I thought ’standing still’ meant I couldn’t be tagged?

January 5, 2007 |

For those of you who don’t know, a game of tag was started amongst search bloggers by Jeff Pulver. I’m it.

The Rules:

You do not talk about BLOG TAG!
You have to tell 5 things about yourself that no one else knows
Tag 5 others
There are no tag-backs! But it doesn’t hurt to reciprocate (apparently reciprocal links have value for something)

5 things You Probably Didn’t Know About Paul O’Brien

1. I’m passionate about my family history having traced mine back to the early 1700’s. As you can imagine I’m of Irish decent with some Swedish, German, and French mixed in for good measure.

2. I followed the game back a couple tags and enjoyed Ian McAnerin’s insight on his Irish family name. Attempting to start a tradition, you can call me Prince O

Did you know O’Brien is a reference to your lineage? Ó: In Gaelic (old Irish) is ua meaning “grandson” or “descendant”. In the past, your surname was a reference to well known or important ancestors and changed as it suited you. At the turn of the first millenia, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig (or Brian Boru) (937-1014), the high King credited with uniting the tribes of Ireland to some semblance of a country, made such as impact that Ó Brian, first used by his grandsons and great-grandsons, stuck. While it has changed over the years (O’Brien, O’Brian, Ó Briain, O’Bryne, Obrien) as a result of our ignorant English , most with the name are descended from Brian Boru, high King of Ireland.

Other fun facts:

The Guinness harp was the symbol of Brian Boru
You actually can’t call me Prince unless I can prove the lineage that ties me to Boru. It has been traced though, to Conor O’Brien
Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Miles O’Brien claimed he was a direct descendant
Know a Mac (i.e. MacGregor)? Son of Gregor. Brian was also known as Brian mac Cennéide mac Lorcán (”Brian, the son of Cennéide, the son of Lorcán “). You could also call me Paul MacLawrence MacMary
O’Brien is the 6th most popular surname in Ireland
Boru, a vodka named after Brian Boru, is distilled from Potatoes (didn’t expect that did you?)

3. I’m passionate about music with no talent for an instrument. I run a popular site, The Octopus’s Garden, in desperate need of a redesign. Know of anyone who can help?

4. Though I can’t play, I sing. The passion comes out to to scare people through Karaoke and a story I’ve shared with you did not end where I left you but with a personalized rendition of Meatloaf’s I Would Do Anything For Love.

5. I can do a 360 on a Knee board and wouldn’t you know it? O’Brien is a leading manufacturer of water skis and knee boards.

David Beach, Michael Brito, Barbara Coll, Lonny Paul, and Stanley Wong, you’re it.

Cheers to Stephan Spencer

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