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  The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter 
                   April 2009
 
The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland 
 Now received by over 50,000 people worldwide 
      https://www.ireland-information.com 
          https://www.irishnation.com
              Copyright (C) 2009  

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		IN THIS ISSUE

=== News Snaps from Ireland 
=== New free resources at the site
=== Who were the Black Irish?
=== Portrush, Northern Ireland by J. Herbert Silverman
=== The Mayo Memorial Peace Park by Martin Coyle
=== The Goose by Pat Watson
=== A Dream of Ireland from Afghanistan by Rick Ervin
=== The Irish Coins Proof Set
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
========

Hello again from Ireland where the full grip of 
the recession can be felt everywhere. The mood 
is very gloom and doom here at the moment with 
almost daily announcements of job losses and 
further financial problems. Of course the media 
have joined in with gusto with certain commentators 
never having looked so happy!

Be sure to check out our limited time offering of 
a proof set of Irish coins that are sure to 
increase in value (see below). These are real 
recession-busters!

Michael


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NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
=======================

SAVAGE BUDGET CUTS CONTINUE

The extent of the problems facing the Irish 
government has been highlighted by its 
introduction of arguably the most savage 
budget in recent history. The huge public 
sector pay bill has not been tackled however 
and it remains to be seen if this omission 
will cost the Fianna Fail government even more 
of its dwindling support. Various opinion polls 
have put the party at as low as 23%, well behind 
Fine Gael and even behind the Labour Party in 
some polls.

With a huge fall in the amount of income taken in 
by government, due largely to the property crash, 
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has decided to 
try to tax his way out of the problem. The new 
income levy that was only recently introduced has 
been doubled, with those earning 50,000 euro or 
more paying 4% in direct tax, without any 
allowances and before the other rates of taxation 
are applied. 

Cuts in payments have also been announced with the 
Christmas bonus to welfare recipients being 
scrapped and the possibility of child benefit being 
either taxed or 'means tested' being mooted.

The government has surprised some commentators with 
its announcement of a new National Asset Management 
Agency which will buy 'bad loans' from the banks at 
a greatly reduced price. The current valuation is 
expected to be at least 80 B.illion euro but the 
government will pay only a fraction of this amount 
and will recoup any loss it might incur from the 
banks over time, if necessary.

HOUSE PRICE COLLAPSE LEVELLING OFF

A recent survey has found the average price of a 
house in Ireland is now 281,000 euro, some 63,000 
euro off the peak and back at 2005 levels. Huge 
price reductions in new developments and a final 
acceptance of the new situation by previously 
over-optimistic sellers has resulted in the market 
moving again somewhat although at a more modest 
rate than in previous years. The large oversupply 
of houses that still exists, some 60,000 homes, 
will have to be reduced considerably however, 
before the absolute bottom of the market can be 
called.

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN REDUCES ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

One aspect of the ongoing recession that may yet 
have a positive effect is the reduction in the use 
of alcohol. The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland 
has stated that 2008 was the worst year for its 
business in 25 years with alcohol consumption 
reducing by nearly 6% in 2008 alone. For the first 
time the amount of alcohol sold in off-licences 
has exceeded that sold in pubs and clubs which 
is a further blow to the rural pub trade. A recent 
report has indicated that alcohol consumption is 
now back to 1998 levels.

SIGNIFICANT ARCHEOLOGICAL FIND AT HILL OF TARA

An ancient wooden version of Stonehenge has been 
discovered at the Hill of Tara. The scale of the 
monument which is still buried beneath the hill 
is comparable with the size of the pitch at Croke 
Park. It is estimated the discovery is 4500 years 
old and while the actual wooden structure no 
longer exists a ditch stretching six metres wide 
and three metres deep was detected in the bedrock, 
using techniques that give a kind of X-Ray of 
the hill.

DUBLINER WINS WORLD BOXING TITLE

Dubliner Bernard Dunne has enhanced his boxing 
reputation with the stunning capture of the WBA 
World Super Bantamweight title in Dublin. An 
eleventh round knockout of Ricardo Cordoba of 
Panama was the culmination of a fine display by 
the 29-year old who has become the first Irishman 
since Barry McGuigan to win a WBA title.

