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Irish American Mom

Celebrating Our Irish Heritage Together

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Archives for May 2015

County Kildare

May 26, 2015 by Irish American Mom 6 Comments

County Kildare is Dublin’s western neighbor. This inland county offers plenty of history, spectacular scenery, ancient castles and warm welcoming towns.

River Liffey near Newbridge, County Kildare
River Liffey near Newbridge, County Kildare

Image Credit

Location of County Kildare:

 

In 1297 Kildare was first shired. It is the ancient home of the Fitzgerald family, and is one of the twelve counties of the province of Leinster.

Map of County Kildare, IrelandImage Credit

Kildare is located on the main routes to the south and west from Dublin, which meant its lands were extremely valuable in years gone by.

Kildare County Crest:

 

The coat of arms or crest for the county is rich in symbolism.

The red diagonal cross represents the ancient Fitzgeralds.

The harp is the symbol of the Fianna, the mythological warriors of ancient Ireland, whose headquarters are reported to have been located in the county.

County Kildare CrestImage Credit

The cross is Saint Bridget’s Cross. She founded her most famous monastery in Kildare.

The horse’s head represents the horse-breeding tradition of the county.

The acorns are taken from the Irish name for Kildare (Cill Dara) which means the “church of the oak tree.”

Castles And Big Houses:

 

County Kildare is home to many ancient castles and ‘big houses’. As part of the ‘Pale’, the portion of Ireland around Dublin where English rule was most effectively enforced, this county has a rich architectural history.

Here’s a small sampling of some of magnificent historical homes in County Kildare.

Castletown House
Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare

Image Credit

Castletown House, Ireland’s largest Palladian style home, was built between 1722 and 1729 for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and who, at that time, was the wealthiest commoner in Ireland.

The Wonderful Barn
The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip

Image Credit

The Wonderful Barn is an amazing corkscrew-shaped barn built in 1743 on the edge of the Castletown House Estate.

Conolly's Folly
Conolly’s Folly

Image Credit

Conolly’s Folly was built within Castletown Estate and was commissioned by Katherine Conolly, the widow of William Conolly.

Her goal was to provide employment for hundreds of poor people in Celbridge who were devastated by famine in 1740-1741.

Donadea Castle, Kildare
Remains of Donadea Castle, Kildare.

Image Credit

Donadea Forest Park is situated in northwest Kildare, and it includes the remains of the castle once owned by the Aylmer family.

White's Castle, Athy, County Kildare
White’s Castle, Athy, County Kildare

Image Credit

Whites Castle was built in 1417 by Sir John Talbot, Viceroy of Ireland. The castle was designed to protect the bridge over the river Barrow and the inhabitants of the Pale from the wild Irish. It is now a private residence.

Barberstown Castle, Kildare
Barberstown Castle, Kildare

Image Credit

Barberstown Castle dates back to the 13th century and today welcomes tourists as an Irish Castle Hotel.

Maynooth Castle
Maynooth Castle

Image Credit

This great stone castle in Maynooth was founded in the early 13th century. The original keep was constructed around 1203, was one of the largest of its kind in Ireland.

Trust me, this is merely a small sample of the beautiful homes and gardens just waiting to be explored in County Kildare.

High Cross Of Moone:

 

In Moone, Co Kildare stands one of Ireland’s ancient High Crosses. The shape of this cross is unique, and it’s the second tallest High Cross in Ireland.

The three sections of the cross became separated over the centuries and in 1853 the upper portion and base were discovered in the graveyard of the abbey, and re-erected.

High Cross at Moone, County Kildare
High Cross at Moone, County Kildare

Image Credit

It stood at two-thirds of its current height of 17.5 feet until the middle section of the shaft was discovered. It now stands proudly inside the ruins of a Medieval Church.

The monastery is believed to have been founded in the 5th century and the cross is believed to have been constructed from granite during the 10th Century.

 

The Grand Canal:

 

Work on the Grand Canal first began in 1756, reaching Kildare in 1763.  In 1779 cargo was first carried on barges along the canal, and in 1780 passenger boats traveled its waters.  

