Faith Preserve Us

Sinead O'Connor: Danny Boy


The earth makes a sound as of sighs and the last drops fall from the emptied cloudless sky. A small boy, stretching out his hands and looking up at the blue sky, asked his mother how such a thing was possible.
Fuck off, she said.
--Samuel Beckett

Pogues: Thousands Are Sailing


Paul Brady: Nothing But The Same Old Story

It's not that
the Irish are cynical.
It's rather that
they have a wonderful
lack of respect
for everything and everybody.
--Brendan Behan
Interviews and Recollections


Liam Clancy: Whiskey You're the Devil

An Irishman walks into a pub.
The bartender asks him,
What'll you have?
The man says, Give me
three pints of Guinness, please.
The bartender brings him three pints and the man proceeds to alternately sip one, then the other, then the third until they're gone. He then orders three more.
The bartender says, Sir, no need to order as many at a time.
I’ll keep an eye on it and when you get low, I'll bring you a fresh one. The man replies, You don't understand. I have two brothers, one in Australia and one in the States. We made a vow to each other that every Saturday night we'd still drink together.
So right now, me brothers have three Guinness stouts too, and we're drinking together.
The bartender thought this a wonderful tradition and every week the man came in and ordered three beers. But one week, he ordered only two.
He slowly drank them, and then ordered two more. The bartender looked at him sadly. Sir, I know your tradition, and, agh, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for your loss.
The man looked on him strangely before it finally dawned on him.
Oh, me brothers are fine - I just quit drinking.

May those who love us love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
--Irish toast




Frances Black; Down by the Glenside