Ireland 1847 – No green beer. No corned beef, no cabbage. No potatoes. No shamrocks or leprechauns. Starvation. Betrayal. Ruined lands and lives. Watch the heavy laden ships sail to England, with the crops and cattle of your land, while your family starves to death. Swear allegiance to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Ireland 1916 -Maybe while you are partying you can think of Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Thomas MacDonagh and the others murdered by the English, for the crime of being Irishmen and wanting what all men want, Freedom and justice. I do, i think of them every day. Not just the day for the wearin o’ the green

Ireland 1922 – The Free State, Michael Collins pinned between a rock and a hard place and murdered for trying to hold his county together. Swearing allegiance once again to the British crown under penalty of death. IRA and the Free staters at war. The Home Rule act. An Ireland where it was illegal for an Irishman to speak “Irish” in Ireland.

Ireland 1980’s Bobby Sands and Maggy Thatcher. Men rotting in dying in prison, again for the crime of being Irishmen.

The traitor to his own blood, Ronald Wilson Reagan…  calling the RA “terrorists”

Ireland 1981 Irish hunger strike -Bobby Sands  died in prison, starved to death.  Then Francis Hughes, Raymond McCreesh and Patsy O’Hara

Ireland 2017 – A friend is quick to point out that things are calmer now. There is a growing peace. I wonder to her  how many times in the past eight hundred years that has been true.

Late last night, looking at a news site I see the story of the discovery of babies buried in shallow graves, In Taum, County Galway. It is hard to even fathom what kind of evil could have given life to people who could do such a thing. My anger at the history with the British crown is quelled for a moment as I ponder the atrocities of the church.

I’ll pass on my celebration again this year

lá sona Naomh Pádraig