http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/index.html

 

Greetings & Blessings to all

 

Welcome to our January/February newsletter.

I’ve had health issues lately so… I’ve combined January and February. That means I’m a little premature which brings me up to the month of love. Not much happens in January anyway. Except for a couple of articles that are actually a bit boring this is mostly about Valentine’s day. Bridget loved Valentine’s day and we had many wonderful celebratory days in his honor. We did have arguments but, in the end, our love overwhelmed them. Yes, I still miss her very much. I suppose I always will. The web site is mostly about St. Valentine’s day, You’ll find  our suggestion for a perfect St. Valentine’s day feast and the language of love in Irish. I hope you do something appropriate for your loved ones. If you’ve been waiting, now is the time. I can’t participate anymore because my love is gone but I want all of you who can to give it your all. Someday like me, you may not be able to.

 

Enough of my nattering. 

Again my thanks for the contributions. Please keep them coming. I would like appropriate news or other links more than anything.

We’re all in this together let’s make it as good as we can. Stay with me everybody.

 

Enough of the blather...

Is this your first edition?  Many thanks for joining us and if you like our musings and meanderings please feel free to share them with your family and friends. And do encourage them to sign up. The more of us, the merrier! And for all of our readers, we hope this issue finds you in good health, good spirits and good company. 

 

On with the update...

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Weather

Up the minute forecasts provided by Ireland's official source for all weather-related news. Please click Met Eireann.
http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

 

Basic Irish

Links

Quips, Quotes, Proverbs & Toasts

A Bit of the Wit

Joke of The Month

Did You Know

The week That Is

Leave 'em Laughing

Last Words

Basic Irish

Word: Love
Irish: grá
Pronunciation: graw
Phrase: My love
Irish: A grá 
Pronunciation: ah ghraw

Phrase: St Valentine's Day
Irish: Lá Fhéle Vailintín
Pronunciation: law ay-leh val-in-theen
Phrase: Happy St Valentine's Day
Beannachtaí na Fhéle Vailintín
Pronunciation: Ban-ochth-thee na Fay-leh val-in-theen
Literally, Blessings of St. Valentine

 

Links

Almost all the news is about Covid so these links are rather sparse—sorry

1.Ireland ranks high on passport usability index topped by Japan and Singapore

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/ireland-ranks-high-on-passport-usability-index-topped-by-japan-and-singapore-1.4773818

Hmm—Japan has closed its borders—Russ

2.Brexit ‘forecasts of doom have lifted’ as Irish exporters eye UK again

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/brexit-forecasts-of-doom-have-lifted-as-irish-exporters-eye-uk-again-1.4773763

Will it last?—Russ

3.Tanaiste Leo Varadkar confirms date is being 'worked on' for Ireland's double bank holiday

"No formal decision made yet but what we're working on is a proposal to have a double bank holiday for St Patrick's Day so that would be March 17 and 18 and then a new permanent holiday for St Brigid's Day which would come into effect in 2023,"

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/tanaiste-leo-varadkar-confirms-date-25915182

Sounds like a party—Russ

4. Wales given no chance to beat Ireland on opening day of Six Nations

THE WELSH have been given next to no chance to beat the Irish when they travel to Dublin for the opening day of the 2022 Six Nations, even though they are reigning champions.

https://www.irishpost.com/sport/wales-given-no-chance-to-beat-ireland-on-opening-day-of-six-nations-227867

We’ll see—Russ

5. Those flouting hotel quarantine rules could face fines of up to €4,000

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/those-flouting-hotel-quarantine-rules-could-face-fines-of-up-to-4-000-1.4487884

Damn right—Russ

6. School reopening: Infant and Leaving Cert classes may return on March 1st, says Taoiseach

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/school-reopening-infant-and-leaving-cert-classes-may-return-on-march-1st-says-taoiseach-1.4487926?localLinksEnabled=false&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Ulster+Bank+may+be+set+to+exit+Irish+market+after+more+than+160+years&utm_campaign=morning_briefing_digest

Don’t hold your breath—Russ

7. Irish reunification now on the table, former Foreign Office head says

Reunification of Ireland and the future status of Scotland are issues “definitely on the table” as a result of Brexit, the former head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service has said.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/irish-reunification-now-on-the-table-former-foreign-office-head-says-1.4170336

I’ll believe it when I see it—Russ

QUOTES, TOASTS , CURSES AND BLESSINGS

Oh, call it by some better name,
For Friendship sounds too cold,
While love is now a worldly flame,
Whose shrine must be of gold;
And Passion like, the sun at noon,
That burns o’er all he sees
Awhile as warm, will set as soon -
Then, call it none of these.
Imagine something purer far,
More free from stain of clay
Than Friendship, Love or Passion are,
Yet human still as they;
And if thy lip, for love like this
No mortal word can frame,
Go, ask of angels what it is,
And call it by that name. 
Thomas Moore

A BIT OF THE WIT

Even if the ball was wrapped in bacon, Lassie couldn't find it. Heard from an Irish caddie, after a particularly bad shot.

