Latest news with #WorldWars
Mint
3 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
The tale of an Irish whiskey that paints the town red
'How does one address an Earl?" was the thought swirling through my head as I waited to meet Richard de la Poer Beresford, the Earl of Tyrone and heir to the title of Marquess of Waterford. It turns out I needn't have worried too much about it as the 37-year-old Earl introduces himself as Richard when he walks into Pickwick's at Delhi's Claridge's Hotel with a duffel bag bulging with Irish whiskey and just as many stories about his family. The family's estate is Curraghmore in southwestern Ireland, which is known for producing some of the world's highest-quality malted barley that makes Irish whiskey unique. The estate was part of the land grant made to his ancestor Sir Roger le Puher by Henry II in 1167. It is the oldest family home in Ireland and the largest privately owned property in Ireland running to over 3,500 acres. Since Richard's father, Henry Waterford, the current and 9th Marquess of Waterford, inherited the estate in 2015, several Irish whiskey entrepreneurs had approached the family with requests to build a distillery on site. Richard had always been a whisky enthusiast and collector and the idea, therefore, intrigued the family. Ireland is, after all, whiskey's original home, they grew barley on the estate, and Irish whiskey has been gaining popularity around the world in the past 10 years. In February this year, I visited the Powerscourt Distillery, located within the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry near Dublin, which makes the lovely Fercullen Falls whiskey. The estate's Powerscourt Gardens were ranked by National Geographic in 2010 as the third best gardens in the world, after Versailles in France and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the UK, and draw over 300,000 visitors a year. As I toured the visitors' centre, I understood the strategic nature of the distillery's location, sure to get a fair share of the visitors to the gardens itself. It's this kind of thinking as well as the focus on reviving traditional techniques that has made Irish whiskey a standout on the global scene in the past year. That Ireland is where whiskey was first created is a fact even the Scots will grudgingly admit. Irish monks are believed to have made it first, around the 12th century, and then transferred the knowledge to their Scottish brethren. Irish whiskey has historically used oats which adds a creamy flavour to the spirit. The Irish also opt for triple distillation instead of double as the Scots do, which is believed to lead to a smoother spirit. By the middle of the 19th century, nearly 100 distilleries were registered in Ireland, but the industry fell into decline. Apart from the impact of the World Wars, a big reason for the slump was Prohibition in the US, one of the biggest markets for Irish whiskey in the early 20th century. Irish independence from Britain in 1922 also affected access to the UK market. When I first visited Ireland in 2008, there were just two operational distilleries, the Jameson Distillery at Middleton and Cooley's Distillery in County Louth. When I returned in February this year, I found nearly 50 distilleries producing Irish whiskey. All this, along with the desire to diversify estate operations and increase cash flows, encouraged Richard and his father to start a whisky business on their own in 2016. That same year, they launched Curraghmore Single Estate Irish Whiskey, a limited release pot still whiskey, drawing directly from the estate's history, and creating an 'estate-to-bottle" brand. Their whiskey uses barley and oats grown on the estate, which is malted and then shipped off to Great Northern Distillery to be turned into whiskey. Noel Sweeney, a 2017 Whisky Hall of Fame inductee, is their master distiller and a blender with over 30 years of experience. Richard is keen to explore India as a market for his whiskey after his frequent trips to India over the years to play polo in Jaipur, Mumbai, Jodhpur and Delhi, giving him a lot of influential friends to help his cause. Flora, his wife, has worked as a doctor in Tamil Nadu, so India is familiar territory for both of them. And the size of the market and the promise it holds is a draw too: Irish spirits exports to India were at €15.1 million in 2023, an increase of 105% over the previous year, with most of this being whiskey. Earlier this year, Richard launched his second whiskey, the Mad Marquess—and he has a story to go with it that he assures me is true. Henry de la Poer Beresford, the 3rd Marquess of Waterford, was a second son and never expected to inherit. Therefore, with none of the pressures of a title, he could afford to be a bit of a party animal. One night in 1837, he and his friends were returning home on horseback from a day at the races. While paying the toll, the Marquess spotted some red paint and decided to daub it all over the toll gate, the tollkeeper and his friends as a lark. They continued into the town, lashing paint onto the houses and passersby, 'literally painting the town red," laughs Richard. With a story as good as this tucked away in the family archives, it didn't take much for Richard to give his whiskey the name Mad Marquess, an approachable Irish blended whiskey that one hopes to see in shops and bars in India soon. Vikram Achanta is founder and CEO of Tulleeho, a drinks training and consulting company, and co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia. Also read: Banu Mushtaq's recipe for Gobi Manchurian
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Century-old graffiti found at French prison reveals forgotten occupants. See it
