================================================

 The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter 
                  May 2010
 
The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland 
 Now received by over 50,000 people worldwide 
      https://www.ireland-information.com 
          https://www.irishnation.com
              Copyright (C) 2009  

================================================

		IN THIS ISSUE

=== News Snaps from Ireland 
=== New free resources at the site
=== Ireland: getting around, where to eat, using taxis
=== Douglas Hyde: First President of Ireland
=== The Sheep Dog by Pat Watson
=== Irish Festival & Clan Gathering Noticeboard
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
========

Summer has finally arrived in Ireland with 
unexpected good weather (we never dare to expect 
sunshine) being followed by the usual rain. At 
least the airports are getting back to normal with 
the volcano in Iceland behaving itself. It has 
been mooted that this could become an annual 
problem!

The problems in the economy seem to be settling 
down with pop-phrases like 'green shoots' and 
'the bottom has been reached' and 'turned the 
corner' all being well exercised in the media. 
Is Ireland facing into sunnier times, or is it 
just the good weather?

Michael

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

GOVERNMENT STILL STRUGGLING IN THE POLLS

It is very clear that if the last general 
election had been held a year later that 
Fianna Fail would certainly not been have 
been returned to office.

The performance of then Taoiseach Bertie 
Ahern in the leaders debate when he squared 
up to Fine Gael's Enda Kenny was cited by 
many as a pivotal point in the campaign. 
Fianna Fail formed a coalition with the 
Green Party, the PDs and independents to 
create what has proved to be a surprisingly 
stable government.

Since the election the attitude of the public 
to Fianna Fail has changed dramatically. The 
collapse in the construction industry, the 
increase in unemployment and the banking 
fiasco have led to calls for Fianna Fail to 
call an election immediately so a new government 
can take charge.

Some chance. Fianna Fail are clearly getting all 
of the bad news and unpopular decisions out of 
the way now in the hope that the economy will 
begin to return to growth and unemployment can 
start to reduce. It is very early days yet but 
with two years to go to the next election there 
are signs that their tactics are working. 
Announcements of job losses are being matched by 
announcements of jobs creation. Unemployment has 
stabilised and the economy is forecast to grow 
next year. 

If an upward swing can be generated and some 
momentum manufactured in time for the 2012 
election then the currently fanciful possibility 
of Fianna Fail being returned to power is not 
out of the question. At the moment that 
possibility looks remote especially when the 
latest opinion poll is considered. Fine Gael are 
on 30%, Fianna Fail are on 24% with Labour at 22%. 
The leader of Fine Gael has often been credited 
with reorganising the grass-roots party 
organisation in recent years but is also viewed 
as a liability as national leader by many. Enda 
Kenny's party has suffered two successive falls 
in popularity in recent polls which will make a 
leadership contest inevitable should the trend 
continue. The Labour Party has blossomed in 
these recessionary times with their leader Eamon 
Gilmore being very well regarded. Critics of the 
party will point out that they have failed to 
publish concrete and costed alternative policies 
while on the other hand being very good at 
criticising the Fianna Fail government for 
implementing their policies.

If an election were to be held today then Fianna 
Fail would certainly be ejected from office with 
Fine Gael and Labour likely to make up a 
coalition. The possibility of a Fianna Fail and 
Labour coalition in two years time should not be 
discounted though. Two years is a lifetime in 
politics.

BANKS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AGAIN

The Irish government has turned up the heat on 
the main banks in an effort to force them to 
lend more to small business and individuals. 
Having received big government backing it is 
time for some payback. The Taoiseach Brian Cowen 
has indicated that he will force the banks to 
lend more if they do not voluntarily do so 
themselves.

SHAKE-UP IN IRISH PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE

The government has announced the sale of the VHI 
which is the largest health insurance company in 
the country. It is also state-owned which has 
caused a number of problems recently especially 
with other insurance companies being forced to 
pay the VHI a subsidy for the older client profile 
that the VHI maintains. 

New regulations are to be introduced that will 
make it more expensive for people to wait until 
their later years to get health insurance.

