History of Ireland

The Irish Seasons — Ráithí na Bliana/Na Séasúir

2010-09-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Seasons of the year - Ráithí na Bliana/Na Séasúir

Spring: An tEarrach
Spring/Vernal Equinox: Lá Leathach an Earraigh

Summer: An Samhradh
Summer Solstice: Grianstad an tSamhraidh

Autumn: An Fómhar "The Harvest"
Autumnal Equinox: Lá Leathach an Fhómhair

Winter: An Geimhreadh
Winter Solstice: Grianstad an Gheimhridh

Irish-Themed Valentine with Winged Leprechaun

2010-08-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Publisher: John Winsch
Artist: Samuel Schmucker

Purchase here: Winsch Valentine
Additional resources:

The Golden Age of Postcards Early 1900s (Identification and Values)

The Book of Postcard Collecting

The Artist-Signed Postcard Price Guide, Second Edition: A Comprehensive Reference

Nun and a Woman Praying to St. Patrick, Chicago, Illinois 1950

2010-08-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

A nun and a Chicago woman praying to St. Patrick in front of his statue at St. Patrick's Church on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1950.

Original image and high-quality reproductions available here: praying to St. Patrick.

Irish Wedding Traditions

2010-08-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

by Rafi Michael

There is one wedding Irish tradition that states: 'Marry in May and Rue the Day' while another states: 'Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man'.

When I told my daughter about this Irish superstition, she changed her wedding date so that she'd be married in April!

What began as a search for Irish traditions and customs that she could incorporate into her celebration ended up as an incredible pile of notes that eventually took on a life of its own. Long after her wedding, I was still obsessed with delving into history and folklore, looking for everything I could find on how weddings were celebrated in Ireland long ago.

I am convinced that if couples make the effort, they can have a totally Irish celebration from beginning to end — even to the pre-wedding parties. There's one quaint custom where the groom was invited to the bride's house right before the wedding and they cooked a goose in his honor.

It was called Aitin' the gander — it has to be where we get the expression 'his goose is cooked!' We threw one of these dinner parties for my daughter and everyone had a great time. (The apple-potato stuffing has become a family favorite!).

There are so many other traditions, customs and just an incredible amount of folklore to draw upon, that it would be remiss to be of Irish descent and not take advantage of all the possibilities.

Here are just a few ideas culled from what eventually has become a 200-plus page book called The Traditional Irish Wedding and it is now available in the United States and will be released in Ireland this spring. As complete as I could make it, the book covers attire, decor, menus, recipes, music, toasts, vows, and perhaps of most value, a resource listing that will help you find everything from Irish wedding gowns and tiaras to sheet music for a Celtic Mass.

Here are some more:

* Bunratty Meade is a honey wine that's served at the Bunratty Castle medieval banquet. It's from a recipe based on the oldest drink in Ireland and if you've never tasted it, it's well worth trying. In the old days, it was consumed at weddings because it was thought that it promoted virility. (If a baby was born nine months after the wedding, it was attributed to the mead!) Couples also drank it from special goblets for a full month following the wedding, which is supposedly where we get the word honeymoon. This was to protect the couple from the fairies coming to spirit the bride away.

* Lucky horseshoe. Irish brides used to carry a real horseshoe for good luck. (Turned up so the luck won't run out). You can get porcelain horseshoes which most Irish brides carry these days, or one made of fabric which is worn on the wrist.

* Magic Hanky. This charming custom involves having the bride carry a special hanky that with a few stitches can be turned into a christening bonnet for the first baby. With a couple of snips it can be turned back into a hanky that your child can carry on his/her wedding day.

* Make-up bells. The chime of bells is thought to keep evil spirits away, restore harmony if a couple is fighting, and also remind a couple of their wedding vows. Giving a bell as a gift has become an Irish tradition. You could also have your greeters hand out tiny bells to your guests to ring as you process. (You might want to let them know when they're supposed to be rung - perhaps mention it in your program along with an explanation of the custom). Guests could also ring their little bells at the reception in lieu of clinking glasses.

* Irish Dancers. Consider hiring a group of Irish dancers to hand out your programs before the ceremony. Dressed in their full regalia, it would add a wonderful touch of pageantry and color. They could also dance at the reception later. We did this at my daughter's reception and it was a major hit.

* Music. There's so much wonderful Irish music available, you'll have no problems in finding appropriate selections for both the ceremony and the reception. The difficulty will be in deciding which pieces to play!

* Readings: My daughter had the following Irish wedding vow on the front of her program:

By the power that Christ brought from heaven, mayst thou love me. As the sun follows its course, mayst thou follow me. As light to the eye, as bread to the hungry, as joy to the heart, may thy presence be with me, oh one that I love, 'til death comes to part us asunder.

On the back of the program, she had this old Irish proverb: Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and just be my friend.

* The Irish Wedding Song. Very popular at contemporary Irish weddings. We had two friends sing this at my daughter's reception while the newlyweds cut the cake. (Afterwards I thought we should have had the lyrics typed up and placed on the tables so that everyone could join in).

* Flowers. In the old days, many Irish brides wore a wreath of wildflowers in their hair; they also carried them in bouquets. For my daughter's wedding, our florist designed gorgeous bouquets that included a flower called Bells of Ireland. In Wales, brides carried live myrtle and gave a sprig to each bridesmaid which they planted. If it grew, the bridesmaid would marry within the year. If you're planning a more general Celtic celebration, this might be worth considering.

* Ancient custom: In the old days, couples ate salt and oatmeal at the beginning of their reception: Each of them took three mouthfuls as a protection against the power of the evil eye. Also, when a couple is dancing, the bride can't take both feet off the floor because the fairies will get the upper hand. Fairies love beautiful things and one of their favorites is a bride. There's many an Irish legend about brides being spirited away by the little people! For the same reason, it's bad luck for a bride to wear green. I've also heard that it's bad luck for anyone to wear green at an Irish wedding - but I think it really only applies to the bride. It's also bad luck for a bride or the groom to sing at their own wedding.

Portents and omens:

* A fine day meant good luck, especially if the sun shone on the bride. If you're a Roman Catholic, one way to make certain that it won't rain is to put a statue of the Infant of Prague outside the church before your ceremony.

* It was unlucky to marry on a Saturday.

* Those who married in harvest would spend all their lives gathering

* A man should always be the first to wish joy to the bride, never a woman

*It was lucky to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning, or to see three magpies

* To meet a funeral on the road meant bad luck and if there was a funeral procession planned for that day, the wedding party always took a different road

* The wedding party should always take the longest road home from the church

* It was bad luck if a glass or cup were broken on the wedding day

*A bride and groom should never wash their hands in the same sink at the same time-it's courting disaster if they do

* It was said to be lucky if you married during a 'growing moon and a flowing tide'

* When leaving the church, someone must throw an old shoe over the bride's head so she will have good luck

* If the bride's mother-in-law breaks a piece of wedding cake on the bride's head as she enters the house after the ceremony, they will be friends for life.

Many other customs are interspersed throughout the book, e.g. (from the reception section) the top tier of your wedding cake should be an Irish whiskey cake which is saved for the christening of your first baby. I've also heard of another custom which just came to my attention and will be included in the next edition: a bottle of champagne is saved from the reception so that it can be used to 'wet the baby's head' at the christening.

In finally making this book a reality, my hope is that when he says to you 'would you like to be buried with my people', or you say to him 'would you like to hang your washing next to mine', you'll say yes, and then use the suggestions to help you plan an Irish celebration reflective of your roots and as romantic as your heritage.

And for all engaged couples and their families in the midst of pre-wedding chaos, I raise a parting glass: May all your joys be pure joy and all your pain champagne.

About the Author

Rafi Michael Toronto Weddings Photographers Wedding Photography & Video Productions Toronto we specialize in individually tailored Wedding Photography, Videos and DVD's, offering an experienced, highly professional and affordable service.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/irish-wedding-traditions-189454.html#ixzz0vrA4VaPG
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Image courtesy Wikipedia

Irish Stepdance Costumes

2010-07-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

In public performances, dancers wear costumes appropriate to the show. The costumes are frequently fanciful interpretations of traditional Irish styles of dress. In competitions, there are various rules and traditions which govern the choice of a dancer's costume.

Judges at competitions critique the dancers primarily on their performance, but they also take into account presentation. In every level of competition the dancers must wear either hard shoes or soft shoes, and white poodle socks or tights. In commission schools, female dancers either curl their hair or wear a curly wig, although most dancers these days wear wigs. In more festival schools the hair is often worn down and loose. Boy and girls wear very distinctive costumes. The girls wear dresses with stiff pleated skirts which are embroidered. The boys used to wear jackets and kilts, but now more commonly perform in black trousers with a colourful shirt and tie. Costumes can be more simple for the beginning female dancer; they often wear a simple dance skirt and plain blouse.

