Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral
Symbolic ethnicity often substantiates cultural identity by perpetuating a comfortable narrative. Ireland is not a simple peasant country and America is not full of stage Irishmen. Nevertheless, Ireland and the United States have both sustained certain fictions of Irishness over the past half century. Hackneyed cues and stereotypes were appropriated for commercial purposes. Such exploitation is expected from Hollywood but why do idyllic postcard images surround Phil Coulter? How did Danny Boy - written for Broadway's Tin Pan Alley in 1913 - become a favorite at Dublin's Jurys Cabaret? Why did All-Ireland accordian champion Richard Kelly choose a costume reminiscent of Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)? This kind of record cover art carries cognitive associations designed to pre-sell albums in the transatlantic marketplace - literally putting the spin on Ireland before a note of music has been heard.