LITTER PROBLEM HIGHLIGHTED

Ireland has long had a litter problem which is 
a shame considering the great beauty of many 
parts of the country. The Minister for the 
Environment is a Green Party TD named John 
Gormley and he looks set to act. A working 
group is to be established to tackle this 
issue with cigarette butts and fast-food 
wrappers being targeted. Key tourist locations 
are to be cleaned up immediately. A recent 
report highlighted the need for action with just 
6.8% of areas surveyed in 2009 being classed 
as litter-free. 

FACEBOOK TARGETED BY IRISH POLITICIAN

Nessa Childers is a Labour Party MEP (Member of 
the European Parliament) and has called on 
increased regulation of Facebook, the popular 
social networking website. She is concerned that 
overuse of the site can lead to a 'clear and 
present threat to the mental health of millions 
of European citizens'. The MEP who trained as a 
psychotherapist is concerned that addiction to 
Facebook can lead to social isolation in the 
real world with people escaping into their 
Facebook virtual worlds.


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==============================
NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
==============================

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NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 5 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:

G: Ganley, McGaffin
N: Neligan, Nixon
W: Warren

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==================================================
IRELAND: GETTING AROUND, WHERE TO EAT, USING TAXIS
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TOURIST TIP #1: GETTING AROUND IRELAND
======================================

The Irish public transport network is overseen 
by CIE who run Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann (the 
national bus service) and Iarnrod Eireann 
(controlling the Irish national rail network as
well as the Dublin DART train service).

The Railway Procurement Agency is responsible for 
the LUAS light-rail system.

All of these services have online timetables and 
maps to view and you can even buy your tickets 
online in advance of your journey.

RUSH-HOUR: Dublin is like most major capital 
cities and suffers badly in terms of traffic from 
8am to 10am in the morning and from 4:30 to 7pm 
in the evening. Being trapped in a bus or DART 
during these times can be a frustrating experience 
and is one to be avoided if at all possible. Plan 
your route in advance! Other cities such as Galway, 
Cork and Limerick also suffer during these times.

DRIVING IN DUBLIN: If you are a first-time visitor 
to Ireland and are thinking of hiring a car to get 
around the major cities then we have only 4 words 
for you: do not do it! By all means hire a car if 
you want to meander around the countryside from 
town to town and set your own agenda. Choosing to 
drive in Dublin city traffic on your vacation 
however is a really bad idea. The city is a mire 
of one-way systems and blockages, road-works and 
endless traffic-jams. Unless you know exactly 
where you are going and the route to take then you 
are best advised to give the whole 'driving in 
Dublin' experience a miss.

GETTING AWAY FROM DUBLIN AIRPORT: There is no 
train service from Dublin Airport into the city 
centre although one is being built at the moment. 
There are several bus operators who operate 
services as well as Dublin Bus. Some bus services 
will connect with the local DART station while 
most head straight for the city centre. See 
www.dublinairport.com/to-and-from/by-bus/ for 
more.

Taxis are in good supply at the airport and are 
probably the easiest way of getting to your hotel.
When planning your arrival into Dublin Airport try 
to arrive outside of the main traffic rush-hours 
so that when you do get a bus or taxi, or hire a 
car, then you wont be caught up too badly. If you 
are driving then a quick way to bypass the city 
centre is to use the M50 motorway which runs 
adjacent to the Airport. This is a ring-road 
around the city which allows you to make exits for 
Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Kerry and Cork. Travelling 
the entire length of the M50 would bring you to the
south coast of the city with exits to Blackrock, 
Dun Laoghaire, Bray and then onwards to the 
south-east of the country towards Wexford and 
Waterford. See www.m50.ie for more. It should be 
noted that the M50 suffers very badly during 
rush-hour times.

If you are driving from the airport into the city 
centre then you should consider using the Port 
Tunnel. This is a tolled link that can be a bit 
expensive depending on the time it is used. It is 
a very good way however, of getting you straight 
into the city centre by bypassing the worst of 
northside traffic. See www.dublinporttunnel.ie 
for more.

