h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Steeped as it is in the 'black stuff' (stout , not some northern river) Ireland has taken on stout as its own. Indeed the development of Stout, coming out of Porter, meant that for a long time in Dublin the two were synonymous and the difference between 'plain' Porter and 'extra stout' were completely blurred. So much so that when the Bard of Booterstown Jem Casey was quoted in Flann O'Briens 'At Swim Two Birds' extolling the Pint of Plain chances were he was actually wittering about the most excellent stout instead.

"In times of trouble and lousy strife,
when no rashers grease your pan,
you can always turn to a brighter life,
a pint of plain's your only man."

I do like that quote

There's actually about six verses to it (obviously I can't remember them all) - the book itself's well worth a read, if a weeney bit bizarre.