IT’S BEEN FOUR years, but it feels like a lifetime. It has been a long and arduous journey. Is the end in sight? Who knows. Never let it be forgotten how long this piece of infrastructure took to build.
By the time the trams are running, it will take (hopefully no more than) five episodes of Reeling in the Years to document the process from start to finish.
Here are some of the major events that have happened in the world to help illustrate just how long these Luas works have been under construction (from 2013, as the Luas Cross City timeline points out, although the Rosie Hackett began construction in 2011).
1. The horse meat scandal
Remember when we found out that loads of our food was actually made of horse meat? This seriously feels like a lifetime ago. That’s just how long it has been since the Luas works began.
2. Barack Obama began and ended his second term
The Luas project has taken over one full term of U.S. presidency. And for what? A luas that goes over a bridge? Something new to put on the Irish Monopoly board?
3. Same-sex marriage was legalised in a number of countries
This includes Ireland and the United States. Apparently this baby even voted.
4. Naturally a lot of celebrities and public figures died
David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, even David Gest. However, even Fidel Castro, who is said to have survived over 600 assassination attempts could not outlive the Luas works.
5. Leicester City won the premier league
The day they lay down the first piece of the new Luas tracks, nobody would have ever guessed that Leicester City would win the premier league at any stage over the next few years, especially with odds like 5000/1. However, a lot more is possible now than in the pre-Luas works era.
6. We got a new pope
Pope Benedict XVI called in sick, so now we have this guy. His name is Pope Francis and he’s even on Twitter writing weird tweets. This wouldn’t have made a lot of sense in the pre-Luas works world, but now it’s fine.
Source: Pope Francis/Twitter
7. After over 50 years, America finally softened travel restrictions on Cuba
Before the Luas works began, Americans couldn’t go to Cuba. Maybe by the time they’re finished we will have complete access to North Korea.
8. Memes don’t have to make sense anymore
Source: marko 🥀🥃/Twitter
The less sense they make, the better.
9. Apple have created 4 new models of iPhones
They also increased their sales from 319 million in 2013 to 1 billion in 2016. In three years, apple have designed and built nearly 700 million phones that were safe enough and fit to be used daily by people all over the planet and we’re still here, 4 years later, laying down Luas tracks.
10. Kanye West was the cover of Time Magazine
Kanye West was one of five people featured as the most influential individuals of 2015. At some stage during the Luas works, he also announced that he wants to run for president in 2020 as well.
11. NASA found water on Mars
By the time they finish up these Luas works, we’ll probably be packing it in on this immense pile of filth and moving to Mars.
12. A beautiful baby hippo was born prematurely in Cincinnati Zoo
Long story short, a gorilla called Harambe lost his life in this same zoo during the construction of the Luas works, which led to intense trolling and abusive directed towards the Twitter account owned by the zoo. They have been able to bounce back from it by sharing pictures of this delightful baby hippo though.
13. Brexit, obviously
When they started the Luas works, the UK were seemingly happy to be in the EU. Not anymore.
14. #PigGate
Before David Cameron fled government in the wake of Brexit, he left us with one special memory that we can cherish forever. The pig story.
15. Theresa May became Prime Minister
In just a year, she has easily become the most meme’d UK politician.
16. Donald Trump became president of the United States
Back in 2013, when they start working on the Luas works, if someone told you that Donald Trump would be the president of the United States by 2017, you would probably have laughed. Who knows who could replace him by the time they finish up the Luas works? A Jack Russell? The Olsen twins? Both are pretty plausible at this stage.
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