http://homepage.eircom.net/~dmackcee/dbase.htm
It would not be remarkable if it happened in some well known country that had a history or military might, but a rainy windswept Island most of which is peatbog and against the mightiest empire since Rome!
Two million half starved badly educated barely armed peasants whupped the British at the zenith of English pomp and domination.
If that ain’t history I don’t know what is!
Here the Garda Shiochana ( the Irish Republic Police Force|) has a ceildih band, and this photo is of some of them playing Irishdance music way back when Irish was still a dirty word in most anglo countries.
It reminds me of Ford Prefect cars, International tractors, thrashing machines, kids chasing field mice, hunting the ''Ran" ( wren …BTW we didn’t hunt anything, it was/is a day when kids got to play music for the neighbors on things like - Tamborines - Clarke’s Tinwhistles - Hohner Melodians and or Harmonicas - and rarely Fiddles or Flutes.
It reminds me of bars full of old guys drinking guinness and lots of ciggarette smoke, Woodbines, Wills … etc It reminds me of the smell of cowpoo and me cleaning out the ‘bire’ ( cow bedroom )