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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
If, for any reason, you wish to unsubscribe, instructions are at the end - but we do hope you'll stay with us.
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Greetings and blessings to all,
Has it been a week already? We hope this edition finds you and yours in good spirits, good health and good company. As for ourselves, it was another busy week of watching the weather. Last time, we were relieved that Ivan appeared to spare Florida a direct hit. Little did we suspect the havoc it would wreak in Pensacola. Our prayers and thoughts are with you if you live in the area and in other regions affected by this terrible storm; even here in the Ohio Valley, we've had some really bad flooding. We read a sign that sums up what a lot of people are feeling: 1. Francis; 2. Charlie; 3. Ivan; 4 Sale!
Last Sunday, we had a great time at our grandson's first birthday party; naturally, we took pictures and one of them is posted here:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/personal/grandson.html
During the party, we caught the rest of the Ryder Cup even though we knew going in that the Europeans had it pretty well sewn up. On Saturday, it was fun to watch Irish mates Harrington and McGinley beat Tiger Woods and his partner; it was especially hilarious to listen to the Irish fans at the 15th hole; while we didn't actually hear it for our selves, the announcers said that for the first time on a PGA course in the USA you could hear popular football songs like "here we go!"
By the way, We didn't have a website when our granddaughter was born and Russ has promised that one of these days, we'll have a page for her .Speaking of web sites, when you do visit ours, do you click through on the google ads in the right-hand margin? If not, please do - we make a few pennies every time. Which isn't to say that one person should click one ad a hundred times! Google would quickly cry foul. But if every subscriber clicked through an ad that looked interesting once in a while, the pennies could really add up. Thanks!
We're even later with the newsletter than we were last time; even at that Bridget was tempted to pack it in and go to bed. But, we owe it to one of our sponsors to get the newsletter out as soon as we can because they're having a great sale that ends in just a day or so. (see ad below). We also owe it to you, our loyal readers who let us know week in week out, how much you enjoy every edition. We truly appreciate the nice comments. We also appreciate you spreading the word which always leads to new subscribers. Many thanks if you just signed up and please feel free to share our musings and meanderings with your family and friends.
Enough about us....
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Help support our efforts -visit our good friends at the Celtic Attic.
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In news from Ireland:
General: Harry Potter agus an Orcloch (Golden Stone) will be officially launched in the Irish language next month. A Greek version of the book is also being launched at the same time, bringing to over 200 the number of languages into which the record-selling children's books have been translated.
AER Lingus is to operate charter flights to Orlando, Florida this winter The airline will commence three flights a week to Florida from December 2 from 475, including return flights; seven-nights hotel accommodation in a range of hotels; and a week's car hire, based on two people sharing and excluding taxes.
Co. Antrim - Global software giant Microsoft will officially open its first Northern Ireland office in the Innovation Centre at the Northern Ireland Science Park in Belfast on Thursday.
Co. Clare -End of unique transport service. The post-bus, a minibus which doubled as a bus service and postal delivery service in the county, is to close after twenty-two years. The service began in 1982 as an experiment and since that time it has clocked up 140,000 miles delivering post and carrying locals and tourists on a seventy-mile round trip for just 6. However driver JP Mulligan had cause to write to An Post when the bus became dangerous; twice the sliding door fell off, once in Ruan and once at Kilfenora. An Post responded by axing the service altogether, since it has not proved financially viable for some time.
Co. Dubli - Last week's Lotto jackpot, the fifth largest in its history, has been won by a group of eight workers at a Dublin petfood processing factory. And one of the eight is counting himself particularly fortunate, since he only joined the syndicate four months ago after another member dropped out.
Co. Dublin - Students Happy At All-Irish School.
There was widespread satisfaction among students and teachers at the all-Irish Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in Donaghmede, Dublin after Junior Cert results were released for the first time at the school. Ms Fionnuala Ní Chaisil, principal of the school which was established in 2001, said she was "absolutely delighted". It was the first set of exams which students at the school had taken, and was a proud day for the 16 teachers.
