I suppose that if one were to go looking for further proof that “Mondays Is a Hard Time” (See my last post for explanation.), I see that St. Patrick’s Day, the day on which we of Irish descent (and a LOT of those who aren’t) honor St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland, falls on a Monday this year and just PRIOR to the first day of my usual blog post “rotation,” which is every 2 weeks on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. So, even though it screws up my routine, it still seems appropriate for this man of some Irish decent to create a post for this day. I do have Irish ancestors on at least one side of my family tree (probably both) and I do like to recognize that by making some sort of appropriate commentary about St. Patrick’s Day each year to: 1.) acknowledge those roots and 2.) support any Irish traditions which might be appropriate for members of my family.
To be completely honest, probably MY favorite part of being Irish (other than being quite fond of Irish folk songs) is having “fish and chips” (which are actually English in origin, but ARE quite popular in Ireland) with a Guinness at a local Omaha pub known as “The Brazen Head” whenever the opportunity arises. See their logo below:
To be completely honest, probably MY favorite part of being Irish (other than being quite fond of Irish folk songs) is having “fish and chips” (which are actually English in origin, but ARE quite popular in Ireland) with a Guinness at a local Omaha pub known as “The Brazen Head” whenever the opportunity arises. See their logo below:
Now, according to their discussion of the history of this name, the original Brazen Head is a pub in Merchant's Quay, Dublin, built as a coaching inn in 1754, on the site of a merchant's dwelling dating back to at least 1613. It received a license to sell ale in 1661, and the first mention of it as an inn was in 1668. I, obviously, make occasional visits to its namesake in Omaha (where Bonnie is quite fond of their Ruben, as I also am), although I most commonly get fish and chips or a Boxty (which is a sort of potato pancake folded around various sorts of meat, cheese, and vegetable fillings, sort of like an omelet). I will admit, however, that I like just about everything on their menu, especially with a Guinness (which now makes a non-alcoholic version, which I also like). Other than its taste, which I DO enjoy, however, even regular Guinness Draught IS actually relatively low in alcohol as it clocks in at just 4.2% ABV, which is fairly low. That does NOT mean that I drink a lot of it, but I DO like it on occasion and I feel less guilty about having a glass of it than I might with other drinks.
Anyway, the local Brazen Head features a bar and other wooden decor hand-crafted in Ireland and shipped here for assembly, so it’s quite pleasant and ”feels "authentic, with a “neighborly,” atmosphere which makes me think of it as being like a true Irish “local,” which it probably isn’t in reality, but what do I know? Anyway, while I do generally avoid the St Paddy’s Day crowds, I do like to go to there fairly often, where I took this picture of a Guinness St. Patrick’s Day sign last year. I like “the black stuff,” so I include the sign below.
Anyway, the local Brazen Head features a bar and other wooden decor hand-crafted in Ireland and shipped here for assembly, so it’s quite pleasant and ”feels "authentic, with a “neighborly,” atmosphere which makes me think of it as being like a true Irish “local,” which it probably isn’t in reality, but what do I know? Anyway, while I do generally avoid the St Paddy’s Day crowds, I do like to go to there fairly often, where I took this picture of a Guinness St. Patrick’s Day sign last year. I like “the black stuff,” so I include the sign below.
To me (not being especially religious), St. Paddy’s Day is a day about friendship and good times, so it seems an appropriate time to include this print of an old Irish proverb, as well.
I think that’s the true message of the day, and the idea that it should only apply to those of us with Irish roots, seems silly to me. The fact of the matter is that --
How can I say that? Well, it’s not just the cliché most people seem to think it is. After all, even Garfield seems to want to claim some Irish heritage on “the day” See below --
And, if THAT doesn’t convince you, consider this --
Well, setting Pepe to the side, on St. Patrick’s Day, the most appropriate thought may be --
I guess what I’m really trying to suggest is that St. Pat’s Day is, in the long run, a day to ignore our differences and treat everyone like we would a friend, so the image below may serve as a good summation of my thinking. It’s how I think about my friends, and I hope that, like me, you’re lucky enough to have family and friends to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with, as well.
I plan to be back on my usual schedule in a couple of weeks with another of these posts. I hope that you’ll drop into my website along about then to see what I come up with to talk/write/think about then.
🖖🏼 LLAP,
Dr. B
🖖🏼 LLAP,
Dr. B
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