July 23, 08 Irish Culture & Customs Newsletter

Just received the latest newsleter from our friends of the beautiful Emerald Isle.

 Irish Culture & Customs newsletter which is published every fortnight
or so and sent out to going on 4600 readers all over the world. 
 God Bless you! If you'd like to read past issues, they are archived at:
http://www.ymlp145.com/pubarchive.php?Herself

Whether or not you’re a golfing fan, you had to feel proud of Padraig Harrington’s
sweet victory at the British Open. In recognition of his historic back to back wins,
we’re dedicating this issue to him, i.e. there will be lots of references to what
one wag once said was a game invented by the same people who think music
 comes out of a bagpipe! 

By the way, congratulations are in order for Anita who has been named one of the
50 most influential Irish American women by Irish America. She’s a truly remarkable
woman who has done amazing things to help promote Irish groups and music in the 
USA. Well done, Anita!

Enough of the blithering’ ...on with the update:
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NEWS
What follows are news clips from around the counties and the world. Links for more
news stories can be found on our web site where we post the latest headlines from
Ireland every morning and we keep two week’s of previous news,
 http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/01
News/Home.html

And more county news can be found here:
http://www.emigrant.ie/summary.asp?iCategoryID=18

FROM AROUND THE COUNTIES
Antrim: First photographs of Dunker cave
A Derry-based Scotsman has become the first person to take photographs of the Great
Cave of Dunker at the Giant's Causeway, after planning the expedition for the
past nine months. Andy McInroy and his friend Ian Miller had to repel down cliffs
and kayak through a swollen river to reach the one hundred foot high Dunker cave.
They ventured some fifty metres into the cave, which is reputed to stretch for miles
inland, but went no further since it was pitch black. The pair noted both cormorants
and razor bills nesting high up in the cave, which is about thirty yards in breadth.

Clare Birds of Prey center opened at Ailwee Cave
Recently, environmentalist and writer Dick Warner performed the official opening
of the country's largest public birds of prey center. Burren Birds of Prey &
Education Center, located at the Ailwee Cave, Ballyvaughan, has a comprehensive 
collection of eagles, hawks, owls and falcons and is primarily focused on conservation
and education. Joint managers of the project are Darien Redingote and Ben Johnson,
both experienced handlers of birds of prey, and they will be staging three flying
displays each day. The center will also offer opportunities to see how young raptors
are reared.

Down: National Trust puts trust in amateurs
For the first time in its history the National Trust has allowed amateurs to take
up their spades to take part in an archaeological dig. The volunteers at Castle 
Ward have, however, been given training by both Queen's University and the Center
for Archaeological Fieldwork before being let loose in the grounds of the early 
eighteenth century house. The original Queen Anne house was demolished in 1850, 
more than a century after the Ward family had built a new house, and it is hoped
that the dig will reveal evidence of the original, the grounds of which included
terraces and a canal.

Dublin: World's top baristahails from Dublin
At the World Barista Championships held recently in Copenhagen the title of best
coffee-maker in the world was bestowed on a twenty-five-year-old Dubliner. Stephen
Moresby from Sherries was one of fifty-two competitors who had to prepare four espressos,
four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks in front of seven judges and
an audience of hundreds. Stephen used Avon more milk in his concoctions and believes
his friendliness also helped him to take the title.

Kerry: Tom takes to the field - at 71
When his local hurling team found themselves a man short for a match against a team
from Tullylease, Co. Cork in the Junior A Duhallow League, Tom Randles had no hesitation
in offering his services. And despite the fact that the grandfather from Kilgarvan
is seventy-one years of age, he played for the full sixty minutes at corner-forward.
Tom uses hurling to keep fit and trains with his local team as often as he can, 
as well as running, walking and dancing. He played most of his hurling in Cork where,
playing for CIE, he won an All-Ireland medal in the inter-depot competition.

Meath : Gold for Boley at Slane
The second round of the National Outdoor Tug ‘o War championships took place recently
in Creewood. Slane. 
In comparision to the first round in Monaghan the teams enjoyed glorious 
weather and ideal underfoot conditions. Who is Boley? Find out here:
http://irishtugofwar.com/2008/07/14/gold-for-boley-at-slane/


Wexford: Ireland's first Kennedy statue unveiled in New Ross Ray Lawlor,
 chairman of New Ross Town Council, admitted that it shouldn't have
taken forty-five years for a statue of the late President John F. Kennedy to be 
erected in Wexford. Councillor Lawlor was speaking at a ceremony hosted by Gay Byrne
during which JFK's sister Jean Kennedy Smith unveiled the bronze statue, the
work of Kells-based sculptor Ann Meldon Hugh. This is the first statue of the late
president to be erected in Ireland and it is located on Charles Street dock where
he delivered his address. An exhibition of photographs in St. Michael's Theatre
has also been mounted to mark the forty-fifth anniversary of the visit.
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Caoimhghgin O Brolchain writes
I wonder if any of your readers could cast some light on an incident related by 
my father many years ago. 
My family left Kilkenny to work in the North East of England
coalmines around 1880 . 
There was a flood of such immigration into the area from
all parts of Ireland to work in mines, on railways and in shipbuilding yards about
this time. Dad told me that one time his own father took him to the funeral of an
old man from County Mayo. Since his own wife came from that county he felt it a 
duty to attend. 
When they arrived at the churchyard, they found that the deceased
old man's sons - five of them - had gathered large stones from the surrounding
hedges and fields. These they distributed all over the grave mound. Having said 
the rosary in Irish, they departed.
 My grandad enquired about the unusual practice
concerning the stones and got a monosyllabic answer :"Wolves!" 
Now we are told that the last wolf in Ireland was killed sometime
 in the early 19th C.- I think in Wicklow...but it could hardly have been 
such a problem as to need such urgent safeguards of a burial site, 
and that in Mayo ! An tAth Peadar O Laoighaire
(Fr Peter O'Leary) in his lovely autobiography, Mo Sceal Fein,
 tells of seeing starving dogs interfereing with shallow Famine 
graves when he was a boy in West Cork.
 Could this be the real origin of the stones on the grave in Co. Durham,
 in early 20th C. England ?
 B'fheidir go bhfuil eolas eigin ag duine de do chuid
leitheoiri? Beidh me buiochasach ma's feidir libh rud ar bith a innsint.

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LINKS

Golf in Ireland
This  series of  brief videoswill give viewers a great perspective on playing the
game on the ould sod! After you watch the first one, you will see more to click 
on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nel4Ezoois

Luke Kelly singing The Galway Races
The Pogues have done it; so have the Clancy Brothers and probably a host of others.
But this remains a favourite version. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-TjqNtLFSg&feature=related

Ireland at Play at the Height of the Summer
A great blogspot for learning all about the Galway races, one of the most important
events on the irish calendar
http://thegalwayraces.blogspot.com/

The Irish Page - There is a Fair
The latest offering from Jack & Vivian, this is a popular children's song
often sung at Irish language weekends. It has been recorded by the Cassidys on their
album "Singing from Memory." and it is also found on the album "The
Best of Altan".  
 http://www.irishpage.com/songs/aonach.htm

Interview with Gabriel Byrne
One of Ireland's most respected actors, Gabriel Byrne. He has worked with such
directors as Wim Wenders, Jim Jarmusch, the Coen brothers, Costa Gavras, Ken Loach
and Ken Russell. He talks about his career on stage and on screen, growing up in
Dublin, and more. Please click
http://www.rte.ie/arts/2008/0621/conversationswitheamondunphy.htm

Shrines of Ireland
These are links to blogspots sent to us by Clodagh Smith. She says: I recently spent
3 weeks in the great isle. They’re great pics Clodagh - thank you!
 http://ibrakeforshrines.blogspot.com/
http://ireland2008ireland.blogspot.com/

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JOKE OF THE WEEK

A retiree was given a set of golf clubs by his co-workers. Thinking he'd try
the game, he asked the local pro for lessons, explaining that he knew nothing whatever
of the game. The pro showed him the stance and swing, then said, "Just hit 
the ball toward the flag on the first green." The novice teed up and smacked
the ball straight down the fairway and onto the green, where it stopped inches from
the hole. "Now what?" the fellow asked the speechless pro. After he was
able to speak again the pro finally said, "Uh... you're supposed to hit
the ball into the cup." "Oh great! NOW you tell me," said the beginner in a disgusted tone.
 
