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Irish Christmas Pudding

11/21/2019

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If you’re planning a traditional Irish Christmas menu, there’s one item you can’t do without: the Christmas pudding. And there are two ways to acquire one. You can make it from scratch by assembling 26 ingredients six to eight weeks before Christmas, steaming it for several hours, and letting it cure for weeks. Or you can order one on Amazon. Maybe some year, I’ll try the former, with this recipe from the Irish American Mom blog. But last year, and as I’m planning to do this year, I ordered a Mileeven Luxury Irish Christmas Pudding. 

Based in Co. Kilkenny, Mileeven is a small honey business run by Eilis Gough and her daughter Sarah. The pudding they make is deliciously rich, dense, and sweet, filled with cherries and almonds, Irish stout and whiskey. 

When I found the recipe for Christmas pudding, I also spotted directions for setting the puddling aflame. So I tried it with my purchased pudding. It worked and it was fun!

Here are my photos of the adventure. 
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Ghost Songs for Halloween

9/28/2019

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Image by ariadne-a-mazed from Pixabay

Samhain (pronounced sow-in,  as in rhymes with “cow in”)  is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It takes place on October 31 and is the source of many of our Halloween traditions. 

Why are ghosts a typical symbol of Halloween? That's because the ancient Celts believed that the division between the realms of the living and the dead was thinnest at Samhain, which would allow the souls of the dead to pass through. Our ancestors built bonfires and offered food to honor their dead loved ones during this festival. They also dressed up in animal skins to chase harmful spirits away. Maybe this is why ghosts found their way into many Irish, Scottish, and English folk songs, which then crossed the Atlantic and inspired American versions.
She Moved Through the Fair
lyrics by Padraic Collum
​
My young love said to me, "My mother won't mind 
And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind" 
And she stepped away from me and this she did say: 
It will not be long, love, till our wedding day" 

As she stepped away from me and she moved through the fair 
And fondly I watched her move here and move there 
And then she turned homeward with one star awake 
Like the swan in the evening moves over the lake 

The people were saying, no two e'er were wed 
But one had a sorrow that never was said 
And I smiled as she passed with her goods and her gear, 
And that was the last that I saw of my dear. 

Last night she came to me, my dead love came in 
So softly she came that her feet made no din 
As she laid her hand on me and this she did say 
"It will not be long, love, 'til our wedding day" 
The Unquiet Grave (sometimes called Cold Blows the Wind)

Cold blows the wind to my true love and gently drops the rain
I only had but one true love and in greenwood she lies slain
I'll do as much for my true love as any young man may
I'll sit and mourn along her grave for a twelve-month and a day

When the twelve months and one day was past the ghost began to speak:
"Why sit thou'st here along my grave and will not let me sleep?"
"There's one thing that I want sweetheart, there's one thing that I crave
And that is a kiss from your lily white lips then I'll go from your grave"

"My lips they are as cold as clay my breath smells earthy strong
And if you kiss my cold clay lips your days they won't be long
Go fetch me water from the desert and blood from out of stone
Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breast that a young man never had known"

'Twas down in Cupid's Garden where you and I would walk
The finest flower that ever I saw is withered to a stalk
The stalk is withered and dry sweetheart the flower will ne'er return
And since I lost my one true love what can I do but mourn?
​
"When shall we meet again sweetheart? When shall we meet again?"
"Ere the oaken leaves that fall from the trees are green and spring up again"
Pretty Polly, or The Cruel Ship's Carpenter
Arranged and adapted by MARC NERENBERG, July 2018

Near the harbour, where ships sail - to many a foreign town (2x)
There lived a lovely damsel - known as Pretty Polly Brown.

She courted handsome Willie - his darling wife to be (2x)
For his trade was long and steady - a ship's carpenter was he.

Willie vowed that they would marry - but her trust he did betray (2x)
Yes, he vowed that they would marry - but instead led her astray 
------------
Soon Polly, she could see - that things, they were not right (2x)
And Willie, he could see - that her dress was growing tight

So Willie, he told Polly – “My time has come to sail (2x)
I’ll be gone a year or more - on a ship that’s hunting whale.”

Before Willie turned to go - with the sailors out to sea, (2x)
Polly begged for him to stay - She fell down upon her knee

“Oh Willie, please Willie - do not leave me here, alone (2x)
You have not yet kept your promise - to make me your own.”

“Well now, Polly, Pretty Polly - come and take a walk with me (2x)
Before we be married - some pleasure to see.”
-----------
Then he took her in a forest - so damp and dark and deep (2x)
It was so dark in there - that Polly soon began to weep

“Willie, oh Willie - I think you take me here to die! (2x)
I see you wish not for a wife - nor to hear a baby cry.”

