Last Friday 19th February Joan Carty Cloneish gave us a few lines that
came into her head.
"Clotty Mallotty
who lived down the lane
Was everyday washing
And ne'er a day clane"

"When the sun goes to rest
The laziest people
Work the best"

And on marriage -

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday is no day at all"
Joan reckons that the list referred to suitable
days for marriage.

The next day Patrick Kenny had a couple of verses
that were supposed to be said when Thomas Moore met
Robbie Burns while cleaning a bridge in Leeds.

"You Scottish Loon
Leave down the broom
And let Thomas Moore
Pass by"

"You Irish ass
Have'nt you room to pass
Betwixt the wall and I"

And on The Irish Times Book Club supplement on Saturday
there was a translation from Irish of the poem we knew
as "Anois teacht an earrai" or "The coming of Spring"
written by Anthony Raftery, blind poet (c1784-1835)
and translated by Michael Coady.

The Blind Poet's Vision of Spring

With the coming of spring the light will be gaining
So after Brid's feast day I'll set my course -
Since it entered my head I'll never rest easy
Till I'm landed again in the heart of Mayo.
I'll spend the first night in the town of Claremorris
And in Balla I'll raise my glass in a toast,
To Kiltimagh then, I could linger a month there
Within easy reach of Ballinamore.

I testify here that my heart in me rises
Like a fresh breeze lifting fog from the slopes
When I think on Carra and Gallen below it,
On Sceathach a'Mhile or the plains of Mayo.
Killedan's a place where all good things flourish,
Blackberries,raspberries,treats by the score,
Were I to stand there again with my people
Age would fall from me and I'd be restored.

When Patrick Kenny read the cutting he started off with
"Anois teacht an earrai;
Beidh an la ag dull chun sinne
O chuir e mo ceann e
Naoir stoppaige me choite
Gur seasa me sios ith lar Coinde Maoi.

Then he gave us some verses of the poem
"Mise Raftarai an file
Lan dochas is gra etc
Sorry about the Irish spelling.