you are not. Unfortunately one week too late for the release of my new Molly Murphy novel,
which was published last Tuesday. It’s called Vanished in the Crowd and Clare will be writing a guest post about it tomorrow.
But it’s a day for sharing fond Irish memories. I have no Irish ancestry (but being Welsh means fellow Celt) but John has an Irish grandfather and a distinguished Irish ancestry. His great grandfather was one of those selected to be sent to the English parliament to plead for Irish emancipation. His great great grandfather owned the Belfast newspaper and his Quin ancestors are the junior branch of the Earls of Dunraven.
John and I spent a perfect three weeks driving all around Ireland a few years ago. Three weeks with only one day of rain. That’s a miracle in itself. We had wonderful fresh food, Irish music in pubs and glorious scenery. My memories: the friendliness of the Irish people. If you stopped to ask for directions it would go something like this: “Well, you turn right at the corner and on the next street you’ll pass a lovely little bakery. You should try their soda bread, only you need to get there before eleven or they'll sell out, and past that is the wool shop and she has some home spun wool there you won’t find anywhere else, and then the fish monger…etc until “and at the next corner you turn left.” It takes half an hour or more.
My favorite direction came when we stayed at a B and B in Tralee. The owner said if we’d a mind for a lovely hike over a waterfall he’d tell us how to get there. He said you drive along the side of the loch and you’ll come to this lovely hotel with a perfect view. Right out into the water, it is. And if you want dinner there at sunset they have a great restaurant. Now, if you get to that hotel, you’ve gone too far.”
You have to love the Irish
As for St. Patrick’s Day memories: My strangest was that my publisher brought me to New York to do promotion for Molly on St. Patrick’s Day. Royal treatment: limo to drive me around Manhattan to bookstores. Question: where does a limo park while I go in to NY bookstores? And as for the event in the evening? One of the bookstore owners said “I’m sorry but we don’t open on St Patrick’s Day. Too many drunken men in the streets.”
I don't think there were many drunken Irishmen who said, "You know what, Paddy, let's go to a bookstore and hear Rhys Bowen!" Not one of my better appearances.
! So dear Reds and Readers, do you have any fond Irish memories? Or St Patrick’s Day memories?
Jenn, you’ve set books in Ireland. Tell all…
Happy St. Patrick's Day . . . .
ReplyDeleteAll my ancestors were English and Scots, dull WASPS to the core. However my husband's father, the only child of an unhappy Austrian/Finnish marriage, married into my husband's mother's huge clan of Boston Murphys. He also was born on this day in 1929 — so every year his birthday was a big celebration of Irishness. He was a very troubled man (we recognized Jack Nicholson's misanthrope in AS GOOD AS IT GETS) but St. Patrick's Day seemed to please him. He's been gone for sixteen years but today I will cook corned beef and cabbage and we'll raise a glass. (Selden)
ReplyDeletep.s. Congratulations, Rhys, on your new Molly Murphy!
DeleteThank you!
Deletethat is too funny "dull WASPs to the core". I discovered a 7th DNA cousin in England. They were hilarious. They were related through my Jewish ancestors. They said they always thought they were "boring English" before they learned that their father's father was actually European Jewish, not English, they said they were happy that their DNA had some spice!
DeleteA relative married someone adopted from Colombia. She brought into the family DNA results showing 1/3 Indigenous PanAmerica, plus half a dozen countries in Africa, Spain, Mexico, and Sephardic Jew. In her small person is embodied the history of colonization in the Americas.
DeleteTwo memories:
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughters were in high school they were in an all-girls fife and drum corps which played every year at the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston; every parent was on chaperone duty for this event in an (often failed) attempt to stop the drunks from trying to steal the girls' hats.
During my college years, I was fleet of foot. One St. Patrick's Day, I managed to get the very first glass of green beer from THREE different bars! A record that may still stand.
The green beer run I did not know about!
DeleteWell, I'm half Flaherty, so plenty of Irish here! I've never been, but I'm on the verge of booking a trip there in the fall. I have a St. Patrick's Day book, Four Leaf Cleaver (title thanks to Grace Koshida), and it includes a yummy recipe for steak and stout stew which I made recently.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new Molly, Rhys - I must go pick up my copy.
Edith, I immediately went searching for your book in my Kindle and found the recipe. I will need some Irish Stout.
DeleteCool! You can use any stout.
