The Belle of Belfast City

You might know this song as I'll Tell Me Ma and I know I shared it before. I first heard it in a pub in Liverpoolon Saint Paddy's and I fell in love with it. Of course, as it is often called The Belle of Belfast City, I listened to it prior to and during our holiday in Belfast. Wolfie now knows some of the lyrics and has been humming it for the last few days. Ironically enough, I haven't heard much if any Irish music during our time there. I'm sharing the version by Possibly Irish, an American group from Oregon, because I quite like it. And also because I'm possibly Irish myself, sort of. I want to blog into more details about it, but apparently, some of my ancestors were Ulster Scots, so it is very possible that among my great, grandmothers, there were a few belles of Belfast City. I'd like to think so, ayway.

Coïncidence musicale?

Je me le demande depuis mon billet d'hier: est-ce que les chansons À la pêche aux moules, que j'ai brièvement mentionnée ici, et I'll Tell Me Ma ne sont pas un peu liées. Les deux ont pour protagoniste une fille qui se fait harceler par des hommes sans comprendre pourquoi, les deux parlent de l'éveil à l'amour et de l'adolescence, les deux ont disons-le certains sous-entendus pas si sous-entendus, etc. Bon, peut-être que je vois trop de métaphores quand il n'y en a pas. Parlant de moules, il y en a aussi dans Molly Malone. Autre coïncidence?

Lovely day for a Guinness

Yes, yes, I used that picture before, but who cares? It's Saint-Patrick's Day and it is indeed a lovely day for a Guinness. And it is also my favourite Guinness advert ever, the still ones at least. Happy Patty's Day to everyone.

Between the beginning of this post and now, I had time to drink two Guinness and had a bit of Irish stew (so long for Lent and fasting), courtesy of the landlady of the local Irish pub (almost empty, sadly, but I guess tonight is the big night). So I am writing this not quite sober. Anyway, it is time to celebrate, so will put here two Irish songs. I'll Tell Me Ma I first heard in Liverpool on Saint-Patrick's Day and I fell in love with it, I still don't know why. On the Bank of the Roses I only discovered recently, but it is the same thing, I just love it. Both songs are here interpreted by the Dubliners: