Kicking the Serpent out...I found what it meant to be truly Irish.

My last post looks like the Serpent lost his eyeballs which he probably did in the big nuclear fusion testing. I don't want a snake on my blog for St. Patrick's Day, it's the Irish in me. Both sides of my family are Irish-American but my father's side is the oldest family...the Powers (Colorado is my nom de plume).

The Powers (de Poer) clan came to Ireland a little over a millenium ago with Robert de Poer being awarded the Marshall (Marquis) of Ireland title by William the Conquerer for helping him win the Battle of Hastings. The clan helped establish the Roman Catholic Church and unite the small kingdoms of Ireland. Their county is Waterford and their main castle still stands although they have vacated it and the title long ago through a daughter and her marriage. The most of my family clan in the world live in Waterford County, Ireland but we are scattered all over. My dad's family came to America in the 1760's. The Powers clan sponsored the O'Carolan bard (considered the Shakespeare of Ireland) and also the Clarsearch Harp which I was priviledged to see and hear played at a Renaissance Fair at my graduate school when I graduated. It is a beautiful silver, engraved harp that sits in the lap. My family is considered the Anglo/Normans of Ireland.

While I was living in Southie in Boston, I met a gentleman from Ireland who told me I wasn't truly Irish. He looked like a leprechaun. LOL!! Well, I had come to Boston and the Irish section of the city to find out about my heritage and it was hitting me over the head. He said there are only 3 counties that have the ancient Irish in them. My family, the Normans had only been in the country for a little over a 1,000 years.

Lo, and behold, King Niall of the Nine Hostages surfaces, probably the most powerful King in Irish history and certainly the most prolific! According to the Sunday Times article, he was the most fertile man in Ireland and 1 in 12 Irish men could be descended from Niall and 2% of the European-American population in NYC is related to him. He established kingdoms in France as well. France is where my family the de Poer (Powers) is from in Normandy. The Normans were Catholicised Vikings who had settled in Normandy, France.

H-m-m. I think I am Celtic. My daughter is named Megan. It was natural. I speak with a natural lilt and strong Highland accent. I have a pull towards the area known as Gaelic Europe like the tide to the moon. It astonishes my family.

Yes, well, King Niall of the Nine Hostages brought back in one of his raids, one Patrick, who we know to this day as St. Patrick. He is one of my patron Saints. I love St. Bridgit and St. Brendan and some know St. Kevin who is the patron of sea otters. It is the early Celtic Christian Church of the 5th c., the Early Christian Church...so beautifully full of the Holy Spirit. It really is gone except for the beautiful Irish Cross. I feel some guilt because my family helped do this but the Early Church is gone from everywhere. But to this day, the Church of Ireland has maintained its own identity in many ways. Must be the Blood.