Cead Mile Failte!



Charlie & Sherrie in front of the statue of Molly Malone

 Cead Mile Failte! One Hundred thousand Welcomes! 


The old story goes: Do you know what a seven-course Irish meal consists of? A six-pack of Guinness and a potato. Ha, ha, ha!! Actually, it’s not as funny as it sounds. Today we’re in Dublin, one of our favorite cities. One of the signs we saw at a pub advertised Irish stew made with beef, potatoes, onions and carrots served with a side of, get this, mashed potatoes.


Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle and is also known for its charm, warmth and fun-loving people.  It has a magical way of capturing your heart.

It’s hard for us to think about the famine that swept Ireland and the masses of people who migrated to the U.S. for a better way of life, only to find themselves indentured servants in many homes in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and other cities along the East Coast. These people were relegated to the most menial jobs and discriminated against to a degree, that today would be incomprehensible.


Charlie’s mother’s maiden name was Greene, a good Irish name that he was told for his entire life was Scottish in origin, just because the stigma of having Irish blood meant a person of lower class. Today, he is proud of his Irish heritage, as well he should be.

My son-in-law also has an Irish and Scottish heritage with his last name being Graham. My granddaughter has a beautiful Irish name, Maeve Virginia Graham. So, today my quest became finding something with Maeve’s name on it, a feat which I have never been able to accomplish in the U.S. Well, Maeve, Grammy found something for you today. Hope you love it as much as I love you.