dVerse Poets

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You think it might be just “Irish luck“

Getting your car out of spring muddy muck

In truth, it’s only a saying old

Miners used it searching for gold

Term of disdain in olden times

Now it’s the opposite sometimes

I’ve used it in the old way

Thinking since when are the Irish lucky, anyway?

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The meaning behind “The Luck of the Irish”

In 2026, St. Patrick’s Day falls on Tuesday, March 17. “The Luck of the Irish” is a saying you’ve likely heard time and time again, especially around St. Patrick’s Day or in reference to sports teams such as the Boston Celtics or Notre Dame. Many assume the phrase suggests the extreme good fortune of the Irish people. However, the original meaning of this so-called “Irish phrase” had a different connotation.

The term “Luck of the Irish” might not be Irish after all

According to Edward T. O’Donnell, an Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross College and author of 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American History, the term is not actually Irish in origin.

The word luck itself is Middle Dutch in origin, according to Mental Floss. It derives from ‘luc,’ a shortened form of ‘gheluc,’ meaning “happiness, good fortune.”

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Poetics Tuesday — Irish Blessings

One thought on “dVerse Poets

  1. So interesting, Cheryl. Now you have me thinking “luck of the Irish” is ironic. Which is what you are getting at, I think, with:

    Thinking since when are the Irish lucky, anyway?

    Thanks for sharing another misconception.

    Like

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