![]() |
|
"People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors." Quotes Shops Ireland Bunús na Gaeilge Himself/Herself Write to Us Readers Write.. Links/Link to Us Advertise with us Awards & Testimonials |
Lughnasa - Celebrating the Harvestby Bridget Haggerty Traditionally, August marked the beginning of the Harvest season and it was a time of great celebration in rural Ireland. The season began on the first of the month with the festival of Lughnasa, the Irish word for August. Since it was impractical to take farm folk away from their work during the week, it was generally celebrated on the first or second weekend. The weather was usually fine and it was traditional for entire communities to gather at a chosen meeting place in the hills, by a river or lake, or perhaps at a holy well. Of the four great Celtic festivals - Imbolc, Beltane and Samhaine, Lugnasa was the most joyeous because, after 'Hungry July', when stores were being rapidly depleted, farm folk could look forward to the fruits of all their hard work during the previous months. Haymaking in Ireland long ago by Bridget Haggerty In days gone by, preparations for making hay were begun as early as February. Farmers usually set aside one or more fields for meadow. Later in the spring, they'd encourage the pasture-quality grass to produce a higher yield by spreading farmyard manure on it. This was known as "top-dressing."Season of the Corn by Bridget Haggerty While we were surfing the net, we came across a fascinating story about a group of Donegal farmers who stepped back in time and used the old ways to raise and harvest the crops.We are a group of five farmers from the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal, Ireland, who have come up with a novel way to raise funds to provide a local facility for mentally challenged adults. Putting out the hare, putting on the harvest knots by Bridget Haggerty Small animals retreated from advancing harvesters by hiding in the remaining crop, and in the old days, every farmer went to great lengths to ensure that his last field would be harvested before a next door neighbor or other man in the village. Thus the call..."Have you put the hare out yet?" Puck Fair - one of Ireland’s oldest festivalsby Bridget Haggerty While at one time it was notorious for drinking, with the pubs open round-the-clock for three days and nights, nowadays, Puck Fair is famous for meeting up with old friends, forging new friendships and putting the cares of everyday living on hold. But how did it all get started? Nobody knows the exact origins, but it ‘s said to date to medieval times - or perhaps even before then. ![]() Who was Behind The Doors of Dublin? by Bridget Haggerty It was 1970 around St. Patrick’s Day that a colourful collage of Dublin doors appeared in the window of the irish Tourism offices on Fifth Avenue in New York City. People on their way to watch the parade were stopped in their tracks by what they saw. Drawn by the uniqueness of the image, many of them went inside to find out where they could get a copy. There were so many requests that Joe Malone, North American Manager of Bord Fáilte at the time, commissioned the poster that has since become an icon of Ireland. Irish Kitchen - Kerry PiesAdapted from Darina Allen's Festive Food of Ireland These are the pies that were traditionally served at the Puck Fair in Killorglin. They would also be taken up the hills to the men who were herding the sheep. Originally, the hot-water crust pastry was made with mutton fat which, if you're a die-hard traditionalist, you can still do. Here, butter replaces the mutton fat, and makes for an equally as delicious crust. Basic Irish - Hobbies & Sports TermsBy no means an all-inclusive list, just enough to have fun with! Next week, we'll have a few phrases incorporating some of the following words. ![]() Kids Ireland: Irish children learning through film Adapted from an article by Apple UK Teaching through film is helping Ireland’s children learn key skills in communication, teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. The Government’s FÍS film project has proved such a success that all of Ireland’s 3,500 primary schools will soon be using film right across the teaching curriculum.
|
![]() The Phoenix Park, Co. Dublin Five times the size of Hyde Park in London and twice as big as Central Park in NYC, Páirc an Fhionn-Uisce is the largest urban enclosed park in Europe, with a circumference of seven miles and a total area 1,760 acres. Located west of the city centre, it features ornamental gardens, nature trails, and broad expanses of grassland separated by avenues of trees. A herd of fallow deer have roamed the forested areas since the 17th century. Main attractions within the park include Aras an Uachtaráin - the residence of the Irish president and Dublin Zoo. The name is a corruption of the Irish fionn uisce meaning "clear water".
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
| All contents copyright © 2001,2002,2003, 2004,2005,2006 all rights reserved. Oct 18 2006, 07:08:43 |
Rollover button Images: Wedding LaRose, Kids Reading & Kitchen Apples and Tea from All Posters prints. The information provided on this site is offered as-is, without warranty. This site's owners, operators, authors and partners disclaim any and all liability from the information provided herein. Any trademarks or registered trademarks on this site are the property of their respective owners. |
|||||||||||