Kiss me! I’m Irish.   

Aye, kisses for all who wear green. For everyone is a wee bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day—my ancestors and I invite you to celebrate with us! With the restrictions of Lent lifted for the day, we all may indulge with our friends in joy and laughter. Lá Fhéile Pádraig, the Festival of the Feast of St. Patrick—the patron saint of Ireland—became the party it is today from the Irish immigrants, especially in North America.

Come, gather, and be merry. It’s a time to shout:

“May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out.” ~ An Irish Blessing

Whether you live near a river dyed green and a piper in a pub or not, may touch of the Irish be with you. Raise a glass to your loved ones, sing along, and dance as much as you please.

1. Kick up your heels like this:

2. Or this:

The Catholic church once heavily frowned upon dancing, as boys and girls may touch. So instead, they learned to kick up their heels with their arms down and calm. From the window, nothing fishy was going on inside to the eyes of the passersby and priests.

In honor of all those clever young boys and girls, dance around like you mean it.

3. Have you ever dabbled in Celtic Punk Folk music?

“Tell Me Ma” by The Clan

4. Ready to rest and sing to a love? Try:

“Love You ’til the End” by The Pogues (and on the soundtrack for “P.S. I Love You”)

5. Or:

“If I ever leave this World Alive” by Flogging Molly

6. To honor of one of my ancestors who left Ireland by himself at the age of 12 for a better life…in a coal mine, here’s an American-Celtic tune:

“The Worker’s Song” by the Dropkick Murphys

7. This one from a Canadian-Celtic group also keeps the same gritty vibe:

“The Tempest” by The Real McKenzies.

8. For a modern motivating vibe, lend your ears to this tune sung in Irish:

“D’Aon Ghuth Amháin” (translation: “With One Voice”) by Seo Linn

9. Oh, and one cannot forget to celebrate the Irish who gave us this favorite childhood tune:

“The Unicorn Song” by The Irish Rovers

10. Now back to lively, uninhibited singing, whether we’ve been drinking or not. This famous one was stolen from the Scottish and lifts one’s spirits every time:

“Wild Rover” by The Dubliners

11. If one does choose to knock back a few, be mindful, skip the hangover, and avoid really having to sing this tune too:

“Good Morning Da” by Tossers

12. Lastly for a sweet tune to Da, which is more my style, giggle with this take on an Irish lullaby:

“Tura Lura Lura” (translation: “Goodbye”) by Steve Martin, in the movie “Housesitter”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Here’s to your friends, to your family, and to you.  Have fun, and don’t forget to wear some green to avoid getting pinched.

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat! (May the road rise to meet you!)

and…

“May your day be touched

by a bit of Irish luck,

brightened by a song in your heart,

and warmed by the smiles

of the people you love.” ~ An Irish Blessing

Have other family traditions or new music to share? We’d love to hear from you, now or later.

~

Relephant:

Inspiration from Great Irish Writers to Celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Author: Kate Fleming
Image:  Author’s own
Editor: Callie Rushton
Copy Editor: Yoli Ramazzina