Irish poet captures the feelings of a nation with his poem to celebrate the pubs re-opening
An Irishman has written a poem to celebrate the re-opening of pubs and it has captured the mood of the country perfectly.
Daragh Curran of Meath wrote Bacon Fries to mark the day that our pub doors were opened once again, and he has cleverly put into words the sentiments that many of us will recognise.
Prior to the covid-19 pandemic, Curran was on a quest across Ireland to visit as many pubs as he could and review each one on the quality of their pints of Guinness.
He goes by the name the Guinness Guru and hosts a podcast called OnlyCans where he discussed his experiences and the beverages he had consumed.
So, it is fair to say that he has been in more than a few Irish pubs in his time, and so has a good insight into the importance they play in our lives and local communities.
It is this connection to the pubs and the people inside them that inspired Curran to write Bacon Fries.
The poem, named after the popular bartime snack, is full of rhyme and rhythm and the lyrics and is performed brilliantly by Curran in a video post on his Twitter page.
One part of the poem reads: “Sick of cans and sick of plastic cups, of that first pint I’ll be taking drastic sups.”
Of course, it is great for us all to get out and enjoy a few drinks in a proper local pub, but Curran also captures the feeling of relief and joy that the nation is feeling at being allowed back out to socialise and mix with loved ones, family and friends.
Pubs are not just places to consume alcohol but they are hubs of the community where people can mix together and share stories and laughter, as well as tears and pain.
They also play a significant role in our lives, which have been put on hold for the duration of the pandemic.
People have been happy to comply and work together to ensure the safest way to end the lockdown restrictions.
However, there is little doubt that many have missed out on the usual celebrations that would be associated with landmarks in their lives.
The mood is beautifully summed up by Curran with the line: “To the lad who was eighteen when this all began, deprived of the sessions that make you a man.
“And that same young lad, now well he’s twenty, and he’ll drink plenty, ‘til those kegs are empty.
“To the man who just turned eighty-five, who kept the faith alive, who’s just so happy that his best mate survived this whole thing.”
Curran uses brilliant wordplay and rhyme to deliver his poem. He doesn’t play into any of the silly stereotypes about Irish people enjoying too much to drink, but channels the emotions we have all felt throughout the past year or so.
The poem has gained huge amounts of praise and popularity on social media and has received many positive comments including one suggesting it is good enough to be used in an actual Guinness advert.
Take a look for yourself below.
‘Bacon Fries’ by The Guinness Guru pic.twitter.com/VaOWbjtBPl
— The Guinness Guru (@GuinnessGuru) June 8, 2021