Leprechauns speak out!

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Irish Christmas


Preparations for Christmas in Ireland start early, particularly in preparing special food for the festive season. Christmas Puddings and Christmas cakes rich with fruit and nuts and moistened with Guinness (Irish stout) and or brandy are made and stored to mature. Later the cakes are covered in marzipan icing then royal icing and decorated in all manner of ways. Perhaps applying icing with an icing nozzle or simply roughing up the surface with a knife to be the base for a snow scene. Edible silver balls can be used, or plastic figures of snowmen, santas or Christmas trees.


Mincemeat is made using dried fruit and suet. In the olden days it really contained minced meat.These days it can also be bought ready made in supermarkets. This is later used for making mince pies, or larger mince tarts. Traditionally shortcrust pastry is used but these days anything goes, flakey pastry,rough puff pastry or even filo. The pies tend to get eaten at tea times, or after carol singing with brandy butter and /or cream.


Spiced beef is made too. It used to be made at home but these days most butchers have their own secret recipes and you can buy the meat "ready spiced" from them. It takes about three weeks for the beef to absorb the spices before it's cooked. It leaves the meat pink in the centre with an almost black "crust" of spices and a quite unique flavour. It can be served hot or cold and many Irish people in Southern Ireland will eat it at some time over the festive season.


Monday, November 28, 2005

Irish News




NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
=======================

IRISH ECONOMIC BOOM CONTINUES

Recent statistics have revealed that there are
300 PAYE (ordinary tax-payers) who earn over 1
M-illion Euro annually. This is 3 times the number
who earned that much in 2001. The continuing
shortage of skilled staff is the most likely
explanation for the boom in wages.

Irish house prices continue to rise, despite the
annual predictions of an imminent decline. Some
commentators are predicting a 15% gain over the
next 2 years, despite repeated warnings from the
Irish Central Bank.

Since joining the Euro currency, control over
interest rates now rests with the European Central
Bank. The ECB has kept rates at record low levels
for years, primarily because of sluggishness in
the German, French and Italian economies. This is
good news for Irish mortgage-holders who continue
to see the value of their property rise.

The ingrained Irish desire to own property is well
known but it is unlikely that previous generations
could have envisaged the distance their descendants
would be willing to go. Not content with snapping
up property in the UK, France and Spain, Irish
investors are now targeting Canada, Africa, New
Zealand, Croatia and even Thailand. Investors from
Ireland recently spent nearly 3 M-illion Euro in a
Las Vegas development while over 4.5 M-illion Euro
has been spent on a Thai property scheme. It is
estimated that more than 600,000 Irish people now
own property abroad.

EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF KIPPERS IN IRELAND

The Irish obsession with owning their own home
has bred a new generation who are refusing to
leave their parents' house until well into their
20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. Spiralling property
prices have caused the number of KIPPERS (Kids
in Parents' Pads Eroding Retirement Savings) to
soar. It is likely that the majority of KIPPERS
are saving to invest in a property of their own.
A recent Central Statistics Office study has
found that over 450,000 adults still reside
with their parents. This figure represents 12%
of the entire population of the country.

As one commentator remarked 'Irish mammies don't
have apron strings, they have steel cables.'

34 BILLION EURO TRANSPORT PLAN UNVEILED

The most ambitious and expensive transport
infrastructure plan in the history of the State has
been unveiled by the Government. Over 34 B-illion
Euro will be spent over the next decade on various
schemes which will have a dramatic effect
transport in Ireland.

The plan includes:

* Linking up the 2 LUAS (light rial) city lines
* 6 other Luas projects
* An 'Atlantic Corridor' road network linking
Donegal, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford
* 2 metro lines including a link to Dublin Airport
* An underground station at St. Stephens Green.
* Completion of the Dublin Port Tunnel
* Upgrading of the M50
* A new rail link to Navan

Critics of the plan point to previous projects
that fell behind schedule as well as running
over-budget. The Government plans to implement
strict financial controls to ensure no such
over-runs occur in the future.

COST OF LIVING IN IRELAND FOR FOREIGNERS SOARS

A recent survey has recorded Ireland as the third
most expensive place in the EU, and sixth
worldwide, for foreign people to live in. Norway
is the most expensive followed by Denmark and
then Japan.

IRISH POTATO IMPORTS CONTINUE TO GROW

Despite the historical image of Ireland relying
heavily on the consumption of potatoes as a
dietary staple, the importation of potatoes from
the U.K. and beyond. Most of the imports are
being used in fast-food restaurants and take-aways
as the quality of home-grown potatoes is not
regarded as sufficiently high for producing
'French Fries'.

The Irish Government agency concerned with food
development is seeking to develop a potato that
can be more readily used by restaurants, such
as McDonalds.

POLISH WOMAN LIVED AT AIRPORT FOR WEEKS

In an episode similar to the Tom Hanks movie 'The
Terminal' a 26 year-old Polish woman has been
found living at Dublin Airport for three weeks.

