Friday, August 7, 2026: My Goodness My Guiness

Guiness Storehouse

Early this morning, we walked to the main employer in Dublin, Guinness. There is some drinking involved although it is billed as educational. All seven floors were packed with thirsty visitors.

Only four ingredients are needed unless one additionally counts the nitrogen-created 8-12 mm of head (foam).

This Guinness sign cannot be bought. It is issued by Guinness which approves the specific way that it is to be stored, poured, etc. Even the handling of glassware is critical and is scrutinized.

And here is a handmade fake! Would an unsuspecting tourist know this? I don’t think so.

There is a Gravity Bar on the top floor where a pint awaits. It affords the best views of Dublin.

The harp is the logo and is part of the tap handle configuration, and the signature of the founder, Arthur Guinness, is on every Guinness product.

As a retired taste tester, I felt obligated to give my opinion.

I was told to go past the head and take a full mouthful and roll it around in my mouth and then swallow.

Nope. It tasted like cough medicine. I am certainly in the minority, and I don’t think that they will go out of business. (I don’t drink. Water is my beverage of choice.)

A quick search of alcoholism in Ireland tells a story of a high incidence of binge drinking. It claims that relatives and peers are common factors. Pubs are part of their culture.

EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum

Rob is one of 10% of Americans who are reported as having Irish roots. I, on the other hand, have English and German roots.

Olympic Fact

I have always been a fan of the Olympics so I am always on the lookout for historical facts.

The ‘Irish Whales’ was a nickname for a number of Irish athletes, mostly members of the New York Police Department.

The “Irish Whales” were a dominant group of Irish-born, heavyweight track and field athletes who competed for the United States and won over 20 Olympic medals between 1896 and 1924. Known for their massive size and strength, they excelled in throwing events like the hammer throw, discus, and shot put.

Because Ireland was under British rule during their peak competitive years, these athletes chose to represent the United States rather than a non-existent or constrained Irish team. Their incredible records and total dominance in weight-throwing events stood unbroken for half a century.

Baseball Fact

In the US, Irish Americans ushered in the Emerald Era of baseball. Between 1880 to 1910, the sons of post-famine Irish immigrants heavily populated and heavily influenced Major League Baseball. Baseball served as a prime vehicle for young Irish-American men to escape urban poverty and achieve fame, fortune, and mainstream social acceptance.

Irish players introduced a fiery, aggressive, and physical style of play. During this time, Irish-Americans made up 30% to 50% of all professional players, managers, and team captains.

I have belted out the song Take Me Out To The Ballgame numerous times and never knew that there were verses. In the song, the Irish girl doesn’t want to go to a show but would rather watch her countrymen play baseball.

Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev’ry sou
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she’d like to go
To see a show, but Miss Kate said “No,
I’ll tell you what you can do:”

Chorus: Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team
If they don’t win, it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game.

Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names.
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:

Chorus

Listen here: With the verses

Bare Knuckle Boxing

John L. Sullivan fought Jake Kilrain in the last official bare knuckle heavyweight fight in the USA. Sullivan won. The “Boston Strong Boy” was heavyweight boxing champion from 1882 to 1892 and the last bare knuckle boxing champion ever, even though he only fought bare knuckle three times in his career.

Genealogy

Rob is going back to his ancestral Ireland. His maternal great grandmother, Katherine Coffey, was Irish, from the town of Sneem, the “knot” in the Ring of Kerry. That means Rob is 1/8 or 12.5% Irish.

We aren’t going to Sneem, but a genealogist at the Family Research Center met with us to research more about her. We booked a 30-minute session. She located information that I already knew but gave me hotlinks to Irish resources and some advice on how to proceed.

I mentioned the last name of Coffey, and she hadn’t heard of that name in Ireland. She called up a map and located numerous Coffeys in Ireland, mainly in Kerry County. I guess that we schooled her!

Rob’s connection is pretty far back but even further is one of our presidents. Can you guess?

His great-great-great-grandfather, a shoemaker named Falmouth Kearney, was born in Moneygall, County Offaly, Ireland, in the 19th century before emigrating to the United States in 1850. If you guessed Barack Obama, you were right.

Actually 23 of our Presidents have Irish ancestors. Probably the most famous is JFK who was Irish Catholic.