Irish American Heritage Month

March

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the A.D. 400s. Born in Britain, Saint Patrick first arrived in Ireland as a slave. After six years of slavery, he escaped to France where he studied for the priesthood. In 432, he returned to Ireland, this time as a Christian missionary.

Around Ireland
Ireland is divided into two separate countries - the independent Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of Great Britain. In addition to the general introduction to Irish geography, the highlights of this site are the Myths and Language pages. The Irish language is a remnant from the ancient Iron Age Celtic civilization. Throughout Ireland there is renewed interest in their ancient native tongue. “It is a beautiful language to listen to and not an easy one to learn.” Unfortunately, many of the geography pages and the Music page are still incomplete.

Five-Minute Irish Tales
Five-Minute Tales is a collection of 151 short Irish folk tales, some dating back to the twelfth century. The Webmaster says he purposely did not categorize the stories, so that browsing may afford the reader a sense of the variety that exists in the Irish and Celtic story-telling tradition. “Take a moment to raise up these stories from the printed page and place them back into our culture where they might take on real life.” I recommend starting with “The Man who had No Story.”

Gift of the Gab
“Blarney is celebrated the world over for a stone on the parapet that is said to endow whoever kisses it with the eternal gift of eloquence - the ‘Gift of the Gab’.” This wonderfully simple page explains the origin of the myth, and explores the castle of Blarney. A small link at the bottom of the page will lead you to Irish proverbs that exemplify the “Gift of the Gab.” Be sure to find it. When you reach the last of the proverbs, you’ll be transported to Ireland’s Eye, with its excellent history and heritage sections.

Interpreting the Irish Famine
“It began with a blight of the potato crop that left acre upon acre of Irish farmland covered with black rot.” The Irish Famine of 1846-1850 took as many as one million lives from hunger and disease, and had a profound impact on the social and cultural structure of Ireland. In addition, it spurred new waves of immigration, and thus also shaped the histories of the United States and Britain. This well-written, illustrated treatise includes a glossary and an extensive online bibliography.

“I do ALL the work, you get only the BEST sites!” Want to subscribe to the Surfing the Net with Kids newsletter? Every week, there are three site recommendations on a single topic. From learning the ABCs to high school physics, if this week’s topic doesn’t interest you, there will be something new next week.

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[tags]ireland,st. patrick,irish heritage,celtic,republic of ireland,northern ireland[/tags]