IRISH RUGBY TEAM WINS THE GRAND SLAM

The Irish Rugby team has claimed its first 
'Grand Slam' in 61 years with a last gasp victory 
against Wales. The victory was as dramatic possible 
with the Welsh having a chance to ruin the party 
with a last minute penalty. It didn't cross the bar 
though and the long wait for Irish rugby was over.


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==============================
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NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 5 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:

B: Bird
C: McCall
G: Godfrey
L: Landers
P: Powers

View the Gallery here:

http://www.irishsurnames.com/coatsofarms/gm.htm

THE PERFECT WEDDING, ANNIVERSARY OR BIRTHDAY GIFT!
We now have over 100,000 worldwide names available.
Get the Coat of Arms Print, Claddagh Ring,
Screensaver, Watch, T-Shirt Transfer or Clock for
your name at:

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where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
claddagh jewellery, engraved glassware and 
much more.

Anne MacDonald ordered a family crest plaque:

 Hello, Michael,

 Received my plaque, carefully wrapped, 
 in good order. It is splendid! I am 
 thrilled, and I know that my dad, for whose 
 81st birthday this was ordered, will love 
 it. I would like to order another one! 

 Everyone who has seen the plaque has been 
 really impressed, even those who, as my 
 daughter says are 'not into ancestor 
 worship!'

 Again, my hearty thanks for this 
 first-class product.

 Best wishes for happy holiday season.

 Sincerely, Anne MacDonald

THE PERFECT WEDDING OR ANNIVERSARY GIFT!

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=========================
WHO WERE THE BLACK IRISH?
=========================

The term 'Black Irish' has commonly been in 
circulation among Irish emigrants and their 
descendants for centuries. As a subject of 
historical discussion the subject is almost 
never referred to in Ireland. There are a 
number of different claims as to the origin of 
the term, none of which are possible to prove 
or disprove.

'Black Irish' is often a description of 
people of Irish origin who had dark features, 
black hair, dark complexion and eyes. 

A quick review of Irish history reveals that 
the island was subject to a number of influxes 
of foreign people. The Celts arrived on the 
island about the year 500 B.C. Whether or not 
this was an actual invasion or rather a more 
gradual migration and assimilation of their 
culture by the natives is open to conjecture,
but there is sufficient evidence to suggest 
that this later explanation is more likely. 
The next great influx came from Northern 
Europe with Viking raids occurring as early 
as 795 A.D. The defeat of the Vikings at the 
Battle of Clontarf in the year 1014 by Brian 
Boru marked the end of the struggle with the 
invaders and saw the subsequent integration 
of the Vikings into Irish society. The migrants 
became 'Gaelicized' and formed septs (a kind 
of clan) along Gaelic lines. 

The Norman invasions of 1170 and 1172 led by 
Strongbow saw yet another wave of immigrants 
settle in the country, many of whom fiercely 
resisted English dominance of the island in
the centuries that followed. The Plantation of 
Ulster in the seventeenth century saw the 
arrival of English and Scottish colonists in 
Ulster after the 'Flight of the Earls'.

Each of these immigrant groups had their own 
physical characteristics and all, with the 
exception of the Ulster Planters, assimilated 
to some degree into Irish society, many 
claiming to be 'more Irish than the Irish 
themselves!' 

The Vikings were often referred to as the 
'dark invaders' or 'black foreigners'. The 
Gaelic word for foreigner is 'gall' and for 
black (or dark) is 'dubh'. Many of the 
invaders families took Gaelic names that 
utilised these two descriptive words. The 
name Doyle is in Irish 'O'Dubhghaill' which 
literally means 'dark foreigner' which 
reveals their heritage as an invading force 
with dark intentions. The name Gallagher is 
'O Gallchobhair' which translates as 'foreign 
help'. The traditional image of Vikings is of 
pale-skinned blond-haired invaders but their 
description as 'dark foreigners' may lead us 
to conclude that their memory in folklore 
does not just depend on their physical 
description.