Building No. 7 of the Écrouves Detention Center sits abandoned on the prison property, decades after unsanitary and dangerous conditions made it unsafe to house inmates. The prison wing was set to be demolished, making room for a new building under the France Ministry of Justice. Then archaeologists found something hidden on the walls. Specialists in contemporary conflicts were interested in studying the building before its destruction because of its former use as military barracks, according to a May 28 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. The researchers conducted surveys to understand the development, alterations and transformations the facility underwent over its century-long history, including characterizing and describing the wall coverings of Building No. 7, according to the release. Some of the plasters and layers of paint were carefully and meticulously removed by scalpel and scraper, officials said, and the specialists noticed words engraved and painted under the top coats. As they peeled back the layers, they found hundreds of graffiti written on the walls. The words were names, surnames, dates, cities and towns, sometimes with illustrations for reference, according to the release. The markings were dated to between 1924 and 1928, a period between the World Wars when the facility stopped being used as a barracks and before it was a prison, officials said. Instead, the building was used as a stopping point for immigrants heading to eastern France to work in the mines and steelworks facilities, according to the release. The majority of the names are Polish, but there are also French, German, Czech, Yugoslav and Italian former residents of the buildings written on the walls. The cities and towns are likely their cities of origin, officials said. The section was built between 1913 and 1914 to house the 168th infantry regiment and later housed the No. 20 Complementary Hospital in World War I. Companies of Spanish workers were housed starting in 1939 as they strengthened France's military defense. In 1940, the barracks became an internment camp for Italian suspects, later used as a prisoner of war camp under the German occupation. Communist opponents were housed there in 1941, then Jews from Lorraine in 1942, according to the release. It closed in 1944 when Allied troops liberated the region, then was used as a transit camp for Germans being sent home from civilian internment camps in France. In 1946, the Ministry of Justice took over the site, using it as a modern-day prison. While so many have walked through the halls of Building No. 7, researchers were largely unaware of the significant number of immigrant workers staying there in between the two wars, according to the release. Over the years, the walls were painted and repainted, walls torn down and modifications made, slowly covering up the pocket of history. When excavations are completed, archaeologists will remove eight sections of graffiti-lined walls to study the written names and locations, according to the release. Écrouves is in northeastern France, about a 200-mile drive east from Paris. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former USC players lament potential loss of Notre Dame rivalry
Former USC players lament potential loss of Notre Dame rivalry Many former Trojans are paying close attention to the developments surrounding the USC-Notre Dame football series Right now, the storied USC-Notre Dame rivalry appears it could be in serious jeopardy. The two schools do not have an extension to the series scheduled beyond 2026, and according to reports, they appear to be far apart on terms. Naturally, the news has not been positively received within the USC community. In the days following the news, several former Trojan players have lamented the possibility of the rivalry ending. "Losing the SC vs Notre Dame will be the dumbest thing I've ever witnessed," former USC offensive lineman Zach Banner tweeted. "My love and passion for that rivalry is 1 of the biggest reasons I moved my life to SoCal…" In addition, former USC running back Petros Papadakis, now an LA sports radio host and Fox Sports college football analyst, ripped Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley for allegedly trying to get out of the series. "College football has been taken over by the television companies, one of which I work for as you know," Papadakis said in an interview with John Canzano on sports radio 750 The Game in Portland, Oregon. "But honestly none of that in my opinion has anything to do with USC-Notre Dame, and should not have anything to do with USC-Notre Dame. And that's the beauty of USC-Notre Dame is that it transcends conference realignment, it transcends the NIL, and it transcends all of these different twists and turns in the sport. If it can survive World Wars it should be able to survive the selfishness and the absolute myopic nature of the era we live in. "It's ridiculous to think that it wouldn't. Because Lincoln Riley doesn't like it? Who the hell is Lincoln Riley in the grand scheme of things when it comes to USC and Notre Dame? "Lincoln Riley trying to wriggle out of Notre Dame. I've got news for you, if you can't beat Maryland or Minnesota, what the hell are you worried about playing Notre Dame or not. Collect the revenue. USC is not even close to competing. And if they were fourth in the Big Ten, trust me having Notre Dame on their resume, win or lose, is a lot better than beating someone 60-0 that is Missouri State. It's just very sad to me . . . any argument being made, the Big Ten, travel, all of this stuff. It all goes by the wayside. It's USC-Notre Dame. There's billions of dollars involved and the players are getting paid. Are you kidding? We're not going to play this? It's the dumbest thing I've heard in my life." Papadakis is certainly known for being a bit of a contrarian, and he has a noted history of negativity on air towards his alma mater. But he does make some valid points. Riley has been at USC for less than four years, and the expanded college football playoff has existed for less than one. For those two things to cause the end of one of college football's greatest rivalries that has been around for nearly a century would truly be a shame.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doris Burke left fans up in arms with her commentary for Thunder-Timberwolves Game 4
