The Christmas Issue

Issue #7

The Christmas Issue

First, may your Christmas season truly be blessed with simplicity this year, my friends. Gifts are easy to come by, parties are plentiful…but the simplicity of that first Christmas, that’s so much harder to create in our hearts. May you strive for that.

I know we won’t be traveling to Great Britain at Christmas, but I thought it might be enjoyable to peek a bit at how our long-lost cousins across the Atlantic celebrate the blessed season.

Ireland…

Don’t be fooled by the old movies. The ker-ching of the cash register and crowded highways are very much a part of modern Ireland’s Christmas.

But … some things that are particular to the Irish Yuletide..

---The Light in the Window.. Still a tradition throughout most of Ireland, as a light to guide Christmas Eve guests. I’m not sure how many Irishman would actually appreciate being visited by a hoard of people like in ancient times, but a little candle or electric light is still a tradition.

---The traditional crib of Jesus is probably more prevalent in Ireland than in America in terms of there being one in nearly every home.

---Trees are still largely real and green although artificial trees are starting to make some headway.

---The “Christmas Swim” is still a tradition in the coast cities, especially in Dublin. Yes, I mean swimming in the chilly sea.

---The “Wren Boys” come out in Southern Ireland. It’s long been a tradition that a wren be hunted, killed, and hung on the Christmas tree as punishment for the bird’s betraying St. Stephan. The boys, dressed in straw costumes, kill the birds, then go from door to door banging drums and shouting, “Penny for a Wren!” In olden days the boys would then go to the local bar and get soused on their pennies. The church, of course, was against this, and in recent days the coins are donated to local charities. (Remember: most Europeans cringe at our deer hunting.)

---“Little Christmas” or “Women’s Christmas,” the 6^th of January when the Christmas decorations are taken down. It’s considered unlucky to disrobe the house before the 6^th. On this day the men are to take over, including the cooking of the meal. January 6^th is still the traditional take-down date, but in recent decades the ladies have had to pitch in to get the job done.

The Irish Christmas Meal….

The meal will begin with a starter, generally of smoked salmon or prawns, soup or melon.

This is followed by a main course of roast turkey (or goose) and ham, accompanied by bread stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy and sometime cranberry or bread sauce. The traditional vegetable is Brussels sprouts, but celery, carrots, peas, broccoli and others may also be served.

Christmas Pudding is the traditional dessert with brandy butter or sherry sauce. And of course there’s trifle. My mother visited England many years ago and we’ve had trifle every Christmas since. (Thanks, Nancy!) Hot minced pies are often roasted over the fire on Christmas night.

The Season….

December the 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a Catholic Church holiday and all Catholic Schools - the majority in Ireland - close for the day. The stores however most definitely do not close! The 8th was the day when people traditionally started serious Christmas shopping and in the past special trains were scheduled to take hordes of shoppers to Dublin for the day. Ireland is beginning to lead Europe in technology development so a great deal of Irish shopping is now done over the Internet.

One Christmas tradition that you’ll find in all of the British Isles is the Christmas Pantomime. Basically a 'panto' is a light hearted show aimed at both adults and children loosely based on a fairy tale - Cinderella, Snow White and Aladdin are particularly popular options. Traditionally some of the female parts, such as the ugly sisters, are played by men and there is lots of singing and dancing, some jokes aimed at the children and more with a political or topical twist aimed at the adults.

And finally, the horses. Beginning on St. Stephen’s Day (the day after Christmas) and continuing throughout the holidays, you’ll be able to find horse races in nearly any town of size. The Irish do like to watch (and bet upon) their ponies. I once had the pleasure of sitting in an Irish pub while a horse race was being televised. It was a real treat.

Okay, so this has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, but one of our fellow travelers, Bill Curry, sent me this turbulent tale and I thought I share it…

While on this trip to Japan, I had to use the bathroom It was in the tail of the plane. I had just sat down when the seatbelt bell sounded. I sure wish I had a seatbelt. Anyway the flight attendant was pounding on the door. She did this 3 times. I finally was able to make it to my seat. You may need to jazz it up a little. The flight was experiencing some turbulence. In more than one way.

Scotland….

ÜRemember Savings Stamps? They’re still alive in Scotland and the Scots use them as a special Christmas promotion, encouraging you to come back to that store for your gift shopping.

