"Don't blow the tall white candle out...": A song for Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is a magical time. The waiting of Advent is over and the celebration of the Savior's birth is about to begin.

Photo by Malene Thyssen

One beautiful way that the Irish have traditionally kept this holy night is with the lighting of a candle in the window. The warm light from its glow acts as a welcome to all so that no one should be without shelter.

Offering hospitality to others by way of a lighted candle is a tradition as old as ancient Ireland. In more recent centuries during times of persecution in Ireland, the candle offered a welcome to priests that the home was a safe haven and that Mass could be offered there. On Christmas Eve, the candle also symbolizes the willingness of the household to welcome the Holy Family, so that the Infant Jesus and his family would not again be turned away. One Irish belief held that Joseph, Mary and Jesus still wandered the world, seeking a place of refuge from Herod.

The words of The Kerry Christmas Carol, written by Sigerson Clifford, admonish us to be sure to provide a welcome for the Holy Family on this special night before Christmas. Below are verses two and seven. I've placed the full version of the song here.

Verse 2

Ná múch an coinneal ard bán,

Ach fág é lásta go geal.

Go mbeidh siad cinnte ar aon

go bhfuil fáilte is fiche roimh cách

Sa teach ar an Oiche Nollag naofa seo!

Don't blow the tall white candle out

But leave it burning bright,

So that they'll know they're welcome here

This holy Christmas night!

Verse 7

Ná cur ar an ndoras ach an laiste anocht!

Agus coimead na gríosaigh beó -

Agus guí go mbeidh siad fén ar ndíon anocht

Agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan.

Leave the door upon the latch,

And set the fire to keep,

And pray they'll rest with us tonight

When all the world's asleep.

Tim Dennehy, who has recorded The Kerry Christmas Carol, has also written a song of his own to be sung in welcome of the Holy Family on Christmas Eve.

Tim has taken a traditional Irish prayer of welcome and added additional verses and a refrain. His song, An Nollaig Theas, begins as follows:

Dia do bheatha 'dir asal is damh gan riar

Dia do bheatha id' leanbh, id Fhlaith gan chiach

Dia do bheatha ód' Fhlaithis go teach na bpian

Dia do bheathasa 'Íosa.

Dún do shúil a Rí an tSolais, dún do shúile ríoga

Dún do shúil a Shaoi an tSonais, dún do shúile síoda.

Translated to English, the words are:

God's greeting to you untended 'tween ox and ass

God's greeting to you Child and Prince serene

God's greeting to you from heaven to the hour of pain

God's greeting to you dear Jesus.

Close your eyes oh King of light, close your regal eyes

Close your eyes oh fount of happiness, close your silken eyes.

You can find the rest of the lyrics to the song on Tim Dennehy's website.

If you choose to light a candle in your window this Christmas Eve and would like to follow Irish tradition, remember that it requires that the candle be left burning throughout the night. Oh, and it must only be blown out by one having the name of Mary! Or was that the youngest child in the family? Actually it might have been the youngest child who would, of course, be named Mary.

No matter. As long as you get the candle in the window I think any Irishman or woman would be feel welcomed at your home on Christmas Eve, not to mention Mary, Joseph and the Infant Jesus.


This article previously appeared here at Small-leaved Shamrock as part of Thomas MacEntee's GeneaBloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2008 and 2009. I've republished it this year in celebration of footnoteMaven's Blog Caroling event. Merry Christmas to all!

Image thanks to DoChara.com.

Sing of Christmas! (Advent Calendar: Christmas Music)

The Irish have long been known for their love of music, their talent for writing poetry, and their devotion to faith. All of these come together beautifully in traditional Irish Christmas carols.

You may not be as familiar with The Wexford Carol and others as with some of the more frequently-played modern-day carols and other traditional favorites. But the richness of the words and the Irish charm of the music may call you to make these carols an important part of your family's Christmas celebration.

The Wexford Carol is one of the oldest Irish carols and may date back to the 12th century. You can find the audio version of the music here or here. These are the words:

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmas-time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.

With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.

But mark how all things came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall.

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay,

And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.

"Prepare and go", the angels said.
'To Bethlehem, be not afraid,
For there you'll find this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our savior Christ behold.

Within a manger he was laid,
And by his side the virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.

A newer but also well-loved Irish song, The Kerry Christmas Carol (An Ciarrí Carúl Nollag), was first published in 1955 in a book of poetry entitled Ballads of a Bogman. Written by Sigerson Clifford, it focuses on a traditional Irish Christmas Eve custom. Each household welcomes the Holy Family to their home by lighting a candle and placing it in a window. According to Jack & Vivian Hennessey's Irish Page about the Kerry carol, "There was a pious belief that Joseph and Mary and the Child still wandered the roads of the world, looking for a place to rest from the persecution of Herod. That they should show a preference for the roads of rural Ireland was accepted as a given."

The only online audio version of The Kerry Christmas Carol that I could find is this little snippet from Tim Dennehy's Between The Mountains And The Sea. Here are the words to the song in Irish-Gaelic followed by the English translation (thanks to the Irish Page):

An Ciarrí Carúl Nollag
The Kerry Christmas Carol

Verse 1
Scuab an t-urlár agus glan an teallach,
's coimead na grísaigh beo,
Ar eagla go dtiocfhaidh siad anocht,
Agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan!

Brush the floor and clean the hearth,
And set the fire to keep,
For they might visit us tonight
When all the world's asleep!

