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Welcome to the Irish Culture & Customs newsletter which is published every weekend and sent out to more than 1400 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,
We hope this week's edition finds you and yours on the pig's back. A warm welcome to you all and a special hello to our new subscribers. Many thanks for signing up and please feel free to share our weekly musings and meanderings with your family and friends.
As for ourselves, it was a stormy week. Often, in the Ohio Valley, the transition from one season to another is marked by unsettled weather. But, we were stunned when a local icon was destroyed by high winds this past Friday. Ever since we have lived here, the Kings Island sign you can see from route I-71 was like a beacon that told us we were close to home. It's in tatters now. Fortunately, as far as we know, while there was a lot of damage in our area, we didn't hear of any injuries, or worse.
On a lighter note, our first grandson made his inaugural visit to Toad Hall (our pet name for the money pit we live in). Fievel Owen Haggerty is a chubby cherub - no doubt about it. We also have to wonder how Bridget's father would have reacted to the baby's first name. When we told him we had named our second son Benjamin Seth, he commented that he didn't know there were Jewish people in the family! Well, he also didn't know that his own grandmother was a Scottish Presbyterian. Bridget found that out long after her dad had gone to his reward. Anyway, if you'd like to see pictures of the new arrival, we have a few on our personal pages:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/personal/grandson.html
In news from Ireland:
At Croke Park, Dublin, Tyrone won their first Bank of Ireland All-Ireland title with a closely fought victory over reigning champions Armagh. For full details on the match, click
http://www.rte.ie/sport/2003/0928/gaa/tyrone.html
In Co. Galway, auctioneers are today selling off of the contents of Holly Park House. The Georgian hunting lodge was originally built by the Blakes, an old West Galway family. One lot of special interest is a magnificent pair of Purdey 12-bore shotguns made in 1910. They carry an estimate of 20,000 euros and are presented in their original leather case.
Another major auction will take place this November when a major collection of antique furniture, paintings and works of art from Lissadell House, Co Sligo goes on the block. Joint agents Christie's and Hamilton Osborne King are expecting the sale to fetch in the region of 800,000 to 1.2 million euros.
In Co. Meath, Ballinabrackey hosted what appears to be a very successful National Ploughing Championship. The Sinn Féin had a stand, the record for shaking hands was broken (and made it into the Guinness book of records), and thousands enjoyed the three-day event.
In northwest Mayo: Amazingly, no-one was killed or injured in a major storm a week ago last Friday. The parish priest of Aughoose, Fr. MacCongamhna said the storm "broke the crowns of two hills" causing at least 20 landslides which spread in every direction. New river valleys were sculpted and bridges washed away.Isolated householders had to protect their homes as water flooded their properties. Many sheep were lost in the deluge.
And off the Irish Coast - Rare Fish Caught. A deep-water fang-tooth fish, dubbed Dracula by its finders, is to become the basis for a collection of rare fish in the Kerry aquarium, Dingle Ocean World. The black fish was caught 200 miles off the coast and taken from levels of 1,200 metres deep. The fish normally lives off the Falklands/Malvinas Islands in 5,000 metres of sea.
From the mailbag:
There weren't any unusual requests for origins of strange superstitions and the like, but we did feel very fortunate when we were notified by PayPal that we had received a generous contribution from a subscriber. To the lovely lady in Columbus, Ohio, Sláinte!
Links of the week:
One of our subscribers, Jack, has a great site we think you'll enjoy:
http://www.irishpage.com
For Halloween, we found Haunted Ulster
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/autumn/haunted/index.shtml
For stress relief, Hartson sent us:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/pegleggene/index.html#callon3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/autumn/haunted/index.shtml
He also sent us a neat site that challenges your knowledge of driving regulations on American roads:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safety/fourthlevel/msaa/road_challenge.html
And, our dear friend Judith has been having a lot of fun on the puzzle page we mentioned last week; She sent us this link to a puzzle of Blarney Castle. Thanks, Judith - and happy solving, everyone.
http://www.jigzone.com/ms/z.php?zi=1290000150DA&z=48_piece_classic
We've blithered and blathered long enough - on with the update!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
A Bit of The Wit
Joke of The Week
Did You Know?
