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| Me name be Darby, 'n I be a wee Leprechaun here te spread some Luck o' the Irish oer this page! |
| WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? Written by Hal Boyle |
| It is to have an angel in your mouth, turning your prose to poetry. It is to have the gift of tongues, to know the language of all living things. Does an Irishman pause and turn an ear to a tree? It is because on this day he wants to hear what one sleepy bud says to another as it opens its pale green hands to the warm sun of spring |
| WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? Oh, on this day it is music. Not just the cornet in the parading high school band, but the deep, deep music of living, the low, sad rhythms of eternity. The Irishman hears to high song if the turning spheres, the dim lullaby of the worm in its cocoon. All the world is in tune, the tune that only he can hear. |
| WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? It is to live the whole history of his race between a dawn and a dawn - the long wrongs, the bird-swift joys, the endless hurt of his ancestors since the morning of time in a forgotten forest, the knock-at-his-heart that is part of his religion. WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? It isn't only the realization that he is descended from kings, It is the realization that he is a king himself, an empire on two feet striding in power, a strolling continent of awe WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? Why on Saint Patrick's Day, to be Irish is to know more glory, adventure, magic, victory, exultation, gratitude, and gladness than any other man can experience in a lifetime. WHAT IS IT TO BE IRISH? It is to walk in complete mystic understanding with God for twenty-four wonderful hours. |
| WHEN IRISH EYS ARE SMILIN' When Irish eyes are smilin', sure 'tis like a mornin' spring. In the lilt 'o Irish laughter, you can hear the Angels sing! When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright & gay And when Irish eyes are smilin', sure, they steal your heart away. There's a tear in your eye, & I'm wondering why, For it ne'er should be there at all. With such power in your smile, sure a stone you'd beguile, So there's ne'er a tear drop should fall, When your sweet lilting laughter's like some fairy song, And your eyes twinkle bright as can be, You should laugh all the while and all other times smile, And now smile a smile for me. |
| The Legend of the Claddaugh Ring A lot of mystic legends go with one of Ireland's most unique treasures, the "Claddaugh Ring". It most certainly has its start in the Irish fishing village of Claddaugh, near the Bay of Galway, close to the city of the Tribes. Ireland. One legend has Richard Joyce, a master goldsmith in Claddaugh, crafted the design over 400 years ago. Some stories state that the ring design without the heart was found by divers on the hand of a sailor on a sunken Spanish galleon that had sunk off the coast of Ireland. It was inscribed with the Spanish words "No tengo nada, porgue darte", which translates to "I have nothing, for it is given unto you". Queen Elizabeth is said to have added the crown later. Others say the design was brought back from the crusades by a young man that was captured and sold into slavery by the Moroccans. He wound out in the Moorish lands and learned the trade of gold smithing. After finding his way to Ireland, he had been commissioned to make this ring for a noble family. This ring was traditionally a family heirloom, handed down for many generations from mother to daughter, and often used as an engagement ring, then as a wedding ring. Whichever legend you choose to believe of the origin of the Claddaugh, one thing remains consistant, it's symbols. The heart in the center represents love. The hands surrounding it represent friendship. The crown at the top stands for fidelity. It is worn on the left hand, facing inward, if your heart is spoken for and two hearts are joined, and if you are unattached and your heart not yet won, the ring is worn on the right hand, facing outward. |
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| The Shamrock "Seamrog", meaning 'summer plant', is what we know as the 'shamrock', one of Ireland's famous symbols. In the 5th century, the Ancient High Kings of Ireland were shown the mystery of the Holy Trinity by St. Patrick's use of the shamrock. The 3 leaves represent the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as one. Most see the shamrock as a symbol of luck today, and it is worn world wide on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, to show off the Spirit of the Irish. |
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| Thank you Sarina for my own special Drakor! |
| My Irish Heritage! |
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| THE BOOK OF KELLS The Book of Kells is an Irish manuscript of the four Gospels, fragments of Hebrew names, and the Eusebian canons in Latin. It is also known as the Book of Columba, probably because it was written in the Iona Monastary to honor the Saint. It rested in the Cathedral of Kells (Irish Cenannus) in Meath until around 1541. Archbishop Ussher presented it to the Trinity College, Dublin, in the 17th century, where it can now be found. The Book of Kells is known for the extraordinary array of pictures, interlaced shapes and ornamental details.. It contains the greatest varieties of Irish Art to be preserved. A 13th century scholar, Giraldus Cambrensis, writes of the Book "... you might believe it was the work of an angel rather than a human being". |
| I have been working arduously on my Shields family history... Want to find your Shields roots? Check out the Shields-L Rootsweb list page! |
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| I am very greatful to receive the Awards and Gifts for my page! A lot of time and work went into it, and to be acknowledged by these gifted people is both an honor and pleasure! Please click here to check them out! A very warm THANK YOU goes out to them! |
| Thank you, Angel, for sharing your special 'Good Luck' St. Patrick's Faerie with me! |
| Looking for your Sexton roots? Try going to the Sexton Family Discussion and Mailing List! |
| Want to check out some others researching these names? Click on the heraldry shield to go to that family's message forums! |
| Are you looking for Donovan's? Try the Donovans at RootsWeb page! |
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