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  The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter 
                  December 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
=== Irish Christmas Traditions
=== Great New Gift Ideas for Christmas 
=== Let the Wind Blow by Dr. Bill Finlan 
=== My Favorite Christmas Story by J.C. Webster
=== Woolworth's by Pat Watson
=== The Imps of the Emerald Fields by Lanny Ray McClure
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
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An early Happy Christmas to you all from Ireland
where the country is still reeling from the recent 
flooding and yet another hairshirt 'budget' 
announcement from the government.

We occasionally offer discount coupons on items 
from our gift shop and this Christmas is no 
exception (see below). Many thanks to all of 
our contributors to this newsletter in 2009 and, 
until 2010,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM IRELAND!

Michael

===============
DISCOUNT COUPON
===============
This is a US$5 coupon to be used against 
ANY products at www.irishnation.com

Valid until 25th December 2009.

We are also offering an extra discount of US$15 
on our large hand-painted shields that make 
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Together with this extra discount this item 
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STILL AVAILABLE FOR PRE-CHRISTMAS DELIVERY:

Our US$19.99 fedex option means that the following items can still 
be delivered in time for Christmas day:

FAMILY CREST FLAGS:

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

PRINTED FAMILY CREST PLAQUES:

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FAMILY CREST PRINTS:

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

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WE NEED YOUR HELP!

PLEASE - send this newsletter on to your friends 
or relatives who you think are interested in 
Ireland. By doing this you are helping to keep 
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=======================
NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
=======================

FLOODING DISASTER

The floods have abated but the damage remains. 
The torrential rains that hit Ireland have caused 
devastation in Counties Cork and Galway with 
businesses ruined, homes destroyed and residents 
wondering if this is to be the shape of future 
winters to come. The government has provided some 
funding to help repair the damage but the 
psychological blow that has been inflicted on 
towns already reeling from the economic recession 
is impossible to gauge.

BUDGET CUTS ANNOUNCED

Attempts at a negotiated reduction in pay for 
the public service broke down on the eve of the 
annual announcement of economic measures by the 
government (the budget). Pay cuts have thus been 
applied across the board in the public service 
with top earners having their annual wage cut by 
as much as 15%. Lower paid earners suffered a 5% 
cut. Child Benefit and Social Welfare have also 
been cut with jobseekers' payments, disability, 
widows' pensions, invalidity and carers' allowance 
all cut by at least 8.20 euro per week. Child 
Benefit has been cut by 16 euro per month. Strike 
action by the various public sector unions is 
inevitable but with little support for the unions 
from outside of their own membership it is 
possible that the government might even welcome 
such strikes as a way of reducing the public 
sector wage bill even further.

SIGNS OF RECOVERY IN IRISH ECONOMY

Despite being severely criticized at home the 
government measures of dealing with the banks, 
increasing taxes and cutting public sector pay 
have been well received by international economic 
bodies who contend that Ireland is on the right 
track to recovery. This optimism was borne out 
somewhat when the Central Statistics Office of 
Ireland announced that GDP had actually grown by 
0.3% in the second quarter of the year. Consumer 
spending is still down however as incomes fall 
while unemployment is still high at 12.5%, 
although the rate of increase has declined. 

While the bottom of the recession may have been 
reached it will likely be another year at least 
before unemployment begins to fall and the 
economy really recovers.


Voice your opinion on these news issues here:


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

==============================
NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
==============================

IRELAND HOUSE-SWAP LISTING

We are working on the online program to allow you 
to freely add and view details of other people who 
are interested in this service.

You can add your home-swap details to our new free 
listing service at:


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

IRISH HOLIDAY AND TOURIST BOARD

Post a question about holidaying in Ireland 
and we guarantee an answer will be posted on 
the board.


https://www.ireland-information.com/irishholidays-irishtourist/irishtouristboard.html

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:

D: Dawson
F: French
H: Hobbs
R: Ruddick, Rynne

View the Gallery here:

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

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your name at:

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



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YOU CAN HELP TO KEEP THIS FREE NEWSLETTER ALIVE!

Visit: https://www.irishnation.com
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!

View family crest plaques here:

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

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IRISH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
==========================

Ireland, like most countries, has a number of 
Christmas traditions that are all of its own. Many 
of these customs have their root in the time when 
the Gaelic culture and religion of the country 
were being suppressed and it is perhaps because of 
this they have survived into modern times.

THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW

The placing of a lighted candle in the window of a 
house on Christmas eve is still practised today. It 
has a number of purposes but primarily it was a 
symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they 
travelled looking for shelter.

The candle also indicated a safe place for priests 
to perform mass as, during Penal Times this was 
not allowed.

A further element of the tradition is that the 
candle should be lit by the youngest member of 
the household and only be extinguished by a girl 
bearing the name 'Mary'.

THE LADEN TABLE

After evening meal on Christmas eve the kitchen 
table was again set and on it were placed a loaf 
of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, 
a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door 
to the house was left unlatched so that Mary and 
Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could avail of
the welcome.

THE WREN BOY PROCESSION

During Penal Times there was once a plot in a 
village against the local soldiers. They were 
surrounded and were about to be ambushed when a 
group of wrens pecked on their drums and
awakened the soldiers. The plot failed and the 
wren became known as 'The Devil's bird'.

On St. Stephens day a procession takes place where 
a pole with a holly bush is carried from house to 
house and families dress up in old clothes and with 
blackened faces.In olden times an actual wren would 
be killed and placed on top of the pole.

This custom has to a large degree disappeared but 
the tradition of visiting from house to house on 
St. Stephens Day has survived and is very much part 
of Christmas.

DECORATIONS:

The placing of a ring of Holly on doors originated 
in Ireland as Holly was one of the main plants 
that flourished at Christmas time and which gave 
the poor ample means with which to decorate their 
dwellings.

All decorations are traditionally taken down on 
Little Christmas (January 6th.) and it is 
considered to be bad luck to take them down 
beforehand.

TRADITIONAL GAELIC SALUTATION

The Gaelic greeting for 'Merry Christmas' is:
'Nollaig Shona Duit'
......which is pronounced as 'null-ig hun-a dwit'.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

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GREAT NEW GIFT IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS
==================================

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==========================
KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER ALIVE! 

Visit: 
https://www.irishnation.com
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LET THE WIND BLOW
by Dr. Bill Finlan 
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There's a place in this world
That I longing to see
Where the ocean-blown breeze
Is caressing the trees
And the rosy-cheeked lassies
Cavort in the fields
In Ireland - In Ireland.

(Chorus)
There's a haze on the glen
And a fog on the sea.
The morning tide's whispering low.
And if ever I'm wanting 
Some peace in my mind,
I'll go there and let the wind blow
In Ireland - In Ireland,
I'll go there and let the wind blow.

There's a quaint rustic home
By the side of the road
And some folks who will cry over me,
And down by the dale
Is a town with a lass
Who will sing Irish music for me,
In Ireland - In Ireland,
She'll sing Irish music for me.

(Chorus) 
There's a haze on the glen
And a fog on the sea.
The morning tide's whispering low.
And if ever I'm wanting 
Some peace in my mind,
I'll go there and let the wind blow
In Ireland - In Ireland,
I'll go there and let the wind blow. 

I'd love to see Dublin
And walk the Old Sod
On the Isles of Aran in Galway Bay,
And visit Killarney in the afternoon sun,
The gateway to Heaven for me,
In Ireland - In Ireland,
The gateway to Heaven for me.

(CHORUS) 
There's a haze on the glen
And a fog on the sea.
The morning tide's whispering low.
And if ever I'm wanting 
Some peace in my mind,
I'll go there and let the wind blow
In Ireland - In Ireland,
I'll go there and let the wind blow.


Dr. Bill Finlan
Escanaba, Michigan, USA

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KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER ALIVE! 

Visit: 
https://www.irishnation.com
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MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS STORY
by J.C. Webster
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I received the story below from my daughter. I 
remember the times I wrapped socks and things 
the kids really needed in separate packages and 
put them under the tree so it looked like they 
were getting a lot.  Thankfully I always managed 
to get them something they wanted...usually more 
than one thing.  My parents in the roughest of 
times always managed to provide gifts for us, but 
my dad's really important thing was the biggest 
sock or stocking filled with nuts, candy and 
fruit.  Sometimes when he was a child, Christmas 
meant an orange or an apple...and that was a real 
treat. Many people growing up during the 
depression had times like that.  My daddy told me 
of a time he and his stepfather took a wagon load 
of apples to Oklahoma City to sell, but what they 
found were very few people who could afford to 
buy even one apple...knowing the apples would go 
bad before they got back home, anyway, they began 
giving them to people until they were gone. Daddy 
never forgot how good it made him feel to be able 
to give those apples away to people hungry for one.
 
