A-Z Challenge Day 9

Keith's Ramblings

Short stories featuring musical instruments and those who play them!

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iiI can still see him, perched on a high stool, his Irish bouzouki resting on his knee as he strummed and plucked its strings. I can hear him too, his smokey husky voice growling into the mike …

     ‘Ah, you’re drunk, you’re drunk you silly old fool,

     still you can not see

                                                That’s a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me …’

Between songs, sometimes between verses, he’d take a few gulps of Guinness; he could down a pint in three goes!

     ‘I met my love by the gas works wall

     Dreamed a dream by the old canal

     I kissed my girl by the factory wall

     Dirty old town …’

He sang all kinds of songs, some sad, some poignant, others we could join in with. But it was funny ones we liked the best. Raucous, rude, baudy, silly and just plain funny!

      ‘Oh Dear, what can the matter be?

     seven old ladies are stuck in the lavat’ry

     they were there from Sunday ’till Saturday

     nobody knew they were there!’

He was in great demand. He travelled the country entertaining crowds of drinkers in taverns, festival-goers and even popped up on the telly sometimes. They called him the Irish Rover!

     ‘Well I’ll put on me walkin’ boots and be on the road in the mornin’

     I’ll spend a week in County Cork so give the girls fair warnin’

     I’m a Travelling Man I’m a drinkin’ man I’m gentle when I’m sober’.

By the way, his name was Tadgh. Yes, I have spelt it right! It’s pronounced ‘tige’. A fitting name actually, as he wrote many of his own lyrics, a lot of which modesty prevents me from sharing here! Tadgh means poet or bard in Irish. 

He lived to a ripe old age and sang to his dying day. He was buried with his Irish bousouki . I’ll leave you with the toast he proposed at the end of every performance, and they used at his wake –

     ‘May your glass be ever full.

     May the roof over your head be always strong.

     And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead!’

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2020 – Stories featuring obsolete – I

2019 – Stories for children – I

2018 – My Friend Rosey – I

2017 – The village of Amble Bay – I

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31 thoughts on “A-Z Challenge Day 9”

  3. msjadeli Apr 10, 2021 / 02:30

    I raise a glass to you, Keith. My favorite installment so far. Cheers!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. ahtdoucette Apr 10, 2021 / 14:09

    A tribute to musicians like him. Not sure if this is a real person, but I know this is many real people. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

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      • ahtdoucette Apr 10, 2021 / 15:51

        You have a pub? LOL. That explains a lot. I bet you’re the really interesting bartender with the stories. Have a pint and a tall tale and all that.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Keith's Ramblings Apr 10, 2021 / 15:54

        I had the pub for many years but sadly, no more. It was the liveliest place you could imagine so yes, I have many a tale to tell!

        Like

  8. jenne49 Apr 10, 2021 / 18:31

    Well, if Tadgh wasn’t a real person, he should have been. I think everybody needs to come across a Tadgh in their life at some point and be the happier for it. You really make him come to life on the page (sorry, screen!).

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Keith's Ramblings Apr 11, 2021 / 14:04

      Haha, thanks Jenne. I knew someone very much like him a few years ago, but when I sold my pub he vanished!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. Arti Jain Apr 11, 2021 / 08:50

    I’ll toast to that.
    Learnt two new words today. Cheers:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Stu Apr 11, 2021 / 15:08

    Poor old ladies. A week in the loo. What could they do?

    Liked by 1 person

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