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Newsletter www.WeAreIrish.ca
April 2005
Copyright © 2005
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Newsletter Content:
Shopping Ideas
Why the Irish are Happy
History of the Irish Language (Stair na Gaeilge)
The Clans of Ireland
Irish Words
Recommended Reading
Poetry
Recipe of the Month
Travel Assistance
Festivals and Events
Traditional Irish Music Sessions
Shopping Ideas
Coat of Arms Engraved Glassware to solve your Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding & Christmas Gift problems forever!
26 oz. Sterling Decanter Set with 4 glasses
15 oz. Tall Beer Glass - earn up to US per sale
10 oz. Irish Coffee Glasses
20 oz. Pub Pint Glass
Click Here for details, pricing and more Irish gift ideas.
Family Crest engraved rings
Click Here for details, pricing and more Irish gift ideas.
Why the Irish Are Amongst the Happiest People in the World?
By John J. O’Callaghan
Irish people are, in general, terribly tolerant. We love people. We love to talk, exchange ideas and listen to opinions on just about every
topic under the sun. We are so interested in others we have been
accused of being nosy. Like in:
"Hello and how are ya? How come I haven’t seen ya in here before? And where do ya come from? Well, well. Now isn’t that interesting. I’d never have guessed that, not even in a million years. Sure you have no accent at all, at all. But tell me now, what’s it really like where ya come from?
Everybody loves the Irish—and if you stop to think about the conversation above, you’ll know why. It’s because we instinctively know
that everyone, and I mean everyone, is flattered when someone shows an interest in them!
In general, the Irish, in fact we Irish, since I was born in Ballina and grew up in Limerick City, are not "me-me" and "I myself" people. It’s not that we don’t like to talk about ourselves, indeed we do. It’s just that we tend to be naturally polite and give other people a chance to air their opinions first.
To put that in another way, we, meaning all people and not just the Irish, like people who like us. Asking someone a bunch of who, what, why, which, where, when and how questions only goes to show them that we like them enough to want to know all about them, as I demonstrated in my first paragraph above.
The Irish no longer hate the English! Sure didn’t Cromwell get what was coming to him when his own people chopped off his head. What goes around, comes around! Everybody pays in the end. But I digress!
The Brits know only too well that Irish people are among the world’s happiest people, and that’s what makes some of them, if indeed not most of them, wish they could be more like us! They envy us and that’s the truth of it! Ha!
In less than ten seconds I am going to reveal why the Irish are so happy. It’s an Attitude thing! We tend to look upon the bright side and we are grateful for small mercies. Here’s an example:
If an Englishman were to fall off a ladder and break a leg while cleaning his windows, a passer by would be likely to say: "How unfortunate. What a terrible thing to happen. You poor bugger. What rotten bad luck,old chap."
Whereas, if it were to happen in Ireland, a passer by would be likely to say: "Aren’t you the lucky one! Sure you might have broken your neck as well."
So there you are now! Now you know why the Irish are such a happy nation. It’s an Attitude thing!
© Copyright John J.O’Callaghan. 2005.
All Rights Reserved. johnoc29@aol.com.
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History of the Irish Language (Stair na Gaeilge)
The earliest historical records of ancient Ireland are thought to date back to the late sixth century. By then, although there is a continuing awareness of earlier ethnic differences, Goidelic, in the form now generally known as Old Irish, was the common vernacular throughout the island and was being firmly established in Scotland and the Isle of Man by missionaries and settlers from Ireland. Old Irish, including a slightly earlier variant, Archaic Old Irish, was the language of Ireland's Golden Age. It is the earliest variant of the Celtic languages, and the earliest of European vernaculars north of the Alps, where extensive writings are present. In Old Irish, the earlier inigena, or "daughter", had become ingen, approximately pronounced in-yen. To read this article in its entirety,
Click Here.
Irish Words
Word: April
Irish: Aibreán
Pronunciation: ab-rawn
Word: May
Irish: Bealtaine
Pronunciation: bahl-theh-neh
Word: Spring
Irish: Earrach
Pronunciation: arr-och
Word: Summer
Irish: Samhradh
Pronunciation: sow(as in cow)-rah
Word: Pub
Irish: óstlann
Pronunciation: oasth-lunn
Word: Hotel
Irish: óstán
Pronunciation: oasth-awn
For more Irish words and phrases please visit Irish Culture and Customs
Recommended Reading
Inishbream by Theresa Kishkan
Click Here to view a summary.
Poetry
The Rape of Hibernia
From Cromwell's brutal ventures
To the vicious Black and Tans
Their terror failed to subjugate
This tragic, broken land
Depravation forced upon them
Starved, evicted and exiled
A country torn asunder
A people's rights defiled
The Gael will not surrender
Though scattered far and wide
Old Erin's sons and daughters
Their pride they'll never hide
There's calm at last on this fair isle
A time for compromise
No more the beat of foreign drums
To sadden Irish eyes
The dreams of Michael Collins
Proud spirit of Cuchulinn
The struggle's almost over
It's time to ease the pain
When peace becomes reality
When all Irishmen are free
A nation will arise once more
On the founds of liberty
No more to walk the streets of fear
No more to stand alone
The silence of the rifles
A thing they've never known
Let the children grow together
Without hate or prejudice
An achievable conclusion
They deserve no less than this
John Robinson
Northumberland, UK
John Robinson
The Clans of Ireland Ltd.
The growing influence of the Gaelic League at the turn of the twentieth century rekindled an interest in Gaelic culture and prompted the current cultural revival. The first modern Irish Clans were formed in the latter half of the twentieth century, and today they function as special interest groups which actively safeguard our cultural heritage and traditions.
Click Here to read more about The Clans of Ireland Ltd.
Recipe of the Month
Original Irish Coffee (For those cold rainy days of April and May)
Click Here for ingredients and instructions.
MORE RECIPES
Travel Assistance
If you are planning a vacation to Ireland this summer and you want assistance in booking accommodations, car rental, flights or ferry reservations, please Click Here to visit Ireland's best Online portal. Browse the many options available and get your FREE QUOTE. Use Ireland's leading accommodation reservation service to select from over 9,000 properties. You will find Quality accommodation at Guaranteed low prices. FREE Online quotes and secure reservations.
Irish Cultural Events in Canada
If you're planning a summer vacation to Canada you may want to include Canada's Irish Festival. The Irish have long had a strong presence in Canada's Atlantic Provinces. During the time of Án Gorta Mór of the mid 1800s, more than 30,000 Irish immigrants entered North America through Saint John, New Brunswick. Many continued up the coast to Massachusetts, many remained in Saint John, and many traveled up the coast to work in the lumber camps on the Miramichi river. The Irish Festival on the Miramichi has celebrated this proud heritage since 1973 and is one of the largest Irish festivals held in Canada each year.
More Information
It is not possible to mention all events and Festivals in this space. However you can get more information by visiting www.WeAreIrish.ca where you will find more information on Festivals and Events or links to the Irish Associations and Clubs who host Irish cultural events in Canada. You can also find information regarding Festivals and Events in Ireland and the United States(USA).
Session Information
I have received several requests to compile a list of sessions in and around your town. It appears there is a need to provide a resource where people can find places to go and hear (or join in) tradional Irish music. If you know of regularily scheduled tradional Irish music sessions in your area, please send an Email with the detail. Until then, please visit www.WeAreIrish.ca for information on Festivals and other Events in Canada, Ireland and USA.
If you have any comments or would like to submit an article for this newsletter, please send an Email.
Until next time,
May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint.
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