Maidrin Rua

**Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:38 pm**

Anyone know the definition of this song title? Is it gaelic? and what is the proper pronuciation of it?

thanks
sanx

**Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:52 pm**

Yes, it’s in Gaelic - meaning "little fox".
Madra rua, literally "red dog" (madra = dog, rua = red) means "fox", "-in" is a diminutive suffix. (There is a small pic of a fox just above the title of the song on the cover of Hell’s Ditch.)
As for the pronunciation, roughly something like "meydrin roo-uh". Sorry if it’s not exact, but it’s a bit hard nut for a Czech to transcribe Irish Gaelic pronunciation into English... :lol:

**Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:42 pm**

For some reason, on quite a few tracklisting for Hell's Ditch, the song name is given as "Madrin Rain". Not exactly sure why...

**Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:53 pm**

Ok does anyone know what Maidrin Rua actually means, ive scoured every gaelic dictionary Google will offer but i cant find it, anyone speak gaelic (or indeed whatever language it happens to be)?

**Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:01 pm**

Hooperman wrote:Ok does anyone know what Maidrin Rua actually means, ive scoured every gaelic dictionary Google will offer but i cant find it, anyone speak gaelic (or indeed whatever language it happens to be)?

The Little Fox.

Madra = dog
Rua = red
Madra Rua = fox
Maidrín = little dog
Maidrín Rua = little fox

**Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:32 pm**

And a lovely term it is too. One of daughter's favourite Gaeilge expressions. Also the name of a lovely pipe-tune, from memory. I believe there is another, less idiomatic, term for the fox also, bt as I've not a foclóir immediately to hand, I cannot well tell ye. :wink:

Sionnach! That's it. Sionnach is focal atá air.

**Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:28 pm**

The Pogues played the instrumental "Maidrin Rua" on the CD Hell's Ditch. I was wondering if it meant something special, because on the first Tossers CD, they also did a song called Maidrin Rua, but it doesn't sound the same at all.

**Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:35 pm**

viewtopic.php?p=5374#p5374

**Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:39 pm**

CraigBatty wrote:And a lovely term it is too. One of daughter's favourite Gaeilge expressions. Also the name of a lovely pipe-tune, from memory. I believe there is another, less idiomatic, term for the fox also, bt as I've not a foclóir immediately to hand, I cannot well tell ye.

Sionnach! That's it. Sionnach is focal atá air.

Good to see you around again mate!

**Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:59 pm**

He posted that in 2006 you nimwit.

**Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:53 pm**

an maidrin rua ta granna means the red dog, he is ugly...but that is literal. i like the red fox, so naughty.

**Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:44 pm**

Maidrin Rua means 'little red dog' and is a euphemism for 'fox' which the English aristocracy used to hunt in Ireland so that it was adopted as a mascot by the oppressed Irish. Its use as a title for different songs by different bands with an Irish background simply reflects this tradition. As others have noted Sinnach is the actual Irish word for 'fox'.

**Sun Aug 15, 2010 1:59 pm**

Sober wrote:The Pogues played the instrumental "Maidrin Rua" on the CD Hell's Ditch. I was wondering if it meant something special, because on the first Tossers CD, they also did a song called Maidrin Rua, but it doesn't sound the same at all.

It should. Apart from a few notes in different places, and the tempo, its the EXACT same tune....

**Mon Aug 16, 2010 12:50 am**

In my universe, Maidrin means 'GERTCHA' and rua means 'TAE FUCK!'

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