Quotes & Quips
Know Your Irish Writers & Books?
Riddle
New This Week
The Week Ahead
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A BIT O' THE WIT
An Irishman will always soften bad news, so that a major coronary is no more than 'a bad turn' and a near hurricane that leaves thousands homeless is 'good drying weather'.
Hugh Leonard
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OUR FAVORITE JOKE OF THE WEEK
This one is from Hartson. Go raibh maith agat!
A dietitian was addressing a large audience in Dublin. "The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks erode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. Vegetables can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But there is one food that is the most dangerous of all and we all have, or will, eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?" A 75-year-old man in the front row stood up and said, "Wedding cake."
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DID YOU KNOW...
In honour of Sir Arthur Guinness who was born on September 24, in 1775, this week's trivia is all about Ireland's favorite brew, Did you know...
1. Over 800 million cans of Guinness Draught have been sold in over 70 countries since it was launched in 1989?
2. Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, took a supply of Guinness with him on his travels to Samoa?
3. At 198 calories a pint, Guinness has fewer calories than a pint of skimmed milk or orange juice?
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QUIPS, QUOTES & ANECDOTES - PROVERBS, CURSES AND TOASTS, TOO
Ireland remains a deeply religious country, with the two main denominations being 'us' and 'them'. Frank McNally, The Irish Times.
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KNOW YOUR IRISH WRITERS & IRISH-RELATED BOOKS?
The answers for last week:
1. Knick Knack Paddy Whack by Ardel O'Hanlon
2. The Young Wan - An Agnes Browne Novel by Brendan O'Carroll
3. Smoke in the Wind: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland by Peter Tremayne
Kudos and congrats to our list of literary sleuths:
Judith Flynn
One of my favorite links is:
http://www.joanwanderson.com
Author and lecturer, Joan Wester Anderson has 14 books to her credit, including Where Angels Walk, True Stories of Heavenly Visitors which was on the New York Times best-seller list for over a year, has sold almost two million copies and been translated into fourteen languages.
Helen Dowd
It has been proven that pets can help relieve stress. Read the advice of a few well-versed cats who will tell you a thing or two! http://www.occupytillicome.com/articles. Need an angel today? Visit my website at: www.occupytillicome.com
Ellen Parodi
Namely Gifts at http://namelygifts.com
Personalized Name Keepsakes and Gifts
Something for every name on your gift list!
Featuring Babies, Children and Our Everyday Heroes
Hartson Dowd
http://www.IrishAires.org
Irish Aires Radio Show on KPFT-FM (90.1FM & on the Internet)
It is Houston's only 100% Irish Music and News show.
Note: Time Change - Now on at 6:30PM (Central Time) Saturday- 12:30AM in Ireland
Pat Murphy
Biddy McGraw's the Pacific Northwest's only authentic Irish pub and the home 'O the "perfect" pint':
http://www.biddys.com
Dallas Hodder Franklin
Sell Writing Online Newsletter. Voted Best Publication Editor in the 2002 Preditors and Editors Poll. Sign up at:
http://www.sellwritingonline.com
Déirdre McKiernan-Hetzler
The new brochure for 2004 is at the printer. If you're interested in exploring "real Irish culture and history" take a look at our most recent tour itinerary and then request a brochure:
http://www.irishbook.com/tourinfo.htm
Norma Mackey
As always, my favorite site is yourselves! ( Norma, you're giving us a big head!)
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com
Judy Skapik
(Nice to see you back on the list Judy!)
Want to see your name and favorite site on our list? Try to find the following authors - we assure you, it's really easy! Who wrote:
1. Eureka Street: A Novel of Ireland Like No Other
2. The Salesman
3. Irish Girls About Town - An Anthology of Short Stories
Hint: All three titles can be found here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0300094426/ref=ase_irishcultucus-20/104-7897114-5847108
Send us the correct answers to two out of three and the rewards are:
1. If you have a web site, send us your URL plus a short description and we'll publish it in the next newsletter. If you don't have a web site, please nominate a favorite. Also, please remember that we list our sleuths in the order of entries received.
2. Receive a correct entry into the current "So You Think You're Irish" trivia contest. (In fairness to those of you who go to the trouble of actually finding the answers to the trivia contest, you'll get a bonus entry!)
3. Click through on the Hint URL above, tell us the title and earn another entry into the Trivia drawing.
NOTE: It would be very helpful if you would send your entries to: bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com
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THIS WEEK'S RIDDLE
Just one reader solved our latest brain twister: Pat Riordan from Boston. Well done Pat! In addition to enlightenment, another English eleven-letter word that begins and ends with the same three letters is underground. Now for this week's head-banger: This was sent in by Mary Sanfillipo - thanks, Mary!
There is one in a minute and two in a moment, but only one in a million years. What is it?
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NEW OR FEATURED ON OUR HOME PAGE:
Important Note: Russ works on updating the entire site every weekend. Usually, by Monday morning, all new articles and features are in place. Maybe we should change our name to Ireland's Monday Magazine!
1. Home Page - See what's new at a glance:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/index.html
2. New: Article - Music for Your Wedding & Reception
There just wasn't time to finish this last week. We will definitely have it up on Monday or Tuesday.
3. New: Article - Michaelmas in Old Ireland. Our original article was a bit thin, so we've expanded on this one and almost doubled it in length
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/Michaelmas.html
4. New: The Irish Kitchen - in honour of Michaelmas, we're featuring Michaelmas Pie and Irish Bannock
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/1Home.html
5. New: The Library - We kick off the month of ghosts and goblins with a book about Halloween festivities in Northern Ireland
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Libr/1BkFolk1.html
6. Featured: Article - Ireland's Holy Wells
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ALandmks/HolyWells.html
7. Featured: The Irish Kitchen - With the Galway Oyster Festival going on right now, why not check out our Oyster page which has about a dozen recipes
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rOysters.html#SouvenirSketrick
Also, St. Michael's Day is tomorrow, and it's considered lucky to dine on goose. Check out this great recipe from Darina Allen - Michelmas Goose with Potato & Apple Stuffing
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rPoultry.html#MichaelmasGoose
8. Featured: Article - The Galway International Oyster Festival
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/aGalwayOysters.html
9. Featured: Article - Making a Match in Lisdoonvarna
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMisc/Lisdoonvarna.html
10. Ongoing: Circle of Prayer. Our ninth Novena in this cycle began on September 26 and ends on October 4. We have added a new name to our list: Shirley's sister-in-law Claire Spellmire who is being treated for cancer. Please also continue to pray or meditate for Bob, C.J., Christopher, Sam, Steven & Margaret, Priscilla's family, and our military personnel stationed all over the world, especially in Iraq. Whatever your spiritual leanings, we hope you will join us each day
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Blessings/CirclePrayer.html
11. Trivia Contest. Haven't entered yet? There's still time. All entries must be received by midnight next Tuesday, September 30, whichever time zone you live in.
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/TriviaContest.html
12. On-going: Irish News: Headlines for the past week
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/01News/Home.html
13. On-going: This month in Irish History:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/02Hist/9September.html
14. The bragging zone: In case you missed the URL for pics of our new grandson, here it is again (and besides, we didn't want to end with the number 13)
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/personal/grandson.html
NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING:
The blessing has been posted; we'll have a new quote on Wednesday, and in addition to the featured recipes on oysters and roast goose and the new recipes for Michaelmas Pie and Irish Bannock, we'll have a brand new recipe from Hartson toward the end of the week. We'll also be posting the Trivia quiz for October and updating the Culture Corners - one on the home page and one on Kids' Ireland. There'll be a new story for children and we have another basic Irish lesson in the queue. It's going to be a busy week!