ÜSanta lives in Lapland, and not the North Pole, and although you can mail him a letter, any child knows that the quickest way is to burn the letter in the fire and let the requests go up the chimney where he’ll be sure to get them. Of course, not that many Scottish homes have fireplaces.

ÜDue to global warming, Scotland rarely gets snow for Christmas, so manufacturers have made fake snow that you can roll over your roof like a white carpet. (The word in Scotland is, “To celebrate Christmas, go to France.”)

ÜThe Christmas Stockings are often pillowcases, and they’re draped over the feet of children’s beds. (Only a young Scot would try that hard to get more booty.)

ÜThis from a Scottish lady:

Presents are unwrapped carefully so that the wrapping paper can be used again. Often dads and grandpas get socks. Lunch is usually turkey with all the trimmings and one or two glasses of wine or champagne. Pudding is usually a Christmas cake - some people who don't like fruit cake may have a Yule log, which is a chocolate cake from Sweden. Most people have Christmas crackers and eat their dinner wearing a paper crown. Following this the whole family get together in front of the TV and fall asleep in front of either:

1. "The Wizard of Oz" or
2. "The Sound of Music" or
3. "The Queen's Speech" (always at 3pm).

At tea time, our family liked to have a light supper of bread and butter and smoked salmon, and more crackers if there are any left.

Thus ends Christmas and we all wait for a few days until Hogmanay. (Hogmanay is New Year's)

ÜOn Hogmanay, or New Years, they sit up watching “hootcher cootcher” music (I have no idea) on the telly, then just before midnight they go to the neighbor’s house across the street and bring a rock to signify a lump of coal or “first footing.” Wine and nuts are served and the older folks tend to stick to the whiskey. At “the bells” (on the telly) everyone joins hands, makes a circle and sings Auld Lang Syne. If you’re young you keep moving from house to house. If you’re my age, you try to escape back to bed as soon as possible.

ÜChristmas in Scotland used to be known as Nollaig Beag, or “Little Christmas.” This was a very simple celebration of Christ’s birth. Then the bigger events happened on the days after Christmas. I sort of like that idea, don’t you?

ÜThe Reformation hit Scotland as hard as everywhere else. By 1583, Bakers who made the Yulebreads were fined, and their punishment could be lessened if they gave the names of their customers!

In 1638 the General Assembly in Edinburgh tried to abolish Yuletide. When the monarchy was restored in England, the celebration of Christmas was restored throughout much of the British Isles.

ÜThere have been many times throughout Scottish history when the Scots have done something purposely because England was against the idea and vice versa. Such was the case with Christmas. Even after Victorian England established Christmas as a festive event, most of Scotland stuck to their 3-day celebration as a time of church-going and fasting.

Scottish Customs….

ÅThe Black Bun.. a Christmas treat of many fruits baked into bread then soaked for days in Scotch Whiskey.

ÅAll bees will leave their hive on Christmas morning, buzz around to find out what all the noise is about, then return.

ÅThe ashes in the fireplace were carefully checked on Christmas morning for footprints. A footprint headed toward the door meant a death in the family was eminent. A footprint facing in meant a new arrival was to be expected.

ÅThe Cailleach was a piece of wood carved to resemble an old woman’s face. The face was to represent winter. On Christmas Eve the family would throw the wood in the fire and watch it be consumed.

ÅThe Scottish also observe the custom noted in the Irish section about leaving a candle burning in the window to guide strangers, and the Scots would be even more upset to actually have to feed someone.

ÅThe Candlemas Bull was actually a cloud that passed overhead on Candlemas (Feb 2). An east traveling cloud foretold a good year, a southbound cloud meant poor grain in the forecast, and if it went west, the whole stinking year would be bad.

In short, the Scots don’t make quite the big bash of Christmas that we or their other English-speaking neighbors do. It’s still rather a somber affair in much of the country.. BUT.. come New Years.. Look out! (Maybe it’s because Auld Lang Syne was written by their favorite son, Bobby Burns.)

Christmas in England…

The English Christmas is perhaps most like our own. After all, she’s where we got the idea. But a few little nuances here and there set the Brit Yule tradition apart….

ÅMummering. Yep, that’s what it’s called. Philadelphia has its famous Mummer’s Parade which is a tradition borrowed from the English. In the Middle Ages, actors would put on masks and act out plays at Christmas. They were called Mummers. Some English villages still observe this tradition.

