Well, now, would you look who’s back on your screens? It’s been a wee while, but we’re back with your favourite mix of Irish banter, history, quotes and bits you didn’t know you needed to know. I was driving across Europe with a 15-month-old baby. Not sure when I thought it would be easy but it was not, especially with eight teeth coming out at the same time. Anyway, I am back in the office, so settle in – here comes this week’s dose!

Whether you’re sitting in Boston, Brisbane or Ballincollig, this is your weekly warm sip of Ireland, laced with laughter, lore, and lovely nuggets you’ll want to pass on at the pub.

History Spotlight – 29 June 1935: The Dance Halls Act

In the summer of 1935, the Irish state passed the Public Dance Halls Act, a law that forced every public dance to be licensed and monitored. Overnight, the spontaneous joy of crossroads céilís, barn dances, and kitchen gatherings was all but banned. The reasoning? Morality, mostly. The Carrigan Report linked house dances to immorality, and the Church was only too eager to help enforce it.

But the music didn’t stop—it adapted. While the Act tried to tame the wild rhythm of rural Ireland, it ended up creating new social spaces. By the 1950s and 60s, licensed dance halls had become community cornerstones, buzzing with life, romance, and the enduring beat of a bodhrán.

So yes, they tried to silence the tunes. But Irish music, like the people who play it, doesn’t take kindly to being told to hush.

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Irish Joke: The Handyman

An Irishman sees a job advert published on a building site, 'handyman

wanted apply within'. So he does and speaks to the foreman.

Foreman: Can you drive a forklift truck?

Irishman: No

Foreman: Can you plaster?

Irishman: No

Foreman: Can you brick lay?

Irishman: No

Foreman: If you don't mind me asking, what's handy about you?

Irishman: I only live five minutes down the road.

Bonus one:

An attractive young lady was on a plane arriving from Ireland. She found herself seated next to an elderly priest whom she asked: "Excuse me Father, could I ask a favor?" "Of course my child, What can I do for you?" "Here is the problem.I bought myself a new sophisticated vibrating hair remover for which I paid an enormous sum of money. I have really gone over the declaration limits and I am worried that they will confiscate it at customs. Do you think you could hide it under your cassock?" "Of course I could, my child, but you must realize that I cannot lie." "You have such an honest face Father, I am sure they will not ask you any questions", and she gave him the worrisome personal gadget. The aircraft arrived at its destination. When the priest presented himself to customs he was asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?" "From the top of my head to my sash, I have nothing to declare, my son", he replied. Finding his reply strange, the customs officer asked, "And from the sash down, what do you have?" The priest replied, "I have there a marvelous little instrument destined for use by women, but which has never been used." Breaking out in laughter, the customs officer said, "Go ahead Father. Next!"

Old Irish Word Worth Reviving – Suaimhneas

Meaning: Peace, calm, tranquillity.

Use it like this: “Bhí suaimhneas ceart ann tar éis na ceolchoirme.” – There was real peace after the concert.

Pronunciation: Soo-iv-ness

Why it’s worth knowing? Because it’s what everyone’s chasing and no one’s naming. It’s not mindfulness, it’s not zen—it’s suaimhneas. A word that feels like a sigh of relief in your chest.

Perfect for this mad world, and worth sharing with the diaspora who miss the sound of Irish words that carry more than their dictionary meaning.

Poem of the Week – “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W. B. Yeats

Written during the uncertain years after the 1916 Rising, Yeats stood by the still waters of Coole Park and saw something the chaos of the world couldn’t touch—beauty, grace, and permanence. This is one of his most reflective and heart-wrenching poems, and today, you get it in full:

The trees are in their autumn beauty,

The woodland paths are dry,

Under the October twilight the water

Mirrors a still sky;

Upon the brimming water among the stones

Are nine-and-fifty swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me

Since I first made my count;

I saw, before I had well finished,

All suddenly mount

And scatter wheeling in great broken rings

Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,

And now my heart is sore.

All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,

The first time on this shore,

The bell-beat of their wings above my head,

Trod with a lighter tread.

Unwearied still, lover by lover,

They paddle in the cold

Companionable streams or climb the air;

Their hearts have not grown old;

Passion or conquest, wander where they will,

Attend upon them still.

But now they drift on the still water,

Mysterious, beautiful;

Among what rushes will they build,

By what lake’s edge or pool

Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day

To find they have flown away?

Yeats captures the ache of ageing, the memory of youth, and the quiet awe of nature doing what it always does—carry on, regardless.

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Éire?

What battle ended the Nine Years’ War in 1601?

A) Clontarf

B) Kinsale

C) Boyne

D) Aughrim

Which High King led the Irish at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014?

A) Cú Chulainn

B) Brian Boru

C) Niall of the Nine Hostages

D) Diarmait Mac Murchada

In which century was the Book of Kells created?

A) 6th

B) 7th

C) 8th

D) 9th

What name was given to Irish soldiers who served in European armies after the Williamite Wars?

A) The Fighting Irish

B) The Wild Geese

C) The Gael Guard

D) The Celts Abroad

Who was the first female president of Ireland?

A) Mary McAleese

B) Countess Markievicz

C) Mary Robinson

D) Joan Burton

Answers:

1: B) Kinsale

2: B) Brian Boru

3: D) 9th

4: B) The Wild Geese

5: C) Mary Robinson

Closing Thought

The Dance Halls Act tried to box in the rhythm of the Irish heart—but it only made us play louder. From fields to stages, the music carried on. And Yeats, watching swans in still water, reminds us that some things—grace, memory, beauty—never fade, no matter how the world shifts.

Until next time, keep the stories alive and the tunes spinning.

Thanks for reading!

Stephen Palmer