Reeling in the Years recap: 2012 gave us Putin, Katie Taylor and Wagon Wheel
Olympic gold for Katie Taylor in 2012
You think it's going to be a safe bit of nostalgia — sure weren't we all hilarious 'pixie heads' who barely knew what Netflix even was back then?
A look at how things have progressed over the years and at how we're all grown up now.
And then, bam, the programme name becomes more of a warning as we're the ones left reeling. Reeling in bafflement at how warning signs were there and nobody heeded. Reeling from the double, triple whammy of political, financial, and corporate jiggery-pokery that played out in such fateful ways.
You watch a scary movie from between your fingers and can't understand how those eejits could possibly decide it would be a good idea to head into those dark woods or into that murky basement.
But then starts rolling on RTÉ One and you peep in horror as London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, takes to the skies in a high-wire publicity stunt for the opening of the Olympic Games. Like an over-sized tatty piñata, he lurches overhead and then dangles there unable to go forward or back. Hmm.
Then Vladimir Putin sealed his iron grip on power in Russia. Having already ruled as president or prime minister for more than 12 years, he wins another six-year presidential term in an election disputed by Russia's opposition. Alexei Navalny (who is currently on hunger strike in prison) is among the leaders of the anti-Putin movement.
Bertie Ahern was in hot Mahon Tribunal water and left Fianna Fáil. The Quinn family made a lot of headlines in 2012 also.
And it wouldn't be complete without an appearance from Donald Trump. Back then, he was simply known as a businessman and TV presenter. In 2012 he was busy backing Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate in the US presidential election.
There were cheers and celebrations aplenty as Brendan O’Carroll’s comedy ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ celebrated huge ratings and TV awards and Cork's Senior Ladies' Footballers maintained their unbeaten record in All-Ireland finals.
But even celebrations can have a tinge of melancholy when you look at the high-fiving, joy, and ease with which the NASA ground control hug each other when the Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars. Who knew then that smaller distances such as a mere 5k or a garden visit would involve similar levels of planning but still no hugs?
There were some bright events in 2012 alright. Britain's Queen Elizabeth — and Prince Philip — visited Belfast and there was an historic handshake with Martin McGuinness. Queen Elizabeth also gained new fans when she appeared to team up with James Bond (Daniel Craig) to parachute in to open the 2012 Olympic Games.
And the Irish athletes — Michael Conlan, Paddy Barnes and Katie Taylor – were among the ones doing us so proud.
Music from Nathan Carter (Wagon Wheel) and Nicki Minaj, Lisa Hannigan, Carly Jepsen, Little Green Cars, The Script and Will.I.Am, Taylor Swift and Adele will have you right back there in a heartbeat.
Numerous events of 2012 cast a particularly long shadow. Among them was the death of Savita Halappanavar in University Hospital Galway. The young woman's death refocused demands to change this country's strict abortion laws which had been written into the Constitution since 1983. There were high-profile marches and campaigns were mounted.
The name of Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut in the USA became known to people worldwide when a lone gunman murdered 26 people, including 20 children. There was a surge of debate about US gun laws. However, the Center for Victim Research in the US reported last year that there have been at least 2,409 mass shootings in the United States since that particular tragedy.
There were also high-profile disputes and sit-ins in the industrial sphere — workers at Vita Cortex in Cork mounted a 161-day sit-in when they were made redundant with immediate effect without pay. Meanwhile, Enda Kenny was busy telling everyone who'd listen that Ireland was the best small country in the world in which to do business.
Headlines were dominated for days and weeks with the sinking of the Tit Bonhomme fishing trawler off Cork with the loss of five lives. There was also tragedy with the loss of 32 loves when the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground, capsized, and later sank in shallow waters after striking an underwater rock off Tuscany.
In sport, Irish fans formed a 'green army' to head to Poland and Ukraine for the European Championship — we might have lost all three group games but who can forget the lads posing with their 'Angela Merkel thinks we're at work' flag. The Après Match team also had Angela Merkel on their minds with a sketch where she called the Irish 'little pixie heads' and gave us all a financial smackdown.
But before these Sunday evening blues take over — let's just go back to the music. Some was pretty good in fairness. Rock me mama, like a wagon wheel.