ÅAnd of course it’s Father Christmas and not Santa Claus. In fact, the British have been quite stubborn in resisting the American influence of Santa’s name. Father Christmas is dressed in red, green or white, and passes out presents on Christmas Eve, however the gifts are usually not opened until the following afternoon.

ÅAD 596 marked the arrival of Christmas to the British Isles, when St. Augustine brought Christianity.

ÅThe day after Christmas is Boxing Day, started when young boys would take clay boxes around town, asking for coins. The boxes were then broken open. Some say this tradition was begun by breaking open the alms boxes in churches and giving the money to the poor.

ÅThe only thing eaten before Christmas in the olden days was Frumenty..a kind of porridge made from corn. Over the years, eggs, fruit, spice, lumps of meat and dried plums were added. This is how plum pudding began.

ÅThe English also elect Boy Bishops who act as bishop for the day to commemorate St. Nicolas’s great love for children.

ÅThe tradition of hanging greens and putting up trees began in the Victorian Age (dear Queen Victoria brought much of the fancy doings to England during her reign..maybe it makes up for the lack of smile in all her pictures). The “greens” tradition was imported from Germany by the Queen herself and legend has it that she put up the first Christmas tree (actually, it was her lover, Sir Walter Raleigh) and in those days everyone wanted to emulate dear old Vic.

ÅAttending Midnight Mass is very much an English Christmas tradition and the Christmas meal isn’t eaten until afternoon so that everyone may first attend morning mass.

ÅThis from a British gal on the Internet:

Typically there are 2 roasted meats 1 being either goose (traditional) or turkey (American) covered in bacon and stuffed with sausage meat, the other meat being a gammon. A variety of seasonal vegetables but essential are roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts and always kilted sausages (also called sausages in blankets). For dessert Christmas pudding with brandy butter or brandy custard / cream, the pudding is so rich in alcohol that it is usually ignited before serving. Mince pies not only contain dried fruit but also suet and brandy. Christmas cake is also eaten and is traditionally made a couple of months (end of September) before Christmas and matured by regularly feeding it brandy.

ÅThe pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on Christmas Day. Invented by a London baker in 1846, a cracker is a brightly colored paper tube, twisted at both ends, which contains a party hat, riddle and toy or other trinket. When it is pulled by two people it gives out a crack as its contents are dispersed.

ÅThe name “Stir Up Sunday” comes from the opening words of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer of 1549 and later (that is the prayer of the day that “collects” up the themes of the readings). That same prayer, adapted into more modern language, is now the Church of England's prayer after communion for this Sunday:

"Stir-up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

ÅEngland has only known seven white Christmases in the entire twentieth century.

ÅBread baked on Christmas Eve will never grow moldy. (Uh…according to legend.)

ÅAnd although I didn’t really intend for our summer trip blog to become a cookbook, how could I help but include the original British recipe for Trifle?

Trifle: The Great British Pudding
(Olde English Trifle)

Serves 6
1 pint milk
1/2 vanilla pod
2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. caster (fine) sugar
1 Victoria sandwich cake (see recipe)
6 oz. raspberry or strawberry jam
4 oz. medium sherry
10 oz. Devonshire Cream
1 1/2 oz. flaked almonds, toasted and
2 oz. glaze cherries to decorate.

Scald the milk with the vanilla pod. Cover the pan and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Beat together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar and strain on the milk. Cook over a gentle heat, without boiling, stirring all the time until the custard thickens slightly. Pour into a bowl; lightly sprinkle the surface with sugar and cool.

Spread the sponge cake with jam, cut up and place in a 3 1/2 pint shallow serving dish with the macaroons. Spoon over the sherry and leave for 2 hours. Pour over the cold custard.

Whip the cream until softly stiff. Top the custard with half the fresh cream. Pour the remaining cream on top and decorate with the almonds and cherries.

(All I can remember about my mother making Trifle is that we had an annual crisis until she could find ladyfingers to put into one of the layers.)

ÅAnd although it’s a custom that goes back much further than the British (we borrowed it from them)… St. Francis of Assisi is said to have created the first Nativity performance in Italy around 1223. Folks in those days either couldn’t read at all, or couldn’t read the Latin texts, so St. Francis and his friends would act out the story of Christ’s birth, usually without words. In order to compact the whole gospel message, he was likely the one who erroneously put the Wise Men at the birth instead of coming a couple years later as the Bible indicates. Also, he used the Italian version of the stable instead of the original “cave” idea. So..St. Francis is to blame for getting straw all over your carpet every Christmas season. (But he’s loved by costume makers of Magi clothing.)