“Oh Polly, Pretty Polly - Well, you’re guessing just about right, (2x)
I was here, to dig your grave – the better part of last night.” 

“Willie, oh Willie - please pardon me my life, (2x)
Nevermore will I covet – for to be your darling wife.”

“See how your grave’s wide open - and my spade is standing by, (2x)
So now into that deep grave - your fair body it must fly.”

Then he stabbed her, and impaled her - Oh how her blood did flow (2x)
And then into that deep grave - her fair body he did throw.
-----------
He buried her so neatly - and he covered her so well, (2x)
He knew that there was no one - who had seen or who could tell.

Then he went to board the ship - for to sail the wide world round (2x)
He thought not that Polly’s awful fate - ever would be found.
-------------
Then, early on one morning - well before the break of day (2x)
His captain stepped upon the deck - these grisly words to say:

“There's a killer on this ship - a foul murder has he done. (2x)
And our ship is now in mourning. - She refuses to sail on.”

Then up stepped the first mate - saying, “I am not the one” (2x)
“Nor I”, said every sailor - and each swore it, one by one.

And last, up stepped Willie - the ship’s carpenter, to swear, (2x)
“Indeed, it is not I, sir – I so swear and do declare.”
--------------
And as Willie was a-turning - from his captain, feeling bold (2x)
Pretty Polly stood before him! – It made his blood run cold!

That ghastly, ghostly figure - severed Willie into three. (2x)
“That’s what you get for killing - our unborn babe and me!”
An Interesting Historical Note
by Marc Nerenberg


​I've been familiar with the song "Pretty Polly" for a long time - probably more because the melody seems to get freely borrowed for other songs - both Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan have used it for songs of their own, for instance, both of which I have had occasion to play. I never was much interested in adding the original song to my repertoire though, mainly because the American versions I'm familiar with have always seemed kind of incomplete to me: a grisly murder, and bang! it's over! But then I did a little research (which is so easy to do these days, with so many on-line resources) and discovered that the American song is but a fragment of a much longer British ballad ("The Cruel Ship's Carpenter") that goes back to the 1700s and is likely about a real event. 

​The ballad itself is known in many versions, and they pretty much all have a whole beginning set-up, and ending dénouement, that are completely absent from "quickie" American banjo versions. So I've taken bits and pieces from thither and yon, moved them around, rewrote parts, added stuff, subtracted stuff, to come up with an "American" style version of the full British ballad.

It's pretty long though, so I've been putting some work into trying to make sure it retains the listener's interest throughout. This arrangement is still somewhat of a work in progress, but I think it's reached the point where I can share it (even though I still see some parts that I may ultimately want to do differently).

So it might change over the next few weeks or months as I drive myself a little crazy with revisions - but that's my usual process. This is already about a half-dozen revised versions into the process, so it's time to put it out there for scrutiny.
​
This is played clawhammer style on a Jason Romero Banjo, tuned fAEAE, but caped at the 3rd fret to be fCGCG, and I'm playing it in a C pentatonic scale.
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A Few Irish Influences on American Culture

2/22/2019

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​From as early as the 1630s immigrants from Ireland were arriving on the shores of North America, joining the mixture of nationalities in a steady stream, and sometimes in waves, up to this very day. They brought with them a strong devotion to their native culture, appreciated their freedom to express it here in the States, and shared it generously until many colorful influences from Irish culture became part of the fabric of American and Canadian culture. 

So in this month of March, designated to celebrate Irish American Heritage in the US, we’ll take a look at three aspects of American culture and how the Irish left their mark on them.

Music

​Before the American Revolution, most Irish immigrants were Protestants from Ulster, also known as Scots-Irish. They tended to settle in the Appalachian Mountains. American bluegrass, folk, country, and Western music can trace its roots back to the Celtic folk tunes they played. There are many well-known American songs that sound a lot like their Irish counterparts.

One good example is the classic Western song “The Streets of Loredo”.
​Compare it to “The Unfortunate Rake” and see if you can hear the similarities.


Language

English is a language cobbled together from several languages, and American English is especially peppered with words from other languages due to our long history of immigration. And our Irish ancestors have contributed many. Here are a few examples:

“Slew” as in “a whole slew of dancers at the céilí,” comes from the Irish word slúa which means "many."

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Irish Americans began to sort into two classes known then as the “lace curtain” Irish and the “shanty” Irish. The lace curtain group had prospered and joined the middle class, while the shanty Irish lived in poorer conditions. The word "shanty" comes from sean tí, Irish for “old house.”

