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Christmas carolers. Shutterstock/1000 Words

The Irish For I'm getting tired of the same Christmas pop hits - here are some alternatives

What harm if we learn some words as Gaeilge along the way?

THIS IS THE latest dispatch from our columnist Darach Ó Séaghdha, author of the award-winning and bestselling Motherfoclóir. Every Sunday morning, Darach will be regaling (re-Gaeling?) us with insights on what the Irish language says about Ireland, our society, our past and our present. Enjoy. 

Some 20 Christmases ago, I was a student working part-time in a shop where the radio would play as we went about our tasks.

When December came around, I was only too eager to take the opportunity to work a few extra shifts to make a little money. 

It was during these few weeks that I lost all goodwill towards the great Christmas pop song book.

I didn’t even like the good ones anymore – and most Christmas songs are not good, even by the standards of the artists who sing them. 

Worst of all, however, is the fact that the December radio playlist back then is pretty much identical to the one currently on offer – they stopped adding new tracks around the time that Ireland stopped winning the Eurovision.

Given that some of these seasonal hits have a very tenuous connection to the Yuletide, why don’t we add some new songs that do make a reference – even a brief one – to the season?

And sure if we learnt a few Irish words along the way, it wouldn’t kill us. 

An triúr saoithe – the three wise men

These are referred to in the Bell X1 song Rocky Took a Lover, a song which has a seasonal feel without shoving sleigh bells down your throat.

Songwriter Paul Noonan even manages to shoe-horn an Oscar Wilde reference into the lyrics: “And from this gutter we’re still staring at the stars.”

Sáirsint earcaíochta – recruiting sergeant

A recruiting sergeant features in our next Christmas tune, Arthur McBride.

It bears similarities with one by a band closely associated with the season – The Recruiting Sergeant by the Pogues – and a subplot in Joseph O’Connor’s novel Star of the Sea traces of different versions of the original song spread in England and Ireland.

Of the multiple versions of this song, Paul Brady’s is probably the best known. It features two Irish cousins out for a walk on a Christmas morning when a recruiting sergeant tries to sign them up for the British army.

However, our narrator and his cousin Arthur reject his empty promises. Brady’s version even drops an Irish word, spailpín (a wandering hired labourer), into the lyrics. 

Dreoilín – a banger from holidays at the Gaeltacht if ever there was one, this song concerns the sorry fate of a wren who ran afoul of a cat.

While it doesn’t allude directly to Wren Day traditions held on St Stephen’s Day, this line makes reference to the pagan symbolism of the King of Birds that informs those festivities: “Mar ‘bheadh éinín Dé ann, Is í imithe suas ar Neamh” (if there was a god of little birds, it’s to heaven she’s gone). 

Cathair Dháiví – David’s city

The Anglican carol Once In Royal David’s City, which features on the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album, was written by Dublin woman Cecil Frances Humphreys.

Every December, there is a discussion about whether certain songs should be changed or discarded on account of how their lyrics are out of tune with modern values.

In this context, it is worth considering the history of one of Humphreys’ other works, the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful.

Many decades before snowflake became an insult, the entire third verse of this was discarded on account of its suggestion that the class system was divinely ordained. 

Cumha – homesickness

Every December, 90s boyband East 17 get included in the Christmas playlist on account of Stay Another Day, a song that isn’t remotely seasonal but had chiming bells cynically shoved in by a producer after the fact.

Personally, I think we should have less E17 and more N17 by the Saw Doctors. What could be more christmassy than a song about emigration, homesickness and the anxiety that things will be different if and when you go back? 

Aiteacht – returning

Can an advertisement ever reach the heights of a work of art?

It’s an evergreen debate, but it is interesting to compare the arguments about the appropriateness of certain seasonal songs and films to the uncomplicated affection for old seasonal ads.

In particular, the ESB ad from the 1980s featuring Comin’ Back by Dusty Springfield (Mary Isabel O’Brien when she was offstage) is as welcome every year as the returning son in the ad itself. 

Nollaig shona díobh! 

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    Mute Paul Mc Manus
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:07 PM

    Gonna be great for the tourism along along the west coast. Nice one!!!

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    Mute Rachel Walsh
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:10 PM

    You mean raise the prices in the area and screw the visitors so they never come back, the boom is back. Thats the irish way alright.

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    Mute The IMF are here
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:41 PM

    Do you ever have a positive comment on this place?

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    Mute CeeBee Barker
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    Mar 18th 2016, 7:02 PM

    Rachel is a troll – who knows what sex they really are. Don’t dignify their inane comments with a reply.

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    Mute Sonia Wayne
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    Mar 28th 2016, 9:26 PM

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    Mute Rob
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:08 PM

    A light sabre duel on the Cliffs of Moher would be pretty epic.

