University of Dayton - MyLife

Erin go Braugh!

As a man of Irish descent, there are really only three things that matter to me- corned beef, Irish music, and...well, I won't mention the third thing, just accept that it is an underlying theme throughout this post.

So Friday night, I go and hang out with Pat and his gang of miscreants up in VWK. (Side note: VWK smells like BO). Anyways, I go up there, and we're sitting around, speaking as men do, debating the nature of Hell and Reaganomics. It's funny how those topics just kind of fit together. Either way, it was a lovely time, the guys have a great setup in there, and fantastic taste in music, so all was well.

And then we were clued into the Celtic band that was playing over at KU that night. "Hell yeah!" we say, and without a second thought, we rushed out the door, down the hill, and over to KU, where we were greeted by an utterly brilliant group of Irishfolk, belting out classical Irish ballads, and doing a damn fine job of it. It was appalling just how few people showed up for this concert, but I let that slide, as we took our seats and listened to them play.

Now, a man with as fierce of a spirit as I posses cannot merely sit in awe of well-played jigs. He must dance! And he shall not dance alone! And so, our merry band soon leapt up and cavorted about, spinning round and shouting out the few Gaelic phrases we knew. Actually, I think it was just me screaming "Erin go Braugh!" over and over again, but it was great.

I don't claim to be any sort of authority on Irish music, but coming from a family like mine, it would be hard to escape knowing a few good tunes from the Emerald Isle. And so, I began to request songs, beginning with my favorite, "Finnegan's Wake." And I'll be damned if they didn't actually play it, a wonderful version. It was truly a beautiful rendition of a song about an alcoholic hod-carrier who falls off a ladder while drunk, dies, then is brought back to life by whiskey spilled on him during the riot at his wake. Really, just a wonderful song about your average Irishman. A tear came to my eye, as I sang with them "Thanam o'n Dhoul! D'ya think I'm dead?" Brilliant.

Scarcely had they finished that song, they began another of my favorites "What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor?" Nothing I like better than a song about scourging inebriated seamen. That'll teach 'em!

So, after a couple more songs they finished up, and we went and thanked them for coming. They we a very nice group, putting up with us raucous brutes as they did, and after imparting upon them our thanks over and over again, we headed out, only to spend the rest of the night belting out snippets of Irish songs.

Oh, and in the first installment of John's Inane British Trivia, can any of you out there tell me what a hod-carrier is WITHOUT looking it up?

And, as a matter of clarification, the third thing that matters to Irishmen is Catholicism.

Sep 26, 2005 1:42 AM Permalink