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Greetings & Blessings to all

Welcome to our June newsletter.

I’m sorry I’m a little late this month. This is the month Bridget passed away and it’s also her birthday month. I had a birthday party for her and it was very well attended. Everyone had a good time and I forgot about the reason for a few hours. I did hang up a basket of impatiens in her honor. Unfortunately, her roses have all blown and I didn’t have them for her birthday. Now I have to wait a month or two before I get new wave of blossoms.

Summer is coming in with rain storms alternating with horrible heat. Of course, it is almost summer in Cincinnati so I should expect this.

Once again my thanks for the contributions. Please keep them coming. I would like appropriate news or other links more than anything. My thanks in advance.

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

Last Words

LINKS

1.Ireland weather forecast: Ireland set for return of hot and dry conditions as Met Eireann promise 22C highs

The national forecaster said "mainly dry settled weather is set to become established" by midweek, while the weekend will see "temperatures well into the twenties".

Today, the mercury is set to hit 21C and it will be a mostly dry day.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/newsireland/ireland-weather-forecast-ireland-set-for-return-of-hot-and-dry-conditions-as-met-eireann-promise-22c-highs/ar-AAyNaSt

That’s not quite 72f my temperature as I write this is 93f or almost 34 C the Irish are spoiled —Russ

2.Ryanair wants morning airport alcohol ban after flight diverted

Ryanair has called for a pre-10am booze ban at airports after a group of drunken Irish-based holidaymakers forced an Ibiza-bound Ryanair flight from Dublin to divert to Paris on Saturday morning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/ryanair-wants-morning-airport-alcohol-ban-after-flight-diverted-1.3534000?localLinksEnabled=false

Sheesh, I agree. I love my Guinness but never before 3:00PM—Russ

3.Joycean enthusiasts turn out for a day to remember

The graves of a moneylender, drowned solicitor and murdered under secretary were just three stops along an annual Bloomsday tour of Glasnevin Cemetery for enthusiasts of James Joyce’s Ulysses.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/joycean-enthusiasts-turn-out-for-a-day-to-remember-1.3533508

President Higgins was there in Edwardian dress—Russ

4. Ireland to vote on removing blasphemy from constitution

Ireland’s constitution, which was written in 1937 following its independence from the United Kingdom, states that: “The publication of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offense which shall be punishable in accordance with law.”

https://abcnews.go.com/International/ireland-vote-removing-blasphemy-constitution/story?id=55861688

I thought at first the constitution was full of swear words—Russ

5. County by County, here are the most famous people in Ireland

For a small country, it has to be said, we’ve really outdone ourselves when it comes to well-known/famous people.

From literary giants such as Yeats and Oscar Wilde to musical icons like Bono, Enya, and One Direction's Niall Horan. But where are all of these people from?

We’ve put together a list of who we think ranks as the 'most famous' or 'well-known' person from each county in Ireland - north, south, east, and west.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/discover/county-by-county-here-are-the-most-famous-people-in-ireland-848282.html

Hmmm, interesting; some may not be well known in the States – most are—Russ

6. Wow Air announce super cheap summer flights between North America and Ireland

Icelandic air carrier Wow Air has announced a summer flight extravaganza,kicking off the sunny months with incredible low fares between Ireland and the Northern American cities of Chicago, New York, Toronto, Washington DC, Cleveland, and Boston via Reykjavik.

Flights start from as little as $149.99 one-way to fly from the US to Dublin (via Iceland’s capital Reykjavik) throughout May, June, September, and October, taking advantage of the airline’s basic fare which doesn’t include booking and baggage fees.

https://www.irishcentral.com/travel/travel-tips/wow-air-summer-flights-north-america-to-ireland?utm_campaign=Best+of+IrishCentral+-+2018-05-08&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Mailjet

I’m leaving this up from last month. I have to go to Ireland to pour Bridget’s ashes on her grandmother’s grave in Galway and this may my best choice—Russ

QUOTES, TOASTS , CURSES AND BLESSINGS

Bigamy is having one wife too many. Marriage is the same.
Oscar Wilde

A BIT OF THE WIT

He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.
George Bernard Shaw

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Old Scotland. Two nearby castles are at war. One shoots a cannonball at the other. Bang. A piece of wall breaks. In a while the second castle shoots at the first one. A part of a tower becomes a pile of stones. And so on for some time. Then there is a long silence. Suddenly from one of the castles a cry is heard: "Why don't you shoot?" And the answer: "You have the cannonball."

DID YOU KNOW

1. Squire Watson, an eccentric 18th century Kilkenny landowner, had such an unshakeable belief that he would be reincarnated as a fox that he had a luxurious marble den built in the grounds of his estate in anticipation of his return?

I guess they didn’t have fox hunts and hounds in his neighborhood—Russ

2.In 1986, a 900 year old cheese was found perfectly preserved, in a Tipperary bog?

Right next to the whiskey probably—Russ

3.Dublin's West-Link bridge lanes are the busiest in Europe, possibly even in the world? Each lane handles 20,700 vehicles a day, compared to 10,800 per lane at New York's George Washington Bridge.

I didn’t see much traffic anywhere else, I guess they were all on the bridge–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 WEEK THAT IS

1. Article:St. Brendan,The Navigator

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

2. Article: The Bloomsday Festival in Dublin

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

3. Article: How to Savor Ulysses this Summer

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AWriters/Ulysses.html

4. Article: Joyce's Dublin

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AWriters/JoyceDublin.html

5. Article: St. John's Eve in old Ireland

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

6. Article: St. John's Eve in old Ireland, Part 2

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalend/StJohnsEve2.html

7. The Irish Kitchen: A Taste of Ireland: Irish Coffee

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

8. Basic Irish: Father's Day and Graduation

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/3Focloir/Fathersday.html

9. Kids’ Ireland: A Visit With Nessie

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

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

If you are planning on getting married between now and then or tied the knot in the month of June, here is your special verse:

Marry when June roses blow,

Over land and sea you’ll go.

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:

A blessing for those taking a journey
The love and affection of the angels be to you,
The love and affection of the saints be to you,
The love and affection of heaven be to you,
To guard and to cherish you.
May God shield you on every step,
May He aid you on every path,
And may He hold you safe on every slope,
On every hill and on every plain;
On earth and on sea until you are home again.

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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LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING

Mrs. O'Reilly returned home from a vacation to France where she had taken a cooking class. She tells her husband Paddy she is going to prepare him a special meal and he is to go down to Sean's Market and buy two dozen escargot, which she explains to Paddy are snails. Mrs. O'Reilly admonishes Paddy to come right home, no stops at the pub, because she wants to have escargot for dinner. Paddy buys the snails and is on his way home but alas, his route takes him right by his favorite pub. Just one he tells himself. Well, perhaps another he says after having the first pint. The company is good, the tales are tall, and Paddy finds himself having three or four. As Paddy heads home he realizes it has become dark and knows his lovely wife will be waiting and sharpening her tongue for him. As Paddy opens the gate to home the porch light comes on and he hears the door begin to open. Paddy empties the bag of escargot on the ground and says in a loud voice "Come on now lads! You're almost there."

Last Words

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.

Bless you all,

Russ Haggerty

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