Lisroe is a tiny community in County Clare, but it is near a popular bike loop. Laetitia and her group went bicycle riding in the area and visited O’Dea Castle. Some gossip from the pub where they went after the ride provided the limerick of the day. It was about a local bicyclist who was always in a hurry.
A young fellow who lived in Lisroe
Was addicted to sex on the go
Though it made him seem rude
And was dull as fast food
He just could not abide going slow.
Clonakilty is a picturesque market town of about 4,100 souls whose nineteenth century mill buildings have been converted to modern uses. In the center of town is a statue of Michael Collins, a former resident of Clonakilty, who led the Irish Republican Army and later the Free State Movement. The town is famous for its black pudding, a blood sausage similar to German blutwurst. The town hosts several festivals a year, including a guitar festival and a waterfront festival. Laetitia and her group visited the West Cork Model Village and the Drombeg Stone Circle. Some overheard back-fence gossip provided the limerick of the day.
A wife whom the town Clonakilty
Did presume was of cheating most guilty
Went to church for to pray
But came home, so they say
With the back of her clothing quite silty.
Skibbereen is a town in southern County Cork on the River Lien. The name means “little boat harbor.” In the 1840s the town was devastated by the potato famine. There is a famine cemetery near the town with a mass grave that is estimated to hold the remains of 8,000 to 10,000 famine victims. There is a song entitled Skibbereen, a melancholy tune about the potato famine, recently recorded by Sinead O’Connor. Today, the town has about 2,000 inhabitants.
Laetitia and her group happened to be in Skibbereen when the Skibbereen Arts Festival was in progress, so they attended it. As they walked the festival grounds sampling the many food offerings and viewing the visual treats in the stands, Laetitia saw an invitation to a costume ball held that evening and open to the public. She and her group decided to attend.
Finding costumes at the last minute was a bit of a challenge, but Laetitia managed to contact someone from the local opera/theater company that was willing to rent out their costumes. Since there wasn’t time for alterations, choosing a costume was mostly a matter of finding one that fit. Laetitia ended up dressed as the Queen of the Night from Mozart’s Magic Flute.
The costume ball was a splendid affair with great food and dancing and ceili music. A complaint overheard in the women’s restroom provided the limerick of the day.
Attired as Cleopatra the Queen
At a costume ball in Skibbereen
Meg couldn’t quite grasp
Why guests fondled her asp
But she thought it was dreadfully obscene.
County Cork abounds with lovely coastal walks, and Laetitia’s group spent the day discovering these. That evening they planned to go to a pub in Foilnamuck for dinner. Laetitia went to the pub early and sat at the bar having a Guinness before joining her group at a table for dinner. She never quite understood why people confided in her, but it led to a lot of interesting limericks. The young man sitting on the barstool next to her decided to talk to her about his preference in women. There was nothing unusual in what he liked. He preferred women who were content to dine on pub food. He didn’t care for those who demanded to be taken to fancy places that feature gourmet meals. The young man’s preference and the town name provided the limerick of the day.
A young man from the town Foilnamuck
Preferred girls who were willing to duck
Into a neighborhood pub
For a pint and some grub
And for each one he thanked his good luck.