Verse 2
Ná múch an coinneal ard bán,
Ach fág é lásta go geal.
Go mbeidh siad cinnte ar aon
go bhfuil fáilte is fiche roimh cách
Sa teach ar an Oiche Nollag naofa seo!

Don't blow the tall white candle out
But leave it burning bright,
So that they'll know they're welcome here
This holy Christmas night!

Verse 3
Léig amach ar an mbord, arán is feoil,
Agus braonín bainne don leanbh.
Agus beidh beannacht ar an dtine
Agus ar an té a bhruith an t-arán
Agus ar an lamh a dhéin an t-obair dian.

Leave out the bread and meat for them,
And sweet milk for the Child,
And they will bless the fire, that baked
And, too, the hands that toiled.

Verse 4
Beidh Naomh Iósaef túirseach,
Tar éis an turas fada.
Agus aghaidh Mhuire fann, bánghnéitheach
Agus beidh néal codlata aca.
Sar a n-imthígheann siad arís.

For Joseph will be travel-tired,
And Mary pale and wan,
And they can sleep a little while
Before they journey on.

Verse 5
Beidh túirse na mbóthar fada ortha
Agus seans aca a scíth a ligint,
Ó's iomai an míle fada uaigneach
Atá roimh an dtriur aca
Uaidh seo go dtí Beithil.

They will be weary of the roads,
And rest will comfort them,
For it must be many a lonely mile
From here to Bethlehem.

Verse 6
Ó is fada an bóthar 'tá le taisteal aca,
Agus é idir garbh is mín
Agus Cnoch Chalvaire mar ceann scríbe aca,
Agus chroise adhmad indan.

O long the road they have to go,
The bad mile with the good,
Till the journey ends on Calvary
Beneath a cross of wood.

Verse 7
Ná cur ar an ndoras ach an laiste anocht!
Agus coimead na gríosaigh beó -
Agus guí go mbeidh siad fén ar ndíon anocht
Agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan.

Leave the door upon the latch,
And set the fire to keep,
And pray they'll rest with us tonight
When all the world's asleep.

Another favorite Irish carol is Once In Royal David's City written in 1848 by Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander. You can find an audio version of it at this page. Here are the words:

Once in Royal David's City

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior Holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly Maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

Jesus is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

For more on Irish Christmas carols read Bridget Haggerty's An Irish Christmas - Ding Dong, Merrily on High...

You might also enjoy these Gaelic versions of popular Christmas carols (including Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer) courtesy of Vivian and Jack Hennessey.

This article is part of a series written in celebration of the Advent and Christmas seasons. It will be included as part of the GeneaBloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2009 Day 21: Christmas Music. Make a visit to Thomas MacEntee's GeneaBloggers website for some additional inspiration to get yourself in the holiday spirit!

The article originally appeared here at Small-leaved Shamrock and was included in Thomas MacEntee's Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2007. In the mood for more Christmas carols? Check out footnote Maven's "heavenly host" at A Choir of GeneaAngels. The angel to footnote Maven's right in the center of the choir is standing in for me.

Nollaig Shona dhíbh! (Advent Calendar: Grab Bag)

With Christmas just a week or so away there is still time to learn how to offer Christmas greetings in Gaelic.

Unlike Christmas shopping, it doesn't cost much to spread the kind of Christmas cheer that a "Nollaig Shona dhíbh!" can bring to your friends and family. And if they don't understand you at first, wishing them Christmas greetings in Gaelic can be the start of some good conversation on the topic of Irish heritage and the holiday season.
Here's a little lesson in Gaelic greetings for you (with generous thanks to the Irish Culture & Customs webpage Bunús na Gaeilge - Basic Irish Language):

Christmas is Nollaig, pronounced "null-ahg".

If you want to wish a happy Christmas to another person, you can say: Nollaig Shona dhuit, pronounced "null-ig hun-ah gwich".

A similar Christmas greeting to more than one person would be: Nollaig Shona dhíbh, pronounced "null-ig hun-ah yeev".

If (surprise of surprises!) someone wishes you Nollaig Shona dhuit, an appropriate way to say, "And to you..." would be: Go mba hé duit, pronounced, "guh mah hay gwich".

Bhfuil an siopadóireacht le h-aghaidh bronnantanais na Nollaig críochnaithe agat go fóill? (That was "Have you finished all your shopping for Christmas presents yet?" pronounced "Will shup-ah-dhoh-ir-ukth leh heye brun-than-ish nah null-ig cree-ukh-knee-heh ah-guth guh foh-il?") If not, the time is now.

If you have finished all your shopping and perhaps other Christmas preparations, then you might want to take some time to work on your Gaelic. Here are a few good resources to get you started:

• Foras na Gaeilge's webpage on learning Gaelic
• Daltaí na Gaeilge teachers list of Gaelic courses
• Gaelport™
• Even a page on computer terms in Irish Gaelic

When Christmas day is over and all the gifts have been unwrapped, ná déan dearmaid litreacha buíochais a scríobh as bhfúir mbrontannais. (That's Gaelic for: "Don't forget to write thank-you letters for your presents" pronounced "naw djayn djar-muidh lith-ree-uckha bwee-khish ah shcreev ahs woo-ir mrun-thahn-ish".) If your Gaelic studies have been successful, maybe you can throw in some new words and phrases in Irish Gaelic in each thank-you note.

Who knows, maybe it will increase your chances of seeing a little more luck of the Irish in the new year ahead.

