Ireland loves The Boss

SOME folk got themselves into a tizzy recently at the prospect that the discovery of a legal document from 18th century might prove that Elvis Presley was, in fact, Irish.

While the jury might still be out on that one, there can be no denying the special relationship between Bruce Springsteen and Ireland.

First off, former Taoiseach Charles Haughey surrendered his nickname, The Boss, to the New Jersey rock ’n’ roller back in the 1980s. That was when a crowd of more than 100 000 rocked up to Slane Castle to witness Bruce play what was his first ever concert in Ireland and his first big open-air gig.

The sun shone on County Meath that day and the audience made Bruce feel welcome.

This thing of Bruce and the Irish is now officially a long-standing appreciation society. Why else might you bump into Bruce in a Dublin pub like The Long Hall or O’Donoghues?

Most touring musicians like to move on to the next venue as soon as possible after a show. People will tell you that Bruce tends to stick around when he’s here.

Maybe it’s something of his ancient Irish ancestors in his genes that helps make this umbilical connection to his Irish fans.

As a kid, Bruce loved Elvis. But The King couldn’t write songs like The Boss. And Bruce writes songs about people we can identify with. People who, as he said himself, might “have a chance to live a life with some decency and some dignity and a chance for some self-respect”.

You don’t have to be American to know, or think you know, someone like that.