An airport policeman noticed the young Polish
woman who had arrived to meet up with her
boyfriend but who had no money or food and who
could not speak the language. He immediately
assisted the bewildered arrival who had survived
by sleeping on waiting seats and eating restaurant
scraps. He bought her a meal and contacted the
authorities who are now arranging for her return
home.

IRISH AUTHOR WINS THE BOOKER PRIZE

Irish author John Banville has won the prestigious
'Booker Prize' with his 14th novel 'The Sea'.
Manville was born in Wexford in 1945. His first
title, 'Nightspawn' was published in 1971. He
previously worked as literary editor at 'The Irish
Times' newspaper.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Lá an Altaithe Sona Dhaoibh



The title is the Irish equivailent to Happy Thanksgiving

EVERYDAY IS THANKSGIVING
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings, thank
you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as
possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you Lord, that
I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,
toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud thankyou,
Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in
magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the
food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, thank you, Lord,
for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Thank you, Lord for the friends and special times that touch my life in
so many ways.
There are many who are not so lucky.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Just in time for your Thanksgiving



There is nothing better to top off your Thanksgiving meal than a good cup of Irish coffee!

Irish Coffee
Ingredients
1 Measure (3 cl) of Irish Whiskey
1 teaspoon of raw sugar
1 heaped desertspoon of whipped cream
Hot strong coffee to fill the glass

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 (ie do not stir after adding the cream).

Friday, November 18, 2005

My Gift to you


This without a doubt is my favorite story! I used to tell it or sometimes act it out at Christmas time for my church where ever I was serving, but this year I won't be able to do either. So I do hope you will take the time to read it all the way through. The message to be found is one that I wish for not only you Gentle Reader but the world!







The Gift of the Magi


by O. Henry

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."

The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.

Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

Down rippled the brown cascade.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.

Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.

"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?"

At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

Della wriggled off the table and went for him.

"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.

"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"

Jim looked about the room curiously.

"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"

Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.

Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.

"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."

White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.

"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.

"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

Thursday, November 17, 2005

A prayer for Thanksgiving

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Irish shoping



Government Bites a Chunk from Food Bills


Food bills in Ireland are set to be slashed after the government agreed to scrap a controversial restriction on pricing.

Experts say households could save up to €1,000 each year from the axing of Groceries Order — which bars shops selling goods below cost price.

It means supermarkets will be free to slash the cost of scores of goods to entice shoppers into their stores as happens in Britain.

The move comes in the wake of mounting concern over so-called rip-off prices across Ireland.


And consumer champion Eddie Hobbs — whose RTÉ Rip Off Republic TV show galvanised public opinion on the issue — welcomed the move.

He said: “There could be a potential 20 per cent saving on the price of three-quarters of the goods covered by the order.”

Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin’s decision to scrap the Groceries Order came in the face of sustained opposition from some Irish retailers and producers.

He instead ruled the arguments supporting the retention of the order did not stand up to scrutiny.

The controversial rule was originally brought in to prevent large supermarket chains driving smaller shops out of business by selling goods below cost price.

But opponents have argued the bill meant shops negotiating discounts from suppliers by buying in huge quantities were unable to pass the savings on to consumers.

Ireland’s Consumer Strategy Group produced research showing some supermarket chains were getting discounts of up to 18 per cent but were unable to lower their prices accordingly.

But supporters of the Grocery Order say its abolition will merely benefit large British supermarket chains such as Tesco who have massive operations.

Retail consultant James Burke said: “It is obvious to see who could benefit from a change in the law here. A British supermarket with an operation here could potentially undercut the Irish operators and still make a profit.

“Within three to five years the Irish players could be destroyed.”

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Bunratty Mediaeval Banquet


Bunratty Castle, was built in the 15th century by the Earl of Thomond and stands on the banks of the Rathy River. From here The Earl ruled over his Chiefdom and entertained lavishly, in fact he was famous for his hospitality. Following this tradition of hospitality, the world renowned Bunratty Medieval Banquet is held twice nightly throughout theyear.

For over 40 years the Ladies of the Castle, aided and abetted by the Earl's Butler, have welcomed guests from the four corners of the globe to join them at The Earl's Banquet. The entertainment provided by the superb Bunratty Singers is a fitting compliment to a four course meal, a lively meal reception and of course good wine. We invite you to enjoy an unforgettable evening in the splendour of this magnificent castle.

Guests reach the Castle through the Entrance Cottage and a short atmospheric walk through the Folk Park to the Castle Gate. There a kilted piper plays a tune of welcome. Then up the Castle steps and over the drawbridge to the 'Bite of Friendship' offered by one of the Hostesses.

