I can remember clearly the first time I ever laid eyes on the emerald isle.  At the time I was living in Italy, living a life very different from the one I live today.  Life in another country can be amazing and eye opening, but at this particular time I had been gone for quite a long time and I was feeling very homesick.  A decision was made and tickets were purchased and before I knew it I was on a flight back to California.  As the plane made it’s steady path over what I can only assume was the Celtic Sea, the cheery voice of our pilot came over the intercom to inform us that if we looked out of our windows, we could clearly see Ireland down below.  And indeed, there she was.  The greenest thing you’ve ever seen nestled right there in a blanket of the surrounding seas.  If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Ireland for yourself, you simply cannot comprehend just how green she is until you’ve seen her with your own eyes.  

A couple weeks ago @irondavy and I hopped on a red eye to Rome.  In the middle of the night we flew over Ireland, and even in complete darkness, it was fantastic to see her. There were thousands of lights like tiny pin pricks outlining the coast.  They shone so brightly in the vast void of complete darkness.  In short, it was stunningly beautiful.  

In both instances my thoughts kept returning my ancestors.  How could they have left behind such a beautiful country so steeped in culture and history?  As far as I know, they never returned.  That struck me as an incredibly sad thing.  

Today’s feast is in honor of my ancestors, the McCools. You traveled far from Ireland to these United States where many generations since were born and raised. We will honor always your memory and the soil from which our roots were plucked.  Go bhfillead go hÉirinn go brách.