THE BLACK AND BLUE IRISH

[Templar]

MY GRANDFATHER OWED A BAR AND ABOUT A YEAR AFTER HE DIED--ONE OF HIS OLD FRIENDS AND BARTENDER MARRIED MY GRANDMOTHER-----HE WAS A SHORT --TOUGH IRIWSHMAN NAMED MARTIN EGAN---BUT WE ALWAYS CALLED HIM GRANDPA RED----WELL HIS MAIN GIFT IN LIFE WAS TO START TROUBLE WHEN EVER HE COULD --AND ON ST.RATRICK'S DAY HE WOULD STROLL INTO A BAR AND RECITE THIS POEM:

IRISHMAN---IRISHMAN---HANG DOWN YOUR HEAD
THINK OF OLD IRELAND AND WISH YOU WERE DEAD.....
GO BACK TO IRELAND AND YOU WILL SEE
JUST HOW DIRTY AND ROTTEN  THE IRISH CAN BE............

THAT USUALLY SET IT OFF AND THUS WE HAVE BLACK AND BLUE IRISH---------TO MY DEAR STEP GRAND DAD----

ERIN-GO-BRAUGH

[Goose]

At the turn of the 20th century (1900 for those that are confused), Chicago hired many Irish men for their police force. But, in big cities in the east, signs in windows of companies that were hiring read, "Irish need not apply."