Erin Go Bragh!

That's Ireland Forever!  It's St Patrick's Day for which most people is an excuse to drink green beer and get as tipsy as possible.  For me, it's a day to hoist a whiskey to the memory of my Irish fore-bearers and be grateful they came to this country. ( If they didn't I wouldn't be here as they are only a part of the American equation)  My family is from Caven, which is St Patrick's parish.  According to one of my father's cousins, my great grandfather, James McCue, had to leave Ireland in a hurry.  He was in some kind of trouble there; just what I do not know, but it was enough for his wife Margaret to sign the family farm to someone here in America when they came and blackmailed her for it. I suspect he was involved in early Sinn Fein activities, based on some statements he used to make to my dad.  James got  the farm back about two years later.    James and Margaret had EIGHTEEN children, including three sets of twins.  She died at 42.  No big surprise there.  Geez.  Her daughters lived until their late 90's and early 100's.  Hearty stock.

I always say if you are at a McCue family reunion and you don't know the woman's name, if you call her "Margaret" you have a 75% chance of being right!  It's a BIG clan, even if only 9 of the eighteen lived to maturity, they took that "be fruitful and multiply" thing from the Bible very seriously!

So celebrate a day when everyone is Irish.  I think that must piss off "the Brit" as my Grandfather used to call them  ( although I am Brit on one side of my family and LOVE my Brit family)  They tried to wipe us off the planet for years ( not anymore, but historically speaking).  I also think there are a lot more people who actually DO have a bit of Irish blood in them.  We traveled the globe and are a friendly lot!

Sláinte!