Ireland Is

What does Ireland mean to me ? 

To answer this question I must use an analogy, it is if I was an orphaned child seeking its Mother before I came here.

Prior to my first arrival in the Belfast area, in 1986, and then later that year after travelling down to Cork in July, there occurred what I can only describe as a mystical experience. She, who I call Mother Ireland, stepped silently into my inner core, where she still resides and continues to nurture my very essence for which I am very grateful.

I can tell you that there have been a few times since living here when I have been very ashamed of my birth country England because of its inhumane actions and deeds towards Ireland and the Irish people.

Such have been my experiences that I no longer have any desire to visit England and nor do I have any pride of place towards it. 

For Ireland is my home. I do acknowledge that England is the country of my birth and I was educated there from childhood to be discerning.

So today this migrant looks back at England and the changes that have taken place over the years. That I see a nation skewered by authoritarianism and indignation that knows not how to care for all of its citizens. There appears to be no love or tolerance. These gifts seem to be so rare and generally misunderstood, instead there is a dichotomy of fear and punishment pervading the land of my birth. Perhaps it has always been present and I failed to recognise the fact?

If you are a migrant do you feel truly at home in the country of your choice ?

GALWAY, a City of Curiosities.

We took ourselves to Galway city the other day, leaving the car at home and travelling by Iarnród Éireann - Irish Rail. I have long appreciated the comfort of Irish rail and this dates back to 1986 when I journeyed from Belfast to Dublin’s Connolly Street station on a bog standard British Rail coach with dusty compartments. Boarding the Cork bound train at Dublin’s Huston Station I was delighted to find myself in a sparkling carriage that looked like the inside of an airliner.
Today Irish trains are still as comfortable with wifi, charging sockets and a refreshment trolley service, so we made ourselves at home and settled down to watch the green countryside roll by.

ARD RÍ - HIGH KING

Galway, situated as it is at the head of Galway Bay, is an attractive city with the atmosphere of a coastal holiday town. It has an international flavour and you never know who you are going to see or meet on its crowded streets. There is lot to see in this town within walking distance, which needs to be done slowly for there is much to see above your head, as well as at eye level for the many and varied curiosities can easily be missed.

One of the busy streets.

During the Middle Ages, Galway (Irish: "Gaillimh") was ruled by an oligarchy of fourteen merchant families. Their names were Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Ffont, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris, and Skerritt. These were the "tribes" of Galway. The city thrived on international trade, and in the Middle Ages, it was the principal Irish port for trade with Spain and France.

Charlie Byrne’s has been a cultural centre in Galway for over two decades, and celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2014. As an integral part of Galway’s artistic landscape, we regularly host book launches, readings, and other cultural events. Over the years, Charlie Byrne’s has hosted some of Ireland’s best-known writers and musicians as well as international literary legends. A great place to browse in on a moist day and chat to Charlie on whatever subject you like.

For more information http://charliebyrne.com

Tigh Neachtain's

A good corner house to sit outside, drink and watch the world go past. 

Tigh Neachtain became a meeting place in 1894 and is the former town house of Colonel Richard Martin 15th Jan 1754 - 4th Jan 1834, who was an Irish politician and campaigner against cruelty to animals. He was known as "Humanity Dick", a nickname bestowed on him by King George IV. Martin succeeded in getting the pioneering Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act 1822, nicknamed 'Martin's Act', passed into British law, which was the basis for the RSPCA. Proficient with both pistol and sword, he was also a serial duelist, reputed to having fought thirty duels. He died in France in his eightieth year .

For more info http://www.tighneachtain.com

Plenty of room with comfortable chairs and good company to while away the hours.

It is not just the paintings that are colourful !

Even the Hare has his telescope to view the scene and see the sea.

CLADDAGH GOLD

Many firms make different versions of the Claddagh Ring. Dillon of Galway is the only firm still in existence since 1750 making the Original Ring at 1, William Street, Galway.

The tradition of how to wear this ring is very distinctive. If the owner of the ring wears it with the crown pointing towards the finger nail, he or she is said to be in love or married. To wear the ring with heart pointing to the finger nail, he or she is said to be unattached to anyone.

