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The Saga of Proud Plastic Paddies

By Pat Gallinagh - 2024

It is March 17th and Irish around the world will celebrate in mass
They will laugh, sing and dance and some will even raise a glass
In honor of Ireland's patron saint and their Irish heritage
But some native born Irishmen they will try to disparage
Those of us who were not born on the Emerald Isle
They'll call us Plastic Paddies and this insult can raise one's bile
Perhaps it was a tease and really meant no harm
Nevertheless the use of such phrase can cause a small alarm
For it is not where you are born that makes you what you are
But what you're born with that lights your shining star

Irish regardless of birth place are born with the gift of gab and storytelling
A quick wit, a sense of humor and a tendency towards yelling
For those of us labeled Plastic Paddies we take pride in our Irish ancestry
And have succeeded in many fields to fulfill our destiny
Politics is a natural calling for those gifted with the silver tongue
And twenty-four Irish-Americans have made to the top rung
Some Prime Ministers and Chancellors have Irish roots
Tony Blair of Great Britain and Charles de Gaulle are among these groups
Spencer Tracy and John Wayne were stars of the silver screen
And princesses Grace Kelly and Diana Spencer raised our self-esteem

Plastic Paddies can be found in every walk of life
From the cement canyons of Wall Street to fields of earthly strife
Like Cyrus McCormick or veterans' like U.S. Grant or John F. Kennedy
They achieved success, fame and fortune and live on in eternity
Some Plastic Paddies have made it big on the silver screen or in print
And drew the admiration of millions while making a nice mint
Like Anthony Quinn or Mickey Rooney whose movies got them fame
Margaret Mitchell or Edwin O'Conner whose books got much acclaim

Proud Plastic Paddies are born with courage and the will to fight
For the causes the believe in whether wrong or right
They fought on both side of the Civil War for what they felt was true
Fortunately the Union prevailed and end of slavery did ensue
What makes a person Irish is not the land of their birth
But the traits they carry inside them like loyalty and self-worth

So as we near St. Patrick's Day let's take pride in all we have in common
Whether we are Irish or just want-to-be's let our heritage summon
So no matter where you fall on the spectrum of true Irish
For all who read this poem we send this heartfelt wish
That you have a long and healthy life and for this we pray
That you celebrate St, Patrick's Day in a warm and friendly way

Author's Note

The inspiration for this poem came from scrolling through Irish history on the internet and the term Plastic Paddies caught the author's eye. Broadly speaking if refers in a slightly derogatory fashion to anyone of Irish decent not born in Ireland including those living there now who were not born there.

As the son of two Irish immigrants who was born in America but considers myself 100% Irish I decided to take issue with this barb. The Irish living outside of Ireland outnumber the residents at nearly a 10 to 1 ratio. They can be found on five continents and in over 50 countries, They have succeeded in every field but especially in politics, the arts and entertainment and industry, Cyrus McCormick heads a long line of successful industrial leaders when he headed International Harvester, Anthony Quinn and Mickey Rooney became household names on the big screen and Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind and Edwin O'Conner's The Last Hurrah have become classics. So this poem is meant for all who claim to be Irish, take pride in their heritage and wear the title Plastic Paddies proudly.

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