Thursday, March 17, 2005

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It's really a coincidence that I am wearing a green shirt today. I competely forgot what today is. Ever since Grade 5, when someone laughed at my green shirt, I have avoided green on St, Patrick's Day. Green is not my colour anyway, or maybe it is?

But, I think I have the right to wear green, given that I have a great grandmother who was born in Ireland. In August 1649, Oliver Cromwell sent his army to crush Ireland.

There's a good Pogues song, called Young Ned of the Hill. They sing:

A curse upon you Oliver Cromwell
You who raped our motherland
I hope you're rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you sent

To our misfortunate forefathers

Whom you robbed of their birthright

To hell or Connaught

May you burn in hell tonight


I have Scottish heritage too. My father was born in Glasgow. In July 1650, Oliver Cromwell sent his army to crush Scotland. Oh, and there's a good Proclaimers song, called Cap in Hand. They sing:

But I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land
We're cap in hand


and:

We fight-when they ask us

We boast-then we cower
We beg
For a piece of

What's already ours


It's interesting that Cromwell died in 1658, but was exhumed in 1661 to be executed, posthumously. It was a little too late, by any stretch.

Oh, and I know something about this, having taken an entire graduate history course on the English Civil War. At the end, my head was filled with stuff on the Whigs, the Puritans, the rise of the New Model Army, the Roundheads, Levellers, and the Diggers (True Levellers). And, that reminds me that also in 1649, Gerrard Winstanley took his Diggers to St. George's Hill. But that, as they say, is another story

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm...you shouldn't let other people's reactions to your clothing affect you...i am routinely questioned on my attire, but who are others to judge?

Oliver Cromwell is like, your family's own personal Satan.

I too was English Civil War-savvy, back in the days of education.

mister anchovy said...

Whenever I hear the Pogues, I start thinking it would be a very reasonable idea to do a little heavy drinking. Then, when the song is over, I come to my senses and say, godalmighty man, what were you thinking....next song comes on, and I think, there's some beer in the fridge and some Jameson in the cupboard.......

zydeco fish said...

which is probably why shane mcgowan almost drank himself to death.