HALF-FULL REPORT 03/15/24
The Irish Story
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It is hard to believe that St. Patrick's Day is upon us again. My great-grandfather from Cashel, in County Tipperary, left home at 15 after hearing that gold had been discovered near San Francisco. He secured work on a cargo ship bound for Halifax, where he again signed onto the crew of another vessel bound for California. This second vessel was a clipper with a long and narrow design, sporting a copper-clad hull and a high ratio of sail-to-weight.
In exchange for passage, he served as a deckhand, sail handler, or general sailor and arrived in San Francisco quite penniless. He found work as a wheelwright and later as a livery driver when he was fortunate enough to transport baggage for Ellen Ewing Sherman, wife of the later famous Civil War general, on her way to the wharf.
That was over 170 years ago. An Irish man could find work if he encountered the right employer. But for many, perhaps most, it was an era of No Irish Need Apply. We want to think that those days are gone, yet we have discovered the federal country club locking arms and chanting No MAGA Vote needs to Be Counted.
The attitude is the same, and the solutions are the same. As in my great-grandfathers' era, evil must be confronted and defeated. There is no choice.
