There is No Green Beer in Ireland!

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, honoring the beloved patron saint of Ireland. A national holiday meant to celebrate the pride of Irish heritage.  Yet, what you will mostly see in America is the malarkey and shenanigans of green beer, corn beef on rye, and organized pub crawls rather than anything truly representative of Irish heritage.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m Irish, second generation Irish-American. My grandparents and great grandparents came to America from County Armagh. I enjoy the fun of St. Paddy’s day (yes, Paddy. Not Patty..there’s no patty, people) as much as the next Irish American, but I also long for Americans to recognize the real heritage and contributions of the ancient peoples of Ireland to our society. In between the shamrock shake and the parades let’s try to squeeze in some authentic Irish history.

For instance, want to learn to speak Irish? 

No, I don't mean speak with a brogue. On St. Paddy's day we hear common phrases like "Erin go bragh" (Ireland Forever), but rarely do we hear any other Irish. Many Americans don't even realize that the Irish have a native language, called "Irish" or sometimes "Irish Gaelic". Irish was the predominant language of the Irish people for most of their recorded history, and is still the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. 

*Fun Fact ~ there is no "yes" or "No" in Irish 
There are no words for "yes" or "no" in Irish, but that doesn't mean there's no way to answer a question. You communicate "yes" and "no" with a verb form. The answer to "did they sell the house?" would be "(they) sold " or "(they) didn't sell." In Irish:

Ar dhíol sian an teach?
Dhíol.
Níor dhíol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf9mIckJGV4&list=PL2D9DC85266EC652D

The Irish people are musicians, craftsmen, storytellers, poets and artist. Traditional Irish Music is known today throughout the world. It is an oral tradition and its prolific nature has captured the attention of listeners everywhere. The history of the ancient people of Ireland is heard in their music. There is more to Irish music then U2 …

Take a listen here: . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvS8KkzKTjQ&list=PLTizIot1-lW3eI5nuQwucKRFEMiZNXUwx

For a small island, the Irish have made a remarkably large contribution to the world of literature with our writers and poets being some of the most recognizable in the world. The earliest recorded Irish writing dates from the seventh century and was produced by monks writing in both Latin and Early Irish.

Click the link to view the top read Irish authors http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/irish-authors-the-10-most-read/2012/03/09/gIQAheLIDS_blog.html

Want to browse through a selection of Irish visual artist? Click on the link below for an alphabetical list of important Irish artists associated with the 32 counties of Ireland.

http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-artists.htm

Did you know that the Irish gave us the Automobile, color photography, and the knowledge to split an atom, to name just a few world contributions? Yep, take a look…

http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/the-top-ten-major-irish-contributions-to-the-world-169020126-237527571.html

The Irish came to America in search of a better life, and with them they brought their rich culture. The Irish helped to build our America. Learn more about the Irish journey to America here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xONqZXzQ1yY

So, have fun this St. Paddy’s Day, but maybe make some time to learn about the real Irish people; the warriors, the artist, the lovers and the fighters.  There is more to us then green beer.

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

Erin go bragh!