#2, Day 674. Ireland: Someone Left the Craic out in the Rain (IRL edition)
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Hiyo, Team!
This week I thought we could take a Real Life detour. See, in RL I am an expatriate American living in Ireland, for my sins, as they say. Everybody thinks they know all about Ireland (drinking, music, violence) but don't believe the hype! It is easy to be misinformed. So perhaps I can dispel, or at least re-allign, a few of these misconceptions. If it works out we'll occasionally take a look at other countries and publish locally in those countries as well. Sorry for the double-subs ending up in inboxes but, hey, it's only once a week.
Just an explanation about the title. "Craic" doesn't actually rhyme with cake but with crack (more or less). It basically means "scene" as in:
Blathnai
😛Morning, Emer. You look haggard, how was you're weekend?
Emer: Ugh. Awful. Until last night, we closed Grogan's.
B: I love Grogan's, how was the craic?
E: The craic. Was. Mighty. Brian O'Driscoll and yer man got in a row.
B: Who? Ryan Tubridy?
E: No, the little yoke with the moustache.
B: Ah, Willie O'Dea.
E: Right, and a ban garda had to break it up.
B: That's a bad fight to get into, like.
E: Yeah, Bod was last seen on an unmarked, illegal CIA flight to Shannon.
B: That's a bit dark.
E: Worse, the in-flight movie was Once.
B: Ouch. I bet it'll be a long time until he sees the light O'Dea again.
E: Oh, ha, I see what you did there. Very funny.
Anyway, so, yeah, Ireland equals music, right? Sure, whatever. But while it is true that everybody does know all the words to this song: The Pogues - Dirty Old Town. It's also true that that song was written by an Englishman about an English City. And that city was Salford. So they've moved on.
Nowadays the best Irish music is this: Fight like apes - Jake Summers
With this band coming in a close secon
😛Ham Sandwich - Click, Click, Boom (for those familiar, I wanted Broken Glass but the vid was down). Also these guys love the larffs (RL lulz).
Of course the mainstream media and their corporate overlords thought Fight Like Apes was too dangerous (too real, the fat cats can't deal with the truths they're laying down) so this is a decent song with a good video by a lazy band that won top honors over FLA at the big music awards: Jape - Floating
Ireland is nuts for sports. Like America they have a couple that no one else play. But with only 5ish million people it's a bit weird and pretty nearly non-professonal (which is kind of cool). The two weirdest are both run, among others, by the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) and are called GAA With Sticks and GAA Without Sticks. Big ups to Kilkenny and Kerry for their recent victories. There are three major soccer teams in Ireland; Celtic, Liverpool, and Man United. But Ireland isn't so big on cricket (no disrespect to the victorious Twenty20s). I'm more into cricket than most Irish people. And I ain't into cricket. Much. But those who do play are as mad for it as everyone else is for everything else. The excellent result of this is the collaboration between one guy from The Divine Comedy and another guy from Pugwash called The Duckworth-Lewis Method and their concept album entirely about cricket: The Duckworth-Lewis Method - Revolution.
Until Next Time Keep Your Irish Up The Dubs!
As always, if you liked it vote, subscribe, and shout!
Tacitus Arkenseale, Editor
Comments
Crack is fun not scean. As in what's the crack? The crack was mighty. We had such crack. He's no crack.
Of course I am talking about the drug. Good crack.
Where is the mention Of rugby?!??!??!!!
Grand slam winners: ireland!!!!
European cup winers: Leinster!!!
Magners league winners: Munster!!!
This is twice I'm had to correct you ..... Not looking good.
Good article but you clearly still don't fully understand Ireland.
@Tarazis: I'm translating idiomatically. You can't say in North America "How was the fun?" You say "scene." Sure, in some cases "fun" works fine but here I also get to play with the word "scene."
I love rugby. A lot. I didn't want to get carried away and get too far off topic.
@Gormley: Thanks! This is just a music magazine so I try to keep my sights low. What foreigner could possibly truly understand Ireland? Or anywhere for that matter?
Celtic, Liverpool and Man united are not our soccer teams.
Cork City, Bohemians, Derry City and Shamrock Rovers are the biggest soccer teams in Ireland.
Yea I understand but you done say gay crack. Fun and having fun is crack.
Still can believe that you left out rugby.
Football? womens sport. Aldo women do play rugby, which kinda scares me.
There are three major soccer teams in Ireland; Celtic, Liverpool, and Man United
As Pablo says these are all clubs in england. The league of ireland premier division this year is one of the most exciting in years with a great battles ongoing at both the top and bottom of the premier league. Tune in to TG4 this friday for a live match or if your only online try http://www.tg4.ie" target="_blank">www.tg4.ie k/o is 7.45
I would still agree with "There are three major soccer teams in Ireland; Celtic, Liverpool, and Man United"
Ask some people to name 3 players from these teams and 3 from 3 Irish teams.
It's clear foreign football is more popular(mainly because it's much better quality)
The biggest games in Ireland rarely sell out,but a game against A
Liverpool 3rd team get's massive demand for tickets by comparison.
English clubs are the main teams in Ireland.
I presume the reference to the english/scottish clubs was a joke! Cork city narrowly avoided receivership and they're one of the bigger clubs in Ireland.
Loved the article, thanks!
@Sean Thats cause our previous owners bailed on us when they had told the FAI they would cover costs incurred for the year. And our current owner is an idiot who thinks he can give rubber cheques to the Revenue and get way with it.
My favorite band in Ireland is The Commitments >_>
From how it sounds, I don't think 'craic' translates literally. As an American, if someone said to me, 'What's the fun?' ... well, it'd sound a little awkward. And the only time I think I hear people say 'scene' is in the context of theater and film. (Of course, the US is a big country with many dialects spread out through it as well, and I speak only from the perspective of a Northern Californian. I have no idea what the hell those people in the South are talking about 😕)
I enjoyed it though! Good article. 🙂
Enjoyed it 🙂 Keep it up xD
Irish Soccer isn't the biggest sport you forget the good ol' GAA FFS
Ghoti - Hey Im from the South !
Interesting, but still some acclimatisation to be done, I think.
Btw, club lemon is for girls, or deep thinking boys...lol.
And cricket is for Brits...imperialist game.
Yay, Duckworth-Lewis Method!
"Ghoti - Hey Im from the South !"
I've been there and you all have funny accents o_O
(Of course I'm sure I had the funny accent to you guys)
I think my favorite accent is either the Minnesotan accent, or the Boston accent. Not that I understand anything people in Boston say, I just like the way it sounds. 😃
That was.. emm.. Interesting.
Mhm.. Interesting.
Ya good article.But as John Gormley dsaid you don't completely understand Ireland.But considering you're American it ain't a bad description of Ireland.It's better than most stereotypes of Ireland anyway.Disappointed you didn't mention rugby though.