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Festivals along the Wild Atlantic Way - Limerick
Foynes Limerick
FMIrlyiasinhyg3C0Botohffae-teJMuFnueesste1ivusatmlFoynes MLiamrcehric6kthC-8htohra2l0F1e5stival will be held on
L2i0m15er-icJkuSnein2g6sthIn-te2r9ntahti2o0n1a5l.Choral Festival
The Limerick
An effective tongue- twister, Limerick verse is often used by English teachers with the subtlties of the
language. A short, humourous poem of five lines, the first and the second and fifth lines rhyme with each
other. Also, the third and fourth lines. There are many theories as to the origins of these forms of poem –
some suggest that it was thought up by soldiers returning to Limerick from France, others that it comes
from the chorus “Will you come up to Limerick?” which was once sung at the end of improvised songs
at Irish parties. In the 18th century, poets of the Maigue valley would meet and hold festivals at Croom on
the river Maigue. Here they would customarily amuse themselves and their friends by concocting light,
funny and often bawdy verses, which eventually became known as “poems from Limerick” or “limericks”!
A flea and a fly in a flue “There was an old man from Peru
Were caught, so what could they do? Who dreamt he was eating his shoe.
“Let us fly” said the flea. He awoke in a fright
“Let us flee” said the fly. In the middle of the night
So they flew through the flaw in the flue. And found it was perfectly true.”
(Anonymous) (from the Spongebob Squarepants Cartoon)
“There was an Old Man with a beard There once was a man from Nantucket
Who said, ‘It is just as I feared! Who drank all his beer from a bucket
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren, When his arms got too sore
A friend gave him a straw
Have all built their nests in my beard!’” And he said ‘I will just have to suck it’.
(Edward Lear) (Anonymous)
100
Foynes Limerick
FMIrlyiasinhyg3C0Botohffae-teJMuFnueesste1ivusatmlFoynes MLiamrcehric6kthC-8htohra2l0F1e5stival will be held on
L2i0m15er-icJkuSnein2g6sthIn-te2r9ntahti2o0n1a5l.Choral Festival
The Limerick
An effective tongue- twister, Limerick verse is often used by English teachers with the subtlties of the
language. A short, humourous poem of five lines, the first and the second and fifth lines rhyme with each
other. Also, the third and fourth lines. There are many theories as to the origins of these forms of poem –
some suggest that it was thought up by soldiers returning to Limerick from France, others that it comes
from the chorus “Will you come up to Limerick?” which was once sung at the end of improvised songs
at Irish parties. In the 18th century, poets of the Maigue valley would meet and hold festivals at Croom on
the river Maigue. Here they would customarily amuse themselves and their friends by concocting light,
funny and often bawdy verses, which eventually became known as “poems from Limerick” or “limericks”!
A flea and a fly in a flue “There was an old man from Peru
Were caught, so what could they do? Who dreamt he was eating his shoe.
“Let us fly” said the flea. He awoke in a fright
“Let us flee” said the fly. In the middle of the night
So they flew through the flaw in the flue. And found it was perfectly true.”
(Anonymous) (from the Spongebob Squarepants Cartoon)
“There was an Old Man with a beard There once was a man from Nantucket
Who said, ‘It is just as I feared! Who drank all his beer from a bucket
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren, When his arms got too sore
A friend gave him a straw
Have all built their nests in my beard!’” And he said ‘I will just have to suck it’.
(Edward Lear) (Anonymous)
100