There are a number of domestic flights available 
from Dublin Airport. www.aerarann.com can fly 
you to Cork, Galway and Kerry, Donegal and Sligo.

DUBLIN BUS: The Dublin bus service is an extensive 
service that covers most parts of the city and 
beyond. It even serves several locations that are 
not even based in County Dublin, running as far as 
Maynooth in County Kildare, Clonee in County Meath, 
and Blessington and Bray in County Wicklow. While 
the Dublin Bus fleet has the run of 'bus lanes', 
travelling during the main rush-hours can be a 
painful experience. See www.dublinbus.ie for more.

BUS EIREANN: Bus Eireann is the long-haul bus 
service and is a good alternative to the train 
service depending on your travel requirements. 
Most major locations are served. The main Dublin 
terminus is located at Busaras which is in the 
heart of the city and only yards from the terminus 
of the Luas Red Line at Connolly Station where 
the DART also stops. The bus service is generally 
a cheaper option than the train service. 
See www.buseireann.ie for more.

IARNROD EIREANN: The Irish Rail network serves all 
major destinations in Ireland and runs from two 
main Dublin stations. Connolly station is located
in the heart of the city while Heuston station is 
a few miles away to the west. The Luas Red Line 
runs from Connolly and has a stop at Heuston. The 
Rail network suffers badly during rush-hour times 
with over-crowding common. For short day-trips 
out of Dublin to the likes of Kilkenny, or down the 
coast to Wexford, or even as far as Galway for a 
overnight stay, then the rail service can be pretty 
good, once you plan your departure time!

DART: The Dublin Area Rapid Transport is a rail 
system that runs along the coast of County Dublin. 
Serving Bray and Greystones in County Wicklow and 
running via the city centre as far as Howth and 
Malahide on the northside, the DART is a pretty 
reliable way of seeing Dublin beyond the main 
tourist sites. Each of the four towns just mentioned 
have nice pier-side walkways and are frequent 
destinations for Dubliners who want to go for a 
jaunt along the sea-front on a Sunday afternoon. 

The DART, like the LUAS, is useful for visitors 
who want to stay in suburban locations where the 
hotel bills are cheaper while having an easy way 
to get in and out of the city. If your 
accommodation is located near a DART or a LUAS 
station then you can make big savings on that 
hotel bill by using the public transport 
system to get around. See www.irishrail.ie for 
more.

LUAS: The Luas is a light-rail system that runs on 
the streets of Dublin alongside regular traffic. 
The Red Line runs 14Km via 23 stops from Connolly 
station in the heart of Dublin City to the western 
suburb of Tallaght. The Green Line runs 9Km via 9 
stops from St. Stephens Green to the southern 
suburb of Sandyford. Roughly speaking the Red Line 
runs westwards from the city centre while the Green 
Line runs southwards from the city centre. Ticket 
vending machines are available at major stops.

The Luas is regarded as a very reliable and 
frequent service. It also facilitates tourists 
who want to stay in hotels further out from the 
city centre and still be able to easily make it 
into the main Dublin attractions. See www.luas.ie 
for more. 

TOURIST TIP #2: WHERE TO EAT
============================

Food and drink can be expensive in Ireland but 
like most countries there are plenty of places 
to find cheaper alternatives without sacrificing 
too much on quality.

RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS: Just like everywhere else 
there is a huge variance in the prices charged by 
restaurants depending on the type of food served 
and the 'trendiness' of the establishment. A quick 
glance at the menu posted outside most 
restaurants will give you an indication of the 
type of place inside. Ireland has a large number 
of restaurants serving foreign food with Chinese, 
Italian, and Indian being the most popular 
although practically every ethnic group is catered 
for, especially in Dublin. In general Italian 
restaurants will be more expensive than Chinese 
and Indian restaurants, considerably so in some 
cases. Dining in hotels is probably the most 
expensive option available although if you have 
booked meals as part of your accommodation charge 
then good value can be had. Some hotels have 
'pub-food' options in their bar area which can 
be relatively inexpensive.

