It Occurs To Me: A wee song for the other wee county

Earlier in the week, I put this song up on Facebook and I had a great response. A number of people asked about the lyrics, so here they are:

We're on the one road sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one road

It may be the wrong road

But we're together now, who cares?

Louth men, Louth men, comrades all

Tryin’ to get our wee bus up to Donegal

We're on the one road, swingin' along

But it’s all gone wrong!

Though we won the Leinster fair and square

Now is the time to travel way up there,

A wee run westwards in a red convoy. 

And a one night stay in Enniskillen, boys, 

We're on the one road sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one road

It may be the wrong road

But we're together now, who cares?

Louth men, Louth men, comrades all

Tryin’ to get our wee bus up to Donegal

We're on the one road, swingin' along

But it’s all gone wrong!

The full back says, ‘Ben Bulben is a sight’,

The keeper says, ‘there’s something not quite right!’

The midfield chorus…together, one and all.

‘We didn’t know Drumcliffe was in dear old Donegal!’

We're on the one road sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one road

It may be the wrong road

But we're together now, who cares?

Louth men, Louth men, comrades all

Tryin’ to get our wee bus up to Donegal

We're on the one road, swingin' along

But we’ve all gone wrong!

The driver says, ‘this satnav has a leak’

‘I thought it said, ‘Just head up through Belleek’

‘Ah thanks be to God’ - the forwards are all roarin’

There’s a sign up ahead - ‘You’re Welcome to Bundoran!’

We're on the one road sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one road

It may be the wrong road

But we're together now, who cares?

Louth men, Louth men, comrades all

Tryin’ to get our wee bus up to Donegal

We're on the one road, swingin' along

But we’ve all gone wrong!

Sam Mulroy is not near Mulroy Bay,

And Sam Maguire is very far away,

I think we’ll go back by another scenic route,

On bicycles or scooters or maybe just on foot!

We're on the one road sharing the one load

We're on the road to God knows where

We're on the one road

It may be the wrong road

But we're together now, who cares?

Louth men, Louth men, comrades all

Tryin’ to get our Wee bus up to Donegal

We're on the one road, swingin' along

But we’ve all gone wrong!                                    

                                   Horrid dacent!

Two Cavan friends are driving from Virginia to Breffni Park to see their team play Donegal. Just as they're leaving, Jimmy asks his friend Tommy if he would like a silvermint ? “Oh begod” says Peter,  thanks Jimmy…you’re horrid dacent!”.

Somewhere between Stradone and Butlersbridge, Jimmy asks again: “Would you like another silvermint ? “ Surprised, Tommy responds: “Sure, didn't you give me one twenty minutes ago?”

“Ah” says Jimmy, “when you’re out…you’re out!”                           

                     Welcome to the land of the unfree!

On his first day as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order ordering increased vetting of persons entering the United States to ensure they “do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles”. Somewhat ironic, considering that the only hostile attitudes since are emanating from the White House itself.

Last month, our Department of Foreign Affairs said that while it was aware of reports that the US has instructed its diplomatic missions to pause appointments for interviews in certain visa categories, including J1 student visas, its  understanding was that existing appointments in Ireland hadn’t been cancelled. Also in May, Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticised the moves by the US and said there should not be “any overzealous examinations of people’s records” by officials.

Now, however, the US embassy in Dublin has insisted that future applicants looking to visit the USA will be required to divulge “lists of all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years” on their visa application form.

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It also insisted that people should set their social media profiles to public, and will also be required to “list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years” on their visa application form. The US embassy reiterated that a visa “is a privilege, not a right” for travellers and that every visa decision was a “national security decision”.

“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.” 

Just a reminder…you have a convicted felon in the White House! Maybe in the future, our Government might grow a pair of balls and next time Trump comes to Doonbeg to play golf, remind him that we do not allow people in here who seek to harm “our national interests”.

Orange sauce for the goose…same for the gander!                                    

                              What is true Christianity?

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, who, apart from his theological writings, was known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Nazi euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of Jews. He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned at Tegel Prison for 1½ years. Later, he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp.

Bonhoeffer was accused of being associated with the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler and was tried along with other accused plotters, including former members of the Abwehr (the German Military Intelligence Office). He was hanged on April 9, 1945 during the collapse of the Nazi regime.

He argued that “stupidity is more dangerous than evil!” Sound familiar? 

Dom Hélder Câmara, the legendary archbishop in Brazil during the military dictatorship of 1964 - 19895, famously said: “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” He was a passionate advocate of persuading young people to avoid violence, even when angry and frustrated: “If I joyfully spend the rest of my life, of my powers, of my energies in demanding justice, but without hatred, without armed violence, through liberating moral pressure, through truth and love, it is because I am convinced that only love is constructive and strong.”

His gospel was simple…demeaning other people, shouting instead of dialoguing, failing to see every person we meet as a dignified child of God - all these contradict what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Contrast that with the appalling far right so-called Christianity in the US…they’re going to get a quare gunk when the Pearly Gates slam in their faces. Mind you, they’ll hardly get that far!