I have lived in Ireland for ten years. I would have lived for the rest of my life if things hadn’t gone wrong and I hadn’t been forced to go back home and as I say “back to the old thing” 

In those years, I learnt few things that I didn’t know about Ireland, although, I had been there for brief holidays when I was living in the UK, but those were brief holidays and these won’t tell us much about a country, except for monuments to see and breathtaking landscape.

GOOD TRAITS OF IRELAND

It is a most beautiful land and nobody can deny this. 

Its people are truly friendly to the extend of being the land of welcomes. 

Its Celtic origin gives them a charm and makes them different from other countries in the Continent.

Whoever thinks that they look like the British, they are wrong or they don’t know much about the Irish as they don’t have much in common with those. In fact, they are very similar to the Spaniards, because and according to Dublin born historian Ian Gibson (now settled in Spain) the Irish were a bunch of Spaniards left on an isle in the ocean (his phrase)

Even when one may be a truly urban person, as I am one, can feel very well and very carefree wandering about its stunning spots. I seldom missed the “joys” of urban living while I was there.

Bantry House, home of the annual festival of Chamber Music.  

It is really a place apart.

BAD TRAITS OF IRELAND

As we say all has good and bad traits and nothing or nobody is perfect.

If it is a most beautiful country, but it is also quite a backward one.

With the Celtic Tiger, that is, Ireland’s economic boom, many people forgot their past as a poor country and set themselves to live a new rich lifestyle, purchasing big houses with even bigger mortgages, celebrating posh and expensive weddings in luxurious hotels and going to New York City for shopping just before Christmas, etc., etc. In fact, it’s been quite the same in Spain.

I was amazed and perhaps annoyed to read that out of the 3000 primary schools in the country, only 200 are State controlled ones. The rest are under the ever-lasting rule of the Catholic Church. It doesn’t make sense at this time and age.

Abortion is forbidden when in fact hundreds of Irish women travel to the UK every year to have one, to the extend that they call it “the abortion ferry”. this shows the also ever-lasting double standards taught by the Church. 

They had an economic boom, right. As I toured in the country quite a bit, I always think that they could have used this good economic situation to improve roads and public transport as it doesn’t make sense that to go from Cork (second city of the country) to Dublin (the capital of the State) on a bus, it takes nearly four hours when it’s only 298 kilometres. 

Drinking in public at Easter or Christmas isn’t allowed, but one can get blink drunk in the privacy of its own home or in a room hotel. This also shows double standards. 

Now it seems they are having a referendum on the so called financial pact of the EU. Some will say NO, but it seems that the majority will say YES, because they fear that if they oppose this pact, they won’t get any more funds from EU in case they need to be rescued again. 

They were very much in favour of EU membership, because according to their  former President this sets them apart from their neighbours and I understand. They embraced the Euro, saying good bye to their currency. Now that things are bad, or worse than bad, they wish to leave. 

I am not against Ireland, because I have lived there and I really love it, but it doesn’t mean that I’m going to see only one side of the photograph, in the same way that Spain has also bad traits and if there’s someone to point out at them and strongly criticize them, it will be me!

Fifteen years ago in Ireland people had eyeballs.  Today they still do.  Ireland will always be known for many things.  Of those things eyeballs shall always be included.

Eyes, they are balls and they are eyes and they are wonderful, wonderful things.

Consider music.  Music has no eyes.  And so you can’t see music.  If music had eyes it could see and so you could see.  But it does not and so you can’t.  This is sad.  This is very, very sald.  Where is the future now?  Where are my eyes now?  And then?  I do not know.

The English language, as we know it today is barely recognizable from its Germanic roots, and the modern reader may experience some difficulty interpreting the meaning from the terminology of most people living from 1100 through the 1500’s.  This era, in terms of language development and evolution, is characterized by what is termed “Middle English.” This epoch utilized certain aspects of French vocabulary, and we can see evidence of this throughout the works of Chaucers’ famed “Canterbury Tales,” and other masterpieces.  

Many of the modifications are trivial, and are easily identifiable by applying spelling and pronunciation differences, for example; “younge sonne,” “melodye,” and “slepen nyght;” however, some terms are not so easy to determine meaning or context for the casual reader, including; “durste,” “clepe,” and the term “I wot.” 

