May Luck Always Find You
My sister-in-law LMM always sends us a St. Patricks Day card. Every year. Without fail. For her, it is a special day. An Irish day, to celebrate her Irish genes.
She is the sibling who researched MTM’s ties to an Irish revolutionary. Thomas Francis Meagher. Transported to Australia for his offenses. Hellion that he was, he misbehaved Down Under and was shipped to the wilds of Tasmania for the balance of his life.
Only, he didn’t like Tassie much. One dark night, Thomas Francis Meagher slipped into the hold of a ship and escaped that dreaded island. Never to return.
Not a small personality, he turned up in the United States and fought for the Union army in the American Civil War, before he became the territorial governor of Montana. Meagher County is named for him. Probably because he enjoyed his booze a little too much one night and fell off the back of a steamboat in the Missouri River, never to be seen again.
We’re not sure whether old Thomas Francis Meagher was related to MTM, but we like to think he was. Because, when we visited Tasmania on our honeymoon in 2004, we found a slender book in the shop at Port Arthur Penal Colony.
The Life and Times of Thomas Francis Meagher.
We bought it for MTM’s sister LMM. If we didn’t get her St. Patrick’s Day card in the mail, I don’t think we would have any luck at all. And, it was all kinds of luck to find that book.
May luck always find you, Dear Reader. This year, and always.
Hopefully no gloom despair or agony on me or thee! Have a great St . Patrick’s Day!
I did. I hope you plied your hand away from the car……
Luckily stopped just before doing anything stupid. Well, any stupider than my normal stuff.
Luck be a Lady Tonight.
I am a lucky lady, all the time.
Happy St Patrick’s Day, Andra!
I hope you had a Happy St Pats as well, Tom.
Happy St Patrick’s day to one and all!
To you and Katy as well, James.
Her HANDWRITING is AWESOME. Happy Saint Green day!
You and LMM would be instant friends, Jessie.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And here is a bit of peppy happy singing from Emmy Rossum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIChFqVw3Ng
An ode to one of my favorite movies. Songcatcher. Emmy Rossum.
St. Patrick’s Day is always just a bit fun, even for those of us with little or no Irish heritage. I have a slim thread through one great-grandmother, but like most Americans, if we spread out the limbs on those family trees we can usually find at least a small connection we can brandish on this one day. Thomas Francis Meagher would be just the inspiration one would need when feeling a little bit reckless–fun to channel the boldness in a larger-than-life ancestor. Great fun. We could all use some luck in one way or another today, my friend, so I’m glad you’ve ushered in the day giving me quite a smile!
I married into my Irish heritage, Debra. Watkins is a firmly English name.
I hope you’ve had a lovely St. Patricks Day with lots of luck.
St. Patrick’s Day was always cause for celebration when we were kids — cake, ice cream, wearing green (getting pinched if we didn’t) — it was our Daddy’s birthday!!
I’ve done just a teensy bit of ancestral digging – Dad always said he came from English bloodlines, and sure enough, from 1804 to 1948, most Chaney immigrants to the U.S. came from England, Ireland, and France – so, I think there’s a strong possibility that we have some links back to Ireland. One of these days I may dig far enough to find our for sure.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Please report whatever you find, Karen. Where people come from fascinates me.
Happy St Pats to you and Kim.
What a great story! I’m sure he’s related.
We’re not sure, Ted, but it makes a good story, regardless.
Luck + the Gift of Blarney = Perfect Together!
I hope you and BFF had a lovely St Patricks Day, Nancy.
Don’t kid yourself Andra, when someone says to you, “The luck of the Irish be with you.” I think they’re really cursing you. Seriously. Have you known a more unlucky group? Ha, yes, I have my Irish “good luck” charm on as I type, but I still have to shake my head and giggle a bit when someone says that to me. When we went on our trip to Ireland in 2011 our driver, Tommy O’Toole, regaled us with some of the rich Irish history. Not for the faint of heart that’s for sure.
I have Irish roots on both sides of the family tree but my Momma’s Daddy was full Irish…and led his life accordingly.
Lori, I loved your pictures from your trip to Ireland. I have always wanted to go there and see the green firsthand. I hope I will be lucky enough to do that someday.
I’ve always wondered about the luck of the Irish. Your explanation made me giggle.
Lovely to have that history behind one. All the luck in the world to you both, Andra.
To you and Phil, too, Kate.
The people of Ireland are wonderful and have a fantastic spirit. I love them and the beauty of the land. However, the above comment about the history of the Irish is very true. Those colonizing wanted to break them by banning religious practices, their language, singing, dancing, take lands, starvation & whatever else they could and it went on for generations. Re: your story, I don’t know what Thomas did to be sent away but it took so little to be locked up. Remember the song “The Fields of Athenry”? Anyway, if he was a revolutionary, a fighter – good for him!
I love to hear Irish spoken. It is a beautiful language.
I hope your St. Patrick’s Day was a good one, Andra.
It was. Thank you, Penny. I hope yours was as well.
I hope you found the pots of gold at the end of the rainbow! All I got was a green beer and it was lime…yuk!
I totally forgot about the green, Darcie, until we went out for coffee, and I was like, “Why is everyone wearing green today???”
Duh.
I pinched my husband and kids because none of them were wearing green
St. Patrick’s Day in NYC is one huge party from Battery Park to the top of Manhattan and certainly in the Irish areas of Queens & etc. It starts early and goes on till late in every Irish pub. I love it and the Celtic men with their natural twinkle in the eye. Gorgeous. This came to mind as we were listening to a Ronan Keating album. He’s gorgeous also.
We have a St Pats parade down here. I usually avoid it.
Amdrea – I have no idea how this blog just popped into my in-basket but I’m pleased that it did. Perhaps my computer heard the Roger Whittaker coming out of the speakers and knew I was in a melancholy mood. Wonderful story you shared.