It’s that time of year when we all want to be Irish, or claim some Irish descent. Yes, we all love the Irish and maybe we used to know someone who might have been Irish–possibly. Yep, it’s St. Patrick’s Day! When the Irish become the world’s excuse for tying one on and wearing green.
I can proudly declare myself to have a little more excuse than some as my Dad’s family was Irish. My granddad left Ireland in mysterious circumstances shortly after the turn of the twentieth century and moved to England. No one in the family really knows why, and I’ve heard several explanations from different relatives. The story goes that he was escaping one of the following:
- A wife (divorce not being legal in Ireland at that point)
- The military
- The IRA
In a bid to cover his tracks really well and make sure no one suspected him of being Irish, he changed his name to… Kelly… And no, I’m not making this up!
The character of Antoine Solomon Murphy in my short story, Murphy’s Law, also has some Irish in him. He’s devised a new rule in life: “Adequate preparation and intelligence can cope with any situation.” But who will win in a battle between the “luck of the Irish” and Murphy’s Law?
You’ll find Murphy in my short story collection, Dead Reckoning And Other Stories, on special offer for St. Patrick’s Day! Available on Amazon or via Smashwords using the code TD43N.
Update: It’s my birthday so I’m extending the promo to Sunday 20th March!
And to finish up, here are a couple of my favorite clips from Father Ted. Wishing you all the luck of the Irish! Sláinte!
