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32 Counties (song)

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"32 Counties"
Single by Dustin the Turkey
from the album Poultry In Motion
B-side"Fields of Athenry"
Released1999
Recorded1999
GenreNovelty
Length3:40
LabelLime Records, EMI
Dustin the Turkey singles chronology
"Fairytale of New York"
(1997)
"32 Counties"
(1999)
"Christmas In Dublin"
(1999)

"32 Counties" is a 1999 novelty single by Irish puppet character Dustin the Turkey.[1][2][3][4]

Lyrics

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The title features John Morrison, in character as Dustin the Turkey of The Den, singing a song about the 32 counties of Ireland and notable features and traditions found in each.[5] Some counties are mentioned in a derogatory context, intended to be satirical/insulting; these are marked with (†) below.

County Feature
Antrim Giant's Causeway
Armagh Armagh Planetarium
Carlow Carlow Courthouse
Cavan "potholes the size of lakes" (†)
Clare "The Banner flies"
Cork Blarney Stone
Donegal Fishing industry
Down Mourne Mountains
Dublin Dublin City
Fermanagh Marble Arch Caves
Galway "salty hills", a reference to Salthill
Kerry Lakes of Killarney
Kildare The Curragh
Kilkenny Kilkenny cats
Laois "Laois is a prison" (Portlaoise Prison, Midlands Prison) (†)
Leitrim "Leitrim's a mistake" (†)
Limerick "Limerick You're A Lady"
Londonderry (referred to as Derry) Derry city walls
Longford Longford Slashers
Louth Oliver Plunkett's head (Drogheda)
Mayo Croagh Patrick
Meath Tara Brooch
Monaghan "grey soil", a reference to a Patrick Kavanagh poem
Offaly "Faithful Offaly"
Roscommon Douglas Hyde
Sligo William Butler Yeats
Tipperary Rock of Cashel
Tyrone Ulster American Folk Park
Waterford Waterford Crystal
Westmeath "Westmeath has a bypass" (N6 road) (†)
Wexford Strawberry production
Wicklow Gardens

Release

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The single was sold to raise funds for the National Children's Hospital.

The song reached #1 in Ireland in November 1999.[6]

Dave McEvoy wrote of it, "If you ask me, Dustin the Turkey should be our real cultural icon. He taught generations of kids what it meant to be Irish. Discredit authority, make fun of people from other counties, begrudge other people’s success, sing loudly even if you can’t and by no means praise anyone in government."[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 11, 1999 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Dustin (4) - Poultry In Motion". Discogs.
  3. ^ "Dustin - 32 Counties mp3 download". mp3 sounds free - prandisound.com.
  4. ^ Loftus, Valerie. "How Well Do You Remember These *Iconic* Dustin The Turkey Songs?". The Daily Edge.
  5. ^ "Dustin The Turkey - 32 counties". Readable.
  6. ^ "Acts with the most Number 1 singles in Ireland". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ^ "'32 Counties' – Dustin – Track Of The Day".