“Ouch! Why did you pinch me?”
Yes, that’s right; those little leprechauns are back, because St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. For most, this Irish holiday is merely a day to wear green, or “Kiss me I’m Irish” pins, but for one Sea King, it may have a little more meaning this year.
Brendan Weaver’s family is originally from Ireland; his grandparents immigrated to Ellis Island. His mother’s parents met on the boat to New York, where they found they had only lived 10 miles apart growing up in Ireland, yet they had never met before.
As far as Irish traditions go in the Weaver family, a traditional Irish meal on Saint Patrick’s Day with “the works”, as Brendan referred to it, is the limit. Over winter break, however, this King was able to travel back to Ireland for the first time, and reconnect with his heritage.
Brendan’s mother found some distant relatives in Ireland who were willing “to host [his] family (on point with traditional Irish hospitality) at the price of a couple of bottles of hot sauce!” They arrived in Dublin a couple days before New Years and met their relatives Diarmund and Mags along with their kids Oisin (17) and Blaithin (15). Together the Weaver family got to know the city, “smelling the smells, eating the food, seeing the sites,” which included, the Guinness Brewery and Jameson Factory. Although Ireland has an atmosphere of its own, “The capital is wildly compact compared to our American standards and to add to the craziness, t
he River Liffey divides the city in two.” Brendan couldn’t help but notice some similarities to Palos Verdes, “the weather in Dublin, light showers and temperatures in the mid fifties seemed very similar to that of PV.”
His family’s New Year’s experience was one of the highlights of Brendan’s trip. The family went to a concert hosted by local bands, and there, Brendan told us, “Every man in the central plaza of Dublin had a beer and a beard and was singing along [even if they didn’t know the words to the song]…..Everyone was feeding off each other’s energy, and it was an unbelievable experience.”
After New Years the Weaver family went on a coast-to-coast drive to Sligo, during which, Brendan declared, he truly understood, “why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. Rolling hill after rolling hill,” they were “dumbfounded [by] all the depth of green all around us.” Once there they met Diarmunds mother, “the most upbeat 80 year old woman [Brendan had] ever met,” with a “hearty laugh and a taste for her Jameson.” Following in the suit of Irish hospitality, Brendan recounts that she treated them to a memorable lunch in a castle!
Reflecting back on the trip, the thing that stood out the most to Brendan was the “unparalleled hospitality of the Irish.” Their calm friendly ways exhibited through their daily lifestyles, “the speed limits were lower,” “the landscape gently rolled,” and even, “the weather reflects this casual friendly pace of living.
The trip of a life time allowed Brendan Weaver a chance broaden his horizons and rekindle his Irish pride. So as they say in Ireland, Erin Go Bragh!