I had the pleasure of visiting London shortly after Christmas one year, and from what I could observe, their celebration is very much like ours. In fact, the after-Christmas sales seemed even more numerous. I had the “joy” of visiting Harrod’s shortly after Christmas during their biggest sale day of the year. Never again. Perhaps the island’s not quite as commercialized as the American version of Christmas, but it’s nearly identical.

And this is a purely personal observation, only somewhat backed up by statistical research… Church attendance in England lags quite a bit behind the U.S., (44% versus 21 % in England..but the Irish are second only to Nigeria at 84% attendance!) but that’s perhaps because the “church” experience in general isn’t as personal as in the U.S. The United Kingdom seems to have many believers who don’t have a specific church connection. There is a trend in the last couple of decades toward the less formal, more personal churches springing up here and there.

I think that Scotland’s stats are usually averaged in the England’s, but I have a suspicion that it may be do to the old joke:

“Did you hear about the three Scotsmen who went to church? They took up a collection. One man fainted and it took the other two to carry him out.”

And our prayers for safety for Bob and Janet Chipman who’ll be flying out at Christmastime to visit Son Tim in Latvia!

Finally….From Matthew:

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

We are so blessed. Know it. Take joy in it.

I’ll be talking to you in the New Year.

Issue Six... Southern Ireland

Issue 6

Southern Ireland

A

n interesting juxtaposition of events on a recent Sunday afternoon. I’d given up on playwriting for the day and turned on the television to PBS where the televised traveler, Rick Steeves, had just begun his program by taking his family on a tour of Ireland. In fact, he was taking our exact tour, only in reverse, beginning in Dublin. I called Keith to tell him to tune in and at that moment Travis knocked on my door to tell me of his deer hunting adventures.. So the group of us got a great preliminary taste of the Emerald Isle. Sweet. (Steeves was touring the Waterford Crystal Factory as I tuned in so I waited until that segment was over to call Keith, for fear Nancy would answer the phone.)

“The Irish ignore anything they can't drink or punch.”

A bit About the Blog…

Perhaps you’re familiar with this newspaper of the Internet, but in case the world of blogging is as new to you as the

rest stops on the Ring of Kerry, I’ll explain a bit. You set up the blog then there’s an option for the blog provider to provide you

with news and videos in response to a few key words. Nephew Doug has typed in Ireland, Scotland, England, etc., and God-only-knows what will be popping up on our blog site. I do apologize if you find something offensive, but I decided to keep the feature operational since it does provide some neat stuff to view…I especially enjoyed the photographing tours of Ireland and Scotland with the accompaniment of “Scotland the Brave” and “Danny Boy” playing in the background. Some real heart-in-the-throat moments. There’s a way to have the blog inform you via email whenever a new post appears, but Doug hasn’t explained that part to me yet. Heck, we’ll get a tour of Great Britain AND an introduction to a new tech tool!

“The Irish don't know what they want and are prepared to fight to the death to get it”—Sydney Little

The Beginning of Our Journey…

We step onto Irish soil on the west side of the nation island, take a swoop around the Ring of Kerry, then head eastward toward Dublin town. This issue will deal mainly with the western, southwestern, and southern leg of our Irish Journey.

“The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scotts as a joke, but the Scotts haven't seen the joke yet.”

On days 1 and 2 (and again, nobody really knows what happens to day one when you’re traveling east)… we land at Shannon Airport and travel to Limerick, then to the quaint village of Adare on the River Maige. Our final destination is Killarney, located on the banks of Lough Leane. (Remember: my advice is to get out and about that night, stretch your limbs and don’t let yourself fall asleep too early, thus getting accustomed to the time change as quickly as possible.) We dine that night in Killarney.

God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from ruling the world. ---Ed McMahon

Day Three…. is the day we pray for sunshine. Okay, we’re on the western coast of Europe, so sun-shine is rare commodity. But we have powerful prayer folks on this tour and I expect you to do your duty and give us a day laden with Irish sunshine so we can actually see the Ring of Kerry. We’ll travel today around the Iveragh peninsula and stop to visit Bog Village, a place that has been kept traditional and a good place to take a wee peek at what Old Ireland looked like. We end our day’s tour at Cork, Ireland’s third largest city and after a day on the coach we’ll be treated to a walking tour of the city where we’ll spend the night and have dinner.

