Wee’ Book of

Ireland

By Timothy P. O’Neill

Hi, I’m Rory Patrick O’Neill at your service; let me show

you around my home here in Ireland.

Ireland is an Island off England’s west coast separated

only by the Irish Sea. It is roughly the size of Wisconsin

when it comes to land mass but only has 4½ million

citizens. Dublin is the Capital city and is also home to

Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and the world famous

Guinness Brewery.

This is the village square in Inistioge where my family is

from and still lives today. For fun we do what you do!

We play basketball, baseball, Soccer (well, we call it

football) and American Football too.

Inistioge is the typical picturesque Irish village and has

been used in two American Movies, “Circle of Friends”

and “Widows Peak.” Maybe film people chose Inistioge

for its history and natural beauty as it lies on the River

Nore which flows all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

My Cousin hurls for Kilkenny County, the “Kings of

Hurling.” Hurling is an Irish Sport with an Ancient

Gaelic origin. It’s like Hockey but the puck has to be

kept in the air when carried by the hurlers. It’s a wicked

good time. It’s definitely the number one most popular

sport in Ireland.

Ireland is known for is legends and Fairies. The

Leprechaun, Dullahan, Pooka, Changelings, Grogochs,

Merrow, and the Banshee are said to still roam our

beautiful green Ireland. The Banshee appears only to

warn members of certain Irish families that their death

is near.

Saint Patrick came to us from Ireland as a slave from

England, returned to England, and came back again to

Ireland a Bishop for the Catholic Church. It is said he

drove all the snakes from Ireland as our humble little

island is still snake free.

We celebrate a day dedicated to his honor every March

17.

Around 1845 Ireland was struck with the “Gorta Mor” or

The Great Hunger. It is better known in the United

States as The Potato Famine. The Potato was Ireland’s

Primary source of food and about 1/3 of the Irish

depended upon it to keep their families fed. But a disease

struck the Potato plant about this time crippling the

crop and causing 1,000,000 Irish men, women, and

children to die and another 1,000,000 Irish to immigrate

to the United States of America.

The Potato Famine brought a million Irishmen to

America. Some had come before but most came after.

Now more than 7 million Irishmen have left their native

Ireland for America’s

friendly shores.

Irelands Flag is often referred to as the Tri-Colour. Each

color stands for something a volatile piece of Irish

history.

The Green stands for Catholicism, the Orange for

Protestantism.

The White stands for a lasting peace between the Green

and the Orange.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our wee tour of Ireland. Drop 10

Euros in the can by the door on your way or I’ll send the

banshee after ya’.