The easily recognizable terms that were prominent in Chaucer’s era are words still in use today, and do still bear some resemblance to the Middle English form.  Oftentimes, the reader can discern the context by analyzing the other words within the same sentence or line of poetry.  The term “younge sonne” even to the casual reader is readily identifiable to refer to a “young son.”  Similarly, “melodye,” can be translated as “melody.”  These are good examples of this phonetic resemblance; it would appear that only the spellings are altered.  Even, the term “slepen nyght,” can still be identified as referring to “sleeping night,” in spite of the visual differences between the Middle and Modern versions by simply uttering the words aloud.  Therefore, readers of Chaucer and other Middle English authors can faithfully rely on their acquired knowledge of phonetics, vocabulary and word recognition to assist them with comprehension and thus, decipher context from the reading.

With that said, many words circulating during this time are no longer used today or “has become obsolete or has changed its meaning over the centuries.”  Many of the terms have ambiguous meanings, or have differing meanings for differing contexts.  One such situation occurs when attempting to decipher the meaning of the word “durst.”  The Concise Dictionary of Middle English offers several synonyms for “durst,” ranging from “I dare,” to “dear.”  Michael Murphy, a scholar who has extensively researched Middle to Modern translations, and who has specifically concerned himself with the work of Chaucer, proclaims the proper interpretation of “dare” is a more accurate clarification of Chaucer’s’ writing.  Murphy’s work can be found online here; http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/webcore/murphy/canterbury/1intro.pdf

There seems to be less disagreement with the term “clepe,” and is taken to mean to “call.”  The Concise Dictionary of Middle English however, defines the term as a similar verb, translating as “recall.”  Alphadictionary.com is in agreement with Murphys’ translation  and clarifies that “clepe” means to call out a name.

The third term to be discussed, “I wot” seems to have derived from Shakespearian old English, and means, “I know,” and once again, is in agreement with Murphys’ analysis. 

Probably the best evidence to explain changes in pronunciations is a trend that has been termed “The Great Vowel Change,” which began in “the twelfth century and continuing until the eighteenth century.”  However, the most prominent changes occurred during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.  Harvard University scholars maintain this change occurred because “Old and Middle English were written in the Latin alphabet and the vowels were represented by the letters assigned to the sounds in Latin.” Consequently, there had been an increased awareness that there was a need to create a new alphabet, because “the pronunciation of English had moved so far from its visual representation.”  The sixteenth century saw the beginning of the English language reformation, a movement that scholars at Harvard insist, is “still active today.” (L. D. Benson)  The Great Vowel Change had a huge impact on Chaucers’ writings. 

Michael Murphy points out that the changes that ensued in the English language were not consistent.  Words that once rhymed in Chaucer’s poetry suddenly were no longer phonetically similar.  For example, when Chaucer was writing, the words “hood,” “blood,” and “mood,” all rhymed  with one another, as did “save,” “heart,” and “convert,” and we can see that the “most observable shift [is evident in the vowels] from o to u.”  (Murphy)

If the Harvard scholars are correct, and that the evolution of the English language is a continual process then we may never find a proper or standardized version.  It is interesting to note that there are many variations of the language in use today, accounting for educational and cultural differences and the problem of ensuring a consistent form may be more complicated that scholars thought in the beginning of this project.  There are generational differences in the way language is used in the current era, easily recognizable by the younger population using acrostics or “text talk” to convey a message.

To highlight this point, a quick “Google” search provides several results translating the Middle English term “wot” to “waste of time,” and given the artistic flair of language during the Old and Middle English period, it is difficult to determine whether Shakespeare and Chaucer would be amused or mortified by the contemporary changes in communication forms.

Those with a passive interest in languages will note that almost all Germanic and French influences, at least phonetically, are obsolete in the Modern form, yet we retain certain spelling similarities.  However, even this is not consistent considering regional dialects and geographic location. It is assumed then, that the English language will continue to make changes and evolve until the end of time and will provide a continual source of study for language majors.

We don’t know much about Patrick’s early life, besides his birth in the late fourth century. A teenaged Patrick was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland, where he was enslaved for seven years before hearing the voice of God in a dream. His dream told him to escape and go to Britain, where he became a priest in northern France. He became a bishop, and heard the voice of God again calling him to bring Christianity to the pagan Irish people, which brought him back to the Emerald Isle armed with the power of religion. Patrick spent the rest of his life teaching the Irish about Christianity, using the iconic shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

Patrick was never canonized into sainthood, but the Catholic church still recognizes March 17th as a religious holiday. The miracle of driving the snakes out of Ireland may be nothing but a metaphor, as snakes are a symbol for paganism. It’s certainly true that snakes in Ireland are rare, that may be due to the fact that Ireland is an island and not a prime vacation spot for limbless reptiles.

