Ireland Is My Danny Boy
Joe Feeney sings “Danny Boy”
I grew up loving Ireland.
My fraternal grandmother, whom we called MawMaw, instilled that love in me with her constant longing to see the legendary country of fairies and leprechauns. Someone had told her that Ireland’s landscapes were similar to North Carolina’s, where we lived. She was certain that if I visited that beautiful country I would immediately fall in love with Ireland, find my purpose, and meet my one true love. I believed everything she said.
All of it came true.
Every Sunday night, sitting on MawMaw’s threadbare couch, the two of us would watch The Lawrence Welk Show, hoping that Irish tenor, Joe Feeney, would be one of the show's featured singers.
What we really hoped was that he would sing “Danny Boy,” as he does here.
When he did, we would hold hands, tears streaming down our faces, and believe that that song perfectly portrayed the hearts and souls of the Irish.
MawMaw believed Ireland was Danny Boy. That it was a valley of “summer on the meadow,” that it was sometimes “hushed and white with snow.” And she trusted that true love would prevail, no matter what happened.
It wasn’t just MawMaw who inspired me to travel to Ireland in search of Danny Boy - it was also my best friend, Marygray. After graduating from Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, the two of us were determined to have a life-changing adventure. We imagined ourselve mature young women ready to take on the world, and since Ireland had no language barrier (other than a thick Irish brogue in the southwest of the Republic), we decided working there might be the perfect answer to our dream.
Her grandmother had taken her on a world tour after high school graduation, but Marygray had never been to Ireland and had a firm desire to go, The two of us shared that appetite to travel to Ireland, and so it became our destination. When we discovered an ad on the college bulletin board seeking Americans to work in an Irish Castle, we thought we had died and gone to heaven. We applied to work at Ballyseede Castle in Tralee and were accepted.
Once we arrived in the Emerald Isle, it didn’t take long for us to learn the truth … Ireland was not the answer to our prayers. At least not with the English proprietors who’d hired us. In the end, they fired us and we were forced to thumb our way across the country in search of new jobs. It wasn’t easy.
We grew to love it anyway. - grew to love Danny Boy country.
The song “Danny Boy” encompasses everything about my search for purpose and for my one true love while I was in Ireland.
That is why I named my memoir “Searching For Danny Boy.”
I still recall the first stanza to “Danny Boy” that Feeney sang:
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen and down the mountain side
The summer's gone and all the roses falling
Tis you, Tis you, must go and I must bide
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh, Danny boy, oh, Danny boy, I love you so
Oh, Ireland, you are Danny Boy - the country where I discovered myself.
Oh, Marygray - the friend who discovered Danny Boy with me.
Oh, Paudie O’Connor - my “Danny Boy,” the man I fell in love with the moment I met him.
I love all of you so.
I LOVE GUINNESS!
My first experience with Guinness was at a pub in Killarney, where my Irish boyfriend, Paudie O’Connor, encouraged me to try it.
THE WHOLE WORLD LOVES GUINNESS
IT'S THE #1 BEER IN AMERICA!
Guinness Beer is popular in America, with many enjoying this dark Irish stout.
My first experience with Guinness was at a pub in Killarney, where my Irish boyfriend, Paudie O’Connor, encouraged me to try it. Even though Paud didn’t drink, he appreciated Guinness’s popularity in his native country.
“Just give it a chance, Deb,” Paudie said. “You can’t go back to the States and say you never even tried a taste of de Black.” (That’s what they call Guinness in Ireland - the Black Stuff, even though it’s actually reddish-brown if you hold a glass of Guinness up to the light.) Once I adjusted to its warmer serving temperature, I appreciated its velvety texture and roasted flavors.
I was surprised that I had to wait a while to taste my first glass of Guinness. It’s a good thing I did. Otherwise, I’d have missed out on the perfect pint.
A perfect pint of Draught Guinness requires exactly 119.53 seconds to pour, with a necessary pause during the process. When pouring, the glass should be held at a 45-degree angle, ensuring the liquid first contacts the side of the glass with the harp logo.
I grew to love a good glass of the Black Stuff.
I always thought Guinness could easily put on pounds, but Guinness isn't a "heavy" calorie-laden drink. A pint contains only about 200 calories—less than many lagers and even less than a pint of orange juice (220 calories). That’s a good thing to know if you visit Ireland and are trying to watch your weight.
Founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, it's now brewed worldwide, including in the US.
In my opinion, American-made Guinness lacks the distinctive quality of Irish-brewed Guinness, which has a superior taste without the aftertaste found in the American version. Sorry to say, but it’s true.
What's your experience with Guinness? Have you enjoyed it on St. Patrick's Day or have a favorite memory with this iconic beer?
Have you ever tasted it in Ireland?
Do let me know in the comments!
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