Every day is St. Patrick’s Day at the home of Tucker and Nancy Sheahan of Lake Forest. They celebrate being Irish year-round in a house decorated with their heritage very much in mind.
There are huge hand-painted shamrocks on the walls in the foyer and the kitchen and deep Kelly green carpeting throughout the house. Collections of Waterford crystal and Belleek china fill the living room and dining room shelves. Books on Irish culture, cooking, history and travel abound, along with folklore and children’s books by native authors. Artwork depicting Ireland, its people and places, hangs on every wall. Even the family dog is an Irish import, a Jack Russell terrier named Tadhg (Gaelic equivalent of Timothy and pronounced tige).
Tucker, an insurance agent, said his father immigrated to the United States from Ireland when he was 18, and his mother’s family came here a generation before. Nancy’s grandparents immigrated here in the early 1900s. Both families settled in Chicago, and Tucker and Nancy grew up in the Beverly area. He is one of nine children; she is one of 10. The couple have two children, Brian, 10, and Maeve, 4.
“Growing up in large Irish families, we couldn’t help but have an appreciation of and interest in our roots. We go to Ireland as often as possible (at least once a year) to visit family and friends and explore the countryside,” Tucker said.
“We always bring along an empty suitcase because we never know what we’ll find,” Nancy said.
On one recent visit, they brought back the dog, as well as a lot more than a suitcase full of crystal, china and wool clothing. They also bought some “sugan” chairs, hand-crafted wooden chairs with woven straw or rope seats; you often see these by the fireplace in traditional Irish kitchens and pubs.
Although they sometimes buy Irish goods in American shops, the Sheahans prefer to buy directly from the people who make them. They buy a lot on vacations but also call in orders to their favorite sources there on a regular basis.
A wide variety of Irish crafts, fabrics and collectibles have been used in decorating almost every room in the family’s new house, which Nancy decorated with the help of Sheila-John O’Meara Curl, a friend and Lake Forest designer who shares their love of all things Irish.
The largest collections are the Waterford and Belleek pieces. Nancy had started collecting the crystal 15 years ago when she was working as an airline representative, trying to save enough money to buy one piece a month. Today she has several hundred Waterford glasses, vases and serving pieces in seven patterns-including one named “Maeve,” which she recently started collecting for her daughter. The large crystal chandeliers in the kitchen and dining room are also shining examples of Waterford craftsmanship.
Her Belleek collection includes plates, vases, teapots and sculptures in the delicate white china, many in the shamrock pattern. Some are rare antiques, marked on the bottom with the black stamp of early Belleek. The china is displayed prominently on the mantel in the living room and elsewhere, including the kitchen, where Christmas plates in floral and wildlife designs decorate the walls.
The couple enjoy sharing their heritage with friends and family in other ways. For example, they send out St. Patrick’s Day cards in place of Christmas cards, and their annual pre-St. Pat’s party has about 150 guests. This year’s celebration featured Irish food, musical entertainment by members of the Shannon Rovers and Irish step dancing by the Sheila Tully Dancers.
On living life on an Irish theme, Nancy said, “I look around our house at all the things from Ireland, and it takes me back to the places we have been and people we have met there. And it makes me think back on our family’s history too.”
Tucker added, “It’s something we can give our children. It’s good for them to know where they come from.”
For a bit of Ireland
Following are some of the Sheahans’ favorite shops in Ireland that will take phone orders, with catalogs available.
Cash’s of Ireland, Cork City, County Cork; 800-223-8100; Waterford crystal, Belleek and hand-knit items.
Blarney Woolen Mills, Blarney, County Cork; 800-252-7639; coats, sweaters, scarfs, Dresden china and Waterford chandeliers.
Kenny Knitwear, Main Street, Lahinch, County Clare; 011-353-65-81400.
Their favorite Chicago-area shops for Irish goods include:
Winston’s, 4701 W. 63rd St.; 312-636-3437. Irish foodstuffs, including soda breads, sausage and black pudding.
The Irish Connoisseur, 1232 Waukegan Rd., Glenview; 708-998-1988. Irish crystal, china and cassettes.
Donegal Imports, 5358 W. Devon Ave.; 312-792-2377. Irish newspapers, caps, crystal, gift items and music.
Shannon Imports, 5734 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn; 708-424-7095. Irish newspapers, gift items, soda breads.
