Our Irish Heritage

June 13, 2018 by Irish American Mom 8 Comments

Here in the Irish American Mom Community we love to celebrate our Irish heritage. But what is it about our heritage that makes us so proud?

Is heritage the memory of our ancestors and the legacy they have gifted us? For some of us it surely is. But others have only recently discovered their Irish roots through DNA testing, and never knew their Irish forebears. Yet many have always felt a deep affinity for the land of Ireland, despite not realizing their genetic connection to this small island on the edge of the Atlantic ocean.

A while back I asked a favor of members of our little Irish community. I sent subscribers an email and posed a complex question in search of insights into the meaning of our Irish heritage. Here’s the question I asked:

What’s the most important thing to you about your Irish heritage?

A difficult question alright? But my word, did respondents rise to the occasion with eloquent, meaningful answers.

For the past week I have been inundated with responses to my email, and I cannot thank you enough for taking time to carefully consider the significance of our shared heritage. I have read, reread and treasured your responses.

Your answers touched me deeply, and so I thought it would be wonderful to share your beautiful mosaic of Irish thoughts.

Here’s how one reader summed it all up …

“So many things are intertwined ( in my mind at least!) and work all together to make the Irish who they are, no matter where they are. So here’s some things that come to mind ( no particular order)

- sense of family
- sense of community–looking out for each other
- survival
- standing against injustice–especially injustice towards those who are least able to defend themselves
- abiding love of the land
- love of laughter
- our rebellious streak
- our poets, writers, storytellers, musicians and singers (we certainly have a way with words)
- our hospitality
- our food (taking simple ingredients making delicious meals)”

This is just one example of your many responses. As I read over your stories I started making lists of your adjectives and words. Patterns and repetitions started emerging inspiring the creation of an Irish themed word cloud.

I hope you like this graphic. If you would like to print it, simply click here for the PDF file which you are welcome to save, print and share.

Now, let’s take a quick look at your top ten most frequently quoted words and phrases. I’ve also included some of your touching, poignant and passionate responses.

And so, without further ado, here are some of the most important things about our Irish heritage….

10. People

“The most important thing, to me, about my Irish heritage is the people – you might say, the Irish Way (poets and fighters all wrapped up in one)….. The people are always so accepting and accommodating that even when not with blood family it feels so familial.”

“The most important things I value about my Irish heritage are the dedication to family and country, the insistence on education for our young and laws to insure care for the young, elderly and infirm. Our moral strength and determination drawn from the Celts.”

“Where I come from..the blood and people I am built from and why I am the way I am.”

“We are descendants of intelligent, honest, hard working, country building, hospitable, real scholars and saints.”

“The origins and history of the Irish – the good and the bad that has made us into a hearty people with passion.”

9. Way With Words

“The fabric of my Irish heritage is a tight weave of creativity, wit, blarney and wisdom.”

“The best of my Irish legacy is a wonderful facility with words, phrases and prose. I love the lilt that it offers.”

“It has always seemed like there is an Irishness inside me, and I want to learn more about how the Irish lived and how they live today, the traditions, the superstitions, the lifestyles. My mother had a fabulous imagination and told us elaborate stories. I’d like to believe we have storytelling in our blood. I’m looking for the nooks and crannies, the little tidbits of daily life that would resonate within the cellular memory of my DNA.”

8. Good Food

“It is also very important to me that my two sons are very familiar with Irish food, music and holiday traditions and that they stay connected to all their relatives in Ireland.”

“I am most interested in learning more about Irish culture, Irish holiday traditions and “every day ” recipes ( not gourmet restaurant ones I can find online 😀).”

7. Spirituality

“The most important thing about my Irish heritage is that it gives a foundation to me. The history, the beliefs, the faith, its like a building. A building does not stay strong without a good foundation. My Irish heritage is my strong foundation. My children were raised with their Irish heritage. I have seen them grow, I am now seeing their children grow with the same beliefs.”

“A sense of belonging to something bigger than myself- a history and heritage rich and spiritual.”

“The legends, myths and spiritual legacy of the Celts is intriguing.”

6. Irish Language

“I love to listen to the language. Listening to Gaelic helps me feel more connected to Ireland even though I cannot speak or understand the words.”

“I am very interested in hearing how Gaelic phrases are pronounced.”