The Normans were invited into Ireland by 
Dermot McMurrough and were led by the famous 
Strongbow. Normans are ultimately of French 
origin where black haired people are not 
uncommon. As with the Vikings these were 
viewed as a people of 'dark intentions' who 
ultimately colonised much of the Eastern 
part of the country and several larger 
towns. Many families however integrated 
into Gaelic society and changed their Norman 
name to Gaelic and then Anglo equivalents: 
the Powers, Fitzgeralds, 
Devereuxs, Redmonds.

It is possible that the term 'Black Irish' 
may have referred to some of these immigrant 
groups as a way of distinguishing them from 
the 'Gaels', the people of ultimately Celtic 
origin.

Another theory of the origin of the term 
'Black Irish' is that these people were 
descendants of Spanish traders who settled in 
Ireland and even descendants of the few 
Spanish sailors who were washed up on the 
west coast of Ireland after the disaster 
that was the 'Spanish Armada' of 1588. It is 
claimed that the Spanish married into Irish 
society and created a new class of Irish who 
were immediately recognisable by their dark 
hair and complexion. There is little evidence 
to support this theory and it is unlikely 
that any significant number of Spanish soldiers 
would have survived long in the war-torn place 
that was sixteenth century Ireland. It is  
striking though how this tale is very similar to 
the ancient Irish legend of the Milesians who 
settled in Ireland having travelled from Spain.

The theory that the 'Black Irish' are descendants 
of any small foreign group that integrated with 
the Irish and survived, is unlikely. It seems 
more likely that 'Black Irish' is a descriptive 
term rather than an inherited characteristic that 
has been applied to various categories of Irish 
people over the centuries.

One such example is that of the hundreds of 
thousands of Irish peasants who emigrated to 
America after the Great Famine of 1845 to 1849. 
1847 was known as 'black 47'. The potato blight 
which destroyed the main source of sustenance
turned the vital food black. It is possible that 
the arrival of large numbers of Irish after the 
famine into America, Canada, Australia and beyond 
resulted in their being labelled as 'black' in 
that they escaped from this new kind of black 
death. 

Immigrant groups throughout history have generally 
been treated poorly by the indigenous population 
(or by those who simply settled first). 
Derogatory names for immigrant groups are legion 
and in the case of those who left Ireland include 
'Shanty Irish' and almost certainly 'Black Irish'. 
It is also possible that within the various Irish 
cultures that became established in America that 
there was a pecking order, a class system that 
saw some of their countrymen labelled as 'black'.

The term 'Black Irish' has also been applied to 
the descendants of Irish emigrants who settled 
in the West Indies. It was used in Ireland by 
Catholics in Ulster Province as a derogatory term 
to describe the Protestant Planters.

While it at various stages was almost certainly 
used as an insult, the term 'Black Irish' has 
emerged in recent times as a virtual badge of 
honour among some descendants of immigrants. It 
is unlikely that the exact origin of the term 
will ever be known and it is also likely that it 
has had a number of different creations depending 
on the historical context. It remains therefore a 
descriptive term used for many purposes, rather 
than a reference to an actual class of people who 
may have survived the centuries.

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==========================
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND
by J. Herbert Silverman
==========================

The winds blow steadily off the Atlantic and 
across the sandy dunes along the Antrim coast 
road. High above the sea stands a tiny pub 
surrounded by a hedge of twisted blackthorn. 
Nameless, it is certainly the only 
establishment of its kind in Ireland - North 
or South. Here the average drinker will order 
a large whiskey, down it at the instant and be 
off - all within ten minutes.

For here stands one of the Emerald Isle's most 
notable watering spots, a venerable bar on the 
tenth tee of the Royal Portrush Golf Course, 
where the phrase 'Make it one for the road' 
actually means, 'Get on with it to the second 
nine, there's a foursome behind you.' It may 
well be the only institution of its kind 
anywhere that lowers its flag to signal that 
the bar stocks need replenishing.

In Portrush, the links (by definition, a course 
along the sea) attract avid golfers as do such 
nearby attractions as the spectacular Giant's 
Causeway and Old Bushmills. The latter is the 
world's oldest licensed  distillery. Often, 
not surprisingly, both tourists numbering in 
the thousands and golfers intermingle cheerfully.

