Every year around March 17 we get the question: are there really such things as Leprechauns and I thought I’d put the record straight. The truth lies in Ireland's ancient manuscripts describing her early settlers. The manuscripts contain so much detail that it is hard to believe they are historically accurate. However, since they are the basis of many traditions, they are worth studying. Further, many have been partially corroborated by archeological evidence, so shouldn’t we at least consider the possible accuracy of the others. Among the early settlers of Ireland, lines of succession … [Read more...] about Leperchaun – Legend or History
Historical Happenings
Who is St. Patrick?
Each year around March 17, the name of St. Patrick appears in every major publication in the civilized world - sometimes with honor and sometimes with scorn - often due to the conduct of those who celebrate his memory at affairs which bear his name. Of the many things written about this holy man, some are true, some misleading, and some false. St. Patrick was Italian; St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland; St. Patrick was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland - all of these statements are false! Let’s take them one at a time. Some claim St. Patrick to be Italian … [Read more...] about Who is St. Patrick?
Solas Bhride (Light of Brigid)
In pre-Christian times, a sacred fire burned in a shrine to the Celtic Goddess Brighid (Breeje), a trio of sisters, all named Brighid, who were treated as one person. She was the goddess of fertility, of metal smithing, and of all cultural learning. In her latter persona, she was the inspiration of poetry, song and history. The shrine was called Cil Dara (Church of the Oak) since oak was a sacred wood to the Druids, and priestesses maintained a ritual fire to her there for fire was the manifestation of knowledge. The area around Cil Dara became known as County Kildare. In the sixth … [Read more...] about Solas Bhride (Light of Brigid)
Paddy Colvin’s Unforgettable New Year
There were few Irishmen in Trenton, NJ prior to the Revolutionary War. Among them were Paddy Colvin and Sam McConkey, who ran two Delaware River ferries; Paddy Lamb, who resided near Quaker Bridge on Assunpink Creek; and Bernie Hanlon, a mill-owner who later became a deputy aldermen. They were all there during a very special Christmas adventure, but Paddy Colvin’s name had been forgotten for 100 years. In 1885, Rev A. Lambing, compiling a volume for Catholic Historical Research, found an interesting document. He wrote, Not long ago, when reading one of the Trenton papers, I saw the simple … [Read more...] about Paddy Colvin’s Unforgettable New Year
They Died in December
Rory O'Connor was born in Dublin in 1883. He was educated at St. Mary’s College, Clongowes Wood College, and University College, Dublin. With his College of Science diploma, he emigrated to Canada in 1911 to work as a railway engineer. He became active in the Fenian Brotherhood and returned to Ireland in 1915 in answer to an IRB call. He joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians, fought in the 1916 Easter Rising and was interned after the surrender. After internment, he quit the IRB on the grounds that a secret movement could not gain popular support and threw his support to Sinn Fein. … [Read more...] about They Died in December