PUBS: Dining in a pub is generally cheaper than 
in a dedicated restaurant. The development of 
the pub dining experience in recent years has 
occurred partly as a response to the ban on smoking 
in pubs which hit business hard. The result has 
been an big increase in the number of pubs 
(sometimes called Gastro-pubs) that offer really 
great quality food at affordable prices. Most 
pubs will offer the usual selections of steaks, 
burgers and chicken dishes as well as a few 
Chinese or even Indian options served with local 
vegetables. While the experience may not be as 
intimate as a restaurant and is likely to be 
noisier, it is sometimes this very hurly-burly 
that is the attraction! You might want to check 
out if there is a big sporting event being shown 
on television as a lot of pubs have big screens 
and multiple TVs dotted around their premises 
to draw in a crowd.

TAKE-AWAYS: The famous Irish 'chipper' is a an 
institution with claims that the Irish 'fish and 
chips' is simply the best in the world being 
unchallenged at the time of writing. It is ironic 
therefore that most Irish chippers are run by 
Italians! These usually offer good quality food 
at modest prices. While it is true from a health 
standing that you would not want to be eating 
'chipper' food every day, there is no doubt that 
while on vacation it can be a great treat. A lot 
of these establishments now offer pizza and even 
pasta dishes to take away. Very few have any 
seating available.

FAST-FOOD: Ireland has the usual selection of 
fast food companies such as McDonalds, Abrakebabra, 
KFC, as well as a multitude of Pizza joints. You 
probably know by now what to expect! A quick word 
of caution here though. Ireland has its share of 
drink-related crime like any other country. In 
recent years the fast-food joints that stay open 
until the small hours have become a great 
attraction for drinkers on their way home after a 
night on the town. While there is no reason to 
think that you will encounter any trouble it is 
as well to exercise a bit of extra vigilance if 
you end up in a late night eatery. Wandering 
around town centres in the small hours when the 
pubs are emptying out is not an activity to be 
recommended in any country!

GARAGES AND SHOPS: Yes the place where you fill 
up the car with petrol is now a dining option! 
The development of large garage forecourts and 
the placing of grocery stores within them is a 
recent occurrence. A lot of the larger garages 
now have seated areas and small food counters 
where hot food is served daily (sometimes 24 
hours!). If you are driving around Ireland then 
these places can certainly help the bank balance 
while offering quick simple food of good quality. 
Many larger shops and supermarkets now have 
dining areas attached. Most offer quick 'snack' 
food such as wraps, sandwiches and baguettes but 
some even offer full dinner menus.

DIY: If you have the facility to prepare your own 
food and meals then there are lots of places to 
buy your basic needs. It is difficult to 
generalise about prices but typically the larger 
supermarkets (Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Superquinn) 
will be cheaper than the smaller stores (Spar, 
Costcutters, etc.) who in turn are cheaper than 
the smallest grocery stores. In general food costs 
more in Dublin than anywhere else in the country, 
although all of the big tourist centres have 
great capacity for over-pricing their wares! If 
dining at home then it is worthwhile checking out 
the various delivery options that Chinese, Indian 
and Pizza joints offer. Most offer delivery after 
6pm with the modest delivery charge added to the 
overall price (a small gratuity to the delivery 
person is the norm).

TOURIST TIP #3: USING TAXIS IN IRELAND
======================================

Different countries have different protocols when 
hailing a taxi. Some countries adopt a 'free for 
all' where punters nearly fight each other for 
their ride home. Some other countries are a bit 
more restrained! Ireland would be in the mid-range 
of these two experiences and with the recent 
de-regulation of the taxi industry it is a lot 
easier to get a taxi than it used to be.

ON THE STREET: Taxis can be hailed virtually 
anywhere and at any time simply by raising your 
hand, waving or otherwise getting the attention 
of the driver (if you can whistle then that will 
help).