A beginner dancer can be any age, including adults. In the Advanced Beginner and Novice levels the dancers begin to wear their dancing school’s costume. The certain colors and emblem that is used on the dresses represents the dance school to differentiate it from other dance schools. These are in the style of a solo dress, but are simple with only a few colors, while are still more complex than the beginner’s outfit. Many North American schools allow their students to select a personal, or "solo" dress, at Prizewinner Level.

Competition dresses have changed in many ways since Irish Dance first appeared. Several generations ago the appropriate dress was simply your "Sunday Best". In the 1980s ornately embroidered velvet became popular. Other materials include gaberdine and wool. Today many different fabrics are used, including lace, sequins, silk, embroidered organzas and more. The commission dresses have a stiffened skirt pleated into panels which are stiffened with Vilene. Dresses can weigh several pounds, depending on the fabric, and require some getting used to. Again the festival style differs, styling more towards simple designs and flowing, un-stiffened materials.

Preliminary and Open Championship are levels where dancers can qualify for Major competitions. At these levels, solo costumes help each dancer show their sense of style, and they enable them to stand out among a crowd. The dancers can either have a new solo dress made specially for them with their choice of colours, fabrics, and designs (some dancers will even design the dress themselves) or they can buy second hand from another dancer. Championship dresses often have expensive, sequined fabrics, and it is becoming popular for only two or three colors to be used. Since the dresses are hand made with pricey materials, unique designs, and are measured to each dancer’s body type, the dresses cost between $600 and $4,000. When each dancer grows out of the dress she can sell it on at competitions or via the internet.

Along with having the hand crafted sequined dresses, championship commission dancers have wigs and crowns. Dancers in lower levels have the choice to wear either a wig or curl their hair, but usually in championship, girls choose to wear a wig, as wigs are more convenient. Dancers get synthetic ringlet wigs that match their hair color (some go a shade lighter or darker). The wigs can range from $20.00 to $150. Usually the crowns match the colors and materials of the dresses, but some dancers choose to wear tiaras, or tiaras with a fabric crown. The reason why dancers curl their hair or wear a ringlet wig is because traditionally in Ireland girls had nicely curled ringlets, though nowadays, wearing ringlet wigs is going out of style in some feisanna in favor of letting girls and women having their natural hair. The championship competitions are usually danced on a stage with a lot of lighting. To prevent looking washed out, dancers often wear stage makeup and tan their legs. A ban was put in place in January 2005 for Under 10 dancers forbidding them to wear fake tan, and in October 2005 it was decided that Under 12 dancers who were in the Beginner and Primary levels would not be allowed to wear fake tan/make up.

St. Patrick's Day Poster, Four-Leaf Clover

2010-07-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Four-Leaf Clover

More vintage images of Ireland here

Clàrsach / Cláirseach : The Gaelic Harp

2010-07-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Clàrsach (Scots Gaelic), spelled Cláirseach in modern Irish and Middle Irish, is the Gaelic word for 'a harp'. In English, the word is used to refer specifically to a variety of small Irish and Scottish harps.

The use of this word in English, and the varieties of harps that it describes, is very complex and is a cause of arguments or disagreements between different groups of harp-lovers.

By and large, in English, the word clàrsach is equivalent to the term Irish harp, the former being preferred in Scottish contexts and the latter in Irish contexts. The less specific term Celtic harp has also come into use since the mid 20th century but is not preferred by Irish or Scottish natives to refer to their instruments.

The precise Gaelic term for the harp of the Gael is clàrsach Ghàidhealach (Sc.)/cláirseach Ghaelach (Ir.), meaning Gaelic harp.

The Historical Gaelic Harp

The early history of the triangular frame harp in Europe is contested. However three of the four oldest authentic harps to survive are of Gaelic provenance: the Trinity College Harp preserved in Trinity College Dublin, and the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. All three are dated approximately to the 15th century and are considered to have been made in Argyll in South-West Scotland.

Distinctive Features of the Gaelic harp

The characteristic features of the historical clarsach or Irish harp are its strings of metal wire, usually brass There is no actual evidence for precious metal strings ever being used on the harp. These are attached to a massive soundbox typically carved from a single log, commonly held to be of willow, although oher woods including alder and polar have been identified in extant harps, a reinforced curved pillar and a substantial neck, flanked with thick brass cheek bands. Usually played with the fingernails, it produced a brilliant ringing sound.

The Irish clarsach is also unique amongst single row triangular harps in that the first two strings tuned in the middle of the gamut were set to the same pitch. By the end of the 18th century, this unison was given in Bunting placed at G below middle C but there is evidence that middle C was previously used as an alternative position. It is possible that the left hand, which played the treble part, never played the strings below the unison; this suggestion arises from study of the information of Edward Bunting and of the Gaelic harp repertoire.

In the Irish language, the name for this pair of unison strings was 'ne Cawlee' (nominative form, English phonetics)/'ni coblaigib' (dative plural, Middle Irish); the meaning of the term, its etymology and the correct Irish orthography of the nominative, whether singular or plural, are all unclear. The string name may be related to the middle Irish word 'cobhlach', which appears to have represented a kind of sound but 19th century Irish harper Patrick Byrne stated that the term meant 'the companions', an etymology which would apparently contradict the ancient spelling 'coblaigib'. In English, the unison strings were called 'the Sisters' but this is not apparently a translation of the Irish term.

Existing Examples

Three medieval Gaelic harps survived into the modern period, two from Scotland (the Queen Mary Harp and the Lamont Harp) and one in Ireland (the Trinity College harp, sometimes romantically called the Brian Boru harp). Artistic evidence from study of the decorative designs on the instruments implies that all three were probably made in the western Highlands. Opportunities for the Trinity harp to travel across the Irish Sea from Scotland into Ireland were, many, varied, and extremely colourful. There are at least 15 other early Gaelic harps dating from post medieval times to c.1800; though most are in Ireland and are usually assumed to be Irish, many have no provenance and could equally be of Scottish origin.

Importance in Society

Until the end of the Middle Ages the Gaelic harp (the historical clarsach or Irish harp) was the highest status musical instrument of both Scotland and Ireland, and harpers were amongst the most prestigious cultural figures amongst Irish and Scottish kings and chiefs. In both countries, the harper enjoyed special rights and played a crucial part in ceremonial occasions such as coronation and poetic recital.

The main function of the Gaelic harp in medieval Scotland and Ireland seems to have been playing to accompany the recitation of poetry in Gaelic or Irish.

Especially popular in 16th and 17th century English courts, the Gaelic harp was played all over Europe in baroque solo and consort music; it was praised by writers such as Francis Bacon.

The historical Irish harp appears in stylised forms in the Coat of arms of Ireland, the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom and on the flag of the President of Ireland, as well as Irish Euro coins and official documents.

Decline and Extinction

As the Gaelic social order collapsed from the 17th century, harpers were no longer retained by patrons; instead their numbers declined and they became itinerant singer-songwriters touring a circuit of lesser patrons. The famous Irish harper Turlough Carolan was such an itinerant singer-songwriter, accompanying his songs on a wire-strung harp.

By the 18th century the historical Scottish clarsach was extinct in Scotland, and the Irish harp died out in Ireland in the early 19th century. The last bearers of the tradition, Denis Hampson and others, played their music for Edward Bunting at Belfast in 1792, allowing it to be written down. Bunting published the music arranged for piano and his notebooks disappeared into the archives.

After the Belfast Festival various attempts were made to revive the playing of the Irish harp. An Irish Harp Society was established in the city and a harp school for young blind boys set up. The project was not a success with only one of the pupils, Patrick Byrne, achieving renown.

Regarded by the noted collector Francis O'Neill as the last of the great Irish harpers, Byrne would achieve the distinction of becoming the first Irish traditional musician ever to be photographed. David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson made a series of calotype images of Byrne on or around 1 April 1845 in Edinburgh. Some examples of these images are held in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Patrick Byrne died on 8 April 1863 and is buried in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.

The Modern Cláirseach or Irish Harp

In the early 19th century, even as the old Gaelic harp tradition was dying out, a completely new harp tradition was invented in Ireland. This Irish harp had gut strings and semitone mechanisms like an orchestral pedal harp, and was invented by Dublin pedal harp maker John Egan and marketed to aristocratic ladies. It was small and curved like the historical clarsach or Irish harp, but its strings and soundbox were modern.

In the 1890s a similar new harp was also developed in Scotland for the cultural Gaelic revival.

These new instruments were popular and formed the basis of the 20th century revival in Ireland, Scotland and across the world. In Scotland they are called (in English) clarsach though in Ireland they are usually called Irish harp rather than cláirseach. Irish musician Derek Bell used the term neo-Irish harp. Elsewhere they are called Celtic harp or folk harp or small harp or lever harp. Some have gut strings like the 19th century originals but many now have nylon or carbon-fiber instead.

