:coolgrin:

Several years ago Boris Yelstin had arranged a state visit to Ireland...so Albert Reynolds our PM with his entourage and red carpet stood at Shannon airport,awaiting his arrival...His plane appeared and then decided to circle overhead,,this it did 6 times and then headed off without landing.

A messenger arrived from the Russian Embassy with a letter for Mr Reynolds,excusing MR YELSTIN,but he had taken ill....a wry smile showed on Reynolds face.

To- day we have an expresion in Dublin.....CIRCLING SHANNON.....meaning being drunk.

The other new one is.....RIVERDANCE THE SHANNON.......to riverdance the Shannon is to commit suicide by drowning.

Leave it to the DUBS...they never miss an opportunity to add to the richness of the English Language.....How dull it would be without them ?
haahahaha

Good stuff!  There is something about the Irish mind and heart… Ever dark and ever funny at the same time.

Their wars are merry and their songs are sad ... etc.

edit: every to ever

Odd. Google turns up 0 hits on both phrases.  Must be extremely recent.

I get ten hits for “circling Shannon,” including this one: “In Shannon we can claim to have added a new phrase to the lexicon of enebriation - there’s - tipsy, drunk, absolutely paralytic, and circling Shannon.”

The sketch “Here’s what really happened” from that link is worth a listen, too.

Which, I suspect, is the motivation for this thread.  Nothing beats publicity.