March can be a wonderful month. For much of this great nation, it begins hope for the end of winter and the promise for an early spring. Here in the Sunshine State, we continue to enjoy idyllic weather with near perfect temperatures, clear blue skies, low humidity and no threat of hurricanes. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The middle of March has three noteworthy dates: The 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day, the 21st is the first day of Spring, and the 22nd is my brother Dan’s birthday (Admittedly, the latter is not widely recognized but he has never missed its celebration). Among the legends about Saint Patrick is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. It is as fact-based as Mayor Sarbone’s claim to have rid South Florida of polar bears. Protestations to the contrary, the argument that there are none does nothing to support the contention in either case.
Ireland’s history is clearly one of pride and prejudice. It was not until 1793 that Irish Catholics were first allowed limited voting rights ( they could only vote for Protestants); the right to marry Protestants; to buy and sell land, and to educate their children. It wasn’t until 1829 that full voting rights were granted. The bitter and deadly divide between the Anglican (Church of England) and Roman Catholicism caused many Catholics to renounce their religion in order to keep their land and to educate their children. My surname is Kelly not Kelley. There is a difference. Kelly is normally associated with the Roman Catholic Church, the wonderful color green, and allegiance to Rome. Kelley (the bad guys, my father would tell me) is Protestant, the hated color orange, and allegiance to the king or queen of you know where. My father would not accept a check made out to John P. Kelley. I’m over it. Try me.
England’s repressive economic policies led to Ireland’s growing dependence to a single agricultural crop, which set the stage for the the Great Hunger - the potato famine of the 1840's that killed more than a million Irish peasants and drove hundreds of thousands to the new world.
Sadly, as with many immigrant ethnic groups, acceptance came with a lot of discrimination. They had no written language, most were uneducated, most were in poor help and undernourished. They were frozen out of jobs and referred to as sickly, dirty, evil little monkeys, and a sub-human species. As a reminder, I have a sign in my office that was displayed in Boston on September 11th (curious date), 1915 that says Help Wanted - Irish Need Not Apply.
Today, I am indeed thankful that my ancestors persevered and that the nurturing society that America has become would never allow such reprehensible treatment to again be accorded to any other ethnic group.
Would it?
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! May you get all your wishes but one, so you always have something to strive for!
Slainte!
John Kelly
May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.
Here’s to you as good as you are.
Here's to me as bad as I am,
As good as you are,
And as bad as I am,
I'm as good as you are,
As bad as I am.