Ode To The Irish

Super Bowl Sunrise looking east naturally (Groff Park)

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

In addition to being much anticipated Super Bowl Sunday -- practically a sacred national holiday -- today is also "Irish Day" in the little college town of Amherst.

Kelley reunion, 1903 @ Kelley Square, Amherst.  Tom Kelley seated center (glasses).   Maggie Mahar (Miss Emily's "North Wind") top row center (in white)

A nice acknowledgement to my ancestors who migrated to Amherst out of desperation, made it their home, and worked tirelessly to make it a better place.

One of the less talked about negatives associated with the St. Paddy's Day stand-in, Blarney Blowout, was the all-Irish-are-drunkards stereotype perpetuated by the pernicious promotion.

That alone should have been reason enough for town officials to step in four years ago when the downtown bars abandoned the name "Kegs 'n Eggs" in favor of "Blarney Blowout."

 So let's hope today (or I should say late tonight) goes a lot better than that faux Irish "celebration" did last March. 

Kelley Square from 400 ft.  RR tracks on left, Dickinson Street on right

Emily Dickinson homestead (top left) from 400 feet over Kelley Square