Don't forget to check the Irish Culture & Customs webpage for a nice lexicon of Irish Gaelic holiday words and greetings.

Image courtesy of O'Brien's Irish Cottage.

This article is part of a series written in celebration of the Advent and Christmas seasons. It will be included as part of the GeneaBloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2009 Day 17: Grab Bag. Make a visit to Thomas MacEntee's GeneaBloggers website for some additional inspiration to get yourself in the holiday spirit!

The article originally appeared here at Small-leaved Shamrock and was included in Thomas MacEntee's Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2007.

A celebration of Irish names: What clan are you?

The Irish have always been a proud people, and many of us who have Irish roots mixed with other heritage continue to carry on that Irish pride. As a child I was able to stand taller and beam with pride when someone asked me on St. Patrick's Day if I was really Irish. "Yes, thank-you," I could answer truthfully, "I'm half Irish!"

Here at the 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture we've taken that question one step further and shared the names of the Irish clans from which we hail.

Surnames were adopted in Ireland before many other countries: at least a century before the Normans set foot on Irish shores. As Edward MacLysaght states in his well-respected Irish Families: Their Names, Arms, and Origins, "Irish surnames [are] more mixed than those of a nation with a less disturbed history." This is because of "the successive invasions of Ireland from Strongbow to Cromwell, culminating in the final destruction of the Gaelic order and the long drawn out subjection of the Irish people under the eighteenth century penal code, together with the plantations of foreign settlers and the more peaceful infiltration of Englishmen in the commercial life of the country."

Historic Arms of Ireland poster thanks to the Celtic Dragon Pub Company

You can see the turbulent history of Ireland showcased in the assortment of Irish surnames that have been listed here within our carnival.

Are you part Aylward, Borodell, Bowe, Boyle, Cahill, Clune, Coffey, Connolly, Conway, Corrigan, Cowhey, Cregan, Cronin, Curry, D'arcy, Degnan, DeHority, Denison, Dillon, Donahue, Farrell, Finnegan, Fitzgerald, Galvin, Gleeson, Harrington, Harrison, Hogan, Irwin, Kealy, Larkin, Livingston, McCann, McFarland, McMahon, McWade, Moffet, Molloy, Moore, Mulligan, Mulvaney, Nugent, O'Loughlin, O'Neil, Ryan, Thompson, Tierney, Toner or Wade?

Then read on for some submissions from your cousins. However distant they may be, they share your Irish pride and possibly even some of your genealogical lines and DNA. They may be spread throughout the globe (from the United States to Canada to Australia), but you might find a connection that links you both back to the shores of the Emerald Isle. Enjoy reading!


First we'll start with a few lessons on the deeper history of some Irish surnames. Earline Bradt took some Ancestral Notes on the background of the surname O'Neil (Uá Niáll) and shares them with us at Irish Names - O'Neil. She says, "My Irish surname is one that has been the ruling monarchy of Ireland for centuries. It is associated with legends and lore and much more." I, too, have O'Neil roots and you may also - it is a very common Irish surname. Visit Earline's article for the scoop on the O'Neil name and its glorious history.

Here at Small-leaved Shamrock I've shared a little history lesson on the Cowhey surname in my own family and its connection to the Coffey name (in Gaelic they are both Ó Cobhthaigh). I've included the origins of the Cowhey branch in Cork (not to mention their appearance in Pennsylvania thanks to my family's immigrant ancestor, Patrick Cowhey). Read On the happiness of being a Cowhey for the story.

The Fitzgerald surname is the focus of much of Alanna's Genealogy Research and she shares what she has learned about its background at Fitzgerald: What's in a Name. Alanna shares a few online sources for information about the origin of her surname that you may find helpful in researching your own.

Our Aussie contributor, Geniaus, shares with us the origins of her uncommon Irish surname, D'arcy (Ó Dorchaidhe). She writes, "Of the Irish surnames in my tree I am fascinated by D'arcy, a French sounding name from County Tipperary." The author gives us a little background on its history within Ireland and back to the late 1700s in her own family at If you’re enough lucky to be Irish... You’re lucky enough! Geniaus also mentions the following Irish surnames in her family tree: Bowe, Connolly, Cregan, Curry, Gleeson, Harrington, Kealy, Molloy, Moore, Ryan, Tierney and Wade.

The Farrell (Ó Fearghail) name is the not-so-surprising focus of Alana Farrell's contribution to our carnival posted at her blog A Twig In My Tree. At Farrell or Fearghail she shares background on her surname, including its coat of arms. Alana also gives us a little intro into the history of Irish surnames in general.

Stephanie Varney, author of the new and very Irish of genealogy blogs Irish Genealogical Research, has focused on the surname in her tree which she is currently working on most: Dillon (her branch emigrated to New Garden, Pennsylvania). The name changed from the Norman French de Leon to the Gaelic O’ Duilleain and then to the more modern Dillon that we know today. Visit Stephanie's article Irish Surname Spotlight: Dillon to learn more and discover which county in Ireland actually has the nickname "Dillon's County". While you're visiting, take some time to browse around for lots of tips on Irish family history research.

Mary Beaulieu shares an interesting tale of family history at her blog AncestorTracking. Her DeHority surname has seen many changes from the original ÓDochartaigh (including Dehorty, Doherty, and Daugherty), and Mary turned to DNA testing to ensure that her supposed Irish roots were truly Irish and not French as she had originally guessed. Read her article An Irish Name for the family legend about a group of young men, including a Doherty, who may have been kidnapped from the coast of Ireland and brought to America in the 18th-century to work as indentured servants.

