The Tale of Coleman the Thirsty
My great-grandfather came from Ireland and to this day there are lots and lots of Colemans in County Sligo, Ireland. The name Coleman was originally O'Colmain (which, if I recall, means "son of the dove"). It was typically Anglicized to Coleman or Colman.
Legend has it that there was a Coleman who was a follower of St. Patrick. The story goes that Patrick was big on temperance and advised his followers not to drink alcohol. A disciple by the name of Coleman apparently misunderstood Patrick's instructions thinking he meant not to drink *anything* and so worked all day harvesting in the hot sun without drinking even a drop of water. At the end of the work day when Patrick and his followers assembled, Coleman suddenly dropped dead of dehydration. He is forevermore remembered as "Coleman the Thirsty" (or "Colman the Thirsty") and to this day a common nickname for Colemans/Colmans is "Stadhach", which in Irish Gaelic means "thirsty".
Makes me want to have a Guinness.
Legend has it that there was a Coleman who was a follower of St. Patrick. The story goes that Patrick was big on temperance and advised his followers not to drink alcohol. A disciple by the name of Coleman apparently misunderstood Patrick's instructions thinking he meant not to drink *anything* and so worked all day harvesting in the hot sun without drinking even a drop of water. At the end of the work day when Patrick and his followers assembled, Coleman suddenly dropped dead of dehydration. He is forevermore remembered as "Coleman the Thirsty" (or "Colman the Thirsty") and to this day a common nickname for Colemans/Colmans is "Stadhach", which in Irish Gaelic means "thirsty".
Makes me want to have a Guinness.
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