The one day of the year everyone wants to be me...
My surname, “Higgins” is, of course Irish, one of the oldest family names in Ireland. It is actually the Anglicised form of the Gaelic name "Ó hUiginn", which means "descendant of Uiginn". "Uiginn" is the original Gaelic version of the Old Norse "víkingr" or "viking". The Higgins family makes its first appearance in Ireland as Viking raiders, sometime in the 8th or 9th century. So, my name actually means “Viking” - that might explain a lot of things…
Fortunately, we appear to have settled down somewhat over the following centuries. The Ó hUiginn family were actually high status poets between the 14th and 17th centuries. Seems we put down our swords and picked up our pens. They are, after all, “mightier” aren’t they?
So, to all of you, an old Irish blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.