Green's come a long way, O'baby

Happy Patricks' Day (can't resist that nominal liberty).

St. Paddy's is an irony. First, it's American, not Irish. They didn't have this boisterous holiday on the Emerald Isle until more than a century after we invented it. In Ireland the somber, Lenten date of St. Patrick's death was only observed by the more pious, with no drinking allowed - the law required pubs closed for the day until 1970.

Second, St. Patrick "his own self" wasn't even Irish (nor did he drive snakes anywhere). He was a trafficked British teen; kidnapped from home, taken to Ireland, and enslaved. Ten years later he escaped and found refuge in an English monastery. Later after joining the priesthood he returned to Ireland willingly to spread Christian conversion by blending (rather than the more common practice of rejecting) old Irish religious traditions with Catholic. And he wore blue, not green.

Speaking of green, shamrocks are three-leafed, if you please. The three leaves of the shamrock represent the Holy Trinity, so in Irish culture, the image of a four-leafed clover may be considered an insult.

Finally, your corned beef and cabbage? That's not Irish either. They looked at us funny when we tried to order it in Ireland in 2003, recommending Irish stew instead. This was confirmed by North Idaho's resident Irish beauty queen (and former journalist) Katherine Eckhoff, who told her Facebook friends, "Corned beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish dish. I cooked it for the first time here!"

It's the thought that counts. "Irish" in America is practically a badge of honor. We love all things Irish and boast of any wee drop of Irish heritage, real or imagined.

Yet as wildly popular as they may be today, the Irish weren't always so beloved. The welcome mat was yanked from under their Celtic feet when they first arrived. Irish immigrants (like many others who reached "the States") were considered inferior by American Anglos. "Irish need not apply" was a common sight on "help wanted" signs.

The Civil War helped, but only a little. Irish immigrants, including my own ancestor (there's that wee drop!), were eager contributors to the war effort. Thirty-nine Union regiments were majority Irish, and another 40,000 Irishmen fought with the South. That earned the Irish a little overdue respect and seemed to turn the tide of prejudicial sentiment, if just a degree or two. Full acceptance took a few more generations.

It had to happen, at least by sheer numbers; traditional Irish Catholic proscriptions meant large families. Like most immigrants they worked hard; American cities such as Chicago were built largely by Irish backs. Music continues to play its role, with the upbeat tunes and Irish fiddles influencing the development of American country music, and perhaps even more popular today. Pubs - half bar and half family restaurant - proliferated and remain well-attended in American cities.

And they are so literary; to be Irish is synonymous with poetry and stories. The Irish have a love affair with words and are unafraid to express them with beauty and unfettered emotion. Irish-American writers include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jack London, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Eugene O'Neill, and Henry James. We adore more than 200 Irish poets, among them Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, and William Butler Yeats.

Here's a trivia question for the literati: What's Oscar Wilde's full name? Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde. Try that in rapid repetition, with a brogue.

Perhaps the greatest Irish appeal is the ability to laugh at themselves. That's both endearing, and instructive - a survival tool. A historically oppressed people who endure what they consider a continuing occupation by the British in Northern Ireland, they've borne it all with a persistently passionate love of life.

Health and a long life to you.

Land without rent to you.

A child every year to you.

And if you can't go to heaven, may you at least die in Ireland. - Irish blessing

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network whose house is decorated gold and emerald green during Irish Heritage Month. Contact her at [email protected].