5. Love of the Land

“Most important to me is the Ireland of old. History,recipes, poems, true stories about the people and land. We haven’t learned or heard most of the true Ireland. A relative of mine said it best: We aren’t the land of leprechauns and pots of gold”

“The deep love of the land, our home and family vie with the fire in the heart and writer’s soul – these are the complete package of what we are fiercely and tenderly proud of!”

4. Loyalty

“My favorite symbol of Ireland is the claddagh, and I wear a claddagh cross to remind me I need to show love, loyalty, and friendship to God and Jesus.”

“My Irish heritage pulls at me on a daily basis and is a source of much family pride.”

“I love Irish loyalty to family and nation. One of my favorite Irish sayings goes like this ….”A family of Irish birth will argue and fight, but let a shout come from without and see them all unite.”

3. Perseverance / Survival

“I have always be amazed at the courage and strength it must have taken to board that ship to escape the very hard times they were facing in Ireland to seek better lives in America.”

“When my great grandparents came over on the boat during the potato famine, they had 11 children. They all died on the ship. My great grandfather was just distraught, my great grandmother said to him, “If we are not to have an Irish family, we’ll have an American one. I don’t know if it helped him then, but they did have 9 more children in the US, one my grandmother.”

“How proud I am of how they pursued the American Dream in spite of all the hardships they encountered. From ‘No Irish Need Apply” to becoming well respected members of America.”

“I love the fact that being Irish means you’re a survivor. Our ancestors endured so much, yet still tried to see the silver linings. They played music, told stories and kept those stories alive for generations. They came to America from famine with nothing and accomplished many dreams amidst the racism they experienced, “Irish need not Apply”. ”

“The most important thing to me about my Irish Heritage? Endurance….and having a successful ending to an Irish family’s extremely difficult and tragic life in the late 1800’s which I wish that my great-great Grandfather and my great-great-great grandmother could see now.”

“I’ve always been struck by the fact that the Irish have been through much adversity throughout the centuries. And yet they’re known for their delightful wit, humor & good-natured spirit. That inspires me and I’m proud to have so many ancestors of Irish descent.”

2. Faith

“My Dad always had his Rosary in his pocket and a few treasured medals and a tiny statue of (I think) St. Joseph. Dad seemed to perfectly understand that anything that was good came from God. And, “with the help o’ God”, as he would always say, such and such would happen. Dad’s solid Faith has made me clearly define that Faith as just part of being Irish…for which I always felt so proud of, and so special that it was just what I am. From that, my life has blossomed into an embracing of the plan God has for each of us and all those of good will.”

“The most important thing to me is remembering that faith and culture are inseparable. The Irish survived and preserved their culture and heritage because of their deep faith in God who saw them through and gave the Irish the gifts that make them who they are.”

“There is so much about my Irish heritage that is important to me (music, poetry, culture, the beautiful land), but if I had to choose one thing, it would be the Catholic faith.”

1. Family

“The most important thing to me about my Irish heritage is the parts that have been passed down the generations in my family – family life, music, Irish dancing, warmth, hospitality, cups of tea round the table, humour, slight madness!, religion, spirituality, names, history.”

“The most important thing to me about my Irish heritage is feeling closer to my ancestors, understanding how they must have felt on leaving Ireland, on surviving America, on how they dealt with feelings of anger and hatred towards those who contributed to the difficulties they experienced in life….. So singing along to folk songs, voting, speaking up for others, walking in Ireland, wearing an Aran sweater, telling stories from Irish mythology, learning to speak and read (a little) Irish Gaelic, eating colcannon, drinking tea–all these give me a feeling of warmth–like a caress across the years. Like my gr’grandparents and my grandparents, I am proud of being an Irish-American. I am proud of my Irish Heritage. I am especially proud of my grandmothers, gr’grandmothers and gr’gr’grandmothers–who tended to outlive their husbands and struggled as single parents to support their children.”

“Most important…love of family, our roots…feeling that dna!!! Love visting our family still on the farm that our great grandmother left to come to America at age 19.”

“My Irish heritage is important to me because it has given definition to my being here. It helps define who I am. I love the traditions of, love of family, loyalty, and humor that comes from my “Irish “ side.”

Dedicated to the Memory of our Ancestors:

And so with this blog post, I dedicate our Irish American Mom Community to the memory of our ancestors, and to the Irish legacy they bequeathed us.

With your help we can preserve knowledge of their customs and traditions and we can give life to the heritage and culture they passed on to us. We should not and shall not ever forget them.