The modern clarsach or Irish harp has thousands of players, both in Scotland and Ireland, as well as North America and elsewhere. There is an interesting movement in Brittany, started by Alan Stivell in the 1950s and continuing to the present day, which claims the modern Celtic harp and also sometimes the historical type, as a Breton national instrument.

Notable international events include the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.

The Revival of the Early Clàrsach and Early Irish Harp

Since the 1970s there has been a deliberate revival of the older wire-strung instrument, based on Early Music principles and using replica instruments and period playing techniques. Pioneers who experimented with historical Gaelic harps alongside modern 'celtic' harps include Arnold Dolmetsch, Alan Stivell, Gráinne Yeats and Derek Bell. The first person to really specialise in the historical Gaelic harp and to devote their life's work to the revival is Ann Heymann who has created a technique based on interpretation of sources and practical application. This movement is characterised by the use of accurate replicas of the museum instruments, fitted with brass and often (spuriously) silver and gold wire strings, and using repertory and techniques taken from Edward Bunting's manuscripts and other historical sources. The main annual event is Scoil na gCláirseach held in Kilkenny every August. Important CDs featuring historical music played conjecturally on replica medieval harps are Ann Heymann's Cruit go nÓr, Siobhán Armstrong's Cláirseach na hÉireann and Simon Chadwick's Clàrsach na Bànrighe. However the early clarsach remains much less popular than its modern rival.

Ireland — Total Rebellion Since 1916, with Irish Flag

2010-07-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ireland

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Four Provinces Flag

2010-07-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

The four provinces flag is divided into four quadrants, each of which is the flag of one of the four provinces of Ireland. The four quadrants represent the provinces of Ulster (the top left quadrant), Munster (the top right quadrant), Connacht (the bottom left quadrant), and Leinster (the bottom right quadrant).

A Green Knight -- St. Patrick's Day Greetings

2010-06-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Armor with Green Flag

St. Patrick's Day Greetings Poster

The Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland

2010-06-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Mourne Mts, County Down, Northern Ireland

See other images by Kindra Clineff

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Blarney Castle with Harp

2010-06-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Harp and Blarney Castle

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A Right Good Time on St. Patrick's Day, Girl with a Pig and a Shamrock

2010-05-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Good Time on St. Patrick's Day, Pig and Giant Shamrock

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Temple Bar Pub, Temple Bar, Dublin, Irelane (Eire)

2010-05-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Temple Bar Pub, Temple Bar, Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland (Eire)

Other works by Sergio Pitamitz

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St. Patick's Day -- And I Wish You Luck

2010-05-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Girl Chasing Pig

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Erin Go Bragh with Ivory Pipe

2010-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Greeting - Erin Go Bragh, Ivory Pipe

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I Bid You the Top o' The Morning -- From My Plane

2010-04-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun

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Gallery of the Old Library, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (Eire)

2010-04-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Gallery of the Old Library, Trinity College, Dublin, County Dublin, Eire (Ireland)

Other work by Bruno Barbier

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Shane's Castle, Ireland

2010-03-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Greeting - Shane's Castle Scene

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Ireland — Land of Romance Vintage Travel Poster

2010-03-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Ireland- Land Of Romance

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Remember Green Erin

2010-03-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

We've featured this image before, but just discovered it's also available as a reproduction print.

St. Patrick's Day, Irish Motifs, Remember Green Erin

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Irish Coastal Scene

2010-02-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ireland

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A Leprechaun? Erin Go Bragh Postcard

2010-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day, Erin Go Bragh, Leprechaun.

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St. John's Day at St. Patrick's Purgatory, Lough Derg, Ireland

2010-02-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

Passing Through Fire on St. John's Day at St. Patrick's Purgatory Lough Derg Ireland

Engravings

Map of Ireland

2010-01-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Map Of Ireland

Available as a Poster; click here for availability

St. Patrick's Cathedral New York

2010-01-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City

Click here for more vintage postcard images as prints

Saint Patrick's Cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church, located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York. It faces Rockefeller Center.

History

Purchase of the property

The land on which the present cathedral sits was purchased for $11,000 on March 6, 1810, as a site for a school for young Roman Catholic men, the New York Literary Institution, to be conducted by the Jesuits. The school closed and was sold to the diocese. In 1814, the diocese gave use of the property to Dom Augustin LeStrange, abbot of a community of Trappists (from the original monastery of La Trappe) who came to America fleeing persecution by French authorities. In addition to a small monastic community, they also looked after some thirty-three orphans. With the downfall of Napoleon in that year, the Trappists returned to France, abandoning the property. The property at this point was designated for a future cemetery. The neighboring orphanage was maintained by the diocese into the late 1800s. Some of the Trappists resettled to Canada and eventually founded St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts.

Construction of the cathedral

The Diocese of New York, created in 1808, was made an archdiocese by Pope Pius IX on July 19, 1850. In 1853, Archbishop John Joseph Hughes announced his intention to erect a new cathedral to replace the Old Saint Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Manhattan.

The new cathedral was designed by James Renwick, Jr. in the Gothic Revival style. On August 15, 1858, the cornerstone was laid, just south of the diocese's orphanage. At that time, present-day midtown Manhattan was far north of the populous areas of New York City.

Work was begun in 1858 but was halted during the Civil War and resumed in 1865. The cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated on May 25, 1879, its huge proportions dominating the midtown of that time. The archbishop's house and rectory were added from 1882 to 1884, and an adjacent school (no longer in existence) opened in 1882. The towers on the west façade were added in 1888, and an addition on the east, including a Lady chapel, designed by Charles T. Mathews, was begun in 1901. The stained-glass windows in the Lady Chapel were designed and made in Chipping Campden, England by Paul Vincent Woodroffe between 1912 and 1930. The cathedral was renovated between 1927 and 1931 when the great organ was installed and the sanctuary enlarged.

The cathedral and associated buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Some notable people whose Requiem Masses were said at the cathedral include New York Yankees greats Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Billy Martin; legendary football coach Vince Lombardi; singer Celia Cruz; former Attorney General and U.S. Senator from New York Robert F. Kennedy; and New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. Special memorial Masses were held at the cathedral following the deaths of artist Andy Warhol, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, and author William F. Buckley, Jr.

Teddy Roosevelt, 26th American President, Celebrates St. Patrick's Day in Washington

2010-01-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

Theodore Roosevelt 26th American President Celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Washington

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Turf Fire Stories and Fairy Tales of Ireland by Barry O'Connor, a Collection of Irish Mythology

2009-09-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Kalevala Books, publishers of the Folklore and Mythology Archive and the Historic Cookbooks of the World series, has recently brought back into print for the first time in a hundred years the Irish folktale collection Turf Fire Stories. There are more than fifty tales altogether!

Learn more about it here.

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day

2009-08-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

It’s the night before St. Patrick’s Day, and Tim and Maureen are wide awake setting traps to catch a leprechaun! When they wake the next morning to the sound of their dad playing the bagpipes and the smell of their mom cooking green eggs, they’re shocked to find that they’ve actually caught a leprechaun. But will they be able to find his pot of gold? Natasha Wing’s latest title is once again told in verse to the same meter of Clement Moore’s classic.

Turf Fire Stories and Fairy Tales of Ireland

2009-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

A classic of Irish folklore and myth will soon be back in print. Turf Fire Stories and Fairy Tales of Ireland: A Collection of Irish Myth and Legend will be available later this month. Check back for details.

Legend of St. Patrick's Purgatory

2009-07-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

For over a thousand years Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland, has been a place of pilgrimage, where the faithful come to walk in the footsteps of Ireland's beloved patron saint. Legend says that it was here St. Patrick spent forty days and nights in prayer and fasting and faced many temptations. In the end, he was given a vision of Purgatory that he might share with the Irish people. Throughout the centuries pilgrims came to Lough Derg, and after intense fasting and constant prayer, were led into Patrick's "Purgatory"-the cave where he prayed-and left there over night with hopes of achieving a vision. Although the cave has long since been filled in, pilgrims still visit Lough Derg to this day. In The Legend of St. Patrick's Purgatory, originally published in 1917, Shane Leslie has collected several tales surrounding the ancient pilgrimage site.

The Legend of St. Patrick's Purgatory is available here.

The Piper Came to Our Town, a Book of Bagpipe Folklore

2009-06-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

Joanne, your blog host at St. Patrick's Day History, has just released a new book of folklore and mythology that is all about bagpipes and pipers!

Barnes and Noble and Amazon are the first of the major booksellers to have The Piper Came to Our Town listed.