DID YOU KNOW
1. One of the propellers of "The Lusitania," sunk off The Old Head of 
Kinsale in 1915, was melted down and turned into sets of golf clubs that sold for
$900 each.
2. The Curragh Golf Club in Co. Kildare was founded in 1883 and features the oldest
Golf Course in Ireland dating from 1852?
3. The first mention of golf in Irish history comes in a request to King James I
by Hugh Montgomery for a Master of Arts to travel to his newly-founded Irish estate
on the Ards Peninsula, east of Belfast,  "To teach Latin, Greek, and Logycks,
allowing the scholars a green for recreation at goff, football and archery."
ED. Goff is not a typo
_________________________________________________________________
KNOW YOUR IRISH WRITERS
To begin with,  the answers to our last quiz:

1. Charles Trevelyan and the Great Irish Famine - Robin F. Haines
2. Medieval Ireland c. 1170-1495 -PWA Asplin
3. The Priory of Llanthony Prima and Secunda in Ireland  - Arlene Hogan 

A round of applause and pints for the following Irish literary sleuths:
 
Helen Dowd
I invite you to Visit my website and  if you scroll down on the opening page, you
can hit on any of your favorite categories; they will open up to the index. Pick
a story or poem, and enjoy
http://www.occupytillicome.com

Rita Roche
Baltimore MD

Gaye Cleland
my favourite website is
http://librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au 

Hartson Dowd
A good Irish Website:
http://www.IrishMusicMagazine.com  Irish Music Magazine
 where I found http://MartinDoyleFlutes.com  Martin Doyle Handmade Flutes from Co.
Clara

John Laney

Want to see your name and favorite web site in our next newsletter? Who wrote:
1. Ireland’s Golf Courses: The Complete Guide
2. Links of heaven: A Complete Guide to Golf Journeys in Ireland
3. Emerald Fairways and Foam-flecked Seas: A Golfer’s Pilgrimage to the Courses 
of Ireland 

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So there you have it until we write again. If you're celebrating a birthday,
anniversary or other important event between now and then, we hope it's an occasion
filled with joy and happiness.Also, last time we forgot to include the special wedding
verse for July:

They who in July do wed
Must labour always for their bread. 

It hearkens back to the old days when this time of year was always very difficult
for the rural Irish household. Stores would be dwindling and the grain harvest would
still be a ways off. Thus, it came to be known as “Hungry July” and no doubt gave
rise to that somewhat negative wedding verse.  

We’ll take our leave with this tongue in cheek blessing for golfers.  May thy ball
lie in green pastures and not in still waters.
...And as they say in Ireland, mind yourself.

Slan agus beannacht!

Bridget & Russ
Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet!
Celtic Blessing - sung by the St. Coca's Choir, from Kilcock, Co. Kildare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrS3kYW6du4

LEAVE ‘EM LAUGHING

This is probably our favourite golf joke of all time - a classic well worth repeating.

There was this priest who just loved to play golf, but he had been very busy for
many months and had not been able to get away to play. Well, one Sunday morning 
he woke up to a gorgeous sunny day and felt he just HAD to go golfing.

He called up his assistant and convinced him that he was so ill, he needed him to
say all of the masses that morning.  The wily priest then got out his clubs and 
drove off to a golf golf course in a distant parish. 

On arrival He set up at the first hole and blasted the ball with his wood. It was
a beautiful shot! It went straight and true. It bounced, and bounced right up onto
the green and rolled its way closer... and closer... a hole-in-one! The priest jumped
up and down in his excitement, praising the Lord and shouting hallelujahs! 

He struts off to the green, collects his ball, and tees off at the second hole, 
repeating his performance on the first hole, much to his astounded delight. 

All this time St. Peter and God have been watching him from the gates of heaven.
St. Peter has finally seen enough to pique his curiosity. "Lord," he says,
"this priest  ignored the duties of his parish and even lied to go golfing.
Now you reward him with two back to back holes-in-one! Why?" 

God smiles, looks over at St. Peter, and says, "I'm punishing him."
St. Peter looks very confused and asks God for an explanation. God replies, 
Who is he going to tell?

Irish Culture & Customs Newsletter - July 23