“God is good to the Irish, but no one else is; not even the Irish”

Day Four…. We head east along the country’s underbelly, making a stop at Blarney Castle. The Rick Steeves PBS show had a shot of the tourists leaning over the stone parapet to kiss the Blarney Stone. I’ll give you a hint: leaning backwards to kiss the stone is easy. It’s the climb to the top that’ll test your mettle. Okay, it’s actually not that tough, but Mr. Otis had yet to invent the elevator when Blarney built his castle.

Our itinerary says that “if time permits” we’ll make a stop at the Blarney Woolen Mills. You’ll find that on group tours, the term “If time permits” is rather vague, and it usually depends upon the punctuality of the group. For example, if Tom Ryder slips out of the guide’s hands and falls backwards out of Blarney Castle while attempting to kiss the rock, we may have to delay things a bit to arrange for the remains to be shipped back. On the other hand, does a former congressman really need to kiss the Blarney Stone?

Enough editorializing… We then travel to the port town of Waterford to view the Crystal Works. Don’t even think about trying to carry this stuff back with you. Shipping is easy and reliable.

Day Four concludes as we head toward Dublin and dinner and bed.

“I think being a woman is like being Irish. Everyone says you're important and nice, but you take second place all the same.”—Iris Murdoch

Day Five…. Dublin, Dublin, Dublin. In brief, the morning hours will find us on a guided tour of the city and the afternoon is ours to explore Dublin on our own. This will be the first big chunk of free time on the tour, and it’s a marvelous city to explore.

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English.--Churchill

Day Six…. Grab your kilt, laddie, we’re headed to Scotland!

Nodding the head does not row the boat.—Irish Proverb

Killarney…

T

he town has more hotel beds than any other city in Ireland outside Dublin, so that should give you a hint that you won’t be the only tourist in town. It was awarded the "Best Kept Town" award for 2007 in a cross-border competition jointly organized by the Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council. Why? Heritage, History, and it’s proximity to the Dingle Peninsula.

I looked for a list of night spots to hear Irish music and enjoy a pint, and the list was so long that I’d have choked our blog website. In short, it’s long.

As I’ve said in previous newsletters, the charm of many cities can be found most easily when getting off the tourist paths and taking a few chances of getting lost. You’ll seldom find an Irishman who won’t gladly point you back in the right direction. Of course the problem in Killarney is finding an Irishman who isn’t on tour from California or Mississippi or Springfield.

Actually, we’ll just have this one evening in Killarney and our heads will still be on Illinois/Indiana time, so there’s no need to plan a great deal. We’ve got to stay sharp for some gorgeous scenery on the morrow.

Either that wallpaper goes or I do... -- Oscar Wilde’s last words

The Ring of Kerry….

T

his was Charlie Chaplain’s favorite place in the world and somewhere along the ring they’ve erected a statue of the famous comedian.

An interesting travel pattern.. since the road is quite narrow in places and if you drive off the road you tend to end up in the ocean or on the rocks, they require tour coaches to travel in a counter-clockwise (or as they say, “anti-clockwise”) direction, while advising passenger cars to travel in a clockwise route. There are two others ways to traverse the ring: the longest hiking path in Ireland, and a bicycle path.

A note to Doug and Jen Bradbury: if you two adventuresome souls decide to hike the ring, that’s fine. We’ll pick you up on the way back from London. 110 miles may take more time than we’ve allowed.

The Ring truly is a marvel since in a single journey you see snow-capped peaks, sandy beaches, woodlands, bog, and sub-tropical vegetation. The route is a happy combination of so many varying altitudes plus the Gulf Stream, allowing it to be a geological Disneyland.

There will be several stops along the way, and the trick will be to pick the ones with the fewest tour busses. A special note: it’s really important to hit the coach on time this morning. If a convoy of tours leave Killarney “first thing” in the morning, it’s nice to truly be “the first thing.”

Some Inside Advice: The Ring of Kerry has two downsides: It’s chock-a-block with tourists, and I’m not kidding..those roads are narrow!..Look out and not down!.. The upside? There’s always a REASON why a place is a huge tourist draw and it usually involves beauty, and baby, will you some breath-taking sights on this day.

Okay, prayer folks..it’s all yours now..Let’s sing in the sunshine!

