Finnegan’s Wake – The Dubliners

Taking a short break of examination duties I thought I would post this version of the song Finnegan’s Wake. It was first published in America in the mid-19th century, it is a ballad about the wake of a hod-carrier by the name of Tim Finnegan who is too fond of whiskey. One day, with a hangover, he falls off a ladder and dies. His wake gets a bit rowdy and eventually a bottle of whiskey is thrown over his body, which brings him miraculously back to life.

It’s been in my mind since I got talking at lunch with some colleagues a while ago about James Joyce‘s famous novel Finnegan’s Wake largely because of the connection with particle physics via the word “quark” and thence to the Arthurian legends; for more of that see here. Anyway, one of the people there knew the song on which Joyce based his book and proceeded to sing a few verses of it, much to the surprise of the people sitting around us.

The interesting thing about the title is that Joyce dropped the apostrophe so it is not really about the wake of Tim Finnegan but lots of Finnegans waking up. The implication is that, in a way, we’re all Tim Finnegan. That’s exactly the sort of play on words – or in this case play on punctuation – that Joyce revelled in and with which Finnegans Wake is peppered.

Another reason for posting this is for a chance to see the iconic beards of the Dubliners, especially lead singer Ronnie Drew. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INiY-6tVnxI

#FinneganSWake #FinnegansWake #RonnieDrew #TheDubliners

Ronnie Drew was born on 16 September 1934 in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. He was a founder member of the Dubliners from 1962 to 1974. He rejoined in 1979 but then left for good in 1995. Although he was so intimately associated with being a 'Dubliner', he would sometimes say, "I was born and grew up in Dún Laoghaire, and no true Dubliner would accept that at all!"

#Ireland #IrishHistory #Dublin #Dubliners #RonnieDrew #OnThisDay

Ronnie Drew died on 16 August 2008 in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin. He was a founder member of the Dubliners from 1962 to 1974. He rejoined in 1979 but then left for good in 1995. Ronnie Drew was born in Dún Laoghaire in 1934. Although he was so intimately associated with being a 'Dubliner', he would sometimes say, "I was born and grew up in Dún Laoghaire, and no true Dubliner would accept that at all!"

#Ireland #IrishHistory #Dublin #Dubliners #RonnieDrew #OnThisDay

Ronnie Drew was born on 16 September 1934 in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. He was a founder member of the Dubliners from 1962 to 1974. He rejoined in 1979 but then left for good in 1995. Although he was so intimately associated with being a 'Dubliner', he would sometimes say, "I was born and grew up in Dún Laoghaire, and no true Dubliner would accept that at all!"

#Ireland #IrishHistory #Dublin #Dubliners #RonnieDrew #OnThisDay

Ronnie Drew died on 16 August 2008 in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin. He was a founder member of the Dubliners from 1962 to 1974. He rejoined in 1979 but then left for good in 1995.Ronnie Drew was born in Dún Laoghaire in 1934. Although he was so intimately associated with being a 'Dubliner', he would sometimes say, "I was born and grew up in Dún Laoghaire, and no true Dubliner would accept that at all!"

#Ireland #IrishHistory #Dublin #Dubliners #RonnieDrew #OnThisDay