WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN AN IRISH FAMILY

WHAT IT MEANS 2 BE IN AN IRISH FAMILY

1) You have no idea how to make a long story short!Y
2) You swear very well.
3) At least one of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral home owner or holds political office.
4) You think you sing very well.
5) You know at least 3 people named Paddy
6) There isn’t a big difference between you losing your temper and killing someone.
7) Many of your childhood meals were boiled. Instant potatoes were a mortal sin.
8) You have at least one aunt who is a nun, or an uncle who is a priest.
9) You spent a good portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer.
10) You’re strangely poetic after a few beers.
11) Some punches directed at you are from legacies of past generations.
12) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named Mary, Catherine or Eileen, and there is at least one member of your family with the full name Mary Catherine Eileen.
13) Someone in your family is very generous … it is most likely you.
14) You may not know the words, but that doesn’t stop you from singing.
15) You can’t wait for the other guy to stop talking before you start talking.
16) You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are… but what you lack in talent, you make up for in frequency.
17) There wasn’t a huge difference between your last wake and your last keg party.
18) You know someone named Murph, Mic or Sully.
19) If you don’t, you are Murph, Mic or Sully.
20) You are genetically incapable of keeping a secret.
21) You have Irish Alzheimer’s… you forget everything but the grudges!
22) ‘Irish Stew’ is a euphemism for ‘boiled leftovers.’
23) Your skin’s ability to tan ….not so much. (Only in spots!)
24) Childhood remedies for the common cold often included some form of whiskey.
25) There’s no leaving a family party without saying goodbye for at least 45 minutes.
26) At this very moment, you have at least two relatives who are not speaking to each other. Not fighting mind you, just not speaking to each other
And it means you are among the luckiest people alive, if for nothing else, just because you have your Irish family.

And Now, the slang that make Being Irish Unique: http://blog.famleigh.com/index.php/2014/02/ 

kevinleigh.com

138 Comments WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN AN IRISH FAMILY

  1. Kevin B. LeighMaryKay Deroba

    My Grandmothers name Mary Catherine, Nolan, I have a cousin Mary Catherine and I was to be the same but the doctor talked my Mom into Mary Kay which is very close.

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighMary Jo Piazza

      My mother and her mother were both Mary Catherine, mine is Mary Joan. I have a son named Kevin and a daughter named Erin, my mother’s sister is a nun, this is all so true and so many memories.

      Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighCathy Cohee

        I’m Mary Catherine, my Mom was Mary Margaret, and my Grandmother (100% Irish and born in Ireland) was Mary Katherine.

        Reply
  2. Kevin B. LeighE. Susan Sheahan

    My name is Eileen. My mother is Eileen Margaret. Her mother is Mary Ellen. We have siblings and children named Maureen, Aidan, Liam, Rory and Thomas. Got the mandatory nun. Most of us have been bartenders or musicians. After I kissed the Blarney Stone for the third time, I was forbidden by my family to go near the castle ever again!

    Reply
  3. Kevin B. LeighJulia O'Reilly Eggleston

    No Mic’s or Sully’s etc but you pretty much nailed it. I have a few more to add especially if you were Irish Catholic..
    27. You thought the phrase “good nuns” was one word as in “Those “goodnuns” have dedicated their lives to Christ.
    28. If you were in trouble at school you were in trouble at home as in “You gave those “goodnuns trouble get up to your room and wait for me”: or alternately “wait till your father gets home.”
    29. You went to confession A LOT (we probably needed too. lol) You said the rosary a lot too.
    30. You never, ever, ever had a wedding without free alcohol or you would be talked about forever.
    31. You walked to the Catholic School instead of taking the bus to the Public School.
    32. Your dad was in the Holy Name Society and Knights of Columbus and your mom was in the Rosary Society.
    33. There were a lot of crucifixes and statues of Mary in your house.

    Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

        I was just over there, and agree the end of the “Celtic Tiger” or the great recession” has changed the country a lot. To top it off, the Catholic church as let things happen that have alienated its flock all across the world. For the sake of this fun blog post, lets keep it light and enjoy the levity of the moment.

        I toast a Guinness to the Ireland I choose to remember! “Sláinte!”

        Reply
        1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

          I know it’s a ‘fun’ blog Kevin but some things on your list are actually insulting. Not all Irish people drink like fish or over cook their food. And my generation have largely, left the church. It is no longer a ‘Church state’. We have come on a lot (since the 50s) and can think for ourselves.
          I think people tend to over romanticise Ireland . It is a small country but it is within Europe and is , therefore, open to outside influences. (thanks to Ryanair’s cheap flights).
          PS; I tan beautifully, BTW!
          Slainte!