A diplomat must always think twice before he says nothing. Irish Proverb

Blarney Castle…

T

he castle dates from 1200, but was destroyed in 1446 (you’ll find this common with many European castles..built, destroyed, built, destroyed..and this was before the U.S. Federal government had any hand in this!)

Dermot McCarthy, the King of Munster did the rebuilding and the place is still in partial ruin. I guess Dermot ran out of cash.

At the top of the castle you’ll find “The Stone of Eloquence,” which, according to legend, gives the gift of gab to anyone who kisses it. And, like all good tourist spots, they’’ll have a photographer handy to take your picture and sell it to you. The Irish are an accommodating people!

No one knows for sure how the stone got there or it’s true meaning, but it’s thought to be the “Lia Fail” or the magical stone Irish kings were crowned upon.

You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. –Irish Proverb

The Waterford Crystal Factory

In 1783 Quaker brothers William and George Penrose knew very little about making crystal but they knew how to hire the right people. They

were good businessmen. They hired a fellow named John Hill who was able to attract more than 40 of Europe’s greatest artisans and before the end of the century, the brothers had managed to impress most of Europe’s heads of state. Even in those early days the brothers had the good business sense to offer tours of their factories. The brothers sold out in 1799 to Jonathan Gatchell who was eventually taxed out of business.

Exactly 100 years to the day of when it closed, crystal works again opened. When the Irish began immigrating to America in large numbers they told stories of the magical Waterford Crystal and many American factories began using the term “Waterford” to describe their crystal.

In the 1930’s Joseph McGrath and Joseph Griffin bought into the defunct Irish Bottle Company and once again began importing artisans from the continent. By the end of World War II, enough of the best glass-blowers in Europe were displaced and moved to Ireland that they were able to teach the Irish additional glass skills. So…in 1951 a new Waterford Crystal plant opened. Waterford Crystal has now merged with Wedgewood and produces crystal, china, lamps, chandeliers, sconces, and other lighting products, plus Waterford Crystal Christmas items. The company, now headquartered in Dublin, employees 9000 people.

It's no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking. –Irish Proverb

More to come! ---Ken

Issue # 5 - Dublin

Issue #5

The Dublin Issue…

I’m trying a new format with this newsletter. Some of the folks have had a wee bit of trouble downloading the rascals, so I’ll see if this less-complicated formatting helps.

When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Dublin. ---J. P. Donleavy

Ireland is where strange tales begin and happy endings are possible.
Charles Haughey in the Daily Telegraph, London,

The Irish are artists…poets, novelists, playwrights, musicians, painters… In fact, unless the law’s been changed in the last two years, writers, artists and composers have been exempt from paying income tax! I’m not kidding! Some say it’s their guilt complex from banning or banishing their great writers like Joyce, Becket, Wilde, and Shaw. In 2005 there was a parliamentary move to remove the 35-year law since a few American pop stars were claiming Irish citizenship to avoid taxes. BUT..it speaks volumes as to the importance the Irish put on the arts.

During our stay in Ireland, we’ll hear much about their literary heroes. I don’t

expect you to read Joyce’s Ulysses before we go. In fact, I don’t expect anyone to read

that book, even though it usually tops the list of best novels in the world, but at least a

nodding acquaintance with some of these literary great would be…well….great.

A Wee Bit More….

When I die Dublin will be written in my heart. ---James Joyce

A weary soldier fighting against Napoleon at Waterloo wrote in his diary: "When I [could] take some nourishment, I felt the most extraordinary desire for a glass of Guinness." Doctors wrote in to say that they found Guinness good for everything from "insomnia, neurasthenia, debility and constipation" to an "effective aid for nursing mothers."
Guinness tried to get stout admitted into the U.S. during Prohibition as a medicine, but the Treasury Department coldly said no.

Marriage: When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part. ---George Bernard Shaw

The English language brings out the best in the Irish. They court it like a beautiful woman. They make it bray with donkey laughter. They hurl it at the sky like a paint pot full of rainbows, and then make it chant a dirge for man's fate and man's follies that is as mournful as misty spring rain crying over the fallow earth.
T. E. Kalem on Brendan Behan's 1958 play Borstal Boy.

The short of things…

We land on the west coast of Ireland and make our way to the east coast. Shannon Airport is always the first-fall for Irish flights, and on the day we land we make our way down to Kilarney. On day three we view the Ring of Kerry, landing that night in Cork. Day four takes us all the way to Dublin with stops at the Blarney Stone and the Waterford Crystal Factory. Our final day in Ireland is day five with the entire day given over to Dublin.

