“Erin go bragh” means “Ireland Forever” in case you were wondering, and is actually the Anglicizatin of a Gaelic phrase used to express allegiance to Ireland.
Today is St. Patrick’s Day – the one day of the year when we can all be Irish. In order to be the best Irish person you can, however, you need to know a few things…..
An Irish saying:
In life, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you are well or you are sick.
If you are well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will get well or you will die.
If you get well, there is nothing to worry about,
But if you die, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will go to heaven or hell.
If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about.
And if you go to hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends
You won’t have time to worry!
[source]
An Irish blessing:
May those who love us, love us
And those who don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts
And if he can’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping!
[source]
A little Irish joke:
Two Irishmen, Patrick Murphy and Shawn O’Brian grew up together and were lifelong friends. But alas, Patrick developed cancer, and was dying. While on his deathbed, Patrick called to his buddy, Shawn, “O’Brian, come ‘ere. I ‘ave a request for ye.” Shawn walked to his friend’s bedside and kneels.
“Shawny ole boy, we’ve been friends all our lives, and now I’m leaving ‘ere. I ‘ave one last request fir ye to do.”
O’Brian burst into tears, “Anything Patrick, anything ye wish. It’s done.”
“Well, under me bed is a box containing a bottle of the finest whiskey in all of Ireland. Bottled the year I was born it was. After I die, and they plant me in the ground, I want you to pour that fine whiskey over me grave so it might soak into me bones and I’ll be able to enjoy it for all eternity.”
O’Brian was overcome by the beauty and in the true Irish spirit of his friend’s request, he asked, “Aye, tis a fine thing you ask of me, and I will pour the whiskey. But, might I strain it through me kidneys first?”
[source]
And a few Irish quotes:
“The Irish don’t know what they want and are prepared to fight to the death to get it”
– Sidney Littlewood
“God is good to the Irish, but no one else is; not even the Irish”
– Anonymous
“The Irish ignore anything they can’t drink or punch.”
– Irish Proverb
“St. Patrick… one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish.”
– Charles M. Madigan
“I showed my appreciation of my native land in the usual Irish way: by getting out of it as soon as I possibly could.”
– George Bernard Shaw
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