With Ian Paisley announcing his retirement, here are a few clips from YouTube of the Big Man in action. First, Paisley calls the Pope the Antichrist at the UN Assembly in 1988. Which is of course funny, but even funnier is the news commentary at the start, which reveals that a display of bronze nudes had been removed from the UN lobby for fear of offending the Papal entourage.
The creators of Magnum PI were careful to avoid Irish stereotypes in this 1983 episode titled Faith and Begorrah. The story supposedly starts in Armagh, where an Irish priest called Father Paddy McGuinness, who suprisingly has a fondness for whiskey, suspects a British army brigadier of stealing the ashes of Saint Patrick’s crozier while searching his church for IRA weapons. Here’s the first few minutes of the episode, culminating in Father McGuinness meeting Magnum in a bar and accusing him of blasphemy for ordering a Virgin Mary.
Here are ten great videos of buskers on Dublin’s Grafton Street, starting with Niall Lawlor, an extremely talented guitarist who I’ve often listened to while in town. This video was uploaded by YouTube user Devilock79. And there are more YouTube clips of Lawlor in action here, here and here.
Meanwhile, up at the Stephen’s Green end of the street, here is a very acrobatic limbo dancer, courtesy of SneakySnufflez.
Eight more Grafton Street busking videos are just a click away, including:
Gypsy jazz from Bristol band Sheelanagig
An exhilarating drum solo by Gavin Ryan from Cork
Guitar Dan playing Mark Knopfler style
An amazing football keepy-uppy routine
James O’Toole and band rocking in a free world
Polish busker Pan Witek and a very drunk passer-by
I know it’s very 1970s, but I’m going to start with Gilbert O’Sullivan because I’ve been listening to his Berry Vest CD as background music for my writing this week. This is a medley of Matrimony, Clair and Get Down.
This next video is so surreal that I’ll just publish it without comment. It’s from TyphoonUpThe Deise, and it’s titled Waterford Alien.
Lots more Waterford-related videos are just a click away, including:
‘It’s alright to say, things can only get better - you haven’t lost your brand new sweater!’ Continuing our trip around Ireland as portrayed on YouTube, here are Cork legends Sultans of Ping with Where’s Me Jumper?
Next comes a worthy rival to the Sultans’ iconic status. Slocum63 has uploaded this video of Cork City fan Finbarr on a trip to Iceland, serenading a woman with a drink-assisted version of Mustang Sally.
This is the first in a series of meanders through Ireland as portrayed on YouTube. Let’s start with this sophisticated - and strangely appropriate - tribute to the Belfast Boy Georgie Best. It’s from YouTube user K2UGA. If you like it, there’s another version here.