And there were plenty of political rallies where people chanted catchy phrases. These reminded Irish immigrants of sluagh-ghairm, the yell of a crowd or a battle-cry. That’s why we call them “slogans” now.

Two more Irish words will likely sound familiar: clann which means "family," and gleann which means "valley."

There’s a book called How the Irish Invented Slang by David Cassidy, but I only mention it to let you know that it has stirred up quite a bit of controversy. Most experts in the Irish language consider it complete nonsense and an academic scam. So now you won’t fall for that one.

Dance

The Virginia Reel, a popular party dance throughout the 1800s, was influenced by English country dance and the Haymaker’s Jig, an Irish céilí dance. American square dancing, too, shows some aspects of Irish céilí and set dances. 

But the Irish contribution to the most uniquely American dance form is probably the most significant. Tap dance originated when enslaved African people and Irish people saw each other’s dance moves in the 1800s. Somewhere along the line English clogging joined the mix. Then Vaudeville performers took this early fusion and refined the steps over time. Later, dancers took tap even further in movies and Broadway shows and it keeps evolving to this day.

Here’s an excellent 5-minute documentary, featuring some cool vintage dance footage, that traces the eclectic mix of cultures that gave us American tap dance.
If you would like to receive an article like this each month in your email inbox, along with our calendar of events for the month and other info of interest to fans of Irish culture in the Mohawk Valley, you can sign up for our email newsletter in the form below.
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Discover 3 Irish Poets

2/1/2019

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​With St. Valentine’s Day coming up, you may be thinking of sending cards or posting a message on your social media accounts to express your love and appreciation for your dear ones. But for these tender feelings, it’s sometimes hard to come up with the right words. 

That’s when we turn to the poets, and Ireland has produced many excellent ones. Here we offer you three lovely examples of Irish word-weaving with a little about the poets who wrote them.

Seamus Heaney

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​Seamus Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past." He was born in County Derry in Northern Ireland in 1939 and lived for many years in Dublin. During his career as a poet, playwright, translator, and professor he taught at Harvard and Oxford Universities and published many books. He died in Dublin in 2013.

Scaffolding

Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seems to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
​There’s nothing quite like hearing poetry read by the poet who wrote it, especially when he has a charming Irish accent: 

William Butler Yeats

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​Though an early teacher described William Butler Yeats’ work as "only fair. Perhaps better in Latin than in any other subject. Very poor in spelling," by 1923 he had won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was born near Dublin in 1865 and played an integral role in the Irish Literary Revival, founding the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and writing many plays performed there. His long creative and eventful life ended in 1939 in France.

When You Are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, 
And nodding by the fire, take down this book, 
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look 
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace, 
And loved your beauty with love false or true, 
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, 
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars, 
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled 
And paced upon the mountains overhead 
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
​You can hear the melodious voice of British actor Tom Hiddleston reading this poem here:

John Boyle O'Reilly

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​Born in Co. Meath in 1844, John Boyle O’Reilly was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony in the wilds of Australia in 1867 for his involvement with the Fenians, but he escaped to America two years later where he was able to speak up for the Irish community and culture as editor of a newspaper in Boston. A prolific writer, he aslo published a novel and three collections of poetry before his untimely death in Massachusetts in 1890 at the age of 46.

The White Rose

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
​Some brilliant animator on YouTube made this video bringing O’Reilly’s prison photo to life to recite the poem.
You can have articles like this one delivered to your inbox each month along with our calendar of events. All you need to do is sign up in the form at the bottom of this page.
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A Set of Irish Christmas Ideas

11/29/2018

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In traditional Irish music, a “set” is a group of three tunes each played three times. So this year I thought it would be fun to put together a “set” of ideas that you can add to your holiday celebrations to make them a wee bit more Irish. 

Irish Christmas Recipes
Delicious aromas from the kitchen are part of everyone’s festivities, so let’s start with a “tune” of three Irish Christmas recipes. (Click the titles on each recipe below to go to the complete directions.)

Irish Plum Pudding
Here’s a recipe developed by Mairéad, author of The Irish American Mom blog. Beginning with her mom’s recipe that she fondly remembers making when she was a child in Ireland, she gives detailed directions with her own adaptations that make it easier for us to make here in the USA. Important note: if you want to make Irish Plum Pudding this year, start now. It has to ripen for at least four weeks before you eat it.

Crisp Gingerbread Biscuits
Famed Irish foodie Donal Skehan says this recipe is a “must have at Christmas”. You’ll have to do some measurement conversions on this one, which takes a little effort on Google, but it looks like it will be worth it.

Irish Eggnog
Most of the recipes I searched through online looked pretty complicated (like the plum pudding above). Christmas must be a time of serious culinary endeavor in Ireland. But I was able to find this easy one for those who’d rather not spend so much time in the kitchen.

Irish Christmas Gifts
For our second "tune," let’s take care of some gift shopping. What can you wrap up for your Hibernophile friend who has everything? Here are three ideas.

A Subscription to The Online Academy of Irish Music
Some famous names in Irish music are among the teachers of these very well-done video courses. They offer monthly, six-month, and annual subscriptions. And if your loved one doesn’t play an instrument, OAIM offers courses in how to sing in the Irish traditional style.

Kilkenny Design Centre
If your gift list includes someone who’s been to Ireland and already has all the usual items like an Aran sweater, a Belleek vase, and lots of Celtic knot jewelry, you might like to check out the Kilkenny Design Centre’s online shop where you’ll find many beautiful items made by Irish artisans.

Shop Local
If you’d like to keep your Christmas shopping dollars in Upstate New York, you’ll find Irish-themed gifts at The Plaide Palette in Cherry Valley, Cashel House in Syracuse, and Celtic Treasures in Saratoga Springs. In the Utica area, The Olde Wicker Mill in the New Hartford Shopping Center has an Irish gift department.

Irish Christmas Music
And finally, our third "tune" actually involves music. Here are three selections to add to your holiday playlists. All of these are available on CD, digital or vinyl, new or used on Amazon.com. You may also be able to find the albums, or tunes from them, on your favorite music app like Spotify or iTunes.

An Nollaig by Eileen Ivers
Canadian fiddler Eileen Ivers is one of our all-time favorite performers, having appeared at the Great American Irish Festival a number of times. This is her take on some familiar holiday classics and traditional Irish carols.

The Clancy Brothers Christmas by The Clancy Brothers
This old classic includes many songs you’ll recognize, like Jingle Bells, and some that may be new to you, like Christmas in Carrick. But they’re all rich with the Clancy Brothers’ characteristic sound.

The Wexford Carols by Caitríona O'Leary
Caitríona, a fine singer herself, did considerable research into Irish carols and poetry from the 17th-18th centuries, then teamed up with stellar musicians Tom Jones, Rosanne Cash and Rhiannon Giddens in 2014 to produce this authentic collection of Irish Christmas music.

I hope you found something in this set of three threes that you can blend into your holiday celebration this year. If this article has made you think of some of your own special finds, please share them in the comments. 
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How About Eating Something Different for St. Patrick’s Day This Year!

1/30/2018

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St. Patrick’s Day is coming up soon. So, what are you planning to eat? If you’re like most Americans corned beef and cabbage is the obvious answer. But if you’ve visited Ireland, you know there are lots of other delicious options when it comes to Irish cuisine.

Take Bangers & Mash for instance. It’s a favorite at pubs in Ireland and goes down very well with a nice pint of cider

In fact when I returned from Ireland in 2014, I came up with this version of Bangers & Mash using some of Central New York’s native cider from Beak & Skiff’s in LaFayette.

Before we get cooking, let’s just clear up what that odd recipe name signifies for those who aren’t familiar with it. The "bangers" are sausages and the "mash" is mashed potatoes. All slathered in a delicious onion gravy, this pub grub favorite is very likely to make you feel all warm and cozy. Be aware, this is not a quick recipe and it generates quite a few dishes to wash, but the result is well worth it.


CNY Bangers and Mash

Ingredients
  • 4 apple chicken sausages
  • 4 Tbsps butter, divided in half
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 12-oz bottle hard apple cider
  • 1 Tbsp flour mixed with 1 Tb softened butter
  • 2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 lbs red potatoes, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 c milk
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 cup Dubliner cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Boil potatoes until tender.
  2. While potatoes are boiling, brown sausages and onions with 2 Tbsps butter in a skillet for 10 minutes.
  3. Add cider to skillet and cook until mixture is reduced, about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove sausages temporarily to a bowl.
  5. Stir flour and butter mixture into cider and onions.
  6. Add Worcestershire and chicken stock. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Stir until thickened slightly.
  8. Return sausages to gravy until heated through.
  9. Mash potatoes with 2 Tbsps butter, milk, mustard and grated cheese.
  10. Serve sausages and gravy over mashed potatoes.

We’ve recently started a Pinterest board where we’re collecting all kinds of Irish recipes. You may want to check it out for more Irish dishes to try for St. Patrick's Day and throughout the year.
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    The Craobh Dugan-O'Looney blog is written by Sue Smith Romero. ​Questions? Corrections? Send them on to her at uticairish@gmail.com

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