Twas the Night before St. Patrick’s Day

It’s the night before St. Patrick’s Day and all is quiet in the house, the children are tucked in their beds with the thought of school in their heads. As nice as a long weekend is, and especially for my kids had Friday and Monday off, it still do not seem like St. Patrick’s Day when most of the celebration is done on the weekend.

Now, for me, I do love this time of year as it is a time to shake the winter blaws and to look forward to the spring season that is approaching very quickly. The celebration of Ireland has taken on an extended period as it is now celebrated for days on end as the holiday is not on the specific date of St. Patrick’s Day. So we get a large taste….and I mean taste of this special time of year when everyone (well almost) claim to have some Irish blood in them. I really enjoyed this weekend as it was filled with food, music, dance and most of all family and friends. We try to ensure everyone who graces our door enjoy themselves. As much as I wish the celebration can be observed totally on the specific date we did have a wonderful event. In this blog I will have some pictures of the party and some music and even a recipe to share. If you have a few pics or special stories of your special St. Paddy’s Day please add them to my comment area.

I had the opportunity this evening to read a book to my son it was called The Night before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing. When I started to read , it was obvious it was very much like The Night Before Christmas, but it gave my son a new appreciation into the folklore that surrounds this celebration.

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day Pictures

The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day

As you can see from these pictures I do get into the spirit of the season, the kids like that “dad” is being silly, but it allows me the opportunity show them that this observance is special and there s much to learn. We have fun teaching them about the folklore, music and food of this celebration of Ireland.

My own Colcannon Recipe

5 Med potatoes
2 Med onions
6 cups cabbage
1/2 package of regular bacon
1/3 cup of fresh milk
1 table spoon butter
Pinch of salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in a medium pot for 15 minutes, drain and let cool. In a medium non stick frying pan fry the bacon till the fat is basically rendered out, place the bacon on a paper towel. Drain the bacon fat from the pan and then use the pan for the frying of the cabbage and onions, cook on medium heat till softened(15 min), then combine the boiled potatoes, bacon, butter and milk to the mixture and cook for a additional 15 min on medium heat stirring frequently and serve with your favorite drink.

note: before serving the dish , some like to ensure the ingredients are mashed , no chunks…but that is your preference.

Mmmmm ok am hungry now, I think I will make this tomorrow!!

The Frying Pan song

There is a song from one of the greatest bands in Ireland “The Furey’s”. They have wonderful songs and stories and are known for their ballads, but I have been taken up with a song about a gentleman who gets himself in trouble with his wife when he comes home under the weather, and well she advises him of her displeasure but introducing him to her “well used frying pan” Please enjoy.

Avalon North Search and Rescue Wolverines.

Over the next few weeks I will try to keep the blogs coming as I am traveling with the Avalon North Search and Rescue Wolverines. This is a local troop of men who freely give of themselves to search for lost persons on land and on sea. They recently won the National/International Search and Rescue Championship and because of a bond they have made with the Irish Search and Rescue Team they will be traveling and competing in Ireland during the month of May. I have the pleasure and honor of traveling with them, it has been a dream of mine since a boy , it will be a very special time for us all and I look forward to the opportunity to report back to you during our travels.

On behalf of my wife Lisa, my children Maggie and Kaegan, I wish you all a wonderful and blessed St. Patrick’s Day

Wasn’t that a PARTY!!!

Well another part of the St. Patrick’s Weekend Celebration has come and gone. It was a great afternoon and evening. The weather held out for those who had to travel to come and we partied till the wee hours of the morning. I was so pleasantly surprised with the arrival of some family and friends that I was unsure if they were going to be able to make it or not.

See our St. Patrick’s Day Photos

My cousin Brent Hurdle, Patrick Foley, Bro in law Jason and myself supplied some music for the evening while my wife Lisa kept the party going with plenty of games and food for all. The food consisted of Irish stew, fish cakes, chili, and pineapple pork among other tasty treats. Thanks to me mudder in law Bessie Noel, sis in law Lois Clarke, and Juanita Tobin for bringing food along, it was much appreciated. Thanks to Brian Tobin and Perry Bowering for helping me finish the outdoor decorations. For those working tomorrow tune into our official Internet music channel of the Delaney’s http://www.liveireland.com

I promised some music, please have a listen to some of the Furey’s this song is amazing, poor ole Eddie is now gone but it is great to see them all together, this link will lead to more songs of one of the greatest Irish bands of our time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNd6zhZ_iPc

Thanks for helping keep the tradition alive!!