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    Mute Darren McDaid
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    Mar 19th 2016, 4:08 AM

    Or Slieve League keep her country.

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:22 PM

    Not surprised.
    Many parts of the West of Ireland look like they belong on another planet.
    Who needs to go all the way to Mars when you can climb the Connemara mountains?

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    Mute W1K
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:31 PM

    Could say the same about some of the locals :) Some strange people.

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:09 PM

    You are just jealous Richard III.
    Pale blue eyes are certainly Martian to a foreign geezer who calls himself Richard III.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:18 PM

    I doubt that Richard III knows what anyone from the West of Ireland looks like, he having spent the last 500 years buried under a car-park in Leicester.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Mar 19th 2016, 2:33 PM

    I’m no historian, but I don’t think it was in use as a car park for the first four of those five hundred.

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    Mute Eel Knack Mole
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:42 PM

    Whoever managed to get the Lucasfilm representative to specifically mention the “Wild Atlantic Way” deserves major, major credit.

    Somewhere in Ireland today there is a Civil servant (or less likely politician) feeling pretty damn satisfied.

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    Mute Lorem Ipsum
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:45 PM

    Reading these comments you’d have to have sympathy for Enda Kenny saying there’s a load of whingers around the place. You’re like spoiled children

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    Mute Gerry Healy
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:06 PM

    No sympathy for Enda but you’re dead right. Such a shower of begrudgers and naysayers. Depressing………..

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    Mute I invented the @
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:40 PM

    God id hate to have your outlook on life..pure miserable

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    Mute Michael walsh
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:17 PM

    Meh to negativity
    This is great news

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    Mute Jamie Concannon
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    Mar 18th 2016, 7:17 PM

    There are some absolutely stunning places along the Wild Atlantic Way, can’t see why people think it’s a bad idea to make use of them.

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    Mute W1K
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:06 PM

    Let’s hope the locals don’t look for compensation.

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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Mar 19th 2016, 2:17 AM

    Got some random leave last July at short notice. Was at a lose end trying to come up with something for a holiday. Randomly decided to have a “starvation” and rented a 6 berth camper van and had some friends join us for a 10 day drive along the wild Atlantic way!

    Didn’t have huge expectations as I thought I’d done it all before but my god was I blown away!

    Had a fantastic holiday, it rained, it was freezing, the day trip to the Aran Islands Iv never seen so many people vomit on a boat but bloody hell I loved it and can’t wait to do the other half that we didn’t get to do last time!

    The moaners and the whingers really need to pull their heads out of their computers and go see exactly what it is that Hollywood and the rest of the world see about our stunning country!

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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Mar 19th 2016, 2:18 AM

    That was mean to say “Staycation” not starvation! Lol

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    Mute Duncan Paul
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    Mar 18th 2016, 10:37 PM

    Star Wars The West Awakens

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    Mute Strong silent type
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:28 PM

    The most over rated movie franchise in history.

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    Mute Matty Reese
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:09 PM

    don’t watch it then

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    Mute Ironballs
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:50 PM

    It’s all subjective so your opinion doesn’t matter. Sorry!

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    Mute TheBull
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    Mar 18th 2016, 7:54 PM

    It really is cool.

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    Mute Padraig
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:10 PM

    They will be filming in Cork in May.They have plenty of local actors to choose from Jeremy Irons,Angela Lansbury,Cillian Murphy,Jonathan Rhys Meyers,Sarah Greene and Emily Ratajkowski.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cdxtq3kW8AACPRo?format=pjpg&name=large

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    Mute Padraig
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:19 PM
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    Mute Rachel Walsh
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:22 PM

    epic

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    Mute John Ward
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:00 PM

    Meh!

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    Mute J Judd
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:01 PM

    Who cares !

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    Mute Eel Knack Mole
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    Mar 18th 2016, 5:44 PM

    Business owners the length of the west coast probably do!

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:16 PM

    I do.

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:43 PM

    Me too. I freaking love Star Wars. Having Ireland involved makes it that bit better

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    Mute Sam Barkley
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:12 PM

    Will it ever end?

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:20 PM

    The Force is infinite

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    Mute Rachel Walsh
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    Mar 18th 2016, 4:06 PM

    great, lets encourage a large congregation of irish space cadets…yeh!

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:46 PM

    Will the Evil Empire permit the use of the Atlantic Way?

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Mar 18th 2016, 6:19 PM

    Sand in the vagina ???

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 19th 2016, 1:35 PM

    A load of sh…te…

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    Mute Strong silent type
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    Mar 19th 2016, 5:23 PM

    Neither does yours. Sorry! Aren’t you a clever boy? :)

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