What is the origin of the term 'Luck of the Irish'?

im Irish and my so called luck is like everyones up and down but i would have to say after all the irish have been thru we still know how to smile. and if you know your bible there is know luck god has allready wrote the book on life so really what ever happends is up to him! answer

One person says St. Patrick was a "captured Brit." However, his father was reported to be a Roman tax official ... so I guess St. Patrick was Italian! So, Happy St. Pasquale's Day everyone!!!

It's a pejorative term, relating to the millions of Irish starving to death while raising crops (other than potatoes) for their English landlords.

Like one of "Murphy's Laws."

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Good answer, but a little history is also involved. St. Patrick IS THE ORIGIN OF THE "LUCK OF THE IRISH". (He was a kidnapped Brit who was enslaved and found God on the hills herding sheep as a slave. He escaped. Became a Bishop and returned to bring the faith to the Pagan Irish who believed in the Druids.)

He received inspiration from GOD TO USE THE THREE LEAF CLOVER CALLED A SHAMROCK TO EXPLAIN THE TRINITY TO HIS FLOCKS WHO WERE THE DESCENDANTS OF THE CELTS & VIKING INVADERS. THEY BELIEVED IN THE ANCIENT DRUID'S RELIGION OF MAGIC AND MANY GODS OF NATURE.

THAT THERE OCCURS FOUR LEAF CLOVERS WAS EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE THE RESULT OF GOD'S MELTING THE DRUID BELIEFS WITH THE TRINITY OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.

Irish soldiers conscripted into the British army began wearing the shamrock on their uniforms to bring them "magic" and avoid being killed in battle. (Because they were blessed and used by St. Patrick they believed they were on God's side and protected by God.)

This is known as "wearing the Green".

Now the Irish are descendants of great fighters and invaders: the Celts and Vikings. They truly seem to be lucky because they are good at what they do and fewer get killed because of their natural fighting skills. "The Luck of the Irish"

Is all that true? Ask any Irishman. Clearly but for Irish whiskey, they would have conquered the world.

Jason Spence State Licenced Investigator and Historian

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Headline

It is Whiskey...unless Jameson has it wrong.

http://www.itcouldjustbethetaste.com/ [Jameson]

To be honest I have to agree with Jason Spence here mostly...my only input is more grammatical then anything else. Jason, it's spelled whisky if you're refering to Irish Whisky...and in some Irishmen's hearts we have conquered the world.

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Hello. My Grandmother was from County Cork, Ireland. I was told, throughout the years, that the saying 'The Luck Of The Irish' was a sarcastic term. If you had the Luck Of The Irish you had very bad luck. It was termed, again as I was told, when the potato famine hit Ireland. The farmers were just starting to gain some Independence from Britain when infested potatoes were planted and killed the entire crop.

Hope that helps, Erin Go Brah! Forever Ireland!

PS: I researched a bit further and found the following explanation:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/9/messages/214.html

"The luck of the Irish" means good luck. People use it when a person of Irish descent inexplicably beats the odds. (Beating the odds isn't inexplicable, it just looks that way, but it surprises observers.) My guess about its origin: the idea that the Irish people have suffered so many misfortunes that it's a miracle whenever something comes out right for them, and it can only be explained by being blessed with an inherited form of good luck.

However, it was repeated many, many times during my youth that it was used in a sacrastic tone of voice.

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My grandfather explain it(Luck of the Irish) if you had good luck one day you could expect bad luck the next. Examble when some die in the famliy a new baby will be born into the famliy.Or You win a large sum of money one day and get a large bill in the mail the next.

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As far as I know, the term comes from the legend of the 'Little People' of the land, or the leprachauns. Finding or catching a leprachaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland.

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It is a tongue in cheek. Kind of take it in stride. Let's look at their history. Ravaged by Vikings. Conquered by English. Potato famine which killed 25% of the population. Half of the remaining left for America. 20 or so times in their history switched from Anglican to Catholic and persecuted the other. Came to America and looked at with great suspicion and took a long time to integrate. Daily bombings. Alcoholism. Murphy's Law. If anything can go wrong, it will.

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Luck of the Irish - You can't keep the Irish down, until recently Ireland was depressed and poor, down trodden by the British etc. but they kept bouncing back and became successful wherever they went, The luck of the Irish ! St. Patrick by the way was Welsh NOT Roman or English.

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