Greetings & Blessings to all,

 

We hope this edition finds all of you and yours in   good health, good spirits  and good company.   iIf this is your first issue, many thanks for joining us and if you enjoy our musings and meanderings, please feel to share them with your family and friends. 

 

Thisletter  was supposed to go out Saturday ,  July 31st, but in our haste we made a huge error and lost all of our work. We are leaving for a two week holiday today and there just isn’t time to reconstruct what we had except for a fw items here and there. 

 

So basically, this is to tell you to hold all emails until after we return around August 17th at which point and God willing we’ll get a July/August letter out to you. There are some positive sides to the glitch - the writer’s quiz as well as  the trivia contest on the site are extended until August 15th. We already have a winner for the riddle.

 

So there you have it - and we’r really sorry for this very much abbreviated edition. We know you will understand - and we also know that you will be kind enough to honour our reqyest not to send us any messages until we get back as weon’t be able to answer them. Go raibh maith agt! 

 

  Enough of the blitherin r and on with the update:

 

 

 

SPONSOR: Please help us keep your newsletter coming - visit our good friends at the Celtic Attic:

Whatever the occasion, stop by the Celtic Attic where you’ll find a wide array of ways to celebrate every celebration  in Celtic style,  plus, take 5.00 off an order of $50 or more exclusively through Irish Culture & Customs. Just put the code IC01 in the add a gift card section! 

Contact the Celtic Attic on line or by phone - and tell them Bridget & Russ said hello!

Tel: 1-360-286-2307

On line:

http://celticcallings.com/shopping/merchant.mvc?CSC&Affiliate=Bridget

 

News: This will be sent  sent as a separate document

From the mailbag

Links

Joke of The Week

 The week That Is

Events

Leave 'em Laughing

 

Years ago I was sent a magazine selling shirts, cups, etc.  With the  gill name on them. I believe it was from a pub named gill's in  

Ireland. I have been searching but can't find anything. Can you give  

me any advise or locate anything referencing the gill name

 

Nancy writes: I have a letter dated 1860 written by my great-great-great-grandfather (George McCullough - Antrim, Ireland) that states he received a “cut of dreaming cheese” on the occasion of the birth of his brother’s first child.   Have you ever heard of this custom?   What is “dreaming cheese?” Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hello.  It was recently told to me that it is an old Irish tradition to have something with a bee on it in each room of your house – this will bring you good luck.  Have you heard this before and is it true?  I am trying to locate any information on this

   

 

This is an Irish history podcast.  Episode 3 is a whistle stop tour through  the Viking World visiting places from Baghdad to Newfoundland explaining how the Viking world impacted Ireland. 

http://irishhistorypodcast.ie/2010/06/21/ireland-and-the-viking-world/

One of our most supportive advertisers, this company is owned by Jennifer Derrig who has asked us to spread the word about the 2010 Start Up Nation Competition which recognizes and rewards America’s top 200 mom-owned business. If you’dlike to find out more and then vote for Jennifer, please click:

http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/contestant/8333/index.php 

 

Emma Ross raises pure bred Irish Wolfhounds and also offers charming B & B accommodations in a tranquil setting reminiscent of Killarney. Take a look:

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Atravel/cnoccarne.html

 

Many thanks to Pamela Boyd who sent us the following: 

If you know any woman currently undergoing Chemo, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE 

housecleaning - 1 time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.    All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service.   

http://www.cleaningforareason.org/ 

 

Do you know of a woman who can't afford a mammogram? Here's how you can help. Go to the Breast Cancer site and click on their free mammogram link; if they get enough clicks , they'll be able to donate at least one free mammogram a day to underprivileged women. It takes just a minute and there's no cost involved:

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

ED. NOTE: Maria Eryaatz advises that free mammograms are also available in all states via the VNA (visiting nurses association). 

http://www.vnaa.org/

Click on 'Find A VNA' for the your nearest location.

 

Last but certainly not least - our ongoing 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

 

It only takes a second to feed hungry people, too:

 

http://www.thehungersite.com

 

This ine was sent to us by Bridget’s brother, Terru O’Flaherty. Thanks Terry!

