Just who did take the horse to France? 22 Irish ads and fads we were all obsessed with

In their new book, Sarah Cassidy and Kunak McGann take us on a trip down memory lane, highlighting Ireland’s cultural moments and memories. Just don’t forget to put a bit of butter on the spuds, André

Angel Delight — a classic 1970s sweet treat

Angel Delight

Angel Delight

The 1970s was the era of tinned fruit cocktail and sugar sandwiches, so when Angel Delight came along it brought a touch of class to midweek desserts. A powder whisked with milk and set in the fridge to form a light mousse, it came in classic flavours like strawberry, banana, butterscotch and chocolate. Some of the more ambitious but less popular flavours were tea, popcorn and bubblegum.

Nothing angelic about those.

Anything Goes

Co-presenter Aonghus McAnally gets more than he bargained for when Mary splatters an egg across his forehead in Anything Goes. Picture: RTÉ archives

Keen to tap into the youth audience, RTÉ launched its first Saturday morning children’s programme in 1980, and it ran for six years. Fronted by Aonghus McAnally, Mary Fitzgerald, Kathy Parke and Dave Heffernan, it was a mix of chat, make and do, pop videos and interviews with the likes of U2 and Thin Lizzy, with a studio full of adorably unpredictable children. The end credits signalled the beginning of wall-to-wall sports coverage — and parents yelling at their kids to stop wasting the day and go out and get some fresh air.

The Beast from the East

Postman Mark Coughlan making postal deliveries in the snow during Storm Emma in Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

On February 22, 2018, Anticyclone Hartmut, originating from an Arctic outbreak, hit Ireland, bringing with it unusually low temperatures and extremely heavy snowfall. Nicknamed the Beast from the East, the storm was so bad that many roads were inaccessible and schools and businesses across the country were forced to close. To make matters worse, wily shoppers stockpiled loaves of bread in anticipation of being snowed in, causing widespread shortages. Where to get a fresh sliced pan was the topic on everyone’s lips.

The Beatbox

The Beatbox

The Beatbox was a revolutionary simulcast — music videos broadcast simultaneously on RTÉ telly and radio from 11.30am to 1.30pm on a Sunday. Running from the late 1980s until 1995, it featured a range of presenters: Barry Lang, Simon Young, Peter Collins and Ian Dempsey. Viewers could call in to log their vote in the Battle of the Bands or send in actual postcards to win the lyrics quiz (with awesome prizes like all-too-cool ghetto blasters). The only dilemma was the timing: you had to dodge mass not to miss the start and get yer ma to put off the Sunday dinner till after 1.30pm (sure the roast beef would be ruined).

Callcards

'B*witched' and senior citizen Frank Flood pictured on a callcard.

First introduced by Telecom Éireann in 1988, Ireland’s phone cards could be used in payphones and came in denominations from 5 to 100 units, for £2–£16. There were 324 different designs issued between 1988 and 2006, featuring everything from the Rock of Cashel to Irish legends, Disney movies to Garth Brooks. Always handy to have one in the wallet when you needed collecting from the bus.

Calor Housewife of the Year

Calor Housewife of the year at the National Concert Hall, Dublin in 1995

This popular competition first went live on TV in 1982, with Gay Byrne as host, and ran until 1995.

Like a Rose of Tralee for the more mature woman, hopeful participants went head-to-head on their cookery, nurturing and basic household management skills, with a gas cooker as the top prize. The competition was eventually abandoned amid complaints that too many finalists were working outside the home. The cheek.

Diving Hero

Jim Warny at Shannon Airport. Pictre: Arthur Ellis.

In June 2018, the world was captivated by the story of the Thai boys’ soccer team caught in a flooded underground cave. When Co Clare man Jim Warny heard the news, he picked up the phone and offered his cave-diving skills to the rescue effort. Within forty-eight hours he was on a plane to Bangkok, and he was the diver that carried the team’s coach to safety on the third and final day of the rescue. What an absolute ledge.

‘Don’t Forget Your Shovel’

Released in 1985, this was Lilywhite Christy Moore’s first solo single after leaving the band Moving Hearts, and it spent seven weeks at No 1. Written by Christie Hennessy, it was a humorous take on the experience of the Irish on building sites in Britain, and the video followed Christy and his mates as they toil away, wearing nothing but jeans and sandals. Builder’s tan, ahoy!

Eurovision

Niamh Kavanagh, Eurovision Song contest winner in Millstreet 1993.

Ireland has won more Eurovision top spots than any other country, but four wins in five years in the 1990s was unbelievable, even for us. Linda Martin’s ‘Why Me?’ kicked off the run of good luck in 1992, followed swiftly by Niamh Kavanagh with ‘In Your Eyes’, then Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan and their ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’, and finally Eimear Quinn’s ‘The Voice’ in 1996. When it comes to putting together a sweet melody, a catchy chorus and — what the hell — another rousing key change, Ireland truly is a world leader.

