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This man crowned himself king of an unclaimed part of Africa - and he's pretty serious about it

Jeremiah Heaton wants to turn the area into an agricultural hub for the region.

heaton Jeremiah Heaton / Facebook Jeremiah Heaton / Facebook / Facebook

JEREMIAH HEATON RECENTLY travelled to a remote, mountainous patch of desert between Egypt and Sudan to claim one of the last ungoverned pieces of land in the world.

Heaton took the land to make good on his promise to make his daughter a princess.

He searched for various regions of disputed land across the world, and finally came across a little piece of Africa that was unclaimed.

Heaton trekked to the area, stuck a flag pole in the ground, and is now setting about making the area his.

Now, as the media descends on Heaton, his ambitions have moved quickly beyond giving his daughter royalty status.

He says he plans on turning his land into a living, working kingdom called North Sudan.

“My family and I sat down once we realized that legally we had a valid claim and have established a government there,” Heaton told Business Insider in a recent interview.

I asked them, ‘How can we utilize this piece of ground for the betterment of the world?’

A self-described “inventor,” “problem-solver,” and “average guy,” Heaton says the family settled on transforming the area into an agricultural center after his 7-year-old daughter, Emily, expressed a desire to “feed people in Africa.”

The claimed piece of land is known as Bir Tawil, an 800-square-mile mountainous region that has remained ungoverned and unclaimed because of a border dispute between Egypt and Sudan.

Both Egypt and Sudan claim ownership of the nearby Hala’ib Triangle under different historical borders. Neither historical border includes Bir Tawil, leaving it resolutely in a political no-man’s-land.

Heaton says the area has been left alone because it holds no strategic or resource value or any permanent residents.

Heaton — who ran as an Independent in the Congressional race for Virginia’s 9th district in 2010 — says he wants to take “the world’s least desirable piece of land” and turn it into a “shining example” of what the world’s best scientists and thinkers can accomplish.

He could make it happen, as long as it doesn’t get quashed by Egypt, Sudan, and the U.N.

512px-egypt_sudan_claims.svg (1) Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons

While Heaton’s claim, on a purely territorial basis, is surprisingly legal, international law requires his land to meet a few more requirements to get official recognition.

According to Slate’s Joshua Keating:

To be considered a state under the common definition used by international law, North Sudan would need ‘a ) a permanent population; b ) a defined territory; c ) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.’ At the moment, it maybe has b.’

And that means nothing if he doesn’t have the recognition of the surrounding countries.

Heaton has begun to pursue official recognition by contacting the state departments of both Egypt and Sudan. Neither has responded to his requests, he acknowledges, though he chalks that up to their observance of Ramadan, which is ongoing until July 28. Heaton indicated that he will ramp up that effort again after Ramadan ends.

Neither the Egyptian nor Sudan embassies have responded to requests from Business Insider for comment at this time.

Farming the Desert This June 20, 2013, photo shows Hydro Greens hydroponics farm at the base of a range of mountains bordering Death Valley National Park Pahrump, Nev. The basil and other greens grow at the farm are cropping up in a hostile, sagebrush-spangled desert where no more than 5 inches of rain fall each year. AP Photo / Julie Jacobson AP Photo / Julie Jacobson / Julie Jacobson

In the meantime, Heaton says he and his family are developing a comprehensive plan for Bir Tawil, which he says will focus on turning the area into an agricultural hub for the region.

Heaton envisions producing large amounts of food for parts of Africa that have long suffered malnutrition and stressors on agricultural production.

He’s not fazed by the fact that the land is a barren desert. The U.S., Australia, and Israel have all had success with desert farming through irrigation, Heaton points out.

The idea to “terraform” — the process of modifying an environment to become like more habitable parts of Earth — is not completely ludicrous.

In 2009, Leonard Ornstein at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Igor Aleinov and David Rind at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies laid out a plan in the Journal of Climatic Change for terraforming the Sahara Desert. The scheme involved pumping massive amounts of desalinated seawater to the desert through a huge irrigation network while planting fields of fast-growing trees.

Bir Tawil is only 800 square miles and relatively close to the Red Sea, but any pipeline would have to cross Egyptian or Sudanese territory to get there.

screen shot 2014-07-15 at 3.01.48 pm Google Maps Google Maps

Heaton envisions bringing in scientists like Ornstein, Aleinov, and Rind to implement cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technologies like terraforming, renewable energies, and gray-water capture systems to cut down on environmental effects and reverse climate-change trends.

Heaton sees North Sudan as a place to support scientists who have been shut out by the scientific grant system in America, which he says is fundamentally flawed because it encourages researchers to predict outcomes before completing their research.

Heaton wants to empower scientists and researchers who may have “the next great idea” but have yet to successfully obtain grants. He believes that by doing so, he could encourage scientific development and put North Sudan on the technological map. Heaton says he’s already received inquiries from five reputable scientists interested in what he wants to do.

