Kiss Me I’m Irish – Part 2

Growing up in New York I had many friends of Irish ancestry and their families were quite proud of it. The Irish part of my European heritage comes from my father’s side (French and Irish) but I never felt any connection to Ireland save for my family’s devout Catholicism (mom converted after she married dad) and my father was more interested in Italian culture than anything else. My maternal grandfather was of French and Russian ancestry but since he was born on March 17 we always celebrated his birthday with a Saint Patrick's Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage and a Cookie O’ Puss ice cream cake from Carvel. Such was my Irish-American experience.

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

Saint Patrick’s Day- like most holidays in the United States- became commercialized a long time ago and while some may still celebrate the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky Irishman with a drink in his hand, I’ve always been more drawn to the darker and sadder aspects of the Irish experience: the rain, the gloom, and famine; the tragic romances, scary folk stories, and strict interpretation of Catholicism; the diaspora, the Troubles, the anti-Irish sentiment, and the Kennedys. Criminy, it’s enough to make anyone want a drink. Here are some (more) of my favorites from Irish artists. Enjoy!

The Divine Comedy

01. U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Live)” (2005)
02. The Dubliners – “Whiskey in the Jar (Live)” (1974)
03. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová – “Falling Slowly” (2007)
04. Tommy Makem – “The Butcher Boy” (1961)
05. The Cranberries – “You and Me” (1999)
06. The Cranberries – “Ode to My Family” (1994)
07. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem – “The Rising of the Moon (Live)” (1962)
08. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem – “Whiskey, You’re the Devil (Live)” (1962)
09. The Divine Comedy – “Absent Friends” (2004)
10. The Smiths – “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” (1984)
11. The Smiths –  “Rubber Ring” (1985)
12. The Smiths – “Asleep” (1985)
13. Sinéad O’Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
14. The Cranberries – “Linger” (1993)
15. Them – “My Lonely Sad Eyes” (1966)
16. The Smiths – “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” (1986)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...