Tag: History

Common phrases people think are Irish (But aren’t)

by nkmitchell, posted in Uncategorized

Top o’ the morning to you! Begorrah, it’s a fine day to be wearing the green. Erin go Bragh— and that’s no blarney on the Emerald Isle. Surely, luck of the Irish is on your side, especially if you happen to find a shamrock! Then it’s “Kiss me, I’m Irish”— so what could possibly go wrong? Unless, of course, it’s Murphy’s Law. Perhaps it’s best to head to a pub for some corned beef and cabbage while listening to Danny Boy. Sounds like a typical day in Ireland, right? Well, not quite. 

Let’s take a look at some of these common terms and see what they really mean.

Top of the morning: if an Irish person says this to you, they are likely joking or mocking. This has never been an authentic Irish greeting. The common greeting is Dia dhuit is the common greeting and has been used for centuries. Here’s a link if you’re interested in pronouncing it:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/unYxETgUqqA

 Top of the Morning probably came from the Ango-Irish English. That is a dialect of English spoken in Ireland under British rule in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was never used in Gaelic Ireland. So, what made it so famous and associated with every cheerful Irishman ever? Hollywood and British stage comedies are to blame. Especially during the 20th century. If you wanted the audience to know that the character is Irish you exaggerate his lilt and have him say, ‘Top o’ the morning’.

Luck of the Irish: This is actually an insult. It is not a traditional saying in Ireland. Much more used in the United States. On one hand, you have the idea that it’s lucky that any Irish survived British rule. But the phrase itself comes from the gold rush, of all places. A good number of Irish and Irish Americans were famous and successful miners. Luck of the Irish came about as if to say, they couldn’t really be smart enough, so it must be their luck. Of course, many of the Irish folklores do involve luck as well as cunning.

Erin go Bragh: which means, Ireland forever. It is associated with Irish nationalism rather than everyday speech. It expresses pride in Irish heritage and is often used on St. Patrick’s Day and other festivals that celebrate Irish-ness. It probably came about during the 17 and 18 centuries during times of political upheaval. It’s best used with respect and understanding, rather than using it as a typical greeting.

Blarney: Ah, the gift of gab, or speaking nonsense. Are the Irish born with this gift? Can others receive this gift? Supposedly, if you kiss the Blarney stone at castle Blarney, you can! For that is where the story begins-a part of Irish legend and not everyday speech. Blarney Castle is located in Blarney, Cork City. It’s a popular tourist site; millions have visited and kissed the Blarney Stone. (I am one of those millions. It is very quick, practiced, and easy.) The current castle (of three) was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth 1 wanted to take the castle from MacCarthy to assert English rule. He kept delaying handing it over to her by flattery and sweet talking. Finally, the queen commented that he was full of Blarney. Rumor had it MacCarthy had kissed the stone of gab and there by keep his castle. Where did this magical stone come from? It’s so far back in antiquity that legends mix with history. Some say MacCarthy saved an old woman from drowning. She in turn, told him that there was a stone in his castle that magically possessed the gift of gab. Then there is the queen of the faeries who imbued the stone with magic, telling MacCarthy to kiss it if he needed answers. It is also told that it is a piece of the Scottish coronation stone, which came from the Crusades and was the stone Moses struck to bring water to the Israelites. MacCarthy sent 5,000 soldiers to support Robert Bruce in 1314. In gratitude, MacCarthy supposedly received a fragment of the stone as a gift for his support. Today, it’s fun and tourist enjoy it.

The Emerald Isle: this is more poetic than a phrase used in everyday speech. Much like Land of the Free is a poetic reference to the United States, but it’s not a common phrase that is often spoken, though it appears in songs and on T-Shirts, etc. The first time it appeared in print was in a poem by William Drennan in 1795, who was born in Belfast. The poem is really a call to fight the British rule, but not with violence. He was a member of the Society of United Irishman which was a brotherhood for a free Ireland. He left it when it became more violent. Here is the full poem: https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-erin-first-rose/

Thomas Moore born 1779, also from Dublin, was a famous poet who also used the imagery of Ireland as an emerald, further cementing the image into Irish culture.