The Harrison, Irwin, Livingston and Moffet surnames in her family tree are the focus of M. Diane Rogers' submission to this edition of our carnival. She gives a little background on each surname within her family and mentions several sources which give a deeper history of the names, all of which appear to have been derived from English or Scottish surnames. Also read her article Irish Names! Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture - HARRISON, IRWIN, LIVINGSTON, MOFFET, County Cavan posted at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' to learn about some of the given names on the Irish side of her family tree, including the woman's name which she would most like to learn more about: Delina.

Speaking of given names, Katie of You Are Where You Came From shared her submission with the note: "This is my first carnival submission, about Julia, the one name that has brought my the most insight into my Irish family's genealogy. (Names and naming patterns are my other big hobby, besides, genealogy, so I was thrilled to write this post.)" Read her article Irish Names: Julia for the story of her ancestor Julia and some mentions of the Irish surnames in her tree which include Toner and Mulvaney.

The surname belonging to Brian Zalewski's grandmother (his family's "biggest Irish supporter") is the main focus of his entry into our carnival. Brian presents What’s in a Name? posted at the Zalewski Family Genealogy blog and discusses the history of the surname Corrigan (originally Coirdhecan) in his family. He also mentions the other Irish surnames in his tree: McCann, Thompson, Nugent, Boyle and Cronin. While you're visiting Brian's blog, stop by the Corrigan Album in his Photos section to view a nice collection of vintage photographs of this side of Brian's family.

Julie Cahill Tarr gives us a list of her Irish surnames (Cahill, McMahon, Ryan and Mulligan) along with a little info on her family tree at My Irish Surnames posted at GenBlog. Her Irish surnames appear to be among her biggest brick walls, she writes, although she has had some success tracing a few lines back to Ireland. Julie shares links to each of her Irish surnames' deeper history within The Internet Surname Database. You might try searching your own surnames there - thanks for sharing the tip, Julie.

Bill West's Irish Catholic mother made some "vivid remarks" after an online talk show guest replied to Bill's question about her McFarland maiden name's history with what she must have thought was a dubious answer. Read his story and his questions about the history of this surname and his family's roots within My McFarland Quandry posted at West in New England.

Colleen Johnson has quite a bit of Irish heritage within her and a long list of Irish surnames in her family tree. Boyle, Degnan, Clune, Conway, Donahue, Finnegan, Galvin, Hogan, Larkin, McWade and O'Loughlin all figure within her list, and she shares a little intro on the background of each on her blog CMJ Office within The Names of My Ancestors.

Midge Frazel has some questions about the Borodell line of her family. Her research goes back to Ann Borodell Denison (born in the 17th-century), but conflicting information has placed her father's birth in either England or Cork, Ireland. True Graveyard Rabbit that she is, Midge shares an image of a beautiful copper casting of Ann's slate gravestone, who died in 1712. Read Irish Ancestors posted at Granite in My Blood to see it and read her story.

French-Canadian Evelyn Yvonne Theriault found some Irish ancestors in her New Brunswick line when she went looking for an addition to our Irish names carnival. Although the Aylward branch is "on the far edge of [her] family tree" as she puts it, Evelyn has done a nice job spelling out the genealogy of this line of her family and giving us an introduction to the name's history in the New Brunswick area thanks to a local history book on the area's pioneer families. Read The Irish Aylwards of Shippagan, New Brunswick posted at A Canadian Family for the story. As Evelyn states, "Not everyone's Acadian in northern New Brunswick!"

As Evelyn found and as we can see from the various contributors to this edition of the carnival, Irish heritage can turn up in many places and many families. I hope you've enjoyed taking a look at this handful of the many Irish surnames thanks to the submissions of our contributors researching their Irish roots.

Plan to join us for the upcoming 14th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. The topic will be Irish Vacations and it will be hosted by Colleen Degnan Johnson. For details visit Upcoming 14th edition: Let's go to Ireland! Irish Vacations on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog. Deadline for this upcoming edition is Friday, July 10, 2009. Hope to see you there!

Also plan ahead to join us for the 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge. A compilation of the books read by participants will be the topic for the 15th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. Last year's edition, Looking into the heart of Ireland, introduced us to quite a varied assortment of reading material on Ireland and the Irish. Get started now on your summer reading so that you can join us and share what you've read by August 30, 2009. Details can be found at Upcoming 15th edition: 2nd Annual Small-leaved Shamrock Summer Reading Challenge on the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog.

Your St. Patrick's Day to do list, 2009

With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching, I hope you have gotten your plans in order for celebration.
Checked these off your list yet?

• Something green to wear
• Recipes and ingredients ready for a meal with Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, etc. (or plans to eat out at your favorite Irish pub)
• Info and directions to get to your nearest St. Patrick's Day parades and celebrations
• A few Irish Gaelic phrases - practiced and ready (view the short video below for a start)
  

Last but not least, don't forget to send in your submission to the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture's 2009 St. Patrick's Day parade edition (deadline March 14)!

Got a minute? Get acquainted with Irish Gaelige

Radio Lingua has produced ten short One Minute Irish lesson podcasts for those interesting in getting a taste of the language of the Emerald Isle. Check out One Minute Languages for a few short lessons with native speaker Eoin as your instructor. Beginning with basic conversational phrases and continuing with the numbers one through ten and various holiday greetings, One Minute Irish is just the thing to get you started early so that by St. Patrick's Day you'll sound like a native.

