The Year In Review - Part Two: What made us laugh, cry and shake our heads in 2014

Come join us on our journey through the best viral content from July to December.

The Year In Review - Part Two: What made us laugh, cry and shake our heads in 2014

Welcome back to the Ice Bucket of fun that is the Year in Review 2014 where we look back at the year that was and all the stories that made that got us talking, laughing, arguing and crying over the last twelve months.

We’ve already had a look at the top half of the year - you can catch up here - and now it’s to see what happened from July onwards.

Ready? Let’s do this.

JULY

Oh the heady days of Mundy’s favourite month… The Irish summer was in full swing and you know what that means - weddings! Woo.

It seemed not a week went by without a wedding party trying to outdo all others in creative, cute videos all after the same thing - viral success.

There were so many contenders but the one that blew them all out of the water (hold on to your veils, ladies) was this Donegal couple’s surprise entrance video first shown at their reception

The video went a bit crazy on our Facebook page as thousands of you watched, laughed, shared and liked it, taking it to July’s top spot.

It was a tough act to follow but this video of a slightly cracked (in a good way) Belfast family trying to solve a maths problem held its own - coming in as our second-most popular Facebook post of July.

Here it is again - it’s as funny now as it was then.

"If I am travelling 80 miles away at 80 mph, how long will it take to reach my destination?"

Never gonna get old.

Honourable July mentions: Coláiste Lurgan’s gorgeous Irish reimagining of Lorde’s ‘Royals’, this widow’s sweet surprise on her first anniversary alone and this outrageous price for a pint and crisps in Temple Bar.

AUGUST

As the summer heated up, we were all in need of a cooling off.

Enter the Ice Bucket Challenge.

A social media phenomenon, it dominated the second half of August as the world and their mother (literally) tipped buckets of icy water over their heads to raise awareness and money for ALS (also known as Motor Neurone disease).

And there some brilliant videos came out of the craze but top of the pile is what we around these parts affectionately called ‘Jesus Mammy’.

Viewed hundreds of thousands of times on our site alone, the video of an Irish mam who doesn’t quite get the Ice Bucket Challenge became an instant classic.

Post by Ben Storey.

On mobile? Click here to view.

it’s just perfect. But that wasn’t the only gem to come out of the Ice Bucket Challenge. There were also the fail videos. So many fail videos.

But this one was our most viewed and, oh, it’s a doozy. If you haven’t seen the excruciating bang yet, don’t panic. Teresina Bell recovered - a little bruised but ok. And she was able to laugh about it. Because, really, how could you not…

Even after all these months, the moment of impact is still a tough watch. But it was worth it for the internet gold, right?

Honourable August mentions: This very funny but very wrong video of a little girl having a very NSFW reaction to the Ice Bucket Challenge, all the Ice Bucket Challenge fails in one place and Patrick Stewart being an absolute badass.

SEPTEMBER

Can you believe it’s September already? That’s what we said way back in September. That month always tries to sneak up on us as we’re too busy pretending the summer will never end and trying to avoid that back-to-school feeling that lingers even though it’s been years since you left school.

Anyway where were we?

Oh yes, this absolutely mind-boggling cycling kit for the Colombian women’s team. Just look at it, for Pete’s sake!

How could they think that was a good idea? A lot of you felt the same way it seems, as it was our most viewed story on site that month.

Over on Facebook, our most popular post was without a doubt, this video of a little Northern Irish girl laying into her mother for interrupting her.

It’s terrifying. In a cute way.

Do. Not. Cross. Her.

Honourable August mentions: A man dressed as Sonic the hedgehog racing the Luas, these little kids having the most adorable argument about the weather and the Irish dad who really doesn’t get the point of ID.

OCTOBER

And so we danced our way into the autumn, digging out our big coats, wooly scarves and boots.

And then we put them all back because the weather was unseasonably mild.

One of our favourite stories of the month was also one of our most popular on the site.

Young Kerryman David Geaney wowed guests at a wedding reception when he took to the floor and showed off his killer irish dancing moves.

He’s seriously impressive.

The other big story of October was, of course, Irish Water. As the protests gained pace, this parody charity appeal came just at the right time - and lots of you enjoyed it.

Here it is again, if you missed it.

Honourable October mentions: The Kilkenny squad storming tommy Walsh’s house, a morning show presenter gets the giggles after fart on live TV and Nokia phones as we know them are gone.

NOVEMBER

Now stretch your minds back to the dark days of November. Remember November? In case you’ve forgotten, it was last month.

November’s biggest story was one that touched a nerve with a lot of our readers.

Donna Hartnett from Cork wrote this impassioned letter outlining the financial struggles she and her family have faced.

Thousands of you liked, commented and shared the story on Facebook and Twitter with many of you empathising with her plight.

Later in November, we had the Late Late Toy show. there were so many great moments but the we were all completely charmed when Ed Sheeran turned up to surprise fan, Aimee Keogh.

And, as one the nation swooned.

Honourable November mentions: WhatsApp introduced a blue ticks feature, what happens when you ask your mates to print off your boarding pass and a house in Cork was rent-free for potential tenants.

DECEMBER

December already! Didn’t the year just fly by?

So the month isn’t over yet but we’ve still had some thought-provoking and talked-about stories.

First up is this video of a pregnant woman confronting some anti-abortion protestors outside a London clinic. The clip - filmed by journalist Sunny Hundal - has been viewed more than five million times since being uploaded on December 3rd.

As you can imagine, it sparked a lot of debate among our readers on Facebook.

And our second most popular story this month was also one that set off a lot of discussion.

Candice Curry from Texas wrote a letter to her ex-husband’s new wife, entitled An Open Letter To My Daughter’s Stepmom. She started off by saying “I never wanted you here” and “I didn’t want help from another woman to raise my child”.

But then she explains how she went on to change her mind.

She says: “You’ve accepted our daughter from the very start and have unconditionally loved both her and her daddy, that’s a true gift to all of us.

“You put her relationship with her daddy above yours and only a brave and courageous woman knows how to do that with such grace.

So sweet.

You can read the full letter here.

Honourable December mentions: A confused baby meets newborn twins for the first time, Gardaí chase a naked man across the Blackrock dual carriageway and a Northern Irish guy organises an elaborate homecoming to surprise his mammy and sister.

And that it’s! The wild ride that was 2014. Let us know your favourites in the comments.

Merry Christmas and we'll see you on the other side

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Smartwatch with health app. Glowing neon icon on brick wall background Health watch: How much health data is healthy? 
Cork's wild salmon warrior Sally Ferns Barnes looks to the future Cork's wild salmon warrior Sally Ferns Barnes looks to the future
(C)2024 Disney. Disneyland Paris – Disneyland Hotel Re-Opening Watch: Iconic Disneyland Paris hotel re-opens after two year renovation
ieParenting Logo
Writers ieParenting

Our team of experts are on hand to offer advice and answer your questions here

Your digital cookbook

ieStyle Live 2021 Logo
ieStyle Live 2021 Logo

IE Logo
Outdoor Trails

Discover the great outdoors on Ireland's best walking trails

IE Logo
Outdoor Trails

Lifestyle
Newsletter

The best food, health, entertainment and lifestyle content from the Irish Examiner, direct to your inbox.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited