Page 6 March 17, 2016 TORRANCE TRIBUNE By TerriAnn Ferren Today, whether you herald from the Emerald Isle or not, most of us celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The city of Torrance used to have a St. Patrick’s Day Run, but today our neighbors in Redondo Beach continue that tradition. Hermosa Beach hosts a parade, and several other cities celebrate with an array of Irish music concerts. And, if you are so inclined, head to Hollywood for an Irish pub-crawl! My plans aren’t so elaborate, however, cooking up the obligatory corned beef and cabbage is a must in my Irish home. When I was little, I remember wearing green to school on St. Patrick’s Day and as I grew up, I continued celebrating by making the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner. And it does seem that everyone celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. This year George J. Mitchell reigns as Grand Marshall over the largest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parade held in New York City. And in Chicago, Michael J. Madigan served as Grand Marshall of their parade, and events again included the dying of the Chicago River green. The top 10 cities celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, according to my research, are in the east and mid-west. But I disagree. We may not want our ocean dyed green, but we can celebrate along with the rest of the country in style. Looking for Irish descendants in the South Bay proved quite easy. I decided to ask Master Physical Therapist, Timothy McCauley who practices in the South Bay, what he remembers as a young boy and how he continues celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Born in New York, Timothy grew up in the city of Huntington on Long Island, where he told me there lives a huge Irish, Italian community. “My dad is 100 percent Irish, and my mom was Irish, Swedish, French, and English – so my mom was more the Swedish side with a ‘mutt’ mixed in. My dad was 100 percent Irish! We grew up just knowing my Irish side. I have never been to Sweden but have been to Ireland twice,” said Timothy. He told me when he was a young boy, his mom would make corned beef and cabbage and they would decorate the house with shamrocks and wear green for the special day. “I am very proud of my Irish heritage, particularly because of the Irish writers and poets. There is a real strong presence of turning depressing into hope. And the Irish attitude is – although we may not always thrive, we can survive anything. So they are really tough – sort of that steely determination. And I also like the Irish stories and jokes and the ‘kiss the Blarney Stone for the gift of gab’. I’ve done it,” stated Timothy. In addition to being proud of his Irish heritage, Timothy also continues the tradition of passing on the knowledge of his Irish heritage to his three beautiful daughters. “There is a pride in being Irish, I love being Irish,” added Timothy. He will be on holiday during St. Patrick’s Day, but confessed he will wear a green bathing suit and have a beer! I didn’t ask if that beer would be a Guinness. Now that is keeping up the tradition! One more tidbit that made me think - was when Timothy told me, “There are more Irish-Americans than there are Irish.” Next I spoke with Torrance resident and artist Michelle Cooper, who proudly told me her father was Irish. “My father was the specialty cook, especially on the weekends so it was his job to do our St. Patrick’s Day meal and we had corned beef and cabbage with carrots and he spent most of the day making it and we spent Sunday afternoon eating it for supper. The house was very decorated. My mother was very into decorations. We had green decorations all over the windows; shamrocks, pots of gold, leprechauns - and she liked to decorate with streamers and make centerpieces out of styrofome. St. Patrick’s Day was huge,” said Michelle. She also told me when she was little she would always wear green to school, like I did on the special day so she wouldn’t get pinched! “I still wear green to this day on St. Patrick’s Day,” added Michelle, smiling. Kelsy Delpriore told me she is half Irish, and like Michelle and Timothy, it is Kelsy’s father, (Shane Lynagh), who boasts 100 percent Irish. Growing up, Kelsy told me she enjoyed the usual Irish dinner of corned beef and cabbage and would drink (non-alcoholic) green drinks on St. Patrick’s Day with her family. “When we got older we would go to Ireland throughout our childhood. I was ten or eleven [years old] when I went for the first time. It is beautiful. His [her fathers] family is from Waterford. His grandparents lived there and came to this country,” said Kelsy. She then surprised me and said, “Sometimes I will even break out my Celtic music and do a little ska dancing and Irish jigs. I did it [Irish dancing] when I was little but of course I don’t do it anymore.” Kelsy told me she is planning on celebrating by going out after work with her colleagues for some green beer. Well, Kelsy sure has her evening all planned. Graphic Artist, Gail Shota told me she is ‘Irish by birth’ because she was born on St. Patrick’s Day. Happy birthday, Gail! According to my trusty Encyclopedia Americana, “St. Patrick found Ireland almost wholly a pagan country; he left it at his death predominantly a Christian land. This is the evidence of the Confession, a short spiritual autobiography penned by him in the evening of his days. It is the evidence also of Irish records, which begin to take reliable shape precisely at this period. St. Patrick is thus the Apostle of Ireland, and has been honored as such with a devotion for which there are few parallels from the middle of the 5th century TerriAnn in Torrance A Wearing of The Green Gail Shota. Kelsy Delpriore. 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