Tuesday 8 November 2011

Jaysis aren't we a great bunch, the Irish?

There he is now; oul' Jimmy
Walked into the classroom today in college and the lecturer had a clip from youtube ready to show us.  It was Ed Byrne slagging off Alanis Morrisette for that song "Ironic" and it's actual lack of irony.  And immediately the thing that comes into my mind is; "he's from Swords." And I wanted everyone to know that; cos I live in Swords too. And you all know that if you live in the same town, city or country as someone famous that means you are partly responsible for their fame or in some way great because they are great. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think Ed Byrne is great, in fact I think he's a bit of a twat and not half as funny as he seems to think he is.  But he's Irish ye know, and he's famous and we were watching a clip of him so I felt I should let everyone know that we shared something.  Like that entitled me to some sort of kudos.  Somehow their celebrity status rubs off on you and you are in actuality famous too.  Not unlike the time we were discussing James Joyce's Ulysses; I felt like I had dibs on it cos I was the Irish student.  Or that I deserved a pat on the back: "well done, what an achievement.  Born in the same city, you say? Truly an amazing feat!"  Sure I knew more about it than the lecturer cos it's about Dublin, yeah, and that's me home town, sure what would he know about being a Dub or a strayed Catholic; that's my territory.  Never mind that I have never actually read Ulysses or any of Joyce's works, sure why would I need to do that, it's in me blood, like.  When reading Molly Bloom's soliloquy aloud he mispronounced Howth and I let out a satisfied snigger.  Me and James Joyce, wha', sure me Granda used to drink pints with him in the Bleeding Horse.  Genius by association, even if that association is rather dubious, or in fact, completely fabricated.

5 comments:

  1. Dunno if this is a double comment cos I tried to comment but wasn't signed in, so not sure if it went through! Anyway, was just saying I do this too! All Irish people do it. I've a Canadian friend and I'm always saying to her 'Sure the Wolfe Tones were neighbours, I was forever encouraging them at their music so I was'. She's copped on now though. Great blog!

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  2. Ah - so glad I am not the only one. My husband was like, yeah right, no one thinks like that! I was beginning to think I was on my own!

    Thanks for leaving a comment I feel so used (in a good way)

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  3. Ah yeah, don't we all do it or is it just one of those Irish things. Especially the Irish in another country. If I see anyone wearing a Che Guevara I want to go up and ask them do they know that yer man who created that image was Irish. Do you know that now??!? Because I studied him for something entirely unrelated for my leaving cert and sure, wasn't he an oul mate of my ex's Mammy. Doesn't that make us best pal? Sure didn't I give him the idea in the first place!!
    And OF COURSE I have the monopoly on the strayed Catholic. None of those oul English heathens could possibly understand what our poor nation went through at the hands of those Brit Bastard. (At this stage in the conversation I normally start growling and snarling at everyone around me and demanding drink. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon. At work. In a meeting.)
    But what was I meant to do, aren't we a nation of tormented artists all inspiring each other?

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  5. And sure didn't me Aunty Agnes do a line with yer man, Thin Lizzy? And he wrote that song about her, Whiskey in the Jar.

    I love it Peter's Girl, tormented artists, that we are! ;)

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