5th May - 'Childhood and Old Age'
21th April - 'Me, Myself and I: the self, the soul, and character'
7th April - 'Stage Properties' hosted by Andrew Power
24th March - 'Wit, Jest and Repartee' hosted by Darragh Greene
3rd March - 'Health and Illness' hosted by Edel Semple
17th February - 'Languages, Accents and Register' hosted by Emily O'Brien
10th February - 'Criminals and Cony-Catching' hosted by Derek Dunne
27th January - 'Beginnings and Endings'
9th December - 'Dreams, Visions and Prophesies' hosted by Derek Dunne
25th November - 'Belatedness' hosted by Andrew Power
11th November - 'Friendship and Enmity' hosted by Kate Roddy
28th October - 'Games and Pastimes' hosted by Edel Semple
14th October - AGM & Taverne Inquisition (pub quiz)
from Lines on the Mermaid Tavern
I have heard that on a day
Mine host’s sign-board flew away,
Nobody knew whither, till
An astrologer’s old quill
To a sheepskin gave the story,
Said he saw you in your glory,
Underneath a new old-sign
Sipping beverage divine,
And pledging with contented smack
The Mermaid in the Zodiac.
- John Keats (1795–1821)
The Sun which doth the greatest comfort bring
- Beaumont's epistle to Jonson (1605?)
Mine host’s sign-board flew away,
Nobody knew whither, till
An astrologer’s old quill
To a sheepskin gave the story,
Said he saw you in your glory,
Underneath a new old-sign
Sipping beverage divine,
And pledging with contented smack
The Mermaid in the Zodiac.
- John Keats (1795–1821)
On Ben Jonson and a Country Man
Ben Johnson in a tavern once began
Rudely to talk to a plain Country man.
And thus it was, Thou dull laborious Moyle
That I beleeve wert made for nought but toyle
For every Acre of thy Land I have
Twenty of wit: Such Acres Sir, are brave,
Replyed the Country man: What great Mistakers
Have we been of your wealth, Mr Wise-Acres.
- Thomas Jordan (from Jewels of Ingenuity. 1660?)
The Sun which doth the greatest comfort bring
...what things have we seen
Done at the Mermaid: heard words that have been
So nimble, so full of subtil flame …
Then when there hath been thrown
Wit able enough to justifie the Town
For three days past, wit that might warrant be
For the whole City to talk foolishly
Till that were cancell'd, and when that was gone,
We left and Air behind us which alone,
Was able to make the two next Companies
Right witty; though but downright fools, more wise.