My family and most everyone I know has decided to 
celebrate Christmas in a way that does not cost 
so much.  I am glad as it has made it possible for 
me to give some gifts to a family who has already 
told their three children who range in ages from 
8 to 17 not to expect presents this year, but they 
will do their best to get each of them one gift...
so, I will be blessed by providing some small gifts 
to everyone in that family.  I've given my 86 year 
old disabled mother strict orders she is not to 
buy any gifts for anyone because it is time for 
her to let her children, grandchildren, great 
grandchildren and great-great grandchildren do 
things for her.  This time, I think she is not 
going to worry that she can't do so much for 
everyone... that makes me very, very happy.
Maybe something really good will come out of the 
financial woes people are going through... we'll 
get back to discovering what is really important 
in life: health, family, friends, and having our 
needs met.  Then we will feel really blessed when 
we receive more than we need, and we will share 
with those less fortunate.
 
God bless all of you richly as He does me ALWAYS.  
You have received this from me because you are 
part of those blessings I have received. Hopefully 
you will be blessed by this story even if you 
don't celebrate Christmas.

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS STORY

When I was very young I remember we were less 
fortunate than most kids I knew. 

One year, we didn't have any money for Christmas 
yet my Grandmother managed to make sure we had 
presents under the tree. On Christmas morning I 
was really surprised to see all the packages 
ready for us to open. Then we rushed in and the 
first one I opened was a roll of toilet paper! I 
must have had a dumbfounded look on my face. She 
asked me, is that what you needed? Well, I guess 
so! She reminded me that Christmas is not about 
how many gifts we get, but to celebrate the 
Birth of Christ! Needless to say I was a little 
disappointed as a child expecting good toys since 
I had been such a good kid all year long. Time 
has gone by and I still remember the lesson she 
taught me. 

My Grandmother is no longer with us, but on her 
last Christmas I wrapped a 4 pack of TP and put 
her name on it. When I gave it, her face lit up 
like a Christmas Tree and said, this is exactly 
what I NEED! Once she passed I found that same 
pack, still wrapped sitting in the bathroom 'just 
in case' I could hear her saying. Now we all take 
turns giving that same 4 pack of TP to each other 
every year. So, the moral to the story is God 
provides what you NEED and the real meaning of 
Christmas is the reason for the season! 

Merry Christmas!

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Visit: 
https://www.irishnation.com
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=============
WOOLWORTH'S 
by Pat Watson
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Smart, well-travelled people, who had been to 
Dublin, knew all about Woolworth's nick-knack 
shop. They sold everything under the sun, from 
a needle to an anchor. Anybody who had never 
been there was backward. Then, wonderful news 
arrived. They were going to open a shop in our 
town. Even the war, the rationing and the 
coupons could not dampen our enthusiasm at the 
great news. They had acquired the building, 
work on its renovation was proceeding, and it 
would be open for Christmas. Santa Claus would 
be there, we had heard, but we did not really 
believe that he visited the Dublin shop every 
year. Now we could see for ourselves. Just 
because you were only seven didn't mean you 
were stupid. 

When the sign over the new shop went up 
everybody said that the spelling was wrong, 
'Wellworths'. They supposed it would be 
noticed and put right by next week but it 
wasn't. Instead we heard that it was not the 
real Woolworth's at all but a copycat company. 
However they would have many of the same things, 
nearly as good. The question was would they 
have packs of small playing cards selling for 
sixpence. A full size pack cost a half a crown.
'Haven't ye your father's playing cards, aren't 
they good enough.' That's what Mammy said. 
Daddy's playing cards were several years old 
and there were only thirty-seven left out of the 
original pack and even those were in poor 
condition. They were dog-eared and marked so that 
many of them were recognisable from the back. 
This led to cheating by the older members of the 
family.

I had learned to count on the cards long before 
I went to school. There were forty-five in the 
pack then. I heard there were several games you 
could play if you had all fifty-two cards but we 
had only two games, strip-jack (beg of my 
neighbour) and casino. Only two could play 
strip-jack so casino was usually played. In this 
game every player got four cards and there were 
four cards placed face up on the table. If the 
first player had a card in his hand matching one 
on the table, he could put both in his bank. 
Sometimes he could pick two or three cards off 
the table if their number added up to a card in 
his hand, for instance a two a three and a four 
could be picked up by saying two plus three plus 
four equals my nine. He could then put all four 
cards in his bank. If he had no match he just had 
to leave down a card. Deals continued until all 
the cards were gone and whoever had the biggest 
bank won.