 

13th Lough on the Grand Canal, County Kildare

Image Credit

A more northerly canal, the Royal Canal was created between 1789 and 1796.

Passenger traffic on the canal peaked in 1846, but decreased after expansion of the railways in the 1840’s.   The canal was closed for commercial traffic in 1960, but today it remains open for pleasure boats.

 

Heritage Park:

 

Kildare’s history comes to life at Lullymore Heritage Park. Visitors can experience a 9,000 year journey through Irish history.

Lullymore Heritage Park
Lullymore Heritage Park

Image Credit – no longer available on Flickr.com

– Creative Commons license at the time of publication

Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park is set on 60 acres of spectacular landscape. Exhibitions explore Irish heritage, culture and environment.

 

Irish National Stud And Japanese Gardens:

 

 

The Irish National Stud is home to some of Ireland’s most magnificent thoroughbreds.

Foals at the Irish National Stud

Image Credit

Racehorses are born and raised on this famous Irish stud farm, with a long history of breeding thoroughbred champions.

Japanese Gardens, KildareImage Credit

The Japanese Gardens, part of the Irish National Stud, are the finest of their kind in Europe. Created between 1906 and 1910, the gardens were planned by Japanese master horticulturist Tassa Eida and his son Minoru.

 

St. Fiachra's Gardens, KildareImage Credit

St. Fiachra’s Garden is another stunning attraction within the Irish National Stud. Here rock and water features pay tribute to St Fiachra, the patron saint of Irish gardeners.

 

The Curragh And Horse Racing:

 

The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land between Newbridge and Kildare towns.

Horse exercising on the Curragh, Kildare

Image Credit

This area is famous throughout the world for Irish horse breeding and training.

 

Kildare Town And Saint Brigid:

 

Dating back to 1223, St. Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare Town was built on a site of great religious importance.  This is believed to be the site of St. Brigid’s famous Abbey and nunnery from the 5th century.

Round Tower, Kildare TownImage Credit

The 12th-century round tower is the second highest in Ireland at 33 meters. Built from Wiclow granite and local limestone it is an impressive structure. Visitors are invited to climb to the roof to take in magnificent views of Kildare town and the surrounding county.

I hope you enjoyed this quick photographic tour of County Kildare.  

You can explore more of Ireland’s thirty-two counties through this link.

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

Filed Under: Ireland - County By County Tagged With: 32 Counties, Ancient Ireland, Big Houses, Canals, Counties of Ireland, County Crests, County Kildare, Gardens of Ireland, Heritage Parks, High Cross, Horse Racing, Irish Castles, Irish Horses, Maps of Ireland, Round Towers, St. Brigid

On Being A Blow-in

May 19, 2015 by Irish American Mom 19 Comments

In small rural Irish villages the term ‘blow-in’ is often used to classify anyone not born in the immediate surrounding locality. In other words a blow-in is a person who has relocated to an area, who has no roots there.

Clouds blowing smokeImage Credit

Using Irish terminology  I am a ‘blow-in’ to Kentucky. In fact I’ve been a ‘blow-in’ to New York, New Jersey, Florida and Texas.

Now, you can become a ‘blow-in’ by marriage, and trust me it may take many years, even until you reach your Golden Anniversary, to lose this seemingly not-so-honorary title.

You may have been born less than thirty miles down the road from your new abode, but for all intensive purposes you are still a ‘blow-in’. 

 

Definition Of A Blow-in:

 

The geographical lines used to define ‘blow-in’ status are mysterious, and cannot be aligned to any contour line or marking on a topographical map.

Only the locals of each and every village know who qualifies or who doesn’t qualify as a ‘blow-in’, but here are some of the eligibility requirements I am aware of ….

 

You might be a blow-in if ….

 

  • you were not educated in the local schoolhouse;
  • you cannot name every hill and townland within a five mile radius of your new home;
  • you don’t hail from a long line of ancestors with deep rooted ties to the locality;
  • the intonations of your accent are not in perfect sync with the linguistic pathos of the locals;
  • you do not roll your “RRRR’s” with the exact same vibrations the local accent requires.