 

Two Kerry men were looking at a Mail order catalogue and admiring the models. Sean  says to Seamus , 'Have ye seen the lovely  girls in this catalogue?' Seamus replies,  Yes, and aren’t they are all gorgeous.  And  look at the price!' Sean  exclaims , with wide eyes,  'Will ye look at that -  they aren't at all  expensive.  At this price, I'm buying one.' Seamus smiles and pats Sean  on the back.  'Good idea! You order one and if she's as beautiful as she is in the catalogue, I will get one too.' Three weeks later, Seamus  asks his friend, 'Did you ever receive the girl you ordered from the catalogue?' Sean replies. 'No, but it shouldn't be long now. She sent all her clothes yesterday 

__________________________________________________________________

 

Who wrote: 

1. De Valera in America: The Rebel President and the Making of Irish Independence - 

 

2. Eamon de Valera: The man who was Ireland   

 

3. De Valera and His Times   

 

Please send your answers to Bridget afyer August 17th. Thanks!

bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

 

 

They hope you are enjoying your summer.  Meanwhile, they have been busy adding new gift items to respond to customers' requests including the cleverly designed Ingrid Walking Stick Spike. The latest message tokens have arrived along with a range of unique rosaries in support of the military, police and firefighters. Please stop in their  online shop and have a look around. Happy browsing and shopping  - and they wish all of their visitors and customers a safe and happy summer.   

http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?lollysmith+waspish+teandgrgi.html

  It would be helpful if you put riddle answer in the subject line. Thanks!

 

 

  THE WEEK THAT WAS ( Home [age has been updated as on Monday this week) 

1. SEARCH FUNCTION: Have you tried it out? You can find the search box in the banner on the left-hand side. Simply key in whatever word or words you wish and if they’re on the site, Google will find them!

 

Please keep in mind that every purchase through our shop links, helps support our efforts. Many thanks in advance.

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

 

3.  Article:  Lughnasa - Celebrating the Harvest http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACustom/Harvest.html

4. Article:  Ladies; Day at the Galway Races

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

5. Article:  A Little Bit O’ Heaven, Part III

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Atravel/Heaven3.html

6. Article: Puck Fair - One of Ireland’s Oldest Festivals

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

7. Article:  Haymaking in ireland Long Ago 

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACustom/Haymaking.html

 

8. Poetry Corner : Francis Ledwidge

 http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Poetry/FLedwidge.html 

9. Irish Kitchen: Fraughan Fool with Sweet Biscuits

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

11.  Kids’ Ireland: Kste’s Ancient Gift

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

12. Music Review:  Our resident reviewer William Ramoutar offers a review of both a book & CD entitled “agus rud eile de - and another thing” - a collaboration by poet Louis de Paor and uilleann piper Ronan Browne

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

 13.  July   Trivia Contest.   All entries must be in by midnight, August no  matter what time zone you live in  

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

Our winner for June  was Hannah Beck. Congratulations Hannah and we commend your choice of prize as the Penny Whistle set  generoudly provided by our friends at Lolly smith.

http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?lollysmith+waspish+teandgrgi.html

 

14.  Circle of Prayer: The Seventh   Novena  in  this cycle began on July 30th  and continues through August 7th.  Our list of those needing prayers has grown very long and probably needs to be updated. Please let us know if you or a loved one needs to be remembered in our prayers or meditations. Meanwhile, we do know that since last we wrote, spiritual supports is still needed for little Isabella who just had a bone marrow translate,  Hartson, Mickey,  Tara H, Patricia's daughter Heather, the family and friends of the McTiernans,  and so many others,   especially our military personnel serving their countries at home and abroad. Dear Heavenly Father, please keep them safe from all harm and bring those away from home back to their loved ones soon.

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

 

 

 

SPONSOR: Please help us keep your newsletter coming - visit our good friends at the Irish Lottery:

 

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! It’s always been a fantasy of ours that one of readers would scoop the big prize, but you can’t win it if you’re not in it. Play from the comfort of home here: - and the best of Irish luck to you!

http://www.irishlotto.net/

 

 So there you have it until we write again, probably toward the middle August.  If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or other special event between now and then, we hope it's an occasion filled with joy and happiness.  And if you were married in the coming month , here is your special verse:

 

   

We’ll ’ll take our leave with this lovely old blessing:

O Brigit, bless our road,

that calamity may not overtake us as we travel;

O veiled one from the laden Liffey

may we reach home safely by your intercession.