When hailing a taxi in this fashion try to 
position yourself at a part of a road or street 
where any available taxi will have a certain 
amount of space to drive into and stop, without 
causing too much inconvenience to traffic behind. 
Bus stops are often good places to hail taxis 
from as there is often a lay-by cut into the 
pathways for busses to veer into when collecting 
passengers. Taxi-drivers are also well used to 
picking up passengers from near bus-stops.

You can hail a taxi going in the opposite 
direction that you want to go but unless the 
driver can make a U-turn then you will have to 
cross over to the other side of the road.

Taxis are supposed to have their yellow 
roof-signs lit brightly to indicate that they 
are available but this is not always done and 
it is common practice to hail a taxi even if 
the roof-light is off.

AT A TAXI-RANK: Most cities and towns have 
taxi-ranks that are well serviced by cars. 
Depending on the time of the day (or how late at 
night it is) there may be significant queues. At 
least by queueing you are guaranteed to get a 
car, the alternative being to wander around hoping 
to grab a taxi on the street (not an experience to 
be recommended in Dublin City in the small hours). 
At Dublin airport the only effective way to get 
a taxi is at the taxi rank so use it!

BY TELEPHONE: Taxis can be ordered by telephone 
and this can be very useful when planning your 
trip to the airport or other important 
destination. Often Hotels or B&Bs will order a 
car for you if requested. Bear in mind that this 
will be a bit more expensive than the other 
methods described of getting a car but when you 
absolutely have to have a taxi then this is the 
surest option. Ordering a car at peak times 
however can result in big delays and some 
taxi-services may even decline your order if they 
are too busy (ordering well in advance can prevent 
this).

When you order a taxi by telephone don't be 
surprised if you receive an unmarked car rather 
than an obvious taxi. Many operators use 'hackney 
cabs' for their telephone business and this is 
perfectly legal and in order. Hackney licences do 
not allow the driver to pick up fares from a taxi 
rank or from off the street.

DISABLED AND GROUP TAXIS: The quality of vehicles 
being used by taxi companies has improved greatly 
in recent years. Vehicles that are wheelchair 
friendly are readily available but you will need 
to book them in advance. Similarly it is possible 
to book a 10-seater taxi if you have a group of 
friends travelling to an event.

DECORUM: Most taxi-drivers are decent people 
simply trying to make a living and will be glad 
to offer you advice on where to go or stay. It 
helps though to have a very good idea of where 
your destination is (the exact address) as many 
of the newer drivers will not be overly familiar 
with all of the locations and will use their 
Sat-Nav to guide them. You are entitled to decide 
on the route you wish to take.

Tipping is commonplace - giving a driver a twenty 
euro note for a fare of 18 euro would be typical, 
for example.

The very first thing you do when you get into a 
taxi or cab is to note the drivers name and 
number (this is good advice for any country). 
If no I.D. is immediately obvious then do not 
take the ride as such a car may be manned by 
an uninsured driver.

Most taxis will only accept 4 passengers (unless 
their vehicle is otherwise capable), which is 1 
in the front and 3 in the back maximum.

If you have a complaint or have left property in 
the taxi then you can contact the taxi service 
you used or the Irish taxi regulator at 
www.taxiregulator.ie (you do have the driver name, 
I.D. or registration number don't you?)

==========================
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==========================

========================================
DOUGLAS HYDE: FIRST PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
========================================

Douglas Hyde was born in Frenchpark in County 
Roscommon in 1860. His father was a local Church 
of Ireland Rector. He quickly became fascinated 
with the Irish language and entered Trinity 
College where he studied other languages 
including French, German, Greek, Latin and 
Hebrew. He was determined to prevent the 
continuing decline of the native language 
however, and in 1893 he founded the Gaelic 
League. 

The Irish language had been in decline since
the seventeenth century but this decline 
accelerated in the years after the famine. 
The 'Black Death' of 1845 to 1849 resulted in 
over a million deaths from starvation and a 
further million people were lost to emigration 
in the decade following the famine. The effect 
of the famine on the Irish language was 
devastating.

