Ri-ra! What does it mean to be Irish? (part 1 of 2)

Every year on March 17, revelers hoist frothy mugs of beer, drape themselves in green and pay religious homage to the Patron Saint of Ireland. This year, bucketology peers behind the St. Patrick’s Day curtain to ask the question, “What does it mean to be Irish?” In addition to our usual cracker-jack research, we solicited comments from our Facebook page followers. Here’s what we came up with …

Being Irish means…

1. Having an obsession with the weather – the rain in particular.

2. “Being able to hold your Killian’s and your Guinness!” – Mary Beth B. F.

3. Knowing the shamrock isn’t Ireland’s national symbol. It was, however, used by St. Patrick to teach the trinity.

4. You’re from Scituate, Massachusetts, decreed “The Most Irish Town in the United States” after the 2011 Census.

5. “Being damn proud of my namesake and not being afraid of wearing my heart on my sleeve.”  – Marilyn H.

6. Accepting that when an Irishman says, “I’ll be there in 5 minutes,” he really means 5 hours.

7. Respecting the difference between Irish (as in being born in Ireland) and Irish-American.

8. Corned beef and cabbage.

9. Pulling off the pickup line: “How would you like to help me put the Irish Spring back into me step?”

10. U2

11.  Reminiscing over that time an astronaut aboard the International Space Station played a 100 year-old flute and a tin whistle belonging to The Chieftains on St. Paddy’s Day.

12. “To be a guilt-ridden yet feisty, rabble-rouser who likes to dance and commit acts of drunken bad-assery!” – Rachel N.

13. The Commitments movie (Sorry, Crying Game).

14. Cool first names like Finn and Seamus.

15. “Having a tendency to repeat, hedge and deflect the question.” – Dan O.

16. Understanding 3 or more Irish people congregating in the same place will inevitably cause them to take a Northside position or a Southside position.

17. “Acting like a hooligan.” – Chris M.

18. “Being quick-witted and a lover/ teller of tales, hot tempered at times but quick to forgive and forget, appreciating a good pint or two with great friends and being thankful for the green in your veins.” – Sedrick O.

19. Seeing the wisdom (if not identifying with) this Oscar Wilde quote: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

20. Angela’s Ashes.

21. Getting jazzed about St. Patrick’s Day Parades (especially in Manhattan, Boston and/or Savannah.)

22. Having James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw or W.B. Yeats on your “To Read” list.

23. You say things like, “I tot it was me turn in loin.”

24. March 17 is a national holiday if you live in Chatham County, GA.

25. “To have an unabashed love of life, to be kind and generous, to have a love of language and literature, and to be able to enjoy a pint with good friends and family. Slainte!” – Cory D.