Kiss me! I’m Irish. Well, you see I thought I was almost 100 percent Irish until a few months ago. So, I suppose I might be termed “part-time Irish.” But the way I figure, part-time is better than nothing. A few months ago I sent my DNA for testing. It was a great surprise the results were, indeed, much more Scandinavian than Irish.

I suppose I’m enough Irish to quote my fav little poem:

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always to your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

And rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Today, March 17, is universally known as St Patrick’s Day. The history of Ireland reveals a belief that all good things come in a sequence of three – thus, the Shamrock is endowed with three green petals. The additional two signs of good luck are the Leprechaun, and some believe the pot-o-gold stands as the third. Yes, three is Ireland’s magic number. Celtic symbolism regarded three as the most sacred and magical number of all. Faith, Hope and Charity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Love, Valour and Wit, past, present and future, sky, earth and underworld, or behind, before and here – all are examples.

The Shamrock first appeared as a written reference in 1571 and was worn on the lapel for the Saint’s Feast Day. Later it was used as an emblem by Irish volunteers as a rebellious sign against Great Britain, Even as late as the reign of England’s Queen Victoria, the monarch forbid the display of the little green sprig.

The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy, a very small man (about 2 feet tall) and sometimes dressed as a shoemaker with a green hat. The little man possesses a pot of gold that is hidden away. He is a trickster and can outwit any treasure hunter.

The Blarney Stone is actually a stone that is set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower. The castle is located in the Irish village also named Blarney. The castle was built in 1446 and the walls are 18 feet thick. The magical myth included the kissing of the Blarney Stone – an action that will bring one the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.

Oh, and by-the-way, I believe I speak Blarney. Boy, do I, and in the most southern way, me thinks. Actually Hubs has stated many times that I’m “full of it.” However I don’t remember if I ever kissed the Blarney Stone, but maybe I have?

Yes, I declare with great pride that there is some Irish going on here. I just learned my first given name, Ila, is Irish. I was named for both grandmothers. My grandmother, Ila, was the grandchild of Adam Calvert. In 1826, when he was four years of age, his father and mother, along with several siblings, boarded a vessel named Ship Edward Downes at the Port of Belfast. Their destination was New Orleans. Their Irish home was County Down, Ireland. His father was William Calvert and mother was Mary Greenlee Calvert. Eventually Adam and his family moved to Kemper County, Mississippi, where he owned a big country store. The Rio Community Post Office was located there. I read that on Saturday afternoons the local folks would shop at the store, pick up the mail and have heated horse races. Adam died Oct. 20, 1880, and he and the family are buried at the old Zion Church, also known as Rio, located near the Kemper and Lauderdale County line. They were Protestant.

But then, hey, hey, hey, there’s my Scandinavian side – Vikings, Baby! Maybe that’s why sometimes, just sometimes, I feel the urge to cut some throats – not in the physical sense, of course. Uh-huh.

However, today, yes, today, I am feeling very Irish. I shall save that Viking stuff for another column.

Anne McKee is a Mississippi historian, writer and storyteller. She is listed on the Mississippi Humanities Speakers Bureau and Mississippi Arts Commission’s Artist Roster.