{"id":12491,"date":"2024-03-18T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T16:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/?p=12491"},"modified":"2024-03-17T09:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-17T16:53:02","slug":"may-you-be-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/?p=12491","title":{"rendered":"May You Be in Heaven . . ."},"content":{"rendered":"

AN HOUR BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

BY BOB SPARROW<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I REALIZE I’M A DAY LATE (AT LEAST) AND A FEW EUROS OR POUND STERLINGS SHORT, BUT I CAN’T LET ST. PATRICK’S DAY<\/span> PASS WITHOUT A TIP OF THE PADDY CAP<\/span> TO THE IRISH<\/span>. THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN IN LARGE BOLD LETTERS, AS IT’S THE WEEK AFTER ST. PATRICK’S DAY<\/span> AND I KNOW SOME OF OUR FOLLOWERS’ HEADS MAY BE SOMEWHAT FOGGY FROM A BIT TOO MUCH OF THE ‘GARGLE’<\/span>.\u00a0 I’LL TRY TO KEEP IT SHORT FOR YOU.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHILE I DON’T SUPPOSE ANY OF YOU ARE THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY<\/span>, SINCE IT PASSED LAST SUNDAY, <\/strong>I’M GOING TO GIVE\u00a0 IT TO YOU ANYWAY, AS<\/strong> MY OWN BRAIN IS A BIT FUZZY.\u00a0 THE MAN FOR WHO ST. PATRICK’S DAY<\/span> IS NAMED, WAS BORN INTO AN ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY IN ROMAN BRITAIN AROUND THE END OF THE FOURTH CENTURY, AND AS A TEENAGER WAS KIDNAPPED BY IRISH PIRATES<\/span> AND TAKEN TO IRELAND<\/span> WHERE HE WAS A SLAVE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.\u00a0 HE EVENTUALLY ESCAPTED AND ENDED UP RETURNING LATER AS A MISSIONARY COVERTING THE RESIDENCE THERE TO CHRISTIANITY.\u00a0 HE DIED ON MARCH 17<\/span> AND THAT BECAME A HOLY DAY FOR THE CATHOLICS.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

SO IT STARTED AS A VERY SOLEMN CELEBRATION, BUT WHEN IT CAME TO AMERICA IN THE 1760S, THE IRISH SOLDIERS<\/span> SERVING HERE IN THE BRITISH MILITARY, HAD A PARADE . . . AND NO DOUBT HAD A COUPLE OF COLD ONES, MAYBE MORE THAN A COUPLE!\u00a0 BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL THE 1970s THAT PUBS IN IRELAND<\/span>, WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK DAY<\/span>, BEGAN TO OPEN UP AND CELEBRATE WITH A PINT OR TWO.\u00a0 LEAVE IT TO THE AMERICANS TO TAKE A SOLUMN RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY AND TURN IT INTO A DRUNK-FEST.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I AM ONE OF 35 MILLION AMERICANS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE IRISH IN THEIR HERITAGE<\/span> – 11% ACCORDING TO\"\"<\/a> ANCESTRY, AND I’M 57% ENGLISH & NORTHWEST EUROPE (I’M THINKING MOSTLY NORTHERN IRELAND!<\/span>)\u00a0 SO, ON ST. PATTY’S DAY<\/span> I FIXED MYSELF AN ‘IRISH CAR BOMB’<\/span>, OOPS, NOT SUPPOSE TO CALL IT THAT ANY MORE, THAT’S POLITICALLY INCORRECT, IT’S NOW CALLED A ‘IRISH SHOT’<\/span>.\u00a0 SURE, I’LL GIVE YOU THE RECIPE: PUT 1\/2 OZ OF IRISH WHISKEY<\/span> AND 1\/2 OZ OF BAILEYS IRISH CREAM<\/span> IN A SHOT GLASS AND DROP IT IN A PINT OF GUINNESS BEER<\/span>.\u00a0 SHIVER ME TIMBERS!<\/strong><\/p>\n

A FEW, SOMEWHAT INTERESTING FACTS, ABOUT IRELAND<\/span> AND THE IRISH<\/span> . . .<\/strong><\/p>\n