So. I had the opportunity to be in Dublin when there was an Irish Unity parade. Naturally, as an American, I thought to myself, “Oh, no big deal, a political demonstration. We have those all the time.”

Ha ha. Wrong. What I should have been told is this: “Ireland just won the Rugby Cup.” I’d have stayed away. That’s when Americans get goofy: when the local team wins big.

Anyway, I was in Dublin, and things were getting ugly. My wife was rightfully becoming scared. After all, things were starting to look like anything could happen. Hoodlums on the street, and gardai were everywhere. Since we were close, we popped into the Castle for a tour. In addition to educating us about Irish history, it was probably the safest place to be. After all, it’s a castle.

Luckily, nothing bad happened, and we had a good time.

That’s my story. I’m sticking to it.