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  The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter 
                  September 2005
 
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) 2005  

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		IN THIS ISSUE
=== Foreword
=== News Snaps from Ireland 
=== New free resources at the site
=== Fungi The Dolphin      by Elizabeth Macomber
=== The Blacksmith Legacy
			by Margaret Finn Hochberg
=== Unusual things to do on your Irish Vacation #4
=== A Muddy Colour & the Flag of Ireland 
				by Maureen Hawkins
=== A little bit of Dublin - #6
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Monthly free competition result
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FOREWORD
========

Greetings again from Ireland where the weather has 
taken a turn for the worse - Autumn is here for sure!

Many thanks to all who have sent in encouragement 
as well as stories and poems - most welcome

until next month!

Michael


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

IRA DESTROYS ITS WEAPONS

The long awaited decommissioning of weapons by 
the IRA has taken place and has been witnessed by 
the International Monitoring Commission and 
several clergy.

Despite the reports of the weapons being put 
beyond use the Unionist DUP are treating the 
claims with skepticism and are thus far refusing 
to enter into talks with a view to having the 
power-sharing Assembly reinstated.

Both the Irish and UK Governments are urging the 
various political parties to being negotiations 
so that the peace process can be moved forward 
and so that the opportunity presented by the 
historic events of recent times are not 
squandered.

IRISH ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GROW

The Irish economy continues to grow with a GDP 
figure of 3.1% being reported for the 12 months 
to end of June 2005. The overall volume of sales 
and goods increased by 4.7% during the same 
period.

Jobs in the construction industry continues 
to be at the heart of the record levels of 
employment. Workers from the new EU states 
continue to arrive into Ireland where many take 
up employment in the construction sector. The 
Irish population is growing at a rate of 2.2% 
which is a huge number when compared to the 
EU average of 0.2%.

Demand for mortgages continues to grow despite 
the now annual warnings from foreign agencies 
about the possibility of an over-inflated 
housing market. Nearly 2bn Euro in loans were 
issued in August alone, the second highest 
monthly total since records began.

IRISH OBESITY LEVELS CAUSE CONCERN

The problem of obesity in children has reached 
record levels in Ireland with some reports 
claiming that as many as 10% of all children 
in the country are now clinically obese. One 
in 8 Irish people are classed as obese. The 
Irish Government may consider copying the UK 
Governments decision to ban vending machines 
in schools to help tackle the problem.

IRISH AGRICULTURE SUFFERS WEATHER EXTREMES

The global changes in weather patterns look set 
to affect Irish farming. A recent conference in 
Dublin has reported that the next 50 years will 
being severe weather disruption including an 
overall 11% rainfall increase by 2050. Heatwaves 
and freezing winters will become the norm. 

Agriculture will certainly suffer these ill effects 
with the potato possibly being the biggest 
casualty, being replace by barley as the staple 
crop. Stocks of fish in Irish waters are also 
likely to change as the waters warm. Flooding has 
already increased in recent years, particularly 
in Galway and other western Counties.

GUINNESS TO INTRODUCE NEW BEERS

Despite the spectacular failure of its 'Guinness 
Light' beer a quarter of a century ago, Guinness 
is again attempting to introduce new beers based 
on its famous black brew. Sales of Guinness have 
fallen in recent years as new younger drinkers 
are attracted to trendier alcopops and lagers. 
The attempt to provide Guinness draught in a 
also bottle failed to ignite the interest of the 
younger consumer. 

The company now intends to introduce a number of 
different 'limited edition' beers which will be 
avialable for 6 months at a time and then 
replaced with another 'limited edition'.

IRELAND STUMBLE IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

A 1-0 defeat to France at Landsdowne Road has put 
a severe dent in Ireland's hope of qualifying for 
the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006. Israel 
provided some solace for the Irish by drawing with 
Switzerland and giving them a very good chance of 
finishing in second place and gaining a 
'play-off ' slot.

The Irish can still qualify but must beat Cyprus 
away and Switzerland in the final game in Dublin 
if they are to progress.


