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A TEAM OF British divers who helped save a junior football team stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand were awarded in Britain’s traditional New Year Honours alongside former supermodel Twiggy and Monty Python’s Michael Palin.
The seven underwater specialists involved in the remarkable rescue were also joined on the prestigious annual achievement list – announced yesterday – by Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Jim Carter from Downton Abbey, best-selling author Philip Pullman and leading Brexiteer lawmaker John Redwood.
Former Irish rugby player Willie John McBride won a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to rugby, he said that he viewed the honour as “belonging to all his teammates”.
Four of the divers were given awards for exceptional bravery while the three others were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Richard Stanton and John Volanthen – the first of the divers to reach the 12 stricken children and their coach – were awarded the George Medal, the country’s second highest civilian gallantry award.
Stanton had already been made an MBE in 2012 for his rescue services.
Fellow divers Christopher Jewell and Jason Mallinson receive the Queen’s Gallantry Medal, while Joshua Bratchley, Connor Roe and Vernon Unsworth were decorated with MBEs.
“For me, after saving the boys, this is the icing on the cake,” said Unsworth, who has also risen in fame after suing Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk for labelling him “pedo guy”.
“This was a team effort and I’m very honoured to have been recognised, particularly as you don’t engage in a major rescue expecting this outcome,” he added.
‘It makes me giggle’
Sixties it-girl Lesley Lawson, better known as Twiggy, receives a damehood for services to fashion following a decades-spanning career modelling, singing and acting.
The 69-year-old told Britain’s Press Association that the recognition was “wonderful, but it makes me giggle”.
“The hardest thing has been keeping it a secret,” she said.
Acclaimed director Nolan, an Oscar nominee this year for Dunkirk – as well as in 2011 for Inception and in 2002 for Memento – gets a CBE for services to film.
After graduating from low-budget independent movies, he has directed some of the biggest blockbusters ever made – including several Batman films – and become renowned for his technical and narrative daring.
Pullman, the creator of the hugely successful His Dark Materials trilogy, receives a knighthood for services to literature.
The 72-year-old said he was “very surprised and honoured” by the acknowledgement.
“I’m most grateful of all to those who continue to read my books, and I hope they don’t have to work as hard as those who edit them,” Pullman added.
Brexiteer wins knighthood
Palin, 75, becomes the first of Monty Python’s revered comedy cast to receive a knighthood.
The veteran actor, who has reinvented himself as a travel documentary maker and writer in later life, gets a knighthood for his international contributions to travel, culture and geography.
He said news of the accolade had yet to sink in. “I don’t think it will be until I see the envelopes addressing me as Sir Michael Palin,” he added.
Meanwhile, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union in March after decades of membership, John Redwood – one of parliament’s most prominent eurosceptics – was made a knight.
Redwood was part of a group of eurosceptics who plotted to bring down the government of former Conservative prime minister John Major, who called them the “bastards”.
The veteran Conservative lawmaker – a vocal opponent of Prime Minister Theresa May’s draft Brexit deal, set to be voted on in mid-January – was among three MPs awarded knighthoods.
There had been speculation this year’s honours could be deployed to try to win support for May’s plan – but it appears unlikely with Redwood.
Earlier this week he published a blog outlining “eight things wrong with the withdrawal agreement”.
In sport, England football manager Gareth Southgate was awarded an OBE, while captain Harry Kane received an MBE following the team’s memorable run to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
Overall, 1,148 recipients were named in Queen Elizabeth II’s 2019 New Year Honours List.
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Fullfill previous promise of abolishing USC before promising more please. Only then will we see how serious they are.
@Ken Faherty: lets not forget SF want to keep USC and increase it .
This is after they campaigned to abolish it initially .
@Gordon Hughes: This will help HSE etc. recruit the staff it needs.
@Ken Faherty: about time someone brought this up. It’s been left for too long because it’s making too much money for the government-Paying people who shouldn’t be paid..