To the uninitiated, the Causeway is the place 
where the legendary Irish folk hero Finn MacCool 
is said to have crossed the sea between Ireland 
and Scotland. The astonishing set of basalt 
columns number in the thousands and stretch 
from this North Atlantic port to the Hebrides.

It goes without saying that Bushmills is another 
kind of local attraction. Located on the coast 
between Tara, one-time capital of Ireland, and 
Dunseverick Castle, it dates to 1608.

In this historic region, the Royal Portrush Golf 
Club has helped convert an erstwhile fishing 
village into a world-famous holiday resort. It was 
at Portrush that the Irish Open Amateur 
Championship was inaugurated in 1892. Three years 
later, Lady Margaret Scott, playing in a long 
white dress and wearing a broad-brimmed straw 
skimmer, won the British Ladies Championship here. 
Both events established the course's reputation 
as one of the most challenging in Britain.

The links have been laid out on the windward side 
of the Causeway Road, and from inception were 
extended further and further onto the sand hills. 
In some places three terraced levels, created in 
prehistoric times by the receding of the ocean, 
have left parallel lines of high hills, plateaus 
and valleys. The difficulties caused by this 
touch of nature's handiwork could contribute to 
the fact that foursomes have been known to reach 
the end of their tether at the ninth hole and 
bartender John McLoughlin's hospitable bar.


This article is continued in the online 
edition of this newsletter:


https://www.ireland-information.com/apr09.htm#article




  



                                                 

	Members take custom and history seriously. The books of clipping about past events would do justice to a newspaper's 'morgue.' 
A faded letter, framed on a corridor wall, sent from Whitehall in 1908 by an aide to King Edward VII, informed the club president, the Rt. Hon. Lord Macnaghten, that 'I am directed by the Secretary of State that the application of the Port Rush (sic) Golf Club to use the prefix 'Royal' has been graciously acceded to by His Majesty,' who two years later became a patron.


	Another interesting footnote to history is the club's liquor license for its unique
 alfresco  operation. That invaluable document was awarded by one Lord Babington, a distinguished public official who with a 'scratch of a pen' made it all legal. (Oddly enough, he also happened to be president of the club at the time.).


	The opening hours, unlike those of any other bar, are 'totally at the discretion of the bartenders, and indeed if they doesn't want to serve, they  don't,  said a member. 'In fact, on occasion in the past when someone has had a dram too many, a bartender has been known to take him home on a golf cart.'


	At the fifth hole on the brink of the sea, golfers can handily view another of Antrim's more appealing offshore sights, Rathlin Island. The island, Ireland's largest, is a favorite for sportsmen of a different order, with deep-sea angling for cod, haddock, flounder and mackerel. It's also site of the cave where legend has it that Robert the Bruce hid after his defeat at Perth. Here the Scots soldier saw a spider repeatedly trying to ascend to the cave's roof by a gossamer strand, eventually succeeding in the effort. Bruce was thereby inspired to 'try, try again' to regain the Scottish throne, which he finally did at the Battle of Bannockburn.


	Not to be overlooked is the sixth hole, which is sinking toward the sea. It has been shored up with railway ties and planted with course grass to hold the slopes. Here the sea itself is a hazard as it 'comes up' with the gales off the Atlantic, but golfers at Portrush quickly adjust to such natural intrusions.


	Cattle from a neighboring farm used to roam the fairways until the club bought the acreage. Earlier golfers were also distracted by the sight of the great Clydesdale brewery horses stabled alongside the road near the old clubhouse, a steepled structure resembling a church.


	In the past, the club secretary at Royal Portrush was as distinguished as the course itself. Eric Wainwright,  a mustachioed Yorkshire-man and every inch the officer and gentleman, befitting his rank as an RAF squadron leader during WW II came out of retirement several years ago, prompted by the 'boredom of it all,' to take command of what he considered to be one of the finest courses in the British Isles and then re-retired  
            Brothers Hugh and Kenny Gault  currently tend the bar.


 	Visiting players are welcome to the club, with fees of approximately 125 pounds per person during the week and $140 pounds on weekends apply during high season - March-October. 


