Randal Bays and Davey Mathias

      I grew up confident in the knowledge that I was “Scotch, Irish and English.”  It wasn’t until my high school friend, Neil MacPhail, asked, “Are you descended from a bottle of whisky?” that I began to question my heritage – at least the Scottish parts.  Pretty distant, I found.
     Still, I felt sure enough about the Irish part to go in search of a root or two.  It was in the late ’60s or early ’70s during the time of “The Troubles” and I remember going through customs just outside of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.  It was a bit nerve-wracking but, as Americans, we were allowed safe passage even though we were coming from the Republic of Ireland to the South.  (I have to say, though, that three days after our departure, that very customs entry point was bombed.   It was definitely one of those “What was I thinking?” experiences.)  
     We headed for the Town Hall to ask about my ancestors on my father’s side of the family.  “Little?” the clerk said.  “Well, that’s not Irish.  That’s English!”  So much for my Irish heritage!  Never mind that the Littles had been there since before the potato famine of 1845.
     As it turned out, though, I found our distant relatives. First, we were sent to a farm a few miles out of town but they knew of no ancestors who had gone to the States.  “Try the Shopkeeper Littles in town.”  Success!  We saw the graveyard and had tea and promised to write.  But, so much for being Irish.
     Fortunately, like everyone else in America, I can pretend to be Irish on St. Paddy’s Day every year.  This year we’ll celebrate, as usual, with corned beef and cabbage and maybe green beer.  But, best of all, on Sunday, March 20^th we’ll be hosting Irish musicians Randal Bays and Davey Mathias at a House Concert here in Oysterville.  Well, they play Irish music.  I can’t really speak for their Irish heritage; it may be a lot like mine.