“Once we make our plans clear for how the money will be spent, we will send the call out on Kickstarter for funding,” Heaton said.

It would be easy and tempting to set something up now for people to donate to. I want people to donate with a clarity and understanding of what their money will be spent on.

The kind of money that Heaton is talking about would have to be likely the biggest Kickstarter campaign of all time. And Heaton, as King, says he will be responsible for doling out the money to his kingdom. To be sure, nobody can predict whether the world’s internet users will be interested in funding Heaton’s lone vision of an 800-square-mile terraformed desert kingdom.

Still, Heaton said, “I think the kindness, generosity, and intellectual curiosity [of our plan] is something that people will invest in.”

heaton2 The flag was designed by Heaton and his three children. Jeremiah Heaton / Facebook Jeremiah Heaton / Facebook / Facebook

Heaton plans on splitting his time between Virginia and Bir Tawil in the near future, overseeing the transformation of the region (and even manning a backhoe or two). His children will remain in the U.S. so that they can finish school. Heaton has not yet worked out how North Sudan’s education system will work.

Even though they won’t live in the area, Heaton’s children will be very involved in the development of North Sudan, Heaton says. His two sons are both very invested in the project, and Emily has expressed excitement at the idea, even if her 7-year-old mind doesn’t grasp all the nuances.

“This is a family project. My kids ask me every day what are we doing, where are we at with the project. It’s like I’m working for them sometimes,” Heaton said.

Whether Heaton’s far-fetched plan ever goes anywhere is up for debate. After talking at length with Heaton, one thing is clear: He’s certain that it will.

- Harrison Jacobs

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    Mute Captain kirk
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    I see a movie starring Tom Hanks in this

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    wait until Santy opens his post this year …. he’ll have to find a lot of land Poor Santy !
    poor Rudolph !

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    Mute Daniel Wilson
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    Dermot what the hell are you talking about?

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 26th 2014, 1:05 AM

    It’s a present – and what will every little girl want this Christmas ..their own country and who gets the job of delivering presents at Christmas ?

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    Mute Ruth Rochester
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:26 AM

    As a King he’s got the right idea, you work FOR your people for the betterment of all, neighbours included. Gets my support!!!

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    I’m not entirely sure how many people he intends to feed with an area of only 800 square miles but, if it does get the funding to go ahead, it would certainly make a strong point.

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    Mute Paul Parsons
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    Dibs if he gets bored.

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    Mute Shane Hickey
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:20 AM

    I think he’s brilliant. Who would have believed there is still land on this planet that no-one owns or claims

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    Mute Play Against Par
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:52 AM

    He has to be from Cork! They think everything is theirs, biy!!

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    Mute Steve M
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:09 AM

    Reminds me of the time Smithers, Burns and Homer are flying in a plane, trying to find an island to start a new country on:

    Mr. Burns: Ohhh, there’s a big one! And it has freedom written all over it!
    Waylon Smithers: Sir… that’s Cuba.
    Mr. Burns: Cuba, eh? Take ‘er down, Smithers.
    Waylon Smithers: Uh, you’re flying the plane, sir.
    Mr. Burns: Excellent.

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    Mute Conor Conneally
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:01 AM

    A white guy going around bits of Africa claiming it for himself without consulting the locals. Didn’t that used to be called colonialism?

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    Mute Leopold Dedalus
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:19 AM

    Not if no one lives on that land

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:58 AM

    Looks like the flag is the mightiest weapon. Stick it in the ground somewhere and thousands die.

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:51 AM

    is the moon safe Paul ?
    I get your point btw ;excellent !

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    Mute Damo
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:22 AM

    Nutter.

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    Mute neeneee
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:09 AM

    I can’t believe I’ve just wasted 5mins of my break reading about,that head the ball

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    Mute royston T justice
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:47 AM

    ..I hope he has invested in his defences, I’m sure Sudan might want that land off him & “princess” some time in the future

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    Mute Boganity
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:05 AM

    This story is so old it has whiskers, anonymous Journal writer have you been on leave for an extended period of time ?

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    Mute Jack Ripper
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:22 AM

    Google Sealand. It is a hilarious story of a man who claimed a disused platform in the sea and declared it a country. He was even once overthrown but he managed to get it back again. He has his own passports and currency… and royal family.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Absolutely brilliant http://www.sealandgov.org/title-pack, excellent idea :)

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    Mute Jack Ripper
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:51 PM

    I’d say their web server hosting service is far more lucrative ;-)

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    Mute Moira Connolly
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:28 AM

    The locals will wait until he irrigates the land and has crops growing, then they will claim it back.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:43 AM

    There are no locals, it’s unclaimed because nobody lives there and until recently nobody wanted to live there.

