IRELAND: The Land of a Hundred Thousand Welcomes
Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2014
Text compiled by Clare Gallagher
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.
Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Summersdale Publishers Ltd
46 West Street Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RP
UK
www.summersdale.com
eISBN: 978-1-78372-099-6
Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organisations. For details contact Nicky Douglas by telephone: +44 (0) 1243 756902, fax: +44 (0) 1243 786300 or email: nicky@summersdale.com.
CÉAD MÍLE FÁILTE.
(Kay-d Meal-a Fawl-tja)
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes
INTRODUCTION
Ireland is a place of unforgettable beauty – verdant hillsides, wending rivers, majestic castles, quaint seaside villages and bustling cities. An air of myth and legend pervades the land; and tales of giants, magical beasts and noble heroes resonate through the country's folk history. The nation has a heart for song and dance, food and drink – the much-sought-after craic. It's that special something in the Irish people however – their hospitality, wit and charm – that makes the country what it really is. Many a happy pub-goer will have seen a sign bearing the warm message 'Céad Míle Fáilte', which in English means 'A Hundred Thousand Welcomes'. This phrase embodies the spirit of Irish hospitality and cheer.
This book raises a glass to all that is best about Ireland, the Land of a Hundred Thousand Welcomes!
FESTIVALS
Festivals have long been a part of the Irish cultural calendar, the most famous of all of course being St Patrick's Day Festival on 17 March every year. Music, theatre and the arts are celebrated all across the island all year round. A selection of the most famous are the Galway Arts Festival, Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Belfast Festival; Cork Film Festival and Galway Film Fleadh; Dublin Theatre Festival; Cork Jazz Festival and Wexford Festival Opera. Those out to excite the taste buds are also catered for at festivals such as the Galway Oyster Festival, the Bantry Mussel Fair and the Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival.
There are only two kinds of people in the world, the Irish and those who wish they were.
ANONYMOUS
COUNTY DONEGAL
Glenveagh (Glen-vay) National Park in County Donegal is a place to truly get away from it all. The 24,000-acre park is an oasis of wilderness comprising mountains, moorland, lakes, forests and a dense undergrowth of russet-coloured heath. The Derryveagh Mountains border the national park and overlook the Irish-speaking coastal area of Gweedore where Irish culture and tradition are very much alive. Near Gweedore stands Donegal's tallest peak, Mount Errigal – the mountain is 2,464 feet high and part of the mountain chain known to locals as the Seven Sisters.
THE CHESTER BEATTY LIBRARY
The Chester Beatty Library in the gardens of Dublin Castle houses a spectacular and fascinating collection of items ranging from ancient illuminated manuscripts and Old Master prints to rare books and decorative arts. Artefacts hail from Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, and are the result of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty's lifelong love of collecting. Originally born in New York, he made a fortune in copper mines in Colorado and became known as the King of Copper. He travelled widely during his lifetime and in 1950 moved to Ireland where, upon his death, he generously left his collection to a trust for the public's benefit.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures.
PROVERB
BOA ISLAND
A stroll around spooky Caldragh graveyard on Boa Island, Lough Erne , County Fermanagh might bring you face-to-face with two enigmatic stone statues. The idols are thought to have been carved in the Iron Age (500 bce–400 ce) in the likeness of pagan deities – one was found in the graveyard and the other brought from nearby Lustymore Island. The Boa Island figure is larger and consists of two busts back-to-back in the fashion of the twin-headed Roman god Janus. According to Celtic beliefs, a person's spirit resides in their head after death, which may explain the emphasis of the statue. The island's name is derived from Badbh (Baave) – meaning 'crow' – the goddess of war, who is depicted as a crow or at times a wolf.
IRISH MYTHOLOGY
The plentiful myths and legends of Ireland can broadly be divided into four major cycles of literary tradition. The Mythological Cycle recounts the legends surrounding the gods who arrived in five migratory invasions during the pagan period in Ireland's history. The Ulster Cycle tells of medieval heroic legends and sagas relating to births, battles, feasts and death in the regions of eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, then known as Ulaid. Thirdly, set around the third century ce, the Fenian Cycle, is centred around the heroic adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill (Fee-yon mac Kuwal) or Finn McCool in English, and his warriors the Fianna (Fee-anna). Finally, the Historical Cycle relates to the legendary kings of Ireland.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
OSCAR WILDE
LOUGH NEAGH
Sitting in the centre of Ulster is Lough Neagh (Nay), the largest freshwater lake in the whole of Ireland and the United Kingdom. It supplies 40 per cent of Ireland's water, and – in legend, at least – was created when Fionn mac Cumhaill was chasing a Scottish giant across Ireland. Fionn scooped up a large piece of earth, hurled it at the giant and missed, which, in the process, created the Isle of Man. The lough covers 151 square miles and is as deep as 80 feet and connects to the sea via the River Bann. Cycling enthusiasts regularly enjoy the Loughshore Trail that encircles the lake.
THE BLARNEY STONE
Over 200,000 people from all over the world literally bend over backwards to kiss the Blarney Stone every year, in the hope of being bestowed with the 'gift of the gab' or charm. Legend has it that Cormac Laidir (Law-jer, meaning 'strong') MacCarthy who built Blarney Castle sought help from the Celtic goddess Clíodhna (Cliona) when faced with a court case. Clíodhna instructed Cormac that on the way to court he was to kiss the first stone he came across; kissing the stone caused him to speak with great eloquence in court and win his case.
Lose an hour in the morning and you'll be looking for it all day.
PROVERB
NEWGRANGE
