I have always loved Irish culture - the food, music, poetry and literature, the language, etc. It's in my blood. My great great great great great grandfather Nathaniel Bailey Sr was from Belfast. And there's the Kelly's as well from Monaghan, Ireland. Some of you may be thinking, yeah sure, it's in most caucasian Americans' blood, but I'm thinking, how many of us celebrate it year round and not just on March 17?
When I was at Southern Miss, I joined the Irish Dance Society, a group that met weekly in the catholic church across the street from Pride Field. Here, I learned my first steps in soft-shoe (ghillies). What an invigorating experience that was and what a workout! I am currently scouting several of the dancing schools in Atlanta for I would like to keep that going. Wish somebody would offer a class at the Y.
My pets for the most part have Irish names. My boys wear shamrock collars and have shamrock tags.
Taigh is the phonetic spelling of Irish boy's name, Tadgh. I chose the phonetic. Who would want to keep correcting a vet every year?
There's Molly Malone with her wheelbarrow crying cockels and mussels alive, alive-o! And there's Danny Boy. Chardonnay doesn't quite fit the Irish scheme, but she's like the cabbage in colcannon, holds us all together.
And another reason to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is that St. Patrick, himself was Welsh! I lived and studied for two years in Wales (study abroad in university and my masters in music). My Thomas heritage dates back, thus far, to Kilwelly, Glamorganshire and Carmarthenshire. Coel, King of the Britons is like my 35th great grandfather, directly descended through the male line of Thomases. The Plantagenets were rulers of Wales in the early days and my blood is also directly Plantagenet.
Carmarthenshire, Wales, United Kingdom
Glamorganshire, Wales, United Kingdom
It's funny ya know. I mailed a letter to the Queen, introducing myself and sending my greetings. The Queen and I (England) are 17th cousins directly. Our mutual 15th great grandfather is Sir John Conyers. I got a response back from her secretary with the Queen sending her best wishes. I know there must be hundreds of cousins by now, but still we share the same blood. We have that royal blood, but we can't all fit in the castles. Nothing is different about mine and the Queen's heritage. The only true difference between us is she lives in a castle with a title. I live in a cottage, am considered a commoner by societal standards, and I have access to my ancestry on ancestry.com rather than living history such as portraits, memoirs, etc. I wish she had responded herself. We are family after all.
So what does a Welsh and Irish royal do on St. Patrick's day when it's cold and rainy outside? Go to a parade? Nope. Don a warm pair of socks, fix a big pot of piping hot colcannon and relax with a good book.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.
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