DeleteYou must go, Edith. It’s a stunning country
DeleteEdith, my daughter and husband visited Ireland a few years ago. The highlight - the jail. You have to book early to get tickets and the rules are strict, but should you have any interest (take a lot of time to go down the rabbit hole to research this one), you need to book early and be there on time.
DeleteThe closest to being Irish I can get is wearing the socks with pictures of sheep on them my friend brought me from her trip there several years ago. Would love to go one day myself. For now, I settle for reading books which are set there.
ReplyDeleteRhys, I love your Molly Murphy books. Congratulations on the latest one. What a memorable character! I encourage anyone who hasn't read them to begin with book #1. It is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's been one of my favorite series since the beginning. Also, Reddies, Judy and I met up at a Kensington CozyCon I was part of on Saturday! Fun to keep the connections found here going.
DeleteYou are very kind, Judy. I think you’ll like this one.
DeleteHow fun, Edith and Judy! I love when we Reddies get to actually meet each other in person! As the date comes closer, we should find out how many people will be going to Calgary for Bouchercon in October. Maybe we can all meet up as we did in San Diego in 2023! — Pat S
DeleteCongratulations on your new Molly Murphy Book, Rhys! ☘️ What a wonderful 3 weeks your trip must have been! I’m an O’Shaunessy on my Mom’s side, and probably mostly Irish on my father’s side (Fleming) (We celebrated the French -Mallett, and Scottish side-MacKenzie, more). I have been to Ireland with my husband and friends back in 2005. We stayed in Killorglin, in County Kerry for a week. It was wonderful and I can’t believe I haven’t been back! (Works other places to visit, not enough time or money…)
ReplyDeleteThat’s the problem, isn’t? Too many other places worth seeing.
DeleteFaith and begorrah! Wish I knew a good Irish toast to share today. Something about the wind at your back, and the road risin' to meet you!
ReplyDeleteSaturday was a big St. Paddy's Day here, with lots of crazy people dressed in green getups that Bishop Padraig himself would be mystified by. We were trying to go somewhere for dinner, and passed a lot of places with long lines out the door. I can't imagine how wild it will be tonight.
My daughter has done extensive research into her ancestry and has found Scottish and British on my side, but alas, no Irish, despite my green eyes. (Just trying to be funny, although they are green.) We were invited to go with her and her husband last month, but couldn't manage to squeeze in the trip; her photos were amazing, though. One of these days, I hope.
You’ve been to so many places , Karen But Ireland is stunning.
DeleteComing from desert-y southern California we were blown away at how green Ireland is. England is too but has more varying shades of green while Ireland is green, green, green. It's worth the trip.
DeleteCongratulations on the new Molly book! I have the wrong kind of Irish ancestry. My grandmother was born in Londonderry, and her father was a proud member of the Orange Order (although family lore says he was respected by both Catholics and Protestants). My dad remembered trips to Northern Ireland each July as a lad to commemorate the victory in the Battle of the Boyne. I'm just shaking my head. Mom once suggested that my twin and I should wear orange on St. Patrick's Day because of our Irish heritage. We didn't, but in retrospect, that was a very bad idea mom!
ReplyDeleteIndeed! John’s ancestry is Northern Ireland but they were very respected Catholics. His great great grandfather was a famous orator
DeleteCongrats Rhys! I have Irish heritage but ancestors immigrated to America in the late 1600's. But, I still claim it! We've visited Ireland - love Dublin! Great city.
ReplyDeleteHappy St Patrick’s Day! Boston is a pretty interesting place to be on this particular holiday… Never a dull moment. Anybody in Chicago? Do they still make the river green?
ReplyDeleteRhys and Clare, congratulations on the book! Xxxxx
Hank, do people ever ask if you are Irish because your last name is Ryan?
DeleteI’d like to see Boston on this day once!
DeleteHi Hank, I was in Chicago one St. Patrick's Day and I saw that green river. I thought it looked pretty terrifying.
DeleteDiana, absolutely. And that "no" requires SUCH a long explanation... And Rhys, trust me, you are better off not being here...
DeleteHank, thank you 😊
DeleteYes, Hank, they do still dye the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day. Here is some historical information about this 64 year old tradition: https://www.geo.tv/latest/656100-chicago-river-turns-green-for-st-patricks-day-2026
DeleteCongratulations on your new Molly novel, Rhys (and Clare). Thank you for sharing stories about your husband's great grandfather and great great grandfather, Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate. I grew up wearing Green on St. Patrick's Day. I baked Irish Oatmeal cookies this week.
