Since the song went on the Junior Cert curriculum (still can't believe I'm typing that), I've been getting emails from teachers asking how to actually TEACH it. So here's everything I know, from twenty-four years of singing this song at every age group imaginable.
The Golden Rule
The song teaches itself. Your job is to get out of the way. Start the chorus, let them hear the pattern, and the cumulative structure does the rest. Human brains are WIRED for this kind of repetition. It's why the song has survived for centuries.
Age Groups
Tiny ones (4-7): Start with just the chorus. "Ho ro the rattlin' bog..." Have them clap along. Don't worry about the verses yet. Once they've got the chorus, introduce the tree. Just the tree. "And in that bog there was a tree." Next session, add the branch. Build it up over multiple sessions. They'll be BEGGING for the next verse.
Primary school (8-12): You can go faster. Teach the whole thing in one session if they're up for it. The trick is COMPETITION. Split the class in half. One side does the first part of each cumulative line, the other side responds. They'll get louder and faster trying to outdo each other. Works every time.
Teenagers (13-18): They'll pretend they're too cool for it. They're not. Start by playing a version — one of the good ones from the session recordings. Let them hear how fast it gets. Teenagers love chaos. Once they realise the flea verse is basically organised screaming, they're in.
Adults: Adults overthink it. They worry about getting the words wrong. Tell them: NOBODY gets the words right after the nest verse. The song is DESIGNED to fall apart. That's the joy of it.
The "Everyone Shout the Flea Verse" Technique
This is my secret weapon and I'm giving it away for free. When you get to the flea verse, stop conducting. Stop leading. Just point at the crowd and shout "GO." Let them shout it. It doesn't matter if it's messy. The flea verse should be JOYFUL chaos. If everyone is laughing and shouting and slightly out of time, you've done it right.
Managing the Acceleration
The natural tendency is to speed up too fast. Resist this until the egg verse. Before the egg, keep a steady pace. After the egg, let it rip. The acceleration from egg to flea should feel like a roller coaster — controlled at the start, completely unhinged by the end.
What If They Don't Know the Verse Order?
Point them to the correct verse order. Print it out. Put it on the wall. Laminate it if you're fancy. But honestly, after three sing-throughs, most people have it memorised. The cumulative structure is a built-in memory aid — each verse contains all the previous ones.
That's the real genius of the song, when you think about it. It teaches you to remember it as you sing it.
Right, go forth and teach. The bog needs more singers.
Slan go foill, BogLord2002