You can learn more about the book by visiting Bagpipe Folklore, Legends, and Fairy Tales. There you will find vintage photos, engravings, and other images of bagpipes and pipers from around the world, as well as stories, legends, and true-life tales related to piping.

Irish Wolfhound

2009-04-14T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Irish wolfhound (Irish: Cú Faoil) is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), specifically a sighthound. The name originates from its purpose (wolf hunting) rather than from its appearance. If their connection to the Celtic dogs used at the sacking of Delphi during the Iron Age is accurate, then their name derives indeed from that of the earliest bohemian tribes from central Europe. Irish Wolfhounds are the tallest dog breed on average.

Appearance

Built like a very muscular greyhound, the Irish wolfhound male can attain the stature of a small pony. Its large, long head tapers to a medium point and is held high. Ears are small and stay close to the head except during moments of intensity. Strong shoulders, a muscular neck, a deep chest and a retracted abdomen give the dog its characteristic body shape. Paws are large and round. The tail is carried between the legs, curving slightly upward. The coat is rough, shaggy, wiry and especially bushy over the eyes and under the jaw. The Irish Wolfhound is graceful with an easy yet powerful gait. Historically these dogs had to possess not only speed, but also endurance, allowing them to follow their prey and hunt it down. They had to be hearty enough to withstand being injured whilst using their own brute force to bring the prey down. The modern representation of the breed appears to be a dog capable of doing just that. Generally breeders aim for a height range of 85 to 95 centimeters (34 to 38 inches) at the withers in males, 50 to 80 centimeters (30 to 35 inches) for females. Generally acceptable weight 46–70 kg (101–154 lbs). The recognized colors are gray, brindle, red, black, pure white, fawn or any other color that appears in the Deerhound.

Temperament

An easygoing animal, they are usually quiet by nature. Wolfhounds often create a strong bond with their family and can become quite destructive or morose if left for long periods. Despite the need for their own people, Wolfhounds generally are somewhat stand-offish with total strangers. They should not be territorially aggressive to other domestic dogs but are born with specialized skills and it is common for hounds at play to course another dog. This is a specific hunting behaviour, not a fighting or territorial domination behaviour. Most Wolfhounds are very gentle with children and are aware of their size and power. The Irish Wolfhound is relatively easy to train. They respond well to firm, but gentle, consistent leadership. However, historically these dogs were required to work at great distances from their masters and think independently when hunting rather than waiting for detailed commands and this can still be seen in the breed. The Wolfhound of today is far from the one that struck fear into the hearts of the Ancient Romans. Irish Wolfhounds are often favoured for their loyalty, affection, patience and devotion. Although at some points in history they have been used as watchdogs, unlike some breeds, the Irish Wolfhound is usually unreliable in this role as they are often friendly toward strangers, although their size can be a natural deterrent. That said, when protection is required this dog is never found wanting. When they or their family are in any perceived danger they display a fearless nature. Owenmore Wolfhound breeder Linda Glover believes the dogs' close affinity with humans makes them acutely aware and sensitive to ill will or malicious intentions leading to them excelling as a guardian rather than guard dog. J A McAleen, in praising them, wrote:

No other dog can come so close to the understanding and kindly companionship that exists between humans as this dog can. A giant in structure, a lamb in disposition, a lion in courage; affectionate and intelligent, thoroughly reliable and dependable at all times, as a companion and as a guard he is perfection

History

The breed is very old; there are suggestions it may have been brought to Ireland around 3500 BC by early settlers, further genetic testing may help clarify a point of origin. These dogs are mentioned, as cú (variously translated as hound, Irish hound, war dog, wolf dog, etc.) in Irish laws, which predate Christianity, and in Irish literature which dates from the 5th century or, in the case of the Sagas, from the old Irish period - AD600-900. The word "Cu" often became an added respected prefix on the names of warriors as well as kings denoting that they were worthy of the respect and loyalty of a Cu. Ancient wood cuts and writings have placed them in existence as a breed by 273 BC. However there is indication that they existed even as early as 600 BC when the Tectosages and Tolistobogii Celts sacked Delphi. Survivors left accounts of the fierce Celts and the huge dogs who fought with them and at their side. They were mentioned by Julius Caesar in his treatise, The Gallic Wars, and by 391 BC, they were written about by Roman Consul, Quintus Aurelius, who received seven of them as a gift to be used for fighting lions, bears, that in his words, "all Rome viewed with wonder.". Bred as war dogs by the ancients, who called them Cú Faoil. The Irish continued to breed them for this purpose, as well as to guard their homes and protect their stock. Regular references of Irish wolfhounds being used in dog fights are found in many historical sagas—Culain's favourite dog, Luath, was slain by a southern chief's hound, Phorp. Cúchulain, a name which translates literally as "hound of Culain", gained his name when as a child, known then as Setanta, he slew the ferocious guard dog of Culain forcing him to offer himself as a replacement.

While many modern texts state Irish wolfhounds were used for coursing deer, contemporary pre-revival accounts such as Animated Nature (1796) by Oliver Goldsmith are explicit that the original animal was a very poor coursing dog. Their astonishing size, speed, and intelligence made them ideal animals for both boar hunting and wolf hunting. They were perhaps too ideal, as the boar and wolf are now extinct in Ireland. Unlike the Russian wolfhound (Borzoi), who were bred to keep a wolf at bay until the hunter arrived, the Irish wolfhounds were bred not only to hunt the wolf down, but to go in for the kill. They killed wolves in the same way a cat kills a rat, by shaking it until its neck snapped. The Irish wolfhound has been recorded as being exhibited in ancient Rome to some excitement, and mention is made that they so amazed and terrified the Romans that it was seen fit to only transport them in cages. During the English conquest of Ireland, wolfhounds were trained by the Irish for war; their job was to catch armoured knights on horseback and separate them from their horses.

Only kings and the nobility were allowed to own the great Irish hound, the numbers permitted depending on position. They were much coveted and were frequently given as gifts to important personages and foreign nobles. Like the nobility they served, the hounds were often bejeweled with chains and collars studded with precious gem stones and metals. Wolfhounds were the companions of the regal, and housed themselves alongside them. King John of England, in about 1210 presented an Irish hound to Llewellyn, a prince of Wales. The poet The Hon W R Spencer immortalised this hound, Gelert in a poem. In his Historie of Ireland completed 1571, Blessed Edmund Campion gives a description of the hounds used for hunting the wolves on the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. He says: They (the Irish) are not without wolves and greyhounds to hunt them, bigger of bone and limb than a colt. Due to their popularity overseas many were exported to European royal houses leaving numbers in Ireland depleted. This led to a declaration by Cromwell himself being published in Kilkenny on 27 April 1652 to ensure that sufficient numbers remained to control the wolf population. References to the Irish wolfdog in the 1700s tell of its great size, strength and greyhound shape as well as its scarcity. Writing in 1790, Bewick described it as the largest and most beautiful of the dog kind; about 36 inches high, generally of a white or cinammon colour, somewhat like the greyhound but more robust. He said that their aspect was mild, disposition peaceful, and strength so great that in combat the mastiff or bulldog was far from being an equal to them. The last wolf in Ireland is thought to have been killed at Myshall, Co Carlow in 1786 by a pack of wolfdogs kept by a Mr Watson of Ballydarton. The remaining hounds in the hands of a few families who were mainly descendants of the old Irish chieftains, were now symbols of status rather than hunters, they were said to be the last of their race.

Englishman Captain George Augustus Graham is responsilble with a few other breeders for reaffirming the dogs existence. In 1879 he wrote: "It has been ascertained beyond all question that there are few specimens of the breed still left in Ireland and England to be considered Irish wolfhounds, though falling short of the requisite dimensions. This blood is now in my possession." Captain Graham devoted his life to ensuring the survival of the Irish wolfdog. Owing to the small numbers of surviving specimens outcrossing was used in the breeding programme. It is believed that Great Dane, Deerhound and Mastiff dogs all played their part in Graham's creation of the dog we currently know. In 1885 Captain Graham with other breeders founded the Irish Wolfhound Club, and the Breed Standard of Points to establish and agree the ideal to which breeders should aspire.

The wolfhound is sometimes regarded as the national dog breed of Ireland but in fact no breed has ever been officially adopted as such. The wolfhound was historically a dog that only nobles could own and was taken up by the British during their rule in Ireland. This made it unpopular as a national symbol and the Kerry Blue Terrier was adopted by Irish Nationalists such as Michael Collins. However, in recent years, the wolfhound has been adopted as a symbol by both rugby codes, which are organised on an All-Ireland basis. The national rugby league team are nicknamed the wolfhounds, and the Irish Rugby Football Union, which governs rugby union, changed the name of the country's A (second-level) national team in that code to the Ireland Wolfhounds in 2010.

