Here’s to Nanny’s smiling Irish eyes, her deep faith — and delicious Irish soda bread

My paternal grandparents were born and raised in Ireland. My grandmother was from County Clare and my grandfather was from Cork. They settled in Danbury, Connecticut — a known enclave of Irish Catholics-where they raised five children, including my father.

I’m number seven of eight children born over a span of more than 20 years, so my older brother and sisters had many more experiences with my grandparents than me and my youngest sister. 

Both my grandparents died in nursing homes, my grandfather first and my grandmother followed years later. Their stays there did not overlap, but recollections of visiting each of them weekly in the nursing home outweighed those at family parties and events. However, I remember some special details, about my grandmother, Nanny, that will stay with me forever. 

I remember Nanny’s clean, white kitchen — and the deep cast iron sink that was always cool to the touch. At her kitchen table, we enjoyed many cups of Irish black tea, sweetened with cream and sugar, with Ritz crackers on the side.

The simplicity and order of Nanny’s kitchen were emphasized even more by the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that sat on top of the refrigerator. I imagine that was Nanny’s way of keeping the top of the refrigerator clean and asking for heaven’s help to raise five children!

Throughout the house and on the wall, there were pictures of family and Ireland. Telltale signs of our Irish Catholic heritage, including the family bible, rosaries, statues, and images of the Holy Family all graced Nanny’s home even after Grandpa’s death. 

On one wall of the living room, there was another kind of shrine that graced many homes of Irish Catholic immigrants — a large memorial portrait of President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline. I often wondered if my grandparents considered the first family another holy family to be remembered. 

While the corner property surrounding my grandparents’ home, was small, Nanny still had a kitchen garden with roses that bloomed from summer into fall. I recall Nanny clipping the last of those summer roses, some of their petals falling from her softly aged fingertips as she waved goodbye to us from the porch. 

There is one memory of Nanny that is engraved forever in my heart — and one that most likely shaped my character and my faith for life. I was old enough to walk Nanny across the street from my aunt’s house to her home. We had all been at a family party and Nanny was tired and wanted to go to bed. Still independent and able to care for herself, I provided only companionship and a helping hand as Nanny climbed the stairs to the house. 

Enjoying this rare opportunity to be with Nanny alone, I admired her beauty and faith, instinctively knowing Nanny was teaching me silent lessons of love. I watched her unpin and brush her long silver hair as it dropped gently to her shoulders and admired her deep blue sparkling eyes. Nanny’s Irish eyes still smiled even as she longed for sleep. 

Her routines were all done and her house was tidy. Nanny hugged me and bid me goodnight as she walked slowly to her bedroom. Just before retiring to bed, Nanny knelt to say her prayers, beginning and ending with making the Sign of the Cross. In the remnants of her Irish brogue, Nanny prayed and whispered the Hail Mary, the Our Father and the Glory Be with the young faith of an Irish Catholic lass who knew from whence she came and to where she was going. 

Finally, Nanny asked Sweet Jesus, Mary, and St Joseph to please bless and protect her in sleep, praying;  “Please wake me if something should happen in the middle of the night.” 

One quiet evening with my Irish Nanny helped to form my heart and soul forever. While I have little recollections of much, I will remember Nanny’s strong Catholic faith. In times of sorrow and joy, I have prayed those same prayers and whispered those same desires, even asking Jesus, Mary, and Joseph to watch over us and “wake me if something should happen in the middle of the night.”  

While Nanny’s greatest legacy to me was her faith, she taught and wrote a book on the Gaelic language and she left us her beloved recipe for Irish soda bread. This St. Patrick’s Day, I will be helping my daughter, Jo, mix the bread while we listen to Irish music and read stories of St Patrick and our Irish Catholic history. 

I imagine Nanny watching us from heaven and trust that she and all our family who have gone on before us send special prayers for Jo whose, even through struggles, Irish eyes are always smiling.

Nanny’s Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups of FLOUR

2 teaspoons of BAKING POWDER

¼ teaspoon of BAKING SODA

½ cup of SUGAR

1 cup of RAISINS

¾ cup of BUTTER

2 EGGS

1 cup of MILK

DIRECTIONS/STEPS: Turn on oven to 350°

1. Mix together dry ingredients.

2. Cream together BUTTER, EGGS, and MILK.

3. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients.

4. Add Raisins

5. Put in greased loaf pan for 25-30 min.

Happy St Patrick’s Day from our family to yours!