Category: Irish Blessings
Irish Blessings for Thanksgiving
Grace before a meal
May this food restore our strength,
giving new energy to tired limbs,
and new thoughts to weary minds.
May this drink restore our souls,
giving new vision to dry spirits,
and new warmth to cold hearts.
And once nourished and refreshed,
May we give thanks to Him who
gives us all and makes us blest.
Adapted from an old Irish blessing
In This Irish Home
May these walls be filled with laughter,
may it reach from floor to rafter.
May the roof keep out the rain,
may sunshine warm each windowpane.
And may the door be open wide
to let the Good Lord’s love inside.
Blessing before a meal
Beannaigh sinne, a Dhia.
Beannaigh ár mbia agus ár ndeoch.
ós tú a cheannaigh sinn go daor
Agus a shaor sinn ó olc,
Mar a thug tú an chuid seo dúinn
Go dtuga tú dúinn ár gcuid den ghlóir shíoraí.
Bless us, O God.
Bless our food and our drink.
Since you redeemed us so dearly
and delivered us from evil,
as you gave us a share in this food
so may you give us a share in eternal life.
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Irish Blessings and Irish Sayings for Mothers Day
“May you always know… The fragrance of flowers, The feel of the sun on your shoulders and always – the warmth of your child’s love.” An Irish Mother’s Blessing
“There is but one and only one on earth there is no other. In Heaven a noble work was done when God gave man a Mother.” old Irish Saying
“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.” ~ Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
“God made a wonderful mother, A mother who never grows old: he made her smile of the sunshine, And he molded her heart of gold; In her eyes He placed bright shining stars, In her cheeks fair roses you see; God made a wonderful mother, And He gave that dear mother to me.” ~ Pat O’Reilly, Excerpt from his poem Wonderful Mother
“A Mother is one who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” old Irish saying
“Gods most precious work of art is the warmth and love of a Mothers heart.” old Irish saying
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Irish Easter Blessing
Enjoy this Irish Easter Blessing!
May God bless you at Easter, and keep you all year through. May God give you all the faith you need, to make your dreams come true. May His love and wisdom always help, to guide you on your way. May His light shine down upon you now, to bless your Easter Day. -Author Unknown
Beannachtaí Ná Cásca oraibh (May the blessings of Easter be on you)
Happy Easter!
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Irish Easter Traditions
Easter is an import religious holiday in Ireland. Ireland has many traditions for celebrating Easter including some of which have derived old Celtic practices having more to do with agricultural calendar. You see Easter falls during spring time coinciding with the Vernal Equinox. Today Easter preparations begin with the Lenten season and end as many Irish holiday celebrations do with good food, family and lots of chocolate.
Here are some of Ireland’s old Easter traditions:
Irish Easter Preparations:
Let the Spring cleaning begin. Time to clean your house thoroughly inside and out or in Ireland if you had a thatched cottage it would be time
to apply the whitewash.
Like here in the states you would shop for new clothes for Easter or your Sundays best.
Good Friday Irish Traditions and Superstitions:
The Irish say if you die on this Good Friday, you go directly to heaven.
Remain quiet from noon until 3pm.
A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday will have the gift of healing.
All chicken eggs laid on Good Friday are marked with a Celtic cross and are to be eaten on Easter Sunday.
Easter Saturday:
Go to church and have holy water blessed. Drink three sips of holy water for good luck and sprinkle everything, including family members and farm animals for good luck.
Easter Sunday:
Get up at sunrise and do a celebration dance. Gather your family and go to a hilltop to see the sunrise. Catholics believed that this is the Savior rising from his grave.
Give colored eggs as gifts to family and friends.
Celebrate Easter Sunday with a large Irish family feast, traditionally, leek soup and roast lamb.
Irish Easter Traditions
Easter is an import religious holiday in Ireland. Ireland has many traditions for celebrating Easter including some which have derived old Celtic practices having more to do with agricultural calendar. You see Easter falls during spring time coinciding with the Vernal Equinox. Today Easter preparations begin with the Lenten season and end as many Irish holiday celebrations do with good food, family and lots of chocolate.
Here are some of Ireland’s old Easter traditions:
Irish Easter Preparations:
Let the Spring cleaning begin. Time to clean your house thoroughly inside and out or in Ireland if you had a thatched cottage it would be time to apply the whitewash.
Like here in the states you would shop for new clothes for Easter or your Sundays best.
