Two phrases in our language today are associated with poitín, ‘Dead drunk’ where someone is in such an intoxicated state that they resemble a corpse. This then leads to the second phrase which in itself is perhaps the best known funeral tradition associated with Ireland, the ‘Wake or waking the dead’. The wake is the practice of leaving a corpse prior to burial for a day or two, in the hope that there is still a sign of life. If someone is in a dead-drunk or catatonic state they could possibly wake after a day or so. This practice led to the corpse being laid out in the centre of the room while a party ensued. This scenario is captured brilliantly in the song ‘Finnegan’s Wake’ which finishes with the line "Thunderin’ Jaysus do ya think I’m dead."
Poitín has been celebrated throughout Irish history in countless stories, songs, prose and poetry. A plethora of songs have been recorded relating to poitín, its American relation ‘Moonshine’ and for that matter, drinking in general, ‘The Pure Drop, A Book of Irish Drinking’ (1987) edited by J Killen is a fantastic collection of over seventy songs, poems and short stories by various authors recounting drinking tales down through the history of Ireland. Many of Irelands finest writers like Yeats, Binchy, Kavanagh, Heaney and Behan to name but a few have all written pieces in relation to drinking. The drinking culture in Ireland is well known and documented; Killen even states ‘that alcohol is fondly seen as the lubrication of most social occasions’
In 1942 during the Second World War, American troops that were stationed in Northern Ireland were issued with ‘A Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland’ which included,
"up in the hills you may be offered an illicit concoction known as ‘Poteen’. This is a moonshine whiskey made out of potato mash. Watch it Its Dynamite!"
According to legend that busy little man Saint Patrick was said to have been responsible for introducing poteen to Ireland in the fifth century A.D. Having run out of mass wine he brewed up the first batch of poteen, this is probably false and has more to do with the fact that Christian monks distilled the 'Aqua-Vitae' and as with a lot of other urban myths concerning St Patrick it has become part of Irish folklore.
The bells of the Cathedral in Tuam, County Galway are nicknamed the ‘Alco’s Chimes’ after a priest in the nearby village of Kilkieran was fined £100 when poitín was found in his church. The Bishop of Tuam used the money to buy the bells.
Poitín is regarded by some people and many farmers, especially in the West to contain medicinal properties. An interesting article was published in ‘The Irish News’ in 1927 about a rural farmer named T. Lynn who claimed he had the poitín as a cure for rheumatism, the Judge dismissed this, fined Lynn four pounds and advised him to ‘rub himself with pure whiskey in future’. Another article in ‘The Irish Times on the Web’ dated July 1997, tells of a Mr. Diver who caught with nine litres of poitín. In court he claimed that he bathed in it.
The Irish Heritage cookbook mentions a ‘Muller’ which was a long handled pot that was used (mainly in the Big House, or more affluent kitchens) for heating drinks, such as mulled wine or a hot poitín punch. Top Irish chef Kevin Dundon recently admitted that one of his favourite ‘empty larder’ recipes was for Tomato and Poitín soup. Poitín is also used widely in Christmas and rich fruit cakes; Mary Kinsella’s recipe for Poitín Cake recommends the fruit is steeped in poitín overnight and also mixed through the dough adding to the flavour while also moistening the cake. I will forward the recipes on request.
More stories
Poitín has been celebrated throughout Irish history in countless stories, songs, prose and poetry. A plethora of songs have been recorded relating to poitín, its American relation ‘Moonshine’ and for that matter, drinking in general, ‘The Pure Drop, A Book of Irish Drinking’ (1987) edited by J Killen is a fantastic collection of over seventy songs, poems and short stories by various authors recounting drinking tales down through the history of Ireland. Many of Irelands finest writers like Yeats, Binchy, Kavanagh, Heaney and Behan to name but a few have all written pieces in relation to drinking. The drinking culture in Ireland is well known and documented; Killen even states ‘that alcohol is fondly seen as the lubrication of most social occasions’
In 1942 during the Second World War, American troops that were stationed in Northern Ireland were issued with ‘A Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland’ which included,
"up in the hills you may be offered an illicit concoction known as ‘Poteen’. This is a moonshine whiskey made out of potato mash. Watch it Its Dynamite!"
According to legend that busy little man Saint Patrick was said to have been responsible for introducing poteen to Ireland in the fifth century A.D. Having run out of mass wine he brewed up the first batch of poteen, this is probably false and has more to do with the fact that Christian monks distilled the 'Aqua-Vitae' and as with a lot of other urban myths concerning St Patrick it has become part of Irish folklore.
The bells of the Cathedral in Tuam, County Galway are nicknamed the ‘Alco’s Chimes’ after a priest in the nearby village of Kilkieran was fined £100 when poitín was found in his church. The Bishop of Tuam used the money to buy the bells.
Poitín is regarded by some people and many farmers, especially in the West to contain medicinal properties. An interesting article was published in ‘The Irish News’ in 1927 about a rural farmer named T. Lynn who claimed he had the poitín as a cure for rheumatism, the Judge dismissed this, fined Lynn four pounds and advised him to ‘rub himself with pure whiskey in future’. Another article in ‘The Irish Times on the Web’ dated July 1997, tells of a Mr. Diver who caught with nine litres of poitín. In court he claimed that he bathed in it.
The Irish Heritage cookbook mentions a ‘Muller’ which was a long handled pot that was used (mainly in the Big House, or more affluent kitchens) for heating drinks, such as mulled wine or a hot poitín punch. Top Irish chef Kevin Dundon recently admitted that one of his favourite ‘empty larder’ recipes was for Tomato and Poitín soup. Poitín is also used widely in Christmas and rich fruit cakes; Mary Kinsella’s recipe for Poitín Cake recommends the fruit is steeped in poitín overnight and also mixed through the dough adding to the flavour while also moistening the cake. I will forward the recipes on request.
More stories