2 more sleeps till St. Patrick’s Day!!!!!!Ohhhh so close

Ok , I am not going to keep this long, but!! I do want to show you the passion of the St. Patrick’s Day season. Below are pics of my working friends Perry (Me buddy),Christine, Ian and our boss Edwin Fradsham, he looks good in a Paddy’s Day outfit…my buddy and fellow Newfoundland Irishman Patrick Foley gets certainly in the mood, thanks Pat.

My heart goes out to you and your family for the loss of your mother, god bless, please enjoy this observance, I am sure from what you tell me she would love it.

Take a look at the pics and enjoy this time of year. I will be posting other pics over this weekend…My children are so excited…!!!!!Pssttt and ya know what? so am I!!!!

 

God bless

Ron

St. Patrick’s Day Part 2

In anticipation for the season of St. Patrick’s Day I am listening to some amazing music from Ireland tonight. I have a broad musical taste, but my favorite is certainly Celtic music. I love the lyrics, the stories about the plight of the people of Ireland. I think before I go on I need to point out that I am not condoning all that happened during the “Troubles” in Ireland but I will say that it had a great effect on its people, past and present, who keep alive the traditions and way of life of the people of “Erin”

Finbar Furey

Some of the greatest performers and songwriters who keep the tradition, luckily enough are still alive including: Finbar Furey, Phil Coulter, Ollie Kennedy, and Johnny McEvoy to name a few. Take the time to seek out their songs, as you will be surprised as to the songs these gentlemen penned. I wrote one of my first blogs about the music of my youth, the music of Ireland was alluring, the harmonies kept me interested. The music of Tommy Makem , The Clancy’s and The Furey’s had the greatest impact on me. I was saddened to hear of Tommy Makem’s death in September. He was a amazing song writer, one of his greatest songs is Four Green Fields, it has been recorded by so many over the years but in my opinion his version remains the best. I am adding a previous posted segment of my first blog that talks of Tommy.

I remember driving home from Sunday morning mass listing to the “potluck show’ on our local radio station during the early eighties. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were a main stay in rural Newfoundland, certainly captivating to a young boy who got lost in the lyrics of the songs of Ireland.During the late nineties my brother and I teamed up with a talented base player – Ian Chipman of Spaniard’s Bay NL, who was a founding member of our group Erin’s Call and long time musician and song writer Paul Martin (brother of Larry Martin, founding member of the Juno Award winning Irish Descendants) of Winterton NL. During our musical career Tommy’s influence was prevalent in many shanties and ballads we sang. In 1998, we had our first opportunity to actually meet Tommy during a show in Bay Roberts , it was a humbling experience for us, as he was our idol , a mentor, and soon to be our friend. There were many groups on the roster that evening , including friends from Ireland, Evans and Doherty, who now reside in Nova Scotia. Another person person present that day, who I respected and who passed on during 2007, was Dermot O’Reilly, member of Ryan’s Fancy , Dermot called Newfoundland and Labrador home for years along with Fergus O’Byrne who still continues the legacy of Irish Folk music. Last, but certainly not least, was Gregory Donaghey, former lead singer of the world renowned Carlton Show Band. The evening was amazing; as it was an opportunity for us the merge artistically with some of the greatest Celtic groups of our generation.Tommy was a gentle soul, one who certainly shared his passion for song and story, he empowered us to continue to write and in time produce our recording Erin’s Call.My brother Barry and I stopped by the local coffee shop after the show, and to our surprise Tommy was there relaxing before his trip back to his hotel. Long time friend, Leo Puddister, asked us to sit and talk. We were so taken back by his sense of calmness and willingness to share his ideals of folk music, we will never forget it, and certainly we will never forget him.

