About Me

Here's a little bit about me...

Céad Míle Fáilte

A hundred thousand welcomes to my blog, Irish American Mom.

My name is Mairéad and I came to New York, over twenty years ago, to work as a physical therapist. When a patient called me “Marmalade” I immediately knew I needed to find a helpful way for Americans to say my name.

'Mairéad' is Irish for Margaret. Within a few days of arriving in this great country I started introducing myself as, 'Mairéad, rhymes with parade'.

I hope my ramblings bring you a few moments of joy each day, as I reminisce about my childhood in Ireland, and my new life in America. Here, I write about my personal evolution, from Irish girl to American Mom.

In 1988, I crossed the Atlantic to Elmira, New York. I planned to stay for one year only. Low and behold, twenty-something years later, I am still here, and a proud American citizen.

In 2011, I reached a major milestone. I have now spent more time in America, than I ever did in Ireland. I embrace my adopted land, while never forgetting my strong ties to Ireland. Together we can celebrate both cultures, their warm similarities, and their comical differences.

I was a child in the sixties, a teenager in the seventies, an Irish college student in the eighties, and a new American in the nineties.

I met a Donegal man in New York, and married him in Ireland in 1993. In the early years of the new millennium, we dreamed of returning to Ireland, but life took such twists and turns, our plans never came to fruition.

I gave birth to my first son, when I was thirty-nine years old. At forty-one, I became the proud mother of triplets, two boys and a girl.

My children bring me joy, inspiration and a few more gray hairs, every single day.

I have always loved to share stories and write, so I thought, why not have others enjoy my tales, through a blog. My poor husband is sick of listening to me, so it's definitely time to turn to the world wide web, in search of a new, sounding board.

This is not an advice blog, a mommy blog, a savings blog, or a writing blog. It is simply one woman's scattered, whimsical view of her path to becoming an American Mom, all the while, reminiscing about the beauty and warmth of the land of her birth.

I plan to add new posts two to three times each week, but the format may change and evolve, as I learn what you would like to read about. Don't give up, if you find my postings a little scattershot. My American journey has involved many funny and inspiring years of learning. Forgive me if I jump around the forty-something years of my life, as I recount my tale.

That’s my blog vision in a nutshell. Feel free to stick around, and join in by posting your comments.

So, in the words of an old Irish saying:

“Together, may we look back on the past,

with as much pleasure as we look forward to the future”.

Please, join me on my journey.

Thanks for following my recipes an ramblings.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom