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Welcome to the Irish Culture & Customs newsletter which is published every week and sent out to nearly 2100 readers all over the world. You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for it - God Bless you! If you'd like to read past issues, they are archived at: http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/pubarchive.php?Herself
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Greetings and blessings to all,
Hello from wet, windy and chilly Ohio. For the first time since last winter, the frost is on the pumpkin and we have the heat on. Brr. But, by next Thursday, the temperatures will be back in the 70s. Such is the transition and the extremes between seasons in this part of the world. We haven't had our annual Indian Summer yet and Bridget can't wait. For the last week, our early morning walks have seen her don a winter jacket, scarf and mittens!
We hope this edition finds you and yours in good health, good spirits and good company. The warmest of welcomes to each of you, especially our new subscribers; thanks for joining us and please feel free to share our weekly missive with family and friends.
As for ourselves, on the 21st, we're looking forward to celebrating our granddaughter's 7th birthday at her school where her mom has arranged for the Canine Corp to come in and do a demonstration. Caity adores dogs and it's just one of several surprises her mom has planned.
We heard from Hartson's wife Helen who tells us that they will be driving to the big hospital in Vancouver for another series of tests. Hartson is our resident Irish recipe contributor and he has been battling with a bone infection since last June. Please keep him (and Helen) in your prayers.
A familiar name popped up on RTÉ news this past week. Seamus Cashman is the former owner of Wolfhound Press and Bridget's first publisher. We were delighted to see that he is the editor of a new book. "Something beginning with P" is a collection of poetry for young readers and includes poems from many of Ireland's leading poets. Bridget's already been in touch with Seamus to see if we can get a review copy. We'll keep you posted.
Enough about us...
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In news from Ireland:
General
According to the National Roads Authority (NRA), all major towns between Dublin and Cork will be bypassed by 2009 and travel times between the two cities will be reduced by over an hour on the travel time in 2000. Reminds Russ of that Black Family song.."there's a motorway going through the cabbage patch and beans..."
Antrim - Autobiographies which ex-US President Bill Clinton signed on his recent surprise visit to Belfast, are now the hottest property in the literary market. One copy of My Life - cover price £25 - went for a staggering £350 on internet auction site ebay. Another first edition, also signed in Belfast, went for more than £120.
Antrim - Paddy Reynolds writes his memoirs
Boozing with Brendan Behan and being badgered to go on the wagon by the Rev Ian Paisley - they're just two jaw-dropping tales from Reynolds' colourful career. When the Belfastman worked in Dublin, he became great friends with the legendary 'bad boy' of the literary world - Borstal Boy writer, Brendan Behan. But Paddy revealed that he may have provided the inspiration for the title of Behan's breakthrough play. He recalled: "Brendan had a column in The Irish Press every Friday. I drank with him and got to know him very well. "One day, in Searson's pub, in Baggot Street, I just asked him what he was going to call his play. He told me that it was called The Rope. "I said that it sounded a bit trite and that it was a 'quare' sort of title. "He said, 'Well, if you don't like it, then I'll call it The Quare Fellow, instead. "'Will that please ye'? "It did, indeed, please me - and it's pleased me ever since, every time I think of it.
Antrim - Belfast looks back in time for new film
The streets of Belfast were transformed back to 1970's style this week with the shooting of the film Breakfast on Pluto by Oscar-winning director Neil Jordan.
Dublin - 25th Anniversary of Adidas Dublin Marathon set to be biggest in years.
With just a week or so to go, organisers are looking forward to their biggest field in 22 years, after entries for the 25th anniversary running of Dublin have passed the 10,000 barrier for the first time since 1982.
Dublin - Some of Ireland's best known poets came together at the Gate Theatre, Dublin on October 16 for a reading of the works of Patrick Kavanagh to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Co Monaghan writer. They included Macdara Woods, Tom McIntyre, Leland Bardwell and Dermot Healy reading excerpts from The Great Hunger. In the second half, Paul Durcan, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and John Montague were joined by the other poets to read their favourite Kavanagh poem, plus works of their own. The evening featured music played by uileann piper Peter Browne.The event was part of a festival being held to celebrate what would have been Kavanagh's 100th birthday on October 21st. Events will run nationwide up until the end of November. An Post will issue a special commemorative stamp.
Leitrim: Gaelscoil set to open in Carrick-on-Shannon next year
Gaelscoil is simply a regular primary school in which all subjects are taught through the medium of Irish in an attractive and encouraging environment. Leitrim is the only remaining county in the 26 counties currently without such a school.