The increased awareness in national identity 
that culminated in the Easter Rising in 1916 and 
the subsequent War of Independence and eventual 
declaration of an Irish Republic can be traced 
to events in the second half of the nineteenth 
century. The formation of the Gaelic League by 
Douglas Hyde was crucial in the promotion of the 
idea of an independent Irish nation. Many of the 
iconic Irish nationalist leaders that were later 
to shape the course of Irish history formed their 
nationalistic philosophies during their 
membership of the Gaelic League. Pearse, DeValera 
and Collins were all members. Hyde later became 
discontent with the increasing political bent that 
the League was displaying and resigned the 
presidency of the organisation he had founded in 
1915. He had no political affiliation either with 
the Home Rule movement or Sinn Fein. 

He accepted a position in Seanad Eireann (the 
appointed Senate) but later lost the post when an 
election was held. It is believed that the fact 
that he was a Protestant counted against him, 
although false allegations that he supported 
divorce must also have damaged his chances. He 
returned to academic studies and became Professor 
of Irish at UCD.

Despite having retired some years earlier Eamon 
DeValera appointed Douglas Hyde once more to 
Seanad Eireann. His stay in the Senate was again 
short-lived but this time it was because greater 
office beckoned. DeValera and the opposition leader 
W.T. Cosgrove agreed that Hyde should become the 
first President of Ireland. Both of these leaders 
wanted to prove that the 'new' Ireland could be 
inclusive and the appointment of a Protestant 
would certainly demonstrate this. Recognition for
the years of service Hyde had given to the Irish 
people through his tenure as president of the 
Gaelic League was also a factor. In 1938 he became 
the first President of Ireland and settled into 
Aras an Uachtarain in the Phoenix Park, which has 
remained the home of all Irish Presidents ever 
since. 

Hyde was a popular President with the US 
President Roosevelt calling him 'a fine and 
scholarly old gentleman'. He suffered a massive 
stroke in 1940 and it appeared his demise was 
near. He recovered however and, although 
wheelchair bound, continued his presidential 
duties for another 5 years. 

He left office in 1945 but continued to live in 
the Phoenix Park until his death in 1949. He was 
granted a state funeral and was buried in his 
native Roscommon.

His contribution to the cause of the Irish 
language, history, music and literature cannot 
be overstated with W. B. Yeats proclaiming him 
as the source of the Irish literary renaissance
which continues to this day.

==========================
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==========================

=============
THE SHEEP DOG
by Pat Watson
=============
     
On a recent visit to Dublin's most glamorous 
shopping centre I sat on a seat as my good 
wife entered a shop. Beside me was a real old 
Dubliner with a perfect old Dublin accent.
'I see you are learning to be a sheep dog,' 
says he, 'You must be recently retired and 
going shopping with the wife. When she says 
'Sit and stay' there you remain until her 
return when you will get your next command.'

Just then his better half came out of the shop, 
said, 'Come' and walked on. I guffawed as I 
thought it was very funny. Not so his better 
half, she dissected me with a look. 
'What's that stupid hyena laughing at?' He 
couldn't answer as he was bent in two, feigning 
asthma and trying to smother the laughter. I 
laughed even louder, she got madder, my new 
friend's asthma got worse, we were on a downward 
spiral here, she, in danger of exploding, he 
about to implode and me smothering in mirth. 
'Ya ignorant culchie' she said, 
'Ya aren't a wet week here when ya think ya own 
the place and that ya can make fun of the rest 
of us.' I never realised before that my laugh had 
a culchie accent. Eventually he got to explain the 
funny side to her, she smiled, looked at me, said, 
'You just sit' and walked off.
 
After they left, I got thinking about what he had 
said. I remembered the programme 'One Man and His 
Dog' where the lovely black and white dog having 
penned all the sheep, waits in anticipation for a 
stray wild young one to appear, whereupon he would 
bound into action and have her corralled in a 
minute. 'Forget it kid' it is definitely not an 
option. Everybody around me was texting. I could 
be texting too if I knew how. Nobody seemed to 
notice my presence. They just ignored me.

