Tag Archive for Irish

Teen Deserves His $50,000 Prize

August 19, 2019 Comments Off on Teen Deserves His $50,000 Prize

A teenager from Ireland may have found a way to rescue our oceans from the growing plastic pollution problem.

A walk on the beach led Fionn Ferreira to develop his project on microplastic extraction from water for the annual Google Science Fair. The project won the grand prize of $50,000 in educational funding at this year’s event.

The 18-year-old said that while he was out on that walk in his coastal hometown of Ballydehob, he ran across a stone with oil and plastic stuck to it — something he says he’s become more aware of in recent years.

Read the rest of this fascinating article at This Irish teenager may have a solution for a plastic-free ocean.

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Fully Packed Irish Proverb

March 28, 2019 Comments Off on Fully Packed Irish Proverb

Today’s Thursday Thought–an Irish proverb–is short but packed with meaning.

“People live in each other’s shelter.” – Irish proverb

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Celtic Wisdom

January 31, 2019 Comments Off on Celtic Wisdom

Today’s Thursday Thought quote dispenses some Irish wisdom about stopping and  taking a breath.

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Growing with the Irish

October 18, 2018 Comments Off on Growing with the Irish

Today’s Thursday Thought quote comes from a nation of people who have learned the hard way how to grow.  

“You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.”  – Irish proverb

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For Fun–St. Pat’s Day Trivia

March 16, 2018 Comments Off on For Fun–St. Pat’s Day Trivia

Tomorrow everyone is Irish.  We joke, party, and parade in celebration of the Irish (born in England, by the way) St. Patrick.  We turn waterways green and drink green beer.  We wear green and cook special meals.  Did you know that 650,000 American babies have been named Patrick in the last century?  Or that 40 pounds of green dye go into the Chicago River on this day (even more this year)?

Discover more bits of St. Pat trivia at St. Patrick’s Day by the Numbers.

Top o’ the day, to ye.  Have a grand time tomorrow.

(From a Kelly who married an O’Donnell.)

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Irish, Congress, Trump, and History

March 23, 2017 Comments Off on Irish, Congress, Trump, and History

U.S. Presidents or Congress have been doing it for years, and this year President Trump did it: declared March Irish-American History Month to honor the contributions to our country by Irish immigrants and their descendants who are living here.  Today’s Thursday Thought, then is in honor of them.

“Well, it takes all kinds of men to build a railroad.”
“No sir, just us Irish.”
–Railroad barons in “Dodge City,” Warner Bros., 1939

 

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My Irish Blessing for You

March 17, 2017 Comments Off on My Irish Blessing for You

I, Jackie O’Donnell, nee Kelly, hereby proclaim each and everyone of you an honorary Irish person today.  Here’s my Irish blessing for you:

May the roof above us never fall in.  And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.

 

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An Irish Wish for My Readers

March 17, 2016 2 comments

It’s St. Patrick’s Day!  So, of course, since I’m an O’Donnell (nee Kelly), my Thursday Thought for today is a special wish for all o’ ye:

 

 

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A Wedding Surprise

April 23, 2014 2 comments

I’m sure you’re familiar with the song about the Broken Hallelujah. This currently popular song is being adapted in interesting ways. One adaptation tells the Easter story.  Another was a surprise for a bride and groom as they sat in their wedding chairs on an Irish altar.  The priest walked to the altar.  Gentle music began playing. And he sang out his version of the song, tailored to the happy (and startled) couple.  I found it fun and charming.  Take a look:

http://diamondbar-walnut.patch.com/groups/holidays/p/singing-priest-says-hallelujuah-to-irish-couple-is-wedding-mass-for-celebrating-with-song_77f43e97?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-2-post&newsRef=true

 

 

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St. WHO’s Day?

March 17, 2014 Comments Off on St. WHO’s Day?

Be careful what you wish today.  Many people blithely say “Happy St. Paddy’s Day,” not realizing that those can be fighting words.  In Britain, “paddy” is a slang term—a derogatory one—for a person of Irish birth or descent.  If an Englishman wants to cut down a person, he’ll call him a “Paddy.”  Some of that usage ended up in America, too.  Also, some people in America either lived themselves or had relatives who lived through English mal-treatment in Ireland and, therefore, resent the term “Paddy.”

True, “Paddy” in the late 1900s was a pet form of the Irish name “Padraig” (not “Patrick”).  In that spirit, many Irish call themselves by that nickname.  But it’s like nicknames for Blacks, Hispanics, and other groups: you can call each other that, but NOT if you’re an outsider.

You don’t know an Irish person’s feelings about the name, and you don’t want to perpetuate a term that some people find offensive.  PLUS, the day IS supposedly honoring a saint.  So I invite everyone to do what I’m doing, wishing one and all a

                           Shamrock HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Shamrock
 
 
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