John Hume RIP

[Pedrito]

We've come a long way since I first saw him on the TV. He gives an amazing speech about the European Union in the video on this page

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0803/1157065-john-hume-dies/

A great man who lived an amazing life. RIP

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

A truly great individual alright. I shared this on FB but I'll share it here again since ye all love the aul anecdotes so much:

Here's my John Hume story:

It was about 15 years ago, when I was working in the central reservations office for Jury's. It's around six o'clock on one of those Fridays where almost every room in every Jury's hotel and Inn is booked for the whole weekend, and all we're doing in replying to calls is disappointing folk, telling them we've nothing at all available in the city centre. Call after call telling people there's only rooms in the Montrose or the Tara Tower, both a fair hop outside of the centre. So, another call comes in and, before I even have time to finish the standard schpiel, this unmistakeable voice goes, "Cyan ye boook me a room fer tenaight? It's Jaawn Hewwm." Being central office, we handled reservations for a dozen hotels all over Ireland so he'd clearly phoned the central office by mistake, thinking he'd called one of them directly. Belfast? One of the five in town? How should I know! So I had to ask him, "Sorry Mr.Hume, which of our Jury's hotels is it you'd like to book?"
"Whaddya mean which hotel? Jury's Hotel! Isn't that who I cyalled?" Being one of the only locals who worked the phones, thankfully this was enough for me to know he meant Ballsbridge.
"Sorry Mr.Hume, Ballsbridge are fully booked tonight. Do you want me to try the Montrose?"
"The Montrose!? I'm nawt goin' awn The Late, Late Show! Listen, yew cyall the manager in Ballsbridge thar and tell 'em Jawn Hewm needs a room tenaight, trust me, they'll sort it oit. Cyan I leave that with ye? I've a load awn."
Then he hung up, leaving me slightly nervous and wondering how he'd react if he got to the hotel that night to be told there was no room for him. But I called up the front desk, spoke to the in-house reservations manager, telling her "I know you're fully booked and all but 'Jawn Hewm needs a room tenaight!'" And she just laughed and said, "Ah yeah, no worries, we'll sort him out." And that was that.

So if it ever happened to you to arrive at a hotel only to be told that they'd overbooked and had to reserve you a room somewhere down the road, you can let that anger go now; it's just possible they bumped your reservation to make room for a true national hero and, unlike some, well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

Go raibh mile Mr.Hume!