Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Hope everyone is wearing their green today! Myself, I am glad just to have another excuse to have a pint of Guinness. Not like I need another one really.

"What, it's Wednesday? Let's celebrate with a pint of Guinness!"

Awhile back I wrote about my Puerto Rican heritage, from my mother's side. On my father's side, I'm Irish. Go figure with a last name like "O'Gara!" I even have Irish citizenship. I have never visited the Emerald Isle, but, strangely, it feels like Home to me.

Next year, I plan on making my first visit to Ireland with my father and sister. I imagine the conversation with the Irish Customs Officer to go a little like this when I show him my Irish passport.

"Welcome home, Mr. O'Gara!"

"Thank you. I've been gone for too long?"

"How long have you been away, sir?"

"All my life."

Below is my family's coat of arms, taken from the official O'Gara Website.













This will be my next tattoo, on my right shoulder. On my left shoulder, I will get the crest of my mother's family, Clavell.















That way I honor both halves of who I am.


However, tonight I will drink Guinness instead of Barcardi & Coke (which has deep family meaning as I am a descendent of the Bacardi family), eat corned beef & cabbage instead of pernil and empanadas, and I'll sing "Whiskey In the Jar" and "The Tale of the Irish Rover" as loud as I can!