My joke is that I wear green on St. Patrick’s Day to honor my American heritage. Although, in the last decade, Ireland seems to have embraced Irish America’s style of celebrating with ridiculous green get-up, and stunt-drinking.
But here’s some Irish stuff to consider today.
Éanna Ó Caollai has some lovely cursing in Irish to share at The Irish Times. Normally you go for wishing death or emigration on someone. Something like Marbhfháisc ort! (*Mor-uv-aw-ishk ort!*) A shroud on you! As in your funeral shroud. But I like these more obscure ones, like Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe — that you may be badly positioned on a windy day.
But how about some music? In her lovely new book, Helen Andrews alleges that that the Boomers destroyed folk culture and high culture in America and England. I think Ireland and to a lesser extend Scotland have somehow managed to hang on.
I love this performance of “The Rollicking Boys Around Tandragee”:
Speaking of the lads keeping traditions, here’s a choir singing in a pub:
And here’s what I would consider the most melancholy and reactionary Irish folk song ever, “The Rare Auld Times,” performed by Luke Kelly and set to old photos of Dublin.
And if you want to explore real séan nos style Irish music, check out the Trad TG4 channel on YouTube. This performance of “Eleanór na Rún” (available only on Youtube) would put a lump in your throat even if you didn’t have a translation running through it.
Or check out a band that’s always doing something new with tradition: Kíla’s Suas Sías.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/happy-paddys-day/