On city streets and hills and village squares Neighbors celebrate with ethnic pride Something ancient –– veiled in mist –– with airs That sound like merry mourning countrywide.
Pipes of clay so white and pints of brew Abound among the throngs that flood the pubs –– Declaiming Emerald the sacred hue –– Decrying England’s cruel historic snubs.
Yet, maudlin sentiment soon drowns the ire. ‘Tis nostalgia that’s the order of the day –– Sweet dreams of something mythic –– far away –– Dissolve with drink the potency of fire.
A nation’s wounded pride may fill its heart, Yet give no strength save that which tears apart.
Billy stops Paddy in Dublin and asks for the quickest way to Cork. Paddy says, "Are you on foot or in the car?" Billy says, "In the car." Paddy says, "That's the quickest way."
An Irishman was flustered not being able to find a parking space in a large mall's parking lot.
"Lord,"he prayed,"I can't stand this.If you open a space up for me,I swear I'll give up drinking me whiskey, and I promise to go to church every Sunday."
Suddenly, the clouds parted and the sun shone on an empty parking spot. Without hesitation, the man said,"Never mind,I found one on me own."
Curious language! It bears little or no resemblance to the Romance, Greek and Teutonic tongues we're used to, and yet it sounds a lot like Chaucer recited in its original Middle English.
Something ancient and mysterious. It carries with it the aura of antiquity. Do the Irish today really speak this ancient tongue, or is it just a few diehard traditionalists, scholars, and agenda-driven separatist activists?
I imagine the situation in Ireland is very similar to the problems involved in the attempt to keep Welsh alive and well.
One wonders how many different languages have come and gone over the past hundred-thousand years or so?
"Irish (Gaeilge), also known as Irish Gaelic or Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is spoken as a first language by a small minority of Irish people, and as a second language by a rather larger group.
Irish enjoys constitutional status as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. It is an official language of the European Union and an officially recognised minority language in Northern Ireland.
Irish was the predominant language of the Irish people for most of their recorded history, and they brought it with them to other countries, notably Scotland and the Isle of Man, where it gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
It has the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe."
6 comments:
__________ On St. Paddy’s Day __________
On city streets and hills and village squares
Neighbors celebrate with ethnic pride
Something ancient –– veiled in mist –– with airs
That sound like merry mourning countrywide.
Pipes of clay so white and pints of brew
Abound among the throngs that flood the pubs ––
Declaiming Emerald the sacred hue ––
Decrying England’s cruel historic snubs.
Yet, maudlin sentiment soon drowns the ire.
‘Tis nostalgia that’s the order of the day ––
Sweet dreams of something mythic –– far away ––
Dissolve with drink the potency of fire.
A nation’s wounded pride may fill its heart,
Yet give no strength save that which tears apart.
~ FreeThinke - The Sandpiper, Spring 1997
Billy stops Paddy in Dublin and asks for the quickest way to Cork.
Paddy says, "Are you on foot or in the car?"
Billy says, "In the car."
Paddy says, "That's the quickest way."
An Irishman was flustered not being able to find a parking space in a large mall's parking lot.
"Lord,"he prayed,"I can't stand this.If you open a space up for me,I swear I'll give up drinking me whiskey, and I promise to go to church every Sunday."
Suddenly, the clouds parted and the sun shone on an empty parking spot. Without hesitation, the man said,"Never mind,I found one on me own."
ohohoh have a little Irish from Wisco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFxQQbCZEj4
...and... a good day
Curious language! It bears little or no resemblance to the Romance, Greek and Teutonic tongues we're used to, and yet it sounds a lot like Chaucer recited in its original Middle English.
Something ancient and mysterious. It carries with it the aura of antiquity. Do the Irish today really speak this ancient tongue, or is it just a few diehard traditionalists, scholars, and agenda-driven separatist activists?
I imagine the situation in Ireland is very similar to the problems involved in the attempt to keep Welsh alive and well.
One wonders how many different languages have come and gone over the past hundred-thousand years or so?
To answer your question about the Irish language:
"Irish (Gaeilge), also known as Irish Gaelic or Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is spoken as a first language by a small minority of Irish people, and as a second language by a rather larger group.
Irish enjoys constitutional status as the national and first official language of the Republic of Ireland. It is an official language of the European Union and an officially recognised minority language in Northern Ireland.
Irish was the predominant language of the Irish people for most of their recorded history, and they brought it with them to other countries, notably Scotland and the Isle of Man, where it gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
It has the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe."
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