Dublin…A Wee Bit O’ History…..

The history of Dublin goes back a thousand years, and that’s just the RECORDED history and some references claim to trace its origin back 2000 years. We know that in the 9^th century the Vikings had two cities here and some think that an even earlier Christian settlement was here known as Duiblinn. The Viking word meant “black pool,” referring to the convergence of the rivers here. When the Normans took over in the 12^th century, Dublin became the English seat of power in the country.

I won’t begin to summarize the history of Ireland since it goes back 8000 years, but a very short version of a country that was probably settled by what was a land bridge with Great Britain, and thus the first human settlement. Then missionaries including St. Patrick (yes, he was real), then the Vikings gave the Christians the boot, and late in Ireland’s history, England laid claim. We have just recently seen the latest chapter in Ireland’s history take root as the country’s two halves have begun to come together. The half we’ll be visiting the southern half or “The Republic of Ireland” which seceded from Great Britain in 1922. Northern Ireland remained a part of the U.K. The country’s history will be told to us much more clearly and with a definite Gaelic lilt once we get there.

When I came back to Dublin I was court-martialed in my absence and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.
Brendan Behan

For our American visitors:
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize,
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!
Author unknown

Ah, Ireland...That damnable, delightful country, where everything that is right is the opposite of what it ought to be Benjamin Disraeli

More About Us…

Bob and Janet Chipman are two of the reasons why we’re getting a free day in London on this tour. They were a part of our Alaskan crew who opened their seaside window to find a lifeboat hanging there, and thus Passports compensated us on this trip with an extra day in England’s crown city. Bob is a Realtor with Chipman Realty (isn’t it cool he found a business with his name on it?) and Janet teaches at J. Turner Jr. High in Jacksonville. They have two sons.. Andrew teaching in the Chicago area and recently married, and Tim on leave from J. Turner, teaching for a year in the Fullbright program in Latvia. The Chipmans will be flying to visit their Latvian son over Christmas.

Trip Tip[ On the day before Thanksgiving, National Public Radio interviewed airport officials in O’Hare about the hold-ups at security check points. The fellow said that the number one reason for slow downs were non-frequent travelers who were confused. (Well..duh..I can see their point!) He said that little things like having your belongs in clear-plastic see-through bags or containers speed things up greatly.

Pod-ing It….

Check out this website… Three Americans were asked to go to various parts of Ireland and submit pod-casts of what they found. Here’s the web address:

www.shamrock.org/podcast/player/

The two ladies listed went to places where we’ll be visiting, although the fellow’s podcast of Northern Ireland is pretty good.

I think that in order to put Ireland in the best possible light, they put the pod-ers up in nicer hotels than we’ll be seeing, but the sights are the same.

A good site for direct Pod casts from Ireland, including their music:

www.podcastingireland.ie

"I think people should be allowed to do what they want, as long as they don't do it in the street and frighten the horses."
Attributed to Oscar Wilde's Cleaning lady when she testified at his trial. (I’ve always loved this quote.)

And in case there are Shoppers Among Ye…

Shopping in Dublin focuses on the two main pedestrianised shopping streets of Grafton Street/Stephen's Green on the southside centre and Henry Street on the northside and their surrounding streets. The two streets are just either side of the river, a few minutes walk apart, but are somewhat different.

Southside
Grafton Street, located between Trinity College and St Stephen's Green is the more smart shopping area with fashionable stores such as Brown Thomas, the department store catering for many designer showcases, both foreign and local. Dublin's leading and most exclusive jewelers, Weirs, is also here, as well as the most popular of the famous Bewley's Cafés. Other principal shopping streets in the area include Wicklow Street, Dawson Street, and South Great Georges Street. The nearby Powerscourt Towncentre is one of the nicer, albeit small, shopping centers in the city. Also close by is The Georges Street Arcade, an indoor market and a bit unusual.

Northside
Henry Street has department stores such as the popular Arnotts, and an assortment of popular clothing and footwear stores. The ILAC shopping center, the newer Jervis Street Shopping Centre are both here. The well-known outdoor food market of Moore Street is always full of bargains. The nearby O'Connell Street, Dublin's main thoroughfare, is home to the excellent Clery's Department Store and Eason's Booksellers as well as several other shops but not the main shopping area by any means.

And, as in any European city, the further you are from the main drag, the cheaper the prices.