When my aunt gave me sixpence in town, during the 
Christmas week that Wellworth's opened I decided 
to look for the little playing cards. That was 
the first day Santa was there and the crowds were 
huge. Behind the two girls at the door there was 
a long queue of children and parents and at the 
end of the line was a fake Santa. I might have 
been only seven years old but everybody knew Jim 
Farrelly. One of the door girls grabbed me.
 
'Give me your shilling and then you can join the 
queue for Santa.' I glared at her. 
'I don't want to go to Santa I just want a pack 
of playing cards for my six pence.' 
'You cannot go to Santa unless you have a 
shilling.'
'I don't want to go to Santa' and I ducked under 
her arm and ran down the shop with her after me. 
The manageress appeared, 
'What's all the fuss?' 
'He won't line up for Santa.'
'I want a pack of playing cards and I only have 
sixpence.' She took the sixpence and gave me the
 most beautiful little box with a king of diamonds 
on the outside. Now it was the door girl's turn to 
glare.
  'Now! We'd see who would cheat, who would claim 
that three and four was eight, who would read the 
backs of the cards. The owner of the cards would 
call the tune. Anybody caught cheating would be 
put out of the game. It was great to be a man in 
charge of his own cards. 


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

pjwatson@utvinternet.com

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KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER ALIVE! 

Visit: https://www.irishnation.com
=========================

==============================
THE IMPS OF THE EMERALD FIELDS
by Lanny Ray McClure
==============================
Above every mountain is where I'd like to be,
Lost to myself and the kindred spirits,
That never set down on solid ground,
There is more to this world,
Than what can be seen by a mere mortal's eyes,
Wisps of ghosts derelict from the netherworld,
Faeries from old Ireland,
Both malignant and benevolent,
Spying on you,
Smiling at you with kindness 
in their strange demeanor,
They cross the windswept swaying fields of green,
After midnight under a harvest moon 
across O'Paddy's paddock,
Hiding in his haystacks,
Watching the drunkards stumble home 
from Dirty Nellie's
with the longest bar in Europe,
They gesture toward the stars above,
Beseeching their descendants 
to tell the secret of their hidden gold,
Little knowing that faerie folk 
gaze hidden in the hay
and if they should fall upon a pitchfork,
They shall surely curse O'Paddy,
That his cows will all run dry,
His goats turn mean and contemptuous,
The fishing from the banks of yonder stream
will peter out to less than naught,
Though he be honest as the day is long,
For thieving he'll be caught,
He'll be cutting turf 12 hours a day,
With the whip to see him through his duty,
The faerie folk are sure and certain,
That O'Paddy will draw his curtains,
Staying sober as the parish vicar,
Careful to stow away his pitchfork,
Because the nighttime carousers 
know their magic as they know their hearts,
They don't soon forget the piercing of their rumps.

Watch as you walk the village road,
After flirting with the serving wench,
After downing a pint or 2 or 3 or 4,
Not to mention Irish punch,
You're feeling little of what's known as pain,
But know this fact and know it well,
Many eyes are watching from the pitch
and ardor is not their intent,
As their eyes, they narrow,
With mischief and beguilement for you as their gift,
Their gold you'll ever nary see,
Just the twinkling of their nose,
You'll smell a smell not of this world,
Feeling a pinch upon your arse,
Sore for weeks it shall be,
Their many smiles you shall not glimpse,
Those beings that come from who-knows-where,
Those cunning little imps.

Lanny Ray McClure

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Visit: https://www.irishnation.com
=========================

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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

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

PHRASE:		Nollaig faoi shean is faoi mhaise duit!
PRONOUNCED:	Nullig fwee yan iss fwee mway/shih dwit
MEANING:	A prosperous and enjoyable Christmas!

PHRASE:		Nollaig Shona duit
PRONOUNCED:	nullig hunna dwit
MEANING:	Happy Christmas to you

PHRASE:		Athblian shona duit
PRONOUNCED:	ought/bleen hunna dwit
MEANING:	Happy new year to you

View the archive of phrases here:

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

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SHAMROCK SITE OF THE MONTH: CELTICATTIC.COM
===========================================

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Phone orders 360-286-2307

===========================
DECEMBER COMPETITION RESULT
===========================

The winner was: turnerfamily2121@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. 

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I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next month, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com