Erie go Brach

Every time I get out on this bike I feel like I am flying a bit of the ol' Irish tricolor.

Anyway, Happy St. Patrick's Day, or St. Paddy's Day, but definitely not St. Patty's Day. Why, you might ask, is it correctly spelled with a double-d? Because Padraig, the Irish spelling of Patrick, is spelled with a 'd', not a 't'.

Anyway, in honor of the day, if not also the man, here is a little ditty from 1893, Kelly's Bicycle Song, by John Kelly:

"I'm the luckiest man on top of earth in gambling of all kind,

I bought a raffling ticket at a church fair, do ye mind;

A prize went with each ticket, 'twas a lott'ry, fair and square,

From shoestrings to pianos grand, the devils' own things were there.

Last week they had the drawing, they told me that I won;

Says they, "O'Mara, you're a brute, you're going to have some fun."

"Now what the divil is it, boys?" I quickly did inquire;

It's a high-toned safety bicycle, with a big rheumatic tire!"

Talk about riding billy-goats, or riding on a rail,

Or trying to ride a cowboy horse, where you hold on by the tail;

I've tried one and all, had many a fall, so take my word,

There's nothing so mean as that divil's machine, the bicycle.

I have tried for hours, in my back yard, but couldn't mount the seat,

I frightened all the children when I went out on the street;

And after many bumps and thumps I thought I'd learned the knack,

But dashed into a street car and knocked it off the track.

Next day I tried the country for twenty miles about.

When all at once I struck a rock, and all the wind flew out;

I had no air-pump with me, like a jay I sat alone,

I shouldered mister bicycle and I walked the whole way home."

Is "rheumatic" tire just a play on words for what would correctly be a "pneumatic" tire, or is it a spelling error at whatever website I found this? I don't know.

Anyway, Erie go Brach, or Erin go Bragh, or... oh heck, maybe just leave it at Ireland Forever.