          Reply
          1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

            No more insulting than……. hmmm let me paraphrase, “we now can think for ourselves” as if we were not before, or “not Finnigans rainbow” as if the romance of Ireland is a bad thing or “Corny rubbish” as if only your opinion counts, or “Eh, really? Where? Whose house” as if it is ok to attack another’s experience. Again, please lighten up. Sip a non alcoholic drink, tan that brown body and have some fun with this will ya. Until you joined this conversation people were happy and enjoying the reminiscing of a country we choose to love. Kevin B Leigh

          2. Kevin B. LeighMaria

            I now realise that you and your followers are mainly ex pat and /or never lived in my country at all.You are reminiscing about a fantasy. You have a romantic notion (Finian’s Rainbow- Google it) of Ireland passed down from generations gone before, I love my country but I am realistic about it and your list is not accurate at best and insulting at worse. Accept the criticism and think before you post next time.

          3. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

            You are missing the point. This is for fun not a forum for anger. please stop posting, unless you have a smile in your tone. This is not political, or a social experiment, it is for fun.

            By the way, I am an Irish citizen. Born in Walkinstown, schooled in Drimnagh Castle and currently live in the US.

  4. Kevin B. LeighJulia O'Reilly Eggleston

    No Mic’s or Sully’s etc but you pretty much nailed it. I have a few more to add especially if you were Irish Catholic..
    27. You thought the phrase “good nuns” was one word as in “Those “goodnuns” have dedicated their lives to Christ.
    28. If you were in trouble at school you were in trouble at home as in “You gave those “goodnuns trouble get up to your room and wait for me”: or alternately “wait till your father gets home.”
    29. You went to confession A LOT (we probably needed too. lol) You said the rosary a lot too.
    30. You never, ever, ever had a wedding without free alcohol or you would be talked about forever.

    Reply
  5. Kevin B. LeighRe McBride

    You still eat fish on Fridays, well, just because. Jesus, Mary and Joseph is your favorite swear. Dried up psalms hang behind pictures in your parlor. You still have the glow beads you got on First Communion Day. Tea, tea, tea (and spilling a little into the saucer and drink it). You have a brother named Michael, Paul, John, Peter, Thomas or James. You don’t know what to do with thirty-five plastic statues of Jesus, et al. from your parent’s house. You still say, “Good afternoon Father,” if you bump into a priest at the mall.

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

      Wrong! The catholic church has lost a lot of respect in Ireland. Some priests have been attacked on the streets.
      Keep up with current Ireland not ‘Finian’s Rainbow” Ireland, please!

      Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighMartin Priestley

        The smart Irish moved out a long time ago. You should be glad we still talk respectfully about the country.

        Reply
        1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

          Respectfully? Who is talking respectfully? That list implies we are a small minded,conformist, superstitious, uneducated nation.

          Reply
    2. Kevin B. LeighMaureen K Fowler

      ..and you cannot get rid of the statues, cause you STILL fear you may be performing a sacrilege, and could go straight to hell.

      Reply
  6. Kevin B. LeighAceofSpaces

    Love it! I’d like to add:

    The only spice used in cooking was black pepper.
    You practically never had salad with a meal.

    Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

        Well, my husband grew up in England and he had mayonnaise with salad (still does). We actually had a home made dressing. Some Irish people used their imagination!

        Reply
      2. Kevin B. LeighRe McBride

        My siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. (Sheehans/Lynchs/Fitzgeralds/McSweeneys, etc.) are all (or were) 2nd/3rd generations of Irish immigrants who arrived here in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. I guess that makes us somewhat watered-down versions of those we adored and are proud of now. My nanas and grandpas brought with them lots of humor, love, talents and quirky habits; some have lasted, some have died out. While the stories they told us of the old Ireland were rough, make no mistake, they still loved their native country and did all all they could do to preserve what they loved about it and shared it with us. None of Mr.s Leigh’s lists are meant to disrespect Ireland and we are well aware of what she is going through at the present. It’s just what life was like living here between the old Irish and new American, and it was unique! The Catholic problems are world-wide and having personal ties with the wrong, I still respect my relative’s beliefs and love of their religion 🙂 It’s fun to remember and enjoy our wonderful heritage and reminisce

        Reply
      3. Kevin B. LeighMarie Mulherin

        We used mayonnaise for salads all the time…but my parents were born and raised in USA, most of grandparents born in Ireland and one in Germany. So I guess by the time things got to us..they might have been jumbled a little 🙂

        Reply
      4. Kevin B. LeighCathy Secours Lacy

        All meals were boiled, no meats showed the slightest hint of red or pink so we actually looked forward to fish fry on Friday.

