We hope this St. Patrick’s edition finds you in good spirits, good health and good company. As for ourselves, we are enjoying balmy spring weather in our Ohio Valley - but snow is predicted by the weekend. As they say in these parts, if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. The good news  is that the sun will shine on Dublin’s massive parade - which, because of the 1916 centenary, promises to be spectacular. While we can"t be there in person, we’re going to do the next best thing and watch the live broadcast as it happens. And then we’re going to head over to our son’s pub for a celebratory drink! How about you - what are you planning to do?   

 

 

We stopped mentioning our Novena page quite some time ago. The page is still there if you’d like to visit:

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Blessings/CirclePrayer.html 

But  very recently we heard of two families who need our prayers;: The McTiernans and the Devines. A niece of Joe and Eillen Mc Tiernan has passed away at just 27. leaving three small children without a mom. And the Devines are mourning the loss of Kevin who will be buried on St. Patrick’s Day - exactly two years after his brother Denny. 

 

Herself loves geese, especially as a skein flying overhead. But Imagine witnessing two geese, presumably  a boy and gir finding each other. That’s  what happened when Herself  was  sitting in a car park at a shopping mall. First she heard the call and then, there on the roof of Macys. she saw a goose land beside another. If you’ve never seen two geese entwine necks in a love embrace,  it’s a picture worthy of a  poem.

 

In all the years we have been doing the web site and sending out the newsletter, we have never charged for our time or out of pocket expenses. We do our best to get by with fees from our advertisers and   donations from our readers. Since this year’s campaign began a couple of weeks ago, contributions are way down on previous years. In fact, we ‘ve received more responses to the riddle than we have donations! But you can change that ratio very easily and for for every dollar you donate,  your name will be entered in a drawing for one of  ten prizes, including the brand new video A TERRIBLE BEAUTY - STORIES FROM 1916. In this centenary year of the Easter Rebellion, we are thrilled to be able to offer this very special prize donated to our cause by the Chicago Irish Brotherhood.  So please help if you can and send whatever you can to either our account on PayPal:

 

http//www.paypal.com

Our account there is:

bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

 

Or our snail mail address which is

5814 Blue Spruce

Cincinnati OH 45224

 

Many thanks in advance. Your gift will go a long way to keeping  the newsletter coming and the web site growing. 

 

Many thanks for joining us and we hope you enjoy our musings and meanderings. If you do, please feel free to share them with your family and friends.  And encourage them to sign up for their own copy  - the more of us  the merrier!

 Enough of the blather - on with the update!

 

 

 Easter is coming and that means one thing in Ireland: the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising! There are many stories of bravery and sadness, but for Tony Penston of  TP Publications, the most poignant event was the wedding of Joseph Mary Plunkett and Grace Gifford in Kilmainham Gaol the night before he was executed. So Tony commissioned for his History Book a sketch of the event. Now you can purchase the artwork in poster form  (16 X 12 in). This is a perfect, exclusive gift for anyone interested in Irish history! For complete details, please email Tony at info@tppublications.com 

 

 

 

We love getting positive comments from our readers and we were particularly touched by this one from Kathleen Simons who wrote a response to our thank you for her donation:

"Thank YOU! I love to read the newsletter and check out the web site; a piece of me and my heart are always a part of Ireland.

I am so glad you do this!!"

 

Sean Thomson writes:

I have decided to take the plunge with a place in Donegal as I love the place and the people. I have had fun checking out your site and get side tracked with every section. My original intent was to find out some of the folk law (if any) behind the small houses I see in some of the gardens around the county.  am guessing they are to do with either  Leprechauns or Fairies ? I have had no luck with searches only pictures  so far as it all seems to be houses for sale or gardens. I think they are brilliant and suspect my wife will want to have me build one when we get over  but I would like to know about them before I offend anyone by either building it as a non-Irish settler or get it wrong and upset whoever they are for. Not superstitious to a fanatical extent but you cannot be too careful so if you have a link (or it is on your site and I have missed it ) or they have a special name I can search with I would appreciate the help.