By the way, emeralds do not come from Ireland, though they are used in much of iconic jewelry.

The wearing of the Green. This is riff with political implications and not just getting pinched on St. Patrick’s Day. Before green, there was blue. Blue goes way back into Irish mythology. Ireland’s sovereignty was represented as a woman, Queen Gormfhlaith from the 10th century, who wore a blue dress. St. Patick used to be associated with the color blue also. Early images of him, from manuscripts to stained glass, shows him wearing a blue robe. King Henry V111, Lord of Ireland at the time, and who turned Ireland into a kingdom in 1542, formalized the color blue for Ireland. Even today, Ireland’s coat of arms is a golden harp on a blue background. The Irish constitution is printed with a blue cover and the carpets in the Irish Houses of Parliament are blue, as well as the presidential flag.

Green enters the picture along with Irish nationalism. Ireland has long been divided by Catholics and Protestants. In the 18th century British Penal Laws outlawed Irish Catholics from owning land, voting, or owning firearms. In the 1790s Theobald Wolfe Tone, a Presbyterian, formed a group to unite with Catholic Ireland to fight for freedom and gain independence. After all, the United States and France both had revolutions and won. The society was called The United Irishmen Society. They used the color green as a symbol of loyalty to Ireland. They wore a green clover on their lapels. This was punishable by being arrested or even executed by the English. So, it is a color of defiance against the British and a call for Irish Nationalism. No one gets pinched by leprechauns.

Shamrock: Just a clarification here. St. Patrick supposedly used a shamrock to teach the trinity to the Irish. The Irish word for the little clover is ‘seamrog’. A four-leaf clover is lucky because it is rarer than the three leaf clover.

Murphy’s Law: “If anything can go wrong, it will.” The only thing Irish about this is the name Murphy. It originated at Edward’s Air Force base after WW2. Captain Edward Murphy, who was an engineer, referred to a clumsy technician by the now famous quote. Others picked it up and called it ‘Murphy’s Law’. It stuck!

Begorrah: or any form, such as Begosh, are outdated and stereotypical exclamations used in a mocking or patronizing way to show a person is Irish in the entertainment field.

Kiss me, I’m Irish: This is related to kissing the Blarney stone. It’s used as a gimmick on St. Patrick’s Day, especially in the USA.

Saint Patrick’s Day: Yes—this is Irish! However, too many people outside of Ireland will say, ‘St. Patty’s Day’. Big no to this. The Irish for Patrick is Padraig. The abbreviation is Paddy.

Danny Boy: Though sung in the style of a traditional Irish ballad, it is not. Sadly. The lyrics were written by an English lawyer, Frederic Weatherly, in 1910. The words were originally set to a different tune, now lost to time. It wasn’t doing well.

The music is believed to have been written by Rory Dall O’Cahan, an Irish harpist living in Scotland in the late 17th century. I once had a woman of Scottish descent vehemently point out to me that glens and bagpipes were Scottish, not Irish. This can become a hotly debated subject! In 1851 Jane Ross, living in Ireland, heard a fiddler playing and was intrigued by the music. She wrote it down and sent it George Petrie in Dublin who is collecting songs. The music is believed to be associated with the terrible siege of Derry in Northern Ireland in 1690. Margaret Weatherly, Frederic’s sister, hears the music from Petrie and sends it to her brother. He changed to tune to this Londonderry Air. Whew.

It became popular in WW1 as soldiers went off to war.

But still, Danny Boy has become associated with the Irish. And they love/hate it.

Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn1IFddzAJA

As for Corned Beef, see my blog here (it’s not Irish): https://allthingsancientirish.com/2024/03/15/waitcorned-beef-isnt-eaten-in-ireland-on-st-patricks-day/

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Irish Diaspora

by nkmitchell, posted in Uncategorized

You may have heard the term Irish Diaspora before, but what does it actually mean? In recent years, the term has become quite broad, but at its core, it refers to people of Irish ancestry who live outside of Ireland—whether they emigrated generations ago or are recent arrivals. It can also include those with distant roots to Ireland who feel connected to Irish culture and heritage. Depending on how you define it, the Irish Diaspora could encompass tens of millions of people around the world!

For this article, I’m focusing on Irish emigrants and their descendants, which brings the number down to the millions—making it a more manageable scope. As a reminder, I like to explore broad topics by providing a basic understanding, offering enough information to educate about different aspects of Ireland, including its history and culture. Each reason I mention for Irish emigration could easily be the subject of several books—it’s a complex and fascinating topic. What follows is just a brief overview of the Irish Diaspora.

The Irish government has refined the definition of the diaspora to include emigrants, their children, and grandchildren. This narrower focus reduces the number of people who fall under the term ‘Irish diaspora.’ Did you know that you can apply for Irish citizenship and get an Irish passport if you have Irish grandparents?

So, why are there so many Irish and their descendants living abroad? Since the 1700s, approximately 10 million people have emigrated from Ireland—more than Ireland’s current population today. What motivated so many Irish to leave, and where did they go?

The first thing to understand is that Ireland was a conquered country. England’s involvement began with the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. However, it was during the Tudor era, especially under Queen Elizabeth I, that English rule expanded significantly in the 16th century. (Someday, I might dive deeper into that history!) During this period, the English employed various strategies: military conquest (think Cromwell), colonization—bringing Protestant Scots to Northern Ireland and displacing Catholic Irish—and the imposition of English law, language, and religion. Much of this colonization left Ireland in deep poverty and fueled centuries of hardship and conflict.

Then came the Gorta Mór—the Great Hunger—in the mid-1840s. When the potato crop failed, millions of Irish people faced starvation. Sadly, England’s response was inadequate; instead of helping, they even sent food from Ireland to England. Families were evicted from their homes, left with nothing, and many consider the famine to be an act of genocide. Millions died, and millions more emigrated—Ireland’s population was halved, and the country is still in the process of recovery today. If you visit Ireland, you’ll see hundreds of abandoned homes, known as Famine Homes, scattered across the landscape as silent reminders of that tragedy.

Later, in the late 1800s, Ireland experienced the Land Wars. Irish tenants, unable to pay exorbitant rents and taxes, fought to defend their rights. This struggle continued until 1914. Imagine enduring the devastation of the famine only to face ongoing evictions and unpayable rents—an ongoing hardship that deeply shaped Irish history and resilience.

Next came the Irish War of Independence. The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) evolved into the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and from 1919 to 1921, they fought a guerrilla war to secure Irish self-rule. The outcome was the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, while Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom.

The 1960s and 1970s saw renewed activity with the IRA, as they fought for the rights of Northern Irish people within Britain’s legal system and, ultimately, for a united Ireland. This long struggle finally led to a peace agreement in 1998. Today, Northern Ireland remains part of Great Britain.

So, where did all the Irish go during these waves of emigration? Many headed to the United States, Australia, Great Britain—especially Liverpool—Canada, and even Argentina. These countries have long been popular destinations for Irish emigrants.

Just like in all countries, Ireland today experiences a steady flow of both emigration and immigration. An interesting note from the National Museum of Ireland is that, historically, emigration has involved a higher proportion of females, often young and single.

In my travels and even in teaching, I’ve noticed that people with Irish, Scottish, and Welsh heritage tend to be proud of their Celtic roots—they know they have Celtic blood and celebrate it.

There are countless songs, poems, and stories about the old country. I believe that because many Irish didn’t want to leave their homeland, they passed down that deep longing for home through generations, keeping the spirit of Ireland alive wherever their descendants now live.

