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May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Irish History
The
National Archives of Ireland- not access to the archives themselves,
but you will find here whether the information you're looking for is available
in the archives.
Irish
History on the Web- loads of information and links available here for
your reading or researching pleasure.
A
to Z of Ancient Ireland- a dictionary of sorts that will give
you meaning as well as the history behind many things Irish. Fascinating
reading!
The
Celtic Wheel of the Year- "The Celts measured the Solar year on a wheel,
circle or spiral, all of which symbolize creation and the constant movement
of the universe growth and development.
The Claddagh- there are many
stories about the origin of this Irish symbol. The consensus seems
to be that the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and
the crown represents fidelity or loyalty. Designed in the late 1600's
by Richard Joyce and treasured by all who own or wear them. The way
to correctly wear the ring is:
1--On the right hand,
crown in heart out, the wearer is free as the birds in the sky. If you
want her, go a courtin'.
2--On the right hand,
crown out heart in, the lass is spoken for, so lay off.
3--On the left hand,
place of choice, heart in crown out, she is happily married for evermore.
If by some chance you
don't know what a claddagh ring looks like, here is a picture that shows
good details.
Irish
Curses-
My favorite:
May you be afflicted with the itch and have no nails to scratch with!
Irish
Proverbs-
My favorite: Neither
give cherries to pigs nor advice to a fool.
Irish
Toasts-
My favorite: (It
shows you my strange sense of logic!)
Heres to you and
yours and to mine and ours and if mine and ours ever come across you and
yours I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours as mine and
ours have done for you and yours.
Irish
Medical Lore:
You'll have to
read these yourself to judge them. They are in no way meant to be
taken as serious medical treatments.
General links to Ireland
Ireland
Now- If you can't find it on this site or a link from this site,
it probably isn't really Irish.
My favorite Irish author
Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy was born in a small village outside of Dublin, Ireland on
May 28, 1940 to Maureen Blackmore, a nurse, and William T. Binchy, a lawyer.
She spent her
childhood in the small village
of Dalkey, an experience she draws on today when creating the rural villages
usually at the heart of her novels. After receiving her B.A. in 1960 from
University College in Dublin, she began working as a teacher in a Jewish
school. When she left the school several years later, her parents sent
her on a trip to Israel as a gift. She liked it there so much that she
found work on a kibbutz and stayed for several months, writing weekly letters
home; long missives describing daily life in an Israel constantly on the
brink of war. Her father was so moved by her letters that he sold one to
the Irish Times for a sum of £18. Binchy, who had only been making
£16 a week at the school, thought she had truly "arrived."
Her first novel "Light a Penny Candle" was the one that got me hooked.
I love the style of her writing and her descriptions of the small towns
of Ireland. Her characters are so easy to relate to and seem so real,
it's really only incidental that they are Irish. For me, her novels
are the best of both worlds: a little taste of Ireland and some really
wonderful story telling. You'll find that you totally lose yourself
in her Ireland and become an unseen observer in the lives of her characters.
My favorite Binchy novels
1. Light a Penny Candle- I read this book years ago and still remember
the story of Elizabeth and Aisling. Throughout this story you will
laugh and cry and even get angry at the way they both let themselves by
used by Johnny. Not a real statement for feminism, but things were
different in the 1940's. 20 years later, I keep hoping for a sequel to
this book.
2. Circle of Friends- The story of Benny, a true ugly duckling. Who hasn't walked a mile in these shoes, yearning to be popular, thin and beautiful. Ms. Binchy takes us through the angst of growing up and growing strong as we "help" Benny grow up into a remarkable and self sufficient woman. The movie didn't do justice to this book.
3. The Copper Beech- A story of growing up. The good, the bad, the ups and downs. The loves and the hates everyone faces during their youth. Centers around the tree that grows outside the schoolhouse as the characters grow up. Not my favorite, but still very good. You can't read a book by Binchy and not get involved with the characters.
4. Silver Wedding- Not Binchy's best book, but well worth a read in any case. Follow the story of the Doyle family, as everyone prepares for Desmond and Deirdre's silver wedding anniversary. The characters in this story weren't as well developed as they usually are in Binchy's books even though each character's story adds to the story as all these characters come together at the anniversary party. You come away with an understanding of the reasons these characters ended up where they are, but I still felt like I wanted to know more.
5. Firefly Summer- visit the sleepy town of Mountfern and see the changes that the coming of a luxury resort bring to the town and it's inhabitants. The characters in this story are so strong that you feel that you know them and you become a part of their town and their lives. A personal favorite, I couldn't put this one down until I was finished, and yet I hated to turn the last few pages because it would all be over.
This just gives you a taste of a few of Maeve Binchy's books. You can purchase these and every other book she's written at Amazon.com. Just put Binchy in the search engine on the home page and prepare to go to Ireland with intriguing characters that are so real you'll swear you've really met them.
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