IT WOULDN'T BE IRISH WITHOUT AHOUSE IN IT

 

With Saint Patrick’s Day bearing down on us, the Ahouse story – the 3 Monongah High alumni siblings and the famed Irish band – seems appropriate.

Most us know about the Irish Ahouse family – Kitty Ahouse Morrison, Class of 1968, Sue Ahouse Schrader, Class of 1971, and Mike Ahouse, North Marion Class of 1985. Joyce Ahouse Blake is their cousin, not a sibling.

But not many, including me, know about the A House Irish band active in Dublin from 1987 to 1997. “Endless Art” with frontman Dave Couse is their most famous song. The A House Band was formed by members of the Last Chance band: vocalist Dave Couse, guitarist Fergal Bunbury, drummer Dermot Wylie, bassist Martin Healy, all friends at Templeogue College.

They began in the Dublin pubs, including McGonagle’s Club where U2 cut their teeth in the late 1970s. The A House Band came up with such provocative song titles as “On Your Bike Wench,” “What a Nice Evening to Take the Girls Up the Mountains” and one that got the praying people’s attention, “Kick Me Again Jesus.”

As for Monongah High’s Ahouse family, they honor Irish tradition by diving into the fun of life and travel to anywhere they have a mind to visit. I’ve hugged and chatted with Kitty and Sue (not sure Mike would want a hug from me) at annual Monongah High Alumni Banquets and the July 2021 Monongah Town Hall no-covid-shot-no-admittance party of 40 that showed up, including Kitty and Sue.

The Irish in the ancient times were big on blue, not green. But the 1798 Irish Rebellion against monstrous British inhumane treatment, accompanied by green clothing and singing of “The Wearing of the Green” by the Irish Army changed that to green to this day.

St. Patrick was an immigrant, coming to Ireland from his native Roman-British shores, either in Scotland, England or Wales around the year 386.

Irish pirates captured and brought Saint Patrick and his father’s slaves to Ireland.

He studied for the priesthood at Auxere, France, formerly known as Gaul.

After having a dream about the Irish people inviting him to their country, he came, he saw and he spread Christianity across 5^th century Ireland, which today seems more passionately Catholic than Italy, even though Italians are in the shadow of Vatican City.

That was in contrast to the French clergy around Saint Patrick who considered the Irish barbaric and hostile. A precursor to America’s “Irish Need Not Apply” signs at companies seeking to hire new employees.

Saint Patrick spoke to the Irish in their own Gaelic tongue. He converted Irish pagan SUN worship into SON of God worship.

And, contrary to legend, Saint Patrick did NOT drive out the snakes (no evidence they were ever there) but did make the Druids, who dominated Irish spiritual affairs, an almost overnight minority overwhelmed by Saint Patrick’s ordaining an ever-growing legion of Irish Catholic priests.

And the color tied to Saint Patrick was BLUE till the 1798, when the Irish Rebellion was born against the atrocious British and the Irish wore green while singing “The Wearing of the Green.” So green it is ever since. Sure and Begorra, which is the Irish way of bringing God into the equation without taking the name of God in vain. It translates to “sure and by God.” At least it’s not OMG.