The Irish life and culture course continued this week with traditional music.  We learnt about its origins in the oral storytelling tradition and listened to some sean nós (old style/way) singing, and to the master uilleann piper Liam O’Flynn.  Hearing the singer’s mournful tone, students started to miss home:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs4qXI6_weA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUWVB3yQxBA&feature=related

We finished the class with three versions of “Whiskey in the Jar”, first by Luke Kelly, then Thin Lizzy and Metallica.  You Tube, however, didn’t like Metallica, so we only got a few seconds of that.  So, we went for The Dubliners and the Pogues playing the hard drinking hard man ballad, “The Irish Rover”, which did well in the English charts during the 1980s.  At a time when the likes of Phil Collins and Boy George ruled the airwaves:    …these lads appeared on Top of the Pops:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h0HAU4Mx4U&feature=related]

Next week we’ll be learning about Irish food, like boxty and colcannon and there may be a few drinks(to learn about) too.