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

NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 6 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:

B: Begg
C: Cushley
H: Hyland
M: McMurdo, Mulrooney
N: Nunn

View the Gallery here:

http://www.irishsurnames.com/coatsofarms/gm.htm

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We now have over 100,000 worldwide names available.
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Screensaver, Watch, T-Shirt Transfer or Clock for
your name at:

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FUNGI THE DOLPHIN 	by Elizabeth Macomber
=================

~~~
editors note:
Fungi is perhaps the most famous celebrity dolphin 
in the world. He lives in the waters around Dingle 
in County Kerry, home to the famous Blasket 
Islands and the forbidding Skellig monastery. Daily 
sight-seeing tours into the bay with the sole 
purpose of seeing Fungi continue to grow in 
popularity, much to the amazement of the locals!
~~~

In Dingle Bay where we saw Fungi 
playing along the shore.
We went out in a boat hoping to see more.

The boat tour said free if he does not show.
So in the boat we went ready to go.

Then Came this dive to the right of the boat 
as though he was laughing in the air.
That unforgettable minute of the ten second stare.  

Again and again he came by our boat playing 
games and hiding for a while.
It is one of my fondest memories ever of visiting 
the 'Emerald Isle.'

Elizabeth Macomber

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YOU CAN HELP TO KEEP THIS FREE NEWSLETTER ALIVE!

Visit: https://www.irishnation.com
where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
claddagh jewellery, engraved glassware and 
much more.

Anne MacDonald ordered a family crest plaque:

 Hello, Michael,

 Received my plaque, carefully wrapped, 
 in good order. It is splendid! I am 
 thrilled, and I know that my dad, for whose 
 81st birthday this was ordered, will love 
 it. I would like to order another one! 

 Everyone who has seen the plaque has been 
 really impressed, even those who, as my 
 daughter says are 'not into ancestor 
 worship!'

 Again, my hearty thanks for this 
 first-class product.

 Best wishes for happy holiday season.

 Sincerely, Anne MacDonald

THE PERFECT WEDDING OR ANNIVERSARY GIFT!

View family crest plaques here:

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

THE BLACKSMITH LEGACY
SCEAL AR CHLANN, STORIES OF AN IRISH FAMILY
===========================================

by Margaret Finn Hochberg, Ed.D.

~~~
This is the story of a family spanning three 
generations over a century. It begins in County 
Cavan and follows the exploits of two brothers, one 
of whom settles for the traditional way of life, the 
other who seeks adventure, culminating in New York.
It is available by mail order from:
http://xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=17560
~~~

Clareboy Cottage
1927

Larry stood on the earthen floor in his bare feet 
and quickly scanned the cottage for his shoes.
 Last night he had kicked them off before he 
nodded off to sleep in front of the fire. He 
could vaguely recall his father lifting him into 
the sleeping loft he shared with his three 
brothers, Patrick, John and Barney. Today, he 
was anxious to get into the forge to finish the 
surprise. He spotted his shoes under his sisters' 
settle bed and smiled as he remembered the fun of 
the evening before.

There had been several neighbors in to the cottage 
to chat with the folks. Before long, the singing 
had started and then the stories. Stories of the 
Black and Tans, the local gossip and always the 
stories of those who had left, the leaving was 
painful. It had been a grand time and Larry had 
fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the 
shipwreck story, where even the desire to hear 
the ending couldn't fight the weight of his 
eyelids.

'Larry, want some porridge?' called his mother 
from her place at the side of the hearth. She 
had already been up for hours. The cows had been 
handled, chickens fed and the eggs collected. Now 
she was busy skimming the cream off the top of 
the freshly collected milk.

'Aye, Mam, that would be good. But, I've got to 
hurry, got some work to do in the forge.'

'You know your father doesn't like you in there 
by yourself and he's gone to town this morning.'

'But that's exactly why I have to hurry, Mam. 
It's a surprise, for Da, for his birthday. I can 
only do it when he's not here.'

'I'm not sure I like the sounds of this' replied 
his Mother. Before Larry could respond, his 
sister Bridgie poked her head over the cottage 
half door and complained loudly that Patrick and 
John wouldn't let Maggie have a turn on the 
donkey.

Mam bent over and picked up Barney who had been 
toddling around between her legs.

