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-Edmund Burke

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Garden GateFáilte
Welcome to Irish Culture and Customs, a labor of love we began several years ago. What started as a surprise milestone birthday trip to Ireland became the beginning of a journey through time. A 2,000-year voyage on a quest to learn as much as we can about everything Irish. So here's where we are so far - more than 700 pages that range from Irish poetry, superstitions , Kids Stories and recipes to specific Irish calendar celebrations such as St. Patrick's Day , Beltane, Samhain and the Feast of St. Brigid. Whether it's an Irish symbol such as the shillelagh, the Shamrock and the Book of Kells or an Irish craft like Aran Isle knitting, you'll discover a wide range of topics in our index. We hope you find the little bit of Ireland you may be looking for.










RING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE IRISH TENORS CHRISTMAS

Just in time for the holidays, the trio presents us with THE IRISH TENORS CHRISTMAS - a joyful recording of traditional carols and well known contemporary songs.

Accompanied by the Prague Philharmonic, the cd begins with a majestic orchestral introduction into the favorite hymn “Hark the Herald,” then leads us on a musical journey from Gospel with “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” to Pop with the quirky rhythms of “Jingle Bell Rock” to Latin with “Feliz Navidad.”

The Tenors also put a new spin on “Fairytale of New York,” made popular by Shane McGowan and Kirsty McColl and successfully pull it off by giving it a modern classical edge. Other tracks include “I Heard the Bells,” “Oh Holy Night” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

Says Finbar Wright, “Experiencing the beauty and grace of Christmas music at our yearly Gala Concert has become an established ritual for many during the holiday season. We were delighted to spend time in the recording studio to commit these performances to a lasting medium that makes them available to you whenever you wish to hear them again.”

For tour dates and venues please visit The irish Tenors web site.

To purchase the CD or listen to samples, please click Amazon.

Win an Irish Tenors Christmas CD
Send an email to Bridget and we'll put your name in the hat for a drawing which will take place on December 15.


Shop for the best of Irish products from the comfort of your home

We combed the internet to find reliable resources for the most popular Irish products: Aran Isle sweaters, Guinness glasses, Waterford Crystal, genuine blackthorn walking sticks, the flag of the Republic and more. Some of these shops have become friends; others we trust from their reputations and some offer products that are completely unique. We hope you enjoy browsing through what's on offer and We are confident you will find gifts for any occasion or person, all with an Irish flair.



Last call for Ireland's phone boxes?
by Mattie Lennon

The day of the familiar Irish phone box is drawing to a close. Earlier this year the powers-that-be decided to reduce the number of post boxes from 4,850 to 2,699. Since usage of the public phone has fallen by 80% in the past five years, how long before the total demise of the phone box?






Two Weeks in Heaven - Ireland 2009
by Jane Fadely

Somewhere, out at the edges, the night
Is turning and the waves of darkness
Begin to brighten the shores of dawn.
The heavy dark falls back to earth
And the free air goes wild with light,
The heart fills with fresh, bright breath
And thoughts stir to give birth to colour.
~John O’Donohue, Benedictus




Poetry Corner: Joseph Mary Plunkett (b. Nov. 21, 1887 - d. May 4, 1916)

...was born in Dublin and educated at Catholic University School, Belvedere College and Stonyhurst College.
For a while he was editor of the Irish Review.
He was a close friend of Thomas MacDonagh and Padraic Pearse, noted Irish poets. Along with MacDonagh and Edward Martyn, he co-founded the Irish Theatre. 

During the 1916 Rising he was one of the signers of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. He was imprisoned by the English army in the Richmond Barracks. Shortly before his execution in the courtyard of Kilmainham jail, on the morning of May 4th, he married his fiance, Grace Gifford, in the jail's chapel. He died at the age of 28. One of the best known romantic tragedies, his marriage to Grace has become both song and fable.







In My Father's Time
by Mattie Lennon

It was 1959. The National Council for The Blind of Ireland gave my visually impaired mother a wireless. It was our first radio. At the time my contemporaries were clued in to the highlights of Radio Luxemburg and the Light Programme. But, always one to live in the past, I had a preference for the folk programmes on Radio Eireann. My adrenalin was really let loose by the prologue to one in particular:




Preparing the Puddings
by Bridget Haggerty

At our house, my mother served three different kinds of Christmas pudding. Not all at the same time, mind you. If we could afford it, which was seldom in my memory, she’d begin making an incredibly rich version weeks before the big day; when times were lean, which was often, we had a much simpler dessert which could be made on Christmas Eve, or even on Christmas. Then, there were the really hard years, when we had a commercially-made travesty that came in a tin...




The Irish Kitchen: Irish Christmas Goose

The following is adapted from recipes created by Irish chefs, Herb and Christine Quigley, of Ballycormac House, Co. Tipperary. Christine recommends that when you buy the goose, you calculate one lb per person as opposed to half a pound per person for turkey. She also recommends that you buy a bird which was raised outdoors because it will be a lot less fatty.







