A Story From Irish Myth...

[sandyRoe]

As a punishment a man is condemned by the gods to roll a hogshead of porter up a steep hill. When he eventually reaches the top it rolls down the other side and he has to start all over again. So what at first seemed a minor thing turned into a life sentence.
Anyone know where this story can be found?

[jno]

well, the Greek version sounds like Sisyphus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisyphus

so maybe this is Brian O'Sisyphus?

[aelmpvw]

Sisyphus had the same problem with a boulder

[sandyRoe]

It looks like a Greek tale tweaked to give an Irish flavour. TY both.

[Booldawg]

The phrase 'Sisyphean task', a labour intensive action but ultimately pointless is a great one to drop into conversations at work with managers.

[stewey]

How do you pronounce the "i" in "Sisyphean"? As in "silly" or "silent"?

[dannyk13]

As in silly.

[stewey]

Thanks, dannyk13.

[Peter Pedant]

cant find any Irish myth that has a sisyphean theme.

[sandyRoe]

I think my OP may have sprang from the subconscious where I've been ruminating on my own predicament.

[humbersloop]

ah (sandy), imagine yourself doing this instead

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/apr/02/santiago-de-compostela-camino-pilgrimage

[sandyRoe]

Now, rolling a hogshead of Guinness across the Pyrenees and all the way to the silvery subterranean sepulchre in Santiago is not something I've planned but it's worth thinking about.

[humbersloop]

hadn't thought of you rolling the porter, but you could try something like this for a practice?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Round-Ireland-With-A-Fridge/dp/0091867770

[sandyRoe]

^ That's more dangerous than you might think. With the price of scrap metal what it is now you'd be mugged for the fridge before you got very far.

[humbersloop]

well surely, with a bit of "can do" attitude and the goodly ungodly at your back....;)

[sandyRoe]

If I had the goodly unGodly as a guard I'd not just stop at the fridge. We could take the kitchen sink, too

[humbersloop]

right, I'll check the passport's in date then - are white fivers still legal tender?

[sandyRoe]

Once we've rolled the barrel of porter down from the Mourne Mountains we'd be close to the Republic. If you've any old €500 notes gathering dust you'd find they'd be most acceptable.

[humbersloop]

we? we??...

..now hang on a minute, I was thinking more in a supervisory role

[sandyRoe]

I was thinking you and other members of the goodly unGodly would do the uphill drudgery while I would oversee the descents.

[shoota]

I'd be happy to roll Nyree Dawn up a hill or two......