Saint Patrick’s Day in current history has become less of a celebration of the man himself, and more of an Irish Pride day. We wear green, sport shamrocks, and Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol are forgotten. Feasting and drinking abound as we remember the man’s name, but not his history. The secularization of Saint Patrick’s Day has gotten criticism from the church, who want to return the holiday to a more pious celebration. Whatever the reason, Saint Patrick’s Day is definitely a day to celebrate.

Oh Ireland, how beautiful are your sons! On St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March 2012, we present you the hottest exports from the Emerald Isle. Such as actor Cillian Murphy, who stuns the world with his wife Huskeyaugen in such films as “Batman Begins” or “Inception.”

They have distinctive facial features, sensual lips, steel-blue eyes and an accent that women all over wuschig makes: Irish men are without doubt among the finest of its kind – and most talented, actors like Colin Farrell, Johnathan Rhys Meyers and Stuart Townsend are also long in Hollywood term.

And what a successful and good-looking Irish women do you know? Sinead O’Connor? Enya? We had to dig deep into the picture box, until we found one. See for yourself in the photo spread. We wish you a happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Kate Middleton (Fhoto: People)

She handed out sprigs of shamrock to associates of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards (and their amulet Irish wolfhound Conmeal) in Aldershot, Hampshire, on Saturday.

The appointment to the regiment acclimated to be agitated out by her bedmate William’s great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, who died ten years ago.

That job was again anesthetized on to Princess Anne, and is now acceptable to be Kate’s role.

The 450 soldiers paraded in abounding august compatible of scarlet tunics and bearskins afore she gave out the shamrock, which is the floral attribute of Ireland.

She additionally had a clandestine affair with chief personnel.

The links with the Irish Guards were anchored back Prince William was fabricated an honorary Colonel in the regiment – cutting the august compatible on his bells day aftermost April.

The 17th March is the national holiday of all Irishmen. The St. Patrick’s Day is not only in Ireland and Northern Ireland is an official holiday, but also in the Canadian province of Newfoundland, and even on the Caribbean island of Montserrat.

In a centuries-long tradition for St. Patrick’s Day parades look back already: The first parade in honor of St. Patrick was held in 1766 – but in New York and not in Ireland. In Ireland itself, the traditional parades held only since the 70s.

On that day, actually the patron saint of the Irishman, St. Patrick, who converted the unbelievers once. The traditional religious character of this day comes allerdins increasingly into the background. In urban areas it has begun to prefer the day to celebrate with boisterous public festivals and traditional parades, however, are held in honor of the saint, still holiday worship services.

With the exception of the special Guinness is recolored the occasional beer in the green national color. The “Leprechaun”, the leprechaun is a popular symbol of St. Patrick’s Day and the Irishman is sitting at the mischief that day on the neck. Green dressed and depicted with red hair, he is as much to as “Shamrock”, the three-leafed clover.

But the Chicago Irishman prove temperament and creativity, as this even the river water with uranine dye on the occasion of the joy of green day. The largest and grandest parades in honor of St. Patrick, can in Dublin, New York, Boston and Manchester will be admired.

Image via Wikipedia

After escaping capture where he was held as a slave, St. Patrick turned to the missionary cause after claiming that God had spoken to him in a dream.  He realized that Christianity was the way forward for Ireland and taught Irish citizens about the Holy Trinity using only the clover leaf as a prop.  Thus the green clover (shamrock) became the internationally recognized symbol of Ireland.

The first ever St. Patricks’ Day Parade did not take place in Ireland, but in the United States, in 1762.  The immigrant population began to realize they had strength in numbers and the annual parade was intended not only to celebrate their nationality, but also as a response to the cruel treatments and lack of opportunities they were receiving.  Together, they began forming political groups, including the “green machine.”

St. Patricks’ birthplace is a mystery, but he was not a native to Ireland.  He was transported to Ireland to tend sheep in the Irish hills, where he spent seven years of his life.  March 17th is the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death in 461 A.D.  and several centuries passed before he had been  honored as the patron saint of the island.  There are accounts stating that he was born in Scotland, and reports arguing Wales is his birthplace, with the latter being more likely but still the evidence is inconclusive. 

Saint Paddy, as the nickname goes, did write an autobiography,“Confessio,” which documents most of his life from the age of 16, when he was taken from his family’s settlement.  He reports that he lived in a place called, Bannavem Taburniae, however,  no such a place exists today and there appears to be no records of this place name either.   Others have said that he was born in Dumbarton, Scotland.  Exasperated researchers have found no verification of Saint Patrick’s birthplace, and we can assume that the search will continue until an answer is found.

