Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.
Faol saol agat, gob fliuch, agus bás in Éirinn.*
If I hear that anyone has sung Danny Boy today I swear to you, as a proud Irish woman, that I will hurt you for it. There are better songs to sing today.
* This should translate as "Long life to you, a wet mouth, and death in Ireland".
Showing posts with label irish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label irish. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Friday, May 29, 2009
There is always a home here
My brother is leaving next week to continue his great walk up the Pacidic Coast Trail. My daughter was terribly concerned about how he wouldn't know anyone where he is going.
My brother patted her on the head and told her, "Where you go ou can find an Irish community. We're everywhere."
And boy isn't that the truth. The Irish came from a race that prized traveling, and we have managed to lose pretty much every piece of land we have owned. And the joy of being part of a culture of travelers is that when you wander into a community you will always have a home there. Especially if you are lucky enough to wander into a community that has members of your family (family, in Irish terms, is very very extended. If you have the same last name you're related).
I haven't ever had to use this, but my brother has. Around this area and pretty much anywhere in New Jersey we actually are related to the Brady's. However that hospitality extends out west too, and we are warmly welcomed into a community as family. It's us against them, after all.
And of course it works the other way, if a random Brady shows up he'll get a warm meal for sure. If he can prove he is actual blood, or has an OK from another family member (as strange as that sounds, it has happened, sometimes in my family you get sent random people), he will stay the night.
Old Irish have a strong sense of community that hasn't been as diluted as one might think since we moved over here. My family is new in America, my Grandfather and great Grandmother were born in Ireland. We still hold tight to ideas that seem kind of dumb, but are very important. As I've traveled I've found we aren't the only family that encourages marriages to only Irish (or occassionaly Scot) families. We aren't the only people that hold to the old old ways (if you know someone who puts milk outside on full moons and the summer solstice you probably know someone who is Irish, they are getting a blessing from the Fae and it is very important to us).
That's why we can go anywhere at all and feel welcome, because someone else was there first, another wanderer who made a home. And he will welcome you into it.
My brother patted her on the head and told her, "Where you go ou can find an Irish community. We're everywhere."
And boy isn't that the truth. The Irish came from a race that prized traveling, and we have managed to lose pretty much every piece of land we have owned. And the joy of being part of a culture of travelers is that when you wander into a community you will always have a home there. Especially if you are lucky enough to wander into a community that has members of your family (family, in Irish terms, is very very extended. If you have the same last name you're related).
I haven't ever had to use this, but my brother has. Around this area and pretty much anywhere in New Jersey we actually are related to the Brady's. However that hospitality extends out west too, and we are warmly welcomed into a community as family. It's us against them, after all.
And of course it works the other way, if a random Brady shows up he'll get a warm meal for sure. If he can prove he is actual blood, or has an OK from another family member (as strange as that sounds, it has happened, sometimes in my family you get sent random people), he will stay the night.
Old Irish have a strong sense of community that hasn't been as diluted as one might think since we moved over here. My family is new in America, my Grandfather and great Grandmother were born in Ireland. We still hold tight to ideas that seem kind of dumb, but are very important. As I've traveled I've found we aren't the only family that encourages marriages to only Irish (or occassionaly Scot) families. We aren't the only people that hold to the old old ways (if you know someone who puts milk outside on full moons and the summer solstice you probably know someone who is Irish, they are getting a blessing from the Fae and it is very important to us).
That's why we can go anywhere at all and feel welcome, because someone else was there first, another wanderer who made a home. And he will welcome you into it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Two things
Two things are bugging me today (well, OK, more than two, but these are the big ones. And it isn't even 8AM!)
1) If you're not Irish, why are you wearing green? Or orange, but how man non-Irish folks know that? But really, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday, a religious one. You know, the whole Saint part of the name. It's not about everyone being Irish (that one really irritates me, considering how people actually viewed the Irish) and it's not about drinking. In fact there is less drinking in Ireland today because the bars are closed. For god's sake.
2) AIG? Shut up. About your contracts and your bonuses. You guys are scum, you got us into it, and if you have the big ass balls to actually pay the people who screwed up millions of taxpayer bailout money then you had better listen to our bashing the shit out of your company and take teh fall. You have made a series of insanely idiotic decisions, now deal with it.
1) If you're not Irish, why are you wearing green? Or orange, but how man non-Irish folks know that? But really, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday, a religious one. You know, the whole Saint part of the name. It's not about everyone being Irish (that one really irritates me, considering how people actually viewed the Irish) and it's not about drinking. In fact there is less drinking in Ireland today because the bars are closed. For god's sake.
2) AIG? Shut up. About your contracts and your bonuses. You guys are scum, you got us into it, and if you have the big ass balls to actually pay the people who screwed up millions of taxpayer bailout money then you had better listen to our bashing the shit out of your company and take teh fall. You have made a series of insanely idiotic decisions, now deal with it.
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