Many thanks to everyone whose contributions made this blog post possible. If you would like me to add your name under your quotation just send me an email or a comment below.

Or if you would like me to feature your family’s immigrant tale or the story of their American evolution, just let me know.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

More Ramblings Around Ireland From Anne Driscoll

September 23, 2017 by Irish American Mom 2 Comments

Anne Driscoll continues her rambles around Ireland, sharing cultural nuances and observations as she adapts to life in her new home. And so let me hand you over to Anne ….

Three Years In Ireland:

It’s exactly three years and ten months since I first arrived in Ireland and in the last month, I saw my first rainbow at night. It was a full moon evening and there was a rainbow arc stretched across the sky.

In another first, my currach teammate gave me Spotted Dick to sample. She told me it’s a dense cake-like pudding that is very popular in the UK. She explained the spots are raisins. I am not sure what the dick part is but it was definitely delicious.

Fishing For Glasses:

On a sunny day when we were going out fishing for an afternoon, and just as we were climbing onto the wooden currach, the Irishman’s friend noticed what he thought were the Irishman’s eyeglasses five feet below stuck in the muck.

The friend retrieved from his house a small rake and a pole to tape to it as an extension. He managed to dig the glasses out and, once washed, they were as good as new – which is not too surprising since they actually were brand new when the Irishman had lost them at the end of the pier six weeks before.

St Macdara’s Island:

On July 16th, I went to St. Macdara’s Island for an annual festival in honor of St. Macdara held at the site of the church he founded back in the 6th century.

It is the one day of the year that boats are organized to bring pilgrims to the island, where boys chase sheep, families have picnics, the priest says mass and the Galway hookers gracing the waters lower their sails as they pass.

Hundreds of people make the journey and many are local seafaring families, who either fish or cut seaweed and seek the priest’s blessing on the day.

We saw a carved standing rock that some people believe marks St. Macdara’s grave and there is also St. Macdara’s holy well, which is now overgrown and hard to find.

But there is a supposedly true story told in the book Miracle of an Enchanted Island about a blind boy who was shipwrecked with his dog Sailor on St. Macdara’s island and regains his sight when the dog laps water from the holy well and then laps the boy’s eyes and face. The book was written by a man who was 8 when told the story by his grandmother, and she, in turn, was a little girl when told the story by her grandmother.

Doonbeg, County Clare:

I went to the final currach race of the league season in Doonbeg, a beautiful little coastal town where Trump has built a golf course and hotel suggestive of a castle.

Doonbeg is far better known, however, for the actual Doonbeg castle there that dates back more than 1000 years.

The Doonbeg castle is visible as you approach the pier but, ironically, so was a huge green bouncy castle, too, that had been hastily erected to amuse the kids.

We won the three woman’s race, giving us the best record of the women’s teams in the league and we were truly chuffed.

TV Appearance:

The following night, we appeared on RTE’s final episode of Creedon’s Shannon which traced TV presenter John Creedon’s trek down the River Shannon, ending in a Shannon hooker at a currach regatta we raced in on the Shannon estuary of Kilbaha bay.

The village turned out for a standing room only screening at the community center to welcome Sean Mannion, the hero boxer featured in the film Rocky Ros Muc. There was a bonfire lit on the pond across from the hall to hail him home to this tightknit Gaeltacht community, much the same as was done when he first returned from Boston after losing a fight for world title crown in 1984. The film is a testament to the all too common tale of emigration and homecomings and there were plenty of teary moments.

Galway Film Festival:

The next night I went to the Galway Film Festival screening of the short film Native, starring Patrick Bergin and directed by Linda Bhreathnach, whose parents own a local pub/shop. It, too, is a testament story of emigration and homecoming – told without a single word of English or Irish – about a man who returns after a prolonged absence to his abandoned home on an island off an island only to find his house derelict and any family or friends he might have once had, long gone. Native was filmed on the tiny island inhabited by one sole resident and accessible only twice a day that I happened to visit last month.

That night I returned to Galway to see Linda Bhreathnach star in a play DÚN na mBAN TRÍ THINE (The Fairy Fort is on Fire) about a woman trying to balance being a wife, mother and artist and who dreams of fulfillment but has nightmares of menacing fairies that want to snatch her life and sanity from her. The play was performed in Irish but also, thankfully, had English subtitles.

Shep, The Sheep Dog:

And two days ago, Shep, the sheep dog arrived. A year old, quiet, calm, cuddly with a black and white body and brown eyebrows, he was a failed sheep dog, but has already saved the life of an 8-year-old boy who went underwater and Shep swam out to bring him in.