 

Old Boat in County Donegal

Family Ties:

 

The people of County Cork where my forebears hail from, love to use the term ‘blow-in’.

They have grown very accustomed to ‘blow-ins’ over the years, from Spanish sailors whose ships washed ashore during the Spanish Armada debacle of 1588, to colorful hippies arriving in West Cork.

Today’s County Cork blow-ins are creative thinkers, land-lovers, entrepreneurs, farmers, and ocean lovers.   Blow-ins settle in Cork from all corners of the world, but especially from Germany, The Netherlands, America, England and Scotland.

I often wonder if these new settlers grow alarmed upon first hearing the term ‘blow-in’.

Despite my Cork ancestry, I’m well aware that if I chose to return there to live, then I would be a ‘blow-in’.

Dandelion seeds blowing in the windImage Credit

Now you may hail from a long line of ancestors born and reared in an Irish locality many years ago, causing you to assume you are an honorary local. 

Alack and alas, you are still a ‘blow-in’.  If your ancestors emigrated to another corner of the world to make their fortune, then upon your return to their native soil, you are still none other than a ‘blow-in’.

 

Flattering Or Unflattering Title???

 

Now don’t grow disheartened. This term is not as derogatory as it may seem upon first hearing.

Believe it or not, you may even be called a ‘blow-in’ to your face. It is a very acceptable term for every day conversation.

Being a ‘blow-in’ does not signify you are not welcome, even though to most who do not understand the nuances of Irish life and speech, this term may appear very insulting.

In fact when calling someone a ‘blow-in’, locals may simply be letting you know they recognize you are new to the area, and they are ready and willing to help in any way they can.

Some Irish people even introduce themselves as a ‘blow-in’. A Kerry woman settled in Cork will always tell you she is a ‘blow-in’ to the Rebel County.

Perhaps, acceptance of this title is a way of letting locals know one’s home county will never be forgotten.

Bird blown awayImage Credit

I often wonder if newcomers to Ireland feel welcome, or do they always feel like outsiders, who “aren’t from around here.”

Did the term ‘blow-in’ evolve from our medieval, clannish Irish ways?

Is it a reflection of our Irish pride, especially pride in our place of origin?

Have you ever been called a ‘blow-in’?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, but please feel free to join this light-hearted conversation in the comments section below.

 

On Being A Blow-in To America …

 

Wherever the winds of change have blown me across America, the people of my adopted states of Kentucky, Texas, Florida, New Jersey and New York always made me feel welcome.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for adopting this Irish ‘blow-in’.

And so today I salute ‘blow-ins’ everywhere. I hope you feel welcome in your new homes and honored for the diversity you bring to your communities. 

 

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings),

 

Irish American Mom

 

Filed Under: Irish Expressions, Irishisms Tagged With: Blow-in, Irish Expressions, Irish Speech, Irishisms, rural ireland

Irish Myths And Legends Audio Book Giveaway

May 15, 2015 by Irish American Mom 31 Comments

Ireland is a land of myth and legend, with epic tales from days gone by describing mysterious worlds, where nature and magic exist side by side.  Irish children grow up hearing stories of brave warriors and fearless saints.

Irish Myths and Legends - Album Cover

Today I’m delighted to publish a guest post by David Murphy, co-author and presenter of two new audio books, retelling Ireland’s ancient tales of enchantment.

David and his brother Stephen have graciously sponsored a little giveaway for Irish American Mom’s readers. But first let’s head over to the brothers to hear about their Irish mystical realms and valiant heroes ….

 

Excerpt From The Salmon Of Knowledge:

 

“…suddenly Finegas saw a huge powerful fish swimming in the river. It was so bright and magical he knew at once that this was ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’. He had never seen anything like it before. At first he was amazed and out of breath, then as quick as a flash he rushed to get a strong net to try and catch this magical fish, but he was careful not to look into the fish’s eyes, because if he did, he would fall into a deep,deep sleep…”

 

Authors David and Steven Murphy:

 

Award winning authors David and Steven Murphy bring you a two part audio book “Irish Myths and Legends for Children” and “Irish Myths and Legends Part II”.

