The Hoosier Irish

Kiss me! I'm a Hoosier! 

An Irish Hoosier, that is.  

But I'm a transplant. I do have a wee bit of the Irish in me but mostly I'm Heinz 57. However, I claim my Irish heritage every St. Patrick's day because I adore the story of St. Patrick, who was called by God to minister to the Irish. Contrary to popular thought, he wasn't Irish at all.

But there are a lot of Irish in my area of Indiana who settled this land and built the Wabash-Eerie Canal and railroads that cut through northern to southern Indiana. In fact, Lagro, a tiny town near me, still has remnants of the canal that can be seen (see video below). 

  

Lagro set a record for shipments of whiskey, over five thousand barrels at the peak. (And we know how much the Iriish love their whiskey.) 

There is a beautiful Roman Catholic church in this little town that is a historical landmark. It has the original bell and organ from when it was built in 1870.

A notable Hoosier Irishman is author James Whitcomb Riley who is best known for his poems for children. The Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis bears his name. He is also known not only for adoring children, but for his close relationship with his little dog seen in this picture taken in 1916.

Isn't he a dapper looking fellow? 

And of course, there is a huge Irish influence in South Bend, Indiana, best known for the University of Notre Dame. Many young Catholic Hoosiers dream of attending this prestigious Irish University.

The Irish festival in Fort Wayne is a big event each year and includes the "greening of the river."

On St. Patrick's day, I usually make green foods, desserts, even green eggs to make the kids giggle. Sometimes we wear green hats and socks. I might get out a green checkered table cloth and decorate with shamrocks. 

Another thing I like to do for St. Patrick's day is use the shamrock to teach the Holy Trinity just as St. Patrick is said to have done. 

 

What sorts of things do you do to honor St. Patrick? I'd love to have some new ideas!