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Things Irish and of Ireland

  Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th), is an Irish holiday honoring Saint Patrick, (the patron Saint of Ireland) the missionary credited with converting the Irish to Christianity (in the A.D. 400's).

Saint Patrick was not actually Irish. Scholars cannot quite decide where he was born.  Historical sources report that he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland (near the town of Dumbarton) or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.) or he was born in Banwen, Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and sold in Ireland as a slave, (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). He worked as a shepherd during his 6-year captivity and began to have religious visions finding strength in his faith. He  escaped after voices in one of his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship and went to France, where he became a priest (and later a bishop).

When he was about 60 years old, St. Patrick traveled to Ireland to spread the Christian word. It's said that Patrick had an unusually winning personality, and that helped him win converts. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned.  Whether that is true or not I leave up to you but the snake was a revered pagan symbol, and perhaps this was a figurative tale alluding to the fact that he drove paganism out of Ireland.

In America, Saint Patrick's Day is basically a time to wear green and party hearty. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest held in New York City.  

The Irish heritage has had a profound influence on the U.S.   Nine of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence were of Irish origin, and nineteen Presidents of the United States proudly claim Irish heritage --including the first President, George Washington.

By the way, Fáilte romhat means Welcome in Irish.

Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. 

What's good luck on Saint Patrick's Day?:

• Finding a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is).
• Wearing green.
  (School children have started a little tradition of their own
  they pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday).
• Kissing the blarney stone.

An Irish blessing to take with you today:

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of St. Patrick behold you.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH

May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Erin Go Braugh
Ireland Forever

    Leprechaun
Irish fairy. Looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

The Leprechaun
By Robert Dwyer Joyce (1830-83)

In a shady nook one moonlit night,
A leprahaun I spied
In scarlet coat and cap of green,
A cruiskeen by his side.
'Twas tick, tack, tick, his hammer went,
Upon a weeny shoe,
And I laughed to think of a purse of gold,
But the fairy was laughing too.

With tip-toe step and beating heart,
Quite softly I drew nigh.
There was mischief in his merry face,
A twinkle in his eye;
He hammered and sang with tiny voice,
And sipped the mountain dew;
Oh! I laughed to think he was caught at last,
But the fairy was laughing, too.

As quick as thought I grasped the elf,
"Your fairy purse," I cried,
"My purse?" said he, "'tis in her hand,
That lady by your side."
I turned to look, the elf was off,
And what was I to do?
Oh! I laughed to think what a fool I'd been,
And, the fairy was laughing too.

Blarney stone    The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney.  The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence. The legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's difficult reach the stone. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward or downward, holding iron bars for support.

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

When Irish eyes are smiling Sure it's like a morning spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter, You can hear the angels sing. 
When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away.
There's a tear in your eye, and I'm wondering why, For it never should be there at all.
With such power in your smile, sure a stone you'd beguile, So there's never a teardrop should fall.
When your sweet lilting laughter's like some fairy song, And your eyes twinkle bright as can be,
You should laugh all the while and all other times smile, And now smile a smile for me.

Chorus: When Irish eyes are smiling Sure it's like a morning spring.
 In the lilt of Irish laughter, You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay.
 And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away.

Grandma's Mulligan Stew:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 lb. beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
4 tbsp oil, divided
3 medium onions, chopped, about 3 cups
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle (12 oz.) beer
2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
5 carrots, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed

In paper bag combine first five ingredients.  Add meat; shake until coated.  In pot heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat.  Add meat; cook, turning until browned on all sides, adding 2 tbsp additional oil as needed.  Remove meat.  In same pot heat remaining oil over high heat.  Add onions; cook 8 minutes.  Add Worcestershire, scraping up any browned bits.  Add 3 cups water, beer and reserved meat; cover.  Increase heat; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer until meat is almost tender, 1 1/2 hours.  Add potatoes and carrots.  Cook until vegetables and meat are tender, 45 minutes.  Add peas; cook 3-4 minutes.  Makes 8 servings.  Ready to serve in about 3 hours.

Irish Whiskey Pie !

Chocolate ready-to-use pie crust
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 Tblsp. mint jelly
2 3/4 cup whipped topping
2 Tblsp. sugar
2 eggs, separated
green food colouring
2/3 cup light cream
dash salt

Combine gelatin, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and salt in saucepan.
Beat egg yolk slightly. Add egg yolks, cream and whiskey to gelatin mixture.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly.  Stir in mint jelly. Chill until mixture begins to thicken.

Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Beat in remaining sugar until mixture holds
a stiff peak. Fold meringue and 2 cups whipped topping into custard mixture.  Add green food colouring to desired shade. Turn into crust. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and refrigerate until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before cutting.

Irish Eyes

1 oz. Irish Whiskey
1/4 oz. green creme de menthe
2 oz. heavy cream

Shake well with crushed ice.  Strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Irish Kiss

3/4 oz. Irish whiskey
1/2 oz. peach schnapps
4 oz. ginger ale
2 oz. orange juice

Combine in an ice-filled Collins glass or highball.  Garnish with lime wheel.

The oldest surviving whiskey distillery in the world is the Old Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland, with a license dating back to 1608

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