Rebuilding Lives in Northern Ireland
Posted in Irish Trivia on Sep 30th, 2010
The Irish are the world’s greatest consumers of tea, ranking even above the English. It is pronounced “tay” which is the 18th Century pronunciation and is also said this way in other European countries. Sugar is consumed in large amounts by the Irish. Ireland is self-sufficient with respect to sugar, manufacturing it from the millions […]
Posted in Irish Trivia on Sep 28th, 2010
Mutton and lamb are the principal meats eaten in Ireland. Sheep farming was one of the only ways of life in mountain areas unfit for cattle. The Irish are Europe’s number one consumer of potatoes. Dulse (laver) is a flat, red-brown seaweed that can be eaten raw in salads. Sloke or sea-spinach requires a long […]
Posted in Historical Facts on Sep 14th, 2010
This date in Irish History — September 14, 1607 — Flight of the Earls. After the Battle of Kinsale in which the Irish forces of O’Neill and Hugh O’Donnell were defeated by the English, O’Neill fought his way back up to Ulster while O’Donnell sailed to Spain to enlist aid. O’Donnell died shortly after his arrival, […]
Posted in Did You Know? on Sep 8th, 2010
A retired federal agent has uncovered records which show that the first female cop in the U.S. was Irish born Marie Owen. She started in office in 1890 and was pictured in the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1904 as the “only woman police sergeant in the world.” Mervyn Kirkhead, 65, from Lisburn, Co. Antrim, has crossed […]
Posted in Did You Know? on Jul 23rd, 2010
That the megalithic passage tomb at Newgrange, Co. Meath was built around 3200 BC? It is estimated that it would have taken a workforce of 300 at least 20 years to complete. That a “caubeen” in Irish means hat?
Posted in Did You Know? on Jul 3rd, 2010
On July 12, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln approved legislation authorizing the production of 2000 “Medals of Honor” to be presented in the name of Congress to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities. Thirty-three countries are listed as birthplaces of medal recipients. Ireland […]
Posted in Did You Know? on Jul 1st, 2010
There is written evidence that horse racing dates back at least to the 3rd Century. Chariot races were held on land that is now known as “The Curragh” in Co. Kildare. Omagh is the cloudiest place in Ireland. One of the propellers of the “Lusitania” which sunk off the coast of Kinsale in 1915 was melted […]
Posted in Did You Know? on Jun 7th, 2010
The steeplechase originated in Ireland. It is said it was the result of a wager in 1752 between two men racing four miles cross-country in Co. Cork.
Posted in Did You Know? on Jun 1st, 2010
The first written language was called “Ogham,” named for Ogmios, the Celtic god of writing. It had an alphabet of 20 letters which can be found on the tall, flat stones driven into the ground in various places in Ireland.
Posted in Did You Know?, Historical Facts on May 31st, 2010
Forty (40) ships filled with 13,000 Irish immigrants fleeing “The Great Hunger” waited to disembark at Grosse Isle, Canada on May 31, 1848.
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