        Reply
  7. Kevin B. LeighPatricia Gill Bracken

    I am second of 14 children. I have a sister Mary, a sister Catherine and a sister Eileen. I entered the convent to become a nun. My mother had many “Irish twins”! My mother ran out of Godparents and I and 2 of my sisters are godmothers to the last 3 children. I know why I have always been comfortable going to Irish wakes.

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

      When I lived in Ireland as a child, my next door neighbor had 17 kids, 3 sets of twins, a nun, a priest and a catholic brother. all living in a house the size of a small three bedroom apartment. there were children everywhere. That is why we were always thrown outside, they had no room >:)

      Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighSupeRed09

        My auntie raised six kids on a farm in Co. Caven with no Electricity in the 70’s!! Tough times, don’t know how they managed.

        Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

        Funny, my room was just big enough to have a bed, but then when my brother was born, they found a shorter bed so they could fit the crib in my room. I assume my parents did not have the crib in their room because they were too busy making more babies. LOL

        Reply
  8. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

    I was raised in Walkinstown, a town on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. When I came to America as a child I had no idea that minerals were called pop or soda hers, runners were called sneakers here and yoke was the word umm here. Today, I live in Alden, in Western NY with his wife Mary and his three boys and still think that jerks are actually Gobshites. (to read more about the author, look at the following bio for the Book Gollup the Woods) http://www.amazon.com/Kevin-B-Leigh/e/B00EWL6GY2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

    Reply
  9. Kevin B. LeighRebecca Cassidy

    This pretty much hits the nail on the head, I am Irish and the baby of 10 children and we couldn’t get together unless we were going to get into an argument… Kind of reminds me of the Italians…Huh, But of course they say they are lovers not fighters. Strange. they were either killing or singing and the Irish were at the pub get drunk and fighting. And they all thought they were the best looking. I had brothers like that and they were, but you would get sick of hearing it. From Irish woman to all the Irish, I wish you Gods Blessings to one and all…

    Reply
  10. Kevin B. LeighAlfred G."Jerry"Laverty

    Irish-French Lineage! traced my Family back to John Laverty in Ireland afte1770,Roman Catholic and proud to live the Faith in Worcester,Mass.

    Reply
  11. Kevin B. LeighMarie Mulherin

    I loved this so very much! Laughed my behind off! Thank you so much for the lively side of being Irish and making my day much better! God Bless you!

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighMarie Mulherin

      Very shortly we will be married 50 years and my dream has been to go and visit Ireland and see and breath in the air and the beauty of this wonderful place of my ancestors birth. My husband is going to make this dream come true. He has been saving to take us there and for Christmas gave me this loving gift. Sadly, it will be postponed for a little while, (due to a robbery in our home while we were away for Christmas, and the money he had been saving was stolen) no matter we have decided that somehow we are definitely going this year! So have begun the process of replacing birth certificates and passports and look out Ireland…we are coming to see you! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Kevin B. LeighPA_n8iv_inMI

    I’m one of eight children – we had a Thomas and John, along with a Mary Ellen, Margaret Mary, Maureen (a form of Mary, don’t you know) Frances, Therese Mary, Mary Anne, and Francis. We have a nun, two priests, a lawyer, three nurses, two teachers, two social workers and two cops (state and federal) in our extended family. After my mom (Mary Jane) died, my father remarried a widow with two children and now we have a Teresa and Theresa and James added into the mix! (Yes, that’s three Theresa’s of three different spellings and five different variants of Mary (something)!) My mother’s maiden name was Murphy and her brother went by “Murph”. We all went through Catholic school from elementary and high school (single sex for high school – all boys HS for the boys all girls HS for the girls). Two out of 8 kids can tan, the other 6 freckle quite nicely; we always joke we had an Italian milkman! I was the youngest child and the nuns at school would sputter out all my older sibling’s names until they got to mine… which could be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. We had the Walsh’s with 14 kids, the Flynn’s with 5 and another family with 5 on our street so we had instant football and baseball teams at the ready! My stepmother was actually born and raised in Donegal and had moved back to Ireland after her first husband died so my stepsiblings learned Gaelic the two years they attended school in Ireland. We used to get the Blessed Mother in the Traveling Shrine sent to our house for a week at a time a *least* once a year and we’d kneel after dinner every night and pray the Rosary. I still have boxes of plastic figurines and “Jesus heads in profile” that I could open my own St. Jude shop out of my basement! And my son Kevin Patrick and my daughter Hope and my niece Faith are the requisite gingers of the family. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I could go on, but my family’s leaving so it’ll be 45 minutes us saying goodbye before I get back to my computer… LOL so true…

