Do you like Irish rebel songs? They can be catchy, stirring, inspiring and downright militant. That’s to say they are controversial as hell.
Toronto has a huge number of people who claim Irish heritage. In fact, it is well known that there are more “Irish” people outside of Ireland than there are in Ireland itself.
Toronto has a lot of Irish pubs with Irish motifs; Irish bartenders; and Guinness on tap . They have names like “Finn McCool’s:; “O’Grady’s”; “The Old Sod”; “Scallywags”; “Grace O’Malley’s”; etc.
But the one thing that virtually all of the pubs avoid is the singing of popular old Rebel Ballads. We have people of Irish descent who are on both sides of the old equation so pub entertainment takes care not to offend any sensitivities.
Except for “McVeigh’s”, that is!
McVeigh’s is a rather “politically incorrect” Irish Pub. They play foot-stomping, blood-boiling rebel songs, railing against centuries old transgressions – good old fashioned in-your-face Irish ballads.
It’s a fifteen or twenty minute walk to McVeigh’s located on Church Street south of Toronto’s gay village among pawn shops and camera shops. Quite a colourful area actually.
Tonight (Saturday) in lieu of our usual five establishment “Pub Crawl” it has been decided to walk to McVeigh’s because of the warmer weather.
If I weren’t working tonight, I’d sign up for the excursion. Hang on to your hats folks; it won’t be boring!
“…death to every foe and traitor; whistle up the marching tune; with your pike upon your shoulder; by the rising of the moon!”
Erin Go Bragh!
