Every time I see the MGM lion, and hear his growl, I know I’m in for a treat. It brings me right back to the ‘flea pit’ in Tom Cooper’s Cinema, in Killarney. At the time, I didn’t care about the fleas I  just loved the big ‘filums’. Lately I heard that the lion used by MGM was an Irish Lion. Beat that. His actual name was Cairbre and he was born at Dublin Zoo on 20th March, 1927 but MGM renamed him Leo. (At that time everyone changed their names when they went to Hollywood – even the lions.)

Had they no lions in America? I’m not doubting that Leo was born in Dublin but aren’t we an amazing race? we give out when people call Bono British but we are well able to claim things for ourselves. When Ronal Reagan was declared an honorary Irishman – that was within the bounds of possibility, we didn’t want to be related to either of the Bush presidents, but Obama? No problem, sure he’s one of our own… one of the O’Bama’s from Offaly no less…

Another thing, the cameraman and the sound recordist look far too relaxed in this picture  – surely there must have been a small little bit of pants shitting during the shoot? They might as well be shooting the cat from ‘Serena The Teenage Witch’ – (he’s not a real cat and unlikely to gobble you up – in case your wondering).