And now that I have him, I remembered back decades ago to my first dog Erin, a Brittany mix whose fluffy coat and soft face often reminded me of the black and white photos I would see of Irishmen in caps sitting on stone walls with their sheep dogs.

Even back then, when I would dare to dream of a life in Ireland, I didn’t really dream of a life in Dublin (as much as I have loved my time there).

I imagined a life in a village very much like the one I live in now with views similar to what I see every day and a dog very much like the one laying next to me as I write this blog post. I am so incredibly blessed.

I heard a story this month about a visitor to Ireland who was advised, “Don’t stay in this country long, it will catch you.” However, I think it’s far too late for me; I have already been caught.

P.S.
The day before I posted this, my friend Trish asked if Shep was going to make the blog this month. I said, “Of course.” She joked, “That’s why I hate him,” thinking Shep would steal the limelight from her, but this post script is my way of making sure she is included in this month’s blog. There you go, Trish.

How To Follow Anne’s Adventures:

You can check out more of Anne’s writings on her website, or follow her on Twitter.

If you enjoyed this blog post, check out Anne Driscoll’s mini-memoir series, beginning with Irish You Were Here: My Year of Matchmaking Festivals, Fairy Forts and Mugging My Mugger in Ireland.

Irish You Were Here is for both the armchair traveler and active adventurer, the dreamers and the daredevils, the writers, poets and storytellers, and all the activists out there lead by their passions.

This is an Ireland you won’t read about in tour guides and it’s one you won’t soon forget. It’s for everyone who is Irish and for anyone who wished they were.

You can find Irish You Were Here at Amazon Kindle here.

A big thank you to Anne for another update on her Irish adventures. So lovely to hear how much she is enjoying and embracing life in Ireland.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Anne Driscoll’s July Ramblings From Ireland

July 25, 2017 by Irish American Mom 6 Comments

Time again for an update from Anne Driscoll who shares her keen observations of life in the west of Ireland. She lives in the Irish speaking part of Ireland in County Galway and is even trying to learn the language.

Here’s what she’s been up to for June 2017…

St. Colmcille’s Holy Well:

It’s exactly three years and nine months since I first arrived in Ireland and in the last month, I went to the St. Colmcille holy well on the shores of Rossaveal (Ros an Mhil) on St. Colmcille Day (June 9) where, on that day, people used to make a pilgrimage, walking through fields or traveling by boat because of the lack of accessible roads at the time.

The roads are better but the well is still hard to find, in spite of some white hand-painted rocks that say TOBAR with an arrow pointing out the way. We walked way past an old cemetery, across beds of seaweed, and over ledge down to a place where there is a basin found in the bedrock.

Two old timers helped show us the way. In the basin there was a round rock sphere, which is sometimes there, but also sometimes not there, too, one local said. The well basin is tidal, but the water in the well doesn’t taste salty. It’s customary for visitors to pick up seven periwinkles and walk counter clockwise around the well, each time dropping one of the perwinkles into the well as they pass. Their steps have worn a deep path in the rock.

A Post-Pilgrimage Trip To The Pub:

That night we returned to Rossaveal to hear music at a 300-year-old pub where locals claim Padraic Pearse once stopped on his way to the Aran Islands.

We bumped into one of the locals who was at the well and recognized us and also ended up talking to another old-timer who says that he used to let the St. Colmcille pilgrims stay with him as they made their way to the well. He said hundreds of people would travel and boats would arrive from near and far.

Mass was said on the beach on St. Colmcille day, but several years ago, they discontinued mass and it’s been ages since the well saw crowds that size. That night, when the pub was closing, the band played the Irish national anthem, as is customary, and everyone stood at attention, singing along.

Omey Island – The Last Pagan Outpost In Ireland:

We went to the bog to bag turf and while driving back, I was commenting how bad the bog road was. “At least we have a road,” the Irishman said, as we bounced along. The next minute my Fitbit started buzzing on my wrist. “This road is so bumpy my Fitbit thinks I’ve hit 10,000 steps,” I said, laughing.

I went with Neasa back to Omey Island and this time we found the ruins of St. Feichin’s church, which had remained buried under sand until 1981 when the local priest and local people took it upon themselves to unearth it. Omey Island was the very last outpost of paganism when St. Feichin arrived bringing Christianity.

