1. Are you Irish?
   I find this question distressingly unspecific. If what is meant here is “Are you a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a UK resident in Northern Ireland”, then the answer is no. If the intent of the question is “Do you have Irish or Northern Irish ancestry” then the answer is yes (at the grandparental level).
   
   
2. Do you like Guinness?
   Yes. I don’t drink it very often, though.
   
   
3. Do you know what the symbol of Ireland is?
   Yes. I suppose this is meant to trick people into answering “a shamrock”. Down with this sort of thing. It is not a shamrock. It’s a harp, innit.
   
   
4. Have you ever watched Father Ted?
   Yes. I do wish these questions could have been phrased to be a little more open-ended. (Careful now.)
   
   
5. Do you believe in leprechauns?
   No.

Well, that was probably about as edifying as a conversation with Bishop Brennan.

In other news, we’ve received a reminder that it is still winter and had several inches of snow dumped on us overnight. The Shaggy Ponies are as unfazed as ever.


Cousin It (the black shaggy pony) trudges through the snow in the early morning in search of better grazing, its muzzle coated with clumps and its back dusted from the clouds of the white stuff whirling around.