Éirinn go brách

Whoopsie Daisy over at Living In A Toybox tagged me in a meme about my favorite things, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one Blarney Stone and write a meme about my favorite Irish things in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

10. The Irish holiday: St. Patrick's Day, where anyone can eat corned beef and cabbage, drink green beer and proudly wear buttons proclaiming "Kiss me, I'm Irish!" even if they're Polish.

9. Irishmen (and Irish-Americans): Pierce Brosnan, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Dempsey, Bono, Colm Meany, Dennis Leary, Conan O'Brien, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw; even fictional Irishmen such as Connor and Murphy McManus (Boondock Saints) and Sean Thornton (The Quiet Man).

8. Irish humor: The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scots as a joke, but the Scots haven't seen the joke yet.

7. Irish toasts:

• May ye be in heaven an half an hour before the Devil knows ye're dead.
• May ye live forever, but may mine be the last voice that ye hear.
• May you get all your wishes but one, so you always have something to strive for.
• May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.
• May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need the most, may the most you wish for be the least you get, may the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.
• May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.

6. Irish blessings:

May those who love us, love us.

And for those who don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He cannot turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles,

So we may know them by their limping.

5. Irish curses: See Irish blessings.

4. Irish character: When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious. (Quote from Edna O'Brien)

3. Irish luck: If you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough.

2. Irish proverbs:

• A drink precedes a story.
• It is better to be a coward for a minute than dead for the rest of your life.
• A heavy purse makes a light heart.
• A man who holds good cards would never say they were dealt wrong.
• Any man can lose his hat in a fairy-wind.
• A short visit is best and that not too often.
• As the old cock crows, so the young cock learns.

1. Irish whimsy: Who else could believe in leprechauns or that freckles are where the fairies have kissed you?

So that's my list of favorite Irish things. Let me raise a glass in your honor and leave you with one last thought this St. Patrick's Day:

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.