Thanks to Thomas MacEntee of Thomas 2.0 for the tip about Radio Lingua's podcasts.

For more on the Irish language, you might enjoy reading the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, entitled A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney, found at both A light that shines again and the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture blog.

Speaking of the carnival, plan to join us for the upcoming 10th edition, For the love of Ireland: deadline November 22nd. Hope to see you there!

Because "one language is never enough"...

Want a little introduction to the Irish language, Hiberno-English and the Irish "gift of gab"? Stop on over at A light that shines again for A little Irish language, a bit of Blarney.... It's the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture and its not to be missed!


Agree with the Irish phrase Neamhleor atá teanga amháin? (Translation: One language is never enough.) You'll enjoy a tribute to the language of the bards of Ireland and how that language has influenced places and people throughout history - and how it still does today.

What are you waiting for? Be off to your reading! Go n-éirí an bóthar leat!

One, two...a trí, a ceathair, a cúig!

Count with me:

A haon (uh HAY*N)...
a dó (uh DOH)...
a trí (uh TREE)...
a ceathair (uh KA-hir)...
a cúig (uh KOO-ig)...

One...
two...
three...
four...

...five more days to submit your post for the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture to be hosted by A light that shines again. The theme is Irish Gaelic (or your experience with it, no matter how limited) and the deadline is Sunday, April 27. Hope to see you there!

Numbers one through five in Gaelic (and their accompanying pronunciation guides) are courtesy of The Irish People's Learn Irish Gaelic Lesson 36.

Two weeks left to work on your Irish Gaelic

...in time for the Irish Gaelic edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, that is!

Do your spring cleaning (glanadh an earraigh) along with us and help us air out a few words and phrases by dusting off your Irish Gaelic dictionary and joining us for the carnival.

It is springtime! The time has come to put away the winter clothes (tá an t-am tagtha éadaí an Gheimhridh a chur ar leataobh) and bring some Irish Gaelic out into the fresh air!

Hope you'll join us for the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture to be posted over at A light that shines again, We will honor the beauty of the Irish language with a focus on Irish Gaelic names and words.

• Has the charm of the name of a place in Ireland always called to you to visit someday?
• As a child did you secretly wish you had the Irish name of a great-grandparent instead of the name you were born with?
• Do you have a story to tell about someone with an Irish surname?
• Is there an Irish proverb that you have always loved to let slide off of your tongue in its original language?

Join us for the carnival. The only prerequisite is that your post must tie in with our focus on the Irish Gaelic language.

Posts for this edition of the carnival are due April 27. Submit your entries here. The carnival will be posted at A light that shines again on St. Ciarán's Day, April 30. (Well, one of the St. Ciarán's days - there are actually 14 in the calendar of Irish saints. Now there's one popular Irish Gaelic name!)

There is no better way to revive Irish

than for a crowd of people to spread it.
~ Douglas Hyde

An Irish Easter blessing for you

"At the breaking of the Easter dawn
may the Risen Saviour bless your home
with grace and peace from above,
with joy and laughter, and with love
And when night is nigh, and day is done
Make He keep you safe from all harm."

Beannachtaí Ná Cásca oraibh!

May the blessings of Easter be upon you!

For a good article on Irish Easter traditions, see Bridget Haggerty's The dance of the Sun at dawn and a cake dance in the afternoon on the Irish Culture and Customs website. You might also enjoy Easter Saturday and Funeral for a Fish.

The Irish Gaelic edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture

No, I'm not planning to write the whole carnival out in Irish Gaelic. Now, that would be some task for one who blunders when just trying to pronounce "Céad Míle Fáilte!"

The title of this post refers to the upcoming 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture - which I hope you'll plan to be a part of.

There's something about the Irish Gaelic language that has such an appeal to those of us who speak English. It has a mysterious sound (and often a mysterious meaning to those of us that can't easily translate it).

The 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture will honor the beauty of the Irish language with a focus on Irish Gaelic names and words.

• Has the charm of the name of a place in Ireland always called to you to visit someday?


• As a child did you secretly wish you had the Irish name of a great-grandparent instead of the name you were born with?


• Do you have a story to tell about someone with an Irish surname?


• Is there an Irish proverb that you have always loved to let slide off of your tongue in its original language?

Join us for the 5th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. The only prerequisite is that your post must tie in with our focus on the Irish Gaelic language.

Posts for this edition of the carnival are due April 27. Submit your entries here. The carnival will be posted at A light that shines again on St. Ciarán's Day, April 30. (Well, one of the St. Ciarán's days - there are actually 14 in the calendar of Irish saints. Now there's one popular Irish Gaelic name!)

Hope you'll join us for a celebration of Gaeilge!

If you haven't yet done so, don't forget to read the 2008 St. Patrick's Day edition of the carnival.

Until we meet again:

Slán agus beannacht leat!

Good-bye and blessings on you!

"Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam"
(A country without a language, a country without a soul)

Image of shamrocks courtesy of Karen's Whimsy.

A St. Patrick's Day parade of posts!

St. Patrick's Day has long been honored in the land of the Emerald Isle - and is today also celebrated by the millions of "exiles" the world over who share Irish heritage or a love for Ireland's culture.

Welcome to the St. Patrick's Day edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture. If you are an Irish citizen, have Irish ancestry, or just love the history and culture of Ireland, you've come to the right place this St. Patrick's Day.

