Captain Irish

I have gone by a lot of names in my 27 years on this planet. I was actually named Jamie from birth however thankfully my father decided against that and changed my name to James, there have been many James’ in the McDonnell family, as far as I know I am now the fifth! As far as nicknames are concerned I have had plenty. Some were meant to arouse amusement, some meant to hurt.  When I first moved over to Huddersfield with my parents I started school at Colne Valley High School and, with my 14 years of living in Ireland, I stuck out like a sore thumb whenever I spoke with my thick Irish accent. So, it so fits that my first nickname was “Irish James”, or sometimes this was shortened to just “Irish”. I was completely happy with this nickname, being immensely proud of my Irish heritage I embraced this nickname for many years.

Later in life, when I discovered alcohol and many other naughty substances of which I do not consume any more, the nickname Jaybone was given to me. No matter how hard I try to remember where this name came from, or its actual origin  it still remains a mystery. Following this,  my soon to be brother in law Paul started calling me “International Man of Scooby”, possibly because around this time in  my life I had immersed myself into the hippie lift style and music. Wearing long, flared cord jeans, long shaggy hair, and constantly listening to the likes of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors to name but a few. Moving on in time again I had started my first job. Now, being fresh out of college, still with my long hair and hippie/ metal head attitude I did not fit in well or follow orders from management. I soon got into trouble, almost every other week I had been called into meetings with management telling me off for one thing or another. Pretty soon I had made a name for myself, the nickname “Fireproof”. I had gotten in to so much trouble so often that I seemed “un-sackable” , or “fireproof”. This was a name I was quite proud of.

I have given myself the blogger name of Captain Irish for many reasons. I’m pretty obsessed with Captain America for one, not only is he a great role model, played by a fantastically nice guy Chris Evans on the big screen, but he is also of Irish descent. In the comic book and the movie of Captain America, Steve Rogers starts off his life as a small, skinny guy who keeps getting into trouble and gets beat up all the time. He has a clear sense of right from wrong and is always wanting to do the right thing no matter how much trouble it may get him in. During World War II Steve Rogers’ only wish is to join the American Army and kick some Nazi ass however, he does not meet the criteria for enrolling due to his ill health and small frame. After applying to enroll so many times, he is noticed by an outstanding scientist whose only goal is to create the perfect super soldier. Steve is sent to a training camp along with many other hopefuls trying out for the super soldier experiment. He stands out from the others mainly due to his good nature and morals.  

My favourite part of the movie is when Steve, who is still the small, skinny guy stands into the capsule where he is about to transform, moments later he steps out a tall, muscular, perfect model of health and strength. This is where I’d like to make the comparison between us. I once was, and still am to a certain extent, the small, skinny guy who kept getting into trouble through no fault of his own, now, I am on the path to becoming my own super soldier, my own model of health and strength. Unfortunately I do not have a super soldier serum. I have to do this the long way. The Irish part of the name is obvious.

I wanted this name to show my love of all things super hero and my love of my Irish heritage. Blend these two loves of my life together and I think you have a pretty cool catchy name. I mentioned above the I am obsessed with Captain America but there are quite a few other super heroes whom I look up to and admire. Matt Murdock, or Daredevil as he is known on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen would have to be my second favourite comic book hero.  Matt Murdock is son to Jonathan “Battling Jack” Murdock, a relatively famous boxer in New York City. When he is young, Matt has an unfortunate accident where dangerous chemicals are spilt all over his body, especially on his eyes and ears. This accident blinds him but due to the unknown chemicals, his senses are enhanced to super human levels. His hearing has increased so much that he can hear soft footsteps blocks away and even the heartbeats of people around him, this ability allows him to tell when someone is lying or not, a trait which comes in handy later in life during his career as a defence attorney. The main reason I like Daredevil is again, his sense of right, his morals, his Irish heritage and his fighting style. Daredevil is portrayed by a British actor Charlie Cox who just happens to be the perfect candidate to portray this hero. I have read up on Cox’s preparation for playing the role and I have actually tried out his weekly workout routine for Daredevil and it is not for the faint of heart. Perhaps when I have finished with my current workout routine I may go back to this and see if I too could become Daredevil, Irish Edition.

I could write about all of my favourite super heroes and idols all day, perhaps I shall do a post in the future and go in depth of why I love each one of them and how they have affected my life. For now I hope you get a sense as to why I chose to become Captain Irish, and what this name means for me and this newly created blog. Whoever is reading this, may I ask one thing of you? Could you please leave a comment below, or perhaps contact me via Twitter as I would greatly appreciate any feedback you could give.

Next post, “Push it to the limit”.