10 more things about me

11.  Our household consisted of my grandmother, grandfather, their two sons, their two nieces and the son and daughter of one of those nieces.

12.   Every one of them had their ideal of my upbringing.

13.   To say that I was strictly brought up would a grave understatement.  Sainthood was regarded as an attainable goal - I was skeptical.

14.   All through my childhood I was known as the English girl.  My grandmother was Irish, my grandfather English. 

15.    It was a mixed household.  One uncle was pro-british to the nth degree and constantly voiced it regardless of audience.  The other was a gentle, soft-spoken fluent Irish speaker.  We had interesting discussions in our house.

16.    The latter uncle was a teacher and an historian who would hone his sentences time upon time.  I was the one who had to read them out to see if they "flowed". 

17.    I was chosen as the town Miss Eire.  I sat on a float in a long white dress with a crown upon my head and held a cardboard harp.  I learned years later that the IRA was upset.  They approached the man driving the float asking how an english girl could be Miss Eire.  He apparantly gave them short shrift and said "Sure isn't her grandfather the grandest english man.  He's such a real gentleman that he could be Irish".

18.    We had guest house where emigrants would stay overnight before boarding the liner the following morning.  Their last evening on Irish soil was music filled.  Entertainment was part of the B & B deal.  One uncle would play the piano, the other the violin and sing.  I would recite.

19.    I was terrified that somehow in a weak moment I'd say that I wanted to be a nun.

20.    To this day I can sing Danny Boy in Gaelic.