Danny Boy

If you’re lucky enough to be Irish...
You’re lucky enough!

St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Dressed in green, I partake in all Irish American celebrations, including the mandatory traditions of corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, green jello, green beans and Green Rivers, both Chicago and soft drink. I can’t wait! Ten days to go!

Have you ever tried a Green River? It’s a lime flavored soft drink developed here in Chicago during Prohibition and named after the St. Patrick’s Day custom of dyeing the Chicago River green. If you haven’t tried it, you’re not really missing anything. Personally, I think Green Rivers taste as bad as cabbage (and The Chicago River) smells, but it’s tradition. You have to have it.


Along with green beer, “Kiss Me I’m Irish” buttons, green carnations and Danny Boy, my Irish eyes wouldn’t be smiling without any of these things on March 17th.

My father’s side of the family is 100% Irish American and St. Patty’s was always a huge deal to my dad who was actually named after St. Patrick! Sadly, my father passed away passed away when I was young, but not without instilling in me a love and appreciation for music.

While I remember listening to anything from classical music to Jim Croce's "Roller Derby Queen" with my dad, one of my clearest memories was adoring my dad’s tenor ranged voice singing his interpretation of “Danny Boy” on St. Patrick’s Day.

The song holds so much meaning for me that I named my son Daniel after the song and the associations I have with it. It’s true, I really did. He’s my “Danny Boy”, my Danny Boy, I love him so.

So, imagine my shock when I read on Yahoo! News that a New York bar owner named Shaun Clancy is banning the song “Danny Boy” from being played or sung the entire month of March in his bar!

He claims it’s not sung in Ireland and it’s depressing and overplayed. I only have one thing to say about that...

Here’s to you,
Here’s to me,
The best of friends we’ll always be
But if we should ever disagree,
Forget you. Here’s to me!

Ok, there might be some truth to the first two, but overplayed? I never hear that song at all unless it’s St. Patrick’s Day and even if you hear it 100 times that day, so what?

IT’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Guess what? Even though he is one of the patron saints of Ireland, St. Patrick has never been canonized, isn’t Irish by birth and never chased snakes out of Ireland. Corned beef is a substitute for Irish bacon and there’s no such thing as leprechauns or pots of gold at the end of rainbows, either, but... go with the flow, dude... IT’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY.

To ban “Danny Boy” seems un-Irish-American to me. To each his own, I guess. There’s no doubt it will be playing in my house!

And to all my friends...cause everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day....

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

Sláinte!