Irked Irish Bar Bans 'Danny Boy'

St. Paddy's Day revelers will have to do their crooning elsewhere...
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 17, 2008 6:31 AM CDT
Irked Irish Bar Bans 'Danny Boy'
Pat Cosgrove of Dublin, Ireland plays bagpipes with the Irish Prison Service Pipe Band, of Dublin, Ireland, during, the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston.    (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

That annual Guinness-fueled serenade led by green-hat-and-bead-clad Yanks wearing "Kiss me, I'm Irish" pins won't be heard at Foley's Pub in New York today; barkeep Shaun Clancy has banned the maudlin lyrics of "Danny Boy" during the month of March, and especially on St. Patrick's Day. "Everybody thinks that after three pints, you're entitled to get up there and butcher the song," says Clancy.

Since banning the song, Clancy has been profiled in 70-plus newspapers worldwide and appeared on TV—a radio station even staged a "Danny Boy" marathon in retaliation. But Clancy's resolute. "It's a beautiful song,'' Clancy said, "if Elvis, or some Irish tenors are singing it. But there's more to Ireland than 'Danny Boy' and Lucky Charms.'' (More Danny Boy stories.)

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