Irish Wolfhound Images

2009-04-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

Irish Wolfhound

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Irish Wolfhound, West Highlander and Cairn, 1930, Just Among Friends, Aldin

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Irish Wolfhound Breed of Domestic Dog

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Scottish Boy with Wolfhounds in a Highland Landscape, 1870

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Irish Wolfhound and Wire-Haired Terrier, 1930, Just Among Friends, Aldin, Cecil Charles Windsor

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Wolfhound on Beach

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Irish Wolfhound

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St. Patrick's Purgatory, Lough Derg, Ireland

2009-03-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Worshipping in St. Patrick's Cave St. Patrick's Purgatory Lough Derg Ireland

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for availability and pricing of this wonderful print.

Green Beer in the Water Cooler

2009-03-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

A great vintage image of a woman filling her cup with green beer from a water cooler!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Green Water Cooler

is available as an Art Print

from here: Irish Posters

Uncle Sam Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

"I'm just a little bit Irish myself," says Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

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for availability and pricing.

Couples Toasting, Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Couples Drinking Green Beer

Available as an Art Print

from here: St. Patrick's Day

The Dear Little Shamrock

2009-03-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Song with Girl Holding Shamrocks

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for availability and pricing.

Irish-American St. Patrick's Day Greetings

2009-03-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

American and Irish Flags, St. Patrick's Day

Available as an art print from:

here

Green Screen TV St. Patrick's Day, Ireland

2009-03-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

It looks like this image dates to the sixties!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Green Screen TV

is available here

Commemoration of St. Patrick Coming to Ireland

2009-03-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Saint Patrick Postcard Commemorating His Coming to Ireland 1500 Years Previously

is available as an art print from here:

St. Patrick

Green Beer Poster, St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Green Beer

Available as a poster from here:

St. Patrick's Day Posters

St. Patrick with Crozier, Shamrock, and American Flag

2009-03-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick with Shamrock and Crozier

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for availability and pricing.

Irish Lass with Shamrocks and Erin go Bragh Flag

2009-03-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

As our flag floats out on the breeze
Memories fly back to me keen
for again I'm a lass, gathering shamrocks
in a frock all made in green

St. Patrick's Day Poem, Girl with Flag

Art Print

Buy at AllPosters.com

New London is now New Dublic

2009-03-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

"Leprechauns" kick off week-long festivities by renaming New London, Wisconsin to New Dublin. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

St. Patrick's Day Postcard with Puppy

2009-03-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day Greetings, Puppy and Shamrock

Available from here

What is a Shillelagh? A Symbol of Ireland

2009-02-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Orangeman and Fenian the Loyal Ulsterman Would Like to Take His Shillelagh to the Wild Fenian
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You've seen them in a number of postcard images, but what exactly is a shilleglah?

A shillelagh (Irish: sail éille, a cudgel with a strap), commonly pronounced "shi-LAY-lee" or "shi-LAY-la", is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore.

Construction

Shillelaghs are traditionally made from blackthorn (sloe) wood (Prunus spinosa) or oak. The wood would be smeared with butter and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the Shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. Shillelaghs may be hollowed at the heavy "hitting" end and filled with molten lead to increase the weight beyond the typical two pounds; this sort of Shillelagh is known as a 'loaded stick'. They are commonly the length of a walking stick (distance from the floor to one's wrist with elbow slightly bent). Most also have a heavy knob for a handle which can be used for striking as well as parrying and disarming an opponent. Many shillelaghs also have a strap attached (hence the Irish name), similar to commercially made walking sticks, to place around the holder's wrist.

History

There is no actual connection with the village or forest of Shillelagh (Irish: Síol Éalaigh, meaning "descendants of Éalach") in County Wicklow, other than the fact that both the original Irish names have ended up with the same Anglicized pronunciation.

Although originally used for settling disputes in a gentlemanly manner (like pistols in colonial America, or the katana in Japan), the shillelagh eventually became a symbol of stereotypical violent Irish behavior. Modern practitioners of Bataireacht study the use of the shillelagh for self defense and as a martial art. Of the practice, researcher J. W. Hurley writes:

Methods of Shillelagh fighting have evolved over a period of thousands of years, from the spear, staff, axe and sword fighting of the Irish. There is some evidence which suggests that the use of Irish stick weapons may have evolved in a progression from a reliance on long spears and wattles, to shorter spears and wattles, to the shillelagh, alpeen, blackthorn (walking-stick) and short cudgel. By the 19th century Irish Shillelagh-fighting had evolved into a practice which involved the use of three basic types of weapons, sticks which were long, medium or short in length.

Modern usage

In modern usage, the shillelagh is recognised (particularly in an Irish-American context) as a symbol of Irishness. For example, the NCOs of the Fighting 69th carry shillelaghs as rank badges in parades. The Boston Celtics logo has a leprechaun leaning on his shillelagh. In San Diego, Padres broadcaster Mark Grant popularized the shillelagh as a rally call, by using terms like "Shillelagh Power" to describe late game heroics by the Padres. (The success of the phrase led the San Diego Padres store to carry inflatable shillelaghs). Similarly, in college football, a Jeweled Shillelagh is the trophy given to the winner of the rivalry game between the USC Trojans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Shillelaghs are sometimes referred to in a similar context in folk songs, such as in "Finnegan's Wake," in which the term "shillelagh law" refers to a brawl, and in the 19th century song "Rocky Road to Dublin," in which references are made to fashioning a shillelagh, using it to hold a tied bag over one's shoulder, and using it as a striking weapon.

The MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile was named for the club.

World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Dave Finlay carries a shillelagh to the ring with him and sometimes uses it in kayfabe to knock out his opponent.

Irish-American St. Patrick's Day Greetings

2009-02-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings, St. Patrick's Day, American Shield

A great historic image! It is available as an Art Print

from here: Irish Art

Green Beer Day — It's Not Just for St. Patrick's Day

2009-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

Green Beer Day (GBD) is a day-long party, where celebrants drink beer dyed green with artificial coloring or natural processes. The tradition started at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and was first celebrated in 1952. It is celebrated annually on the Thursday before Spring Break, and has been called Miami University's "biggest tradition".

Tradition

Students begin to drink as early as 3 to 5 A.M. on Green Beer Day; bars in Oxford open at 5 A.M. To celebrate the holiday, students wear ironic green T-shirts, and many students open entrepreneurial shirt stores to profit from the day. Students proceed to drink throughout the day, including arriving at class inebriated.

Disassociation

Miami University does not recognize or condone Green Beer Day in any way; Miami threatened legal action against the owner of the domain www.greenbeerday.com for using the Miami name without permission. Miami changed its timing of its Spring Break in 2009, allowing students to celebrate both Green Beer Day and St. Patrick's Day. When asked if the change was intended to allow Miami students to celebrate twice, the executive assistant to the President of the University Steve Snyder responded, "Miami University has nothing whatsoever to do with Green Beer Day." Miami University e-mails teachers to specifically have no tolerance for students who arrive inebriated on Green Beer Day in order to combat the tradition, and encourages teachers to assign large assignments to be due in classes during Green Beer Day.

Students have criticized the University for not recognizing one of its biggest traditions, and the Miami Student editorial board has criticized the University for trying to destroy it as a yearly event. Miami alumni have begun to celebrate the event in other cities, with an especially large event occurring annually in Chicago, Illinois.

Information from Wikipedia.

Green Bar Stool, St. Patrick's Day

2009-01-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Green Bar Stool

Green Beer from a Vending Machine

2009-01-01T16:17:00.001-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Green Beer Vending Machine

Available as an Art Print

from: Green Beer Posters

Girl Playing Harp

2008-09-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Poem, Girl Playing Harp

This antique postcard has been reproduced as an art print, and can be purchased--framed or unframed--from here: Irish Art Prints

St. Patrick's Day Couple in a Donkey Cart

2008-09-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Couple in Donkey Cart

This framed art print, from an antique post card, is available from here: Irish Art

St. Patrick Dancing Couple, Framed Art Print

2008-09-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day, Dancing Couple

This framed art print, from a vintage postcard, is available here: Framed Art Print

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Detail

2008-09-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's by Randy Harris is available as a framed art print from here: Framed Art Print

Medieval St. Patrick

2008-09-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick, Detail

This wonderful image from a Medieval illuminated manuscript is available from here: St. Patrick

Women's Guiness T-Shirt

2008-09-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

The perfect clothing item to wear on St. Patrick's Day, featuring the famous Guinness Toucan. It is available from here: Women's: Guinness - Toucan

Men's Guinness T-Shirt with Toucan

2008-09-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Guinness - Shamrock Toucan T-Shirt
is available from here: Guinness Wear

Saint Patrick of Ancient Times

2008-08-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Saint Patrick of Ancient Ages is an engraving found in Most Ancient Lives of St. Patrick.