Born and raised on the mountainsides of Dublin, brothers Steven (Stiofán) and David (Daithí) want to pass on from generation to generation the magical myths and legends told by their grandparents.

Stephen and David Murphy
Stephen and David Murphy

The brothers have invested a lot of time, and even more money, to record and produce these albums to the highest quality for you and your loved ones’ enjoyment.

The 10 track albums are a compilation of the most fascinating tales from Irish culture, stories which really shape the beautiful land that is Ireland today.

 

Irish Myths And Legends For Children:

 

These two audio books cover the more popular Irish stories such as …

  • The Story of St.Patrick

  • Cú Chulainn

  • The Salmon of Knowledge

Cuchulainn's Death - illustrated by Stephen Reid 1904
Cuchulainn’s Death – illustrated by Stephen Reid 1904

 Image Credit

 

….. to the less well known stories such as …

  • The Mighty Giant Fionn Mac Cumhaill

  • McGilligan The Irish Leprechaun

  • The Love Story of Cú Chulainn and Emer.

Mythical Irish Female - Emer Standing By A Tree
Sketch Of Emer – Mythical Irish Female

 Image Credit

 

And how could we forget such classics as ….

  • Brian Boru and The Battle of Clontarf

  • The Story of the Blarney Stone

The_Blarney_Stone
The Blarney Stone in County Cork – how did it end up at the top of a castle?

 Image Credit

…. as well as many many more, all found on these audio books.

Both albums are available to buy in the digital music section of both iTunes and Amazon or from CDBaby.

 

“We have added traditional Irish music and sound effects

to our tracks to make them even more authentic,

something other audio books don’t do.

We hope you have as much fun listening to these tales

as we had hearing them off our grandparents.”

~ David and Stephen Murphy

 

An audio book for all the family , that can be played on any phone, iPod or laptop, telling the most famous and intriguing tales of the mystical land that is Ireland ….

  • Irish voices
  • Irish traditional music
  • Irish produced
  • An authentic “Made in Ireland” album.

David and Steven Murphy are available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book-signings contact:

[email protected]

 

Go raibh maith agaibh agus slán libh

(Thank you and goodbye).

David Murphy

Finn heard the far off notes of the fairy harp
Illustration of Finn McCool by Stephen Reid, from “The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland”, by T. W. Rolleston, 1910.

 Image Credit

The Prize:

 

The Murphy brothers have graciously sponsored a giveaway for Irish American Mom’s readers.

Three lucky winners will each receive a copy of the first CD of “Irish Myths And Legends For Children.”

In these audiobooks we hear of Ireland’s ancient heroes, including Finn McCool, whose dangerous adventures in defense of Ireland’s shores are retold galiantly.

Ireland’s legends paint a picture of a land with a rich and colorful history, inhabited by wily druids, greedy kings, and a few wicked stepmothers.

If you enjoy listening to the lilt of an Irish accent, then these stories are for you. Beautifully told they can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

 

The Giveaway:

 

To enter our giveaway just leave a comment on this blog post by noon eastern time on Wednesday, May 27th, 2015.  You can leave any comment you wish. What you write does not affect your chances of winning.

If you need some inspiration, why not tell us about your favorite Irish hero or heroine from days gone by.

A winning comment will be chosen randomly.  Remember to leave your e-mail so we can arrange to have your prize delivered.  Your e-mail won’t be published or shared, just used to make contact.

The winners will be announced on the evening of Wednesday, May 27th, 2015, and their names shared at the end of this post.

You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstake entries by clicking here.

Best of luck to all our entrants and a big thank you to the Murphy brothers for sponsoring this great prize for Irish American Mom’s readers.  I really appreciate their generosity.

And a big thanks to all of you who enter and help spread the word to family and friends about this little giveaway.

 

May 27th, 2015 – We Have Three Winners

 

Good news. Our winners have been chosen using the random “Pick Giveaway Winner” WordPress plug-in.

Congratulations to …..

 

Barbara Quinlan

Maureen O’Hanlon

Grandma J

 

Thanks to everyone who joined in and entered this little giveaway.

And a big thank you to the Murphy brothers for sponsoring this wonderful prize. Wishing them every success with this audiobook series.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings),

 

Irish American Mom

 

Disclosure: Irish American Mom does not have a business relationship with The Murphy Brothers. No cash payment was received for publishing this giveaway post, just a complimentary copy of their audiobook. I wish to thank David and Stephen Murphy for graciously sponsoring the prize for this audiobook giveaway.

Filed Under: Books, Entertainment, Gifts & Giveaways, Giveaways Tagged With: Audiobooks, Children's Books, Giveaways, Irish Gifts for Children, Irish Legends, Irish Literature, Irish Myths

The Thatched Cottage As A Symbol Of Ireland

May 13, 2015 by Irish American Mom 28 Comments

The thatched roof cottage with whitewashed walls is a powerful symbol of Ireland, often featured on postcards. This quaint, traditional image immediately represents Ireland for many people throughout the world.

Traditional Irish cottage
Traditional Irish Cottage in Bunratty Folk Park

I love thatched cottages so I made a short video to accompany this blog post, as a tribute to the rural homes of my ancestors. I hope you enjoy it ….

Every time I see one on television, on the internet, or smiling at me from the pages of a magazine, I think of the “old place” in County Cork. That’s what my father calls the thatched house where he grew up.

“The Old Place” – the house where my father grew up in County Cork.

I’m afraid that house now lies in ruins, but I’m happy to report there still are about 2,500 thatched cottages dotted around the Irish countryside.

Today’s post is dedicated to these iconic symbols of Ireland.

 

Irish Thatched Cottage Design:

 

The Irish thatched cottage is based on a simple rectangular plan.

The walls were built with stones found locally, pieced together in interlocking fashion, then covered with a mud plaster before being white washed. As you all know, there was no shortage of these stones in the west of Ireland.

Thatched Cottage, Raheny, Dublin
Thatched Cottage, Raheny, Dublin

Cottages were usually built with a door to the front and back, and usually oriented to the north and south. 

It has been said that these two doors were necessary to prevent mother-in-laws and daugher-in-laws from using the same door. Many sons brought their new brides home to live beneath the thatch with their beloved mothers, and peace did not always reign.

Adare Thatched Cottage
Adare Thatched Cottage

Separating the women was one good reason for this door positioning, but the most likely reason was to ventilate the room. 

Burning turf was smoky business and not all chimneys were up to the task of keeping a small room smoke free.

Pink thatched cottage at Bunratty Folk Park
Pink Thatched Cottage in Bunratty Folk Park

Irish thatched cottages boasted few windows. This helped limit heat loss in winter and kept the interior of the cottages cool in the summer months.

However, one of the main reasons for this limited number of windows was the infamous “window tax” imposed by the British government from 1799 to 1851.

This ludicrous tax was imposed on any homeowner whose house had more than six openings.  This penalty came to be called the “typhus tax” because of the increased incidence of respiratory problems related to poor air quality in these thatched cottages.

A thatcher at work - Bunratty Folk Park

The thatched roof is the feature we associate most with the Irish cottage. A skilled thatcher uses domestic cane to create these beautiful roof lines. 

Cane bundles for thatching a cottage

This cane plant grows well in moist soils, in temperate and fresh climates, making it easily available in Ireland.

Thatching an Irish cottage

In years gone by sods of turf were placed beneath the thatch to create a layer of insulation.

Today, a layer of aluminum has replaced the turf layer as a fire precaution.

 

A Bit Of History:

 

The Irish census of 1841 reported that 40% of the population lived in a one room cottage.

That meant about 3 and a half million people were cramped into tiny, dark, smoky rooms.

Dolly's Cottage, Strandhill, County Sligo
Dolly’s Cottage, Strandhill, County Sligo

Not only did most families have six or seven children, they also shared their living quarters with a pig, and a dresser full of hens or chickens. Not exactly the cozy, romantic thatched cottages we have grown to love.

Irish Thatch Roof Cottage
Adare, County Limerick

These little houses weren’t full to the rafters with charm, but were quite literally full to the rafters with humans and animals.

