Sir, - Brendan McWilliams, in his excellent "Weather Eye" column (May 19th), quotes from an old song which runs:
"Some say the divil's dead, Some say he's hardly".
A strange version of an old rhyme I learned many years ago from my father, which ran:
"Some say the divil's dead, The divil's dead, the divil's dead; Some say the divil's dead - and buried in Killarney.
Some say he rose again, Rose again, rose again; Some say he rose again And joined the British army".
Is my father's version an Irish nationalist one of the same old song? and how widespread is it known? I have heard it from Ballinlough, near Cork city, but am wondering if it is only known in Ireland. No wonder some members of the G.A.A. (all angels?) want to retain Rule 21! - Yours, etc.,
Etienne Rynne,
Athenry, Co Galway.