 

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!

Celtic Blessing - sung by the St. Coca's Choir, from Kilcock, Co. Kildare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrS3kYW6du4

 

And this is for our dear friend Mary O’Hara who asked us to bring this phrase back:

May you be seven times better, a year from today!!

 in the Irish

Go mba seacht bhfearr a bheas tu bliain o inniu!!

 

 

Help us keep our newsletter and the web site free; please send whatever you can to Bridget or Russ Haggerty. Our snail mail address is 5814 Blue Spruce, Cincinnati OH, 45224.  Or  you can send a donation via PayPal. The Url is:

http://www.paypal.com

and our account  is this email address:

bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

Many thanks in advance for your kindness.

 

Subscribe for FREE!

Send an e-mail to: bhaggerty@irishcultureandcustoms.com

or click on this link: 

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

 

Please check with the Wild Geese - they have a huge listing of events and we don't want to duplicate their efforts:

http://www.thewildgeese.com/

 

Irish Abroad also has a comprehensive listing:

http://events.irishabroad.com/List.aspx?public=1&event=1

 

If we receive a unique event not mentioned there, we will be happy to list it here.

 

San Francisco - August 14

John Fogarty Memorial 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Marine Fireman's Union Hall. 240 Second Street. Two Blocks From Montgomery BART Station. arking Available

 Please join us to pay tribute to our friend and brother John Fogarty

 For details, please contact George Trainor:

209-858-8124

Steeler059@aol.com

 

CARIBBEAN - February 27

Come join Patrick O'Flaherty and the rest of us as we set sail aboard the Norwegian Spirit on an 8-day, 7-night Cruise to the Caribbean, leaving from New Orleans on February 27, 2011. Join us as we make our way to the ports of Costa Maya, Belize, Isla Roatan and Cozumel!  Surely, the highlight of the week at sea will be O'Houligan's Ball, where General Livingston and his wife Sara will reign over the festivities as the 2011 King and Queen.  Visit www.oflahertycruise.com or contact Susie Denman at 1-800-427-8473 ext. 7808 for more information. 

 

Cincinnati, OH - Irish Heritage Center - Ongoing Events

The Irish Heritage Center the Home for all that is Irish in the tri-state area . From Traditional Irish Music Night to Irish lessons  to award winning plays to Irish art exhibits, there is always  something going on. For complete details about what’s on offer, please click

http://www.irishcenterofcincinnati.com 

or call 513-533-0100

 

IRISH-AMERICAN CEILI CLUB 

Stay up to date with all the upcoming events and click here:

http://www.irishamericanceiliclub.com

Or call 754-281-7202 / 954-432-8292

 

Los Alamitos, California -1st Tuesday of every month

Friends of Ireland of Southern California Monthly Breakfast. Events are held on the 1st Tuesday of the month. Please call in RSVP to one of the contacts below one day in advance so we can accommodate you.

Barbara Walsh (714) 739-4195 Kathy Wisdom (714) 572-8277

Tom Kennedy (562) 425-2636 Jim O'Dea (626) 965-0307

 

Portland, Oregon - 1st Friday of the month

Ceili of the Valley Society - First Friday of the month Céilís and ongoing Tuesday night Céilí and Sean Nós dance classes. Our season runs from October through June and next season we may be moving the dances to Saturday rather than Friday nights. For more details, please click

http://www.myspace.com/ceiliofthevalley.

 

SLIGO EVENTS

http://twitter.com/sligoevents

 

Children's Views on Love

 

HOW DO PEOPLE IN LOVE TYPICALLY BEHAVE?

 

"When a person gets kissed for the first time, they fall

down and they don't get up for at least an hour." (Wendy,

age 8)

 

CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

 

"One of the people has freckles and so he finds somebody

else who has freckles too." (Andrew, age 6)

 

"No one is sure why it happens, but I heard it has something

to do with how you smell. That's why perfume and deodorant

are so popular." (Mae, age 7)

 

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or

something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so

painful." (Manuel, age 8)

 

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

 

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life."

