Thank you @Chrissy Page , as a child I loved reading about Ireland and Scotland, but the Irish had such great stories. Your pictures look so much like what I was imagining from those stories that it is as if I can almost recognize the sites. You know I never thought about the leprechauns only being male. Maybe they're like some fish that are both sexless, there is a word for that, but I can't remember it. The thing about the name Paddy I knew, because one of my grandfathers name was Padraig Josef, but he was German. Go figure. If you think about all those stones in that restaurant, it makes one wonder how many fields they must have come out of.
@Ina I. Wonder , that restaurant won't burn down, that's for sure! I love looking at old photos, too bad I don't have more information on them. All I know is that they are of Ireland and about 120 yrs ago. I always try to put myself in the photo and imagine what it must have been like....not easy, that's for sure.
@Terry Page , I just listened to your Irish accent video, and it is hillarious. I didn't realize there were so many. But if I think about it the same is true of America. We Texans tend to make fun of the Boston accent, and if I'm not careful and use my Texas twang, most people think of me as Californian, which is funny since I have not lived there since I was 11 months old. I was born in San Fransico, but was raised, and still live in Texas. We'll have to do a thread on England sometime, and maybe we'll get to hear your different accents too.
People say I have an East Coast accent but I don't hear it. It could also be that I have a very very slight accent since English wasn't my first language.
We have talked about almost everything Irish, it seems like. I loved looking at all of your old photos, @Chrissy Page . Those poor little donkeys, though, they look so miserable in those heavy collars and harnesses . They are one of the most sturdy and dependable little beasts of burden; and I am sure those little fellows would have been exhausted every night with the loads they were pulling. I noticed that even though we have all kinds of history and legends of Ireland itself, there was almost nothing about the patron saint himself, Saint Patrick. Here is a short article that has some of the best-known legends, like how he used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Celts and Druids. Truly an inspiration, and a great help in introducing the pagans to a Catholic belief by using their own holy shamrock. Of course, it also talks about St. Patrick turning himself into a deer, but I tend to think that he just must have been very good at blending in, instead, when he was hiding from the men who wanted to kill him. http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/legend-of-Saint-Patrick.html
Thank you Yvonne, I knew St Patrick was part of the Catholic faith, because Michael was Catholic, but he had many bad experiences in their schools, and wasn't very forthcoming about his religion. Then our youngest son was born on St. Patrick'd Day, and of course the holiday side of the day became a birthday party day for my family. Young Mike Looked the part too. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bull of a man. Native American beliefs have become entertwined with Christianity in many ways. I find the phrasing different, but rhe basic messages are similar. I have read that many indiginus people have been assimilated into different religions by combining the two cultures together. I am learning so much about the world from so many of you. Thank you.
Yes Lara that one you posted I particularly liked and I thought I had put it with the Christmas one, but it got deleted somehow. Their advertising was always imaginative.
In the international news just now…A 66 yr old pensioner and a 19 yr old boy in Northern Ireland stole a fire truck and went on a joyride damaging buildings and cars in it's path. No one was hurt but could have been a much worse scenario at a different time of day.
Now this peace Of Irish American history starts off a bit sad, but the sadness was part of the reason for the Irish immigration. This history is unusual because it happen in an isolated way, as apposed to the way most Irish ever assimilated into our different societies. I think this narrative is very interesting, and part of this country's history.