    Reply
  13. Kevin B. LeighMickeyPhinn

    I wish I had a dollar every time I heard my mom or my nanny (grandmother ) yell “Jesus, Mary and Joseph” as I was getting cuffed across the head for mouthing off.

    Reply
  14. Kevin B. LeighBryan D. Spellman

    My last name is Spellman (mostly from Galway, Sligo and Mayo), and in my family tree are McAtees (Armagh), McKowns (Antrim) and various others. One of my cousins married a Sullivan. But we’re all Protestants. That said, your list pretty much rings true–and if we don’t have priests in the family, there sure are a lot of ministers (my Dad was a Methodist minister, for instance).

    Reply
  15. Kevin B. LeighBryan D. Spellman

    And as for #3, in Fintona, County Tyrone, my McAtee cousins own the pub, the real estate agency, the funeral home, and who knows what else.

    Reply
  16. Kevin B. LeighEileen Clark

    I’m Eileen Mary Catherine, my mother was Mary Louise, walked to Catholic school, my parents always believed the nuns over me. But you forgot all the Juniors. My Grandfather, Father and Brother all Edward, my Aunt Carmelita named her daughter Carmelita, I have first, second and more cousins named Herbert and Daniel, 3 Herbs, 2 Dans. Holidays were very confusing when I was a child.

    Reply
  17. Kevin B. LeighSupeRed09

    It’s impossible to go to a house in Ireland, without being force-fed half your weight in food!

    Ps, No.5 is the truest thing I have ever read.

    Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighSupeRed09

        Haha, maybe it’s just my family but last time I was over I got fed EVERYWHERE I went – whether I wanted it or not.

        Reply
        1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

          People are kind (and not so kind) where ever you go!
          I grew up in North County Dublin moved to Madrid and now live in Cambridge. My husband is from Jersey. We get offered food in most places. It is kindness not neccessarily , Irish ness!

          Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

      When I lived in Ireland there was a saying when some one knocked on the front door. My Dad would yell out “Pauline, put water on the soup” its sort of a great depression saying, or a poverty saying. No matter who comes over you can always feed them. Be it at the expense of quality and quantity, but it didn’t matter because “Having Company over” is the life blood of an ethnic family. It does not matter if you are irish, southern baptist or New York Italian, food (and beer) are the centers of conversation.

      Reply
  18. Kevin B. LeighMaria

    Corny rubbish! I grew up in North County Dublin in the 70/80s. My Mother cooked good wholesome food perfectly (not over boiled slush, or whatever). My parents socialised a lot but never socialised in pubs, they rarely drank . At my dear father’s Wake in early Jan, no one got drunk ! (sorry to dissappoint, but true). We never prayed as a family, in fact 3 of my 4 siblings are non practicing catholics. I hate these generalisations. They are offensive and so not funny!

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighMaria

      PS; Swearing was unacceptable in my family too. There is a class system in Ireland (as there is everywhere) and some Irish people are actually educated! I think your list discribes the less advantaged and perhaps not very well educated section.

      Reply
  19. Kevin B. LeighMaria

    Why have you removed my comments. You are not funny ! Leave it up and be a big boy. Not everyone can find you funny!

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighKevin Leigh

      Sorry Maria, no comments are ever removed unless they are a direct attack on another person., I just don’t think they are in order, I’m sure if you look you will find them on the page some there.

      Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighJulia O'Reilly Eggleston

      Love it! Even corned beef and cabbage is American. Here in New England it’s called New England boiled dinner.

      Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighMaureen K Fowler

      OMG, my Mum always said that, now I tell people that: bad luck to have shoes on the table!! Both grandparents came from Mayo, “County Mayo, God help us
      .”