Old Bushmills Distillery, a ten-minute drive away, offers a different kind of welcome - a chance to visit a tourist center and museum and taste the magnificent triple-distilled whiskey known as 'Black Bush' while listening to the story of 'Usquebaugh' or 'water of life,' told by the chief guide Valerie Coils
While on the tour, you have the choice to taste one of the fine Bushmills 
whiskeys The picturesque and placid River Bann flows from Lough Neagh,thelargest lake in Ulster, to the rugged Northern Atlantic coast emptying into the
ocean at the seaside town of Portstewart. 

 
On its way, the river passes through the lush countryside of County Antrim and some of the finest farmland in the North of Ireland.
The Antrim coast, with the famous Giant's Causeway and its 'stepping' stones extending seaward toward Scotland only 14 miles away, is Northern Ireland's  leading tourist attraction. The countryside has its fair share of small hotels, beach resorts and 'bed & breakfasts' to accommodate the thousands of visitors who annually travel up the coast.


          Their destination, this awesome natural phenomenon formed 60 million years ago by cooling molten lava from ancient volcanic explosions. 
          Looking for a place to stay? Just minutes from coast and, of course Bushmills, is the highly recommended is Joey (short for Josephine) King's farmhouse here in the nearby bustling town of Coleraine. This cheerful ebullient cattle breeder has turned an historic farmhouse into an astonishingly comfortable b&b although the term, country inn, might be more applicable. Her wayfaring guests have a chance to experience, at first hand, a touch of Irish farm living and folk history along with delightfully warm hospitality, l9th century style, albeit with some modern amenities such as large bathrooms, color TV and telephones.


         The house, known as Camus (Gaelic for bend in the river), was built in l685 by the Hemphill family, passing to l9th century 'linen lords,' by the name of, owners of mills which produced some of the finest of all Irish fabrics. The estate originally occupied 2,OOO acres. In l9l4, Joey's father purchased it starting what was to become one of Ireland's premier Friesian herds. He sold off some of the land, retaining enough, however, to maintain the family's presence on the river bank and to insure adequate grazing for his herds.


        After WW 11, Joey and her late husband, James, took over the herds and began to specialize in Jersey pedigree stock which produced 'Jersey' cream, that delicious high butterfat product, a major ingredient in authentic high tea.


        It was after James's premature death that Joey decided to take in visitors. 'I like people, and I thought our house would be appreciated by travelers who would enjoy farmhouse living, even though it might only be for a few days,' she says with understandable feeling.


         Guests are made welcome on arrival with tea, possibly warmed with the local Bushmills whiskey and scones with the cream fresh from the cow. Joey serves it in a cozy living room brightened by a fire in a fieldstone fireplace built by James. 


         The chimney which twists toward upper gables is an impressive four feet in width and burns ash logs 'which gives no sparks,' Joey notes, 'although we do have
smoke detectors and alarms to protect our home, just in case.'


        The furnishings are purely Antrim inspired with l25 horse 'brasses,' intricate handmade saddle decorations that Joey painstakingly shines with Brasso every ten days. There are comfortable period couches, easy chairs, and antique chests and tables as well as a priceless 'gossip' chair' all contributing to a feeling of l9th century
home entertaining.


         In an adjacent sitting room, King family memorabilia includes a Georgian hunting table, also known as a 'wake' table, made of mahogany with a pitch pine finish and wooden dowels. It once served a dual function as a desk and end table and occasionally served as the resting place for coffins during funeral vigils.


        Perfectionists might have a problem with the room which has three floor levels, supported by massive pitch pine joists, a product of additions, revisions and repairs over three centuries.


             The house is somewhat of a mélange of architectural styles with a dividing outer stone wall from the original farmhouse separating an addition probably built in the early l8OO's.   Upstairs there are five bedrooms, each with basin and hot water, a comfortable bed with electric blanket, plenty of closet room and  hangers, and equally refreshing, plenty of lamps for reading and writing. The bath is a shared facility.


