Pale,Paddy,Possum And Proud

Down from the glen came the marching men w/ their shields and their swords
To fight the fight they believed to be right overthrow the overlords
To the town where there was plenty they brought plunder,swords and flame
When they left the town was empty children would never play again
From their graves I heard the fallen above the battle cry
By that bridge near the border there were many more to die
Then onward over the mountain and outward towards the sea
They had come to claim the emerald,w/out it they would not leave

Emerald-Thin Lizzy

Happy St Patrick's Day!
As is my won't it's a quiet nite in,I have a race tomorrow which means the time honoured bowl of Linguine and Clams w/ Texas Toast plus an Irish movie on tap,a toss up between "Ash Wednesday" and "State Of Grace" b4 calling it a nite.
As tomorrow is a race today was a rest day from training,I did knock out an easy 8 miler yesterday and suffered no ill effects from whatever was ailing me on Monday,chalk that one up to"one of those things"

So,what did it mean to me growing up Irish?for starters going to a catholic grade school and high school,being an alter boy,attending mass every Sunday and every holy day of obligation,going to confession every six weeks,not eating meat on Fridays,always giving up something for Lent.

Spending most if not every summer vacation back home in Ireland,listening to my father play his Irish records in the kitchen on the weekends at the time I'm sure I made a face as I grew up listening to Top 40 radio but the reason I adore the likes of Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys today is I recognise the traditional Irish songs and love the modern versions that Dave King and Ken Casey have meshed from modern day punk and traditional Irish music as they no doubt grew up on Top 40 radio and a house where traditional Irish music ruled the record player/stereo.

I didn't need to go to South Africa to witness apartheid or the deep south of America to witness racist bigotry, my parents told me how jobs and apartments frequently posted positions or rooms that said"Irish Need Not Apply",it wasn't enough the British Army were in Northern Ireland,or that in the great famine the British government turned it's back on a nation that were they neighbours as they starved or that Oliver Cromwell plundered Ireland for the gain of the British crown but I digress.

It's been 24 years since I spent St Patrick's Day in Dublin standing on O Connell Street by the GPO which if you know your Irish history you'll understand the significance,since then I've done very little on a grand scale to celebrate my heritage....next year marks 25 years since Dublin and St Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday.....either New York City and the Parade on 5th Avenue or Boston to see Dropkick Murphys either way should be a blast.