Happy St. Patrick's Day

An Irish Blessing

“When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, tis like the morn in spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter,
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away…”
Chauncey Olcott & George Graff

I remember my father singing this song when I was a wee child. He loved and celebrated his Irish roots and lamented never seeing Ireland. Most of those who settled western North Carolina came over from Ireland during the potato famine. They chose the area because, with its green rolling, and smoky blue hills and mountains, it reminded them of home. The Irish accent can still be heard there in the turning of certain vowel sounds and clipping off the ends of words.

Did you know that St. Patrick was not Irish? In fact he was captured in Wales as a boy of 16, and taken to Ireland as a slave. He lived there for six years and then escaped back to Britian. It was only after entering the priesthood that he returned to Ireland as Bishop of the northwest part of the country. There is very little known of him, except that he lived in the fifth century. Legend has it that he rid the island of snakes, but no evidence supports it.

I heard an official of Ireland being interviewed last week, about how people all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. He lamented all the drinking and revelry that attends it, saying that is not how the Irish celebrate the day and that it feels like an insult to the Saint rather than a celebration of his life’s work. Today, if you plan to quaff green beer and have a rowdy celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, offer this blessing in his name:

“May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessing of St. Patrick behold you.”

In the spirit,
Jane