Joys of Irish Humor

During the Civil War, a soldier in the all-Irish 69th New York Regiment approached General Thomas Meagher, a hero of the Irish revolt of 1848.

“Gin’ril, sor”, began the private, “would ye be afther grantin’ me a furlough? Me wife’s that sick, an’ she nadin’ me to look afther the children.”

“Now that’s a quare wan, indade,” replied General Meagher. “The chaplain towled me, ownly this mornin’, that he as a letther from your wife, askin’ us not to send you home. She says ivry time you go home on lave, you’re afther getting’ dhrunk, and you bate her an’ frighten the children.”

The soldier scrutinized his commanding officer’s face for a long moment before he answered.

“Faith, Gin’ril, an’ the two most splendid liars in the army right here in this room”, he snapped. “I was niver married in me life!”

From the Joys of Irish Humor by Henry D. Spalding. This was the Wolverine Café posting of January 25, 2005. Photograph is of General Thomas Meagher.