Our Irish ancestors who were thatched cottage dwellers did not own their homes.  They built them with their own hands, but they did not own the land upon which they were built.

Eviction Scene at the Doagh Famine Museum, Donegal
Eviction Scene at the Doagh Famine Museum, Donegal

Rent had to be paid to a landlord, or sometimes to a middle man, who subleased lots from a bigger plot of land he controlled.

Money was not always exchanged in lieu of rent. Cottagers often paid their land rent by working in the fields, or wherever they were needed.

If work was in short supply the cottagers were at the mercy of their land owner, and eviction sometimes ensued.

Thatched Cottage in Adare, County Limerick
Thatched Cottage in Adare, County Limerick

A Little Piece Of Our Heritage:

 

Many of Ireland’s surviving thatched cottages are privately owned, and I wish to express my gratitude to those who are preserving these cottages, recognizing that they are an important piece of our Irish heritage.

Irish Thatched Cottage - Spiddal, Co. Galway
Irish Thatched Cottage – Spiddal, Co. Galway

But ownership of these cottages poses some challenges.  Insurance premiums are significantly higher than for houses with regular tile roofing.  Underwriters believe a thatched roof poses a greater risk of fire.

I hope the Irish government recognizes the importance of preserving these little cottages, as a national treasure, and a piece of our heritage that must be handed down through the generations.

www.irishamericanmom.com
Bunratty Folk Park, County Clare

The thatched cottage may be a romanticized symbol of Ireland, but if they were to vanish, we would soon realize their importance. I hope that day shall never come.

 

Thatched Cottage Dreams:

 

I hope you enjoyed this little collection of thatched cottage images from around Ireland.

The Thatch and Thyme, Kildorrery, County Cork
The Thatch and Thyme Restaurant, Kildorrery, County Cork

Can’t you just picture smoke meandering from the chimneys in lazy spirals, or perhaps you would enjoy leaning on a half-door watching the sun set over the Atlantic?

Thatched Cottage in Glenroe Farm, County Wicklow
Thatched Cottage in Glenroe Farm, County Wicklow

These pictures of warmth and coziness,  must surely have been the dream of home every Irish emigrant carried in his or her heart to America.

I hope these thatched roof cottages with whitewashed walls will always be a feature of the Irish countryside for centuries to come.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

 

Filed Under: Lessons for Tourists, Symbols of Ireland Tagged With: Farm Life, Irish Cottages, Irish Folk History, Irish History, Irish Homes, Irish Life, rural ireland, Symbols of Ireland, Thatched Cottages

Irish Poems For Mother’s Day

May 9, 2015 by Irish American Mom 6 Comments

Ireland is a land of poets and poetry. What better way could there be to celebrate Mother’s Day, than to explore how Irish poets have immortalized mothers in lyrical words and verses over the years.

Mother Cow and Calf

Image Credit

If you have visited my blog before, my love of poetry will be no surprise. Little ditties, Irish poems, and  eloquent verses are all scrambled together in my head.

The good nuns of my Irish school days ensured rhythmic repetition of stanzas, and poems “learned off-by-heart”, created a hodge-podge of poetic bits and pieces rambling around my noggin.

And so today, I share with you my Irish poetic tribute to mothers around the world.

Here is a collection of verses both old and new, and of course, in true Irish tradition, some are nostalgic and sad.  Wistful sentimentality – it’s just part of our Irish psyche …..

Mother Duck and Ducklings

Image Credit

A Cradle Song

by Padraic Colum (1881 – 1972)

O men from the fields,
Come gently within.
Tread softly, softly
O men coming in!
Mavourneen is going
From me and from you,
Where Mary will fold him
With mantle of blue!
From reek of the smoke
And cold of the floor
And the peering of things
Across the half-door.
O men of the fields,
Soft, softly come thro’
Mary puts round him
Her mantle of blue.

 

Earth Mother Statue in Raphoe, County Donegal

Image Credit

 Any Woman

by Katharine Tynan (1859 – 1931)

 

I am the pillars of the house;
The keystone of the arch am I.
Take me away, and roof and wall
Would fall to ruin me utterly.