The notice immediately above the entrance reads:

"This establishment is dedicated to

Fair play and a square deal.

No man should expect less

Nor be given more"

https://www.claddaghring.ie/content/7-history-claddagh-ring

This young woman caught my eye as her outfit echoed 

the paintwork around her. 

Druid was founded in Galway in 1975 by graduates of the National University of Ireland, Galway, Garry Hynes, Mick Lally (1945 – 2010) and Marie Mullen – the first professional theatre company in Ireland to be based outside Dublin.

Druid has been based in a building on a lane off Quay Street in Galway's Latin Quarter since 1979. The lane itself was renamed Druid Lane in 1996 in honour of the company's 21st birthday.

Now known as The Mick Lally Theatre (named in memory of the iconic Irish actor and founder member)

http://www.druid.ie

We are not yet done with Galway City there much is more in store to share with you. 

SLUGS FOR SUPPER

Our supper this evening contained, in amongst the crispy green salad leaves, that not so rare a specimen known as  Arion distinctus Eire or the Irish green slug and yet when treated with the culinary skills that

the dearly loved Mrs H possesses, are also known as Dolmades. 

There were as you can see five of them on my plate, wrapped in giant Irish shamrock leaves, which were grown in our own garden. They were then cooked and pickled gently in white Guinness for seventy two hours, drained and finally stored in a cool place for four weeks ‘till matured.

The Arion distinctus Eire were utterly delicious, very filling as you can no doubt imagine and put the rest of the meal’s ingredients as nice as they were, in the shade.
Mrs H’s skills as a dedicated nocturnal Slug hunter are renowned for miles around. Neighbours have been known to drive to our boundaries with their night glasses and notebooks following her at a safe distance as she makes her selection from a large herd of well fed slithering Irish slugs.

A Slug Supper

And so I wish you bon appétit!

For further information and recipes -
http://www.eattheweeds.com/are-slugs-edible-what-about-snails-2/

FIRESIDE TALES

My blog FIRESIDE TALES contains the stories I wrote several years ago for my grandson.
They tell of an old druid and a young lad discovering the magic of nature and the nature of magic.

I doubt that I shall continue writing this series but if you enjoy reading them then perhaps the adventures will continue in your own imagination......

You can find FIRESIDE TALES on the link HERE

Where a Viking Sleeps.

On a recent day out we visited St James Church, Castledermot, Co. Kildare.

The original foundation and dedication of this Christian Church was as the hermitage of St. Diarmada [Dermot] in 812. In later years it became a monastery and was twice raided by the Vikings and was burned down in 1106.

In the present church, now dedicated to St James, there is a list of The Church of Ireland incumbents dating from 1605 to the present day.

In the foreground is a reconstructed Hibernian-Romanesque arch detailing the original entrance to the old church.

An artists impression of what the original hermitage may have looked like.

The only Scandinavian hog back grave marker slab in Ireland - beneath which is possibly 

a sleeping Viking.

One of two existing 9th century High Crosses, 

there were once three.

Opposite the entrance to the church is a well kept and attractive tree lined walkway 

connecting to a main thoroughfare.

The Pledging Stone.

Similar stones were used by lovers who would place their hands into the hole 

and make their pledge to each other. 

From this practice came about the phrase ‘being set in stone’.

The round tower dates to the 10th century and was the monastery bell tower. 

The tower has some unusual features to other similar constructions. Here the entrance is only slightly above ground level and it is situated to the north of the church, normally towers were built to the west with access 15 feet or more above the ground. 

There are two arched vaults inside the tower, one over the second storey and the other at the top, with the tower itself constructed mainly of granite blocks with small pieces of limestone used as fillers. 

At sometime during it’s history the original stone capping was removed from the top and replaced with a castellated top which looks very odd - I have heard it likened to that of an electric torch stood on it’s end!

For further information :-

http://www.megalithicireland.com/High%20cross%20castledermot.htm

http://roundtowers.org/castledermot/index.htm

VIEWS TO SOOTHE

Whenever I see this building to me it looks like a magnet.
It is in fact an old forge near a river.