Now to the Upper Great Hall, resplendent with tapestries and furniture of the 16th Century, where you will receive a goblet or two of Mead. Here the Butler humorously relates the history of Bunratty and the Castle Singers give you a taste of what is to come with a medieval madrigal or two. The Earl and his Lady are crowned and you proceed to the Banquet hall for Dinner.

In the Banquet Hall, the long oak tables, bench seating and candle-light with the warm glow of the fire reflect the Banqueting style of the mediaeval era. During the meal the Butler and the Ladies delight you with snippets of music and song. The 4 course meal is a pleasant balance of contrasting Irish meat dishes as used during period and is accompanied with red and white wines.

This is followed by the high-light of the evening, the entertainment programme in which the Butler and the Ladies of the Castle, (some of Ireland's best female choral singers) accompanied by Harp and Fiddle perform a variety of Medieaval and well loved Irish songs.

BANQUET MENU

Spiced Parsnip Soup

Traditional Spare Ribs
In a Honey & Whiskey Sauce

Breast of Chicken with Apple & Mead sauce, served with potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Fruit of the Forest Mousse

Coffee

(Vegetarian Option available)


Sunday, November 06, 2005

John O'Callaghans Jokes

JOHN O'CALLAGHAN'S JOKE SELECTION

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
To Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day

~~~ The Mood Ring
I gave my last girlfriend a Mood Ring with a green
stone in it for her birthday. When she was in a
good mood the color of the stone changed from
green to red. When she was in a bad mood, it left
a Black mark on my forehead.

~~~ The Bar Pick-Up
One night while I was single I was having a drink
in the select lounge bar of the The Ballyfriggin
Arms Hotel, Ireland, when this dazzling colleen
came over and sat down beside me. She had a peaches
and cream complexion, dazzling white teeth,
voluptuous hips, pouty lips and red, shoulder
length hair.

'The reason I came over,' she said seductively,
'is that you that you look remarkably like my
third husband.'

'Oh' I exclaimed in surprise. 'Just how many husbands
have you actually had?'

She gave me a come-on smile and said,'Two!'

~~~ Desperate in Key West
I was on holiday in Key West, Florida, and having
a quite drink at the bar in Hemmingway's on Duval
Street when I spotted two attractive middle aged
ladies smiling at me and giving me the glad eye.
So naturally, I smiled back.

Then one came over and said,
'Hi. I am Sophie. My friend Shirley and I were
just saying we haven't seen you in here before?'

'I haven't been in here for 20 years. I just got
out of prison.'

'You're kidding?'

'No.'

'Did you--did you-rob a bank or something?

'No. I murdered my third wife.

'I choked her.'

'What happened to your second wife?'

'I poisoned her.'

'And what happened to your first wife?'

'I killed her by pushing her off the balcony.'

'Oh my gosh,' Sophie said. Then turning to her
friend on the other side of the bar, she screamed
out:

'Yoo-hoo, Shirley. Come on over here. He's single.'

~~~ Religious Stamps
Mrs. Murphy from Ballyfriggin goes up to Belfast
for a holiday. She is in the Post Office to buy
stamps for her post cards.

'I want to buy 6 stamps please,' she says.

'What denomination, Missus?'

'Oh, good heavens' she replied. 'Has it really
come to this? Oh well. Better give me 3 Protestant
and 3 Catholic ones.'

~~~ The 10 Commandments
Young Sean was asked to list the 10 Commandments
in any order.

So he said, '3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7'.

~~~ The Poor Preacher
Father Felim Feelgood, the parish priest in
Ballyfriggin was standing outside the church after
the eleven o'clock Mass and greeting the people
when young Sean O'Shea went up to him and said,

'When I grow up, father, I'm going to give you
some money.'

'Well, thank you,' the priest said, 'and tell me
now, what was it I said in my sermon that touched
your heart, son?'

'Oh it wasn't anything you said,' the boy
answered, 'it's something I heard me dad say. He
said to me mom:

'Father Feelgood is one of the poorest preachers
I have ever heard.'

~~~Saying Grace
When I was young my parents invited the new
neighbours to dinner. At the table, my mom turned
to me and said,

'John-Jo. You say the blessing'

'But mom I dunno what to say,' I replied.

'Just say what you heard Daddy say at dinner
last night.'

So I bowed my head, put my hands together and
said:

'Dear God, why did we invite those awful people
to dinner?'

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Thr Irish Times



News from the Irish front

01:18 The State's postal system faces huge disruption from Monday after the main trade union at An Post announced its workers are to go on strike over a pay dispute. The action will consist of a nationwide ban on overtime, in addition to an all-out strike at the GPO in Dublin and other "selected locations" throughout the country, the Communications Workers' Union said this evening. An Post warned of "massive disruption".

Friday, November 04, 2005

The place to stay in Ennis Ireland



For old time charm and ambience when you first get to Ireland and have not found a family to stay with try the hotel on Abby street

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

More traval photos



The Irish sea as seen from where else? Ireland