On the first day of 2020 my father was diagnosed with cancer.  He passed away on the last day of that very month at the age of 73.

He had been fighting his best, but in the last week he took a hard turn for the worse.  I talked to him on the phone on Sunday and we discussed him coming and seeing his grandkids.  The next day he lost the ability to speak more than a few words.  By Wednesday he knew the end was near and did his best to say his goodbyes.  He called my mom “his beautiful.” He looked at my brother-in-law with eyes that said "watch over my daughter" and he told both of his girls that he loved them.  He pointed to me and said “proud.”  He paused and said “one last thing” as he raised one arm above his head and declared “GO IRISH!” and those were the last words I heard my father say.

While losing my father is the hardest thing I have had to face in life, I’m beginning to find comfort in the memories and lessons he left behind.  He taught me many things and among them at an early age was the lesson that there is only one team and that team is Notre Dame.  Our conversations were dominated by talks of the team or his favorite topic Lou Holtz.  I will forever miss our talks and I will forever miss my father.

I know I am not alone in inheriting a love for the IRISH from a loved one. So In my father’s honor I have created a collection of GO IRISH shirts. I hope they inspire you to make and share memories with fellow IRISH fans and remember those who have passed on.

Oh…and one last thing, GO IRISH!