Shaun Thompson (first name spelt by my parents not me )   

 ED. NOTE: We suspect they are built to shelter the good people - but that’s just a guess. Does anyone know for sure what they are for?

 

Stephen Elliot asked us to give a mention to Irish Pages - A Journal of Contemporary Writing. We checked out the site and it looks really interesting. We urge you to check it out::

http://www.irishpages.org/about.php

 

  LINKS

Everything you need to know if you’re lucky enough to be there or, if you’re like us,  and have to settle for experiencing it vicariously!

http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/

http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/what-is-available/christian-heritage/saints-of-ireland/articles/st-patricks-footsteps/

 

In this free lesson from Biteaize Irish Gaelic, you can see and hear words and phrases appropriate to the day that’s in it!

http://www.bitesize.irish/st-patricks-day/

 

Irish Corner greeting We have created a special card exclusively for our readers here:

http://www.irishcorner.com/epickup.php?card_id=r4d824ed8a7a96

 

 This hymn was always played on St. patrick’s Day when Herself was growing up. This is an outstanding  version which serves to remind his fans how much we miss the amazing voice of Frank Patterson, RIP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7H4HumAbTU  

 

We have listened to this numerous times and just can’t help but want to hear it again and again. It’s the story  of St. Patrick narrated by a little Dublin girl named Mary and she is  accompanied by an animated video. It’s from the series by Brown Bag Productions and we are certain you will want to watch and listen more than once. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0q-_gWOYjY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFXlPJ9hKrY

  

She's our favorite Irish mammy and if you like her as much as we do, you will want to find out how you can buy a 12-disc box set that's playable in the USA & Canada.

http://www.mrsbrownsboysonline.com

 

Every day, we  try to post something of interest about Ireland and the Irish. Have you visited yet?  Please stop by - the welcome mat is always out:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Irish-Culture-and-Customs/327211532200?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

 

 

 

 

SPONSOR: Please visit our good friends, Lollysmith

They have combined sale items from throughout their shop on to one page for your convenience. You may also find them each under their usual categories throughout the shop. Save on gifts from Irish, Celtic, Angels, Books, Dolls, Mugs, Wedding, Figurines to gifts for Family, Mom and Dad, Grandparents and more! So shop today - As one very happy customer wrote: thank you for the beautiful gift wrapping that you did...couldn't have done it nicer myself. See what that customer is talking about here: 

http://www.lollysmith.com/

 

 QUOTE

Never buy anything with a handle on it - it means work. 

  

An Irishman walks into a pub in Galway and orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more. The bartender asks him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it; wouldn't you rather I draw fresh pints for you one at a time?" The fellow replies: "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is now in America and the other, in Australia. When we all left home, we promised we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together." The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The fellow becomes a regular in the pub , and always drinks the same way: He orders three pints and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and orders two pints. All the regulars notice and fall silent, speculating about what might have happened to one of the absent brothers. When the fellow goes back to the bar for a second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss." The fellow looks confused for a moment and then a light dawns in his eye and says: "Oh, no, everyone's fine. You see, it's just that I've given up the drink for Lent."

1. St. Patrick might not be buried in Ireland at all? One legend says he ended his days in Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey and there is evidence of an Irish pilgrimage to his tomb during the reign of the Saxon King in A.D. 688. 

 

2. 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.

 

3. St. Patrick's real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat?

 

 

In operation since 1988, it's one of the oldest online sites in the world. With subscribers in 89 countries it is also among the most reliable. Jackpots are never lower than US $1,500,000 and are frequently worth in excess of US$5,000,000 Here's the best part - you don't have to live in Ireland to play and all winnings are Tax Free! Play from the comfort of home here:

http://www.irishlotto.net/AD300/

 

 

 RIDDLE

First off, the answer to our last  Brain Bruiser

 

Q. Golden treasures I contain, guarded by hundreds and thousands. Stored in a labyrinth where no man walks, yet men come often to seize my gold. By smoke I am overcome and robbed, then left to build my treasure anew. What am I? 

