HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

                                                        


On St Patrick's Day my father always woke early, got his knife and tramped across the frields to dig up the shamrock so we all could wear a bunch on our coat lapels.

  Sometimes we went along with him, our heads down scanning the grass. We searched, hoping to find the lucky four leaf shamrock. More often than not, we only found clover. As our feet got wet from the heavy March dew on the grass, we waited patiently for Dad to pronounce that the bunch of green flowers he had located was shamrock.

Clover with a grey hue ringing its leaves would never do.
The shamrock he dug out in a  big clump, enough for all of us to have a decent bunch each. He shook off the damp earth  and carried it home, where my mother wrapped the tiny roots in tinfoil and created a little posy for each one of us. Carefully she pinned each shamrock posy at an angle, leaving her own until last.
  We always wore our shamrock with pride on our coat lapels  as we walked  the mile to Mass and afterwards to the local town, Ennis, Co Clare to see the St Patrick's Day parade. 
  As you know, vintage Weiss brooches and fine bone china feature in The Ballroom Cafe. Wouldn't it be lovely to sip from this china cup on St Patrick's Day?
 If you can't wear a fresh bunch of shamrock, the vintage Weiss lucky shamrock brooch  will do very nicely.