Offaly - Tesco to build on field where first hurling final was played
A piece of Ireland's sporting heritage is set to be lost forever with plans by Tesco to open a supermarket on the field where the first All-Ireland hurling final was played in Birr 116 years ago. Tesco has purchased the famous field at Railway Road and is seeking planning permission for a new outlet.
Wicklow: Long drive golfer battles with the best
Arklow golfer William Hunt Tyrrell has flown out to Nevada to compete in the World Long Drive Championships. He will be the only Irish competitor among the 120 golfers participating in the finals.
From the mailbag:
Joyce writes "Any idea where I might be able to find Irish scene or Celtic design wallpaper border for my living room? I have a large collection of Celtic crosses and Irish knick knacks, so decided to decorate the room around them."
Sherri writes: "Somewhere in my reading I came across the information having something to do with entwining fingers through a hole in a standing stone. Unfortunately, I didn't make notes of the stone or the location and I seem to recall there being more than one. Are you familiar with such a tradition and do you know the names of locales of any of these stones?"
In Bridget's wedding book, she mentions the tradition of clasping hands through the hole of a trysting stone or "gallawn". There's one on the island of Cape Clear off the coast of West Cork. It's near a townland called Comillane. There's also one near Dingle, Co. Kerry at the 7th century church of Kilmaolcheader. Legend has it that a couple is engaged if they join hands or touch fingers through the opening. Does anyone know of any others?
Mona writes: "I have a very old and very large pub sign that is a mirror with a woman and the words The Shamrock Whisky Dublin on it. Is this something that you are familiar with. Is there someone I could send a digital photograph to that might help me determine if it is a collectible item and the value?"
In our opinion, the fact that it says Whisky without the e makes it unlikely that it's Irish.
Links of the week:
Find a Flu shot:
For our friends in the US, Penny sent in this important link that could be very helpful The American Lung Association is pleased to offer you this Flu Shot Locator, powered by Maxim Health, with easy access for finding flu clinics near you:
http://www.findaflushot.com/lungusa/
Ghosts in Ireland
Supernatural, paranormal, occult, magic or myth, does a ghostly sprit's phantom-like apparition haunt the mill or is it a trick of the light in the dead of night?
http://www.irelandseye.com/ghost/index.shtm
A fun puzzle from Hartson - go raibh maith agat!
http://www.riversongs.com/Flas/today.swf
Tasting An Irish
Perfect your skills with this easy guide
http://www.connemarawhiskey.com/_heritage/tastingAnIrish.asp
Yearning for the taste of Taytos?
Irish Sausages? Butter? Bewleys Coffee? Barrys Tea? For these and hundreds of other authentic favorite foods shipped to your door please click http://www.foodireland.com/Merchant2/agent.mvc?AG=Haggerty&SC=SFNT&S=FI
The Celtic Guide to Wealth & Riches - and more
A fascinating site created by one of our subscribers, Ronan, a TV producer in Belfast.
http://www.celticguide.com
Daily Motivator from Judith F. Thank you!
http://greatday.com/v.html?0855jQRCsCaS
If you like harp music and inspirational messages, here's one from Patricia in England - ta very much!
http://allfunpages.com/giftstosomeoneyoulove.shtml
Our on-going gift to AG in California and all friends to animals, please click this link today and everyday. It only takes a second to feed an animal. Thanks!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa
It only takes a second to feed hungry people, too:
http://www.thehungersite.com
Enough of the blather- on with the update...
IN THIS ISSUE:
Quips, quotes, proverbs & toasts
A bit of the wit
Joke of The Week
Did You Know
Writer's Quiz
Riddle
New This Week
The Week Ahead
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QUIPS, QUOTES, PROVERBS & TOASTS
In honor of Oscar Wilde's 150th birthday on October 16, we'll be posting one of our favorite "Oscarisms" each week of the month here and in a Bit of the Wit below.
"When people agree with me I always feel that I must be wrong.
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A BIT OF THE WIT
"Anybody can make history; only a great man can write it." Oscar Wilde
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OUR FAVORITE JOKE OF THE WEEK Sometimes, the true stories are the best. This one is edited and adapted from the Good, Clean, Funnies List and was sent in by Rick.
When my wife's sister, Patty, was very young, she was allowed to have her best friend, a boy named Rory, over to spend the night. As the children grew toward adolescence, their parents knew that someday the sleepovers would have to end. One night, when Rory and his family were visiting, everyone gathered around the television to watch the Rose of Tralee pageant. When Patty asked if Rory could stay over, the parents hesitated, wondering if the time had finally come to discontinue the tradition. At that moment, the pageant host announced a contestant's measurements: 36-22-36. "Rory," his mother asked, "what are those numbers?" The boy thought for only a moment before responding, "Ninety-four?"