Of course, you may have heard that today is not officially the feast of St. Patrick. The importance of the liturgical celebration for 2008 has been eclipsed by that of Monday of Holy Week. Yet, secular St. Patrick's Day celebrations will continue today and lovers of Ireland the world over cannot help but be sentimental about the land of Erin every March 17, this year included.

So sit back, grab a cup of Irish tea and a scone or two, and join us for a parade of posts celebrating all things Irish!

Just to get you in the mood for St. Patrick's Day, we'll begin with a tour of Irish heritage around the web.

I enjoyed reading the fictional story of a shillelagh passed down through one family along with the tale of their immigrant ancestor's journey to America. Over at A light that shines again you can read more about this charming children's book and why "a good story never has to end...". What a nice surprise to find that Elizabeth's young daughter (of Little Bytes of Life) found a shillelagh hiding behind a door in her home and pulled it out to enjoy it! View her blog to see photos of this wee lass "walking tall" with her grandmother's shillelagh.

The book and Elizabeth's photos make me think of the many heirlooms and tales of my own family's heritage that I wish had been passed down just one more generation. Some of you have shared your family's stories for our St. Patrick's Day carnival. It is good to know that they will be passed down for posterity.

I enjoyed reading about Colleen Johnson's heritage in both Tierlaheen, County Clare and Drumlish, County Longford. Only a second generation American herself, Colleen tells of her grandmother's sad departure from Ireland and her own visits many years later with Clune cousins in her family's ancestral village. You'll enjoy the story about Colleen's love of the cliffs of Moher and her attempts at leaning over the edge and looking down to get a great photo. (Get a feel for the cliffs yourself via a video link on Colleen's post.) Colleen and her family's mistake on their visit to her grandfather's boyhood home is one that all those searching for their roots in a foreign homeland would be wise to avoid.

Not all of us can be as sure as Colleen as to where our Irish roots originated. Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi has memories of his mother's claim to Irish heritage, but as dedicated a genealogist as he is, he has not yet been able to find the paper trail back to Ireland. His post entitled Am I of Irish Descent? The Hollingsworth Connection details his research so far and his questions regarding his ancestors who may have been Irish or if not, possibly English residents of the land of Erin.

Bill West over in New England has a better grasp on his own Irish heritage. His mother even helped to get the local St. Patrick's Day parade established. Yet, his shortcoming is his inability to pronounce the language of his ancestors. Read My Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother Tongue for a humorous look at Bill's attempt to introduce a Celtic band with an Irish Gaelic name.

I, too, can relate to finding difficulty with the foreign-sounding Irish language and wishing it could have been passed down to me along with my Irish genes. If you'd like a few tips on how to pronounce some simple Irish phrases for St. Patrick's Day, take a look at Your St. Patrick's Day to-do list here at Small-leaved Shamrock.

Speaking of a "mother's mother's mother's mother tongue", I've posted a tribute to the Irish women in our family trees at Irish women in America: our grandmothers' stories. Want to learn more about the history of the tough and resilient women of Ireland and those of Irish descent who spent their lives as immigrants in a new world? This post includes a list of recommended reading to deepen our understanding of their history.

Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire, who also has Irish heritage, found herself interested in the Irish roots of N.A.S.A. Endeavor Mission Specialist Dr. Rick Linnehan. Her post about Dr. Linnehan explores his Irish ancestry in Massachusetts. Janice wonders if he'll be taking a shamrock with him on his visit into space. The current Endeavor mission, launched on March 11, will continue through March 26. Here's hoping the crew will take a break from their work to commemorate St. Patrick's Day!

Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, the holiday's long history and full meaning are not always understood by those celebrating. For a little history lesson on the meaning behind all the fuss on March 17, see my post at A light that shines again where I've written A wee bit of Irish history for ya.

Want to know more about St. Patrick himself, the man in whose name all the festivities are held? Read my post entitled The man of the hour: Pádraig of Ireland here at Small-leaved Shamrock for a little background on his life and a sample of his actual writings, which survive to the present day.

Loretta Murphy on her Girardville, Pennsylvania blog The Creek (pronounced "crick") has written a beautiful post detailing the history and significance of St. Patrick's Day as a holiday primarily in celebration of the faith of the Irish people. Loretta writes, "The significance of St. Patrick's Day for all Irish is, in the end, one of culture. It is a tradition, a symbol of our ethnic history and religious heritage. Regardless of where or how it is celebrated, it is a matter of Irish pride that the true meaning of the celebration be made known." Read about that true meaning in her post entitled St. Patrick's Day 2008.

Already think you know everything there is to know about St. Patrick and the Emerald Isle? Try your luck on a few quizzes to prove it.

If you come up short on a few of those questions and need a review or if you'd like to share the history and fun of St. Patrick's Day with children, a good place to start is my post On leprechauns and other little people. You'll find a list of recommended children's books on St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general. Here's your chance to be sure that the children in your life know that there's more to St. Patrick's Day than snacks with green food coloring.

Enough for the background on St. Patrick's Day. Eventually you just have to get down to the celebration itself!

Here, thanks to a number of bloggers, we have some ideas on many different ways that you can spend your time this St. Patrick's Day.

But before we get started, a warning from Mike O'Laughlin of the Irish Roots Cafe. Read his post The Crying Shamerock Awards for a few items to avoid within your St. Patrick's Day celebrations: icons that claim to be of Irish origin but are really not.

