Incidentally, the meaning of the Lurgan Spade is quite clear. It is "lorgán spáide", simply the shaft of a spade, which means that the well known expression is simply the equivalent of "He/she has a face as long as the shaft of a spade". It is sad to report that the expression has little to do with the town of Lurgan. The latter originates in the same word which indicates any long thin yoke as in a shin bone or a long narrow stretch of land.

Ian Paisley

Dia dhuit, a chara. Anois tá próiséas na síochána i dTuaisceart Éireann á úsáid, sna meáin chumarsáide, mar "shampla théacsleabhair" fá choinne cásanna eile, dálta Isráél-Palaistín. In ainneoin rólanna John Hume, Gerry Adams, agus, ar na mallaibh Bill Clinton, Bertie Aherne aagus Tony Blair, ní bheadh rialtas roinnt na cumhachta againn, faoi mar atá sé i láthair na huaire ach a bé duine speisialta amhaín, agus sin an tUrramach Ian Paisley. Ba mhaith liom an téama coinspóideach seo a phlé amach anseo.