      Reply
  20. Kevin B. LeighAnn

    My mother was Bridget Veronica and aunts Margaret Patricia, Eileen Mary and then there was Aunt Daisy and nana was Mary Ellen. While all the other kids in neighborhood went to public school on a bus, I walked more than a mile to parochial school and that was followed by 4 years of an all girls Catholic high school. My mother said I’d thank her one day. I’m in my 60s and I never do remember thanking he!
    Then we Irish had our Friday night CYO dances where we were reminded to “save room for the Holy Ghost” when dancing slow. While my public school friends went to an amusement park for their eight grade “trip”, my female classmates went to the “motherhouse” in Pennsylvania.

    Reply
  21. Kevin B. LeighBrian Sully

    I am Sully.
    My mom would run down through all the sibling names before she got mine.
    She used my middle name when I was in trouble
    My grandfather was a miner
    My brothers were alter boys
    We said the same prayer before dinner that was held at 6 pm nightly.
    My mom was in the church choir
    My dad and all his brothers served in the Armed Forces
    My siblings and I are all named after family members. I am named after my uncle killed in the war.
    I walked to Catholic School
    My dad, of course, walked up hill both ways to school when he was young

    Reply
  22. Kevin B. LeighCarole Moran-Krumbholz

    and lets not forget.. “tis the hand of God’..that was responsible
    for just about everything..was the ‘hand of God” that got me through school…lol

    Reply
    1. Kevin B. LeighJoe Gribbin

      Absolutely. My mom and two aunts sat in our living room and cried for three days as they watched the events unfold on TV after JFK was assassinated. Saddest times I can remember. My mom had a cedar chest full of all the newspapers from that time, November 1963.

      Reply
  23. Kevin B. LeighCarole Moran-Krumbholz

    I am first generation American. My family is from Galway. only an Irishman could have written..WHAT IT MEANS 2 BE IN AN IRISH FAMILY,it is funny and very true, thank you for the giggles.

    Reply
  24. Kevin B. LeighKelley McCormick

    Water is considered a seasoning.
    Family reunions have frequently ended up with the police showing to break up the fights between the policemen in the family.
    You tell your cousins “we should get together” which is Irish for “see you at the next wake”.
    You’ve had to “take the wheel”, to help a father or uncle get home from the local- when you were nine.
    You were caused a lifetime of damage by being posed in fake white Irish Fisherman’s sweaters with a green carnation on it. Irish Fisherman’s sweaters ARE ANY COLOR BUT WHITE!
    You learned early, that when your friends’ grandmother offers you tea, take it the first time because she will continue to ask until you say yes please, if it takes all day, and nothing will get done until then.
    If you learned how to grab a handful of tea to throw in the pot. Tea bags? You must be joking. It is a cardinal sin not to let the tea steep, have a tray, a tea cozy, some digestives and clean cups ready to go at a moment’s notice, even during a nuclear event or if Cork ever beats Kerry in hurling.

    Reply
  25. Kevin B. LeighMichael Lowe

    Being Michael Patrick, there was no denying my Irish roots. Up until 6th grade, I couldn’t understand what the nuns were talking about when they talked about non-Catholics, since I didn’t know any. Moved to the suburbs, went to public school, and met Methodists, Jews, etc., and thought there’s going to be a lot of people in hell for not being Catholic. Needless to say, my view of the world has changed over the many years that followed.
    And I was an Irish Catholic, which I guess is different from being Roman Catholic, according to my grandfather.
    Based on what I learned from the “goodnuns”, I’m doomed for eating a piece of bologna in 1965, on a Friday during lent. Hopefully I’ve been able to wipe that stain from my “permanent record”, which they told me would follow me through my entire life. If anyone knows where the nuns store these records, I’d like to review mine.

    Reply
  26. Kevin B. Leighdeeceevoice

    And if you were in the American South, you had slaves and some half-white offspring. At least that’s the way it was on both sides of my family.

    Reply
  27. Kevin B. Leighpdm1289

    I am Patrick Dennis McGuire. My grandfather was Paul Robert, but was called Pat. My uncle was Paul James, but was called Pat, mostly because his brother, my dad, was Micheal James. So they were always Pat & Mike. But the tale goes on because my Aunt Mary Pat, was called Pat, my cousin Patricia Lee, is called Pat and another cousin was Patsy. When we all gathered for family holidays there was often delightful confusion about who was being called, scolded, or the topic of a story. We also had Dans, Mikes, Lauras, Steve, Margaret, Sharon, Diane, Mickey Katherine, John, Paul, Erin, Jennifer, Kellie, Gregg, Kevin, Marianna, Cornelius, Francis, and Nanette.

