It was August 1996 and I had just completed my 3rd year of undergraduate studies. My dear parents took me on a trip to Ireland. I will never forget descending on Shannon International Airport thinking to myself, there really are a thousand shades of green here!
We were on a guided tour with a lively Irish American heritage group from Boston. The plan was one week driving around the perimeter of the country stopping at Limerick, Waterford, Dublin, Killarney, Cork, Kilkenny, and Galway. I have never laughed so hard in any given week as I did on that trip! Even though the average age of our group was around 65, my new friends all shared an appreciation for wit and humor that I have not seen matched in any other culture. Walking into the pubs was like walking into an old friend's house for dinner. People of every age and background gathered to talk, drink, eat, and be merry.
There are so many sights and smells that take me back to Ireland. The smell of wood burning reminds me of the unique peat moss burned and used as an energy source throughout Ireland, especially the rural areas. It is such a sweet, earthy scent that I had never experienced but immediately fell in love with. When it is a sunny day outside and raindrops start to fall, I remember the many names the Irish have given for each unique rain storm. Whenever I see a pint of Guinness poured I remember the charming Pub where I had my first pint while listening to an amazing Irish Folk Band with my mom and dad. On a cold winter day there is nothing more that brings me back to Ireland than a nice hot cup of tea with a traditional Irish Scone slathered in sweet cream. Ahh the memories, I cannot wait to go back!
There are so many sights and smells that take me back to Ireland. The smell of wood burning reminds me of the unique peat moss burned and used as an energy source throughout Ireland, especially the rural areas. It is such a sweet, earthy scent that I had never experienced but immediately fell in love with. When it is a sunny day outside and raindrops start to fall, I remember the many names the Irish have given for each unique rain storm. Whenever I see a pint of Guinness poured I remember the charming Pub where I had my first pint while listening to an amazing Irish Folk Band with my mom and dad. On a cold winter day there is nothing more that brings me back to Ireland than a nice hot cup of tea with a traditional Irish Scone slathered in sweet cream. Ahh the memories, I cannot wait to go back!
Along our journey we stopped in many beautiful towns and cities. While in Cork, we had the opportunity to visit the Blarney Castle and kiss the famous Blarney Stone. The stone itself is a block of bluestone that was built into the tower of the castle in 1446. Legend states that if you kiss the stone you will be blessed with the gift of gab, cleverness, and flattery. To be blarney means you have an eloquence, sweetened by humor and flavored by wit. Every Irish native we encountered must have kissed the Blarney Stone at some point in their lives for every town we stopped in the people were outgoing, funny, and extremely witty! My parents and I both marveled at how lovely everyone was. They were by far the friendliest people we had ever met.
Walking down the Blarney castle my father made a very colorful joke which sent me reeling into a laughing fit that can only be described as an asthmatic seal barking. People that know me well are fully aware of my "unique" laugh. I guess it is pretty memorable for the minute I stepped out of the castle I heard a voice call, "Dina? Dina Siracusa? I knew it had to be you by your laugh!". It was my friend from high school Ashley Gribble, who I had not seen in almost 5 years. Very memorable moment.
Irish Culture has had a profound influence on many other cultures especially in the areas of Literature, Music, Dance, Science, and Education. Irish Americans comprise the third largest group to arrive in the United States after English and German. Today over 45 million people in the U.S. claim Irish Ancestry. So where did the Irish People originate from? The original people of Ireland were the Celts. Around 3000 B.C. the Celts inhabited the Emerald Isle immigrating from Central Europe. Free from the Roman Empire in great part due to the fact that the Irish Sea seemed to be too much of a distance to travel on behalf of the Romans, the Celts maintained their unique identity.
Around the 5th century, the Romano-British Saint Patrick arrived on Irish Soil. He brought Christianity to Ireland and it quickly became an epicenter for Christian learning. Monasteries thrived until Henry VIII arrived and thus began the bad blood between the Protestants and Catholics. When Henry VIII decided he wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon to marry Ann Boleyn, he broke from the Catholic Church and declared himself the head of the English Church. Catholics in Ireland endured severe persecution as a result of their refusal to join. They were forbidden to speak their native language, Gaelic, and were legally prohibited from purchasing their own property. By 1755, Irish Catholics owned less than 5% of their own land. It was then the so called Potato diet began. It was the only thing that kept them alive. Until a fungus disease hit the precious potato crop in 1845 and millions of Irish starved to death. Thus began the immigration wave to the United States.
Today Ireland is growing and flourishing with a very healthy economy that is now drawing a large number of immigrants itself. I cannot wait to return to Ireland with my family so they can see the beautiful land, gorgeous greens, and lovely Irish people. The food of Ireland has received a bad reputation throughout the world, sometimes described as bland or dull. I have found certain dishes truly lovely. This week we will cook a traditional Scallop and Mushroom Sherry Pie. Perfect for the cold weather we are having! We will serve it with Irish Scones, tea and cream.
Ireland is such a spiritual place.
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