~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 17, 2011

★~ Today’s Quote: “Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven, and no man can touch its sod or breathe its air without becoming better or worse.” – George Bernard Shaw

★~ Happy Saint Patricks Day!

In 432 A.D., Bishop Patrick left his home in England and returned to the country where he had once been enslaved. His purpose was to introduce Christianity to the Irish people. Many legends were told about Patrick, including the most famous, that he had charmed all the snakes into the sea, ridding Ireland of them. He was so loved that he was made the patron saint of all of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Ireland on his feast day, March 17th

★~ St Patricks Day in History:

♥~ Historians believe St. Patrick’s real name was “Maewyn Succat.”

♥~The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade in America was hosted by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston in 1737

♥~ An old legend says that, while Christ will judge all nations on judgment day, St. Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.

♥~ It’s not the custom in Ireland to wear green ties, hats or other green clothes on St. Patrick’s Day. A sprig of shamrock in the coat lapel is the preferred display.

♥~ Even Saint Patrick liked a tipple. It was once popular in Ireland to pin sprigs of shamrocks on your coat on Saint Patrick’s day in remembrance of his using shamrock leaves to illustrate the idea of the holy trinity. At the end of the day, one would “drown the shamrock” by putting a few shamrocks into a glass and covering them with whiskey.

♥~ 2011~Ireland Chart toper–Price Tag-Jessie J.

★~ Born Today:

♥~ 1949 – Patrick Duffy actor: Dallas, Man from Atlantis, Step-by-Step video with Suzanne Somers

♥~ 1951 – Kurt Russell actor: Executive Decision, Backdraft, Elvis, Used Cars, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Tango & Cash, Stargate, Tombstone, 3000 Miles to Graceland

♥~ 1964 – Joe Cooney, Galway hurler, is born near Loughrea Ireland

♥~ 1964 – Rob Lowe actor: Brothers & Sisters, St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, Suddenly, Last Summer, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Contact, Atomic Train, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The West Wing

★~ Irish-Celebrities:

♥~ Peter O’ Toole — (The older statesman of films) has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. He has starred in such classics as “Lawrence of Arabia.”

♥~ Maureen O’ Hara born in Dublin in 1920 , starred in Jamaica Inn and The Hunchback of Notre Dame before going on to appear in many John Ford movies. Probably most famous for her role in the Quiet Man opposite John Wayne

♥~ Richard Harris was a native Limerickman, born in 1930 and had a long and distinguished career in the film and stage industry.

♥~ Pierce Brosnan – born in 1952, best known for his role as James Bond in Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.

★~ Did You Know:

♥~  In the olden days in Ireland, the shamrock was seen as sacred. Due to its green color and overall shape, many believed it to represent rebirth and life. The four leaves of the clover represent faith, love, hope, and of course, luck.

♥~ The national symbol of Ireland is the Celtic harp, not the shamrock.

♥~ Oscar Wilde was born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde in Dublin in 1854.

♥~Baileys Irish Cream which was launched in Ireland in the early seventies, is now the most popular liqueur in the world.

♥~ The last witch in Ireland was supposedly Dame Alice Kytler, born in Kilkenny in 1280. All four of her husbands died, and she was accused of poisoning them. Today you can dine at Kytler’s Inn in Kilkenny, which operates in her old home.

♥~ One of the most popular radio shows in rural Ireland is still the weekly broadcast of local obituaries

♥~ Medieval laws in Ireland allowed a man to divorce his wife if she damaged his honor through infidelity, thieving or “making a mess of everything.

♥~ Ireland’s top star in the sport of hurling is Sean Og O’Hailpin, who was born to an Irish father and Fijian mother on the tiny island of Rotuma, an isolated atoll about 400 miles north of Fiji. O’Hailpin, whose very Pacific appearance is a bit of an anomoly in Irish sports, has been declared “Hurler of the Year” and “Sports Personality of the Year” by RTE. He plays for the Cork County team.  Want to know more about hurling “Rock It Science…Couch Curling for Dummies…”

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I’m part Irish.  My mother’s was born a Murphy; my grandfather went to Notre Dame.  True, I don’t drink anything much beyond little bottles of Coke, but I do enjoy an occasional Bailey’s Irish Cream and I like potatoes a lot.  Even boiled potatoes.  I married an Italian that enjoyed drinking, which is an Irish thing to do.  Little people, leprechauns, and pots of gold intrigue me.  I have plenty of green in my wardrobe.  I know a man who wears an Irish kilt (did you know they don’t wear anything under those kilts? No need to tell you how I know this, but it’s the God-honest truth).  I believe the truth is overrated and, while my mother’s side of the family is very small, I have both an Uncle Mike and a Cousin Mike.  Cousin Joe named his youngest boy Mike, and Cousin Molly married two Mikes (at different times).

I’m Irish enough.

Blowing you a  kiss because everyone is a little bit Irish on March 17th.

May your blessings out number
The Shamrocks that grow.
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

How will you celebrate St. Pat’s Day?  Odd loves company!