The Italian from Donegal who felt at home in Blarney

I AM not Irish, but I have a shillelagh. It was given to me many years ago by a Mr O’Flaherty.

I was 11 and ran the news-stand every Sunday at our parish church.

Mr O’Flaherty had recently come over to the US from Ireland. The first thing I noticed about him was that he wore a derby hat. I had never seen anyone wear a derby except in the movies.