randomness.

or not.

I think about a lot of random things at relatively odd times.  Most of the time I keep the thoughts to myself... because surely nobody else has wondered the same thing.  Or have they??

Like Notre Dame.

The most famous Notre Dame is a cathedral portraying a fine example of gothic architecture in Paris, France.  I realize everyone knows where the Notre Dame is located but I stated it's location for a reason. 

The Notre Dame is french and is directly translated to: "Our Lady" meaning the "Blessed Virgin Mary".

There are more cathedrals bearing the Notre Dame name throughout the world:

Algeria
Notre Dame d'Afrique in Algiers

Canada
Notre-Dame Basilica (Montreal)
Notre-Dame Church (Montreal)
Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, Montreal
Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral in Quebec City
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa

Haiti
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Port-au-Prince, the Catholic cathedral, also called Port-au-Prince Cathedral

France
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon
Bayeux Cathedral, also Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Bayeux
Chartres Cathedral, also Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres
Église Notre Dame de l'Assomption, Metz
Église Notre-Dame la Grande, Poitiers
Notre Dame des Cyclistes, in Labastide-d'Armagnac
Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille
Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, Melun
Notre-Dame de Nice
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp
Reims Cathedral, also Notre-Dame de Reims
Strasbourg Cathedral, also Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg
Rouen Cathedral, Notre-Dame Rouen

Luxembourg
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg

Philippines
Notre Dame of Greater Manila in Caloocan City

United States of America
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, in Indiana
Church of Notre Dame (New York City)

Vietnam
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in Ho Chi Minh City

So now I have given you a bit of Notre Dame trivia regarding cathedrals around the world bearing the same name.  Although the Paris, France Notre Dame is the one that most people regard when the cathedral's name is  mentioned.
A bit of trivia regarding the regions in which the above named Notre Dame Cathedrals are located:
France -- they speak French
Canada -- they speak French in the regions of the Notre Dame locales
Vietnam -- the French occupied Vietnam once upon a time
Luxembourg -- they speak French
Algeria -- the French once occupied Algeria
Haiti -- once French occupied

You see a pattern here???

hint:  FRENCH

So back to my thoughts ... see, I didn't stray...

Notre Dame, the University.  Located in Notre Dame, Indiana aka South Bend, Indiana.
The mighty Notre Dame --she is French

So WHY on God's GREEN EARTH is Notre Dame called the FIGHTING IRISH?
The Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame is FRENCH.
Shouldn't the university be called by the FRENCH namesake:  "The Fighting French".

And most students at Notre Dame are of Irish descent because some ethnicity challenged  nitwit has stated matter-of-factly that Notre Dame is Irish.  It is a school to attend for the Irish Tradition.  The luck of the Irish.   

Clearly the above average 1700+ SAT scorers residing as university students  know that Notre Dame is French and not Irish, right?

So WHY oh WHY is Notre Dame not FRENCH????