Ireland won its independence from Britain in 1921. It was then, and essentially still is, a rural country with social life centered around farms, villages, and towns. Up to the 1970s, the institution of the country dance hall was omnipresent and crucially important.
Michael Coady was born and still lives in the small town of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary. In this poem, he uses onomatopoeia to capture the sounds of dancing feet on the floors of such a hall. What he calls "The Friction of Feet in Time."
The poem is from "One Another" by Michael Coady, released by The Gallery Press, Oldcastle 2003. Details of the music used, in order, are below:
"Shoe the Donkey," Le Ceoltóiri Cultúrlainne, Foinn Seisiún 1: Traditional Irish Session Tunes
"Good Night, Sweetheart," Guy Lombardo, Guy Lombardo
Words and Music is a feature of A Celtic Sojourn. If you have a suggestion for a poem, a reading, or a piece of music that would fit the series, send an email to celtic@wgbh.org and put "Words and Music" in the subject line.
