An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind always be 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
Another Irish Blessing

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.
St. Patrick, as legend would have it, is an Irish icon. In reality, St. Patrick wasn't even Irish, but he came to Ireland and was made famous by converting the masses to Christianity. He also made a name for himself by driving the snakes out of Ireland....really, just sent them right into the ocean. So all in all, St. Patrick became a hero in Ireland, so much so that there are no fewer than 60 churches and cathedrals named for him in Ireland alone. Perhaps the most famous of these is the giant St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, the grounds of which bear the mark of the site on which St. Patrick baptized his converts. In addition to being a namesake, the Irish celebrate his name and work every March 17. This celebration has been adopted in other parts of the world as a holiday as well, giving everyone the opportunity to be a wee bit Irish themselves on that day.

Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. Leprechauns are also associated with this holiday, although I'm not sure why. Leprechauns of legend are actually mean little creatures, with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy. They were probably added later on because capitalists needed something cute to put on greeting cards.
What's good luck on 
Saint Patrick's Day?

Finding a four-leaf clover
(that's double the good luck it usually is). 

Wearing green.
(School children have started a little tradition of their own -- they pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday). 

Kissing the blarney stone. 
Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney).


The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. 

The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. 

It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support. Can you imagine kissing something that has had people's lips all over it for 500 years? Yuck!

Irish Midis to download
Irish Coffee

1 shot Irish Whiskey 
1 tbsp Sugar 
6 oz. Coffee 
Whipped Cream for garnish 
 

 Pre-warm a stemmed glass. Add the whiskey.
 Add the sugar and stir in the coffee. 
Float the whipped cream on top. 
Drink the coffee through the cream. 
Do not stir after adding the cream
Now sit back with your warm cup of Irish Coffee and take the 
Irish Trivia Test.

Irish Cooking
3 pages of Irish Recipes

Visit my Irish Site
Irish Landmarks & Pubs
Irish midis & Recipes

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My St Paddy's Graphics
Graphics by Jo
Pick up some graphics for your St Patrick's Day pages.
Lucky Leprechaun's Lane
Irish Recipes
Links to More Irish Recipes
Irish History on the Web
St Patricks Day Cards by Maggie
Pictures from South Ireland