Saint Patrick of Medieval Times

2008-08-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

The Saint Patrick of Medieval Times, from Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick, 1880.

St. Fiech's Metrical Life of St. Patrick

2008-08-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

ST. FIECH'S METRICAL LIFE OF ST. PATRICK.
Written in the Irish Language about 1,400 years ago.

I
At Nemthur Saint Patrick was born,
As history handed it down;
And when but sixteen years of age,
A captive was led from that town.

II.
Siccoth was Saint Patrick's first name;
His father Calphurn without miss;
His grandfather Otide was styled;
He was nephew of Deacon Odisse.

III.
Six years did he live in dark bonds,
And the food of the Gentile ate not;
And Cathraige by men he was called,
Since to work for four homes was his lot.

IV.
To the servant of Milcho 'twas said
To pass o'er the seas and the plain;
Then stood angel Victor on rock,
And his footprints to this day remain.

V.
Departed Saint Patrick o'er Alps--
On his way all successful he hies;
And with German remained in the South
'Neath Letavia's wide-spreading skies.

VI.
In the isles of the Tyrrhenian sea
Saint Patrick some period awaits,
And as canon with German he reads,
As his history still to us states

VII.
To Hibernia Saint Patrick returned,
By visions from angels induced;
For visions to him appeared oft,
And his mind to subjection reduced.

VIII.
Soul-saving was Patrick's intent,
For 'twas to far Foclut's dark flood;
He had heard the entreaty and wail
Of children in Foclut's far woods.

IX.
For asked they the saint to make haste
And Letavia's wide lands desert,
That from error's dark ways Eire's men
He might in life's pathways direct.

X.
Foretold Eire's seers years of peace,
Which were to remain through all time;
But the grandeurs of Tara the proud
Were to vanish in dust, as earth's slime.

XI.
To Leary, the monarch, Druids told
Of the advent of Patrick the saint;
And their visions were true, as we know
From the facts which his histories paint.

XII.
Renowned was Saint Patrick through life,
And of error he was a dire foe;
Hence for ever his name shall be grand
Among the nations, as ages shall flow.

XIII.
The Apocalypse sang he, and hymns,
And three fifty full psalms, day by day;
He instructed and praised and baptized,
And all time he continued to pray.

XIV.
Nor could any cold e'er prevent
That he stayed in the water o'er nights;
And to gain the grand kingdom of heaven,
Through the day he used preach on the heights.

XV.
By the far-famous fount of the North,
Benibarka! thy waters sha'n't cease;
For a hundred full psalms he used sing
Each night the Lord's praise to increase.

XVI.
Then he slept on a cold bed of stone,
And with a wet cover was dressed;
A stone was his pillow each night--
Such, such was the saint's nightly rest.

XVII.
To the people the Gospel was preached,
With power and with miracles signed;
The blind and the lepers were cured,
And Death his dead subjects resigned.

XVIII.
Saint Patrick did preach to the Scots,
And in Letavia much he endured,
That whom he had won to the Lord
In Judgment's dread day be secured.

XIX.
Emir's and proud Erimon's sons
A demon contrived to ensnare;
And them did dread Satan engulf
In the dark, fearful depths of his lair,

XX.
Until our apostle arrived,
Who rescued and set them all free,
Through sixty long years of his life
To Christ's cross the brave Fenians flee.

XXI.
Great darkness o'er Eire was spread,
And its people their idols adored,
Nor in the true Godhead believed,
Nor the Trinity, too, of the Lord.

XXII.
At Armagh the realm's throne has been placed,
To Emania a glory to be;
And far-famed is Dundalethglas church,
Nor let fame from Temoria flee.

XXIII.
To Armagh, in his infirm old age,
Saint Patrick desired much to go;
But God's angel at noon met the saint,
And induced him his wish to forego.

XXIV.
Southward to the angel he came
(For Victor had been his good guide),
And the bush in which Victor appeared
Burned bright, and a voice from it cried:

XXV.
"At Armagh let the government be,
And to Christ let all glory be brought;
Indeed, thou shalt come unto heaven;
Thou obtainedst, because thou hadst sought.

XXVI.
"A hymn which you sing while alive
Shall to Celts a proud armament be;
And at judgment the Irish surround
Their father, their patron, in thee."

XXVII.
After Patrick, good Tassach remained;
When Patrick to Tassach Christ gave,
Tassach said: "He from me shall receive";
And the prediction of Tassach was grave.

XXVIII.
For the night was installed a bright day,
And that day for one year did remain;
So that over all Eire the fair
Light's brilliance and brightness did reign.

XXIX.
Bethoron a battle beheld
Of great Nun against Chanaan's sons,
In which Gabaon saw the sun stand,
As the Scriptural narrative runs.

XXX.
For brave Josue stood the bright sun
To witness the wicked all slain;
Why not for Saint Patrick thrice more
To illumine Hibernia's plain?

XXXI.
For all Eire's good clergy were come
To bury Saint Patrick with pride;
And the sounds of the singing from heaven
Cast them sleeping all round, far and wide.

XXXII.
Saint Patrick's pure soul fled his frame
(His works immortality make);
And on the first night after death,
The angels of God watched his wake.

XXXIII.
And when Patrick departed from life,
To the other Saint Patrick came he;
And to Jesus, of Mary the Son,
The two passed, bright and pure, great and free.

XXXIV.
In Patrick pride's stain was not found;
And great were the works that adorn
This good son of Christ, Mary's Son!
With God's blessing Saint Patrick was born.

The Saint Patrick of Our Own Century

2008-08-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

Engraving from The Most Ancient Lives of St. Patrick, 1880.

St. Patrick's Flag

2008-08-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

Saint Patrick's Flag (Irish: Cros Phádraig) is a flag of Ireland that features in the flag of the United Kingdom. In heraldic language, it may be blazoned Argent, a saltire gules, meaning that it is drawn as a red saltire (a crux decussata or X-shaped cross) on a white field. It is said to represent Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is also known as the Saint Patrick's Cross or Saint Patrick's Saltire.

The origin of the flag is disputed, with two opposing theories. Some argue that the flag is an ancient flag associated with Ireland. Evidence for this is that a red saltire appears on the seal of Trinity College Dublin dating from 1612, as well as the arms of the cities of Cork and Enniskillen. Dutch guides from the turn of the eighteenth century guides also ascribe a red saltire as the Irish flag. Opposing this view is that the flag is relatively new, dating from 1783, with the foundation of the Order of Saint Patrick, when a red saltire was chosen for the badge of the order. Proponents of this view point out that the choice of a saltire as a symbol of Ireland was to the bewilderment of contemporary Irish commentators. They also point out that evidence for the use of the symbol as a flag of Ireland prior to then are scarce or oblique.

In any event, with the 1800 Act of Union that merged the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, a red saltire was incorporated into the Flag of the United Kingdom as representing Ireland. Throughout the 19th century until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, it served as an unofficial Irish flag. Today, it is of growing significance to unionists in Northern Ireland, to whom it represents a neutral flag of Ireland, in contrast to the Irish tricolour, which they object to as a nationalist symbol.

Origins

The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, the British order of chivalry associated with Ireland, was created in 1783 to mark the grant of substantial autonomy to Ireland, as a means of rewarding (or obtaining) political support in the Irish Parliament. In creating the order, a badge for those accepted into it was also created. This is the official description of the badge that the lord lieutenant, Lord Temple, forwarded to his superiors in London in January 1783:

And the said Badge shall be of Gold surrounded with a Wreath of Shamrock or Trefoil, within which shall be a Circle of Gold, containing the Motto of our said Order in Letters of Gold Viz. QUIS SEPARABIT? together with the date 1783, being the year in which our said Order was founded, and encircling the Cross of St Patrick Gules, surmounted with a Trefoil Vert each of its leaves charged with an Imperial Crown Or upon a field of Argent.

The origin of the cross used in the badge is unclear and was condemned by contemporary Irish opinion. A press report published in February 1783 complained that "the breasts of Irishmen were to be decorated by the bloody Cross of St Andrew, and not that of the tutelar Saint of their natural isle". Another article claimed that "the Cross of St Andrew the Scotch saint is to honour the Irish order of St Patrick, by being inserted within the star of the order" and described this as "a manifest insult to common sense and to national propriety." Despite this, the red saltire was incorporated into the Union Flag in 1801 following the union of Great Britain and Ireland, representing Ireland within the Union alongside the St George's Cross for England and Saint Andrew's Flag for Scotland. The use of the cross for this purpose is often suspected to have been based on a desire to create a new Union Flag that complimented the already existent one, rather than as a genuine symbol of Ireland. Earlier union flags, such as the Commonwealth Flag (England and Ireland) or the Protectorate Jack (England, Ireland and Scotland), represented Ireland with its coat of arms of Ireland.