Co. Dublin
The last refuge of the 1916 rebel leaders could yet be spared the wrecking ball: Dublin City Council has approved a motion calling for 16, Moore Street to be designated an historic museum. The dilapidated terraced house was where Provisional Government leaders took their final desperate stand against British forces.
Co. Cork - Architect leaves dramatic footprint : The Spanish architect who redesigned Cork's main street attended the official opening of St Patrick's Street after its 12 million facelift and three years of almost constant building disruption.
Co. Galway - Can't get tickets for the All Ireland football final at Croke Park? It has just been announced that the match between Mayo and Kerry will be played on two screens in the Marquee on Sunday Afternoon during the International Oyster Festival Farewell Party. Tickets were still available last we looked; click here for more info:
http://www.galwayoysterfest.com
Co. Galway - Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney will address this year's celebration of Lady Augusta Gregory at the Autumn Gathering which takes place in Coole Park from Friday September 24 to Sunday 26, while Lady Gregory's great-grandson William de Winton, will travel from Australia to open the event. The Gathering, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, aims to celebrate the life and works of Lady Gregory, and to highlight her contribution to the revival of Irish culture in late 19th and early 20th century.
Co. Kerry - Killarney Seeks To Clean Up A Mucky Problem - Killarney National Park is to invite submissions from local people on how to tackle the problem of manure being dropped by jarvey horse on walkways. Public consultation on the issue will be invited in the National Park draft development plan to be published later this week.(Wish we were there - we'd suggest Bridget's mother's solution: gather it up and put it on the roses.)
Co. Mayo - Money for old slates: A novel fundraising idea is taking place in Attymass, where the parish priest has welcomed the idea of selling off the old slates from the church as a way of paying for a new roof for the building. Father Tom Mulligan has given his backing to the scheme whereby each slate will be cut, polished and inscribed before being offered for sale. A new roof for St Joseph's Church in Attymass is expected to cost up to 130,000 and, given that it is a very small parish, the slates for sale scheme seems an ideal way to raise the necessary funds.
Co. Offaly - Astronomers from all over Ireland gathered at Dooley's Hotel in Birr for the annual Whirlpool Star Party. Stargazers hoped that the weather holds out for observing sessions in the grounds of Birr Castle. The historic castle and its owners the Earls of Rosse have long been associated with astronomy and in the 1840s, the world's biggest and one of Ireland's first telescopes was built there.
Co. Wexford - Cheapest pint in Ireland: Reacting to the fall-off in business following the smoking ban and high prices, Francis Dooley has decided to cut the price of drinks at his bar in Courtown. In future patrons of DB's bar will pay a fixed price of 2.80 for a pint of Guinness and 2.90 for the more popular brands of lager. According to Francis people are now opting to buy their drink from supermarkets and off-licences to drink at home and the price cuts are an effort to attract them back to his premises.
In news from all over:
Michigan - Almost a year after work was completed, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, St. Patrick's Division of Lenawee County, will dedicate a memorial to honor those who died of hunger and disease in the Irish Potato Famine between 1845 and 1851. To read the full story, please click
http://www.lenconnect.com/articles/2004/09/19/news/news01.txt
Oregon - Ireland's Kerry Group has purchased the cookie dough company, Jana's Classics. Last year, Kerry Group purchased Seattle's Da Vinci Gourmet. Headquartered in Tralee, Co. Kerry, the Kerry Group employs 18,000 people worldwide in its manufacturing, sales and technical centers
From the mailbag:
John writes - Thomas would like to know where he can find regular sized flags of all 32 county flags of Ireland. Each flag has the county crest design on it. He hasn't been able to find any flags like this.' Try http://www//flagspot.net/flags/ie.html
Go raibh maith agat, John!