'Come, Barney, let's go see what the others are 
about.'

Realizing his mother was distracted, Larry wolfed 
down the porridge, laced up his shoes and ran 
into the forge. Mam saw his back as he ducked 
into the forge and decided to say nothing.

This story can be read in the online edition and 
can be viewed here:

https://www.ireland-information.com/sep05.htm#story


A-O-L USERS GO HERE





  



Larry was a sensitive kid who always seemed to care about things more than his brothers and sisters. He was easy going with a generous nature. Larry was the one to mend a broken doll for his younger sister Rose, or complete extra chores so his older brother John could go to the football match. He had sandy colored hair, blue eyes and a huge grin that made you wonder what he knew that you did not.



But childhood wasn't always easy for the ten-year-old boy who was one of eight. He was a sickly child with a constant cough and often suffered from fevers and chills. His parents worried about his health and frequently checked on him. This habit of his parents embarrassed Larry and caused all kinds of teasing from the others. They accused him of being Mam's favorite.



Right now, what Larry wanted more than anything else in the world was to finish the forge sign he had been working on for weeks. He stoked the fire in the forge until it raged with the heat he needed to bend the strong metal bars. He hammered each stroke with care and paused often to suck some air into his lungs. He could feel the muscles in his forearms getting stronger each week, but they weren't growing fast enough for Larry. He wanted muscles like his father and his brothers, John and Patrick. He was convinced that one day he would be as strong as the rest of them.



He moved the glowing metal from the fire to the pail of cold water. The steam rose up and surrounded his entire head with fog. He loved this part the best and hesitated for a moment before removing the newly shaped metal. His thoughts wandered to the power of fire. Fire over iron. He used to think there was nothing stronger than iron.



Just then, the metal bar slipped through the tongs to the earthen floor and instinctively, he bent to pick it up.



Everyone heard the scream and came running. Patrick, the oldest, arrived first. He grabbed Larry's wrist and pushed the burned hand into the bucket of water. His Mam came next and called out for Mollie to get some clean cloth and the healing salve. For the next few moments no one spoke. Larry grit his teeth and held his breath. He did not want to cry. He would prove to them all that he was strong.



Later that day, Larry and Mam sat together by the hearth. Mam amazed Larry. How did she always know what do? She was gentle with the bandaging and gentle with the reprimand.



'What will we tell your father?' she asked Larry as he sipped a cup of tea. Mam's tea was always good but today, it was especially soothing.



'Don't know,' replied Larry in a whispered voice.



'How about the truth?' asked Mam.



'It's bad enough that I've burned me hand, Mam. Please don't ask me to tell the whole story. It'll spoil the surprise.' Larry's eyes were pleading. His mother thought about the situation before responding.



'I don't like to lie to anyone, not to mention your father''



'Maybe we could just tell him that I burned me hand in the hearth. Please don't tell him I burned it in the forge,' begged Larry.



'Well, I am not going to make the decision for you. You think about it for awhile. Father won't be home until dark and by then you'll know the right thing to say.'



 Da had been like a raging bull when he heard. What was Larry doing in the forge? By himself? No one with a logical answer? And Larry not able to look him in the eye with a good explanation.



'Can't leave this farm for a day without something going wrong.'



That night, Da helped change the bandage. The anger that had been so consuming disappeared when he saw the condition of his son's hand. He silently admired the boy for not whimpering and gave him a nod that said all is forgiven.



After the children were asleep, Johnny looked at his wife, and asked, 'Bridget, did you not see the smoke rising from the forge and know someone was about in there?'



Bridget busied herself with a pot to avoid his look and answered carefully. 'No, Johnny, I never saw the smoke this morning.'



It took about a week for Larry's burn to begin to heal. On this rainy morning, Mam announced that Larry's school holiday was over. He should hurry and be ready for school with the others. There was the usual morning commotion in the small cottage. With Mollie and Patrick helping at home, there were five to get off to school, Bridgie, John, Larry, Maggie and Rose. Barney, only two, would watch with wide blue eyes as the morning ritual took place.



