Read by Michael Flamel

 
My Irish roots run deep—on both my mother’s and my father’s side. Both of my parents were enthusiastic gardeners and tale-tellers. And my mother especially loved a good story that enchants and delights.

Mom couldn’t have asked for a better husband than Dad, who knew how to garden—both food items to feed the family of ten (eleven when my grandmother lived with us) and beautiful flowers—and how to tell a good story. Because Dad was a kind and caring man who was just as proud of his Irish roots as his old-Yankee roots. (He is descended from an original Mayflower passenger!)

And the stories my schoolteacher dad told—sometimes while I was with him in the garden and sometimes later at night after supper, when bedtime called—were always entertaining.

Just remembering and recounting these Irish tales gives me lots of warm feelings about Dad, with his jet-black hair and ruddy complexion. I can hear him spinning these tales for all of us kids … and all of us listening at full attention to every word, mesmerized by the tales and dreaming of Ireland.

These Irish tales have also boosted my desire to visit Ireland—I’ve never been, but Mom and Dad visited there several times in their retirement years, and I recall Dad’s magnified engagement about telling these tales after he visited Ireland. He became further motivated to share these stories about the homeland of some of his ancestors.

Irish people—and their descendants—have a real knack for happy story-telling, and Dad was no exception!

Now, I’m happy to have captured Dad’s Irish tales and to share them with you here. “Erin go Bragh” or “Ireland forever” as it means!

Bill Dugan
Executive Editor
GreenPrints