Ireland actively works to connect with its diaspora, recognizing how important this link is to their culture, economy, and politics. Sean Fleming has been the Minister of State for Diaspora and Overseas Aid since 2014, a role dedicated to strengthening these international connections.

Additionally, genealogist societies are found in each county, helping people trace their Irish roots. There are also many online groups, especially on Facebook, created to connect people with Ireland and explore their Irish heritage.

Here’s some music to help sooth your longing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI0wTK1MIKs (lots of ballads) songs of Irish Immigration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6mgf7wMwE8 (Eddie Rabbit, who had Irish ancestry and who my mother used to babysit!)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=833Peu3J-fg (Elvis Presley, also claims Irish ancestry.)

Are you a part of this Irish Diaspora? My first Irish ancestors came over in the 1700s, then my great grandmothers in 1897/99. When did your ancestors leave the Emerald Isle? Do you know why they decided to leave?

Are you speaking Irish?

by nkmitchell, posted in Travel in Ireland

Can you understand any of this?

A slew of Hooligans and their buddies were at the boycott. It was a real donnybrook! They smashed whisky bottles to smithereens and shouted phony slogans. They wore matching trousers and brogues. There were slobs galore hanging around who really dug what was going on and shouting, ‘shut your gob!’ to the crowd. It was a bunch of malarkey and no good shenanigans!

Though some words might be outdated or unfamiliar, you’ve probably heard most of these Irish words which made their way into the English language. As a living language, English takes words from all over the world and makes them its own. Irish is no exception and perhaps should be expected as so many Irish have emigrated to England, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

I love this quote by James D. Nicoll: “The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.” (I even have this quote on a T-shirt. English nerd alert, I know.) But aren’t words and their history fascinating?

Here are the words I used in my example that have Irish roots:

  1. Hooligan: This one surprised me. It actually comes from a surname, Houlihan (O hUallachain). They were apparently notorious for being a raucous bunch. The name became a sort of slur on the Irish, as ‘all Irish are unruly drunkards/hooligans’. Now it refers to someone up to no good in a mischief sort of way. Here’s a fun article for more information if you’re interested: https://qz.com/1306921/world-cup-2018-hooligans-is-an-ethnic-slur-in-history
  2. Donnybrook: This is a name of a district in Dublin. (Irish-Domhnach Broc) It has come to mean a free for all fight. That’s due to a fair that was held in Donnybrook every year from about 1204 to 1866. Must have been some fair! You can read more here: https://iomst.ie/a-brief-history-of-donnybrook-fair/#:~:text=This%20was%20the%20message%20to,fair%20was%20closed%20for%20good.
  3. Slew: According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Slew may be from slua/sluag meaning army/host/throng. It was used as part of a war-cry. Here’s a fun little read: https://mashedradish.com/2016/03/17/four-leaf-etymologies-slew/
  4. Slogan: A call/cry.This goes hand in hand with slew. The war-cry was, ‘sluag gairm’, or a call to arms. The Scottish also used this term.
  5. Galore: Back to the Merriam-Webster dictionary; Irish from go leor. It meant ‘enough’. We tend to use it as more than enough. “There were pies galore at the Donnybrook fair.”
  6. Boycott: Another surprise. Boycott is a last name. Charles Cunningham Boycott was an English land agent in county Mayo. He, and others like him, evicted Irish tenants in heartless and cruel manners as well as overcharging rents. This led to a land war all over Ireland in the 1880s. (And led to mass emigration once again, the Famine being the first wave.) The town shunned him in every way they could; they stopped work, refused to sell to him, etc. He wrote to a London paper and troops were called in. Basically, all hell broke loose. The idea of shunning- or Boycotting – caught on and gave the poor of Ireland some power. It became a popular way to fight the British. Interesting article here for more: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-invented-boycott
  7. Smithereens: Pretty straight forward – smiodar to smidirin to smiddereens to smithereens.Means small fragments.
  8. Buddy: I stumbled into a hornet’s nest on this one. Some believe that much of our slang came from the streets of NYC with all the Irish and Irish gangs in the late 1880s to early 1900s. This is one of those words. Bodach, which translates to ‘strong, lusty youth’. Others disagree and would contend that it’s all malarkey. Fascinating article here: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-words-litter-new-york-slang
  9. Slob: from Vocabulary.com; Irish, Slab, which means ‘mud’. The expression slob comes from ‘slob of a man’. Meaning someone who worked in muddy land or bogs. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/slob
  10. Whisky: ahhh, the water of life. Literally. Uisce means water. Beatha means of life. Usquebaugh. Interesting sideline; Whiskey is Irish and United States. Whisky is Scottish/Canadian. (It has to do with where the grain is distilled, but it was getting too technical for me.)
  11. Brogues: are shoes with small holes in them, originally meant to allow water and mud to ooze out, keeping one’s feet sorta dry. Now, they’re classy shoes. From Merriam-Webster: comes from the Irish word brog. Which means shoe. Probably comes from Old Norse (Vikings invasions). Brogue as an accent comes from a different word, barrog.

