Howdy stranger, welcome to the bar at Murphy's Public House.
I'm Dennis Murphy, the chief cook and bottle washer around these parts. I'll act as your confidant and confessor, general sympathizer and all around spill wiper. I'll tell you some stories and send you away felling good about yourself. I offer you food for thought and drink for the soul. I run a family place here with lots of diversions for those who have lost their way. If you need precise directions to pick up an old trail or just want to chew the fat, drop me a line at dmurphy595@yahoo.com
From my Irish father I got the gift of gab, the love of a good story and the hospitality of kings. From my German mother came the analytical mind, the attention to detail and the will to stay a course. This Irish and German mix has left me with the best of both worlds and it was far from unique in many a family history.
The Irish and Germans have been around these parts for all of 150 years and countless ancestors have pushed their wares though the streets of this town. You name it buddy, we've got butchers, bakers and candlestick makers in our trees, not to mention the priests, poets, paupers and pirates. We've sent our boys to the seminary and into Saigon while our sainted women peeled our praties and tended our flocks. And when they were all used up, we put them in graves on both sides of this city, with a quick prayer and a whispered "well done."
More Irishmen died in and for this country than any other ethnic group yet we're still labeled drunken and shiftless. We were weaned on prejudice, fed deceit and forced to swallow our pride for a lousy pot of porridge. We were sold into slavery long before the Blacks, stripped of our lands long before Native Americans and decimated long before the Holocaust. Yet given the chance, we were able to rise above it all and force social justice. Boycott? Hell, we coined the word! So don't tell me how tough you think things are, the Irish had it worse.
The German lot was not much better as they arrived in a strange land speaking a strange language. As Catholics and Lutherans, they faced the same prejudice from the WASP majority as did the Irish. Despite all the initial hardships, they forged a chain of support among themselves and eventually locked into the American dream.
Now before I get up on my soapbox, let me share a story with you. I've hiked a few hills with my ancestors and you might like to hear the details. Just pick a topic from the list below and let me begin. Like any true Irishman, my stories change with time so stop back at the Bar often to find my latest yarn.
| Years of Infamy | Forever Flaherty | The Early Reflections |
| The Adams Family | Fitzharris of Wexford | On Going Home Again |
| Tips on Data Entry | Data Sharing Options |
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