Upon moving into our 1875 cottage in the Historic Edgefield district across the Cumberland River from downtown Nashville, one of the first things I did, given the extant horizontal flagpole on the front porch, was to purchase small versions of the three flags that define my life journey and that of my family. Today they are rigid and fringed with icicles, which gives them almost a sculptured quality. I suppose it made me take a deeper look.
Each flag is a modest 12″ x 8″, with the Irish Republic tri-color (the green, white and gold) at the top end of the pole, the Stars & Bars in the center, and the Union Jack on the inside. No conflict on this flagstaff, however … the tri-color honors my first generation Irish roots and the deep connection I’ve always felt to Ireland, and still do. The Union Jack speaks to my birth country and the city I was fortunate enough to be born in, Liverpool, Star Of The Sea. Although I never felt English, really, England was mostly my day-to-day reality, and I prospered on that alien shore, especially during the Swinging London period when my musical career was going gangbusters, and I met the woman of my life, a wispy American blonde who loved England more than I did, my wife Patti.
Our first child, Celeste, was born in London in 1970, so she’s a Brit. We moved to the States in 1973 and our son was born in 1977, so he’s an American. I finally took U.S citizenship in the 90s, which makes me now an Irish-Scouse-Yank.
So these three flags, currently frozen in place, but soon to be free again, sum up our family and our journey. Long may they wave!
The Skelly 