The Literary Roots of Ireland's Greatest Christmas Song
Behind one of Ireland's most beloved Christmas anthems lies a fascinating tale of literary inspiration that connects Dublin's Trinity College to New York's gritty streets. The Pogues' Fairytale of New York draws its iconic title from the work of Irish-American writer J.P. Donleavy, revealing how our cultural diaspora continues to shape artistic expression across generations.
From Trinity to the Drunk Tank
"It was Christmas Eve babe / In the drunk tank" opens perhaps the most instantly recognisable Christmas song in the Irish repertoire. Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer's masterpiece tells the story of two lovers struggling with addiction and broken dreams, yet finding hope amid the harsh realities of immigrant life in America.
The song's title came from J.P. Donleavy's play and novel of the same name. Born in New York in 1926, Donleavy moved to Dublin in 1946 to study at Trinity College Dublin, aided by the G.I. scheme for US army veterans. His arrival in Dublin marked the beginning of his literary career and deep connections within Ireland's cultural circles.
Censorship and Creative Resistance
Donleavy's most famous work, The Ginger Man (1955), faced the familiar Irish experience of censorship. The novel was banned, and its stage adaptation was shut down at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre in 1959. Theatre manager Louis Elliman demanded cuts, supported by the censorious Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid. This cultural repression reflects the Ireland many of our diaspora fled, seeking creative freedom abroad.
The Song's Evolution
The creation of Fairytale of New York was far from straightforward. Elvis Costello reportedly urged The Pogues to write a Christmas song, but not one with traditional "jingle-jangle" fare. Through various iterations at RAK studios, accompanied by what Richard Balls describes in his MacGowan biography as "large amounts of drink and drugs," the song took shape but lacked a title.
"The Pogues were deadly serious about the music they made," Balls writes. "As well as being an unforgettable and timeless song, Fairytale of New York was testament to their dedication to getting things right."
Diaspora Dreams and Harsh Realities
The song resonates because it tells an authentic story of people "fighting to get up from being down and out." The lines "I can see a better time / When all our dreams come true" capture the experience of Ireland's diaspora in America and beyond, far removed from sanitised Christmas advertising campaigns.
Donleavy's original Fairytale follows ex-pat Cornelius Christian returning to New York from Europe. Opening on West 57th Street's docks with "blasts of ships' whistles," the play begins as Christian's wife's body is unloaded by crane, having died during their Atlantic crossing.
Literary Legacy and Irish Theatre
The play premiered in Surrey, England in December 1960 before transferring to London's Comedy Theatre. Theatre critic Kenneth Tynan praised it as "high comedy" by a "master of comic dialogue." Its Irish debut came in October 1971 at the Abbey Theatre's Peacock studio, directed by Joe Dowling, who admired Donleavy's "brittle wit" and "economy of words."
John Kavanagh led the Abbey cast, which included Bryan Murray, Des Cave and Nuala Hayes. The production captured what programme notes described as New York's "complex humanity," from its "low-falling winter sun to impossibly high offices overlooking a never sleeping city."
No Fairy Tale Endings
Both Donleavy's work and The Pogues' song reject sentimentality for honest storytelling. They remind us that distance, death, and circumstance often separate us from those we love. As Tomás Mac Anna wrote for the Abbey programme, "It is the rear-view mirror that tells the reality."
This Christmas, as Fairytale of New York fills our airwaves once again, we celebrate not just a great song, but a testament to Irish literary tradition and our diaspora's enduring influence on global culture. In an Ireland building a modern, inclusive society, these stories of struggle and hope remain profoundly relevant.