The Romantic Craic ☘️❤️

So, What’s the Craic?

Maybe it’s because we feel everyone deserves the Shift, or maybe we’re just glad to see it finally stop raining, but here’s the craic: It’s ❤️ Valentine's Day (Week), so we're also giving away a FREE month of Shift Dating to everyone in the audience! So if there's someone you think really needs the Shift right now, let them know and send them to GetTheShift.app right away! ☘️

And while we’re at it, sure, let’s open up Shift Social now too! We just enabled messaging for all of you, your friends, and your family. You’re welcome! 😘 You can still support Shift and our mission by getting your account verified (pay what you like 🍺 ☕️ 💝), and we really appreciate every one of you who do.

News from Home

Old News. Can you guess where the first-ever Irish language newspaper was published? Nope, not Dublin, Dingle or Donegal – it was actually New York City. An Gaodhal was printed in the city from 1881 and 1898, and its content, which provides a wealth of insight into the global Irish at the time, is now being made available online thanks to a restoration project.

Pitt Slop. A curious social media trend occurred over this last week, which shows we Irish are just as prone as everyone else to aul garbage posting. Anyway, remember we reported that Brad Pitt was over here filming a movie? Well, Irish socials have been flooded with AI images of Brad in various pubs around the country, supping Guinness. How are we sure it’s AI? Well, apart from the usual giveaways, like six-fingered hands, Mr. Pitt has been teetotal since 2016.

Support Artists. Speaking of AI, it’s not news to say it’s a clear and present danger to the livelihoods of artists. The Craic will always hold the view that the term “AI art” is oxymoronic, as the latter is a solely human endeavor. Nevertheless, we are pleased to see that the government is supporting Irish artists by making the Basic Income for the Arts scheme permanent.  A big and hearty “yes” from us.

Farewell to The Clobberer. The original drummer of The Pogues, Andrew Ranken, has passed away at the age of 72. Nicknamed The Clobberer – a belting name for a drummer, that is – Ranken played on many of the band’s most iconic albums, including the masterpiece, Rum Sodomy & the Lash. Alas, Ranken is the 4th Pogues member to pass away in recent years; five if we include Kirsty McColl. Hope they’re giving it a lash at the big party up in the sky.

Shoutout. Some friends of Shift are generating some brilliant buzz with the short film, Come Back. The short, directed by Helen O’Reilly and starring the very brilliant Hannah Dargan, has won numerous awards already and is set for a Washington, D.C. screening this month. Check out the trailer here. 

The Craic Recommends. Hey! Wanna stick on a wee romantic movie with your husband/wife/significant other/pet tomorrow night? Well, we have been racking our brains thinking of an Irish recommendation, and we’ve come up with Once. It’s a beautiful wee film starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová that will have you reaching for the tissues. If you won’t take our word for it, Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips named it as his No.1 movie of 2007. So there ya go.

The Irish Influence

This week’s Irish Influence is, more or less, fictitious, but as it’s Valentine’s Weekend, we wanted to highlight the most famous lover in Irish folklore, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, also known as Diarmuid of the Love Spot. He was a hero of the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology, growing up into a warrior of skill and renown. And, yes, he seemed to have an eye for the ladies, too. Indeed, he was skilled enough in the aul love department to romance the intended bride of Fionn mac Cumhaill, as told in the fable The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne. It was a helluva love triangle. 

Cúpla Focal

Anam Cara – Soul Friend. With a hint of love in the air, we thought we’d highlight a term that evokes more than just carnal desires. Anam Cara is a popularized (by poet John O’Donohue) version of the older Celtic term, anamchara. The Celtic soul friend is a person said to be an essential part of your spiritual journey. We all have a few anam caras down the pub, right? 

Blast from the Past

On Valentine’s Day, 45 years ago, around 800 young people headed off for a night out at the Stardust nightclub in Artane (north Dublin). Many would have no doubt been heading out looking for a bit of love or a wee shift, yet an electrical fire swept through the club, killing 48 and injuring 100s more. It was one of the worst tragedies in modern Irish history. While the story is a morose one in our mostly cheery newsletter, we wanted to highlight it because – decades later – the survivors are still fighting for compensation. Thankfully, the government finally seems to be doing something about it.  

And One Last Thing….

Looking for a bit of love over Valentine’s Weekend? Well, take your Tinders, your Bumbles and your Grindrs and flush ‘em down the toilet (don’t do that) because we want to remind you about Shift Dating, where you can meet the soundest people on the planet. And, just because we love ‘ya, we wanted to let you know we are giving away a free month of Shift with all those dating features for gratis, zero, zilch. So, whether you’re looking for the shift on Shift 😘 or just want to meet some new Irish friends, check out those connection features with our free month on Shift.