 

A. A beehive

As always, our brilliant Riddle People didn’t let us down and we received a swarm of correct solutions. But first in was Jim Turley - well done , Jim!

And now for our next  Head Banger:

 

My first is in shamrock with green leaves of three

My second’s in Armagh where Patrick’s cathedrals you’ll see

My third is in Ireland where we all  long to be

My fourth is in Erin, our beloved country

And my fifth is found twice in the word  trinity.

What am I?

Please send your answers to Bridget:

bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

And it would be helpful if you put Riddle in the subject line. Thanks!

 

 

SPONSOR: Please visit our friends at the Celtic Attic 

Spring is in the air and Easter’s around the corner! Come browse our on-line shop where you will find lots of new items for all occasions and use code tenp to take 10% off your order Plus they will give you a free gift with each and every order placed between today and March 31st  Also, they are giving away a Celtic Spring Basket. You only need to enter once and you are automatically entered in this contest as well as our normal monthly contest for 2 Irish Pendants

http://www.celticattic.com/contact_us/free_giveaway

For phone Orders, please call: (360) 531-1107 10am to 5pm PST Week Days

 

 

 THE WEEK THAT IS

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

 

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

 

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

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMisc/ReillyinRussia.html

 

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

 

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

 

7. The Irish Kitchen: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With A Real Irish Feast!

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

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/3Focloir/Lessons7.html#StPatricks 

 

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

 

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMusic/Ramoutar/StPatrickSongs.html

 

Each morning, we scan the Irish papers and other sources for links to news we think you will enjoy reading about. We purposely avoid murder, mayhem and politics (except when it’s a general election!)

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/01News/Home.html

 

We have combed the internet to find reliable sources for authentic Irish merchandise. Here you will find the ones we like best.

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Shop/1Shop2.html

 

So there you have it until we write again. if you are celebrating  a birthday, anniversary or other joyous occasion in March, we hope and pray it’s a time filled with happiness, merriment and mirth.

 

Were you married or planning to in March? Here’s  your special verse:

 

 

As always, we will take our leave with a blessing, this one  attributed to St. Patrick - and by the way,  It’s said that if you ask for St. Patrick’s intercession on his feast day, your prayer will be answered:  

 

Slan agus beannacht, 

 

 

 

Bridget & Russ

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

 

 LEAVE ‘EM LAUGHING.

 

On the eighth day of March it was, some people say,

That Saint Patrick at midnight first saw the day.

While others declare 'twas the ninth he was born,

And 'twas all a mistake between midnight and morn;

For mistakes will occur in a hurry and shock,

and some blam'd the babby-and some blam'd the clock-

Till with all their cross questions sure no one could know

If the child was too fast-or the clock was too slow.

 

Now the first faction fight in old Ireland, they say,

Was all on account of Saint Patrick's birthday.

Some fought for the eighth-for the ninth more would die,

And who wouldn't see right, sure they blacken'd his eye!

At last both the factions so positive grew,

That each kept a birthday, so Pat then had two.

Till Father Mulcahy, who confessed them their sins,

Said, "Ye can't have two birthdays, unless ye be twins."

 

Says he, "Don't be fightin' for eight or for nine,

Don't be always dividin'-but sometimes combine;

Combine eight with nine, and seventeen is the mark,

So let that be his birthday." "Amen," says the clerk.

"If he wasn't a twins, sure our hist'ry will show

That, at least, he is worth any two saints that we know!"

Then they all drowned the shamrock-which completed their bliss,

And we keep up the practice from that day to this.

(Edited and adapted from Dick's Irish Dialect Recitations, Wm. B. Dick, Editor, New York, Dick & Fitzgerald, Publisher, 1879)