Strictly speaking, "Saint Patrick's Cross" is a misnomer, as Saint Patrick was not a martyr, unlike Saints George and Andrew. St. Patrick's Cross has nothing to do with any tradition about the Saint. It may originate from the arms of the FitzGerald dynasty, an Old English family long resident in Ireland, however, contemporary sources provide nothing to support this. Another theory is that the symbol is an old but uncommon symbol of Ireland. Support for this include a various sources showing saltires in use earlier that 1783 in Ireland (e.g. an Irish coin from the 1480s or a map of the 1601 battle of Kinsale showing combined Irish-Spanish forces under a red saltire. However, these examples can be explained as either the St. Andrew's Cross, the Cross of Burgundy, or similar. A third theory is that it was a common custom, from at least the early 17th century, to wear a cross made of paper or ribbon on St Patrick's Day and that the Saint Patrick's Cross in the regalia of the Order may have been inspired by these popular badges. However, surviving examples of such badges come in many colours and they were invariably worn upright rather than as saltires.

The motto of the order Quis separabit?, or Latin for "Who will separate us?" (today the motto of Northern Ireland) was borrowed from the Order of the Friendly Brothers of St Patrick, but was also appropriate politically in expressing a desire for unity. The Brothers', for their part, recorded a cross pattée as Saint Patrick's Cross and used one on their badge. An open letter to Lord Temple, to whom the design of the Order of St. Patrick's badges were entrusted, supports this view, explaining why the saltire was rejected by the Irish public:

The Cross generally used on St Patrick's day, by Irishmen, is the Cross-Patee, which is small in the centre, and so goes on widening to the ends, which are very broad; this is not recorded, as the Irish Cross, but has custom for time immemorial for its support, which is generally allowed as sufficient authority for any similar institution ... As bearing the arms of another person is reckoned very disgraceful by the laws of honour, how much more so is it, in an order which ought to carry honour to the highest pitch, to take a cross for its emblem, which has been acknowledged for many ages as the property of an order in another country? If the cross generally worn as the emblem of the Saint who is ascribed to Ireland, is not agreeable to your Excellency, sure many others are left to choose from, without throwing Ireland into so ignominious a point of view, as to adopt the one that Scotland has so long a claim to.

The cross pattée was used on 15th century Irish coins and is today used as a symbol by the Church of Ireland. It is also uniquely used by Irish Roman Catholics and Anglicans (Church of Ireland), being pressed onto their foreheads during Ash Wednesday services.

Modern Use

Today, Saint Patrick's flag is often seen during Saint Patrick's Day parades in Northern Ireland. This is often in contrast to the Irish tricolour, the flag of the Republic of Ireland, which - although seen by nationalists as a flag of the entire island of Ireland - is rejected by unionists. It is one of a few flags, probably second only to the Four Provinces Flag, that are considered relatively neutral in terms of the symbolism of Ireland and is used by some all-island bodies, as well as being the only national flag (of the UK or Ireland) authorised to be flown on church grounds by the Church of Ireland. For similar motives, it is the basis of the police badge of the new Police Service of Northern Ireland and the flag of the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

Variants

In the 1930s, a variation of the flag with a St. Patrick's Blue background was adopted as the badge and flag of the Blueshirts. This militant group incorporated right-wing, conservative and some former-unionist elements in opposition to the then left-wing republican Fianna Fáil party.

Various flags representing Northern Ireland also incorporate the saltire. One is used by Ulster separatists who wish to see Northern Ireland leave the United Kingdom and become an independent state, not joining together with the Republic of Ireland. The flag is made up of St Andrew's cross overlaid with St Patrick's Cross and the red hand and star of Northern Ireland, with the star coloured yellow (instead of white as in the Ulster Banner) based on the colours of the flag of the Irish province of Ulster. Another, a proposed new flag for Northern Ireland, is a hybrid between the Saint Patrick's flag and the Ulster Banner. It adds the Red Hand of Ulster and the six-pointed star to the St. Patrick's Flag, but does not add the crown and dispenses with St. Georges' Cross, as found on the Ulster Banner.

Image of St. Patrick, St. Columba, and Saint Brigida, 1629

2008-07-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

Images of Saint Columba, Saint Patrick, and Saint Brigida, Taken from the Spicilegium Sanctorum, and engraven at Paris, A.D. 1629, by Messingham.

St. Patrick's Blue

2008-07-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Blue refers to a blue, often but not always dark blue, associated with St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Although St. Patrick is often depicted in green chasuble and episcopal mitre today, before the 20th century the saint was more often shown wearing blue garments. This same blue can be seen on ancient Irish flags and in some modern contexts associated with Ireland.

St. Patrick's Blue is officially the colour which appears on the Irish Presidential Standard (i.e. the flag of the President of Ireland) and the Coat of arms of Ireland. It also appears in the part of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom representing Northern Ireland.

This blue and gold colour scheme is said to represent "the Ancient Colours of Ireland" and are the colours also found on the coat of arms of "the Ancient City of Dublin" and the Flag of Munster (which evolved from the coat of arms of the Lordship of Ireland). The Flag of Connacht prominently features blue as well.

As the colours of University College Dublin, the blue and yellow scheme is officially called "St Patrick's Blue and Saffron" and is featured prominently on the institution's coat of arms. These are the original colours of the Catholic University of Ireland and date back to the inception of the College in the 1840s. The colours are used by various sports teams at the university such as the University College Dublin Rowing Club. For the fencing club at University College Dublin, the blue chosen as their St. Patrick's Blue is "Pantone 295", the same shade of blue as that is used on the pennant of the President of Ireland.

In the 1930s, the Army Comrades Association's Saint Patrick's Blue shirts earned it the nickname of Blueshirts. It was a quasi-Fascist shirted movement which rejected green as associated with its republican opponents. The saltire flag of the Blueshirts was a variant of Saint Patrick's Flag with the white background replaced with a blue background.

A group of Sea Scouts associated with St. Patrick's Church in Dalkey near Dublin Port describes their troop neckerchief as "red with a St. Patrick's Blue border."

The Irish Guards, an Irish regiment of the British Army, wear a plume of St. Patrick's Blue in their bearskins. The guards also wear a cap ornament depicting the eight-pointed star of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. Although the last surviving knight died in 1974, the order technically still exists. Knights of the order wore a blue mantle lined with white silk and a blue velvet hat. The ribands of the order were blue as well.

St. Patrick's Day green

Green, the colour most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing. At many times in Irish history, to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. The change to Ireland's association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750s.

Other Irish blues

Other flags important to Irish history have also featured blue, rather than green, as the dominant colour. Some are thought to have relationship to the St. Patrick's Blue described here.

Among these flags are:

The Flag of Mide, one of the Provinces of Ireland when there were five rather than four of them, is a blue flag emblazoned with a king on a golden throne.
The Starry Plough, a flag used by the Irish Citizen Army during the Easter Rising, had white stars on a blue background. This banner, and alternative versions of it, have also been used by the Connolly Youth Movement, Labour Youth, Ógra Shinn Féin and the Republican Socialist Youth Movement.
The Sunburst Flag, a flag associated with Irish nationalism, and more recently, youth wings of Irish republican groups such as Na Fianna Éireann, is also blue and gold. The flag is first thought to have been used in 1858 by the Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Sunburst Flag is still used by both republican groups and the Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge

Patrick in Legend

2008-07-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though post-glacial Ireland never had snakes; one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes), or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as “serpents”. Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of 'three divine persons in the one God' (as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's time). Whether or not these legends are true, the very fact that there are so many legends about Patrick shows how important his ministry was to Ireland. Some Irish legends involve the Oilliphéist, the Caoránach, and the Copóg Phádraig. During his evangelising journey back to Ireland from his parent's home at Birdoswald, he is understood to have carried with him an ash wood walking stick or staff. He thrust this stick into the ground wherever he was evangelising and at the place now known as Aspatria (ash of Patrick) the message of the good news took so long to get through to the people there that the stick had taken root by the time he was ready to move on. The 12th century work Acallam na Senórach tells of Patrick being met by two ancient warriors, Caílte mac Rónáin and Oisín, during his evangelical travels. The two were once members of Fionn mac Cumhaill's warrior band the Fianna, and somehow survived to Patrick's time. They traveled with the saint and told him their stories.

Information from Wikipedia.

Smiling Leprechaun

2008-07-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Doesn't he look like he has a charming secret? Smiling Leprechaun is available as a poster

Grateful Dead at The Garden in Boston, MA, 1991

2008-07-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Grateful Dead at The Garden in Boston, complete with Irish Shamrock. Click here for availability.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sweet harp of Erin, wake thy song to cheer the day we've kept so long!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. And how are you celebrating???