I am the fire upon the hearth,
I am the light of the good sun,
I am the heat that warms the earth,
Which else were colder than a stone.

At me the children warm their hands;
I am their light of love alive.
Without me cold the hearthstone stands,
Nor could the precious children thrive.

I am the twist that holds together
The children in its sacred ring,
Their knot of love, from whose close tether
No lost child goes a-wandering.

I am the house from floor to roof,
I deck the walls, the board I spread;
I spin the curtains, warp and woof,
And shake the down to be their bed.

I am their wall against all danger,
Their door against the wind and snow,
Thou Whom a woman laid in a manger,
Take me not till the children grow!

 

A Mother's Hands

Image Credit

Song Of The Old Mother

by William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)

 

I rise in the dawn, and I kneel and blow
Till the seed of the fire flicker and glow;
And then I must scrub and bake and sweep
Till stars are beginning to blink and peep;
And the young lie long and dream in their bed
Of the matching of ribbons for bosom and head,
And their days go over in idleness,
And they sigh if the wind but lift a tress:
While I must work because I am old,
And the seed of the fire gets feeble and cold.

 

Mother and son sculpture
Irish Sculpture – The consumptive Earl of Belfast being mourned by his mother the Marchioness of Donegall. © Copyright Eric Jones and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License.

Image Credit

My Mother Dear (The Son to his Mother)

by Samuel Lover (1797 – 1868)

 

There was a place in childhood
That I remember well,
And there a voice of sweetest tone
Bright fairy tales did tell,
And gentle words and fond embrace
Were given, with joy, to me,
When I was in that happy place
Upon my mother’s knee.

When fairy tales were ended,
“Good night,” she softly said,
And kissed and laid me down to sleep
Within my tiny bed;
And Holy words she taught me there –
Methinks I yet can see,
Her angel eyes, as close I knelt
Beside my mother’s knee.

In the sickness of my childhood,
The perils of my prime,
The sorrows of my riper years,
The cares of every time…
When doubt and danger weighed me down –
Then pleading, all for me,
It was a fervent prayer to Heaven
That bent my mother’s knee.

And can I this remember,
And e’er forget to prove
The glow of holy gratitude –
The fullness of my love?
When thou art feeble, mother,
Come rest thy arm on me.
And let thy cherished child
Support the aged mother’s knee.

 

Mother and children sculpture
School Carving, Dundonald, County Antrim

Image Credit

~ from “The Heart Of The Woman”

by W. B. Yeats (1865 – 1939)

 

“O what to me my mother’s care,
The house where I was safe and warm;
The shadowy blossom of my hair
Will hide us from the bitter storm.”

 

Roadside Sculpture in County Mayo – The baby sheltered by mother and father in their loving and caring movement represents the complexity of the family sheltered from the harsh winds of life.

Image Credit

~ from Dedication

by Patrick MacGill (1890 – 1963 )

 

“I speak of the old women
Who danced to yesterday’s fiddle
And dance no longer.
They sit in a quiet place and dream
And see visions
Of what is to come,
Of their issue,
Which has blossomed to manhood and womanhood –
And seeing thus
They are happy
For the day that was leaves no regrets,
And peace is theirs
And perfection.”

 

Liam and Padraig Pearse

Image Credit

The Mother

By Pádraig Pearse (1879 – 1916)

 

“I do not grudge them; Lord, I do not grudge
My two strong sons that I have seen go out
To break their strength and die, they and a few,
In bloody protest for a glorious thing.
They shall be spoken of among their people,
The generations shall remember them,
And call them blessed;
But I will speak their names to my own heart
In the long nights;
The little names that were familiar once
Round my dead hearth.
Lord, thou art hard on mothers:
We suffer in their coming and their going;
And tho’ I grudge them not, I weary, weary
Of the long sorrow — And yet I have my joy:
My sons were faithful, and they fought.”

Padraic Pearse wrote this poem for his mother just before he and his brother went out to fight in the Rising of 1916.