I raced currachs on Inis Mor on the same day, weirdly, a video about the Man of Aran filmmaker came up in my Facebook feed.

Communion Money Investments:

In the past month, I saw a dead horse on the sidewalk, a dead fox by the side of the house and a dead crow in the middle of the road. I also was introduced to a very lively newborn calf who enjoyed suckling my fingertips.

She is owned by an 8-year-old who spent €400 of his First Communion money buying her. He told me that in three years he can milk her and she will also have lots of other calves.

“So you have made an investment?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Then you are a businessman?”

“Yes,” he said.

Irish Language Lessons and Mass:

I have been taking Irish lessons with that same 8-year-old, who only spoke Irish until he learned English in the last year or two.

He’s a patient and able teacher and I don’t feel the least bit self-conscious with him when I mangle the language.

I went to an outdoor mass said in Irish at the water’s edge in Spiddeal to commemorate the 100th anniversary of an accident where nine men died after finding a WWI mine washed up on the beach.

The local community spent six months building a road paved with round stones along the shoreline to allow access to the site and about 300 people walked in a procession following a bagpiper and two people carrying flags.

During the memorial mass, relatives of each of the nine men lit candles as the person’s name was read aloud. The lone survivor of the explosion was 15 years old at the time and was hiding behind a rock when the mine detonated, damaging his hearing. There was a huge crater blown out of the earth and the windows of houses were shattered for miles around. including at the Garda station.

Old Irish Sayings

I heard someone say recently, “I was there when you were making a donkey out of the dog,” a saying that means “when you were a kid.”

I also heard someone describe a night that was so humid you could feel the mist in the air roughly translated from Irish as “raindrops in the mouth of the wind.”

I saw an older man walking down the road in his wellies in a sort of world-weary stride and was told, “He’s been walking the same way his whole life, even when he was a boy.

He’s been wearing wellies his whole life, too. He had scars on his legs from when the wellies would get wet and cut into his legs.”

A Land Untouched By Time:

There are many people and many places untouched by time here, including a man who has been the only resident of a small island for the past 30 years. He often goes for weeks and weeks without seeing another soul and says it does get lonely sometimes and that the nights can get long in winter.

He has no television but listens to Radio na Gaeltachta for company and is remarkably well-informed about the local carry on.

He has had electricity since 1980 but still doesn’t have running water. Instead he collects rainwater and dips a saucepan in a plastic bucket to pour clean water into his electric kettle and make tea for his guests.

The island is accessible only twice a day when the tide is low and visitors can make their way across a long bridge made of rocks by the locals, called a carragh, or stone piling.

A clock sits on his kitchen table, for what reason, I don’t know.

There is an old Irish saying that time is a good storyteller. And this is a place where that is clearly true.

How To Follow Anne’s Adventures:

You can check out more of Anne’s writings on her website, or follow her on Twitter.

If you enjoyed this blog post, check out Anne Driscoll’s mini-memoir series, beginning with Irish You Were Here: My Year of Matchmaking Festivals, Fairy Forts and Mugging My Mugger in Ireland.

This is an Ireland you won’t read about in tour guides and it’s one you won’t soon forget. It’s for everyone who is Irish and for anyone who wished they were.

You can find Irish You Were Here at Amazon Kindle here.

A big thank you to Anne for this insightful installment on her Irish journey. I am very impressed with her young Irish teacher, and astute business man. He definitely picked a good looking calf for his investment. Wishing Anne and all her Irish friends happy times in County Galway.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

America Bound

July 4, 2017 by Irish American Mom 8 Comments

To mark Independence Day 2017, I have a very special song to share with you. A reader sent me the lyrics to “America Bound,” a song he wrote to honor the journey his ancestors took from Donegal to America many years ago.

Image Credit

Here’s a little background to the song, by Sean O’Rourke ….

“In the early 1900’s, my great grandfather (Charles McBride) was the schoolmaster on a small island off the coast of Donegal, when he decided to bring his family to America.

He was unable to get a teaching certificate in the US so he took a job as a sandhog and helped with the construction of the Holland tunnel.

He died a few years before I was born, but his, and many other stories of the young men and women that came to America in search of a better life, have always intrigued me…..”

America Bound

By Sean O’Rourke

Hey Sheelah, I don’t like the sound

of just how fast the winters comin’ around.

We gotta get out of this little town

there’s a great big world dying to be found.

Hey Sheelah we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

Dawn at the Gweedore Canal, County Donegal

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Gweedore in the morning light looks so fine.

