So, you’ve probably seen the SNL skit starring Paul Mescal, in which an “Irish American” enters a pub in Ireland and is received and celebrated as a prodigal son by the unhinged and over-the-top patrons.

Well, that skit struck a particular bone for me personally, because I had a similar experience in 2023 when I travelled to Ireland in search of my own relatives. Minus the pub and the American bit, of course. Oh, and Paul Mercer wasn’t there.

More’s the pity.

But seriously, I ended up experiencing a sort of homecoming, which I’ve since spent many hours trying to put into words. In the end, it felt right to return to basics, and be true to the comedy and the pathos of my own humble experience.

“(It’s a Long, Long Way) From Clare to Here” is the title of my latest Substack newsletter but it’s also the name of a song by Ralph McTell I grew up listening to on long car drives with my family in country Australia in the early 1980s.

“From Clare to Here” is a typical emigrant’s song, writing back to a place that no longer exists. I absorbed and carried its melancholy sentiment with me into adulthood. My Substack post isn’t about the song so much as that place.

It’s not meant to be melancholy, either. In fact, like the writers of the SNL skit, I’m quite capable of laughing at my own earnestness. And while the gags in my origin story aren’t even fit for the SNL cutting-room floor, it’s a start, at least.

I hope you enjoy my little slice of family history.