When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious. Edna O'Brien

Hang the bard, and cut the punster,
Fling all rhyming to the deuce,
Take a business tour through Munster,
Shoot a landlord — be of use.
Richard D'Alton Williams - Advice to a Young Poet

Trip Tip[ Bill Curry, one of our travelers just back from Japan, tells me that the best purchases he made was a simple set of eye shades or “blindfolds” for sleeping on the plane. He said he was able to do something unusual on the trip East…sleep!

In a 2003 European-wide survey by the BBC, questioning 11,200 residents of 112 urban and rural areas, Dublin was the best capital city in Europe to live in, and Ireland the most content country in Europe.

And then there are those things you won’t find in most guidebooks:

öDublin's O'Connell Bridge was originally made of rope and could only carry one man and a donkey at a time. It was replaced with a wooden structure in 1801. The current concrete bridge was built in 1863.

öThe Temple Bar area is so called because it housed the first Jewish temple built in Ireland. The word 'bar' refers to the refusal of Catholics to allow the Jewish to enter any of the adjoining commercial premises.

öIn 1761 a family of itinerants from Navan were refused entry to Dublin. The family settled on the outskirts of the city and created the town of Rush. Almost two hundred and fifty years later the entire population of Rush can still trace their roots back to this one family.

öDubliners drink a total of 9,800 pints an hour between the hours of 5.30pm on a Friday and 3.00am the following Monday.

öDublin is Europe's most popular destination with travelling stag and hen parties. There is an estimated six hundred 'pre-wedding sessions' every weekend in the capital.

öDubliners have a one in six chance of being targeted by a pickpocket whilst in the City Centre. (More about avoiding this in future issues.)

öA pint of Guinness in Dublin can cost as much as £2.75 or as little as £2.10 depending on where you drink.

öDubliners are the least racist people in Ireland except when it comes to the people of Kerry.

When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.
Frank McCourt - Angela's Ashes

Not read Angela’s Ashes? It would be top on my list of recommended reading before visiting the Emerald Isle. I have a very special copy I ordered from Amazon and it came signed by McCourt! I have no idea how that happened, but ‘tis sweet indeed!

Your free-time plans in Dublin will depend a great deal upon the location of our hotel. As I’ve mentioned previously, we’ll know this just before we go. Dublin busses are often an adventure. The drivers are a wee bit lax about putting the correct destination on their destination boards, the time listed at the bus stops indicate what time the bus leaves for that stop, not when it arrives, and even though the bus has two or more doors, the driver may not open the back door unless you ring the buzzer. Add to that the Dublin traffic and you have an experience on your hands. The good news: the drivers are Irish, which usually translates as “friendly,” and I’ve found the folks in Dublin to be extremely gracious in going out of their way to help you.

With over 12,000 licensed taxis working the Dublin area there is generally little problem getting a taxi in Dublin except when traffic is particularly heavy or late at night during the Christmas party season.

All taxis in Ireland a large yellow and blue roof-sign and are metered. Since October 2006 all taxi charges have been the same throughout the country. Taxis have a sticker on the sun visor and fare cards in the seat pockets or window stickers which explain the fares.

Taxis may be hailed on the street, picked up at a taxi rank or ordered by phone The initial fares are:

• €3.80 during the day 8am to 8pm
• €4.10 8pm to 8am and all day Sunday & Public holidays.

Although most drivers are honest, beware the ’extras’ on the meter. The only extras due are

• extra passengers: €1.00 each after the 1st passenger
• radio call-out charge: €2.00

At about this time in your reading and preparation you’re thinking, “Holy cow! Do I need to remember all this stuff? The answer, quite simply, is “No.” If you need to get somewhere, buy something, arrange something, you can simply go to our tour director and ask him or her how to get it done. But if we can all travel with “general fuzzy idea” of the traveling landscape, it’ll make for a more enjoyable and hassle-less trip.

I just dress up what the Good Lord provides."
Legendary Irish course designer Eddie Hackett who designed the Ring of Kerry golf course

In Ireland, the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs. Sir John Pentland Mahaffy

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. C.S. Lewis

This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever. Sigmund Freud (about the Irish)

There are only two dialects of Irish, plain Irish and toothless Irish, and, lacking a proper acquaintance with the latter, I think I missed the cream of the old man's talk.
From 'Leinster, Munster and Connaught' by Frank O'Connor

God gives the gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them."
C.S. Lewis