"My mother was only two weeks old when her family got to Monroe County. I often wonder how they made it, but of course they were Irish." -- Alice Logan In the nearly 40 years since BUT OF COURSE THEY WERE IRISH was first published, it has become known as the "Melrose bible." In the small Irish community of Melrose, Iowa, and wherever former residents have roamed, the book holds a place of honor, quickly referred to whenever a question about Melrose needs answering. This third edition contains all the same content as the original hardcover book first published in 1984.