Good Friday Irish Traditions and Superstitions:
The Irish say if you die on this Good Friday, you go directly to heaven.
Remain quiet from noon until 3pm.
A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday will have the gift of healing.
All chicken eggs laid on Good Friday are marked with a Celtic cross and are to be eaten on Easter Sunday.
Easter Saturday:
Go to church and have holy water blessed. Drink three sips of holy water for good luck and sprinkle everything, including family members and farm animals for good luck.
Easter Sunday:
Get up at sunrise and do a celebration dance. Gather your family and go to a hilltop to see the sunrise. Catholics believed that this is the Savior rising from his grave.
Give colored eggs as gifts to family and friends.
Celebrate Easter Sunday with a large Irish family feast, traditionally, leek soup and roast lamb.
Irish Blessings
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Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie
This is what I’m fixing to make tonight. How about you?
Cottage pie or shepherd’s pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor. (The term “cottage” meaning a modest dwelling for rural workers). In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind (it was a recipe to re-purpose left overs) , and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top.
The term “shepherd’s pie” appeared around 1877, and since then it has been used synonymously with “cottage pie”, in America and Ireland regardless of whether the principal ingredient was beef or “mutton.”
Our families traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie recipe was born from many a cold nights at our family cottage. Often in Ireland you can find a mix package.
Ingredients
o 1 tablespoon olive oil
o 1 teaspoon black pepper and or salt
o 1lb – 1 1/2lb ground beef
o 1 large onion, finely diced
o 3 -4 large carrots, finely diced
o 1 cup frozen peas (or if you’re in a rush just use frozen peas and carrots)
o thyme, finely chopped to taste if you have it.
o 2 tablespoons flour or corn starch
o 1 or 2 tablespoon butter
o 1 can tomato paste
o 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
o 1 cup beef stock
o mashed potatoes made w/butter and milk (6 cups, fresh, or store bought or leftover if you’re in a rush)
o paprika and grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions…
Pre-heat oven to 400°.
Sauté carrots in the olive oil until they get tender if using fresh. Then add the onions and sauté for a minute or two then add the chop meat. Season with black pepper, salt (I prefer sea salt) and thyme. Cook it all up until browned then drain fat away.
Add the butter and frozen peas. Sprinkle on flour or corn starch and mix well. Then add tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix is all very well. Then add the beef stock. (I also add a wee bit of stout but that’s our family secret…shh!)
Allow mixture to reduce down until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season to taste.
Remove mixture from the heat. Then grease up an oven proof dish about 9×13 with butter and add the meat.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over top. Your can get creative with your pattern. Add some butter and sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan cheese if using. Bake for about 30 minutes, really until the mash potato are browned on top.
Serve with some crusty bread or traditional Irish Brown Bread to mop up that yummy sauce! You can purchase brown bread or a mix at your local Irish Shop.
An Irish Prayer for Mary’s Month … May
“Mother Mary, during this the fairest month of all the year, may we always remember that you reveal to us the mother love of God and that the image of Madonna and child is also an image of God and us. Help us to see that God loves each of us with a mother’s passion, even greater than the one you experienced when you held Jesus in your arms. And, should St. Peter lock us out of the front door of heaven, please be on guard at the back door so that we may be safe with you, as the Irish say, a half hour before the devil knows we’re dead. Amen.” Fr. Andrew Greeley
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An Irish Blessing and Sayings for Saint Patrick’s Day
Irish Blessing for Saint Patrick’s Day
May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you on St. Patrick’s Day.
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours that stay with you all the year long.
May your troubles be less and your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door.
May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go, and guide you in whatever you do and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.
Irish Sayings for Saint Patrick’s Day
Oh, Paddy, dear, an’ did ye hear the news that’s goin’ round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground!
No more St. Patrick’s Day we’ll keep, his color can’t be seen,
For there’s a cruel law agin’ the Wearin’ o’ the green.
Irish Toasts for St. Patrick’s Day
Here is a toast to a long life and a journey as wonderful as you are. Have a Happy St. Patrick’s feast!
Here’s to you and yours and to mine and ours. And if mine and ours ever come across to you and yours, I hope you and yours will do as much for mine and ours as mine and ours have done for you and yours!
Here’s to me, and here’s to you. And here’s to love and laughter. I’ll be true as long as you. And not one moment after.
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