A Thread For Talking About Irish Things

[Laudate_Dominum]

"Our Weeping Island"

by Elizabeth O'Hylan

Shaken down from the skies,

Dragons carved

From hell's dead wood

Blew their god-breath across

Our weeping island.

The saints cried out --

The winds groaned

As swords wailed in their clashing.

The sea reached its golden blue waves

Blindly toward a pale opal moon

To swallow up our dead

And I knelt upon a stone

Etched with the slaughter

Of God's men

To lift up a broken prayer

For Lindisfarne.

[Laudate_Dominum]

All the gaelic one needs to get by in Ireland:

PHRASE: Cá bhfuil an teach pobail?

PRONOUNCED: caw will on chock pub/ill?

MEANING: Where is the Pub?

Other cool sayings:

Gaelic: Is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras.

English: Hunger is a good sauce

Gaelic: Is maith an scathan suil charad

English: A friend's eye is a good mirror

Gaelic: Ni dhiolann dearmad fiacha.

English: A debt is still unpaid, even if forgotten

Gaelic: Is minic a bhris beal duine a shron.

English: Many a time a man's mouth broke his nose

Gaelic: Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam

English: A country without a language, a country without a soul (so boycott English! j/k)

Gaelic: Faol saol agat agus bas in Eirinn

English: Long life to you and death in Ireland.

[Laudate_Dominum]

Is anyone a fan of the old Giunness? I used to have a pint for breakfast every morning and a pint after work, but I hardly ever drink anymore because I was afraid of turning into an alchoholic. But it's good stuff anyway.

[Laudate_Dominum]

This is my 1,000th post!!! Woohoo!!!!! I dedicate this post to everything Irish.

Here is a picture of the tin whistle I recently scooped up. It's so much fun.

[NewReformation]

I love the Irish Tenors and the Celtic Tenors.

"May you all live to be a hundred years old.

And may the last voice you hear be mine!"

[NewReformation]

Come single belle and beau,

Unto me pay attention

Don't ever fall in love,

Tis the devil's own invention

For once I fell in love

With a maiden so bewitchin'

Miss Henrietta Bell

Down in Captain Kelly's Kitchen.

Chorus:

With me too-rah-loo-rah-lay,

Me too-rah-loo-rah-laddie.

At the age of seventeen

I was 'prenticed to a grocer

Not far from Stephen's Green

Where Miss Henri used to go sir

Her manners were so fine,

She set me heart a twitchin' When she invited me

To a hooley in the kitchen.

Chorus:

Sunday being the day

We were to have the flare up

I dressed meself quite gay

And I frizzed an oiled me hair up

The captain had no wife

And he'd gone off a fishin'

So we kicked up the highlife

Below the stairs in the kitchen.

Chorus:

Just as the clock struck six

We sat down at the table

She handed me the tay

And I ate what I was able

I ate cakes with punch and tay

'Till my side had got a stitch in

And the time passed very quickly

With our courtin' in the kitchen

Chorus

With me arms around her waist,

She slyly hinted marriage

When to the door in haste

Came Captain Kelly's carriage

Her looks told me full well

And they were not bewitchin'

That she wished I'd get to hell,

Or somewhere from the kitchen.

Chorus:

She flew up off my knees,

Full five feet up or higher

And over head and heels

Threw me slap into the fire!

My new Repealer's coat,

That I bought from Mr. Mitchel

With a thirty-shilling note,

Went to blazes in the kitchen.

Chorus:

I grieved to see my duds,

All besmeared with smoke and ashes

When a tub of dirty suds

Right in my face she dashes

As I lay on the floor

Still the water she kept pitchin'

'Till the footman broke the door,

And marched down into the kitchen.

Chorus:

When the Captain came downstairs

Though he seen me situation

Despite all me prayers

I was marched off to the station

For me they'd take no bail

Though to get home I was itchin'

And I had to tell the tale

How I came in to the kitchen.

Chorus:

I said she did invite me,

But she gave a flat denial

For assault she did indict me

And I was sent for trial

She swore I'd robbed her house

In spite of all her screechin'

And I got six months hard

For me courtin' in the kitchen.

[Laudate_Dominum]

LOL! Thanks NewRef. I almost forgot about that song! A couple years ago some friends of mine who are in an Irish band sang that song for me (even though the lead singer hates it), I think it's charming. :)

[Colleen]

Is anyone a fan of the old Giunness? I used to have a pint for breakfast every morning and a pint after work, but I hardly ever drink anymore because I was afraid of turning into an alchoholic. But it's good stuff anyway.

I had a sip of it last St. Patrick's Day (cuz my dad was there and that's legal in Wisc.). I thought it tasted like tar. I didn't like it. But I don't like the taste of beer anyway.

