Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

March’s most popular holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. It used to be one of my most favorite days too. Green is my favorite color and I have a thing for four-leaf clovers. Many years ago, I wore a t-shirt around my Grandmother that said “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” She looked at me and said, “That’s true, you know. You are part Irish.” Of course, I had no idea, but it made me all the more proud to wear that shirt.

Recently, my dad began to work on our family tree. He signed up for a popular website and threw himself into the research of his past. It was incredible to see how far back a person could really trace their history. This particular website had actual scans of original census records, military records and draft cards. On the draft cards, we could actually see the signature of my great-great grandfather.

It was amazing to see where family names come from. My father and brother’s middle name was actually a family surname at one point. It was apparently lost in a generation where there were no males to carry it on and became a middle name.

My grandmother was right, our family can trace its origins back to Ireland. So look for me on St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating my heritage like my ancestors would want me to. I’ll be playing green-beer pong at Mahony’s Irish Pub. Sláinte!