Three emails this week. THREE. That's more contact than I've had in years.
The first one was from a lad down in Cork who runs a folk music podcast. Says he came across the Rattlin' Bog Fan Shrine and wants to know if we'd be interested in being featured. A PODCAST. Apparently people listen to podcasts now instead of, I don't know, radio? It's mad. But it's also class. He seemed genuinely interested in the history of the site and the song itself.
The second was from someone in Galway who claims they learned the Rattlin' Bog from a printed version of the lyrics that they found in their aunt's house — said the lyrics were printed from THIS WEBSITE back in 2002. Twenty-three years ago. Someone KEPT that printout in their house for over two decades and finally decided to track down the original source. That nearly broke me.
But the third email is the one that's got me confused.
It was from a college student somewhere — I think Dublin? — and they said: "Your site is absolutely incredible. The aesthetic is insane. Is this ironic? Like, are you doing this ironically? The whole retro vibe is very on-brand. Either way it's amazing and we want to tag you in our thread."
I spent about an hour trying to work out what "ironic" means in this context. Is she asking if I'm DELIBERATELY making a bad website? Is she complimenting it or insulting it? I asked my mate Paddy about it and he just laughed and said "Lads on the internet think everything from before 2015 is ironic now, Seamus. Don't worry about it."
But it got me thinking — when I made this site, I was making it the BEST WAY I KNEW HOW. This was serious business to me. I was PROUD of it. And now, apparently, that earnestness has become... trendy? Cool? Desirable?
The woman also mentioned something about "authenticity" and how "real passion is rare" and how the site feels "genuine."
I don't know what the modern internet wants from me, lads. But it seems like they're finding us anyway.
And maybe that's all that matters.
Slan go foill,
BogLord2002