    Reply
  28. Kevin B. LeighEJ Russ

    When I was on Irish TV twice within 6 weeks and going around Ireland people would freeze in a shop, stare at me and say things like; ” Are you somebody?” Or “God, you look just like yourself!” russmcdevitt.com.

    Reply
  29. Kevin B. LeighJosie Dale

    Jesus,Mary and Joseph and the Donkey they travelled on ha ha. i,m one of thirteen, all got good irish names, Josephine, Paddy, Rosemary, Alice, Pauline, John Joseph, Margaret, Barney, Kathleen, Hughie and Molly. Love them all

    Reply
  30. Kevin B. LeighEugene Gallagher

    It was probably a lie when it was followed by “no word of a lie” voiced in the sincerest tone.mammy sez it wasn’t swearing when exclamation ‘jesus’……. was followed by mary and joseph and wee donkey.

    Reply
  31. Kevin B. LeighKrissy

    Two stories – My Uncle Jack (the oldest of 12-there is one left) always said that when his wife Celine died he was going to have her creamated and put her in an urn on the mantle and when people said “Is that porcelain?” he would say “No – it’s poor Celine”. When my cousin died, we were laughing and making so much noise in the back yard the night after the wake that the neighbors called the cops. My family also had two sayings “You’re a long time dead” and “The only difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish wake is that there is one less person at the wake.”

    Reply
  32. Kevin B. LeighGlenda

    My mother always says ” There are two kinds of people in this world, those who are Irish and those who wish they were!” She is 1st generation Irish.

    Reply
  33. Kevin B. Leighbob in buffalo

    My older brother was James, my older sister is Mary Catherine, my cousin is a cop, my brother-in-law was Murph, my nephews are Firemen. We had boiled chicken on Sunday with boiled potatoes. I walked to the Catholic Schools
    , Elementary and High School.

    Reply
  34. Kevin B. LeighKimberly Scott

    OMG…I’m still laughing and referring my friends and family members to specific line item numbers to explain ALL my faults…lol

    Reply
  35. Kevin B. LeighDesert_Soldier

    Retired Soldier/Irish Beat Cop…. over a hundred 1st cousins and you covered all the trades except the Rail Road gandy dancers… Some in the clergy but most followed Brown Bess all over the world…

    Reply
  36. Kevin B. Leighjenngga

    My grandmother, who was born a Quin (one n), sometimes exclaimed “Shades of St. Patrick!”. She was so cute. Does anyone else know this saying?

    Reply
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  38. Kevin B. LeighSteel Man

    “No they never taught us what was real. Iron and coke and chromium steel.”
    McManus Seyfert & Company: world famous purveyors of fine Dahlgren gun naval artillery. Never mind building the important pieces that delivered clean water to a growing New York City.

    Reply
  39. Kevin B. LeighAnnette

    I am from an Irish/Italian household and they are almost the same. We would go to my Irish grandparent’s house things were boiled and burnt, how does that happen, Before church they would have five shots a piece and call it medicine. My aunt’s name is Mary Katherine.

    Reply
      1. Kevin B. LeighAnnette

        It is funny and true. Heck when kids were teething they would rub whiskey on the gums, the kids were probably pasted out and the adult would continue drinking. Or when we had a cold they would give us hot milk, sugar and whiskey to drink. And yet we all seemed to have survived.

        Reply
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  43. Kevin B. Leighdemocrat CockRoach

    Notice, the Irish are the most SELF-DEPRECATING ethnic group in the world (unlike all the other dumb democrat WIMPS)..

    After all, it’s BAD to name a sports team CHIEFS or BRAVES in LIBERAL LA LA LAND but you can name them the Leprechauns any day of the week.

    Reply
  44. Kevin B. LeighMarianne

    Most is true or close to it except for a few: (1) Only in writing, not in person ..Talking; (5) No Paddys or Patricks; (10) I’m always poetic and always sober; (17) Forgot what it was but it doesn’t apply here; (18) My dog’s name is “Murphy” and sometimes called “Murph” when we’re tired. My Great Grandma was a Murphy; (20) No one can keep a secret better than me. I’m usually too busy talking about myself to speak about others;(21) I don’t hold grudges and can’t understand folks who do.; (22) I tan beautifully along with my freckles; (24) Vicks Vapor Rub but never Whiskey in anything… THE END!

    Reply

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