Stumblin' Along 3/16 '25
Mary's Pub
- 15 Saint Patrick’s Day Facts
Mary’s Pub
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
A bit of history of Saint Patrick’s Day is up top with today’s tune below….
15 Saint Patrick’s Day Facts
15. Saint Patrick was a redhead.
Okay, this is not a proven fact because the man was around in the 4th century, but since his beard is white in every glass artwork, we gingers are claiming him as our own. Glad we got that sorted.
14. Saint Patrick wasn’t born in Ireland.
Yup, I was floored when I read he may have been Welsh and got kidnapped by Irish pirates at 16 years old. Spent 6 years as a herdsman in slavery before escaping.
13. Saint Patrick's first color (or colour) was blue.
Ireland and Saint Patrick’s original color (or colour) was historically blue.
The first formal use of the colour blue was used under the reign of King Henry VIII in 1542 as he split from Catholicism and declared Ireland a separate kingdom. This formal creation of an Irish kingdom meant that Ireland was granted its own coat of arms - a golden harp placed against a blue background - one that still stands today. (Source: Irish Poet)
12. Everybody is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day!
It’s imprinted on a steel beam so it must be true. Plus Marla Lewis even wrote a song imploring this.
11. The Shamrock
Saint Patrick was said to use the iconic Shamrock leaf as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity.
10. 1st Recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
The first recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. That would be 14 years before when the Yanks decided to sign the Declaration of Independence. (Source: 6 Sq Ft)
9. Guinness Circus Campaigns.
In the 1930s and 1950s, Guinness had special edition campaigns that featured circus animals. In 1935, Irish artist John Gilroy created the legendary Guinness campaign artwork. The circus animals featured were lions, bears, kangaroos, ostriches, pelicans, and of course, the famous Guinness Toucan.
8. Derek Jeter & Tom Brady
2 of the most iconic American sports stars of all time, Derek Jeter and Tom Brady have Irish blood in them. Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the only days of the year when Week to Week Notes will allow New York 🤝 Boston.
7. Corned Beef and Cabbage
This one might get me in trouble but according to the History Channel, corned beef and cabbage was an American innovation. While ham and cabbage were already eaten in Ireland, corned beef offered a cheaper substitute for impoverished Irish-American immigrants. It was created in the slums of Manhattan in the late 19th century and early 20th.
6. Guinness was seasonal, even in Ireland.
Last year, I found out that my grandad from Ireland would only drink Guinness during the winter months. You see, back in the day (as recently as the 1980s), he would switch to Smithwicks during the summers. This was because Guinness was not served at most pubs in Ireland during the warmer months when much of the country didn’t have refrigerators for kegs, and Smithwicks could be served at a warmer temperature. Thank goodness in today’s day and age you can drink Guinness year-round!
5. Baby Shane can’t hang.
4. 4 leaf clovers stats.
4 leaf clovers are different than Shamrocks, which are always 3 cloves. There are 10,000 Shamrocks for every 1 lucky 4-leaf clover. A woman in Wisconsin holds the Guinness World Record for 4-leaf clovers collected with 118,791 if anybody wants to compete with her. (Source: UPI)
3. Guinness Pints on Saint Patrick’s Day
Every year, over 13 million pints of Guinness worldwide are drunk on Saint Patrick’s Day. I hope you’ve contributed to this, you know I am.
2. Leprechauns come from folklore.
The red-haired, green-clothed Leprechaun is derived from figures called “lobaircin” or “small-bodied fellow.” In Celtic folklore, Leprechauns could use their magical powers for both good and evil. Oftentimes, they were described as having cranky souls. When they weren’t after their pot of gold, they were shoe cobblers.