ReplyDeleteDuring my genealogy research, I discovered that my Irish ancestor was born in 1685 in Ireland, went to divinity school at Glasgow University in Scotland, then emigrated to the American colonies when he was hired by another ancestor to preach at their family church. My Irish ancestor's ? 5x great granddaughter would marry the ? 5x great grandson of this Colonial ancestor. Their son would become my great grandfather.
I've often been asked if I am Irish because of my red hair and freckles. One of my grandfathers had Med ancestry, though his grandfather looked like George Bernard Shaw, who was Irish.. His wife, my grandmother, looked Irish despite her Spanish ancestry. She looked like Maureen O'Hara.
What fascinating ancestry, Diana. You were lucky to be able to go back so far!
DeleteCongratulation on the new Molly, Rhys! You and Clare are a winning team!
ReplyDeleteIrish on my mother's side. Her mother was an O'Bryan--like Anonymous above, my O'Bryan ancestor arrived in Virginia from Dublin prior to the American Revolution. My other favorite series, beside Molly & Co--this one with an Irish setting, was Sheila Connolly's.
I loved Sheila’s books and her tales from her Irish cottage. She is so missed
DeleteGrowing up, I was not aware of St Patrick’s Day really being a thing – sure we wore a bit of green, but that was probably all. My mother may have made corned beef and cabbage which was always a favourite of mine. Even in university, I never could do the green beer thing (I did not like beer), so it was still really just another day. Then the first year after we were married and moved to Quebec where we lived in Montreal, St Patrick’s Day fell on a Sunday. Like most other people, we donned warm clothing (it was snowing) and stood along St Catherine’s St for the parade, and what a parade it was! Music, cheer leaders, batons, dancers, and green everywhere. Such a festival!
ReplyDeleteFor today, I think I will make a marmalade cake, and dream of a plate of corned beef and cabbage. Maybe I will make a smoked meat sandwich – not quite the same but I have the ingredients for that. No green beer will be served.
Oh, our surname is Patrick - we are not Irish. Jack is of British/Scottish ancestry, and Lewis' come from Wales.
DeleteIn England I was not even aware of St Patrick ‘s Day growing up! But I have watched the procession in San Francisco
DeleteCongrats Rhys and thanks for such a nice post today, I really enjoyed reading about your husbands ancestry.
ReplyDeleteMy memory of St Patrick's from my school days is that if you didn't wear green people could hit you. Weird. Jerry and I had a wonderful trip to Ireland and of course my memories are of food. Salmon. Sticky toffee pudding. And a whole lot of churches and vestiges of war and fantastic B&Bs and gorgeous verdant vistas.
ReplyDeleteHaha Hallie - that was the "rule" when I was a kid, if you didn't wear green on St. Paddy's day you could get pinched or a bop!
DeleteI don't know that I'll ever get to Ireland, but I think it would be a trip I would be completely delighted with. Rhys, I love your descriptions of the directions given, and John certainly is well connected in his Irish roots. I would enjoy a post about all of John's Irish and English ancestry. He is such a gentleman, which seems rarer and rarer these days to find, and I wonder if part of his disposition is something that can be inherited. Also, congratulations on the new Molly book.
ReplyDeleteThank you. He’s writing his memoir right now!
DeleteHow wonderful he's writing his memoir! Please let us know about publication.
DeleteRhys, I want to read the memoir too!
DeleteSo timely, Rhys! My daughter and family are in Ireland this week, and today they are in Tralee watching the St. Patrick's Day parade! Of course I am following along and am GREEN with envy. Also, I've been immersed in Niall Williams books for the last few weeks so already feel as if half of me is in Ireland.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm halfway through the new Molly and am loving it!! Congratulations to you and Clare on another wonderful book! I can't wait to hear more from Clare tomorrow.
Thanks Debs. Lucky daughter!
DeleteRhys, I'm laughing at someone from St. Martin's bringing you to NYC on St. Patrick's Day! It must have been a new publicist who had never spent March 17 in the city before.
ReplyDeleteFor me, St. Patrick's Day is a special family day - it's my sister's birthday, and my brother's saint's name day. (We have different fathers, and theirs came from very lace-curtain Irish stock.) When Barb and I were young and single and living in DC together, we'd go out to the Georgetown bars and she would show her driver's license to prove her birthday. She never paid for a drink on St. Paddy's Day!
