The most famous of a similar reply was from the Duke of Wellington......... When mentioned about his Irishness..... "If I was born in a stable would it make me a horse?) My reply would be "no, it would just prove your a Gobshite!" (a daily used term and totally acceptable) As for getting back to Genealogy........ please be my guest. Kevin. > From: mobones@bessi.net > To: beara@rootsweb.com > Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:04:50 -0500 > Subject: Re: [BEARA] An anecdote > > I'll add an Irish identity story from my own family. My great grandmother > Catharine Barry was born in London, but her family (we believe) was from the > next peninsula south of Beara, probably near the town of Crookhaven. They > moved to England to find work in the famine times. Catharine had a brother > Thomas, who had two sons while the family was in London: Thomas Jr and Jack > (John) Barry. > > A relative told me Tom Jr was teased once by someone who found out he had > been born in England, not Ireland. He replied sharply: "If a cat has > kittens in a chicken coop, does that make them chickens?" > > Kevin in MO > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bill Gawne" <gawne@cesmail.net> > To: <beara@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 10:11 AM > Subject: [BEARA] An anecdote > > > > Dear friends of Beara, > > > > By way of commenting on the nature of Irish identity among those who > > left... > > > > I was in Detroit last Memorial Day with my mother. We'd gone there > > for the funeral of one of my father's brothers. After the > > solemnities, mom and I went out to Holy Sepulchre cemetery where so > > many of our relatives are buried. We stopped at the flower shop just > > outside the main gate to buy flowers, and mom wanted to get little > > Irish flags to go with the bouquets. But they'd already sold out. > > There were rows and rows of flags from every other country you could > > imagine, and the woman at the counter assured us she'd begun the day > > with four rows of Irish flags among them, but they'd all gone out the > > door by the time we got there in the afternoon. > > > > In the cemetery itself, back in section 6 where so many of my older > > relatives lie at rest, you can see on stone after stone, "Born in > > Ireland" "Born in Beara, Ireland" "Born in Ballylongford, Ireland" > > (the stonecutter had to squeeze the letters to make that fit) "Born in > > Ireland" on and on and on as you walk along the rows. > > > > So yes, there's a strong and lasting sense of Irish identity, both for > > those who came over and those of us who buy up those little tri-color > > flags to place on their graves. > > > > -- Bill > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > BEARA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > > in the subject and the body of the message > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.40/2471 - Release Date: 10/31/09 > 07:53:00 > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BEARA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ New Windows 7: Find the right PC for you. Learn more. http://windows.microsoft.com/shop