Sunday, March 1, 2009

What it Means to Be Irish


Scarlett: "I don't want Tara or any old plantation. Plantations don't
amount to anything when..."
.
Gerald: "Do you stand there, Scarlett O'Hara, and tell me that
Tara, that land, doesn't amount to anything?"
.
Scarlett nodded obstinately. Her heart was too sore to care
whether or not she put her father in a temper.
.
Gerald: "Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to
anything," he shouted, his thick, short arms making wide gestures of
indignation, "for 'tis the only thing in this world that lasts, and don't
you be forgetting it! 'Tis the only thing worth working for, worth
fighting for, worth dying for."
.
Scarlett: "Oh, Pa," she said disgustingly, "you talk like an
Irishman."
.
Gerald: "Have I ever been ashamed of it? No, 'tis proud I am. And
don't be forgetting that you are half Irish, Miss. And to anyone with a
drop of Irish blood in them the land they live on is like their mother."


Since we're coming up on St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd post a few
fun Irish blogs leading up to the 17th. 'Tis my Scotch Irish DNA I'm
a feelin', stretching its bonny legs and doing a fancy jig!

51 comments:

  1. Fun post! I absolutely love The Triplets of Belleville! Enjoy!

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  2. Too funny - I just finished posting a little Scarlet O'Hara as well. Meantime, I've told everyone about your son and his visitor....you will give us any updates - yes?

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  3. I absolutely love this. Let me tell you, to an exile, this is so true to me and dear to my heart.

    I love seeing anything related to Gone With The Wind. No better cast was ever assembled.

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  4. My Grandfather O'Gwynn was alot like Gerald O'Hara when it came to
    owning land....and I'm alot like him ,Irish to the bone! Enjoy anything to do with GWTW !

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  5. Willow let me answer the titel to this post in two words - drinking, cussing!

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  6. That's a great scene in the film-- thanks!

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  7. My favorite movie; one of my favorite scenes. Fave line: "Land, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, land!" The rest, of course, you quoted. Must be the farmgirl in me (or the Scot--possibly by way of Ireland)...

    Loved the ghost post, btw, & I did see her. Thought she was carrying a tray. What's the rest of the story?

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  8. Sure an' tis a grand thing to be Irish. Me Mither's sainted Ma came from Dublin when she was but a lass. The blood runs thick in this heart 'o mine!

    The other half of me is Austrian, so don't go getting me drunk and angry! ;^)

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  9. My Mother's favorite movie (well second to White Christmas) no wonder she married a full blooded irish man.......(my biofather)

    I love your blog, I'm always on the edge waiting to see what the next will be.

    Thank You

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  10. GWTW-my Mom's favourite movie! And I'm also part Irish and Scotch( French, German, etc...). Will be looking forward to the next posts. Never a disappointment, here Willow.

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  11. One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite films of all times!

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  12. I must confess, I've never been able to watch that movie all the way through. I'm sure I'm missing something!

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  13. It's a classic, sure n' begorrah!

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  14. "Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to
    anything,"--Sterling point.

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  15. Gone with the Wind is one of my all time favorite books. I even liked the sequel (but not nearly as much) even though many thought it too esoteric. I haven't thought about the sequel in years. It must have been your resident ghost that dredged up that memory.

    I have a wee bit o' the Irish in me, too.

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  16. One of my great, great grandparents was Irish, but everyone always thinks I am full Irish. Not quite sure why, might be the red hair or something. But it is just hair dye. Although they do say it is my skin color that makes them think that. It must be the freckles. Now they are real.

    I love Gone With the Wind. Not so much the sequel. One of the best books ever. Movie was good too.

    Thanks for the post. It was great as usual.

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  17. Ireland is rich in blogs. What characterises the best of them is energy, humour, individuality, creativity and a sense of authentic cultural tradition. What is refreshingly absent is any evidence of the shamrock'n'shillelagh whimsy that still persists within the popular perception. Good hunting!

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  18. thanks! always a breath of fresh air...

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  19. I love Gone With the Wind. We can all be a little bit Irish.

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  20. Great post! Thanks for your sharing!

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  21. Thanks for reminding me tha St.Pat's is coming up. I really must revisit Gone With the Wind.

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  22. Willow,
    Looking forward to the Irish-Scottish gig and so love the quotes from one of my favorite movies-- alas, even though I know you ever so busy,dancing,writing, ghosting,:) if you have a moment stop by my site -I left something there for you!
    salut du midi

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  23. Me too! I've got a bit of Scotch DNA.
    And I can't believe someone STILL commented re: your GHOST POST.
    Hey, that rhymes.
    GWTW was my first book I ever read that made me swoon. LOL

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  24. Oh now you've gone and done it. You're talkin' about a healthy portion of my ancestory. I can't tell you how many times I've seen "Gone with the Wind", it was my mom's favorite movie. Pappy

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  25. OMG this is so perfect.