Now on to our St. Patrick's Day plans. Here is a list of activities to fit into your day this March 17 or sometime during March 2008, designated in the U.S. as Irish-American heritage month.

Start your day with some Irish tea - Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family shares some good memories of having tea at his Grandmother's home in his post The Irish Tradition of Tea. He also gives five "rules" to follow when serving your own tea. My favorite of his rules has to do with picking the right teaspoon!

Wear your green - Who knows, if you wear your green and have Irish blood, you might even see a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day. Read about Jessica's attempt to do so as a young girl at Thoughts About Irish Heritage in America ....

Sing an old Irish folk song - What better way to celebrate March 17 than to sing an old Irish ballad or folktune? When you've done too many rounds of Danny Boy, see my post Sing of Erin for another old (but often forgotten) classic.

Read some classic Irish poetry - One of my all-time favorites has to be "The Wearin' of the Green". Read my post about the 300-year-old poem which can't help but touch the heartstrings of anyone who has a soft spot for the Irish and their sad plight during some of their most difficult struggles in history.

Write some poetry of your own - How about an Irish poetic triad? You probably know that the number three is important to the Irish. St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. Bill West of West in New England has a fun suggestion: try creating some poetic triads of your own. See his post Three is the number thou shalt count... for details. A little history, a lot of blarney, good poetry - a successful formula for some quality St. Patrick's Day writing!

Do some St. Patrick's Day digital scrapbooking - Jasia's Creative Genealogy blog highlights some nice (and free) kits that will call out the creative gene in you. Stop by Ooodles O'Irish! for some fun project starters to liven up your St. Patrick's Day pictures or photographs of Irish family, occasions or travel.

Give your pet a proper Irish name - Tim Agazio of Genealogy Reviews Online found an old 1893 New York Times article exposing a controversy over the appropriateness of the Irish names given to various animals at the Central Park Zoo. Today, since Irish-Americans need no longer have as much fear of ridicule, I'm sure that those names would be a source of pride. Read Tim's article and then take pride in your Irish heritage by giving your beloved pet an Irish name this Irish-American heritage month.

Prepare some Irish recipes - Your Irish celebrations need not add on the pounds, says Anne-Marie of This Mama Cooks! On a Diet and My Readable Feast. Read her post 5 ways to stay lean and green this St. Patrick's Day for some tips, including how to do your corned beef and cabbage "right". Anne-Marie's St. Patrick's Day family fun and feasting gives a nice recipe for Honey-Almond Oat Pudding, a bit of Irish cuisine that may appeal to all the little lads and lasses that you know.

Watch an old movie about the Irish - Miriam of AnceStories suggests her favorite movie. Recollections of the lush green images of Ireland and the sound of Irish voices in The Quiet Man bring back fond memories for her. Read her post to hear about this movie from her childhood in Alaska and to see a video clip. Now, as we conclude this St. Patrick's Day parade of posts for the 4th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture, here are a few special tributes for you.

From Janice Brown of Cow Hampshire (and her appropriately dressed "banner cow", decked out for St. Patrick's Day): Raising Your Pint to St. Patrick...

From footnoteMaven, giving us a little lesson in Irish Gaelic: Saol Fada Chugat

And as we say goodbye, I leave a St. Patrick's Day blessing for all of you - my Irish (and "Irish for the Day") readers of Small-leaved Shamrock and A light that shines again:

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

(Ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For information about the upcoming 5th edition of the carnival, see my post entitled The Irish Gaelic Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

Just a little bit more Christmas

I should have warned you, but I trust that you are still enjoying the Christmas decorations in your home. Taking them down before January 6, the feast of Epiphany (remember the Magi?) has long been considered "bad luck" in Ireland. (And you know that the Irish take their luck seriously!)

Bad luck or not, it is traditional in Ireland to celebrate the full twelve days of Christmas along with the liturgical calendar of the Church. The culmination of this celebration on Epiphany, January 6, is also known in Ireland as Nollaig Bheag (Little Christmas). It is the day of the final Christmas feast and also the day to remove all Christmas decorations and begin the new season of Ordinary Time.

The day also has another significance to some in Ireland, particularly in County Cork where the Cowhey family originated. It is Nollaig na mBan (Women's Christmas). The tradition holds that the men take on the household duties for the day while women receive the day off, often taking time with other female relatives and friends to celebrate. January 6 also acts as a Mother's Day of sorts, with children honoring their mothers and grandmothers with gifts. You might enjoy reading Sheila Flitton's memories of Women's Christmases past and present in her native Cork in her article Little Womens' Christmas. She observes that today "wine and lunch has replaced the bottle of stout and corned beef sandwiches" from the "local public house" while each man of the house stays "home trying his hand at cooking and spending quality time with the children (or so they say)". Sounds like a tradition that should certainly be carried on.

Here's wishing you a very happy twelfth day of Christmas! I hope that you had a beautiful celebration of the Savior's birth and ushered in the New Year with joy and hope for the future. Now you can take down your Christmas decorations and go on with ordinary, everyday life. But don't forget to be especially kind to your mother on Little Christmas!

Less than three months and counting

I couldn't bring myself to share this with you the day after Christmas.

Not even New Year's Day.

But now I'm ready...

After beginning our Christmas shopping immediately after the Thanksgiving feast, it seemed like the holiday season's preparations had been going on forever.

Now, just when you thought you could rest, I have a new holiday for you to prepare for.