(John, age 9)

 

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell,

I don't want to do it. It takes too long." (Glenn, age 7)

 

ON THE ROLE OF BEAUTY AND HANDSOMENESS IN LOVE

 

"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in

your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." (Anita C.,

age 8)

 

"It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome

like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."

(Brian, age 7)

 

"Beauty is skin deep. But how rich you are can last a long

time." (Christine, age 9)

 

REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE OF LOVE

 

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball

is pretty good too." (Greg, age 8)

 

HOW DO PEOPLE IN LOVE TYPICALLY BEHAVE?

 

"Mooshy ... like puppy dogs ... except puppy dogs don't wag

their tails nearly as much." (Arnold, age 10)

 

"All of a sudden, the people get movies fever so they can

sit together in the dark." (Sherm, age 8)

 

CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS

 

"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because

they paid good money for them." (Gavin, age 8)

 

"They are just practicing for when they might have to walk

down the aisle someday and do the holy matchimony thing."

(John, age 9)

 

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

 "I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when

'Dinosaurs' is on television." (Jill, age 6)

 

"Love is foolish ... but I still might try it sometime."

(Floyd, age 9)

 

"Yesterday I kissed a girl in a private place ... We were

behind a tree." (Carey, age 7)

 

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it.

I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the

girls keep finding me." (Dave, age 8)

 

"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth

grade hard enough." (Regina, age 10)

 

PERSONAL QUALITIES YOU NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD

LOVER

 

"Sensitivity don't hurt." (Robbie, age 8)

 

"One of you should know how to write a check. Because, even

if you have tons of love, there is still going to be a lot

of bills." (Ava, age 8)

 

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

 

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."

(Del, age 6)

 

"Shake your hips and hope for the best." (Camille, age 9)

 

"Yell out that you love them at the top of your lungs ...

and don't worry if their parents are right there." (Manuel,

age 8)

 

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might

get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love."

(Alonzo, age 9)

 

"One way is to take the girl out to eat. Make sure it's

something she likes to eat. French fries usually works for

me." (Bart, age 9)

 

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF TWO ADULTS AT A RESTAURANT ARE IN LOVE?

 "Just see if the man picks up the check. That's how you can

tell if he's in love." (Bobby, age 9)

 

"Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food

will get cold. Other people care more about the food."

(Bart, age 9)

 

"Romantic adults usually are all dressed up, so if they are

just wearing jeans it might mean they used to go out or they

just broke up." (Sarah)

 

"See if the man has lipstick on his face." (Sandra, age 7)

 

"It's love if they order one of those desserts that are on

fire. They like to order those because it's just like how

their hearts are --- on fire." (Christine, age 9)

 

WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE THINKING WHEN THEY SAY "I LOVE YOU"

 "The person is thinking: Yeah, I really do love him. But I

hope he showers at least once a day." (Michelle, age 9)

 

"Some lovers might be real nervous, so they are glad that

they finally got it out and said it and now they can go

eat." (Dick, age 7)

 

HOW OR WHY  WAS KISSING INVENTED?

 "I know one reason that kissing was created. It makes you

feel warm all over, and they didn't always have electric

heat or fireplaces or even stoves in their houses." (Gina,

age 8)

 

HOW A PERSON LEARNS TO KISS

 "You can have a big rehearsal with your Barbie and Ken

dolls." (Julia, age 7)

 

"You learn it right on the spot when the gooshy feelings get

the best of you." (Brian, age 7)

 

"It might help to watch soap operas all day." (Carin, age 9)

 

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

 "When they're rich." (Pam, age 7)

 

"It's never okay to kiss a boy. They always slobber all over

you ... That's why I stopped doing it." (Tammy, age 7)

 

"If it's your mother, you can kiss her anytime. But if it's

a new person, you have to ask permission." (Roger, age 6)

 

"I look at kissing like this: Kissing is fine if you like

it, but it's a free country and nobody should be forced to

do it." (Dave, age 8)

 

HOW TO MAKE LOVE ENDURE

 "Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work."

(Dick, age 7)

 

"Don't forget your wife's name ... That will mess up the

love."