2
The poem is an English translation of an Irish poem on poítín (poteen), an Irish illictly-distilled spirit.
3
A 'punt' is a flat-bottomed boat. This is definitely not to be confused with the Irish currency, which means 'pound' in Gaelic.
4
'Yellow Batter' or 'Green Batter' are locations near Drogheda in Ireland.
5
John Wayne's character in the classic John Ford film of Maurice Walsh's short story 'The Quiet Man' was Sean Thornton.
Victor McLaglen played his sparring partner Will Danaher.
6
Thomas Smyth was a the nineteenth-century Cork native.
7
'Gallon' is a liquid measure, Irish for 'standing stone', and in Co. Cavan, can be a measure of land.
8
Oliver Plunkett suffered the torture of being hanged, drawn and quartered.
Return to Irelandseye
www.irelandseye.com