Greetings & Blessings to all
Welcome to our February newsletter.
Here’s a rather odd year. We have St. Valentine’s day and Ash Wednesday on the same day! I can’t help feeling it’s a contradiction in terms. I noticed this is just the first of odd coincidences because Easter and April fool’s day are the same day as well. That aside, here in our Ohio river valley we still have snow and ice. I suppose I’ll take morning walks in the spring. Now, as everyone knows this is the month of St.Valentine’s day. I’ll have all those wonderful articles on romance that Bridget wrote. I hope they inspire everyone to send anonymous cards and plan romantic dinners. Of course, I have everything you need to do a romantic dinner in the Irish Kitchen. Here’s where I wish everyone all the love and affection you can ever want. Yes, it may be Ash Wednesday as well but I think we can at least postpone Lent for one more day.
Once again my thanks for the contributions of jokes and anything else. Please keep those contributions coming. The one best source of my jokes is Joe McTiernan; thanks again Joe.
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:
Links
Quips, Quotes, Proverbs & Toasts
A Bit of the Wit
Joke of The Month
Did You Know
The week That Is
Leave 'em Laughing
LINKS
1. Irish weather: Met Eireann issue THREE weather warnings as Ireland braced for 'thundersnow'
with rain and 110km/h winds
A forecaster said: "On Saturday afternoon and evening southwest to west winds will reach mean speeds of between 55 and 65 km/h with gusts up to 110 km/h possible."
A second weather warning for rain is in place for Connacht and counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. It's valid until midnight tonight.
A forecaster said: "Later tonight and on Sunday, wintry showers will give accumulations of up to 3 cm of snow, with larger amounts on higher ground, especially in Ulster and Connacht."
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-weather-midterm-meteireann-snow-12004762
2. David McWilliams: Dublin Port is a waste of space. Move it
There is an obvious solution to Dublin’s crippling capacity problem: move our Port and develop one of Dublin’s greatest natural assets into a new, gleaming city. Dublin is one of the last major cities that continues to have a port on its most valuable prime land. Cork is moving its port, and if it’s good enough for Cork, it’s good enough for Dublin.
3. Digital project to recreate public record office destroyed by fireA project is under way to digitally recreate the building and contents of the Public Record Office of Ireland, which were destroyed by an explosion and fire at Dublin's Four Courts in 1922. The six-storey Victorian building went up in flames on 30 June 1922 during the Civil War.
Ooo, maybe some of my ancestors are in there
—Russ
4. 13 wonderful things to do in Ireland
Pack your walking shoes, your rain coat and your friendliest smile… Here’s a list of 13 wonderful things to do in Irelandhttps://irelandways.com/wonderful-things-to-do-in-ireland
You should be younger than I am—Russ
5. Discover Wild Ireland
If you want to immerse yourself in Wild Ireland then walking and cycling are two of the best ways to do it. Each time you make your way out of a town you will begin to have your senses overloaded by the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside. The sound of the wind in the trees and birds in the sky are fortified by the smell of the plants along the way (and sometimes the wonderful countryside aroma of farms!).
I don’t recall farms smelling very good—Russ
6. First Irishman was black with blue eyes says genetic expertWhile the ill-informed may claim that you must be pale, pasty and white to be Irish, DNA evidence from the very first Brit, “Cheddar Man,” indicates that there is a strong possibility that the earliest Irish people may have had a much darker skin tone than previously believed.
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/cheddar-man-dark-skin-first-irish-look-like?utm_campaign=Best+of+IrishCentral+-+2018-02-09&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Mailjet
Free Opportunity from one of our sponsors
Learn how to say “My name is” in Irish Gaelic
Just in time for St. Patrick’s day
Learn some Irish Gaelic, to make a real connection with your Irish heritage.
Watch this free video by Bitesize Irish Gaelic on how to say “my name is”, in Ireland’s native tongue.
Watch this free video by Bitesize Irish Gaelic on how to say “my name is”, in Ireland’s native tongue.
QUOTES, TOASTS , CURSES AND BLESSINGS
People with a culture of poverty suffer much less from repression than we of the middle class suffer and indeed, if I may make the suggestion with due qualification, they often have a hell of a lot more fun than we have.
Brien Friel.
Brien Friel.
A BIT OF THE WIT
Come forth, Lazarus! And he came fifth and lost the job.
From Ulysses by James Joyce
From Ulysses by James Joyce
JOKE OF THE MONTH
Three ‘groaners’ this time
PADDY says to Mick, "Christmas is on a Friday this year".... Mick says "Let's hope it's not the 13th."
PADDY and Mick find three grenades, so they take them to a police station. Mick: "What if one explodes before we get there?" Paddy: "We'll lie and say we only found two."
PADDY is in the bathroom and Murphy shouts to him. "Did you find the shampoo?" Paddy says, "yes but it's for dry hair and I've just wet mine."
Thanks and a tip of the hat to Joe McTiernan—Russ
DID YOU KNOW
1. Ireland's smallest church is at Portbraden in Co. Antrim? Only ten feet long by six feet wide, the structure is dedicated to St. Gobhnan - the patron saint of builders. (huh?!).
Must be a really small parish—Russ
2. The Irish alphabet has only 18 letters? J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y and Z are not used.
3. St. Patrick was the first person in history to speak out against slavery and he is the Patron Saint of the Excluded? By the time of his death, or shortly thereafter, the Irish stopped slave trading and they never took it up again.
Good enough–Russ
THE WEEK THAT IS
1. Article: Shrovetide - The Marrying Season
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/Shrovetide.html
2. Article: Shrove Tuesday Pancakes!
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/ShroveTues.html
3. Article: The Irish Link to St. Valentine
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ASaints/Valentine.html
4. Article: The Irish In Love
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove.html
5. Article: The Irish In Love - part two
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/IrishinLove2.html
6. The Irish Kitchen: A Romantic Irish Menu for Valentine's Day
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rValentines.html
7. Basic Irish: Saint Brigid & Spring
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/3Focloir/Lessons6.html
8. Kids’ Ireland: The Nightingale and the Rose
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/1Kids/NightingaleandRose.html
So there you have it until we write again - sometime in February.
If you are planning on getting married between now and then or tied the knot in the month of February, here is your special verse:
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:
Blessing for Lent
Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of baptism.
Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of ashes,
and bless our journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth.
May our fasting be hunger for justice;
our alms, a making of peace;
our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts.
All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus.
For in his cross you proclaim your love for ever and ever. Of course, you are supposed to give up something for Lent. I recommend hate and fear—Russ 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. DID SOMEONE FORWARD THIS ISSUE TO YOU? Subscribe for FREE! Send an email to: rhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com OR click on this link: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Newsletter.html
LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
Brewery
One night, Mrs McMillen answers the door to see her husband’s best friend, Paddy, standing on the doorstep.
“Hello Paddy, but where is my husband? He went with you to the beer factory.”
Paddy shook his head. “Ah Mrs McMillen, there was a terrible accident at the beer factory. Your husband fell into a vat of Guinness stout and drowned.”
Mrs McMillen starts crying. “Oh, don’t tell me that! Did he at least go quickly?”
Paddy shakes his head. “Not really – he got out three times to pee!”
An oldie but a goodie—Russ
Speeding
An Irish priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car.
He says, “Sir, have you been drinking?”
“Just water,” says the priest.
The trooper says, “Then why do I smell wine?”
The priest looks at the bottle and says, “Good Lord! He’s done it again!
Thanks and another tip of the hat to Joe McTiernan
Last WordsIf 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 page 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