12. Dig: (slang) An dtuigeann tu? Do you get it? Dig it?

13. Gob: etymonline.com/gob says, ‘1540s Irish for mouth. Related to English gobbet. Related to goblet.’ I wonder if the British gobsmacked is also related?

14. Phony: Love this one! From Dictionary.com: “…likely comes from an old con known as the fawney rig. Fawney is…Irish for ‘finger ring,’ and rig is an old term for ‘trick’ or ‘swindle’. Check it out: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/phony#:~:text=While%20the%20exact%20origins%20of,trick%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9Cswindle.%E2%80%9D

15. Trousers: The Irish were wearing trousers long before it became popular among men (and women). Trius to trouzes to trousers.

16. Shenanigans: What surprised me the most about this word is a disagreement of its origin. It could come from the Irish sionnachuighim which translates to “I play the fox”. There’s quite a discussion on reddit too—from defending Irish to saying it’s a Spanish word, (Chanada) to a German word (Schenigelei). Shenanigans is a fairly recent word that appeared about 1855 in California. Here is a short and sweet article for you to decide where you think it originated: https://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-she1.htm

17.  Malarkey: Definitely Irish, right? Well…the Oxford dictionary says, ‘specific origin is unknown’. It only came into use in the 1920s. However, the Visual Thesaurus states that it was made popular by Thomas A. Dorgan, a cartoonist of Irish descent. It certainly sounds Irish. Check it out here: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/10/12/162791655/whats-all-this-malarkey-about-malarkey#:~:text=According%20to%20Oxford%20Dictionaries%2C%20malarkey,word%20hasn’t%20been%20established.

One article I read pointed out (and rightly so) that compared to other languages, there aren’t a lot of Irish words in the English language. Speaking Irish, in Ireland, was looked down upon by the English. If you wanted to survive in the English controlled Ireland, one had to learn English. The Irish were made to feel shame in speaking their language. As the Irish immigrated, they wanted to fit in their new country, so they lost the Irish.

In Ireland, it became a secret language. Since Ireland reclaimed most of their country in 1922 they’ve worked to bring their language back. Roughly one million people speak Irish worldwide. It’s mostly a second language in Ireland, English being the first. The Connaught area has the most Irish speakers. Everyone on Inis Mor spoke Irish; it was really nice to listen to it. I found many speaking Irish in the Galway area. At LaGuardia I asked the man at the counter of Aer Lingus, who was from Ireland, if he spoke Irish. He appeared somewhat insulted and informed me he was from Northern Ireland and of course he didn’t speak Irish.

Were you familiar with any of the words on my list? What did you think about Shenanigans and Malarkey—Irish or not? Let me know if you found this interesting or helpful.

Slan for now.