Rum, Sodomy and the Lash - and that was just for starters. Last Saturday's London Fleadh, billed as the biggest celebration of Celtic music and culture in the world, attracted 60,000 Irish and wannabe Irish revellers to a sun-drenched Finsbury Park for an exuberant day's celebration. And who would have thought it, but that man Shane McGowan only went and stole the whole show.
Despite the fact that he was competing with Van Morrison on the main stage and Ardal O'Hanlon in the comedy tent, the majority of punters crushed their way towards the second stage to see and hear McGowan run through some classic Pogues songs from the above-mentioned Rum, Sodomy and the Lash album. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the fleadh is run by Waterford's Vince Power of the Mean Fiddler organisation. Always a guaranteed day out of good music, good vibes and good fun, the fleadh is an annual rallying point for London's teeming Irish community.
Over the years the fleadh, has showcased the talents of Sinead O'Connor, Bob Geldof (in music hall mode) and Christy Moore. It has also acted as a springboard for newer bands coming through such as The Cranberries, Ash and The Divine Comedy.
Despite the loss this year of one of its main sponsors, Vince Power defiantly put on a bigger show than normal, with three stages in operation from early afternoon to late at night. Galway street theatre group Macnas set the mood early on as they paraded around in their "massive heads", while The Sawdoctors and Luka Bloom thrashed out their sets.
Honorary Irishman Elvis Costello had the crowd swooning to his Burt Bacharach co-composed songs, but the biggest shrieks (which probably registered on the Richter scale), were for Boyzone's Ronan Keating, who was using the fleadh to stage his first solo performance.
The comedy tent was a surprise hit of the day, with Navan Man and dual Perrier winners Tommy Tiernan and Dylan Moran attracting massive crowds as they rambled delightfully away about the experience of being Irish in Britain. During his set Ardal O'Hanlon noted that he was a typical Irish person in that he didn't live there any more and he proceeded gracefully along despite people incessantly shouting up at him to "do Dougal" - his character from Father Ted.
"Tiochfaidh ar la" slurred Shane McGowan, between songs in his set, which prompted a few republican shouts from his audience - maybe it's a London-Irish thing.
Banging his way through A Pair of Brown Eyes, Sally McLennane and Dirty Old Town, McGowan demonstrated that his career is far from being on the slide, and like the fleadh itself he just keeps rockin' along.
The craicometer registered 90.