We were so happy to receive a very positive sounding message from Helen Dowd; not only did it include an entry into the writer's quiz, it also had a recipe from Hartson - the first one in over three months. The best part was reading that he appears to be getting back to his old self, cheering up all those around him, for example. Mind you, he's still in the hospital and still needs our prayers. But it does seem as if he's back on the road to recovery.
Deirdre Flynn writes: I'm a 4th year student at St Declans Community College in Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford. I am doing a project in Religion and I have to find information on the parish of Kilmacthomas. I am having dificulty finding information and I was hoping you might be able to help in some way. Thanks!
A couple of weeks ago, we were asked about a quote - not only was it missing some words, but our reader also wanted to know who said it. As always, one of our readers came through for us: Pam Smith writes The quote that Rick is looking for is by William Butler Yeats. It goes: "Being Irish I have an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains me through temporary periods of joy."I bought a shirt with the quote several years ago and wear it often to this day. It suits my personality.
Thanks Pam. it suits our personalities, too!
Joe Murphy writes: I have tried to get Irish language meetups together using www.meetup.com for people in the suburbs north of Chicago (Buffalo Grove area), but there hasn't been enough people interested so far. If anyone lives lives within driving distance of Buffalo Grove, IL, I would like to get a group together to practice conversational Irish or compare study techniques, etc. Any level of ability is fine. The group on www.meetup.com is "North Suburban Chicago Irish Language Meetup Group"
Rob wants to know if there is an Irish fighting knife similar to the Sgian Dubh in Scottish culture. We don't know. Can anyone help?
Links of the week:
Judith sent us the Interview with God. We've seen it before, but we think it's worth a repeat:
http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/windowmovie.html
Do you live within radio range of Binghampton, New York? Next Sunday ,might we suggest you tune into the Irish Show - we understand it's very entertaining. It's also hosted by one of our loyal readers Stu Fralick who often says nice things about us. Thanks Stu!
http://www.theirishshow.com
Several readers sent in the following - must be making the rounds. Be sure to have your speakers turned on: http://www.beecy.net/frank
World's Largest Pink Ribbon
3M Corporation is building the "World's Largest Pink Ribbon"on a billboard in Times Square this October. For every person who clicks on this link and signs up, Post-It will donate $1 to breast cancer research and place a Post-It in their name on the billboard.Here's the link:
http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/research/largest_pink_ribbon.jhtml
Last, but definitely not least - 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
Enough of the blitherin' - 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 the 50th Galway International Oyster Festival:
It was a bold man who first swallowed an oyster. Jonathan Swift. (Listed as a cliché in his "Bold Conversation)."
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A BIT OF THE WIT
Man is incomplete until he marries. After that, he is finished.
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OUR FAVORITE JOKE OF THE WEEK
This one was sent in by our son, Benjamin:
A Catholic priest and a nun were taking a rare afternoon off and enjoying a round of golf. The priest stepped up to the first tee and took a mighty swing. He missed the ball entirely and said !*#!, I missed." The good Sister told him to watch his language. On his next swing, he missed again. "!*#!, I missed." "Father, I'm not going to play with you if you keep swearing," the nun said tartly. The priest promised to do better and the round continued.On the 4th tee, he misses again. The usual comment followed. Sister is really angry now and says, "Father , God is going to strike you dead if you keep swearing like that." On the next tee, Father swings and misses again. "!*#!, I missed." A terrible rumble is heard and a gigantic bolt of lightning comes out of the sky and strikes the nun dead in her tracks. And from the sky comes a booming voice.........
"S!*#!, I missed."
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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. Dublin bus numbers follow the system used in the days of the horse-drawn tram, which ran from the city centre outwards in a clockwise direction from south to north?
2. Mountjoy Square is the only real square in Dublin, measuring 600 feet in length and width?
3. The Boot Inn at Cloghran is the oldest pub in Dublin (1593), rather than the Brazen Head (present building dated 1710)?