[Colleen]

The Mountains of Mourne

Oh Mary this London's a wonderful sight

With people here workin' by day and by night

They don't sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat

But there's gangs of them diggin' for gold in the street

At least when I asked them that's what I was told

So I just to a hand at this diggin' for gold

But for all that I found there I might as well be

Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

2. I believe that when writin' a wish you expressed

As to how the fine ladies in London were dressed

Well if you'll believe me, when asked to a ball

They don't wear no top to their dresses at all

Oh I've seen them meself and you could not in truth

Say that if they were bound for a ball or a bath

Don't be startin' them fashions, now Mary McCree

Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

3. I seen England's King from the top of a bus

Oh, I never knew him though he means to know us

And though by the Saxon we once were oppressed

Still I cheered - God forgive me ! - I cheered with the rest.

And now that he's visited Erin's green shore,

We'll be much beter friends than we've been heretofore.

When we've got what we want we're as quiet as can be

Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.

4. You remember young Peter O'Loughlin of course?

Well he's over here at the head o' the Force

I met him today, I was crossing the Strand

And he stopped the whole street wid' one wave of his hand.

And there we stood talking of days that are gone

while the whole population of London looked on

But for all these great powers he's wishful, like me,

To be back where dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.

5. There's beautiful girls here, oh never you mind

With beautiful shapes nature never designed

And lovely complexions all roses and cream

But let me remark with regard to the same

That if that those roses you venture to sip

The colors might all come away on your lip

So I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin' for me

In the place where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.

did you know don mclean recorded a version of this song?

[Laudate_Dominum]

I had a sip of it last St. Patrick's Day (cuz my dad was there and that's legal in Wisc.). I thought it tasted like tar. I didn't like it. But I don't like the taste of beer anyway.

Hehe, I think you have to work your way up. It's the pinnacle of beverages afterall.

But seriously, I find, from the people I've talked to about it, that you either love Guinness or you hate it, there doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground.

And you know, Guinness and I have a sort of love/hate relationship anyway. Can't live with it, can't live without it. And you know the old saying, "if it wasn't for Guinness the Irish would rule the world." I think this is true, God gave the Irish Guinness to even things out for the rest of the world.

Hehe, I was once working in a fruit orchard in the middle of nowhere with some fellows and one of them was an Irishman from the county Down I believe, anyway we were working and humming Irish tunes when I, for no appearant reason, said to him, "lovely day for a Guinness, eh?" He became quite angry and red in the face and said, "don't mention Guinness here! Ack! We're a long way from that!!"

Edited February 24, 2004 by Laudate_Dominum

[God Conquers]

From my Granpa's house (so irish):

Why Worry?

You have only two things to worry about in life, either you are healthy or you are sick.

If you are healthy you have nothing to worry about.

If you are sick then you only have two things to worry about, either you will get better or you will die.

If you get better, then you have nothing to worry about.

If you die than you have only two things to worry about, either you will go to heaven or go to hell.

If you go to heaven than you have nothing to worry about.

If you go to hell...

You'll be so beaver dam busy shaking hands with friends that you won't have time to worry!

SO WHY WORRY?

so bad, but so funny.

[Colleen]

Hehe, I was once working in a fruit orchard in the middle of nowhere with some fellows and one of them was an Irishman from the county Down I believe, anyway we were working and humming Irish tunes when I, for no appearant reason, said to him, "lovely day for a Guinness, eh?" He became quite angry and red in the face and said, "don't mention Guinness here! Ack! We're a long way from that!!"

haha!

Another song/poem I like:

FOUR GREEN FIELDS

What did I have, said the fine old woman

What did I have, this proud old woman did say

I had four green fields, each one was a jewel

But strangers came and tried to take them from me

I had fine strong sons, who fought to save my jewels

They fought and they died, and that was my grief said she

Long time ago, said the fine old woman

Long time ago, this proud old woman did say

There was war and death, plundering and pillage

My children starved, by mountain, valley and sea

And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens

My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she

What have I now, said the fine old woman

What have I now, this proud old woman did say

I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage

In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me

But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers

My fourth green field will bloom once again said she

Edited February 24, 2004 by Colleen

[Pio Nono]

JMJ

2/24 - Seventh Tuesday (Mardi Gras)

I tend to sing "Wild Rover" and "Molly Malone" while showering after a hard workout, for some reason. In Dublin, fair city / where the girls are so pretty.....

-PN

[JuCa]

IRISH MUSIC ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

[rckllnknny]

my name is rick kinney. irish enough?

rick means powerful leader.

my middle name is allen is that irish?

what does kinney mean?

rick is supposed to be short for richard but my legal name is just rick.

my dads name is Rick E. Kinney, just like that.

my facial hair glows red in the sun. my dads hair is strawberry blonde.

my irish came from my dads dad that died when he was two. my immediate family is the only kinneys i know.

the best to my knowledge my ancestors came over here during the potatoe famine. at ellis island they dropped the Mc from McKinney and hence, kinney.

thats what i got on irsih.

Edited February 25, 2004 by rckllnknny