There are so many things that I love about being Irish. I love the language. When I hear it spoken it touches the very essence of my being, reinforcing my connection to that ancient place called Gaeldom.
I will never forget how once on holiday in Kerry, I woke to the sounds of the bean an tí (woman of the house) having an early morning chat with her son. After years abroad the lyrical tones drifting upwards from the kitchen were at first unrecognizable to me. Then came the slow understanding and with it the grateful appreciation for a schooling that allowed me to at least get the gist of their conversation. I was profoundly moved. As I always am, when I see Irish dancers, be they an old couple stepping it out at an Irish fair or a group of a hundred or so tiny tots performing in front of a St. Patrick’s Day Parade reviewing stand.
I love Irish writers, playwrights and poets. When I read one of Seamus Heaney’s poems I am lulled back to the security of my childhood farmhouse kitchen and I can see my mother’s floured hands and almost smell the baking bread.
I feel spiritually renewed, also, when I listen to a great fiddle player such as Kevin Burke or when I hear Dolores Keane sing.
When I stand in the warmth of an Irish pub with a pint of Guinness listening to old men talk about the state of the country, I am indeed happy.
And I love everything that Brian Friel has ever written, especially Dancing at Lughnasa, and here I am not alone. Since the play began its run two years ago it has captivated audiences in Dublin and London but the reaction on Broadway has been overwhelming. Both the writing and the acting proves the enormous wealth of talent that we have in that small country.
At yesterday’s final performance by the Abbey cast there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “This is the very best. This is what we Irish are all about,” I wanted to shout from the rooftops.
It’s not about green beer and shamrock ties and green plastic bowler hats. It’s not about “Sure and Begorras” and the ridiculous-looking creature that they have turned the leprechaun into. My cobbler to the fairy people has been bastardized to look like some Punch cartoon of old and sent out to sell beer. I want to tear down every image of this imposter that I see. And burn most of the St. Patrick’s Day cards as well, for most of them portray us as drunks and eejits.
So in this our March issue, it’s “Pride In Our Heritage Month,” with none of the malarkey that surrounds St. Patrick’s Day.
This year’s Top 100 I hope will make you proud. You will meet Noel Pearson, the gutsy producer who brought Dancing at Lughnasa to Broadway.
Noel is a friend of Dr. Billy Hall, also in our Top 100, who is doing tremendous work in AIDS research. You will also meet the Magees, the husband and wife team who started Operation Smile which is a wonderful name for what they do.
They have put together a team of plastic surgeons who operate on children disfigured by birth defects or accidents and make them smile again. You will meet Sister Mary Rose McGeady, who is doing an amazing job at Covenant House, the organization that takes young runaways off the streets and helps them put their life in order. And they are in the good company of Tony O’Reilly, our person of the year, who as head of the American Ireland Fund, has done tremendous work in supporting Irish culture.
I hope the other features in this month’s magazine will make you proud also. For those of you who haven’t seen Dancing at Lugnasa, I think you will enjoy meeting the cast through our pages. The Abbey has promised a tour of the States starting possibly in six-months and we will keep you informed.
Reading the poignant speech that Robert Kennedy’s made in Scranton, Pennsylvania, just a few months after the death of the President made me realize once again the contribution that the Kennedys have made to this country. You will find his speech reprinted in our Hibernia section. And also the Irish national anthem in Irish.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I hope you will enjoy this special issue.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the March 1992 issue of Irish America. ♦
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