Then I noticed a little girl in a buggy looking at 
me. I winked at her with one eye. She winked at me 
with two eyes. I wiggled my nose. She put up her 
hand and moved her nose. I looked out over my 
glasses. She stuck out her tongue. I stuck out my 
tongue. I got a belt of a handbag!
'Dirty old paedophile' she roared as she scuttled 
away with the child. The child waved bye bye.

There was a mangy little Jack Russell terrier 
trotting up the middle of the mall, intent on 
where he was going. He stopped to sniff me. Was 
he trying to tell me something? 
'Don't even think about it.' The kick was accurate 
but late, he had marked his territory. He yelped, 
snarled and bit my shoe, before barking loudly 
and swaggering off, his tail held high, top dog 
style. 
'Cruel bugger, you should be reported to the 
police,' said a passing English man. 
'Yo man it's cool,' said a Nigerian. 
'Yo man you're wet' from one of a group of 
laughing schoolgirls. 
'Yo man you're smelly' from another schoolgirl.

I was only there half an hour and already had 
been called Hyena, culchie, ignorant, old, bugger, 
cool, paedophile, cruel, wet, stupid, dirty and 
smelly. I was also assaulted, hand-bagged, ignored, 
threatened, winked at, waved at, texted at, roared 
at, laughed at, yelped at, barked at, snarled at, 
bitten and peed upon.

I decided to just put my head on my paws, ignore 
the throngs and await the master. 
'Come quickly or we will get caught in the rush 
hour traffic, we've wasted enough time here 
already.'
    

'The Sheep Dog' 
is one of sixty lyrical yarns from 
'Original Irish Stories' by Pat Watson, 
Creagh, Bealnamulla, Athlone, Ireland. 
First published in May 2006.
Visit: 
http://www.myirishstories.com
or you can email the author here:
pjwatson@utvinternet.com

==========================
KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER ALIVE! 

Visit: https://www.irishnation.com
=========================

===========================================
IRISH FESTIVAL & CLAN GATHERING NOTICEBOARD
===========================================

CANADA'S IRISH FESTIVAL ON THE MIRAMICHI
----------------------------------------
Organizers of Canada's 27th Annual Irish 
Festival on the Miramichi are getting ready 
for another full weekend of Irish music and 
culture this summer. Each year, the Festival 
presents four days of top notch entertainment 
(both local and international), amongst a 
plethora of cultural activities, all of which 
take place in the beautiful city of Miramichi 
in north-eastern New Brunswick.

http://www.canadasirishfest.com

If you have an Irish festival or 
event or a clan gathering notice 
you would like included in the 
newsletter do contact us:

https://www.ireland-information.com/aboutus.htm

===========================
GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
===========================

PHRASE:		aon, do, tri, ceithir, cuig
		se, seacht, ocht, naoi, deich
PRONOUNCED:	ain, dough, tree, kerr/ih, koo/igg
		shay, shocht, uck/th, knee, deh
MEANING:		1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

PHRASE: 		De Luain/De Mairt/De Cheadaoin
		Deardaoin/De haoine/Sathairn/De Domhnaigh
PRONOUNCED:	day-loon/day mart/day k-deen
		dare-deen/day-heena/day-dow-nig
MEANING:		Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday
		Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday

PHRASE:		Ta se dearg/gorm/bui/glas/dubh/ban
PRONOUNCED:	Taw shay djar-ig/gurm/gloss/duve/bawn
MEANING:		It is red/blue/green/black/white


View the archive of phrases here:

https://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.htm

======================
MAY COMPETITION RESULT
======================

The winner was: sevenkennedys@optusnet.com.au
who will receive the following: 

A Single Family Crest Print (decorative) 
(US$19.99 value)

Send us an email to claim your print, and well 
done! Remember that all subscribers to this 
newsletter are automatically entered into the 
competition every time. 

=================================================

I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next month, 

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com

Click here to contact us