Category Archives: St Patrick’s Day

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The Donneybrook

The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland
The bridge in Cong, County Mayo. Film site of “The Quiet Man”

So, it is St. Patrick’s Day, and I thought I would post some fun thoughts about this famous day for those of us who are of Irish descent. Recently on a trip to Ireland, we were treated to a visit to Cong in County Mayo to see the site of the filming of one of my favorite movies- ” The Quiet Man.” One of the key scenes in the movie is where Sean Thornton ( John Wayne) takes on Squire Danaher ( Victor McLaughlin) in a “donneybrook” or a public fight all through the fictional town of Innisfree. You have to see the movie to understand the reason for the “donneybrook” but suffice to say- it is hilarious and rather typical of what happens in Ireland after a few pints and some heated words.

Also- typical of what happens is, after the fight, both parties retire to a pub and begin drinking pints together. In some ways, the fight or the donneybrook, is like a sport. And when you see the scene, you can understand that a lot of Irish guys have the fight or sport in them. In the movie, bets were placed , and in many ways- it is like a sporting event with the finale always celebrated together in a pub.

Our first two pints at the Temple Bar in Dublin.

Our tour guide in Ireland was Brendan McCarthy, who told me that people in Ireland are usually buried at noon. So if anyone says to you, ” you will be going out at noon” those are typical fighting words and you better be prepared for a ……….donneybrook.

Now, I have been to Ireland twice, once riding my road bike, and recently with my wife Janet. I can’t wait to go back, but my first memories of the Irish go back to my time with great friends of my family- the Faulkners. Bill and Eileen Faulkner were friends of my folks, and their kids are my friends to this day. But
” Wild Bill” taught me a lot of things about the Irish when he would take me with his family to the Irish Center in Pittsburgh. Lots of music, lots of “craic” as they say in Ireland, and very funny senses of humor throughout the scene. ” Wild Bill” also taught me about the custom of some of the Irish guys to have a ” go” in the parking lot. One day, when Eileen and the girls left me to take care of “Wild Bill”, he sat me down at the bar at the Blarney Stone Restaurant and bought me a pint. Next to us was this guy named Paddy Mahoney. Wild Bill looked over at him and acknowledged his presence but then proceeded to say to him………..” you always had an eye for Eileen, didn’t you?” Paddy responded ” your damn right I did” and both guys stood up and began to approach each other. Knowing what was coming, I stepped in between them and told them to stop, and I would buy them a pint. They both smiled, sat down and drank my purchased pint. I think I may have stopped a good one there all over the good graces of Eileen Faulkner. She would have been mortified if she were there and that fight ensued.

Another example of a donneybrook was when the former commissioner of Ross Township, Coleman Mulkerrins, a native Irishman, came up to me at the Irish Center. Now I knew Coleman and knew that he was kind of a wild man, so when he approached, I wondered what he wanted. He said,” Pat- lets you and I go out in the parking lot and have a go.” He was not angry with me, in fact he liked me. He only wanted to show me ” what a tough cat” he was. His words. I responded that I knew he was a tough cat and to celebrate that, why not have a pint? He smiled, liked the idea, and put his arms around my shoulder’, and we walked together to the bar. Coleman and Wild Bill are no longer with us. I don’t think Paddy Mahoney is either. But all these guys showed me the quirky personalities of some Irish guys and what floated their boats. Donneybrooks are not unusual, and what I came to learn is that not all of them are of malicious intent. The sport of it requires a post pint and lots of laughs sometimes with missing teeth. The Irish, who have made their way here, are fun and enjoy being in America. Listen to them, they are funny, talented, and will be some of your best friends ever. Just beware if someday they look at you and say……………” you’ll be going out at noon”. Slainte.

Brendan McCarthy making Janet a St. Brigid’s Cross.

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The Brendan Boat

From the Best of http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com

Just trying to take a break from all the Covid-19 stuff and give you all a little enjoyment for St. Patrick’s Day. Back a number of years when I was in Ireland riding my bike, I peddled my arse to the west coast and ended up on the Dingle Peninsula. That is where I purchased the item above that depicts St. Brendan and his monks rowing their dory boat. You see St. Brendan and the monks were from a place very close to Dingle and they are famous for their explorations of the Aran Islands and westward spreading the gospel. Read Tim Severin’s book ” The Brendan Voyage” for a fascinating account of their voyages. It is said that they made it all the way to Newfoundland 500 years before Leif Erikson and close to 1000 years before Columbus made his way to the Caribbean. National Geographic also did a piece in August of 1977 reporting on Severin’s re-creation of the voyage outlined in the book. My point today is that St. Brendan and the boys were not much into social distancing. In fact they went way out of their way to spread the gospel and also meet new people and visit new lands on the way. The Irish are like that.

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of what the saint did in Ireland as a Christian missionary and bishop. It also celebrates Irish culture with parades, Guiness, Irish Car Bombs, and similar merriment but also recognizes the social character of the Irish and their descendants like me. My mother was a huge fan of the day and also a huge fan of all things Irish. Her humor was represented in sayings like the above and also in her love for things like Belleek china, Waterford crystal and making Irish soda bread. But again- it involved people, and our house growing up had that classic Irish tradition of gathering friends and family and enjoying the humor and the company. I spent many times on the piano in my folk’s house playing Irish songs and to this day do the same at home. My mom’s favorite saying was that “happiness is like a perfume, you can’t spread it on others without getting a little on yourself.” And she did in many ways- cooking, singing, entertaining her friends and relatives, and well…….being Irish. I believe I received her sense of humor as a gift because I always try to look at life from the bright side. If I can offer some humor to my friends and family along the way, I feel good and I hope they do as well. I tell my inane stories of my experiences on the chairlift and on mountain bike rides, much to the amusement of my friends who have graciously heard the stories over and over again. But I believe that a little self deprecation, which is the root of many of my stories, leads to belly laughs and people shaking their heads and saying………..McCloskey???????”

 

So this Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day. Yes- we are in the middle of a national crisis. The parades have all been cancelled, restaurants are closing, bars are closing, we are encouraged to be diligent and wash our hands and keep our distance. Not in the Irish tradition at all. But we need to do it. But when the day comes, and you have “The Quiet Man” on television or maybe “Waking Ned Devine” , think of the folks that you would like to be with and give them a call or a text. Have a laugh and try to keep some humor during some trying times. I will probably do that and bore people with more stories and corny Irish jokes, but they will laugh and say- ” thanks for the call man”.        Slainte’ .