Féile

Feile ’90 at Semple Stadium. Picture: Eddie O’Hare

Long before Electric Picnic there was The Trip to Tipp. During the 1990s, thousands of teenagers and twentysomethings descended on Semple Stadium to see acts like The Stunning, Hothouse Flowers, The Cranberries and even The Prodigy live on stage. With so many unsupervised youths away from home for the first time, poor Thurles was left looking like the scene of a zombie apocalypse.

Floppy Disks

Young people nowadays, with their ‘clouds’ and their online transfers, look askance at the idea of a 3½ inch square plastic disk for conveying data. Clapping eyes on one of those good old 5¼inch floppies would really raise an eyebrow.

Green Shield Stamps

All the rage in the 1970s, Green Shield stamps were an offshoot of the British scheme, with a distribution centre they called ‘a modern Aladdin’s cave, magically transported to Clondalkin’.

Stamps were earned by spending at local shops and petrol stations, and kids often jostled for position to be the one to lick and stick the stamps — nice and straight, now. Looking through the glossy catalogues, hopes were high of getting enough stamps to bring home a TV (375 books full of 1,280 stamps each) or a washing machine (185 books), but — let’s face it — most of us had to settle for a set of mugs.

Hand of Henry

The handball by France's Thierry Henry which directly led to France's equalising goal on the night and put them into a 2-1 lead in extra-time. Picture: RTE

The blatant handball by French striker Thierry Henry during the second leg of the qualifiers that robbed Ireland of our rightful place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Fans were so incensed that they even protested outside the French Embassy in Dublin. Never forgive, never forget.

Henri Hippo

Back in the 1980s, Ulster Bank knew the best way to get customers was to catch ’em young. Children who joined their junior savings club were the happy recipients of a Henri Hippo money box, as well as goodies like wallets and calendars. The character was resurrected in 2008, in a bid by Ulster Bank to get nostalgic parents to pass on the saving habit to their own children – but 2008 wasn’t really the best time to start investing anywhere. Least of all the banks.

‘I Useta Lover’

The Saw Doctors’ first hit, this 1990 single shot to No 1 and stayed there for nine weeks, becoming one of the best-selling Irish singles of all time. The folk-rock number captured the nation with its up-tempo beat and catchy lyrics about a crush on a mass-going, Concern-fasting gal a long, long time ago. Sure, we’ve all been there.

Junior Cert

The Junior Cert was first introduced as the successor to the Inter Cert for first years in 1989, with its inaugural exams taking place in 1992. Best test of someone’s age is which of them they sat: if you’re Inter and they’re Junior, they’re just not going to get your jokes.

Just a Minute Quiz

Larry Gogan. Picture: Collins/Dublin

The long-running radio quiz with the much-missed Larry Gogan gave us some comedy gold over the years, with panicked guesses from contestants up against the clock. From ‘F’ being the capital of France, to ‘Heil’ being Hitler’s first name, and the Taj Mahal being located ‘opposite the dental hospital’. Ah, they just didn’t suit you.

Kerrygold Ads

Back in the 1990s, when ads were like soap operas, we were all hooked on the Kerrygold saga. No one was quite sure what was going on, but one plot involved a woman cooking the dinner under the watchful eye of a French fisherman, and another a wistful Irish farmer selling a French woman a horse. But did hunky André put a bit of butter on the spuds? And just who did take the horse to France?

Kim & Kanye Honeymoon

Their marriage may not have stood the test of time, but it sure got off to a great start. Kimye flew into Cork Airport, stayed in a castle and went to the cinema in Portlaoise and Tullamore. Trip of a lifetime.

Line Dancing

A national obsession in 1990s Ireland, community halls and hotel function rooms were packed to the rafters with men and women hitting their heels and cowboy-shuffling across the floor. Even the likes of Colin Farrell got in on the act, with damning photographic evidence to prove it. Scary while it lasted, the moment passed and line dancing grapevined back to Middle America, where it belonged.

Mallow Airport

The Mexican jet plane taking off from Mallow Racecourse.

In 1983, a 15-seater Gulfstream jet was forced to make an unexpected landing at Mallow Racecourse. Captain Ruben Ocaña and his Mexican crew were stranded in the Cork town for 39 days while a makeshift runway was built, but the locals made them very welcome — even roping the captain into judging a local beauty contest. Ocaña returned the following year with his family. No emergency landing required that time.

‘Maniac 2000’

The anthem of a generation. This banger of a tune by Mark McCabe had teenagers and 20-somethings packing dance floors across the country, belting out the lyrics while jumping around like their lives depended on it. One simple question to answer: Are. You. Ready?!

• Ah ... That’s Gas! The ads, fads and mad happenings that swept the Irish nation by Sarah Cassidy and Kunak McGann, published by The O’Brien Press. Available from bookshops now (in stores and online), priced €9.99