Father was already lighting the fire in the forge. He would grab his cup of tea each morning before the children were under foot and disappear to the early morning calm across the yard. This was his favorite time of day. He would light the fire and slowly coax it to a roar with the bellows. Then, while the fire expanded itself, he would walk, teacup in hand, to survey his fields. It wasn't a large farm by village standards but it was adequate for him and his family. His father Paddy had seen to that, like his father before him. 'A man needs to have his land,' his father would tell him. 'It is good to be a smithy, but never lose the land.' And so it had been, through the generations, that this farm and forge was Lynch land. He could feel it under his boots and crumble the earth between his fingers and know with certainty that it was his. Sometimes he thought of his brother, Pat, in New York. He wondered how different things might have been if Pat had never left. After all these years, he still missed his brother.



This morning, the rain was a gentle kind of mist. It didn't lash at you like most rain. Instead, it fell softly, silently and smelled sweet from the hay. It was the reason for the emerald hills in the distance and the rushing streams leading to Lake Sheelan.



Johnny was contemplating which field to use for hay and which for potatoes when he heard the children call to him across the distance, 'Bye, Da, the eggs are collected, see you later.' Johnny responded with his usual message, 'Mind the teacher, children.' And they were off!



The children walked to school the way most children do, half skipping and walking, running sometimes. They wore no shoes and were delighted. Winter would come soon enough and with it the restraining leather shoes that cramped your toes and slowed your freedom. Rose, the youngest going to school, was called Dodie and because of her size, always trailed a bit behind the others. As usual, it was Larry who circled back to hustle her along.



The teacher, Mrs. Nell Reilly, was just beginning to assemble her flock of students as the Lynch children arrived at the gate of the one room schoolhouse. It was the custom for the younger children to sit on the right side of the room while the older children took their positions on the left. The room was heated with a small stove that was placed midway between the front and back of the small area. During the winter, its warmth was provided through the generosity of the families who took turns contributing a block or two of turf each day. Forward and to the right of this stove was a second doorway, which led outside to a short path and eventually, the outhouse.



Once the morning assembly activities were completed, the teacher took attendance. When Larry's name was called, he reached over to Mrs. Reilly with his good hand and delivered the note from Da explaining his injury. The note also requested that Larry be allowed to stay inside during lunch to soak his hand and reapply the gauze. Mrs. Reilly nodded her head and Larry returned to his place on the bench. It was an uneventful morning and the instruction followed the expected routine. The young group would do sums and math while the older students would read with the teacher. After an hour, the groups switched activities and the teacher would move to the opposite side of the room. Sometimes, the older children would be dispersed among the younger ones and they would read in pairs. The children relished this activity and it never came often enough for them. On this day, it was not part of the plan.



Larry bit his lip through most of the morning; his hand was beginning to grow warm beneath the bandage. He tried to concentrate on his work. He wanted to last until lunch. At noon, the class was dismissed. Mrs. Reilly prepared the bucket for Larry and had some chitchat with him as his hand found relief in the cool well water. Bridgie brought Larry his lunch and John poked his head around the doorway, 'How're ya doin', lad?'



But the calm of the morning was not to last. As the afternoon session got underway, Mrs. Reilly's patience began to wane. Two of the older boys were reprimanded for laughing and a third was corrected for not knowing the lesson. The scene was set for trouble when Larry made the mistake of talking when he should have been listening. Mrs. Reilly took the sally rod that was handy and lashed out at Larry. She hit him ten lashes across his outstretched hands. Larry didn't make a sound but the searing pain on his injured hand made his face contort and his throat tighten.



John watched in horror as his younger brother took the beating. John's fists clenched and his eyes narrowed with disgust from the other side of the room.



Time stood still for Larry. The room was spinning and there was a roar in his ears. Suddenly, his stomach began to lurch and everything he had eaten earlier came pouring out of his mouth in convulsive spurts.



The children sitting near him began to howl with sounds of disgust. John took advantage of all the commotion. He sprung from his seat, jumped over the benches in his way, ducked his head under Larry's armpit and in one swift movement had Larry over his shoulder. He ran for the door and in a moment, both boys were gone.




 




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UNUSUAL THINGS TO DO ON YOUR IRISH VACATION #4
==============================================

GO HORSE-RACING

The Irish horse-racing tradition is as strong as 
ever and with over 300 meetings held at 27 
courses annually, you are never very far from 
the action. 