Looking at this you might think the photographer was drunk, but no the
road is on the slant.

The half door to a delightful home

You could see this on a calendar. It is what we call a preserved cottage.

He was very inquisitive and friendly
until I picked up the camera!

ALONG THE ROADSIDE

Our first visitor on 1st of May

Bluebell Ladies

The traditional May Bush

Our local well dressed for Summer

An abundance of Cowslips

Unidentified yellow flowers - well I know what
they are not

Perhaps these are called Bird Eye's ?

The same again ?

IRELANDS GENERAL ELECTION

I was talking to a relation in England the other day when I mentioned the forth coming election, to which they replied "What election ? "and when told said "That's the first I have heard of it"
So I thought that it was about time I brought it to my readers attention.

The election was announced in Dáil Éireann [the lower house] of the Oireachtas [Parliament]  on Thursday 4th February by Enda Kenny the present Taoiseach [the literal translation of which is chieftain or leader]
Polling day will be on 26th February.

BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

I heard a noise, the clink of the post box lid. In fact it awakened me from my slumber and I thought “There ought not to be any postal delivery it being a Saturday" even though it is my 73rd birthday.

So I quickly threw on my dressing gown went outside and opened the box and this is what I found.

Not our correct address by any means. It is though our Otherworld address known by the good-people

I turned over the envelope to see who the sender was and sure enough it was from my friends in the otherworld.

Look they even have their own postal 

service too 

The front cover of the card.

 Inside is Hazel holding a heart

On the back he is waving goodbye.

This is one of the joys of having friends in

the otherworld.

Women's Christmas 6th January

Today is Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas which has many different names including ‘Nollaig na mBan’ in Irish. It has been a long-standing tradition in the West of Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry, when women celebrate the end of the Christmas season. The festive decorations are down, the long season of preparation and cooking is over and the women folk gather together to have a celebratory meal. Nollaig na mBan is also celebrated in Newfoundland which has a strong affinity with Ireland and in some states of the United States of America where the tradition was kept alive by Irish immigrants.

On this day it is the tradition in Ireland that men stay at home minding children & doing housework whilst the woman take it easy and celebrate together. In the past children bought or made their mothers and grandmothers presents to be given on this day, rather than Mother's Day. 

The fascinating thing about Nollaig na mBan is that, rather than dying out like so many other traditions, its popularity has begun to grow and it is now being celebrated across the country. Women in Dublin organize lunches for their women friends, the women of Offaly, Limerick, Laois , Sligo and Westmeath are meeting in their own homes for meals and gatherings. Women only ‘get-togethers’ are being organized all over the place and long may it continue!

Happy Nollaig na mBan (pronounced null-ag na man) to all readers!

Males and Mails

© 2010 H.Rufus

On a day of deep snow I was taken by a 4x4 to the nearest train station to travel to Dublin.

On my way to the carriage door I glanced to see how many others were travelling and there in a window seat sat a familiar face. Little did I realise then that the well known personage was to become the next President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.

Uachtarán na hÉireann

My journey continued with a a wait of several hours in Dublin airport before catching my flight to Birmingham International and onwards to meet my one and only grandson Oliver who was then just three weeks old.

I often wonder what he will make of himself and of what his journey through life will be ?

AN POST

anpost.ie/Christmas

Our post travels everywhere!

© 2015 J. Brideson

One request from myself: if anyone has a spare iPhone ? If you post it to me now it will arrive before Christmas.

A Witch in Training

Over the Hallowe'en weekend Lady H quietly disclosed a secret to me.

It appears that Granny has discovered that Ollie, despite his tender age,

is developing certain family traits.

As you may be aware

Lady H, especially when wearing the appropriate costume,

displays certain magical abilities.

Here she can be seen hovering above the ground.

Young Ollie is now learning his craft.

Calling on the local Faeries to lend their assistance....

and help Granny sprinkle her magic dust.

Lady H tells me that Ollie is a natural

and I say ' yes, but he'll have to loose that skeleton costume.'