St. Patrick's Day 2008

The Roman Catholic Church has moved St Patrick's Day this year, after discovering it clashes with a key day in the Church's calendar, the second day of Holy Week. RC Church rules decree the saint's feast day does not rank as highly as the Monday before Easter and therefore it had to be moved two days back to March 15, which falls on a Saturday.

The last time St Patrick's Day had to be moved was in 1940 when it coincided with Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. The next date it will have to be moved again is 2160.

St. Patrick's Breastplate (guitar)



You can find the lyrics to "St. Patrick's Breastplate" in the video below



The Wild Rover (Irish traditional song)



The Wild Rover

I've been a wild rover for many's the year,
And I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer.
And now I'm returning with gold in great store,
And I never will play the wild rover no more

And it's no, nay, never!
No, nay, never, no more!
Will I play the wild rover
No, never, no more.

I went into an alehouse where I used to frequent,
And I told the landlady me money was spent.
I asked her for credit, she answered me, "Nay".
Such a custom as yours I can have any day."

(Chorus)

I took from me pocket ten sovereigns bright,
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight.
Said she, "I have whiskey and wines of the best,
And the words that I spoke sure were only in jest."

(Chorus)

I'll go home to my parents, confess what I'd done,
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son.
And when they caress me as oft times before,
Then I never will play the wild rover no more.

(Chorus)

Richie Kavanagh's "Aon Focal Eile"


AON FOCAL EILE
Richie Kavanagh
When I was just a little lad I used to go to school
I'd sit down there in the chair, feeling like a fool
The teacher taught us everything, everything we know
She had a great big lump of a stick that was bent into a bow

She'd go "Aon focal dar, focal two, focal eile,
And I not knowing no focal at all
She'd go "Aon focal dar, focal two, focal eile
And I not knowing no focal at all

She taught us how to say all our A B C
She showed us how to make little men out of plasticine
She taught us how to say our prayers, she taught us right from wrong
The only thing about it, we didn't go to school too long

(Chorus)

She taught us about the history, the Battle of the Boyne
And how to play a game with the chestnut and the twine
She says "Open up your catechism, learn all that information
If you don't get it in your big thick head, you won't get your conformation

(Chorus)

Well, the days we spent going to school, were the best years of our life
Tho' at the time we thought they were full of trouble and strife
Now when I'm home on holiday, I'd pass the old school gate
I think of the time I spent in there, them times were surely great

(Chorus)