Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Irish Thought for January 31....

An Irish Blessing:

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

Monday, January 30, 2012

Irish Thought for January 30....

Gaelic Sports

Rounders :  Similar to softball, rounders is played between two teams that alternate between batting and fielding, with nin players per team.  Game play involves hitting a small, leather-cased ball with a bat and then running around four bases to score "rounders."  The sport's first nationally formalized rules were drawn up by the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland in 1884.  The game is popular for schoolchildren, especially girls.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Irish Thought for January 29....

Timeline of Irish History:

Circa 3000 B.C. - Farming colonists of the Neolithic period reached Ireland!  One of their surviving monuments is a megalithic tomb in Newgrange.

The Neolithic period is also known as the New Stone Era.  The period is known for the last stage of human development before the Bronze Age (when humans started getting more advanced with building stuff with materials other than rocks).  The Neolithic period is known for the first time people began to farm instead of just hunting and gathering. 

Megalithic refers to building something out of large stones.  Something big for all of the people in the area to see and know.

The tomb of Newgrange is a large stone tomb mound that is surrounded by smaller (but still large) border rocks that are decorated with the art of that time period.  Experts estimate that building this tomb would have taken 300 people around 20 years.  Now that is dedication!  The most fascinating fact about this tomb is that the builders lined up a passage with the sun so that the entire passage would be lit up by the sun on the date and time of the winter solstice sunrise.  The event lasts for about 17 minutes.  The event is so admired and appreciated by the people of Ireland that the visitor center of the tomb lets anyone who might want to see this wonder of the solstice enter their names into a lottery.  In 2011, 31,531 people entered this lottery, but only 50 are randomly chosen (and each person drawn gets to bring 1 friend) to be present for the event. 
Newgrange tomb

The decorated stones (I think I might have seen some jewelry with this pattern - yay to Irish artists respecting their ancestors!!)

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Irish Thought for January 28....

Famous Quotables:

"I had that stubborn streak, the Irish in me I guess."
Gregory Peck

For those of you who don't know Gregory Peck is the best actor ever.  He played Atticus Finch in the movie adaption of To Kill a Mockingbird.  His role as Atticus made me wish I had that man by my side throughout any troubles that came my way.  I am pretty sure that this role won him an Oscar.  And, to know that he was happily stubborn-Irish makes Mr. Peck even more awesome!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Irish Thought for January 27...

Irish Limerick!!   Always fun to say!!

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'
by Edward Lear

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Irish Thought for January 26...

Learn Gaelic!!!

Breithlá Sona! (BREH-LAW SO-nuh) - Happy Birthday!

Sláinte agus saol chugat! (SLAWN-chuh ah-guhs SEEL KHU-guht) - Health and long life to you!


Good wishes and things to celebrate for anyone!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Irish Thought for January 25...

Irish-American Fact:

In 1928, Alfred E. Smith was the first Irish Catholic to run for president as a major party candidate, although he lost to Herbert Hoover.  The only Irish Catholic to have become president is John F. Kennedy.

I think Irish Americans have so much to offer the coumtry.  Maybe, we need to think about running for office again!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Irish Thought for the day....

An Irish proverb:

The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches.

Lesson:  Don't ignore someone telling you something is wrong with him or her.  It might mean something is wrong.  Concern and care!