Irish Conversation in the American Midwest #15
County
-My family are Irish
-So are mine
-That’s very funny
-And yet you’re not laughing
-I’m 25% Irish
-Then why isn’t the other 75% laughing?
-I’m one sixteenth Cherokee
-And the other 68.75%?
-Are you making fun of me?
-How can I? I don’t know what you are yet
-The Irish is on my father’s side
-From where?
-Cavanshire
-Where?
-Cavanshire
-Devonshire?
-No. Cavan Shire
-Cavan Shire?
-Yes. Do you know where that is?
-Well I know where County Cavan is, yes, but ‘Shire’?
-That’s what you guys call counties
-It is?
-Yes. Cavan Shire, like Cavan County
-We don’t use the word ’shire’
-You do
-We really don’t. It’s an old British term, and is sometimes part of their modern county names
-I know you guys hate the English
-I really don’t, but even if I did we still don’t use ’shire’ for Irish county names
- Look, here’s ’shire’ in this book on Ireland. Cavan Shire
-This doesn’t seem like a real book
-My father made it. He studies genealogy
See Other Conversations:
• Guns, the English, and Americans
• American Midwest Irish Conversation #14: Leaves Changing Colour
• Irish Conversation in a Dublin Pub #11: Nothing
• All Conversations of the Midwest, the Mind and Dublin Pubs
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