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Hallelujah, I’m Irish: A bell lesson

In “The Sound of Music” production, one of the songs begins with the words, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” However, for this story I have to start in the middle, followed by the past and then end with the present.

I was born in The Netherlands and had Dutch parents, which made me a Dutch citizen. In 1969, living in the U.S., I became a naturalized U.S. citizen. That made me an American.

In the 1600’s some of my ancestors named DeLamain lived in Ireland and were known as “Earls” (my Irish connection). During the 1600’s these “Earls” were banished from Ireland. Their hasty departure became known as “The Flight of the Earl’s.”

Some of these ancestors were French Hugenots (Protestants). That made me a Frenchman; but because of religious persecution they left France and moved to The Netherlands.

However… some of the Irish “Earls,” (DeLamain’s) presumably were Roman Catholic and settled in the wine growing district in France. Not only were they excellent wine makers, but they gained international fame as one of the best Cognac makers in the world. In fact their cognac remains world famous to this day. It is served in some of the finest restaurants in the world. It can be purchased “online” for anywhere from $100.00 to almost $800.00 per bottle. Needless to say, most of it is a little beyond my church musicians salary.

On one of our Windmill Adventures tours to Ireland, I visited a book shop; and there, to my surprise and delight, I found an Irish history book that detailed “The Flight of the Earls” in the early 1600s. I purchased the book and put it away to read at a later date.

We continued on our tour. We performed in a variety of historic places and were overwhelmed with the beauty of the land. We were blessed by the hospitality (Irish coffee was the drink of the day) and goodwill that surrounded us in every place we visited. Ireland is a country of legends. As we traveled off the main highways we sometimes had to slow down and even come to complete stops to allow the flocks of sheep to share the road.

We began to understand what made that country so special. Time and space belonged first to the sheep, and we came second. We, at least some of us, began to grasp what it was that stirred our souls. Seeing the ancient ruins one begins to understand that this is the land of “thin places”; places where one can step across the boundaries of time and space. The ancient ruins that dot the countryside are more than just antiques. They are reminders of times gone by and serve as visual entry ways into the days of  yore.

For me, these were transformational times. I felt that at times I crossed over. It is not something that is easily put into words. Temporal language lacks the vocabulary to describe the eternal; but being there among the ancient ruins seemed to provide a doorway into my past.

We finished our tour and we were flying home. As the mist shrouded the Irish coastline, Ireland slowly disappeared from view. I felt cleansed, renewed and sad, all at the same time. It was as if I had said “goodbye” to a dear friend. Bette was sound asleep in the seat next to me.

I felt compelled to dig out the book on Irish history that I had purchased. As I paged through the various chapters, my eyes fell upon “The Flight of the Earl’s.” I started to read and learned that in the early 1600’s a group of Irish Earls and their families had been evicted from Ireland. Among the evicted was the DeLamain clan. Of course, my interest peaked.

As I read about them, I learned that the DeLamain clan settled in the Wine growing part of France, and the DeLamain’s became Cognac makers; in fact they became some of the finest cognac makers in the world. There was my answer. That’s why I always felt so close to things Irish: the poetry, the music, Irish Coffee and now “DeLamain Cognac.” I do have expensive; but good taste.

The Pilot had just announced that we were leveling off at 33,000 feet. It was a good time to wake Bette and share the good news. I shook her (gently) and said, “Hallelujah, I am Irish.” She was sort of excited and then went back to sleep.

So here I am; I am Dutch, American, French and Irish. It’s an interesting, and even fascinating mixture, but not of eternal importance. Our most important ancestry list awaits us on the other side of the “thin place.”

In the Jewish faith it is called “The Book of Life.” It is what King Solomon referred to in the Book of Wisdom, where he said:

“But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God.” It is ultimately the best place to be.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Gerrit Lamain is a former Copper Country resident who served as a music professor at Suomi College. He was also the organist for the Michigan Tech hockey team before moving on to the Minnesota North Stars.

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