Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of one of my favourite Irish writers, Brian O’Nolan a.k.a. Flann O’Brien a.k.a. Myles na gCopaleen. He wrote two books so full of metafiction and multiple layers of narrative and freaky ideas that it is a pleasure to read them without even understanding half of the plot (if there is one). He also wrote an ode to the proverbial pint of plain, which I will quote later on.
Image by Life magazine, apparently.
The main purpose of this post however is to make you aware that the good people over at the Palace Bar in Dublin (which used to be Brian’s favourite haunt) are celebrating this day as “Mylesday” all day with readings, literary quizzes and many pints of plain. The fun starts around 2.30 PM, so why not combine literature with beer?
And here’s Brian, singing about the workman’s friend:
The Workmans Friend
When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When money’s tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.
In time of trouble and lousey strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.
PS: No April Fools’ joke included in the above.
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