Arguably the modern festivities are less concerned with the social, political or religious elements, and more about getting together and having a good ol’ Irish knees-up!

Wherever you are in the world – enjoy the festivities, and don’t forget to put on your green!

Donnah Clark’s Triond Articles: 

http://www.triond.com/users/Donnah+Clark

He was a Roman Brit of about sixteen years, Patrick was not his original name.

That was kidnapped and taken to Ireland.

He escaped and went to Europe, later he became a Catholic Priest.

Then then had a dream that he should return to Ireland.

At that time Ireland was mostly Gaelic Pagan.

He converted them to Christianity and used the an Irish clover,

known as a shamrock to teach them about the trinity, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

There is a legend that states he drove all the venemous snakes out of Ireland into the sea.

There are no known poisonous snakes in Ireland so it has an element of truth.

The wearing of the green is thought to have started with men pinning shamrocks to their lapels,

and then the wearing of green uniforms. This is also thought to be the result,

of Ireland being know as the emerald isle.

Previously a blue colour known as St Patrick blue was the color for that day.

St Patrick’s day was mainly a religious feast day that was celebrated after lent.

The traditional dish was bacon and cabbage, now corned beef and cabbage.

Another well known dish is irish stew made with lamb (mutton).

This is celebrated on March 17th the anniversary of his death in the fifth century.

This is mostly a secular event today that is celebrated in many places around the world.

In Chicago they dye their river green, many pubs serve green beer.

and there are parades and festivals on that day.

The leprechan is a fairy that is from celtic roots and is reported to have a pot of Gold

and legend has it if you catch one he will grant you 3 wishes.

The luck of the Irish is really an oxymoron that means their luck is mostly bad.

This idea is thought to have come from the fact that the Irish were known to be poor.

particularily after the potatoe famine.

In spite of these hardships the irish are known for their optimism.

My Dad born on March 17th was an Irish Canadian and believed in luck.

He loved to go to the race track and bet on the horses and always thought one day he would be rich.

He had a poster on his wall that said the harder I work the richer I get.

And ironically he also believed that.

If an irish man were to meet you on the road he might say, “the top of the morning to you”.

and your reply should be,” and the rest of the day to yourself.

HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY!

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the USA means eating corned beef and cabbage, as part of the celebrations. This fare is the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, , Americans consuming 2.4 billion pounds of cabbage in 2005, just on that day alone.

Irish Catholics, by tradition over thousands of years, have celebrated this special day by first attending church, then going on to celebrate from mid-afternoon with enormous meals and plenty of booze. Despite the date being mid-lent – when Catholics should not be eating meat at all – the church waived the rules for the Irish, who tended to feast on Bacon and boiled cabbage.

To be perfectly honest, what was originally meant to be observed as a religious holiday got changed by US traditions into a day of parades and giant parties. Wherever you go these days in Europe, especially the UK. St Patrick’s day is no more than an excuse for a massive binge wearing silly leprechaun hats and playing silly pranks.

Even so, those who recognize the St. Patrick’s Day celebration treat  it very differently according to location, but who was Saint Patrick really? Much of his life, truth be told is very mysterious, though one famous legend describes how he managed to banish all snakes from Ireland, sending them slithering into the sea and drowning themselves.

St. Patrick is known to have been born in England, near the end of the 4th century, to wealthy parents. Aged 15, he was the victim of kidnap – by Irish pirates – from his parent’s estate in Roman Britain,  before being sold into slavery in Ireland, which lasted six years. After escaping, he penned a letter telling how an angel had spoken him in a dream, telling him to become a missionary in Ireland.

It seems that Patrick did indeed attend priest training, becoming first a priest and eventually bishop there, converting many Irish people from paganism to Christianity. Believed to have died in 460 A.D., on March 17, when many people, across the whole of Ireland, mourned his death so deeply that from that grew the celebration we know today.

St. Patrick’s Day was first recognized in the USA, as a national holiday, after Irish people in their thousands migrated here, with families in tow, during the 1880s potato famine. They naturally also brought their own traditions, and what started off  as small community affairs soon expanded outwards, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations these days full-on extravaganzas in  America.

First New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade happened on March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving with the English military marching through the streets. With almost 35million Americans claiming Irish ancestry, small wonder that more than 100 US cities hold public festivities these days.

New York still lays claim to the largest Irish parade, even the White House joining in by adding bright green dye to North and South lawn fountains on the day. Thing is that St. Patrick himself would have found this all appalling because his colour was always actually blue, but the legend of the Emerald Isle and Shamrock made all the difference.