In my case IBM stands for Irish by Marriage, proudly proclaimed by the button I wear each St. Patrick’s Day along with a second button declaring “Happiness is being Married to an Irishman.”  I was born into and am still very proud of my Polish heritage, but my surname has been Irish three times longer than it was Polish. 

MY belovED was born in NYC, USA, but his parents had emigrated from Ireland just a few years earlier: his father Edmond, from Camus, Newcastle West, County Limerick; and his mother, Julia Long, from Kilskeagh, Athenry, County Galway.  They both came to seek opportunities in the new world and to work towards achieving the American Dream.  They passed down their spirit and values to their children:  faith, love, joy and integrity.

When Ed and I married, I was introduced to an entirely new and unfamiliar culture and was eager to assimilate into it.  The people I met were friendly and generous and made me feel comfortable, but I had a lot to learn.

Language:  I had been brought up in an environment of everything Polish.   My  grandparents, who were born in Poland, spoke it at home.  I had attended a parochial school where it was taught as a second language; and I knew all of my prayers and hymns in Polish, understood most adult conversations and could speak passably enough to survive.   In my new Irish community, everyone spoke English but with a lilting brogue, and they used some expressions unfamiliar to me.

 Ed learned how to say a few phrases in Polish, so I learned to say some in  Gaelic, such as:  “Céad Míle Fáilte.” (its literal translation is “one hundred thousand welcomes”, or “you are welcome a thousand times, wherever you come from, whoever you may be”); and the toast “Slainte” (pronounced slawn-cheh) meaning  “Cheers.” 

Food and Beverages:  The Irish brought a rich culinary tradition which they adapted to the foods available in America.  A case in point is corned beef and cabbage.  In Ireland, they frequently ate boiled pork products—ham, salt pork or bacon—with cabbage and potatoes.  Once they arrived in America, however, they found pork to be more expensive than beef, so they replaced it with a cured substitute.

The traditional Irish diet is comprised of a lot of meat and potatoes, but there are plenty of unique and unexpected dishes that hail from the Emerald Isle.  I had never heard of “boxty” or “champ.”  You wouldn’t guess it from its name, but boxty is a potato pancake made with both grated raw and mashed potatoes.  It supposedly originated during the Irish Potato Famine, and it’s even  mentioned in an old Irish rhyme:  “Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan.  If you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man.”

Champ is very similar to mashed potatoes made with potatoes, milk, butter and scallions.  What makes it even better is the well of melted butter in the middle.  Then there’s Colcannon, creamy mashed potatoes made with cabbage and typically served with boiled ham or bacon.  Did I mention that Irish cooking uses a lot of potatoes?  and butter?

I already knew how to bake Irish Soda Bread, using a recipe my mother had gotten from an Irish high school classmate of mine; and Ed liked our version of this Irish staple.  The basic recipe is pretty simple, but many families add their own twist by mixing in different fruits and spices.  I use golden raisins and caraway seeds in  mine.

Irish stew is made with lamb; potatoes, onions and carrots round out the dish.  Shepherd’s pie is a popular way to use up leftovers.  It is traditionally made with lamb; whereas cottage pie is made with ground beef—just so you know the difference.

I never acquired a taste for beer or ale, but Ed enjoyed it in moderation.  He even tried Guinness Stout a few times, but said it looked and tasted a bit like motor oil.  His Irish drinking companions retorted with, “the stuff you drink looks like piss.”  What I did learn to like was Irish Mist liquor, made by a company of the same name in Dublin from aged Irish whiskey, heather, clover honey, herbs and other spirits.  The ancient recipe is claimed to be 1,000 years old.  It makes a very smooth after dinner drink.

We also used it in making Irish Coffee and served it with one of the decadent Irish cream liquors.  That became our favorite hot toddy while cuddling by the fire.  In warmer weather we enjoyed Bailey’s or Merry’s or Carolan’s (we tried them all) on the rocks.  The shelf life for a bottle of Irish cream liquor is said to be three months if kept refrigerated; but we never tested to see if that was true.  We were happy as long as the bottle lasted for the evening.

Music and Entertainment:  We acquired stacks of Irish music albums over the years—both cassettes and CD’s–and frequently listened to them both at home and in the car; and we never missed an opportunity to see a live Irish show with step dancing, singers and comedians.  We enjoyed the folk songs like “The Irish Rover,” and “The Black Velvet Band;” the heart-tugging ballads like “Four Green Fields” and “The Fields of Athenry,” as well as the popular songs such as “Danny Boy,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” and “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,”

 Instruments used in playing the Irish tunes include: the bodhran (drum), flute, tin whistle, harp, and accordion or concertina.  The Celtic Harp is the official national emblem of Ireland.  Also known as the Brian Boru or O’Neill harp, this 15th century Irish harp is on display at Trinity College, Dublin. There are of course also the bagpipes, used for parades and ceremonial occasions.

Irish music playing sets feet tapping.  When we were dating, Ed learned to dance the polka and oberek in deference to my heritage; so I in turn learned to do the reels, jigs and the “Stack Of Barley”—a two-person dance done to a hornpipe. We were quite good and back in the day were frequently on the dance floor at parties, weddings and ceilis (popular folk dances).

Our Visit to Ireland: We experienced firsthand the hospitality of the people and the magnificence of the countryside when we visited Ireland in 1985 in celebration of our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.  We landed at Shannon Airport in County Mayo and took a self-guided tour driving south through County Limerick, the Rings of Kerry and County Cork (home of the Blarney Stone), and then back up the east side of the island through Waterford (where we toured the crystal factory and bought a few pieces), Wicklow, and Dublin with all the attractions it  had to offer (sight-seeing, shopping and the show at Jury’s Cabaret).  We stayed at cozy cottages, comfortable inns and even spent the weekend at Ashford Castle. 

On the way we visited family that we had previously known only through correspondence, toured the famous landmarks and imbibed in  merry-making at the pubs and caelis. At one point we sampled a homebrewed version of Irish whiskey made with fermented potato skins (what else?), which they referred to as Irish Mist.  It was powerful stuff that burned our tongues and nearly had smoke come out of our ears; not the mild smooth taste of what we were accustomed to. In addition to some lovely souvenirs, we brought home many wonderful pictures and memories.

Continuing Education:  I’m still learning.  For the past three semesters, I’ve taken a class in Irish Identity at Osher.  The course leader, Jack Callaghan, is a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful resource for Irish history, literature  and culture.  My eyes have been opened to the treasures and tragedies of the Irish, and I have a greater appreciation for what they brought into my life as well as the world at large.  I’m looking forward to learning more. Ed had taken several sessions, and now it’s been my pleasure and  privilege to be part of the group.

Saints and Begorrah!   I’ve gone over my usual word limit, but that’s part of being Irish.  I do miss MY belovED and his smiling blue Irish eyes but am so grateful for the TIME we had TOGETHER and for the abundance of  LOVE and HAPPINESS  he injected into my life.

An Irish Blessing: May the road rise to meet you.  May the wind be always at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and  until we meet again, may God hold you in the  palm of  his hand.