(Source: History)
1. The Brian Boru's Harp Logo.
The harp has been a national symbol of Ireland dating back to the 1400s. The Guinness logo Brian Boru's harp has been around since around the 15th century and can be found at Trinity College in Dublin. Guinness trademarked the symbol as their own in 1876. Nearly half a century later, when Ireland became an independent nation, the newly formed government decided on the harp as its official emblem. Facing trademark infringement, the Irish Free State cleverly reversed the harp to ensure the government was in the good graces of Guinness.
(Source: Guinness Storehouse)
Today’s tune is Mary’s Pub by Amble.
Last year, my sister recommended that I give them a listen. They consist of Robbie Cunningham of County Sligo, Ross McNerney of County Longford, and Oisin McCaffrey of County Leitrim. The 3 lads formed the band about 2 years ago in Dublin. “We genuinely did just meet through music, we’re all from different counties (Sligo, Leitrim, and Longford). About a year ago, me and Robbie started singing our own songs in Dublin. And then we went to record one, and essentially said ‘Let's try and get Ross McNerney in here to play because he's a freak,” McCaffrey told Longford Live.
Mary’s Pub was the first song I listened to from them and why I’m pretty confident that more people will enjoy the tune because my dad likes it. My dad enjoys Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, U2, The Pogues, anything made before 1987, and under-the-radar Nashville Country artists that you’d see on the sidestreets away from Broadway Street (unless it’s at the Honky Tonk). Last Saint Patrick’s Day, on my Uber ride home with my parents & aunt Carmel from New York City, I had a shotgun with the aux. About 30 seconds into the opening verse, my dad said, “Thomas, will you turn the up a little louder.” He then turned to my mom and said, “Now this is a serious chune.” The fact that my sister and dad even indirectly agree on something is a miracle in itself, so yeah, this song fits right in with the Sunday Stumblin’ Along on Saint Patrick’s Day Eve.
The opening verse describes a guy and girl standing outside Mary’s Pub. You gotta admit that cigarette exchanges in songs always seem to be a big hit.
The chorus is class. It draws you into the story. They sing in a few times so we’ll get more context to the story after each verse. To me, paired with Verse 1, this means she’s asking him how to deal with sadness. He thinks about her because it makes him happy as a fool.
Cantered here is a great new vocabulary word. It means to move in a direction. Phil Lynott was the frontman of the Irish band Thin Lizzy. He has a statue in Dublin on Harry Street, just a block from Mary’s Bar & Hardware (Mary’s Pub). The [?] lyric that RapGenius can’t figure out seems to be scobe, which is Irish slang for what we Yanks would call a degenerate. So I guess this describes the couple walking by some scobed, drunk-looking, fool stumblin’ along. The couple shares a laugh as they walk down the cobble street.
Paired with Verse 2, this chorus describes the two of them watching the scene of the night go by. Sounds like they are living in the moment and don’t want the night to end. She’s asking him out he deals with sadness and he thinks about her because it makes him happy as a fool.
Buskers are street performers so their night has drifted to Grafton Street in Dublin. He tried being smooth grabbing her finger. Instead, she dragged him into a pub where they went for one, danced, and talked.
Paired with Verse 3, the chorus seems to insinuate he’s comfortable with her asking about anything. He’s an open book. She’s asking him out he deals with sadness. He thinks about her because it makes him happy as a fool.
Verse 4 describes a man from Skibbereen, County Cork. He just finished his last pint, went to pay the bill, and could see the glow the couple was giving off—quite a compliment.
Paired with Verse 4, we’re now getting more and more details on their nice night out in Dublin. Sadly, it seems like the night is about to end. She’s asking him out he deals with sadness. He thinks about her because it makes him happy as a fool.
In Verse 5, we finally get some more details about her. She’s leaving Dublin, a pretty big detail that changes the meaning of the choruses. I have 2 theories as to what this song is about. The 1st logical theory I had when I first heard it was that it’s a night out where two strangers share moments that’ll last a lifetime. She is in love with someone else back in Amsterdam. My 2nd theory is a bit more romanticized. It involves the narrator of the tune as the guy stationed far away that she loves no matter if they’re apart.