@Thomas Molloy: Hse is awash with money ….
@Thomas Molloy: not on the present rates of pay it wont
Mr All Talk No Action…..
@dublinsnap: This will never happen, will be lucky to see it at 40K and I mean lucky. Stormy weather is ahead don’t be surprised if we end up paying more tax in the coming years not less, our public debt levels are off the charts we are one crises away from serious pain……50k haha would ya give me a break.
Spin doctor. All talk no action. Look at the state the country is in.
@James O’Brien: which is?
@Jams O’ Donnell: a kip
@Jams O’ Donnell: a bigger one than Texas
7 years too late Leo. You’ve done nothing but protect the wealthly at the expense of those that get up at 7am.
@angryDuck: I’m up at 5.50 you sleepyhead. F’all for me from these w##kers
@angryDuck: a broad statement! Can you define wealthy? Are you referring to the top handful of earner’s (who are probably non-residents) or just higher earner’s like me who pay the vast bulk of the tax take and who get irritated at such throw away comments?
Why is everything “in the next 5 years “ ?
@Tony Kennedy: because its all lies, never going to happen
@Tony Kennedy: because he knows he’ll be long gone by then to a cushy job in europe with a massive pension and it’ll be someone elses problem. This is how irish politics works.
@Tony Kennedy: Cos he will be out of power. It’s a promise he won’t keep. There won’t be money to pay for it.
BECAUSE HE TALKING CRAP AS ALWAYS
Never vote for the Blueshirts
Get off the stage leo, the match is on.
@Adrian: must be looking at the wrong match – Ireland not playing til 7
@offtheball: even the build up is better than listening to leos tripe.
@offtheball: Scotland v Australia and its a cracker
@David Walters: correction South Africa
He’s the Taoiseach surely he could have done that now instead of adding terms and conditions if Fine Gael get elected again
That would be great but I highly doubt he’ll raise it to 50k!
Ireland is becoming more like the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh every day. Its a race to the bottom with more lies and propaganda, to fitx the agenda.
5 years? Should be done now!
I would not trust anyone who is a millionaire tell me he will give me crumbs from his table especially rich blue shirts
Just like his predecessor Varadakar should take a good look in the mirror and realise, he has no clothes,the man is totally delusional and surrounds himself with nodding dogs.
Turned off the TV couldn’t listen to anymore, what a bipolar parties five they were threatening and bullying the ordinary people of the country for the colamity of a few ,and now they’re all mister nice guy parties, ain’t buying it , couldn’t give these guys another term all those sneaky taxes and charges they are only waiting for the green light?
“I promise to raise the top rate of tax”. Hoorah by the way there is a third band coming haha
I would focus on the extortionate pensions that TD’s etc get. Meanwhile the normal PAYE idiot gets shafted and has to work until 68-70. Robbing a scrotes
@Rob Ryan: I’d take the tax break personally.
Net effect to an individual is 20% of roughly 15k or 3k extra take home pay annually. Over five years they would nearly have to do half of that just to keep up with inflation
Can they not just cut the USC and give over the bull
More empty promises the blueshirts never do anything for the working people of Ireland !
*IF, they are elected on a clear majority.
Same verbal diarrhoea from the dear leader
I’m not one for the usual Leo slagging but his inaction on climate change and reducing carbon emissions is shameful. I’ve voted for FG in the past but not anymore after that last budget. History will not judge him kindly on this
The printers must be on overtime getting all the posters ready.
There’s a whiff of an election, so be prepared for all the BS promises. I wouldn’t believe a word from any of them!
I have a better idea Leo. Stop squandering taxpayers’ money on silly ideas like Mitchell-O’Connor’s Professorships for well-heeled articulate ladies only and while you are at it get rid of all those expensive, useless gender studies departments in third level institutions.
Lie
There’s a whiff of an election, so be prepared for all the BS promises. I wouldn’t believe a word from any of them! Remember what Pat Rabbit said & that’s all you need to know.
Is this tripe coming from the same (not a red cent more )
And pigs will fly, more bullshite for the gullible
Can’t see this being popular with the other political parties….They all want more public spending and no tax decreases….
What about broadband?
@Johnny Rotten:
Building entirely new infrastructure for delivery of broadband to remote regions of Ireland would be a total waste of time and money. It’s just not commercially viable. Thankfully, EU will not allow our Government make a daft decision here to waste more tax payers money on yet another white elephant!
Broadband over power lines (BPL) offers a realistic cost-effective alternative and should be “looked into” or “looked up at” ASAP.
5G could do the job also, whenever they finally decide to roll that service out.
If he felt that strongly why was the dole increased €5 and the average worker got €4 … I can bullshit
@Sos: Call bullshit ….
@Sos: I liked the first one better, “I can bullshit”, I’m sure Lieo has that printed on a t-shirt at home and wears it proudly when the cameras aren’t around
‘The average full time income is almost €46,000’ ???????? What planet is this this clown on???????
I have come to expect lots of promises, but not very much else, from politicians in this country, and what is even worse I expect people will fall it, time and time and time again. Even when politicians lose they still win, but the electorate always lose, the game is rigged folks.
All the same folks don’t get your hopes up! No matter who’s in charge they can’t follow through on this promise not with the current uncertainty with brexit.Expect an election early next year
Leo, pathetic.
€35,000 pa income in Ireland and FG hits you with MaxTax rate of 40%
€50,000 pa income before MaxTax rate of 40% kicks-in, in the UK
€72,617 pa income before MaxTax rate of 40% kicks-in, in France
… Young people in Ireland will have to wait for 5 years before MaxTax rate of 40% reaches €50,000 …. bring your brains to the Polling Booths …..or continue to be Tax Abused.
@Neuville-Kepler62F: Yeah, but what are the other parties offering?
I don’t vote for these guys but who do I vote for if I want more of my salary to stay in my own pocket?
Varadkers full of it
Leo the liar
more oul codoligy and plain old spoofing…enda kenny did the total opposite of what he said he would do the first time he was elected…and he sounded convincing then…
The rent comes out from their social welfare.
All politicians are lying, narcissistic, self serving bast**ds. There is actually no one to vote for. All they see is a brief stint in office and pension gold
There must be an election coming up
EU subsidies for all pet unicorns by 2199, and a signed autograph of Dobby ,the sleazebag not the elf
Cue the negativity!!
I do not believe a word this guy says and he and his party have a history of reneging on promises. In 2016, 12m was cut from the 20m allocation to mental health. Housing crisis deteriorated with little to no movement, (reported)homelessness increased to over 9,000, our health system is and continues to haemorrhage money and so on and on.
The arrogance shown by this taoiseach is palpable. He then rabbits on stating he’s read for a snap election. For me, there is absolutely no distinguishable difference between FF & FG, both inept on every level.
This man is insane.
This individual is a failed doctor and now a ” politician”. He lies for a living. So I fail to believe anything he “promises:
An Taoiseach is in danger of breaking his own neck should he elevates his nose much further. It’s a toss up between Varadkar and Higgins who might win arrogant politician of the year.
Bullshit artist. Why didn’t he start on his tax cuts in October??
Thankfully the All Blacks/Ireland game took this bumbling fool out of the headlines, with his promise of tax reforms and other giveaways that the State just can’t simply afford. We have been down this road before. We just never, ever learn.
R O I, rip off ireland, third world country
No way would FG government do that its a ploy to get stupid people to vote for them again they destroyed the country they wouldn’t fund 24hr cat lab in UHW cause its Waterford so their policy is if you cant make it to Cork or Dublin you die they paid a minister to demote Waterford to upgrade Kilkenny their getting rid of diesel vehicles putting lot of businesses out of business like chauffeur companies private coach hire diesel freight locomotives couriers etc
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