Irish – Adventures of a Southern Bohemian

Éirinn go Brách

Happy Saints Patrick’s Day. My family has deep Irish roots. I can trace my mothers father’s line back to County Galway and the Conamara Mountains, where they left for Charleston in 1705.

It has always bugged me that the rich heritage gets obscured during this day of the year. All we think about is beer, corn beef, and mystical creatures. Since college and Taura Napier’s World Literature and Irish Literature classes, I always think of John Millington Synge and his great play, The Playboy of the Western World. Ireland is a rich land of music, letters, food, and history. Let us remember these today and not green beer. I will think of my long roots in Ireland today as I go about my day. I have the red hair of my Irish forefathers, their Catholic faith and love of literature.

“… it’s great luck and company I’ve won me in the end of time — two fine women fighting for the likes of me — till I’m thinking this night wasn’t I a foolish fellow not to kill my father in the years gone by.” — Christy

“Drink a health to the wonders of the western world, the pirates, preachers, poteen-makers, with the jobbing jockies; parching peelers, and the juries fill their stomachs selling judgments of the English law.” — Sara Tansey

“A daring fellow is the jewel of the world….” — Michael Flaherty
“…the blow of a loy, have taught me that there’s a great gap between a gallous story and a dirty deed.” — Pegeen

Quotes from Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World.