           Breakfast is ready at 7 a.m. in order to let guests wander the nearby fields or pet the one cow that remains from the dairy herd. On a sideboard in the dining room there is a choice of fresh fruit and juices. One can enjoy an Ulster 'fry' with eggs and ham or country bacon and tasty wheaten bread. Joey whips up the repast in a huge farm kitchen complete with traditional copper preserving pans and measures, overhead clothes drying racks from the turn of the century and a large corner family table in the corner.


         A series of warming pans hang near the big c

ook store and can be heated for guests who want some extra warmth before retiring on a chill January evening.
         Early in the morning one can walk through the dewy tall grass to the nearby banks of the River Bann to cast a line for its resident salmon, trout, pike or perch. With the mist rising from the river, it is one of the more pleasant ways to start the day.


         An ancient graveyard with a 'High Cross' as its centerpiece adjoins the main house.  Here lie Hemphills, Bennetts and now Kings.  


The weather beaten stones have epitaphs remembering former Coleraine residents such as Mary, wife of Samuel Patton, dead 25 March l847.   

     
It reads:

         Farewell my husband and children dear,

               I am not dead but sleeping here.

         My end you know and my grave you see

               Prepare yourselves to follow me.


        Then in another corner of the graveyard there is the marker for Anne Hendry with this lament on a similar theme with some unconscious plagiarism.

         'Weep not for me, my husband dear

             I am not dead but sleeping here

         I rest in faith and hope to rise

             And live with Christ in paradise.


         The grass grows tall in this cemetery.  Once sheep kept it trim, but the local authorities, in their infinite wisdom, decreed that it was not a proper show of respect to mow such hallowed ground in this fashion. So all buried here rest among lush greenery.


            Coleraine is easily accessible by excellent highways from Belfast.  The Antrim Coast Road drive is akin to a Gaelic version of the Corniche drive along the Mediterranean coast of southern France and passes through the famous Glens of Antrim.




J. Herbert Silverman



 
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===================================================
THE MAYO MEMORIAL PEACE PARK, GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE
by Martin Coyle
===================================================
  
The Mayo Memorial Peace Park, Garden of Remembrance 
was officially opened in Castlebar, County Mayo, by 
the President of Ireland Mary McAleese in October 
2008. 

This special and unique Memorial commemorates all 
the Men and Women from County Mayo who lost their 
lives in world wars and conflicts over the past 
century . There is also a special memorial dedicated 
to remember Mayo born soldiers of the Irish Defence 
Forces, who died in the Lebanon whilst serving on 
U.N. Peacekeeping  operations. More than eleven 
hundred young men from Mayo were killed in action 
in World War One and World War Two. They fought in 
the uniforms of America, Australia, Britain, Canada, 
New Zealand and South Africa.

The official opening of the Park was a magnificent 
occasion, with President McAleese being joined by 
five world ambassadors with two other embassies 
represented. It brought together probably one of 
the largest local and international military 
gatherings in the history of the state. The park is 
now a tourist and educational amenity for the area.

If you have any information on Mayo born Navy, 
Marines, Army, Air Force, Merchant Navy, Medical 
Staff, Clergy or Civilians who lost there life as 
a result of enemy action they would be delighted 
the committee hear from you.  

Contact http://www.mayopeacepark.com 

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=======================
THE GOOSE by Pat Watson
=======================

Jim was dreaming that somebody was whinging about 
freezing feet and the hour of the night and 
somebody was drilling a hole in his head. 
Suddenly, he heard the screams. Jumping out of 
bed he ran down the stairs. 
He met Victoria, his wife. 
'There's a dead bird in my new kitchen.' 
Then he remembered he had won a live goose at the 
party last night. His newfound friend John had 
strangled it and left them both lying in the 
kitchen. He recovered and staggered up to bed. 
The goose didn't. John had also drunkenly told 
him how to pluck it, clean it and prepare it for 
the oven. 
'Don't worry darling I will pluck it and prepare 
it for cooking.'
'Good' she said frostily.
'I am off to Dublin to collect my parents, the 
twins are still asleep, I will get breakfast on 
the road. I couldn't eat here now, I feel 
nauseous.' Picking up the keys, she left.

