In honor of my Irish and Scotch Irish families, seeing as it is St Patty’s Day, I thought I would do a little role call of the past.
On dad’s side the Irish is limited and I have no idea what the last name is. Alice Mary Burgess’ mother was full blood Irish. Mary E was born in New York in March of 1853; both of her parents were born in Ireland. They lived their lives in Olean, Cattaraugus county, New York. One of these days I need to order Alice Mary Burgess’ death certificate and find her mother’s maiden name.
On mom’s side the list of Irish is much longer. Her grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Collins’ parents were both born in Ireland. Michael (Martin) Collins was born in 1834 in Ireland and his wife, Mary Taylor was born in 1832. They lived in Olean, Cattaraugus county, New York also. Her great grandmother, Elizabeth (Lily) S. McKim had a long list of Scotch Irish relatives. The assumption is that her father’s family was Irish, with a name like McKim, although I haven’t been able to fine his parents yet. Lily’s mother’s family on the Kilgore side came from Donagheady, County Down, Ireland. Lily’s GG Grandfather, James William Kilgore’s wife was Elizabeth Jack from Ardstraw, County Tyrone, Ireland. If you follow Lily’s ancestors you will find, Stewarts, Galbraiths, Gass, Hopkins, Chambers, Jervis, Elders, and McNultys to just name a few.
To them all I tip a frosty mug of green beer as they raise the goat on Beale street. My boyfriend told me that one; he seems to think it is an Irish thing. I seem to think it is a Memphis thing they forced on the Irish. It seems that on Beale street, they put a goat on a platform and raise it up in the air, the Irish never did that in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Google tells me that the reason for sticking a goat on a platform in Memphis and hoisting it into the air is to honor Silky O’Sullivan’s goats. Silky owns a bar on Beale street and happens to have goats.
You tell me, did you ever raise a goat on St. Patrick’s day?