The luck of the Irish....

Hello home, here's a thought....

I never really understood or believed in the phrase "the luck of the Irish" because I thought I wasn't an exceptionally lucky person. I'm not talking about having ones health luck or having a normal, pleasant childhood luck. I mean silver spoon luck. Always winning raffles and picking up the huge bingo jackpot on that one annual excursion to the Goleen community hall. I can still remember that one girl in primary school who always won the Easter egg or over sized teddy in the raffle at the end of each term. Every year, the same old thing, never giving anyone else a chance. Always that one girl, Ashling. Lucky cow. Then I'd hear that phrase again..."the luck of the Irish.." A bit general really eh? I mean I know a couple of "lucky" people but certainly not a nation of them, not 4 million of them. Not even that relatively small group of Irish rugby men have been very lucky recently, rather bloody unfortunate actually. And where did the saying originate from? Maybe it started flying around during those 800 years of slavery and persecution. Yeah, sometimes you just have to thank your lucky stars, don't you?....right....bullshit.

That's what I used to think when I thought of that phrase. Now, being an Irish person in a very foreign land I think I've figured out what it really means. In New Zealand, a country full of tourists, kiwi's seem to have it programmed into their heads to ask everyone where they have come from, whether they want to or not. "Where are you from?....Canada?...oh lovely.....Germany?..that's interesting.....England?...hmmm.... IRELAND??? I love Ireland? What part are you from? I love your accent. I'm part Irish you know, my grandfathers grandfathers, cousin once removed was from there....." They actually light up and are mad to talk to a genuine article. Their eyes dancing to the rhythm of my Cork tune. I've actually been picked up off my feet when I told someone (not a mental patient) that I was Irish. I love it. And these memories give me strength when someone mistakes me for an English person, or says"but I thought Ireland is part of the U.K..." Breath.

I know that it is simply a figure of speech, not to be taken literally, but I like to think now maybe there is something to it. When you can travel to the other side of the world and being Irish allows you to feel as welcome and as at home as you do in your own country then you have to feel pretty damn lucky....

Now if we could just win some rugby matches then I'll surely burst with good auld country pride.