Kiss Me, I’m Irish!

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a few weeks, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish,” buttons and shamrock sunglasses are popping up on shelves all over the place. But why exactly do Irish lads and lasses deserve so much love? Why don’t we see “Kiss Me, I’m Italian” or “Kiss Me, I’m Greek” buttons and tee shirts around other holidays? What’s the story behind Irish kisses? Every heard the phrase “luck of the Irish“? The phrase is commonly thought to mean “extreme good fortune. After all, who doesn’t wish they were a little luckier when it comes to money, love, or work? However, according to Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College and author of 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History, the term has not an Irish origin but a happier, if not altogether positive, American one. During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . .Over time this association of the Irish with mining fortunes led to the expression ‘luck of the Irish.’ Of course, it carried with it a certain tone of derision, as if to say, only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains, could these fools succeed. These “lucky” miners got people everywhere wishing they had a little more Irish luck working in their favor! “Kiss me, I’m Irish” is a spinoff of “luck of the Irish,” were non-Irish folks could steal a little bit of that luck away with a kiss! Turns out Irish people aren’t the only ones worth kissing is you want a little luck. The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab (aka “blarney.”) Millions of tourists have kissed the stone over the years, hoping to walk away with that Irish gift for gab that seems to bring about such good luck! Popular Irish band Gaelic Storm wrote a song called Kiss Me I’m Irish; Kiss me, I’m Irish! I am the wild rover. My eyes they are smiling, And I’m seldom sober. I like my whiskey, And I love to dance, So if you’re feeling as lucky as me, take a chance, And kiss me, I’m Irish… Custom Buttons® has produced plenty of St. Patrick’s Day buttons over the years and we’d love to print yours! Are you a bar hosting a special St. Patrick’s Day event? Or an Irish-American organization marching in your town’s parade this year? Every Loves Buttons can get your custom designed button printed and shipped in a just a few days, just in time for your St. Patrick’s’ Day party!