March 17, 2009

The Story Of St. Patrick

St. Patrick was a Christian missionary given major credit for the conversion of Ireland from paganism. So many legends surround his life that the truth is not easily found.

St. Patrick was born the son of a Christian in what is now Britain. As a teen Patrick was kidnapped by an Irish raiding party and forced into slavery. After six years he escaped and made his way back home. Soon after, Patrick received a divine call in a dream to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary. After being ordained as a priest, he traveled to Ireland to spend the rest of his life converting pagans, founding churches, and ordaining clergymen. It is agreed that St. Patrick was the leader in the Christianization of pagan Ireland.

St. Patrick became a hero in Ireland, so much so that there are no fewer than 60 churches and cathedrals named for him in Ireland alone. Perhaps the most famous of these is the giant St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, the grounds of which bear the mark of the site on which St. Patrick baptized his converts.

May St. Patrick guard you wherever
you go and guide you in
whatever you do--and may his loving
protection be a blessing to you always.
(Irish Blessing)

The Leprechaun

The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron.

According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold.

Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.

A Blessing from Saint Patrick

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The Shamrock

In written English, the first reference to the Shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish, as seamrog, from 1707. As a badge to be worn on the lapel on the Saint's feast day, it is referred to for the first time as late as 1681. The Shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's, before '98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in Queen Victoria's time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to wear a little paper cross coloured red and green.

As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the symbology of the United Kingdom, along with the Rose, the Thistle and the Leek of England, Scotland and Wales. So today, on St. Patrick's Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army.

TRADITIONAL IRISH STEW

3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder -- trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme -- crumbled
6 cups chicken broth
3 pounds boiling potatoes -- peeled and quartered
1 large onion -- finely chopped
1 pound carrots -- peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 stalks celery -- trimmed and ribs cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a 7- to 8-quart kettle simmer lamb, parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste in 4 cups broth, covered, 1 1/2 hours. To lamb mixture add potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and remaining 2 cups broth and simmer, covered, 1 hour. In a small bowl whisk together flour and oil until smooth and stir into simmering stew until well incorporated. Simmer stew, uncovered, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Dublin Sunday Corned Beef & Cabbage

5 lb Corned beef brisket
1 lg Onion stuck with 6 whole - -cloves
6 Carrots, peeled and sliced
8 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 sm Bunch Parsley
1 Head Cabbage (about 2 lbs)- -cut in quarters

HORSERADISH SAUCE
1/2 pt Whipping Cream
2T to 3T prepared horseradish

Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all other ingredients except cabbage and bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Turn to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises. Remove the thyme, parsley and onion. Add cabbage. Simmer for 20 minutes until cabbage is cooked. Remove the meat and cut into pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and season it heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Serve with horseradish sauce. Horseradish Sauce: Whip cream until it stand in peaks. Fold in horseradish.

Happy St. Paddy's Day & Enjoy!

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter
Lullabies, dreams and love ever after.
Poems and songs with pipes and drums
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes...
That's the Irish for you!
(Irish Blessing)

Leprechaun art is from Art Today

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