MONDAY MUSINGS

March 17, 2008

Ireland

Some day when I complete my genealogical search into our family tree I may find some Irish ancestor.  We are German on my father’s side, and while there is a bit more diversity on my mother’s side, no one has told me of an Irish relative.  The irony of this is that Ireland has become a favorite place for Pat and me, and so celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is more to us than corned beef, cabbage and green Guinness. 

Our connections to “the old sod” are numerous.  Dan and Arlene Friel, neighbors in Fort Wayne, invited us to their St. Patrick’s Day meals each year and started our appreciation for things green.  Some other friends opened a B & B in Northern Ireland and Pat visited them there before my first trip to the Emerald Isle in 1990 with the Friels.  We have been back about six times since, driving on those narrow, twisting, sheep-laden roads, enjoying the hospitality and marveling at the scenery that continues to satisfy.  We have witnessed the transformation of the Republic of Ireland from a rather shabby place in 1990 to a bustling commercial center benefiting from its place in the European Common Market.  The Euro has made Ireland a most attractive destination for Europeans, Americans and many others. 

The history of Ireland is fascinating.  The Christian monasteries were often raided by Viking warriors and those Christian centers of learning preserved much of the wisdom and intellectual treasures of the Western world.  Even with this proud heritage, the Irish were often exploited by the English as the English Empire expanded.  The great potato famine of the 1800’s decimated much of the country and caused many to leave for America and Australia.  The sectarian “troubles” pitted Protestants against Catholics and that civil war has left its mark as it split Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland.  While the stories of those awful days are still told, the present reality is a peaceful coexistence that encourages tourism and friendly competition.

An African proverb says, “The one who never leaves home thinks Mother is the only cook.”  Traveling away from home broadens our horizons and given us an appreciation for the great diversity of God’s world and of God’s people.  We will be traveling to the Adriatic this spring, visiting various countries that were once part of Yugoslavia.   As wonderful as this trip will be, I still want to return to Ireland and reconnect with a place I have come to love.  In the meantime, we have a plentiful supply of pictures and memorabilia that remind us of past visits.  Isn’t memory a wonderful gift?  Peace.  John Krueger