[Fumes]

My mother's great-grandparents came over from County Cork. Of the many family legends, most of which I am sure are total bull, my favorite is the one about the Conroy family entering Ellis Island -- the story is that all six of the male children were named James -- Big Jim, Little Jim, Middle Jim, etc. I never believed this story until my uncle did the genealogy and showed me the documents.

Then there was the time my grandfather was thrown out of boarding school for firing a shotgun in the dormitory. And of course Great Aunt Rose, the psychic, who told my grandfather that he wouldn't marry the girl he brought home to meet the family, because he would marry a redhead. And of course, he did not marry that girl and later on he did marry my grandmother, who had red hair.

And so on... that's what makes me Irish. Among other things.