Rory was allowed to stay. =================================================================
Please help us to keep this newsletter free - visit our good friends, LollySmith:
Explore what we have on offer, including our great selection of authentic Irish whistles from the leading makers like Fádóg, Clare, Walton, guinness & Clarke. One of the oldest musical instruments in Ireland. the Irish whistle is affordable, easy to learn and can be used to play music your entire family will enjoy - from haunting airs to lively reels. Come take a look - browse to your heart's content, and remember, when you buy from Lollysmith, you'll always enjoy great prices, quick shipping, and friendly, personalized service.
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DID YOU KNOW
1. THE first British soldier to die in the recent troubles was Gunner Robert Curtis who was shot dead in Belfast in 1971? The sniper who killed him was himself killed in a gun battle with the army the next day - in Curtis Street.
2. Dracula, written by Dubliner Bram Stoker, has never been out of print and has been translated into over 50 different languages?
3. Swallowing a live frog was a traditional Irish cure for stomach ache? (Could telling the kids help prevent an over-indulgence with the Halloween sweeties?)
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IRISH WRITERS AND BOOKS QUIZ
To start off, the answers to last week's quiz:
1. Ghosts in Irish Houses by James Reynolds
2. Irish Ghosts and Hauntings by Michael Scott
3. Famous Irish Ghost Stories by Sheila Kern, Mairtin O'Griofa
A round of applause and pints to our irish bibliophiles:
Dallas Franklin
Divine Gifts for that special someone. You'll find Angels, Guardian Angels, Cherubs and Fairies in figurines, candle holders, wall sconces, mirrors, garden accessories, lamps and lights and much more. Join the GOD ezine too at:
http://GiftsOfDivinity.com
Hart and Helen Dowd
Please visit Helen's website at:
http://www.occupytillicome.com
Deborah
If money talks, then chocolate sings.
Call someone special and tell them you love them.
Patricia Edwards
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishjokes.htm
Want to see your name on next week's list? Try finding the following. (We assure you, it's really easy) Who wrote:
1. True Orish Ghost Stories
2. Brendan Kennelly: A Host Of Ghosts (Contemporary Irish Writers Ser)
3. The Irish Witch
All correct entries will be listed in the next newsletter in the order in which they are received. Hint: All 3 titles can be found here: (This one is going on Bridget's Christmas list)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=irishcultucus-20&path=tg/detail/-/0786806257/qid%3D1095853668/sr%3D1-12
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Back in Print!!!!
The Traditional Irish Wedding. Updated, expanded and revised 2nd edition now available:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=irishcultucus-20&path=tg/detail/-/0937702218/qid%3D1093702877/sr%3D1-1
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THIS WEEK'S RIDDLE
To Start off, the answer to our last noggin nagger:
The ages of a father and son add up to 66. The father's age is the son's age reversed.
Q. How old could they be? There are 3 possible solutions.
A. We were swamped with entries - what a brilliant group! And very creative as well - several of you suggested that if time travel existed another answer could be 33 and 33! However, the three solutions we were looking for are:
(1) father 60, son 06
2) father 51, son 15
(3) father 42, son 24.
Kudos to Joe Clifford from California who was first in with the correct solution(s).
And now for our next belfry baffler:
Forward I am heavy, but in reverse I am not. What am I?
THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Halloween continues to dominate our web-site offerings. Added to the home page this week are:
1. Article - The Legend of the Chruchyard Bride
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/ChurchyardBride.html
2. Culture Corner - The Most Haunted Castle in Ireland
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/ChurchyardBride.html
3. Kids' Culture Corner- Halloween Customs
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/1Kids/1Home.html
4. Irish Kitchen - Barm Brack, the traditional Halloween bread
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rBreads.html
5. Ongoing - October Trivia Contest. To enter the contest, please click http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/TriviaContest.html
All entries must be in by midnight, October 31st, whatever time zone you live in.
