Saturday, December 6, 2008

Tall Tales of Irish Drinking Stories, Blessings and Proverbs

It is that time once again where we post some of the finest drinking stories from ol' Erin itself. We have also added a few Irish blessings, and where would we be without an Irish proverb or two? So grab yourself a pint of Guinness and sit back ready to be treated to some of Ireland's best. You know that Guinness is brewed at St. James' gate in ol' Dublin. Now that is a no lose proposition in itself, it is.

Old man Fogarty arrives home several hours past closing time, and he is still feeling the effects of a long night of imbibing, he is. As he stumbles through his front door who does he meet, but none other than Missus Fogarty, herself. And Missus Fogarty is none too pleased with the condition of Mister Fogarty, don‘t you know.

"Aw, well look at this, now!” says the missus. “Mister Fogarty Himself has finally decided to grace us with his presence, he has.”

“Well, I…” begins Fogarty. But Missus Fogarty quickly interrupts.

“Michael Fogarty! Don’t you give me any of your lame excuses! At what Irish pub have you been wasting away all of my hard earned wages this time?” demands Missus Fogarty.

"At this beautiful new establishment, my love," replies Fogarty. "It is called The Golden Pub. Everything there is golden, everything, I tell you.”

"Don’t you ‘My Love’ me Michael Fogarty. And don’t you be tellin’ me one of your tall tales. You know there is no such place as the Golden Pub. The Good Lord will punish you for telling’ such lies, He will."

But Fogarty insists, "Sure, but there is such a place, Missus Fogarty! It has huge golden doors, an’ a golden floor, an’ a golden foot rail at the bar. Pray that the Good Lord will strike me down where I stand if I’m a lyin’. Missus Fogarty, even the urinal is gold!"

But Missus Fogarty does not believe ol’ Fogarty’s story and says, “Don’t you be takin’ the Good Lord’s name in vain Michael Fogarty. Golden Pub, indeed! Off to bed with ya’ now. Go sleep it off!”

But the very next mornin’ finds Missus Fogarty poring through the phone book, searching for a saloon called The Golden Pub. Sure enough, she finds a bar far across Dublin with the same name.

Missus dials the number listed to check on ol’ Fogarty’s story. "Is this the Golden Pub?" she asks as the bartender answers the phone.

"It is," replies the bartender.

"An’ do you have huge golden doors?" asks Missus Fogarty.

"But of course we do, Missus," answers the bartender.

"Do you have golden floors too?"

"That we do, missus."

“An’ a golden foot rail at the bar?” queries Missus Fogarty.

“Yes, ma’am. We have that too.”

"What about golden urinals?"

Then there is a long pause…after which Missus Fogarty hears the bartender yelling in the background, "Hey, O‘Hara, I think I just got a lead on who took a leak in your saxophone!"

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May the Road Rise to Meet You...

Do you know that it recently came to our attention that we have not published one of Ireland's oldest and most famous blessings. Of course we could not let such a glaring omission continue any longer. Thanks to an oral tradition of passing down Irish blessings, now several versions of this famous blessing pass the lips of many an Irish clan. The original author is unknown. Without further ado, we offer our favorite version:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rains fall soft upon your fields
And, until we meet again,
May God rest you in the palm of His hand.

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May You Have these Blessings...

May You Have these Blessings...
Good Health to make life enjoyable
Good fortune to make it bright
And lots of happiness always
With everything going just right.

_____________________________________

A True Irishman gets married for life, but not necessarily for love.

_____________________________________


Thomas Flanagan was trying to learn the game of golf and having just a stinking time of it. "I would give nearly anything to get this game right, I would!" Thomas loudly exclaimed in exasperation.

Suddenly Satan himself appeared out of thin air and asked Thomas, "Anything?"

Of course, Thomas was quite surprised to find the Devil, himself, speaking to him. "Well…I guess, short of selling my soul, yes I would," replied Thomas.

So Satan offered, "How about giving up sex for the remainder of your life?"

Thomas was quite taken aback by the offer, but he gave a wide grin as he quickly accepted the devil‘s offer. "Done!" he said.

Thomas finished his round of golf in remarkably good form, so the rumor of his deal with Satan rapidly spread throughout the course clubhouse. Timothy O’Shea was one of the club’s members, but he was also a news reporter who smelled a story in the making.

Back in the clubhouse O’Shea asked Thomas, "Sir, there is a rumor going around the clubhouse that you made a deal with the Devil, himself, to become a truly great golfer. Is there any truth to that rumor?"

"Yes sir! It is true enough, it is," answered Thomas. “And it was a wise bargain on my part, for I just completed a nearly perfect round of golf, I did.”

"And is it also true that you gave up sex for the rest of your life as your part of the agreement?" asked O’Shea.

"Again your are right, sir. True again!" replied Thomas Flanagan.

"And may I get your name, sir, for my story?" asked the reporter.

"But of course. It’s Flanagan. Father Thomas Flanagan."

_____________________________________

An Irishman considers a bore to be someone who keeps constantly interrupting.

_____________________________________

May your blessings outnumber
The Shamrocks that grow
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

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A Blessing For You and Yours...

May the grace of God’s protection
And His great love abide
Within your home-within the hearts
Of all who dwell inside.

_____________________________________


Today's video is in YouTube's new widescreen HD format and features the remarkable Lisa Kelly with the equally remarkable Celtic Woman singing "May It Be."



More Celtic Woman
More Irish Drinking Stories, Blessings and Proverbs

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6 comments:

Connie said...

I really enjoyed this post McCafferty. The jokes made me laugh. Especially liked the one about the saxophone.

The "May the road rise to meet you" blessing is one I really love--one of my favorites. It was nice to see it here.

Happy Sunday to you! :D

McCafferty Himself said...

Well, Ms Daisy, the folks here at McCafferty's Pub are very pleased whenever you stop by our humble establishment, don't cha know. We will always keep a table here reserved just for you, lass, and be sure that the tap will always be a'pourin' some of the finest Guinness stout available.

So now that you know the way, Saints preserve us, don't be a stranger.

Lisa said...

Hello, the song by Lisa Kelly is really nice, been here a few times and listened to it. As always your stories are entertaining to read, I especially like the "May the road rise to meet you" - please allow me to understand the blessing personally.. from you to me :o)

Would like to wish you GOD JUL - take care of yourself and have a pleasant Christmas time.
- Lisa

Connie said...

Just stopping in to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, McCafferty! :)

McCafferty Himself said...

Lisa, I thank you for stopping and a GOD JUL to you also. I am glad you like my Irish stories because they are my favorite posts.

McCafferty Himself said...

Daisy, Thank you so much for stopping by and a Merry Christmas to you too.