As he was finishing the Alka-Seltzer, the twins 
appeared on the stairs. 
'Where is Mama? We want our breakfast, we want 
fried bread sausages and Seven Up.'
He gave them bread and jam and milk. This kept 
them quiet for a little while. He would work 
quickly and get the goose plucked before they 
finished.

Just three weeks ago, they had moved from Dublin 
4 to this beautiful five-bedroom dormer on it's 
own grounds in Cavan. Victoria had designed the 
kitchen, with the electric cooker in the middle 
of the floor under a giant extractor fan. The 
cooker hob had a large flat surface area. He 
would do the plucking here. He placed the goose 
on the cooker, grabbed a bunch of feathers and 
pulled. Apart from hurting his hand, nothing 
happened. He would have to pull the feathers one 
at a time. By the time the twins had finished 
their breakfast he had extracted twenty-five 
feathers in an area of two square inches. He was 
surprised to find that the bloody bird had 
underwear, lovely and soft but impossible to 
remove. Then he remembered his old 
great-grandmother who had spent her last few 
months in their house when he and his brothers 
were children. Daft Granny they called her. She 
spoke a weird language and said silly things like, 
'If you get up on an ass, you'll get down on a 
goose.'
Now the penny dropped, even without getting up 
on the ass he had got the 'down' on the goose. 
How the hell was he going to get the down off 
the goose? 
'We will help,' said the twins. Wasn't he lucky! 
Their third birthday was last week. All three 
were still in their pyjamas.

'Here pull the soft bits, a tiny bit at a time, 
Jack! Don't throw it at Denis, just put it down.' 
The Alka-Seltzer wasn't working. He would have 
to get a hair of the dog, just a short to steady 
his hands. That helped and after a while the 
undressing was going well, more flesh was 
appearing and he and the twins were growing white 
beards and hair, 'a bit like Santa,' Denis said. 
The teddy bears on their slippers were also 
growing beards. The floor too, was turning white, 
the feathers and down was supposed to stay on the 
cooker top and not move around. Not to worry, he 
could easily tidy up afterwards. He hadn't noticed 
that the twins had gone upstairs to the toilet, to 
the guest room with grandpa's present, to their 
own room for the present, back again with grandma's 
present and to Mammy's room to roll in the lovely 
soft duvet and of course to see the Christmas tree 
in the sitting room. They had also got dressed, in 
a manner of speaking. He was still in his pyjamas 
and some goose clothing.

Now to move the naked bird to the sink for 
cleaning, oops! He had hit the switch on the 
extractor fan. Whoosh! It sucked up all the 
feathers, scrape! The fuses blew, with a sort of 
sneeze, it threw out all the feathers and down 
again over a wider area, over everything in the 
kitchen, the hall, the stairs and everywhere. 
Three year-olds do not close doors.
 
Leave that for now - get on with the cleaning 
the bird. How? 
'Just put a cut at both ends and pull out the 
insides' that's what John said. That was easy 
but Oh! The smell. Was that the goose? No it 
was burning feathers, in the panic with the fan 
he had turned on one plate on the cooker. The 
feathers just crinkled up and turned black, some 
exploding on to the floor and walls, others 
caking on to the cooker. He rushed to switch it 
off, must be bloody voodoo. He didn't see the 
cat that had come with the house, coming in. 
Growling, the cat grabbed the entrails and made 
good his escape into the hall and upstairs 
leaving a feathery fence around his bloody 
trail. Fidelma arrived with her parents, 
Alexandria and Ronald, the retired Judge. All 
four generations of Ronald's family had been 
members of the judiciary since his great 
grandfather came over as legal adviser to the 
Viceroy. Since then, they had never mingled with 
anybody from outside the Pale until Victoria had 
become infatuated with this Cork man. Glancing 
round the room he observed the devastation, the 
whiskey bottle and the glass with the feathers 
stuck to it. Alexandria's worst fears were 
realised but he always knew the Irish man would 
revert to class and culture at the first 
opportunity. 'Cavan was such an opportunity' and 
he had wasted no time, now he hoped his daughter 
would see sense and divorce him immediately. 