    Today for the first time in my life I see that Scarlet O'Hara WAS Irish. For heaven's sake!

    Thank you, Willow!

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  26. BeJesus, what a crackin' post, so it is. Land indeed, the Irish are besotted with it.

    A ghost? Looks like she's wearing a maid's hat to me?

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  27. I like this movie very much and I like this scene.
    I'm Polish and I think that we love our lands as much as Irish theirs.
    I've never been in Ireland but I like this country very much from literature ad I hope I'll visit it some day.

    best regards
    Wiewiórka (it's means: Squirrel) :)

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  28. "Frankly, my dear..." I love this post! And right back atcha, with the Scotch-Irish DNA. Charming! I'll look forward to your pre-Paddy's day posts with glee.

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  29. Willow, You're IT. come on over to my place to see what it's about.

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  30. Well, it definitely seems like a better idea to put your money into land than into shares! At least you can grow some turnips! ("As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again!")

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  31. This is going to be a tough St. Paddy's day for us, without my Belfast-Irish father to do a hornpipe, sing a tune, raise a glass of whiskey and tell a few jokes. We will be doing the same through our tears.

    Kat

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  32. Oh yes Scottish-Irish here too.. The Potato famines brought my ancestors here...

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  33. OMG-

    my mom is IRISH, she will have to read this.

    she still owns her great grandmothers property in sligo.

    she has signs all over her property in maine with irish street names...
    xxxx

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  34. Ah -- - such a lovely Scarlet moment.
    I must admit to being one of those obnoxious GWTW fans who knows every line in the movie and often has my own dialog going as I watch each scene. ( you don't want to be sitting near me in a theatre)
    Still love your Christmas Waltz post!

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  35. Good to have a smile on this snowed in day..I will be Irish on St. Paddy's Day!

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  36. Hmmm. Tara. It'real, well almost. Since the time I first read it.

    If the land didn't hold one up when the knees folded we wouldn't be half as sincere to it. It's a place one can rest without anyone driving us off.

    Otherwise why else would anyone be beholden to land.

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  37. Yes, a great movie me Willow.....but give me Ryans Daughter for the very essence of the Auld Sod.....directed by David Lean naturally.......smiling.

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  38. Great referance! Great movie! Great idea for a post! Another GREAT one is "The Quiet Man"... with John Wayne!... My full name is Kitoria LaNett MacTagart-LeQue..My mother was a Cole. My Grandmother on my fathers side lived in North Carolina and had a sothern accent with her gaylic(sp...sorry)so she was R.e.a.l.l.y hard to understand. I'm glad I found your site! And thank you for the little walk down memory lane! Please feel free to come and check out my blog site any time convienient ....I'd like to talk more and exchange stories some time via the inter-net sometime... have a good day now.... oh wait... ah?... I forgot! "Top a the morning to ya!"...or something like that...lol

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  39. "I can't think about today. I'll go crazy. I'll think about it tomorrow."
    This is the quote I have in mind when I tell my family I am pleading The Scarlet O'Hara!

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  40. Hey, Willow...here I am the poster child for the Scottish & Irish...scary...but true!
    I have had a rare "snow day" here in the Heart of Dixie....The snow has melted but the day off has been grand! Thanks for your wonderful posts of old...I am still reading them, but at the rate you go I may NEVUH catch up!

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  41. I think I am right in thinking that yesterday was Saint David's day. I noticed lots of Welsh Dragons and daffodils.

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  42. Mmm... I smell corned beef and cabbage, and soda bread in the oven. Nice post. By the way, your doll inspired my latest tale, thanks for that.

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  43. Owning land without a mortgage - I'd take Tara any day. ;-)

    Now I am puzzled about Steph's Irish-Austrian roots: which part drinks and which part ....

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  44. Now, you're speaking my language!

    Erin go Bragh!

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  45. I never understood Scarlet's obsessive attachment to Ashley. Melanie is Scarlet's cousin and marries Ashley her first cousin...which is plain wrong; Fiddle-De-De! Scarlet was a study in contradictions. Scarlet displays much weak knee qualities in her emotionally disturbed relationship with Ashley, yet she shows great strength of character when she is forced to run Tara. Must be her schzi personality comes from "marrying too many cousins" in this bad Irish habit! (I can say this as I have Irish heritage and it is all just tongue in cheek)...Isn't Clark Gable dreamy! Melanie can have Ashley; I'd go for Clark Gable ANY day!(or night!)

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  46. Thank you!!!

    "Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day!"

    I just love this movie!!!

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  47. Loved that movie, especially the part where Scarlet is digging up the sweet potatoes.

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  48. Memories of Tara: It must be the Druidic influence, the land/mother theme from Heraldic Angel Gerald. Maybe land obsession has something to do with magnetic stone cairns orsome form of ancestor worship. Is there something to that bottle of sand brought from the old country to America? A new tourist industry? Better than Old Spice?Proctor and Gamble should be notified!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)