Are you Irish? Or only on St. Patrick’s Day?

Growing up in a half-Irish household, you learn lots of interesting things. You learn to find bits of truth in myths. You learn to flatter while scolding. You learn that Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish-American dish (over there you’d eat boiled back bacon). You learn that there’s always a good reason to celebrate, and if there’s not you invent one. And you learn—most of all—that music is one of the greatest intoxicants ever created.

Everyone’s heard Danny Boy and Finnegan’s Wake and at least ten awful versions of Whiskey in the Jar sung around St. Patrick’s Day. For songs that tap into the beautiful, bittersweet Celtic heart, we have to dig deeper than that.

A few of my favorites:

And one last for dreaming sweet soft rain dreams of rolling green hills :

 Sláinte!