Friday, March 12, 2010No four leaf clover for the Irish
posted by Terry OShaughnessy at 10h02
My mother always buys me a pot of shamrocks for St. Paddy's Day. (Photo by Terry O'Shaughnessy)As we head into St. Patrick's Day, there are many Irish arguments to enjoy. Which is the real whiskey: Jameson's or Bushmills is one such argument. Or whether there are nine counties or only six counties in the North (it keenly depends on your political persuasion). But for the Irish gardener, one always has to wonder: is a shamrock really only a kind of clover? Or is clover just a shamrock wannabe?
Like the classic Irish Argument, there are strong opinions on both sides. Also very Irish is the reality that they are one and the same.
Because a shamrock IS a clover. More specifically, it is a “three leaf old white clover.” The Irish term for clover is “seamair” and the diminutive of that word is “seamrog”. So there it is. It is therefore quite right to say that a shamrock is a clover.
But a clover is not always a shamrock.
With about 500 or so other classifications (or is it a thousand?), clover is everywhere--food for horses and bees and almost every other wild being. In fact, clover sickness is sometimes named as one of the things that has been decimating our formerly stalwart bee populations. Therefore, while a shamrock is a clover, a clover is not always a shamrock.
Also very Irish about this whole thing is the fact that the Irish have not adopted the lucky “four leaf clover” for their shamrock needs (though you will sometimes see four leaves on Irish decorations around town—and that is decidedly not quite correct according to St. Patrick’s Day purists). They instead have opted for the smaller, weaker three-leaf variety.
Because far be it from any Irish person to choose something lucky. It is just not in our bones to do so. We would far rather stubbornly decide to turn away from the obviousness of a four leaf clover. And as we all know, the results of such a cultural choice have resulted in the famous “Luck of the Irish.” Never have quotation marks around the word “luck” been more appropriate as Great Famines, profound immigrations, and 700 years of English rule only prove. Historically, these troubles—not to mention The Troubles; that all-encompassing term for sectarian violence in Northern Ireland—seem to have accompanied the bumpy ride of shamrocks everywhere.
Still, we’ll wear it proudly this weekend at the parades, our much-loved three-leaf clovers. But I’ll accompany it by carrying my new, huge Irish flag bought especially to wave at Hudson’s St. Paddy’s Parade on Saturday. Now there's an Irish symbol that isn’t just for any old clover—and certainly not for shrinking violets. The Irish gardener notices these things, after all.
Posted via web from fourleafclovergoodluckcharms's posterous