An Irish Homestead

2008-03-16T23:10:00.001-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Greetings

From the Auld Sod

2008-03-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Irish Hearts

2008-03-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

Let the Clarion notes resound, on dear Ireland's distant shore, and re-echo through our hearts, for St. Patrick evermore!

Best Wishes for St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

Top of the Morning to You!

2008-03-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Morn's Mornin' to You Mavourneen

2008-03-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

My Irish Daisy

2008-03-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

My Irish Daisy I love but you, born in the land where the shamrock grew, lift up your voice to Erin go Bragh, that it may echo to green shores afar.

Erin Go Bragh

2008-03-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

The Wearing of the Green, Middle Lake, Killarney

2008-03-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

A lovely postcard which features Middle Lake, Killarney, and the first few lines of The Wearing of the Green.

Kathleen at the Spring

2008-03-06T23:23:00.001-08:00

A lovely Irish lass sits beside a stream, a pitcher in hand ready to carry the water home.

Pig on a String, Shillelagh

2008-03-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

Now why would you tie a string to the back leg of a pig? And is he going to beat him with that shillelagh?

St. Patrick's Day Greeting

2008-03-04T23:29:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day we celebrate
And this a token gladly take.

Ould Ireland So Green

2008-03-03T23:32:00.000-08:00

With a Shillalah and a pipe and a pretty colleen
There's no place in the world like Ould Ireland so green
Erin go bragh!

A Bit o' Blarney

2008-03-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

My Irish Rose, to Thee I Sing

2008-03-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

My Irish Rose, to thee I sing
to thee I pray.
Let's join hands--our hearts beat as one
On St. Patrick's Day

Kathleen Mavourneen

2008-02-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

The lark from her light wing
the bright dew is shaking

My Name is Pat

2008-02-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

See my flag, and see my hat.
Sure you're right! My name is Pat.

Irish Girl Atop a Harp

2008-02-08T19:34:00.000-08:00

The Top 'o the Morning to YOU

2008-02-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

Sunset at Killarney

2008-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Irish Castle

2008-02-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

Three Cheers for Ireland!

2008-02-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day All the Irish Give
Three Cheers for the Banner of Erin's Isle
For her golden harp and shamrock green
and the maid that's a coming through the style.

A Boy, A Girl, a Few Shamrocks

2008-02-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

Erin go Bragh!

Ireland, The Fairest Isle of All

2008-02-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Ireland, the fairest Isle of All
Sweet in Remembrance, to Thee We Call

Chicago's St. Patrick's Day Green River Tradition

2008-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Every year on St. Patrick's Day, the Chicago River is dyed green. Bill King, the administrator of Chicago's St. Patrick's Day committee, stated that "the idea of dyeing the Chicago River green originally came about by accident when a group of plumbers were using fluorescein dye to trace illegal substances that were polluting the river".

The chemical used during the 1960s to turn the river green was a fluorescent dye. This dye is not allowed anymore because the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlawed the use of the chemical that was proven to be harmful to the river. The secret ingredients used to dye the river green today are safe and are not harmful to the thousands of goldfish that make up a large percentage of the river's fish population.

Information from Wikipedia.

Clapsaddle Irish Lass

2008-01-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

"The Wearing of the Green" by Ellen Clapsaddle. A charming lass, indeed!

St. Patrick vs. The Druids

2008-01-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Contest with the Druids

From Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts by Patrick Kennedy, 1891

At the moment when the high pile of brushwood, crowned with flowers, was about to be lighted up by the hands of the Chief Druid, the King's eyes sparkled with rage, for eastward a weak but steady light was beheld glimmering. "Who," said he, "has dared to commit this sacrilege?" "We know not," was the answer from many voices in the assembly. "O King," said the Chief Druid, "if this fire be not extinguished at once, it will never be quenched. It will put out our sacred fires, and the man who has enkindled it will overcome thee, and he and his successors rule Erinn to the end of time." "Go, then," said Leoghairé, "quench his light, and bring him hither." "We go," was the answer; "but let all in the assembly turn their backs toward the magic blaze. Meanwhile let our own sacred fires be kindled, and all the dwellers in Erinn rejoice in its light. When we have brought this stranger into the presence, let no one rise to do him homage."

So saying, the Chief Druid set fire to the pile, and, accompanied by two other Druids and some guards, proceeded till he came to where the saint and his assistants, in their white robes, were chanting their psalms. "What mean these incantations?" cried the Druid, curiously glancing at the books so unlike their own wooden staves and tablets; "or why this flame on the eve of Bealteiné, contrary to the orders of the Ard Righ and the Ard Druid? Accompany us to the assembly at Tara, and account for your disobedience; but first extinguish that ill-boding light."

Of all that sat or stood in the presence of the King, no one arose to show respect to the newly-arrived but Dubhthach, an aged Druid, and the young poet, Fiech, who thus braved the King's displeasure. He, fixing his eyes sternly on the saint and his followers, sharply addressed them. "Know ye not the law of this land, that whoever on the eve of Bealteiné kindles a fire before the blaze is seen from Tara, is devoted to death? "

Patrick then commenced, by declaring the Unity of the Godhead in a Trinity of Persons, the creation and fall of man, the necessity of a Mediator, the Incarnation of the Son of God, and our redemption thereby; the necessity of true Christian belief, and the rejection of all creature worship, not excepting that of the genial life-cherishing Beal. He then alluded to his former captivity and the object of his present mission, and besought king and people not to resist the good impulses which would be vouchsafed by God's goodness to every one who did not wilfully offer opposition to them.

The hearts of the King and the greater part of the Druids remained obdurate; but such persuasive strength was vouchsafed to the words of the saint, that very many hung on his lips with veneration and enthusiasm. The Ard Righ observed this with regret; but his power was much restricted, and he did not venture to express open dissatisfaction. He ordered apartments to be assigned to Patrick and his companions, and appointed him to argue with his Druids on the morrow.

Thousands were assembled next day on the wide plain, and the stern-looking Druids filled the greater part of the space enclosed for the disputants. After some explanations and arguments were adduced by the missionary which told heavily on the priests, the Chief cried out in an arrogant tone, "If the Son of God has redeemed the human race, and if you were sent by Him, work a miracle to prove your mission." "I will not seek to disturb the order of Providence to gratify mere curiosity," modestly answered the saint. "Then will I approve the truth of druidic worship by effecting what you fear to attempt," cried the infuriated pagan; and beginning to describe lines in the air with his wand, and to chant spells, a thick veil of snow shut out the light and heat of the sun, and covering the ground several feet, an intense cold was felt, and the teeth of every one in the assembly chattered. Cries of discontent arose, and the saint addressed the Druid: "You see how the assembly suffer; banish this snow and cold, and admit the warm sunshine." "I cannot do so till this hour on to-morrow." "Ah! you are powerful for evil, not for good. Very different is the gift bestowed on the messenger of the Giver of all good." He made the sign of the cross, invoked the aid of the Holy Trinity, and the snow sunk in the soil, the grass again emerged green and dry, and the blue air again appeared, warmed by the bright and comforting sunbeams. All the people invoked blessings on the head of the beneficent Apostle.

"To convince you all," cried the Druid, "of our power and that of our gods, behold what I am empowered to do!" In a few seconds darkness such as seldom shrouds the earth fell on the assembly, and they groped about and murmured. Again was the thick black cloud dispersed at the prayer of the Apostle, and thousands of tongues blessed him.

The King, wishing other proofs, cried, "Each throw his book into the water, and let him in whose book the letters remain uninjured be declared the minister of truth!" "I will not consent," said the Druid; "he has a magic power over water of which I know not the extent." "Well, then," said the King, "let the ordeal be by fire." "Nay, his magic also embraces the fire." "Well," cried the King, "we are tired; let this last trial be made. Each priest enter a tent filled with dry boughs; which shall then be set on fire." "Nay," said the Saint, "let one be filled with the branches still green, and this I resign to the opponent of my sacred mission."

Young Saint Benin, who attended night and day on St. Patrick, besought his leave to enter the hut of dry boughs, and his request was granted, he bearing the Druid's mantle, and the Druid bearing his. Both huts were fired at the same moment, and in the twinkling of an eye the Druid and the green twigs full of sap were reduced to ashes by the devouring flames, nothing being spared but the cloak of the young saint, in whose hut nought was consumed but the Druid's garment. This was the last trial which the assembly would suffer, thousands, including the queen and her daughters, openly professing their belief in the God of Patrick.

Couch Potatoes

2007-12-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

Smooching Uncle Sam

2007-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

A very cozy Uncle Sam and Erin.

Green Frock

2007-12-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

As our flag floats out on the breeze
memories fly back to me keen
for again I'm a lass, gathering shamrocks
in a frock all made in green.