If you've been watching the ticker on the sidebar of Small-leaved Shamrock you know that we are less than three months away from that most Irish of all celebrations: St. Patrick's Day.

The Irish have a saying:
Ráithe ó Nollaig go Féile Phádraig

That Gaelic phrase refers to the three-month-long "season" between Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.

You know what they say:

Téann an saol thart mar a bheadh eiteoga air
(Life goes by as if it had wings)

Do you have your green ready?
Image courtesy of It's a Party-ful Life!

Sing of Christmas!

The Irish have long been known for their love of music, their talent for writing poetry, and their devotion to faith. All of these come together beautifully in traditional Irish Christmas carols.

You may not be as familiar with The Wexford Carol and others as with some of the more frequently-played modern-day carols and other traditional favorites. But the richness of the words and the Irish charm of the music may call you to make these carols an important part of your family's Christmas celebration.

The Wexford Carol is one of the oldest Irish carols and may date back to the 12th century. You can find the audio version of the music here or here. These are the words:

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmas-time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending his beloved Son.

With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas day;
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.

But mark how all things came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall.

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay,

And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.

"Prepare and go", the angels said.
'To Bethlehem, be not afraid,
For there you'll find this happy morn,
A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our savior Christ behold.

Within a manger he was laid,
And by his side the virgin maid,
Attending on the Lord of life,
Who came on earth to end all strife.

A newer but also well-loved Irish song, The Kerry Christmas Carol (An Ciarrí Carúl Nollag), was first published in 1955 in a book of poetry entitled Ballads of a Bogman. Written by Sigerson Clifford, it focuses on a traditional Irish Christmas Eve custom. Each household welcomes the Holy Family to their home by lighting a candle and placing it in a window. According to Jack & Vivian Hennessey's Irish Page about the Kerry carol, "There was a pious belief that Joseph and Mary and the Child still wandered the roads of the world, looking for a place to rest from the persecution of Herod. That they should show a preference for the roads of rural Ireland was accepted as a given."

The only online audio version of The Kerry Christmas Carol that I could find is this little snippet from Tim Dennehy's Between The Mountains And The Sea. Here are the words to the song in Irish-Gaelic followed by the English translation (thanks to the Irish Page):

An Ciarrí Carúl Nollag
The Kerry Christmas Carol

Verse 1
Scuab an t-urlár agus glan an teallach,
's coimead na grísaigh beo,
Ar eagla go dtiocfhaidh siad anocht,
Agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan!

Brush the floor and clean the hearth,
And set the fire to keep,
For they might visit us tonight
When all the world's asleep!

Verse 2
Ná múch an coinneal ard bán,
Ach fág é lásta go geal.
Go mbeidh siad cinnte ar aon
go bhfuil fáilte is fiche roimh cách
Sa teach ar an Oiche Nollag naofa seo!

Don't blow the tall white candle out
But leave it burning bright,
So that they'll know they're welcome here
This holy Christmas night!

Verse 3
Léig amach ar an mbord, arán is feoil,
Agus braonín bainne don leanbh.
Agus beidh beannacht ar an dtine
Agus ar an té a bhruith an t-arán
Agus ar an lamh a dhéin an t-obair dian.

Leave out the bread and meat for them,
And sweet milk for the Child,
And they will bless the fire, that baked
And, too, the hands that toiled.

Verse 4
Beidh Naomh Iósaef túirseach,
Tar éis an turas fada.
Agus aghaidh Mhuire fann, bánghnéitheach
Agus beidh néal codlata aca.
Sar a n-imthígheann siad arís.

For Joseph will be travel-tired,
And Mary pale and wan,
And they can sleep a little while
Before they journey on.

Verse 5
Beidh túirse na mbóthar fada ortha
Agus seans aca a scíth a ligint,
Ó's iomai an míle fada uaigneach
Atá roimh an dtriur aca
Uaidh seo go dtí Beithil.

They will be weary of the roads,
And rest will comfort them,
For it must be many a lonely mile
From here to Bethlehem.

Verse 6
Ó is fada an bóthar 'tá le taisteal aca,
Agus é idir garbh is mín
Agus Cnoch Chalvaire mar ceann scríbe aca,
Agus chroise adhmad indan.

O long the road they have to go,
The bad mile with the good,
Till the journey ends on Calvary
Beneath a cross of wood.

Verse 7
Ná cur ar an ndoras ach an laiste anocht!
Agus coimead na gríosaigh beó -
Agus guí go mbeidh siad fén ar ndíon anocht
Agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan.

Leave the door upon the latch,
And set the fire to keep,
And pray they'll rest with us tonight
When all the world's asleep.

Another favorite Irish carol is Once In Royal David's City written in 1848 by Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander. You can find an audio version of it at this page. Here are the words:

Once in Royal David's City

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior Holy.

And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly Maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

Jesus is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

For more on Irish Christmas carols read Bridget Haggerty's An Irish Christmas - Ding Dong, Merrily on High...

You might also enjoy these Gaelic versions of popular Christmas carols (including Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer) courtesy of Vivian and Jack Hennessey.

In the mood for more Christmas carols? Check out footnote Maven's "heavenly host" at A Choir of GeneaAngels. The angel to footnote Maven's right in the center of the choir is standing in for me.

Also see Thomas MacEntee's Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories at Destination: Austin Family. Check out his calendar daily this month for some good mini-memoirs of this nostalgic season. This post will be listed under Christmas Music on December 21.