Source: The Little Book of Dublin by Tom Galvin
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IRISH WRITERS AND BOOKS QUIZ
First off, the answers to last week's quiz:
1. An Irish Blessing for the Home by Welleran Poltarnees
2. Reilly's Heart (Irish Blessing) by Elizabeth Keys
3. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead: Irish Blessings, Toasts and Curses by
Padraic O'Farrell
A round of applause and pints to this week's irish bibliophiles:
Helen & Hartson Dowd- lovely to see these old familiar names back on our list!
Debbi Felker
Dreaming of Ireland? Anyone whose spirit comes alive in the midst of all things Irish will be right at home on Fantasy-Ireland.com. Irish and Celtic symbols guide, collection of easy Irish recipes, unique and popular Irish baby names, and more!
http://www.fantasy-ireland.com
Katie Donahue
Irish Festivals/Holidays/Observances - Festivals of the Seasons: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter Festivals, and other Holidays and Observances:
http://www.irishfestivals.net/festivals.htm
Terry McManus
The website of the McManus families of Ireland and worldwide:
http://members.aol.com/manus/mcmanus.html
Want to see your name on next week's list? Try finding the following. (We assure you, it's really easy):
1. Gather Round Me - The Best of Irish Popular Poetry
2. Ireland in Poetry
3. A Rich & Rare Land - Ireland in Poetry and Paintings
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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Help us keep this newsletter free by visiting our good friends at The Irish Lottery. Did you know that 34 Millionaires were created by the Irish lottery in 2003? You could be next! One of the most trusted lotteries in the world, drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday. Best of all, you don't have to live in Ireland to play, winnings are tax-free and checks are mailed within 48 hours. Do you have the luck of the Irish? Play the Irish lottery and find out! You can't win it if you're not in it. Please click here for full details:
http://www.irishlotto.net
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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 begin with, the answer to last week's cranium crusher:
Q: A horse is tied to a five meter rope in front of the village pub. Six meters behind the horse is a bale of hay. Without breaking his rope, the horse is able to eat the hay whenever he chooses. How is this possible?
A: The rope isn't tied to anything except the horse. We had a load of fun reading some very creative but incorrect answers. However, our hats are off to Bill McCarthy Jr. from PA who was first in with the right solution. And now for this week's head-banger:
At the hardware store I was quoted 12 cents for one, 24 cents for 50, and 36 cents for 144. I wanted six.
Q: What was I buying and how much did it cost me?
THE WEEK THAT WAS
New - Sunday Blessing
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Blessings/Bless.html
New - Wednesday Quote
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Quotes/WitHumor.html
Republished - Haymaking in Ireland long ago
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACustom/Haymaking.html
Republished - Season of the Corn
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACustom/SeasonCorn.html
On-going: September Trivia Contest - Time's running out - All entries must be in by midnight, September 30, whatever time zone you're in.
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/TriviaContest.html
On-going: . Circle of Prayer; we began Novena #4 in this cycle on September 20. Please keep Mary from NY in your prayers; also Hartson & Helen, little Sebastian, Greg's mother; Matt Maupin still being held hostage and all of the hostages; 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.
New - Russ is re-doing our Crystal shopping page:
http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Shop/1Crst1.html
NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING:
New content is taking longer than anticipated - please be patient with us. It's also going to be a busier week than usual as we prepare for another month - that means a new trivia contest as well as a new recipe, new basic irish lesson and more.
So that wraps it up for another week, except for the "essential" goings-on in our crazy calendar - many of em' frivolous, but some serious:
September 18
September 19 - Talk Like A Pirate Day; National Butterscotch Pudding Day; National Play Doh Day; Women's Friendship Day
September 20 - Oktoberfest in Germany; National Punch Day
September 21 - International Day of Peace (UN); Biosphere Day; World Gratitude Day; Miniature Golf Day
September 22 - Autumn Equinox - First Day of Fall/Autumn; Centenarians Day; Elephant Appreciation Day; Business Women's Day; Dear Diary Day
September 23 - Checkers Day
September 24 - Native American Day (California); Yom Kippur begins; Good Neighbor Day; Rabbit Day.
Celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event this week? We hope it's a joyous occasion for you and your loved ones! Want to find out what wild and wacky holidays are on tap for September? Check out:
http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/september.htm
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/september.htm
http://www.holidays.net/dailys.htm
http://www.party411.com/holidays-funky09.html
Until next time, may God hold you and yours in the palm of His hand - and as they say in Ireland, mind yourself.
Slan agus beannacht,
Bridget & Russ
Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet
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http://www.paypal.com
Our email address there is bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com
FREE shamrock seeds for any donation over $25! Many thanks in advance for your kindness.
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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
Dublin Fringe Festival - September 20 to October 10
Now in its ninth year, the Fringe is an event of both national and international significance, attracting audiences in excess of 50,000. It is the fastest growing cultural event in Ireland and one of Europe's leading independent arts festivals with over 125 different events and attractions and more than 700 performances. Details here:
http://www.fringefest.com/index.asp
New York City, September 24
Joe's Pub presents Dervish performing songs from their latest recording "Spirit."
425 LaFayette Street; 9:30 P.M. For more info, please contact Anita Daly: anitadaly@yahoo.com
or visit the Dervish web site:
http://www.dervish.ie
Dublin - Roger Cummiskey Events
St. Stephen's Green, Fri, Sat, Sun. East side opposite Ely Place 24-26 Sept. Breakfast Shelbourne Hotel 7-9 AM.
Mullen's Irish Art Auction, Laurel Park. Sun 26th Sept 2 PM
For more info' visit Roger's website:
http://www.rogercummiskey.com
Cincinnati, Ohio September 25 & 26 Coney Island Celtic World Festival Enjoy traditional Celtic music, dancing and food as well as three plays of Irish interest : Last Epitaph of a Wise Man, Lady Gregory's Ingredients and Maggie Murphy's Home. For details about these and other attractions, please click:
http://www.cincinnatifolklife.com
Philadelphia - October 2
Corporal Thomas Francis Prendergast, Waterford, Ireland born Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient who is buried in an unmarked grave is to receive military honors and Christian burial. Greenwood Cemetery, Adams Avenue & Arrott St. Northeast Philadelphia. The National Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Marine Corps League Law Enforcement Foundation have been contacted, and it is hoped that surviving Medal of Honor recipients will attend. All Philadelphia Veteran and Irish - American Organizations are asked to send a representative and give Corporal Prendergast the honors and recognition that he was so long denied. Contact Person: Phil Bowdren Sr., Marshal, Philadelphia County A.O.H. Board
Phone: 215-426-2772 . E-Mail: PHBowdrenSr@aol.com
Aran Uslands October 4 - 11 Traditional Basket Workshop and archaeological walks.
you still can book! See details on our homepage:
http://www.irish-culture.ch
New York City - October 14
Shaylyn At Town Hall New York City on October 14th - One night only. Shaylyn is a dance show that illustrates the continuing evolution of Irish Dance, its many influences including other dance forms, changing times and changing generations, while remaining true to its original form. A tribute to Irish ancestors who struggled to keep the culture of music, song and dance alive, Shaylyn brings the story of Irish Dance full circle from mystical beginnings in ancient Ireland to the position it holds today. For more details, click
http://www.shaylyn.net/
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
Philadelphia - October 9th
5th Annual Hubernian Hunger Project Cook-In . Teamster's Local 623 Hall, 4369 Richmond Street. Questions? Contact Donna Donnelly, AOH 87 - kddfam@aol.com or Ed Dougherty, AOH 39, edough7236@aol.com
Sligo, Ireland - Early October
The Sligo Heritage and Genealogy centre is hosting a 4 day international conference on Irish genealogy, heritage and culture. Even if you come from another county, this conference will be of interest as experts in various fields of study from all over Ireland will be speaking on a wide range of topics. Preliminary details of the conference are available at:
http://www.sligoroots.com
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