Instead, having viewed the scene and seeing the 
little-boy-lost look on her Jimmy's face she 
laughed heartily before melting into his feathery 
arms. The Judge and Alexandria threw arms and 
eyes heavenward before they too broke into 
laughter as he picked up the whiskey bottle and 
reached for fresh glasses from the cabinet. At 
last they had become Irish.


'The Goose' 
is one of sixty lyrical yarns from 
'Original Irish Stories' by Pat Watson, 
Creagh, Bealnamulla, Athlone, Ireland. 
First published in April 2006.
To get your copy email the author here:

pjwatson@utvinternet.com

==========================
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===================================
A DREAM OF IRELAND FROM AFGHANISTAN
by Rick Ervin
===================================

Greetings Ireland and Thank You. It's cold here 
and it has finally stopped raining. The snow and 
rain do nothing to add beauty to the land I now 
walk, at least not from what I see. I write this 
from Afghanistan, a place filled with despair, 
ugliness and death. 

Now... I want to tell you of a place I dream about 
daily, a place that I consider as my 'Heaven' on 
earth. It's a land where all of the people that I 
have met, showed me and my family nothing but 
kindness, warmth and friendship during our visits. 
They left me with the feeling of appreciation, 
appreciation for their traditions and that my 
ancestors were born of the isle. These past couple 
years, I came to wish that I had the honor of 
taking my first breath of life there as well. 

I thank you for the experiences and sites you gave 
me. I frequently daydream of the plush green 
fields and pastures, bordered by narrow two lane 
roads that wind through the countryside and towns 
that I traveled. I daydream of the many castles, 
places that I walked and got lost in imagination
- the adventures of history that your island 
created. I have come to appreciate each opportunity 
to learn more of your history - history the people 
give so willingly, and with open arms. I daydream 
of the simple fragrance of grass or flowers along 
a roadside. I daydream of your coastlines, 
watching the waves come in as the sunset shimmers 
on the water. These are the pictures I carry in 
my mind. It doesn't matter whether the sky is blue, 
or torrent gray, I still long to see a land I wish 
I could call my own. 

It's easy to daydream of beauty here, when all 
you see is ugliness. I carry with me many pictures 
of the green isle, pictures I have taken during my 
vacations, nay... my visit to sanity, and of 
course, I carry the Irish flags. Though I was not 
born unto the country, I try to represent my 
ancestors with pride. The best part of my 
daydreams, are getting lost with your traditional 
music. It's the soothing sound of the music, the 
voices of your composers that bring a great deal 
of comfort to me, especially during times of 
confusion or when one hears the periodic sounds 
of the war on terrorism. The Celtic Women are my 
favorite.

In closing, I want to say 'Thank You' Ireland, 
and to it's people. Coming from an old American 
soldier in an ugly land, it's my memories of 
your land and it's people that make each day 
bearable. It's your music that brings me comfort. 
I am proud my ancestors are of Ireland.
May Ireland and it's people always be blessed 
with happiness and love.

Rick Ervin
American by birth, of Ireland by ancestry, 
and currently in Afghanistan. 

=========================
THE IRISH COINS PROOF SET
=========================

The recent limited edition proof set of Irish 
coins produced by the Irish government is now 
available. We have a very small supply of these 
fantastic items which you can get from here:


https://www.irishnation.com/irishcoinsandbanknotes.htm

===========================
GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
===========================

PHRASE:		An bhfuil pian ort?
PRONOUNCED:	On will peen urt
MEANING:		Are you in any pain?

PHRASE:		Gheobhaidh me an bhanaltra duit
PRONOUNCED:	yo-igg may on bonn-altra dwit
MEANING:		I will get the nurse for you

PHRASE:		Beidh an dochtuir anseo gan mhoill.
PRONOUNCED:	beg on docktoor onshuh gon vwill
MEANING:		The doctor will be here soon

View the archive of phrases here:


https://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.htm

========================
APRIL COMPETITION RESULT
========================

The winner was: byrnespatricia@bellsouth.net
who will receive the following: 

A Single Family Crest Print (decorative) 
(US$19.99 value)

Send us an email to claim your print, and well 
done! Remember that all subscribers to this 
newsletter are automatically entered into the 
competition every time. 

=================================================

I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next month,

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com

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