Grace – A love story

Tommy Makems’ Four Green Fields is one of my favorite songs, but I have to admit that there are many songs that stir my feelings towards my ancestors and their music. The most romantic but sad story is of Joseph Mary Plunkett and Grace Gifford. Joseph Plunkett (1887-1916) was a scolar and poet, but he was also involved in the Easter Rising of 1916, he was the youngest of signatories of the proclamation of the Repubic of Ireland. Joseph Plunkett suffered from ill health and he had an operation for glandular tuberculosis only days before the Rebellion, he left his sick bed to partake in the failed attempt to overthrow the occupying English. He was to be married to his sweetheart Grace Gifford on Easter Sunday but was called to the uprising. They were married in Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) just hours before his execution. The song that tells of this story is called “Grace”, please take a listen to Jim Mc Canns’ version, it is my favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZzEy5zBeEw

One more interesting piece to this historical event is that Joseph’s Aide de Camp was a young man called Michael Collins. Johnny McEvoy wrote a stirring ballad about the “Big Fellow” (It is a great movie staring Liam Neason)

God Bless

St. Patrick’s Day Countdown!!

St. Patrick’s Day

 

Ok, for those of you who do not know me all that well, I have to admit I am a major freak for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

 

It is true it is a religious observance in the Catholic Church, but in Newfoundland and Labrador especially, it is a truly wonderful celebration. I await the day with such unbridled anticipation; it almost eclipses Christmas (almost!!).

 

For those of you who would like to start at the beginning, please take a look at this website, it will give you a closer look into the Saint who started it all. St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm

Our Planned Celebration

 

St. Patrick’s Day is a planned celebration in our home, the children are taught to embrace the season and to learm more about their ancestors, (it do help drive away those winter blahs). We usually have a party at our home with plenty of fun, family, friends, games for all and yes, the music. My wife Lisa spends hours researching games that children and adults can play, most of these are of education value that helps all understand more about this holiday.

 

 

 

For me the countdown to “Padddy’s Day” started weeks ago, but now it is soon time for me to start the decorating, we decorate both inside and outside, this ensures the festive atmosphere is clearly displayed.

Over the next 13 days I will be posting some ideas on how you can become a part of this celebration of Ireland with your family and friends.

St. Bridget

Do you know there is a lady patron Saint of Ireland? Her name is St. Bridget [Brigid] Her mother and father were actually baptized by St. Patrick, her observance day is February 1^st, for more information go to: http://www.stbridgetofireland.org/ ) .

My brother Barry was facinated by this discovery and wrote a beautiful song called St. Bridget.

The Fairies

What wonderful folklore, the fairies!

 

As a child my mother had me frightened to death over the fairies. We were always warned about if we went into the woods and got lost turn your jacket or sweater inside out, or keep a piece of bread in your pocket, especially if the fog rolled in while picking berries or just exploring in by Fairy Hill in Riverhead, Harbour Grace

 

All towns in the Conception Bay North Area have their own fairy stories. Below is a photo showing Hibs Cove, Port de Grave. You can see where fairies hang out, especially when the fog rolls in!

 

 

 

I know for the most part these pieces of folklore kept the youth of the day in check, but it was passed down generation after generation and for the most part what is spoken about to this day is still the same in parts of Ireland. Back some months ago I had the opportunity to sit in on a short seminar hosted by the Baccalieu Trail Tourism Association, they had two guests from Ireland. The event was a real eye opener for me as I listened to the gentleman explain how he interviewed students and some adults regarding fairies and folklore, the astounding part about it was the connection from Ireland to Newfoundland, it was almost spookie. I also found the comments from the room and especially the students of our local school very interesting. It prompted me to research the phenomena of the Fairies, if you like learning go to: http://web.ncf.ca/bj333/faries.html .

 

One of my friends and web designer Margaret Ayad is a fellow fairy buff , I know she has a great deal of information on this topic, maybe she may share some more insight into amazing subject (in the comment section).

 

 

These are so much to discuss around the topic of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day, I look forward to hearing from you and any traditions you may have on this topic.

 

My next blog will center around the music and the food of Ireland.

God Bless