Happy St. Patrick's Day

Parabeagle

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this post is meant to be, nor should be construed as, offensive to those among us who are not fortunate enough to be Irish on March 17. Void where prohibited by law, certain restrictions apply.

Since I have the misfortune to be spending St. Paddy's Day in Missoula, Montana, instead of Lisburn in County Antrim from where me ancestors hail, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone out there a happy St. Patrick's Day. Dust off your shillelagh and have a pint to celebrate, if you've a mind to! x:-)

HS

Kiss me I'm Irish!

Happy St Patrick's day to you Beag.

Parabeagle

Obliged to ya, HS, and the same t'you!

Erin go bragh! (can I say "bragh?") x;-)

rad

You have not experienced St Patrick's Day until you've spent it in Boston...trust me on that one.

I'm staying home tomorrow, we're expecting a nor'easter tonight and I'm in a wimpy "I don't want to walk through ten inches of snow" mood so I might just have that pint tonight!

Betty I_O

Parabeagle . . .

You'd be right in your element in Western Massachusetts this coming Sunday. There'll be plenty of those pints to celebrate in Holyoke, MA, which has the second largest St. Pat's parade in the nation! Thousands of marchers, hundreds of thousands of spectators, and streets painted with green shamrocks for the entire 2.6 mile parade route. The festivities actually began already, and will continue well beyond the time the last marcher in the last group at the rear of the parade finishes stepping out! . . . and who says we all can't be Irish for just one day?

sonny

I am not Irish and quit pretending I was MANY years ago after a bad experience with green beer#-o Happiest of days to those of you who are. BTW, here in the South, they say the place to be is Savannah. . Even all the fountains turn green!

ray a

Hey Beagle, I'm English to the core! So, don't forget to drink to the Queen. x}>

Parabeagle

Do I have to start singing "A Nation Once Again," Ray? Better watch it - my ancestors are from NORTHERN Ireland outside Belfast! x;-)

HRinNH

What do you do if you KNOW you're Irish but don't know what clan your ancestors hail from?...And if you don't like beer of any color?
:-S

Parabeagle

Drink green tea, I guess. x;-)

But in honor of the day, since you don't know your clan, I dub thee O'HRinNH! Tooraluralurah!

O'Beagle

HRinNH

Thank ye O'Beagle. I'll have a hefty mug of the green tea and maybe put in a drop or two of a good spirit for good measure. x;-) I'll need it after driving home in this blizzard. (we're supposed to get a foot of snow tonight...UGH)

LarryC

Then you celebrate St.Urho's Day, which is today...and drink whatever it is that moods you. Then kill a grasshopper and kiss a Finn.

I'm mostly Hungarian , so while the Irish celebrate the driving of the snakes out of Ireland and the Finns celebrate the driving of the grasshoppers out of Finland, I celebrate the driving of the Russians out of Budapest. And I do it with a hearty Guinness....or six.

Rockie

Top 'o the mornin' to all of ya out there!

Have a touch of the Baileys (Irish Creme) in your coffee this morning to celebrate!

HRinNH

'Tis a fine day too...if you don't mind the 4-6 inches of fresh snow for your commute, that is.

I only wish I had some Bailey's...it would warm me up a bit.

Have a good (Green) one everybody!

ray a

Hey Beagle, thought you might like to know I'm wearing green today in your honor.

Brad Forrister

Anybody doing anything especially Irish at work today in celebration of the day? We're having a St. Paddy's Pot Luck lunch, minus the green beer.

Brad Forrister
Director of Publishing
M. Lee Smith Publishers

LarryC

I'm earning some green money to go buy green beer later to watch the Purdue / Notre Dame game.

HRinNH

I wish. Our boss doesn't celebrate any holidays. x:-( But I'm wearing the green!

HS

Perhaps tonight I'll wear green to watch the All Star Survivor show! Of course American Idol is on opposite it now. Drat, I'll have to tape one, oh the dilema of which to watch and which to tape!

Happy St. Patrick's day one and all!

JudyT929

What Shall I Say About the Irish?

The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.
Strange blend of shyness, pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a child fills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle ground on which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle, he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble, he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean, the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish in love with his God.

Author ??? This poem reminds me sooo much of my dad, the "thick headed mic" I love being Irish and not only on St Pattys day.

HRinNH

There's the joy of ole' Killarney, in these wishes meant for you;
There's a bit of Irish blarney, and a touch of magic too--
There's a wish of lots of laughter, and good luck, be sure o' that;
And a wish that all your dreams may come true in no time flat.

Gillian3

Like Ray, my tendency is to drink to the queen - my birthplace is England. I am wearing green since it was the first shirt that my hand found in the closet and my eyes were still bleary. Not that this is a total rejection - I will attend the potluck today.

JudyT929

Heck, my tendency is to drink to just about anything...but then again I AM Irish.. :-)

Cinderella

I'm a Lutheran Icelander, so no green for me. However, I hope you all have a happy one xhugs

HRinNH

Hey, does anyone know of a free or low cost way to trace your Irish roots, find your family crest, etc. I think my roots spread to Scotland and Wales too. Just curious if it can be done for little or no money...

Cinderella

Major Internet search is where I would start. It's amazing what you can find for free. I think the LDS church has a bunch of info on tracing one's roots so you might want to swing by their site. My aunt is totally into family tree stuff and she has found tons of info on the internet.

HRinNH

Thanks...I'll start there then.
Cheers!

AnneHa

Also check with your local library. We have a ton of stuff here (books, microfilm, CDs, etc.)and it's a very busy department. We have access to the LDS records here as well. I used the resources to find out some very interesting things about my family! Your local Historical and Genealogy Societies may be able to help, too.

Anne in Ohio

HS

From a greeting card:

Irish are huggable.
Irish dream in green.
Irish know the importance of cuddling to keep warm.
Irish believe in impossible things just long enough to make them come true.
Irish invented rosy cheeks, giggles and being stubborn.
Irish see fairies and leprechauns when no one else does.
Irish wear freckles where angels have kissed them.
Irish sing songs when they're happy and then sing them even louder when they're sad.
Irish dance dangerous jigs and write passionate poetry and can tell the most magical stories of all.
Irish have the biggest welcome mats in all the world and miss you the most when you're away.
Irish are the guardians of the little bit of heaven that once fell very gently from the sky.

Wishing you a bit of heaven on St. Patrick's Day, and for all of your tomorrows ever after.

mcmel

Am I the only one who has never had green beer? Plus, the only green clothes I own are Green Bay Packer sweatshirts (and I can't wear THOSE to work)? I feel like a real dud. I might go home and mix my own green beer, :-S

O'mcmel