Have I ever mentioned that I am of Irish decent?.. Yeah.... that's what I thought.Yes, Begosh and Begorrah, (a phrase that a real Irishman would never use) my maiden name is one you would recognize as infinitely IRISH. As my blog is "somewhat" anonymous, I will just say that the name traces back to a royal Gaelic family that can be researched as far back as the 3rd century BC. Another nugget of info associated with my name is the fact the Gaelic translation is son (I am assuming that you understand that the Mac, Mc or O in the front part of an Irish name means son or grandson) of "a unique choice". So my name is a variation of "son of an oddball". I can only assume that 2300 years ago give or take a century, one of my ancient relatives said "Sweet Jaysis, laddie, the lass is a odd one she is." (Be sure to read that with the best possible brogue you can muster. You will know you have it right when no one on earth could possibly understand what you are saying.)
My best guess is that there have been plenty of other odd choices within my ancestry since the 3rd century BC. Actually, the word "plenty" might be an understatement. How about the word "plethora"?
That might, also, explain how my peeps managed to travel so far away from being royal. ( I am assuming that being a royal PITA doesn't count ?)
Thought Number One: I Learned Something New About My Ancestry
Yesterday, I happened to be watching the movie, A Thing Called Love. The movie, itself, isn't anything to write home about but it was the last movie that River Phoenix made prior to his death. Oh and it has Sandra Bullock in it...which is usually a good thing. She couldn't save this particular movie.
There is a scene in that movie that River asks Samantha Mathis (who was his real life girlfriend) to marry him by telling her about an old Irish custom. The custom was that one could marry for a year and a day and if things weren't working out they could come back to the place they got married and UNDO the marriage. Easy-Peasy..no questions asked...no papers to file. DONE!
Now why hadn't I heard about this before? Going into a marriage with an idea that it doesn't have to last more than a year and a day if you should have a change of heart. I realize, that by today's celebrities' standards maybe a year and a day is a long lasting marriage but the "no lawyer needed" part is a bonus if you are looking to bail. Plus, I am going out on a limb here, but don't most marriages start with the idea that it will last for more than a year. (OK, maybe not if your are Britney Spears or any of the Kardashians.)
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| Who knew Crabby Pants could Irish Step dance? |
Has anyone heard of this fall festival? Maybe not because there are so many spellings and names for this August 1st festival...Lughnasdh, Lunasa, Lammas.... it gets quite confusing. Historically, around the time of early Christianity, my Irish (Gaelic) ancestors were busy hooking up for copiously short periods of time through a ceremony called handfasting. Couples could go to this festival on August 1st and participate in the handfasting ceremony and try things out for a year and a day. If they weren't feeling the love after the year and a day, they just went back to where they got handfasted...and got unhitched.
As long as I was reading about my Irish heritage, I came across some other interesting facts.
Did you know:
- That in 1878 John Holland invented the submarine. (How odd that a man named Holland was an Irishman...don't you think? He would of had a lot more fun had he moved to Holland and passed himself off as someone important.)
- That in 1661 Robert Boyle came up with the foundation of modern chemistry with his book Sceptical Chymist. (Was he a bad speller? Was he a skeptic?...These things I am not sure about.)
- That in 1680 Sir Hans Sloan, an Irish physician was in Jamaica and discovered that mixing cocoa with milk developed a tasty beverage. He brought his recipe back to Europe and sold it as a medicine to pharmacies. (probably wasn't marketed as the first weight loss drug)
AND the most famous of all Irish products...that's right Guinness.
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| Graphic is from GoIreland.com |
Thought Number Two: Stereotypes Need Not Apply Here
Speaking of Guinness...there are certain stereotypes that go with being Irish. While some are generally OK, some are less than complimentary. For example: Curly hair, freckles, and being able to drink your weight in alcohol.
Yes, my heritage has short-changed me. Oh, I got the curly hair and even a few freckles but the ability to drink myself into a situation that would require a Paddy Wagon...a conveyance specifically designed to haul rowdy Irishmen to jail, has escaped me.
This is the greatest cosmic joke ever played on a person. I am an Irishman that can't drink a drop of alcohol.
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| Yes, my liver absolutely wears a bow. |
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