Tag Archives: Irish Tours for You

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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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St. Brendan the Navigator

Brendan McCarthy- our “illustrious” National Tour Guide. Seen here making a St. Brigid’s Cross for Janet. We called him Brendan the Navigator after the famous monk who discovered the New World 1000 years before Leif Erikson.

Cead mile faitle is the traditional Irish greeting that means one hundred thousand welcomes in Gaelic, the native language of Ireland. And if there were ever a country that welcomes you with open arms, it is Ireland, and their extremely friendly people. Now I could give you a travelogue about our recent trip to Ireland, but instead of boring you to death, I am going to tell you about Brendan McCarthy, our National Certified tour guide, who embodies all the qualities of the Irish that I really, really like. Most countries have a rather neutral, at best, feeling about Americans. Not true of the Irish who cherish their relationships with Americans. I think partly because in some way, they feel that we are all related and are coming back to visit our roots. Brendan certainly made us feel that way.

Early in the trip, we visited the lovely seaside town of Kinsale on the southern tip of Ireland. Before we met the local tour guide, Brendan took us to a high piece of ground that was dedicated to the 343 New York City Firefighters who lost their lives during 9/11. Brendan related the story of the woman who worked as a nurse in New York and donated her land in Ireland to be a spot of remembrance. Brendan knew her and actually planted many of the trees that are standing there today in memory of those brave men. He actually became emotional as he told us how he drove down on the day of the planting, two hours each way. He said he loved Americans and had a huge hole in his heart that day when the firefighters were killed. He wanted to be a part of the dedication in Kinsale. That day, we got a glimpse into the character of Brendan McCarthy.

The Irish are funny, witty, but emotional people. Much of that is seen in the writings of the poets and authors of Ireland, and also with Brendan, and even myself in a way. That day, I saw a bit of myself in the personality of Brendan. In fact, all during our trip, I felt that I knew many of the people somehow because not only was I viewing my geneaology, but also talking to the people, I felt close to them because, well, they are somehow….my people. Yes- they are warm and friendly, but I have to tell you they are funny as hell too! As Brendan regaled us with the history of Ireland, day after day on our van, he also let loose with some really funny sayings that we all grew to love. Like when he wanted us to take a comfort stop, he said in his very lilting Irish brogue, ” I want yous all to squeeze the lemon and be bums in seats in 15 minutes.” Squeeze the lemon!!! Hilarious. As a typical Irishman, he also humored us with many stories and pronounced “th” as “t.” For instance, ” I know what you are tinkin” ” I want you on the bus at 8 turty” ” The time is 5 turty tree.” We all got a kick out of his distinctive and lyrical brogue, and I am sure he wondered about my dahn and ahhts from Pittsburgh as well. He referred to “herself” and “himself”. There is himself. There is herself- in the altogether. He would tell us a story and then say,” Look it up.” It is the troot” ” I swear to God”. We believed him even though we thought that just maybe he stretched the troot sometimes. LOL!! But you would never find a happier guy and he made it his business to take us to all the nooks and crannies that people might not see. Like the bridge from the movie “The Quiet Man”. Or Paidi O’Se’s pub in Dingle that had a lot of memorabilia from many of the Gaelic sports heroes. Brendan made it his business to show us places that a lot of tourists may not find on their own.

The bridge from The Quiet Man in Cong, Ireland. I could just see John Wayne sitting on that wall.
Janet and Brendan dancing on the bus.
We met up with our pal Mike Dunlay, who bought a house in Dingle. He and Brendan hit it off instantly.
The Cliffs of Moher
Blarney Castle
Our group. Strangers at first. Friends in the end. All due to the glue that was Brendan McCarthy.

But perhaps one of the most touching moments, was when Brendan stopped at St Brigid’s Well, a place dedicated to the female patron saint of Ireland. There he asked us all to depart the bus, and go into the cave that housed the well, say a prayer, and as we all exited the well, Brendan had us hold hands and circle up as he recited the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic. He then took an older St Brigid’s cross and put in back in the well area in dedication to his mother who he lost the previous year. Well after that, my bladder was behind my eyeballs for sure, and we all got another glimpse into the character of Brendan McCarthy. The Irish are close to their mothers and this was a little stop that was very touching.

St Brigid’s Well site.
The well itself.

As we drove to and through breathtaking scenery that featured the west coast of Ireland, Brendan kept us entertained with history, local lore, and some very funny jokes. Very dry. Like- he pointed out a cemetery and said that the guy that invented the crossword puzzle was buried there. I asked where, giving him the opportunity for the punchline, and he said, ” 6 down and four across.” We all chuckled at that one. He also said that people are buried in Ireland at noon. So, if you get into an argument with an Irishman, the final line may just be…………..” you’ll go out at noon.” I loved that line and we used it on each other for the rest of the trip and laughed out heads off.

We were very pleased with Brendan and also the company he works for called Irish Tours for You. You can find them on the internet and I would highly recommend them. My contact was Fionnuala O’ Loughlin ( How about that great Irish name!) fionnuala@irishtoursforyou.com They even came to meet us for lunch on the last day to say good bye. You will never find a better tour and never find people easier to work with.

Fionnuala second from right and Ellen from Irish Tours for You.

As I thought about the trip and all we saw on the plane ride home, I thought how much the people, the food, and the scenery meant to me. I was very comfortable in Ireland as I thought about the food my grandma cooked, the sayings that my mother and grandmother said along with the sayings of my father in law- George Bope – who loved being Irish. I can’t wait to go back again. And If I do, I will surely contact St. Brendan the Navigator to come with us again for sure. Thanks for reading. Slainte’

A very young Pat McCloskey cycling in Ireland years ago. Can’t believe I waited 40 years to go back.

“May the saddest day of your future, be no worse than the happiest day of your past.”

“May the walls of your home never fall in and those within them never fall out.”

“May you live for a hundred years with one more year to repent.”