Standing in the Donegal breeze

the thought has crossed my mind

to leave my friends and family far behind, far behind.

Gweedore Gold – Sunset in County Donegal

Image Credit

Grace is lookin’ kind of weak.

Mary and Maggie just don’t have enough to eat.

Little Johnny won’t say a word.

You know how bad this hurts.

Hey Sheelah we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

Image Credit

Gweedore in the morning light looks so fine.

Standing in the Donegal breeze

the thought has crossed my mind

to leave my friends and family far behind, far behind.

Image Credit

A sandhog is what they call me

I’m diggin’ a tunnel to New Jersey.

I got our fortune in my hands

with my Celtic cross I dig this land.

Hey baby our fortune is found,

but we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

Image Credit

New York in the morning light looks alright.

Standing in the Brooklyn breeze

the thought has crossed my mind

to see my friends and family one more time, one more time.

Image Credit

Hey Sheelah we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

And so, this 4th of July let’s think about those who have gone before us. Those who took the perilous journey across the ocean to reach a distant shore in search of a better life. Their sacrifices and dedication to the American dream are our inheritance.

And a big thank you to Sean for sharing his beautiful immigrant tale with us today.

Wishing you and yours, a very happy 4th of July.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

US Infrastructure And The Extraordinary Legacy Of Irish American Immigrants

June 6, 2017 by Irish American Mom 10 Comments

Over the past two centuries Irish immigrants played a vital role in building America’s infrastructure.

Did you know????….

Over 50% of the workers on the Erie Canal were of Irish descent.
Construction of the Empire State Building began on St. Patrick’s Day, 1930.
The world’s first skyscraper was The Home Insurance Building in Chicago and was built by Irish immigrants.

Image Credit

Today I have a wonderful infographic from the good folks at Claddagh Rings sharing some wonderful facts about the legacy of Irish American workers over the past two hundred years.

Check out all the facts in the graphic below….

Image Credit

A big thank you to the good folk at Claddagh Rings for sharing this information.

This Irish American construction legacy is definitely a source of Irish pride.

What’s the most important thing to you about your Irish heritage?

“So many things are intertwined ( in my mind at least!) and work all together to make the Irish who they are, no matter where they are. So here’s some things that come to mind ( no particular order)

sense of family

sense of community–looking out for each other

survival

standing against injustice–especially injustice towards those who are least able to defend themselves

abiding love of the land

love of laughter

our rebellious streak

our poets, writers, storytellers, musicians and singers (we certainly have a way with words)

our hospitality

our food (taking simple ingredients making delicious meals)”

10. People

9. Way With Words

8. Good Food

7. Spirituality

6. Irish Language

5. Love of the Land

4. Loyalty

3. Perseverance / Survival

2. Faith

1. Family

Dedicated to the Memory of our Ancestors:

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Three Years In Ireland:

Fishing For Glasses:

St Macdara’s Island:

Doonbeg, County Clare:

TV Appearance:

Galway Film Festival:

Shep, The Sheep Dog:

How To Follow Anne’s Adventures:

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

St. Colmcille’s Holy Well:

A Post-Pilgrimage Trip To The Pub:

Omey Island – The Last Pagan Outpost In Ireland:

Communion Money Investments:

Irish Language Lessons and Mass:

Old Irish Sayings

A Land Untouched By Time:

How To Follow Anne’s Adventures:

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

America Bound

By Sean O’Rourke

Hey Sheelah, I don’t like the sound

of just how fast the winters comin’ around.

We gotta get out of this little town

there’s a great big world dying to be found.

Hey Sheelah we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

Gweedore in the morning light looks so fine.

Standing in the Donegal breeze

the thought has crossed my mind

to leave my friends and family far behind, far behind.

Grace is lookin’ kind of weak.

Mary and Maggie just don’t have enough to eat.

Little Johnny won’t say a word.

You know how bad this hurts.

Hey Sheelah we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

Gweedore in the morning light looks so fine.

Standing in the Donegal breeze

the thought has crossed my mind

to leave my friends and family far behind, far behind.

A sandhog is what they call me

I’m diggin’ a tunnel to New Jersey.

I got our fortune in my hands

with my Celtic cross I dig this land.

Hey baby our fortune is found,

but we’re America Bound.

We’re America Bound.

New York in the morning light looks alright.

Standing in the Brooklyn breeze

the thought has crossed my mind