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Irish Facts
by W.Holidays
Patties'
Day verses Paddies' Day
Patty is short for
Patricia and Paddy is short for Patrick, so St. Paddies' Day is
correct.
Irish Facts
The Emerald Isle is one of the largest islands in
the world. It is located west of Great Britain. Heavy rain creates the
lush, fertile, green land. There are several lakes and rivers in
Ireland. The longest river is the Shannon.
 Capital:
Dublin
Area: 27,136 square miles
Languages: English and Gaelic
National Day: March 17th
National Anthem: The Soldier's
Song
Potatoes and Ireland
In 16th century Ireland, Sir Walter Raleigh began cultivating the
potato on his property, which rapidly gave way to Ireland's potato
cuisine.
The
Great Potato Famine
In the late 1850s, a potato famine devastated Ireland. Almost a million
people succumbed to starvation and disease. The potatoes were infected
with Late Blight, a serious fungal disease.
 The Flag
The Irish flag has three vertical stripes: green, white, and orange.
The green represents the Gaelic and Anglo-Norman population, orange for
the Protestants (supporters of William of Orange), and white for the
union and lasting truce between the two.
The Shamrock
The shamrock is the national flower of Ireland. The word shamrock comes
from the Gaelic word seamrog, which means "trefoil" or "little clover".
The shamrock has the ability to foretell the future: when it is about
to rain the leaves turn upwards. The lucky four leafed-clover is
difficult to find because it is actually a genetic abnormality that
causes the fourth leaf. One legend states that St. Patrick used the
shamrock to explain the Trinity (a basic principle of the Catholic
faith). According to David Plotz [1], Slate's Washington bureau chief,
"this is an 18th century fabrication".
The Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is an actual stone set into the wall of the Blarney
Castle tower. The castle is located in Blarney Village. One must climb
many stairs, then lie backwards and hold onto some bars to reach the
stone. Legend holds that anyone who kisses the stone shall receive the
gift of gab (persuasion).
The Claddagh Ring
 Legend
tells of a man from Claddagh, who was captured by pirates a week before
he was to be married. While he was enslaved, he learned to be a
goldsmith. He created a ring for the bride he longed to see again. The
heart in the center symbolized their love, the hands holding the heart
symbolized their friendship, and the crown represented their loyalty.
He did indeed return to his bride, gave her the ring, and married her.
Today, tradition follows that if you are given this ring in friendship
the heart points outward. If it is given in love, the heart
points inward.
1: St. Patrick: No snakes. No shamrocks. Just the
facts by David Plotz at MSN.
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