JOKE OF THE MONTH

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.

DID YOU KNOW

1. The sinister sounding Bloody Foreland in County Donegal owes its name to its magnificent sunsets?

The Irish are always dramatic—Russ

2. The crocus, which flowers about this time in Ireland, is St Valentine's Flower?

I think the only one that blooms sooner is the snowdrop—Russ

3. It was on Easter Monday, April 18, 1949, that Éire became officially known as the Republic of Ireland?

Bureaucracy always takes a long time—Russ

Sponsor

I’m my own Sponsor again this month.

Announcing the Irish Culture and Customs Book of Jokes

 

This is the collection of our Jokes. It was built up over many years and, now, is gathered here for your enjoyment. With this in your hand, whenever the day is dull or dreary you can open it up and have a good laugh, you'll feel better.

Available on Amazon. Use this Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Irish-Culture-Customs-Book-Jokes/dp/1986506800/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524578623&sr=8-1&keywords=irish+culture+and+customs+book+of+jokes&dpID=31oLHT0zknL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

 

THE Month THAT IS

1. Article: The Irish Link to St. Valentine

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ASaints/Valentine.html

2. Article: The Irish In Love

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove.html

3. Article: The Irish In Love - part two

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove2.html

4. Article: The Irish In Love - Still Waters Run Deep

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove3.html

3. Article: The Irish in love Part 4: Tales of Romance from fact & fiction

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove4.html

6. The Irish Kitchen: A Romantic Irish Menu for Valentine's Day

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rValentines.html

10. Basic Irish: The Language of Love - in Irish

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/3Focloir/Lessons1.1.html

11. Kids’ Ireland: Little Red Bird

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/1Kids/LittleRedBird.html

 

So there you have it until we write again - sometime in March.

If you are planning on getting married between now and then or tied the knot in the month of January or February, here are your special verses:

Marry when the year is new,

Always loving, kind and true

 

When February birds do mate,

You may wed, nor dread your fate.

And, if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event between now and our next edition, we hope it's an occasion filled with joy and happiness. 

 

We’ll take our leave with this blessing:

 

St. Brigid's Blessing for a home
May Brigid bless the house where you dwell, 
every fireside door and every wall;
every heart that beats beneath its roof,
every hand that toils to bring it joy, 
every foot that walks its portals through. 
may Brigid bless the house that shelters you.

 

All the best & God Bless,

Bridget & Russ

Get down on your knees and thank God you’re still on your feet. 

Téigh ar do ghlúine is bí buíoch le Dia go bhfuil tú fós ar do chosa.

 

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The Book

Potion, pope and perfidy

The second and final version is complete and available on Amazon.

Don’t order through ‘Marketplace’ or you’ll get the first version which is incomplete. Use this link: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Potion-Pope-Perfidy-ebook/dp/B07BBVST69/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531576170&sr=1-2&keywords=russell+haggerty&dpID=61BzUIHyd2L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If any of you bought and read the first version, I don’t want you to pay the higher price for the second. So, send me an E-Mail at the address below and I’ll buy one for you at my author’s price and mail it to you (and, yes, I’ll sign it). Even with the postage it will save you a bit of money.

Bless you all,

Russ Haggerty

 

LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING

Sean and his wife, Aoife, had been debating buying a vehicle for weeks. He wanted a truck. She wanted a fast little sports-like car so she could zip through traffic around town. He would probably have settled on any beat up old truck, but everything she seemed to like was way out of their price range. "Look!" she said. "I want something that goes from 0 to 200 in just a few seconds. Nothing else will do. My birthday is coming up so surprise me!" Sean did just that. For her birthday, he bought her a brand new bathroom scale. Nobody has seen or heard from him since.

 

Last Words

If you or anyone you know can benefit from advertising in my newsletter or the Irish Culture and Customs web site please contact me. My E-Mail address is: rhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

Thank you in advance

For all of you who have supported Irish Culture and Customs all these years – thank you.

When you start to buy anything on the internet don’t forget to go through the web Site. If you use Amazon, click on ‘Shopping’ at the top of the Irish Culture and Customs Homepage and the next page you see will have Amazon at the top. Anything you buy from Amazon through our site pays a (very small) commission. It beats a blank and it doesn’t effect your price. Thank you again.

—Russ