seamus dubhghaill

Promoting Irish Culture and History from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA


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Birth of Liam Miller, Irish Professional Footballer

Liam William Peter Miller, Irish professional footballer, is born on February 13, 1981, in Cork, County Cork.

Miller grows up in Ovens, County Cork, and attends Coachford College in Coachford, County Cork. As a boy, he also plays Gaelic games for his hometown club, Éire Óg, and represents Cork GAA at youth level. His family is his largest influence in football, and Martin O’Neill and Sir Alex Ferguson are also influential to his career.

Miller begins his career with Celtic and is later loaned to the Danish sports club Aarhus Gymnastikforening in 2001. He returns to Celtic Park and breaks into the first-team squad during the 2003–04 season. Rejecting the offer of a new contract from Celtic, he joins Manchester United in 2004 on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. Loaned to Leeds United during the 2005–06 season, he makes 22 first-team appearances for Manchester United.

Miller represents the Republic of Ireland team internationally, making his debut in 2004 against the Czech Republic. He earns 21 caps over the next five years, scoring one international goal.

From 2006 until 2009, Miller plays for Sunderland, followed by a short stay at Queens Park Rangers from January until May 2009, when he is released. He joins Hibernian in September 2009 on a free transfer. He moves to Australia‘s A-League in 2011 after his contract with Hibernian expires, and represents Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City there.

On January 15, 2015, he joins League of Ireland Cork City club, choosing his hometown club over several offers in Asia. He makes his debut on March 7 as the season begins with a 1–1 draw at Sligo Rovers. He is a regular in his only season at Turners Cross, in which the team finishes as runners-up in the league and the FAI Cup to Dundalk. On January 19, 2016, he chooses to leave the team.

Miller signs with American third-tier United Soccer League side Wilmington Hammerheads on February 18, 2016. He makes 27 total appearances for the North Carolina-based club, scoring a last-minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw at Orlando City B on July 24.

In 2017, Miller holds an assistant coaching role at Real Monarchs, a USL affiliate of Real Salt Lake. He leaves in November for health reasons.

In November 2017, it is made public that Miller is receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer. He has chemotherapy at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City before returning to Ireland. He dies in Cork on February 9, 2018, only four days shy of his 37th birthday.

A benefit football match is played on September 25, 2018, with the intention of raising funds for Miller’s family and charities. The Gaelic Athletic Association permits the game to be played at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, which would not normally be allowed under GAA rules. The match, between a Manchester United XI and a team composed of former Celtic and Republic of Ireland players, ends with the United XI winning on penalties following a 2–2 draw.


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Start of the 3rd Leg of U2’s Joshua Tree Tour

the-joshua-tree-tour

The third leg of The Joshua Tree Tour, a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, opens in Uniondale, New York‘s Nassau Coliseum on September 10, 1987. The tour is in support of their album The Joshua Tree, the band’s fifth studio album, which is released on March 9, 1987. The tour is depicted by the video and live album Live from Paris and in the film and partial live album Rattle and Hum.

The first leg of the tour takes place in American indoor arenas during April and May, beginning on April 2 at Arizona State University‘s Activity Center in Tempe, Arizona. The first leg finishes with five concerts at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 11-16.

The second leg plays in European arenas and outdoor stadiums from late May through early August, starting at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome on May 27. The final show of the European leg is at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, County Cork on August 8.

The third leg returns to North American arenas and stadiums beginning in New York’s Nassau Coliseum on September 10. The tour ends on December 20 back where it started in Tempe, Arizona, but this time at Sun Devil Stadium.

The Joshua Tree Tour sells out stadiums around the world, the first time the band had consistently played venues of that size. The Joshua Tree and its singles become huge hits, and the band reaches a new height in their popularity. Tickets for shows are often very hard to get, especially on the first American leg when they only play in arenas.

The 79 North American shows on the tour sell 2,035,539 tickets and gross US$35 million. In total, the tour grosses US$40 million and draws 3 million attendees.