So, there you have it for another week, except for a few bits and pieces. Don't forget to say "pinch, punch, first day of the month, white rabbit" next Wednesday. The wedding verse for October is "If in October, you do marry, love will come, but riches tarry." (We can definitely attest to this as we were wed on October 5th!) Also, October is Polish American Heritage Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Family History Month, International Book Fair Month, Vegetarian Awareness Month, National Dessert Month, National Pasta Month, National Pork Month, National Seafood Month, and National Pretzel Month. If that isn't enough to make your head spin, September 28 is Teacher's Day in Taiwan and Strawberry Cream Pie day in the US. September 30 is Mulled Cider Day, October 4 is Golf Day and the Jewish High Holidays continue (until October 6).
Just one more thing and we'll close. For quite some time, we've used the salutation A Chara in our correspondence (A Cháirde is the plural). Our faces are a bit red because Aideen, our resident Irish speaker tells us this is never used among friends. It's the equivalent of Dear Sir or Madam! So, our apologies for that and a word to the wise to your good selves.
Until next time, may you and your loved ones be abundantly blessed and may God keep you from all harm.
All the best - and as they say in Ireland - mind yourself!
Bridget & Russ
Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet
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Events & Classifieds
Note: To avoid duplication, we list only those events not mentioned in the comprehensive listing put together by The Wild Geese. To check their Events Page, please click: http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/events.html
The Irish Heritage Newsletter also lists events - 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 for October here:
http://www.emigrant.ie/Event.asp
The Voyage of the Jeanie Johnston
She is in Quebec City until 9/29. The end of her epic voyage is at hand. On Thursday, October 16 to Monday, October 20, she will be at St. John`s, Newfoundland. On October 23, she will depart for her return passage to Ireland.
Cincinnati, Ohio - Saturday, October 4, 2003
Fifth Annual Fr. McGuire Memorial Golf Classic sponsored by AOH Div. Our Lady of Knock, Norwood. Little Miami Golf Center, Newtown. For entry blank contact-Chairman Jim Kennedy 513-474-9755, Co-Chairman Dan Young -513-729-3289
Houston, Texas
Irish Society Gala at the Petroleum Club
October 9, 20030
For more information, contact the Center for Irish Studies:
Lori Meghan Gallagher, Director 713-525-3592
irishstudies@stthom.edu
Samhain International Poetry Festival Friday 31 October & Mon 3 November in Gort a'Choirce, Co. Donegal. Email: info@samhainpoetrycompetition.com
or info@maggiedans.com
Song and Silence: A Weekend with the Celtic Saints - November 21-23
Pendle Hills, Wallingford, PA
For more information or to register, please contact our registrar, Steve Jackson, at ext. 142, (610) 566-4507 or (800) 742-3150, or e-mail him at registrar@pendlehill.org. If you have access to the Internet, please check out our website:
http://www.pendlehill.org
Ancient Order of Hibernians Historical Tour of Ireland
January 27, 04- February 4, 04
In conjunction with Our Lady of Knock Division No. 2; Ancient Order of Hibernians, Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, please call James V. Magee, Jr., President (513) 621-9660
Texas Dulcimer Cruise - February 5-9, 2004
Galveston to Cozumel on the Carnival Celebration. There will be workshops, jam sessions, talent show and more. These spots will go fast, so book early! Inside cabins are $430.80 pp, double occupancy and oceanview cabins are $480.80 pp, double occupancy. Delesandri Tours, booking agent for this trip Ask for Marcy: 281-535-5703 or e-mail marcy@delesandri.com
Galveston, Texas
March 28, 03
Galveston 1894 Grand Opera House - James
Galway, flautist Sunday March 28, 2004 3pm
Cais Conference/Reunion - May 26-29, 2004
Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
The theme is "Mother Tongues: The Languages of Ireland."
For details, please click
http://www.irishstudies.ca
6th Int'l McManus Clan Association Gathering May 25th through May 31st, 2004
For full details please visit our website at:
http://members.aol.com/manusclan/mcm2004.htm or contact Phil McManus at Manus@aol.com
7th Clann McKenna Rally - June 25th through Sunday June 27th 2004
For details, please write plunkettmckenna@eircom.net
or click on the following link:
www.omagh.gov.uk/historypark.htm
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