Irish race courses have undergone amazing 
development in recent years. The larger courses 
offer the very best of facilities as well as some 
of the biggest races in Europe. The bigger 
courses are all located near to Dublin but there 
are lots of smaller courses around the country. 

The Curragh, Punchestown, Fairyhouse and 
Leopardstown are perhaps the best known but don't 
forget Galway with its annual July racing festival 
that attracts huge numbers of visitors. Most Irish 
courses allow you to bet with a bookie or on the 
'Tote'. Collecting your winnings is easy (so is 
losing our shirt!), but if all you want is a fun 
day out with a chance to meet some locals in 
their original habitat, then this is a way to do 
it.

There is an excellent free beginners guide 
available from the Horse Racing Ireland website 
here:

http://www.horseracingireland.ie/racing_info/default.asp

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Visit https://www.irishnation.com

where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
claddagh jewellery, engraved glassware and 
much more.

Wendy Walker of Columbia, Missouri got a
family crest signet ring with the Donnelly family 
crest engraved on it for her son

 Michael,
 I received by registered mail today the ring I 
 ordered for my son with the Donnelly family crest.

 I am very impressed and thrilled with the ring. 
 It is beautiful and the service I received 
 throughout the whole process of ordering and 
 receiving this unique gift has been superb. Thank 
 you for all your assistance and prompt responses 
 to my questions.

 I will most certainly order other items from you 
 and will highly recommend you.

 Thank you

 Wendy Walker

THE PERFECT WEDDING, ANNIVERSARY OR BIRTHDAY GIFT!

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A MUDDY COLOUR & THE FLAG OF IRELAND		
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			      by Maureen Hawkins

I enjoyed your article on the Irish Flag (the 
tricolour) and would like to add a few small 
points to it.

The blue background on the Irish Coat Of Arms is 
today known as 'St. Patrick's blue', after the 
patron Saint of Ireland. Up until the 1798 rising, 
this blue was the Irish colour (in the sense that 
green is the Irish colour in modern times).

During the 1798 rebellion, led by Wolfe Tone, the 
'United Irishmen' mixed that blue with orange to 
create a new 'Irish" colour which encompassed 
Catholics and Protestants alike.  

The resulting green was a rather muddy shade. 
Meagher adopted a somewhat more attractive shade 
of green in creating the tricolour. This means, 
in effect, that the Ulster Orangemen are 
represented twice in the Irish flag, once as a 
result of the mixing of blue and orange for green 
and again in the orange portion.

This symbolism is very little known among Irish 
Protestants, who believe that the tricolour is 
green for Gaelic Ireland and white & gold for 
the Pope, white & gold (yellow) being the 
Papal colours.

Maureen Hawkins


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Crest Flag for YOUR family name from here:


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A LITTLE BIT OF DUBLIN - #6
===========================

The 1907 theft of the 'Irish Crown Jewels' still 
remains a mystery nearly a century later. The 
famous regalia of the 'Order of Saint Patrick' 
were to be placed in a safe in a strongroom in 
Dublin Castle but, when it was found that the new 
safe was too large to fit into the strongroom the 
safe was located in the Library instead.  

An inspection of the safe in July revealed that 
the treasure had disappeared. The haul was valued 
at 30,000 pounds, a huge sum at the time and has 
never been recovered.

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GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
===========================
 
PHRASE:	 	Fomhair/Geimhreadh/Earrach/Samhradh
PRONOUNCED:	foe-irr/gev-reh/arr-ock/souwh-rah 
MEANING:		Autumn/Winter/Spring/Winter

PHRASE:		Ta se ag cur baisti
PRONOUNCED:	taw shay egg curr bosh-tee
MEANING:		It is raining

PHRASE:		Ta mo eadie fliuch
PRONOUNCED:	taw muh ea-dee flee-uck
MEANING:		My clothes are wet


View the archive of phrases here:

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

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SEPTEMBER COMPETITION RESULT
============================

The winner was: liam.higgins@euroscript.lu
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. 

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

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I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next time,

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.


https://www.ireland-information.com

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