St. Patrick's Day

My father’s mother...let's see that would make her my..oh yeah... grandmother... was a 1^st generation Irish-American-catholic by the name of Kilkenny..like the Castle & County. She and her family settled in Louisville, KY her brothers working the railroad, as was the employ of many Irish immigrants, there was the brother who was a priest too, of course. This being St. Patrick’s Day and without veering too far from ESG course I want to present a few things about the Irish American experience that interests me and hopefully you.

Castle Kilkenny : Perhaps some of my ancestors hung out here, you know playing Big Ass Chess, eating roasted peacock and chugging ale by the gallon! Probably not, many a real name was lost en route to America, where you were from became your name...Corleone anyone?

To be a freshly migrated Irish Catholic during the 19^th century had to be one of the harsher experiences in history, some of this was self induced. A fanatical, quasi-religious devotion for Eire resulted in utter heartbreak when the Irish arrived in America; in contrast to the Italian or German immigrants most of whom wept with joy at the sight of the shores of New York, Boston, Baltimore or Philadelphia. The Irish wept for they knew they would never see their beloved Ireland again this time is known as “the American Wake”. So you see many were behind the 8 ball before they even got off the boat racked with depression and more then likely ill from the journey which early in the century could take up to 60 days! With the advent of the steamship the journey still took 14 days. This was best case!

Famine Memorial...a bit macabre, but striking in it's context...more detailed photos along with the inscription here...http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=27583

Now take into consideration what were called the “coffin ships” used at the height of the Gorta Mor, the great potato famine, catered to the majority of emigrants dirt poor half-starved families. These illegal ships shoe-horned their desperate cargo (people) in the holdings below deck for 4 to 6 weeks! These cramped, filthy conditions led to many deaths thus exacerbating the arrival to a strange-anti-Irish land. Anti-Irish sentiment was two fold in the big eastern seaports, they were the domain of the English descendants and their bigotry and hate for the Micks much less catholic- micks was inbred. This along with the feeling that the Irish would “take over” led to the “no Irish need apply” phrase, which was actually used to discourage Irish  from even attempting to work. As the shores continued to fill with people from all over Europe they tended to stay where they landed and many a “shanty-town” sprang up. These later became neighborhoods, Irish-town, Little Italy etc.
                                                                       Proof!

The massive influx of people and scarcity of jobs led to tough times in Irish-town. That is why the railroads became the job of choice; no one else would hire a kid with a brogue, but the titan that once was the American railroad industry had no qualms about using the backs of the Irish, Chinese and Black to spread the iron ribbon across the country. Why? Because the work was low paying, hard, dangerous and attrition was high so why not use as many micks, chinks and niggers as possible! And so this was the america my grand-mother first encountered as a girl.

As is the case in our great country as time moves on immigrants move up the ladder and the less desirable occupations are filled by someone else. Early Irish settlers were digging canals and coffins, laying “sleepers”, shoveling shit or begging. As opportunities sprang up so did the all American concept of nepotism and the post civil war big city police forces and fire departments were the blue print. Back in the day police work was not a well paying glamour sport, no driving supped up Chargers & slamming donuts, it was not CSI or even Beretta. No it was walking the beat, thus the expression flat-foot, it was busting up fights (gangs were epidemic in late 19^th century big cities, another by product of anti-Irish sentiment, Gangs of New York anyone?) and violators were tossed into a “paddy-wagon”. No cops did not bust-up eastern-euro white slave trade operations or international terrorist cells, just regular public duty gigs. Same for the fire dept.; fire was a real threat back then fire regulations were unheard of, houses and tenements were wooden and very close together, fire was a constant worry and when a fire broke out people died. Pay was low, hours long and dangerous, but it was better than shoveling shit and pride was found in having a job.

            I loves me some Daniel Day " I drink your Milkshake" Lewis and Leo is rounding out to be really good... I like this film, but "best picture" nomination! Yikes, even Scorsese must have been like "what the..."

Irish-American are now of course seen in a different light, assimulation, Americanization and mostly time have left Irish-Americans as American as everyone else. I think the modern pro-Irish pride displayed by many is ill placed, they are about as Irish as O’bama. Pride in heritage is important, but getting drunk one day out the year, rooting for the Celtics or Sox, listening to the Dropkick Murphys and House of Pain, seeing “The Town” and “The Boondock Saints” does not make you Irish… it makes you American, something my ancestors wanted to be some 120 years ago.  So go easy on the green “beer”, have a Guinness and a shot of Jameson, but don’t let the day pass without thinking about those that came and suffered before you...it’s the Irish way.
                                                  A pint and two jugs! Cheers!

WOW!

Where was I...oh yeah...I found this "celtic warrior" on a white-power page, those fuckers use anything they get their hands on and distort it to fit their narrow, miss-guided dogma on race. The Irish/Celts were seen as lesser people by the Brits and Scandinavians throw the Catholic part in their and it is anything but a white pride image. Oh well the art is cool!

Cernummos was the Celtic Horned-God, info. is rather scarce but he may be the god of fertility and nature. 

Another avatar of the Green-man, early Christianity probably used this horny cat to create the horned Devil we all know and love today.

Slaine is a comic book character by the great Pat Mills, more or less based on Cuchulain

(the famed Hero-Warrior of Irish Myths). Here are some images( not original)....

I guess they had hair gel back in the day! 

Slaine throwing us some "blue-steel"!

I had some nut-hugging-skate-shorts like this back in the 80s!

Pat Mills also edited and co-created... JUDGE DREDD! 

I see there is another movie-version of J.D. in-production with non-other than "Armory" alum Lena Headey...Kick Ass! 

Now for a bit of a tangent, during some surfing for cool Celtic-y stuff I ran across something I was not aware of a musical styling that mangles the best of two world and makes them coexist for the pleasure of the creator and dozens of ardent followers! What happens when you blend, Neo-Pagan practices, bagpipes, pan flutes and B.C. Rich guitars, Tattoos, Lace, Animal pelts and White Face! Folk Metal! Let me reinstate I had no idea so of course I went to the source for all things Metal, Mr.666. Suffice it to say, he is not a fan, I'm not here to pass judgement, hell Ritchie Blackmore plays only traditional English Folk tunes nowadays so....who knows. I let you judge for yourself, but needless to say, there is very little Metal in Folk Metal!

This is the face of Folk Metal! You cannot make this up, it's like a runaway SNL skit!


"Take my hand child and come with me to a world of fantasy, magic, foam swords and frolic..."

                                                 The "sound" of this sub-sub-genre..
                          


                   " I know Metal, Metal is a friend and you are not Metal!!!!"

I usually don't like the video mashups but this is close to brilliant! Note the distinct lack of melodic vocals or bagpipes!
THIS IS METAL, England's Masters of Metal...BOLT THROWER! More Lena too!

Keep your Irish up...I can't wait for my Cinco de Mayo post!!!

Tank "Plenty-O'Tool" Steel