Lá na Gaoithe Móire 💨⛈️

So, What’s the Craic?

The Craic returns on this stormy Friday evening, bringing you tales from home and snippets of any interesting Irishness abroad. If you like this dose of craic, pass it on to friends and family by asking them to sign up here.

News from Shift!

Today is a big day for us. We’re launching a sneak preview website at Shift.irish. This is the first tiny step towards our larger mission - to connect Irish people everywhere. This new micro-site spotlights some of the Washington DC area’s St Patrick’s Day events, as well as our new blog, Shift Perspectives. Next month, we’re launching the first official version of Shift → a directory of all things Irish, in time for St Patrick’s Day (and month’s) events happening across the globe. We have a mobile app for IRL connections, and so much more planned for the future - you can learn more on our FAQ, at, you’ve guessed it, Shift.irish. And yes, that’s the domain name. ☘️

News from Home

She’s a Bit Blowy Outside. Aside from the pissin’ rain that lasts about 13 months of the year, we don’t really get extreme weather events here in Eire. But Storm Éowyn is a different beast. The storm of the century, weather experts have been saying, and it has already broken records with wind speeds of 114mph. We’ve even had ‘hurricane chasers’ arrive from Florida, the fecking eejits. Schools and all non-essential businesses have closed this Friday. We are still feeling the brunt of the storm, so let’s hope everyone stays safe.

Heals All Ills. Grazed knee? Use some Sudocrem. Acne? Bit of Sudocrem soon have you looking dapper. Weird-looking lump on your arse? Reach for the Sudocrem (just kidding; call a doctor). The gloopy white paste has been an Irish cure-all for generations, fixing everything from diaper rash to eczema to cuts and scrapes. Created by Dubliner Thomas Smith in the 1930s, the brand is now on sale in the United States for the first time, so find a place in your drugs cabinet for Irish mammies’ longtime secret weapon.

Inauguration Day. While the world was watching Elon Musk Donald Trump being sworn in as POTUS, we actually had our own wee inauguration here in the Dáil Éireann. But it didn’t go smoothly. Micéal Martin was supposed to get the nod as Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) this week, but some shenanigans ensued in the Irish Parliament to delay the big moment by a day. He got there in the end, though.

Let’s Boycott. The Oscar Nominees were announced yesterday, and everyone – not just the Irish – predicted Kneecap would get short-listed for Best International Feature. Alas, no. It’s a shame, as the rap trio’s movie was truly unique. It’s actually a down year for Ireland, with no acting nominations. Ah well, we’re sure Cillian, Saoirse, Paul, and the rest will be back in the mix next year.

Super Dads. We’ve said before that we love it when the Irish do pointless things for the craic, but every so often we see them tackle a challenge for the most poignant of purposes. Five Irish dads have just rowed the 3,000 miles or so across the Atlantic Ocean. Why? To honor the memory of one of their daughters, Saoirse, who passed away last year aged just 13 💔. Fair dues, fellas.

The Irish Influence

In this week of political change, we thought we better give you a rundown of the man with the Big Job over here. Just who is Taoiseach Micéal Martin? The 64-year-old Cork native is, first and foremost, a political survivor. This is his second stint as Taoiseach, and he is one of the few senior ministers to have survived the fall of the Celtic Tiger in 2008. He has been a stalwart of Fianna Fáil (Ireland’s most successful political party) since the late 1980s, navigating scandals, economic downturns, referenda, the good times and the bad. Martin clearly had that Joe Biden-esque quality of never hiding his desire for the top job. While critics argue he eventually got it as a reward for longevity rather than an upswell of support, Martin is intelligent, politically savvy, and a man of conviction. Indeed, if we were to sign off with a compliment (rare in this political era, we know), we’d say the most admirable thing about Ireland’s new boss is that he isn’t afraid of speaking up for what he believes in, and that definitely includes Ireland’s role as a voice for global peace.

Cúpla Focal

Today, everyone is talking about An Stoirm (the storm). It’s the most serious weather event in generations, so it recalls the fabled Oíche na Gaoithe Móire (Night of the Big Wind) of 1839, a cataclysmic event that swept the island. Storm Éowyn has mostly been a daytime event, so future historians might one day look back at Lá na Gaoithe Móire (Day of the Big Wind).

Blast from the Past

Who or what defines Irish folk music? Some might argue that Christy Moore epitomizes the genre, but for our money no sound is as quintessentially Irish as Luke Kelly’s distinctive raspy voice belting out tunes with the Dubliners. Kelly, whose anniversary will take place next week (he passed away in 1984), was a huge figure in the Irish folk revival in the 60s and 70s, but battled alcoholism in the years before his death. He left behind a blueprint for what Irish folk music is all about: joyous, mournful, witty, raw, and unapologetic.

And One Last Thing….

The first Irish coffees were invented by Joe Sheridan in the 1940s. Joe was a chef at the teeny-weeny Foynes Airport on the Irish west coast and decided to whip up something warm and soothing for passengers stranded during a storm. Decades later, it’s the go-to comfort drink for millions of people around the world. January 26th is actually National Irish Coffee Day, and while we’d love to tell you that the best-made Irish coffees are found at home, we can’t: The Dead Rabbit NYC (owned by a couple of Irishmen) is widely cited as the best spot on the planet to grab one. They’ve perfected the art. If you fancy a bash at making one at home, you can find their signature recipe here.

Yay! You made it all the way to the end! If you liked this bit of craic, remember to pass it on to your mates. They can sign up here: https://www.thecraic.us/

The Craic is brought to you by the lads from the Shift app. Shift is a social network for the Irish everywhere, launching in 2025: GetTheShift.app.