LOVE AT FIRST BOOK is my romcom set in Ireland and the research trip -- EPIC. I'm also blessed to have Irish cousins (nuns!), one of whom has sadly passed and the other who is lovely about keeping in touch, as well as the midlanders, who I get to visit whenever I step onto the Emerald Isle. I love Ireland - the scenery, the people, and even the food -- yes, I'm serious. The Fishbox in Dingle was one of my most singular meals! Seriously, it's one of my favorite places and I go back as often as possible. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate!
ReplyDeleteDingle is one of my favorite places ever
DeleteYou have the "luck o' the Irish" Jenn that you have relatives and can go back so often!!
ReplyDeleteI was at my fav coffee shop this morning waiting for my order, when a VERY, VERY!! pregnant mother stepped up to order two coffees. Everyone looked at her and asked aren't you worried you could have your baby any day? She calmly said after I get my coffee I'm going to the hospital to deliver my baby. SAY WHAT!! She was so relaxed and calm. Turns out it's baby #3. She was most excited about the fact that her baby would have a ST. Patrick's Day birthday! That is cool.
ReplyDeleteThat’s impressive!
DeleteThere is zero Irish in my background - and thanks to my sister doing one of those DNA tests, I know that for sure! But The Hubby has some and my step-mother is Irish to the core.
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day!
Two interesting facts about Ireland and I'm sure there are a lot more!
ReplyDeleteAccording to Google if they are correct.
First, the two cities where most American expats live are Dublin, Cork and Gallaway.
Second, Places where PALM TREES (Yes!!) can be seen are DunLaoghaire Dalkey, Killiney, and the Iveragh Peninsula. The climate is apparently subtropical in the southwest of Ireland.
It's funny. My grandparents on both sides were mixed: one fully Irish strain married to one of German descent, but I am wholly Irish in my predilections as were they. Republic of Ireland although I'm not Catholic. Lover of Irish music and literature, feeling like it's prominent in my DNA. My only visit to Ireland was in the 1970s - agree, lovely people. My then husband's last name was Shea and when he did the American thing and tried to look up relations, they laughed and said (in whatever county it was) "Shea? You and every other person living here!" I'm not sharing my maiden name here but it isn't a name in Ireland as spelled. Either the spelling was gifted by someone at Ellis Island or whoever it was among my ancestors was alreacdy getting in trouble and was, therefor,e named after a drunken brawl!
ReplyDeleteI feel compelled to support an underdog Saint here, one who clearly does not inspire drunken green beer sprees.
ReplyDeleteSaint Gertrude is the patron saint of gardeners. Oh, and cats. Although I question the need for a patron saint of a being who is supposed to have nine lives, which is eight more than we get.
Forgot to mention that today is also St. Gertrude's Day!
DeleteKaren
Like many of you I have Irish in my background along with many other things! People in Ireland are wonderfully friendly. I used to have red hair; it is very faded with age now. But I got stopped in Dublin a couple of times by tourists asking for directions. On one trip I drove my mother-in-law around, and the most fun was asking directions from older men. They talked politics, gave me directions, quizzed me to see if I understood them, etc. They were a hoot!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Rhys and Clare, on your newest Molly Murphy book. I spent three weeks in Ireland about 15 years ago, and I thought the countryside, the cliffs, and the ruined churches and abbeys were magnificent. The food was delicious, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm 6.25% Irish (that I know of---could be more). One of my great-grandfathers came from County Cork, although he was born after his parents were already in the US. His name was John Mullen, and he was a tailor.
When my daughter married an Irish guy the event planner asked if we "spoke Irish." While we know she was naive and didn't realize her mistake, I've come to learn the truth in her question. My ex-son-inlaw now (though we're still friends) comes home from Ireland talking so fast that I really do think it's another language. After the two grands visit, I'm in so much trouble because all I keep saying, is "can you repeat that?" It takes the three of them a month of so to talk so I can understand them again. My grandmother was the orphan of two Irish immigrants who died when she was just a tot. I never met her because she too died very young (39). So lots of Irish in my family.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Irish language (called Gaeilge) is a completely distinct language, separate from English, with its own unique grammar, vocabulary, and Celtic roots. It is a ancient language.
ReplyDelete