My daughter is interested in our Irish American heritage. My family is only a few generations off the boat (example: They played "Danny Boy" at my great uncle's funeral). Kennedy asks a lot of questions about what it means to "be Irish" and I can't always give her good answers. I default to stereotypes: beer, potatoes, fighting. We get to enjoy St. Patrick's Day more than the average person. The "leprechaun catcher" is a cherished father/daughter tradition. Click here or here or here for more details. Last week, she asked to eat at Bennigan's because she wanted Irish food. Does Bennigan's even serve corned beef and cabbage? I don't know. We went to J. Gilligan's, which is the best I could find in Arlington. To my surprise, they had an Irish folk band playing.
Honestly, I'm not usually a fan of Irish folk music -- or of people wearing green plaid kilts or that stupid, stupid Riverdance. Mostly, it's my aversion to Riverdance. If I could, I'd raise up a horde of leprechauns to drive them off the touring circuit forever. However, that night, I enjoyed the fiddles and flute. Afterward, Kennedy wanted a mix of Irish music from iTunes. All I could think of was Flogging Molly, House of Pain, and Sinead O'Conner. I probably need to work on that mix a bit more.