 

Mother seal and pupImage Credit

~Excerpts From The Little Irish Mother

by John O’Brien  (1878 – 1952)

 

“Have you seen the tidy cottage in the straggling, dusty street,
Where the roses swing their censers by the door?
Have you heard the happy prattle and the tramp of tiny feet
As the sturdy youngsters romp around the floor?
Did you wonder why the viree* comes to sing his sweetest song ?
Did the subtle charm of home upon you fall?
Did you puzzle why it haunted you the while you passed along?–
There’s a Little Irish Mother there; that’s all……”

 

“…..There’s a Little Irish Mother–and her head is bowed and gray,
And she’s lonesome when the evening shadows fall;
Near the fire she “do be thinkin’,” all the “childer’ are away,
And their silent pictures watch her from the wall.
For the world has claimed them from her; they are men and women
now,
In their thinning hair the tell-tale silver gleams;
But she runs her fingers, dozing, o’er a tousled baby brow–
It is “little Con” or “Bridgie” in her dreams…..”

 

“….When at last the books are balanced in the settling-up to be,
And our idols on the rubbish-heap are hurled,
Then the Judge shall call to honour–not the “stars,” it seems to me,
Who have posed behind the footlights of the world;
But the king shall doff his purple, and the queen lay by her crown,
And the great ones of the earth shall stand aside
While a Little Irish Mother in her tattered, faded gown
Shall receive the crown too long to her denied.”

 Mother sheep with twin lambs

Image Credit

A Mother’s Love Is A Blessing

By Thomas P Keenan (1866 – 1927)

 

“An Irish boy was leaving
Leaving his native home
Crossing the broad Atlantic
Once more he wished to roam
And as he was leaving his mother
Who was standing on the quay
She threw her arms around his waist
And this to him did say ..

A mother’s love’s a blessing
No matter where you roam
Keep her while she’s living
You’ll miss her when she’s gone
Love her as in childhood
Though feeble, old and grey
For you’ll never miss a mother’s love
Till she’s buried beneath the clay.

And as the years go onwards
I’ll settle down in life
And choose a nice young colleen
And take her for my wife
And as the babes grow older
And climb around my knee
I’ll teach them the very same lesson
That my mother taught to me.

A mother’s love’s a blessing
No matter where you roam
Keep her while she’s living
You’ll miss her when she’s gone
Love her as in childhood
Though feeble, old and grey
For you’ll never miss a mother’s love
Till she’s buried beneath the clay.”

 

Image Credit

Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral

(That’s an Irish Lullaby)

by James Royce Shannon (1881 – 1946)

 

“Over In Killarney,
Many years ago,
My Mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low;
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good old Irish way,
And I’d give the world to hear her sing
That song of hers today.

Chorus
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don’t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that’s an Irish lullaby.

Oft, in dreams I wander
To that cot again.
I feel her arms a-hugging me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a humming
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the bedroom door.

Chorus

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don’t you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that’s an Irish lullaby.

Oh I can hear that music
I can hear that song
Filling me with memories
Of a mother’s love so strong
Its melody still haunts me
These many years gone bye
Too ra loo ra loo ral
Until the day I die.”

 

The_Irish_Mother_by_Alfred_Downing_Fripp
The Irish Mother by Alfred Downing Fripp

Image Credit

When All The Other Were Away At Mass

By Seamus Heaney (1939 – 2013)

 

“When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall…….”

~ From New Selected Poems 1966-1987, Faber and Faber Ltd.

 

This poem recently topped an RTÉ poll which sought to find the best loved Irish poem of the last century.  This beautiful piece recalls a morning of the poet’s youth, shared with his mother, while peeling potatoes. You can read the complete poem and learn more about this great honor for the late Seamus Heaney here.

For more Irish blessings and sayings about mothers, why not check out my post ‘Wise Old Words From Ireland For Mother’s Day’.

And so, I wish you all a very happy Mother’s Day. Have a lovely day celebrating the loving caring mothers in your life.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings),

 

Irish American Mom

 

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Irish Poems, Irish Poems for Mother's Day, Irish Poets, Irish Traditions, Irishisms, Mother's Day, Poetry

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