6. New - Halloween Decor: Haunted House". A really cute slate from Celtic Attic:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/index.html
7. New - Sunday Blessing
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Blessings/Bless.html
New - Wednesday Quote
8. http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Quotes/WitHumor.html
9. On-going: . Circle of Prayer; Novena #7 in this cycle began on October 8 and ended on October 16. Our 8th Novena begins on October 17 and ends on October 25. Please keep Mary from NY in your prayers; also Hartson & Helen, Aideen, Graine, Barbara G's mom who just had a stroke, little Sebastian, Matt Maupin still being held hostage; (it is now 6 months since he was taken); the families of those hostages who were so brutally murdered; the sons of personal friends Paul and Ashley, who are serving in Iraq, and all of our military personnel stationed in Iraq and all over the world. Prayer is so powerful and Hartson sent us a wonderful way to keep track of who and what we are praying for. It's called the Five-Finger Prayer and you'll find it at the end.
On-going: Free Genealogy Q & A; send basic questions to Eileen - a professional genealogist in Dublin; we'll publish answers from time to time here:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMisc/GeneologyQA.html
NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING:
Bridget's STILL looking into the ghost in the bottle for sale on E-Bay to see if there might be an article there. As we mentioned last time, we're holding off on publishing non-Halloween material so we can keep the home page looking as scary as possible. But we will be doing the usual Wednesday quote as well as the daily headlines and history. Just so you know, we keep two weeks worth of headlines which you can see here:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/01News/Home.html
And we keep a week's worth of history here:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/02Hist/aOctober2.html
So there you have it for another week except for the "essential" goings-on in our crazy calendar - many of em' frivolous, but some serious:
October 16: Boss' Day; Dictionary Day; School Librarian Day; Ramadan Begins; Sweetest Day; Oscar Wilde's 150th Birthday; Cut Up Your Credit Card Day; Reptile Awareness Day; World Food Day.
October 17: Wear Something Gaudy Day; Black Poetry Day; Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day; UN International Day For The Eradication of Poverty.
October 18: No Beard Day; Alaska Day; Facility Service Workers Day; St. Luke Feast Day; Independence Day (Azerbaijan); Hurricane Thanksgiving Day???? (Virgin Islands); National Heroes Day (Jamaica); Persons Day (Canada).
October 19: Evaluate Your Life Day.
October 20: Brandied Fruit Day; Miss American Rose Day; Missouri Day (Mo); International Internet Day; Love Your Body Day; Revolution Day (Guatemala). October 21: Babbling Day ; Count Your Buttons Day; International Credit Union Day; Great Pumpkin Carve (Pa); National Day (Somalia); Overseas Chinese Day (Taiwan).
October 22: National Nut Day; Mother-In-Law Day; National Color Day ;World's End Day! (Russ says...and how many times will we get to celebrate that one!)
Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event this week? We hope it's a joyous occasion for you and your loved ones! Can't wait to find out what wild and wacky holidays are on tap for the rest of October? Check out:
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/october.htm
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/october.htm
http://www.party411.com/holidays-funky10.html
http://www.holidays.net/dailys.htm
Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event this week? We hope it's a joyous occasion for you and your loved ones! Can't wait to find out what wild and wacky holidays are on tap for the rest of October? Check out:
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/october.htm
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/october.htm
http://www.party411.com/holidays-funky10.html
http://www.holidays.net/dailys.htm
Until next time, may the Good Shepherd of us all watch over you and keep you from all harm, may you and yours be showered with an abundance of blessings, and as they say in Ireland, mind yourself.
Slan agus beannacht...and go Red Sox!
Bridget & Russ
Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet
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Events & Classifieds
To avoid duplication, we list only those events not already mentioned in the Irish Heritage Newsletter - if you'd like to subscribe, just send a note to George at Steeler059@aol.com
And, if you're in Ireland, or lucky enough to be visiting, you can see what's on offer here:
http://www.irishtravelideas.com/Calender2004.asp
Seattle Washington - October 29
The annual Memorial Mass in Gaelic for the deceased members of Seattle's Irish community is Friday, October 29, 7:30 PM, at Sacred Heart Church, 205 2nd Ave N (beside the Seattle Center). Mass Booklets in Gaelic and English will be provided, and musicians and singers are invited to volunteer by calling Mary Kelly at 206-528-1988. Call Catherine at 425-438-8554 to submit names of people who have died in the past year, or email CatherineM@irishclub.org.
Tallahassee, Florida - October 30, 2004 - Tallahassee Celtic Festival
Advance tickets now sale at all Blockbuster Locations in Tallahassee, Panama City, Thomasville & Valdosta. For more details, please click
http://www.tallahasseecelticfestival.com
FIVE FINGER PRAYER
1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. They need God's guidance. Also include our servicemen and women here and abroad who always stand tall in the duty of defending and protecting our nation. They need God's strength and comfort.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your little finger should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
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