Right down to his tattoo on his arm, modified from an eighth century brooch, David Bedell Jr is 100% Irish American.
Bedell, 53, grew up listening to his dad, who he credits his interest in his heritage to, singing old Irish songs. Listening to Irish bar music is something Bedell does today; I met him while he was enjoying Round the House.
Many Americans are mutts, a mixture of heritages, but Bedell has Irish blood on both parental sides. He can trace his roots in the US back to the civil war. Unlike many Irish fresh off of the boat, Bedell’s great-great-great grandfather, on his mother’s side, did not join the military. John McCabb was a blacksmith and his profession allowed him to start-up life without needing the army’s offered bounty.
On Bedell’s father’s side his family came to the US about 1900 from county Cork, where they were descendants of William Bedell, Angolan Bishop. Bedell’s grandfather was a junk dealer and sold homemade beer on the side.
His parents met in high school and married after World War II.
Bedell is proud to carry on his Irish heritage, by passing it on to his daughters, telling his family story and especially in carrying on the Irish tradition of teaching. He is a high school English Literature teacher and is a strong proponent of reading classics and great authors.