Recently inspired by a Her Loyal Sons post that brilliantly
put ND Football’s soon-to-be-worn “Irish Flag cleats” into context, I believe
the time has finally come to share my thoughts on the “Irishness” of Notre
Dame:
As an Irish Studies student at Notre Dame, the phrase “Fightin’ Irish” took on a special significance that made me want to know how it came about and what it actually means.
As the official Leprechaun mascot of Notre Dame Athletics, I also felt as though it became my duty to grasp and embody the true meaning of the name as well as I possibly could. I felt that if I could not understand why Notre Dame had officially sanctioned me to become the face of the Fighting Irish, then I would fail to respect the legacy that I was called to represent.
As we prepare to kick off Notre Dame’s 125th football
season in Dublin, I see no better time than now to release a blog-friendly edited (and much shorter) version of my senior thesis through a series of segments leading up to the
game on September 1.
My greatest hope in doing so is that we will not let this
opportunity to return to the Emerald Isle pass us by without any real
recognition of Notre Dame’s “Irishness” or what it actually means that we call
ourselves “The Fightin’ Irish.”
(Part I to come on Thursday, May 17)
Sick!
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