Basic Irish: The Big Dinner

With the holidays right around the corner, this month's lesson focuses on the all-important festive feast. Our resident Irish speaker gave this offering a most appropriate title: An Dinnéar Mór - The Big Dinner.
Photo Credit: Ivan Elsas








Kids' Ireland: The Story of Sadhbh
by Grainne Rowland

Not long after the twin wolfhounds, Sceolan (shkih-oh-lawn) and Bran came to live with Finn, they went out hunting with their master and the Fianna. They came across a young deer and gave chase. But, much to their surprise, the deer was very fast of foot and easily outran most of the men. At last, only Finn, Bran, and Sceolan were still chasing the deer. Finn was getting tired and was ready to stop when Bran and Sceolan gave a bark. When Finn drew close to the dogs, he saw that the deer had stopped and was resting quietly. The dogs were laying beside her, resting their heads on her soft hide.








Music Review: Beoga - "The Incident.”
by William Ramoutar

Lively Does It! A lad from a record company once told me "the hardest sell is a band without a singer.”  And if you think of it, it might make sense, if all their tunes sounded the same.  But Beoga which means "lively" in Gaeilge (from the Irish), hardly have a tune that sounds like another one. And now what do they have on their latest offering, "The Incident", but a little firebrand of their own, in the shape (nice shape!) of Niamh Dunne.




Letters
We receive many lovely letters from visitors to our web site and subscribers to our newsletter. As we’re fond of saying, your feedback helps to make all of the time and effort worth while. While we have a Readers Write Page where we post comments from time to time, we’ve decided to also select a Letter of the Month - one that, for whatever reason, tickled our fancy.



Hello,

I have finally been able to make time to do the trivia again!  The trivia contest is one of my favorite aspects of your site as it gives me a chance to learn things I never would have thought of otherwise.  Thank you for you great site and all the enjoyment you provide by giving it to us.  God bless you throughout the New year and every year.

Tex

Book Cover: So You Think You're Irish by Margaret Kelleher.

Image: The Letter by Kirsten Soderlind, Note card from All Posters
Caption: We lost a lot when we stopped writing letters. You can't reread a phone call.
To read our previous letters, please click Letters



Live Music from Mayo

A link to the internet service from Midwest Radio out of Mayo. Broadcasting from their state of the art studios; Midwest Irish Radio plays nothing but the best Irish music. No matter where you are in the world, you are never too far from Ireland when you listen in.
Click here for: Irish Midwest radio.



Notices

Did you get your Newsletter?

We try to send one out every week or so. If you aren't receiving it, something is wrong. Let us know and we'll try to solve the problem. Note: subscribers are automatically deleted from the data base if the newsletter bounces back multiple times. Full or disabled mailboxes will also cause a subscription to be cancelled. If you have any questions, please contact Bridget.
If you think you may have missed an issue, newsletters are archived here: Archive.

The November Trivia contest is posted! Our apologies for the delay. Please click here for the Trivia Contest.

 

Fri, Nov 20, 2009


The Ardagh Chalice

One of the finest specimens of Celtic art ever found, the cup combines classic beauty with exquisite Celtic ornamentation. It is composed of gold, silver, bronze, brass, copper, and lead and comprises 354 pieces, including 20 rivets. A band running round the outside of the bowl is engraved with the names of the twelve Apostles. Discovered near Ardagh in 1868, almost nothing is known of its history. It is believed to date from the 8th century and might be one of the cups stolen from Clonmacnois, in the year 1125.
The cup is on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin and is part of the "National Treasures" collection which includes the Tara Brooch and the Cross of Cong.

Click for More Culture Corner.





Sunday Blessing

Grace before a meal

May this food restore our strength,
giving new energy to tired limbs,
and new thoughts to weary minds.
May this drink restore our souls,
giving new vision to dry spirits,
and new warmth to cold hearts.
And once nourished and refreshed,
May we give thanks to Him who
gives us all and makes us blest.
Adapted from an old Irish blessing


More Blessings


Wednesday Quote

A double helping of quotes for Thanksgiving

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
There is no sincerer love than the love of food.
George Bernard Shaw


More Quotes



And Winter Came

This seasonal offering from one of the world's most successful yet enigmatic artists was originally envisioned as a Christmas album,but evolved into a more general winter theme. That said, there are some lovely "Christmassy" tracks which are sure to be played over and over during the holidays.
Click here for And Winter Came.

The perfect gift for a loved one serving in the armed forces, these silver-tone, military-style dog tags were designed in response to a request from a U.S. Army Captain for something to help build esprit de corps among his A (Archangel) Company.
Each Spirit Tag includes a chain and comes packed in a muslin bag which contains: a "biographical scroll" about Archangel Michael and a card imprinted with the original image that can be used for writing a personal message. For a larger view or to order, please click Patriarts.



An Irish Holiday

As one reviewer said, this video gem is "like a warm blanket on a cold night." The presentation switches between some of the most traditional and regional Irish holiday songs, and scenes from a dinner where guests relate favorite Christmas memories.
Click here for Irish Holiday.


Darina Allen has reissued "A Simply Delicious Christmas". It's a chatty cookbook, annotated with brief childhood tales of making the pudding and suggestions for how best to enjoy the food. But it's also filled with smart tips, such as a guide to the recipes indicating how long before the holidays each dish can be prepared, and suggestions for edible gifts, from truffles to jams. The range of recipes is impressive, with alternate versions of several recipes provided to accommodate fussier eaters. All the traditional favorites are here, along with many new ideas for fabulous holiday entertaining.
Review by Deirdre McFadden.
Click here for Delicious Christmas


 

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Oct 18 2006, 07:08:43
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