Doris Burke and Angel Gray look on during the game between he Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks on March 7, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. ESPN commentator Doris Burke had the internet baffled Monday night during Game 4 between the Timberwolves and Thunder. The veteran broadcaster was discussing Rudy Gobert, a French native, and Isaiah Hartenstein, who is of German descent, when she made an odd mention of the rivalry that has gone on over history between the French and Germans. Advertisement 'And I don't know much about history, but I know the French and German don't like one another. And Rudy says, 'Bonjour, Mr. Hartenstein!' Have a little bit of that left-handed dunk!' Burke said. The comment led to play-by-play announcer Mike Breen to interject, 'What are you trying to start here?' Doris Burke and Angel Gray look on during the game between he Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks on March 7, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images It's unclear exactly what Burke was trying to refer to, but the French and Germans were rivals in each of the World Wars. 'Cringe,' one X user wrote in response to Burke's comments. 'Did Doris Burke just make a WWE2 joke,' another user posted with a photo of puzzled Shaquille O'Neal. Burke is a somewhat polarizing broadcaster among certain fan bases. Advertisement The Sporting News noted another comment she made during the broadcast that likely created some angst among the viewers at home. Burke said during one of the fouls that Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew that it was 'why he's called the free throw merchant.' The comment had been a reference to the conversation about Gilgeous-Alexander's foul-drawing tactics. 'There is no way she should be saying this on air, shoutout to [Richard Jefferson] for sticking up and understanding,' one account on social media complained. Richard Jefferson,Doris Burke and Mike Breen before the Los Angeles Lakers v Minnesota Timberwolves game during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2025 NBAE via Getty Images NBA fans will be hearing Burke a bit more going forward with ESPN carrying the NBA Finals after the Western Conference crowns a conference champ. The Thunder currently lead the Western Conference finals, 3-1, after they defeated the Thunder, 128-126, on Monday night.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
London lets the sun go down on the British Empire
The decision by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to transfer the Chagos Islands, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius is a pragmatic response to a changing world, but one heavy with symbolism as the light goes out on the saying that the sun never sets on the British Empire. With the Chagos gone, when dawn breaks on Pitcairn Island in future it will still be night in Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, the nearest British outposts far to the west. The Chagos – British since 1814 – include Diego Garcia, a remote atoll hosting a military base operated by the US and the UK since the 1970s and a linchpin in their Five Eyes Anglosphere intelligence alliance with Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Starmer secured a $7.1 billion 99-year lease from Mauritius to keep Diego Garcia. Back home, UK conservatives and media complained the deal was dangerous thanks to Mauritius' friendship with China, but all Five Eyes members had signed off on it. Britain was forced by international law to return the archipelago, and departs leaving the usual colonial shambles with locals expelled for the military base and descendants demanding compensation. The British Empire reached its zenith between the World Wars, when it controlled 25 per cent of the world's surface and population. But England nearly bankrupted itself fighting the Second World War and, either by choice or under duress, started divesting colonies. With the Chagos archipelago about to go, only a few handfuls of islands and military bases such as Gibraltar remain scattered across the North and South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific. Australia too backed away after the Second World War, when the fall of the British base at Singapore forced us to defend ourselves at Kokoda, and we gratefully turned to the US for protection. Loading But our Empire heart beat strongly for years. Many older Australians may remember the almost national ecstasy that greeted the first visit by Queen Elizabeth I in 1954. That loyalty was further fanned by the Empire (later Commonwealth) Games, but the UK's decision to join the European Common Market removed stars from some Australian eyes, and the 1975 dismissal of the Whitlam government by the Queen's man shattered the reality for many – but not enough to vote for a republic. However, the turmoil assisted the 1986 passing of the Australia Act, removing legal recourse to the Privy Council in London. Nevertheless, British institutions still course through our daily lives. Aside from the language, there are parliaments, the law and the King of Australia. The royals are lead acts on social media and tabloids, especially Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. But monarchy's power is on full display this week in Canada after new Prime Minister Mark Carney invited King Charles III to open parliament as a bulwark against US President Donald Trump's 51st state rantings.
