We may have finally reached peak Heaney. Just a week or so after US president Joe Biden returned to United States from his whistle-stop tour of Ireland reminding American voters how Irish he is, you would have thought the mandatory Seamus Heaney quotes were behind us for a while. Enter South Korea.
At a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday night attended by Biden and South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, guests were treated to a rollercoaster of cultural flattery that included a bizarre singsong and, of course, a Heaney quote.
The run-of-the-mill diplomatic exchanges on Wednesday night referenced “democracy, peace and security” and the endurance of a seven-decade alliance to tackle the “complex crises of our times” – accounts of the meeting will not make for a page-turner in the history books. But my ears perked up at the customary mention of Biden’s Irish heritage and I braced for a generous serving of Lucky Charms in a Shamrock Shake.
Reading in his native tongue, Yoon had a fair crack at Heaney’s name, with a not-half-bad pronunciation of Seamus. Fair dues to him. My father shares a first name with the late and beloved poet, and he never ceases to endure bombardments of mispronunciations when abroad (shoutout to the Cypriots for the most bizarre, I’m told).
Later, when the English translator caught up with the president, he said: “Mr President, allow me to quote an Irish poet of yours”. Biden lit up at the mere mention of his emerald superpower, no doubt salivating at the uptick in Irish American approval ratings. “Seamus Heaney once wrote: ‘Behaviour that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.’” (Yoon was sampling of Heaney’s renowned translation of the Old English epic poem Beowolf.)
[ How I learned to love Seamus Heaney’s poetryOpens in new window ]
Biden’s love of Heaney and other old Irish poets is surely the fastest way to his heart. As good as Heaney’s poetry is – and it is wonderful – it would be nice to hear some new writers get their time in the spotlight. I’m not sure a Sally Rooney quote on existential millennial angst would do the trick in the circumstances, but it would certainly be different.
But Yoon wasn’t done with the Irishology.
“There’s an old saying,” he continued, “and, Mr President, this one is also Irish, that goes: ‘A good friend is like a four-leaf clover. Hard to find and lucky to have.”
Can’t say I was familiar with that one, but a resounding “awww” and applause promptly filled the room in which Yoon had spoken. It was at this point I expected a troupe of dancing leprechauns to jump out and perform a jig.
Google the source of this “Irish” quote, and the most common author is simply “Irish Proverb”. Either Mr/Ms Proverb has written a fair amount of dire paddywhackery, or some greetings card-level author is getting away with murder. We may as well start selling T-shirts labelled: “Mon the Town. Up the lads. Yup yup 7up – Irish Proverb”.
On Poetry Day Ireland, it seems fitting to address the routine butchery of these so-called Irish “sayings” around the world. Yoon went on, toasting Biden thus (through the translator): “Today will be remembered as a historic day where the ROK [Republic of Korea]-US alliance, like a four-leaf clover, spreads its new roots wide beyond the glory of the past 70 years.”
Following a musical show by Broadway singers, Yoon was coaxed into performing probably one of the best-known American ballads of all time and sang – in tune I must add – about a minute of American Pie, after saying it was one of his favourite songs when he was a schoolboy. Of course, the Americans just happened to have a signed guitar sent from the 77-year-old songwriter Don MacLean to gift the visiting leader.
It was a cordial diplomacy of two statesmen recognising the strategic value of their special relationship – it’s just a little unfortunate some diddly-eye Oirishness was the flattery of the day. When Americans think The Banshees of Inisherin is set in the present day, we only have ourselves to blame for not stopping it. Maybe we should sacrifice a leprechaun every time an American quotes an Irish proverb, see how quick they’ll stop then.