Being of Irish lineage, I have been interested in the history of the land and its people. So where in the world did the phrase “having the luck of the Irish” come from ? Was it perhaps a bad thing originally . . . say, like having the luck of the Jews ? (So to speak.) Any ideas ? Come on - famine, political upheaval, disease, religious wars, terrorism . . . this is NOT the kind of luck I want coarsing through my veins.
“A single lifetime, even though entirely devoted to the sky, would not be enough for the investigation of so vast a subject.” - Seneca
WAG: I always felt it was associated with shamrocks which are supposed to be lucky, and quite abundant in Ireland…or so I imagine.
Also, leprechauns were supposed to be lucky with the pot of gold and the whole sh’bang!
[hijack] John Belushi’s rant on “The Luck of the Irish” on “Weekend Update” was one of the funniest things he ever did on “Saturday Night Live.” [/hijack]
“You should tell the truth, expose the lies and live in the moment.” - Bill Hicks
Years ago, Irish-American comedian Kevin Rooney did a very funny extended bit on “the luck of the Irish.” Considering that the Irish experienced 700 years of British oppression, poverty, starvation, and alcoholism, it was hard to imagine what “luck” the phrase could be referring to.
Rooney suggested that the Irish are lucky ONLY in the sense that we’re “lucky” to step in a pile of dog doo-doo while we’re wearing our old, worn-out shoes!
“Ah, sure 'n I’ve stepped in dog bleep. Tis lucky for me I wasn’t wearing me GOOD shoes, now!”
While I appreciate the above posts, I still haven’t heard an answer to the question. Where did the phrase “having the luck of the Irish” come from as it is used in present day America ? How could the Irish have gotten a reputation for being “lucky” ? Please don’t say its that damned leprechan from Lucky Charms. Seriously, with St. Paddy’s day on the horizon, this question has merit. Has Cecil answered this and I missed it in the archives ? Dammit, someone knows something . . .
It is commonly used as a description of any thing that goes bad,fails or courts disaster
It’s often given in irony and is quicker that saying that ‘if it weren’t for bad luck I/we/they/he /she/it wouldn’t have any luck at all—at all–at all’.
