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As the sgriob climbed up,
my thirsty, croiméal bristles,
I was tickled, and, teased,
by the uisce bheatha.

Fuisce gazed, pining,
for what was yet to be.
Gingerly, it beckoned,
first, my cerulean súile,
then, my scarlet beola.

Orange and blue, plumed,
transfixed, like a; rabharta.

Generously I supped,
and, slurped. Whilst my spirits,
were lifted. Entering and exiting,
betwixt, my séanas.

If my súile are the windows to my soul,
then, my séanas is the drawbridge.

Several hours went by…
filled with raucous laughter,
craic and gargle.
Plus, the giving and receiving,
of tall, meandering, unruly scéilíní.

The world was put, well, to rights.
Agus, I also recall a grinn jóc,
about hearing a zombiefied,
Mick McCarthy, caoin,
by, Roy Keane’s, graveside.

Aduantas, go leor.
As I rose, in the camhanaich,
beside, an empty bottle of Jameson’s.
The bottle as green as my gills;
my fate, had been decided,
with every glass, poured, and, d’ól.

My God, my geis!!
Some say, the devil is dead,
and buried in Killarney.
I say, he’s waiting for you,
at the bottom of a buidéal fuisce.

Now, I’m due to be married,
to the rothar sráidbhaile,
in about a week, or, so…

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Glossary of Irish words in the context of this poem:

1 Pósadh – Marriage

2) Dothuigthe – Unintelligible, abstruse, enigmatic.

3) Sgriob – The itchiness of the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky.

4) Croiméal – Moustache.

5) Uisce bheatha, Fuisce, – Whiskey.

6) Súile – Eyes.

7) Beola – Lips.

8) Rabharta – A spring tide.

9) Séanas – A gap between the upper front teeth.

10) Scéilíní, singular Scéal – Stories, story.

11) Agus – And.

12) Grinn jóc – Funny joke.

13) Caoin – Keen – a wailing cry, usually, at a funeral.

14) Aduantas – The angst that comes with being in an unfamiliar place and among unfamiliar people (especially following a night of heavy drinking, in this case).

15) Go leor – Galore – To sufficiency, In abundance.

16) Camhanaich – Half-light; early morning twilight.

17) D’ól – Drank.

18) Geis – Taboo, prohibition; injunction; something you do (or don’t do), upon which your life depends, or which defines your life.

19) Buidéal fuisce – Whiskey bottle.

20) Rothar – Bicycle, bike.

21) Sráidbhaile – Village.

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