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    Mute Moira Connolly
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:52 AM

    But see how many come out of the woodwork if he makes the land viable

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    Mute Pokey2013
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:43 AM

    Harrison Ford was already in a movie like this, “The Mosquito Coast”.

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    Mute ChocSaltyBallz
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:45 AM

    Once the country gets on it’s feet he will be surprised how many people want his hard worked profitable land people will probably die and if he’s an American citizen anything could happen !

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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:10 AM

    Islamic extremists will find him & kill him

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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:08 AM

    @Claire will Christian extremists rob his oil?

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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Couldn’t tell you … All I hear about is Islamic extremists that side of the world…

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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:16 AM

    Never heard of Iraq and the invisible WMDs?

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    Mute Claire Foster
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:43 AM

    Can’t say that I have

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:45 AM

    John, do you have to turn every article into a bash the US thread?

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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:54 AM

    Jason he didn’t mention the U.S. …it was Britain that provided the W.M.D. evidence …..
    “The eye that sees only what it wants to is the blindest of them all !”
    Ching Zo ; Chinese Philosopher.

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    Mute John Stewart
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:51 AM

    What happened to Dr.David Kelly?

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    Mute Patrick Varley
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:30 AM

    This was on an episode of QI XL.

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    Mute jkcdub
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:25 AM

    So what, I claimed planet Jupiter…

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    Mute Leigh Power
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    Jul 25th 2014, 7:30 AM

    You planted a flag on Jupiter?

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    Mute Carlos Bandanas
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:04 AM

    I claim Offaly. Nobody wants it anyway.

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    Mute neeneee
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:05 AM

    @jkcdub I’d say a few people have claimed Uranus a few times :)

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:30 AM

    He will go where no one else will go ,lovely if it works

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    Mute Kieran Monaghan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:17 AM

    Good luck to him..

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    Mute David Giles
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:18 AM

    I wonder what the “subjects” of this so-called Kingdom have to say about this ?

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:14 AM

    There aren’t any, only his family.

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    Mute Dec B
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:47 AM

    Bir Tawil population: 0.

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    Mute Juan Venegas
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:29 AM

    What a miserable comments from everyone who thinks is brilliant what this man is doing while on the other hand criticizes the Queen, and when asked why they say “I’m not against the British Royal family, I am against Royalty in general, people are not minions”

    If you are one of those who thinks he’s great while being against the British Crown, then, you are a miserable poor little brainwashed eejit with no brain of your own.

    I personally am against his idea of being a king as I am against ANY kind of Royalty. And he is worst, what a father example by making a spoil little girl a princess, future spoil brat in the making

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    Mute Amy gaffney
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:01 AM

    Well it can’t be a democracy if he’s the only one voting! Sheesh calm down and take your blood pressure pills.

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    Mute Startled Sapien
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:37 AM

    Did you actually read the whole article? It may be a hair-brained idea but the guy has the best of intentions.

    What have you done recently to make the world a better place?

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    Mute Charlie Mountney
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:41 AM

    Totally right Juan. Fool off a man taking his daughter into an unstable region and then saying, Here I am. Bad father.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:49 AM

    Unstable region? It’s unclaimed because there’s nothing there. How can it be unstable if there’s nobody there to make it unstable?

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    Mute joehig100
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:50 PM

    Send him a memo letting him know ireland has low corporate tax if he fancies doing a bit if outsourcing

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    Mute Captain Bumhum
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    Jul 25th 2014, 9:01 AM

    Heh heh! Fair balls!

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    Mute John Bransfield
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:15 PM

    ISIS must be kicking themselves they didn’t find it first.

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    Mute John Fairclough
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    Does it have a Wetherspoons?

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    Mute Captain Bumhum
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:18 AM

    Didn’t some oul lad do something similar in Arklow a few years back?

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    Mute Ray
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    Jul 25th 2014, 10:58 AM

    No crown no King.I don’t see a crown or cloak for that matter.

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    Mute Dismas Okello
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:20 AM

    If it takes of and achieves nation status how long before it becomes another corrupt African Republic. I’d give it 2 generations.
    Headline news 2054
    “King Jeremiah Heaton III. Despot of North Sudan and his 28 child brides today welcomes King Obama V of the confederation of America to a barbecue of lightly grilled Egyptian served on a bed of Sudanese toenails”
    Oh I can see it all. The new Cecil Rhodes has set it all in motion.

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    Mute Dismas Okello
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    Jul 25th 2014, 11:25 AM

    Of course, if he was a king it wouldn’t be a republic.
    But sure that’s only semantics

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    Mute Bill
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    Jul 25th 2014, 8:17 AM

    Just a bit of a laugh

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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    Jul 25th 2014, 12:04 PM

    Where is he going to get the money to do all this? Quantitative Easing?

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jul 25th 2014, 1:27 PM

    It says it in the article if you actually read the thing…

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