In the bucolic community in Canada where I live, King Township, that comprises a handful of villages, a great number of small farms and probably almost as many horses as people, there is a vibrant arts community and an organization called Arts Society King (or just plain ASK) is at the centre of it.  Each year on the eve of St Patrick’s Day they organize a céilidh in the village where I live. I have emceed this event the last couple of years and would have done so again this year had the pretty severe winter we’ve been experiencing not forced a cancellation.

In the spirit of the event, and seeing as we are now two days past St Paddy’s day so I won’t be interrupting anyone else’s céilidh, here’s a limerick I wrote to promote  the event last year. (Must be read while supping Guinness and eating Irish stew!)

A versions of this you can see on page 10 of the current  Arts Society King magazine, “Mosaic”, posted on line at         http://issuu.com/kingmosaic/docs/maspring14_layout_1

If it’s Limericks dat ye can write

Den come out St Patterick’s Night

To Nobleton town,

Where da green beer flows down,

At da Postmaster’s House …. and recite.

 

For fierce competition dere’ll be

‘Tween various readers to see

When it comes to da verse

Who is better (or worse)

At dis comical poetery.

 

Dere’ll be plenty of old Irish stew

And I’ve already mentioned da brew.

Dere’s glasses o’ wine

To consume while you dine,

So dere might be a queue for da loo.

 

So if ye have nothing yet planned,

Ta be seein’ ye dere would be grand

And wear somethin’ green

Just to show dat yer keen

To be honourin’ ol’ Eyerieland.

 

And it’s twenty bucks paid at da door

To enjoy da hubbub an’ furore.

If ye need to quiz

Where Postmaster’s House is,

Isn’t dat what yer Google is for?

(But I’ll tell ye anyhow…. It’s at Old King Road in Nobleton.)

 

(Dere now!  Ye’ve really no excuse fer not bein’ dere, have ye?)

(And it’s all fer a good cause ye know …. It’s fer da Arts Society o’ King township (ASK))

(Oh, and all shillelaghs must be checked at da door.)

(And any leprechauns must be legal drinking age to participate in da brew)

(And dere may be coppers about wid dem brothelyzer things….  So if you want to drink and drive you better not be breathin’ when dey stop ye!)

With sincere apologies to all my Irish friends for the accent with which it was written. I hope you are still my friends after that…… 🙂