Folklore

The Saint Patrick's Cross

Once upon a time the celebration of the pattern day or saint's day of the Saint of the people of the Island of Ireland united all who resided upon the island, no matter what their belief, in solemn prayer and thanksgiving. The focus of all was upon religion and upon the role of St. Patrick in bringing Christianity and protection to both the people and their Celtic Civilization. As a man from Dublin once told me "and yes, the protection of the Irish - no easy task!". Take a moment to return to that original spirit of the holiday and make a St. Patrick 's Day Cross. Then, if you have not already done so.

Materials:

1.Any disk or square of cardboard will do. I use beer mats. Try to get the ones which are not printed on one side-if you can't get them you can paint printed ones white.

2.Green Fancy Ribbon-no more than about 1/2 inch wide -about 6-9 inches or about 3 times the width of the backing.

3.Images of symbols of Ireland-harps, shamrocks etc...(stickers are great or cut up old St. Patrick's Day Cards- but please! NO Leprechauns!!!

4.If you know a priest in Ireland have him send you an old vestment to cut up-otherwise an old tie will do just fine! Cut this into small pieces.

5.Bright tastles, strings,or threads.

Instructions:

1.Cut two pieces of ribbon. They should be about 2

inches longer than the cardboard base.

2.Either glue the ribbons onto the front of the base at right angles or cut narrow slots into the base and weave them across the base at right angles.

3.In each quadrant of the base glue a picture of a symbol of Ireland-harp, shamrock, etc.

4.At the central intersection of the two ribbons and at the intersections of the ribbons with the edge of the base attach pieces of vestment, tie, or colored cloth.

5.Use your imagination to decorate the cross! You can cut notches or patterns into the edge or you can make holes along the edge and tie on fringe or tassles.Just be sure to keep to the traditional colors of green, orange, white and blue. And be sure to avoid those Leprechauns!

Songs

It's A Great Day For The Irish

It's a Great Day for the Irish,
It's a great day for the fair!
The sidewalks of New York are thick with blarney,
For sure you'd think of New York was ol' Killarney!

It's a great day for the shamrock,
For the flags in full array.
We're feeling so inspirish,
Sure because for all the Irish,
It's a Great, Great, DAY!


Cockles and Mussels

In Dublin's Fair City, where the girls are so pretty,
'Twas there I first met MY sweet Molly Malone.
She drove a wheel-barrow thro' streets broad and narrow,
Crying "COCKLES AND MUSSELS, a-live, a-live-o!"

A-live, alive-o! A-live, a-live-o!
Crying "COCKLES AND MUSSELS, a-live, a-live-o!"

She was a fishing-monger, and that was no wonder,
For so was her father and mother before.
They drove their wheel-barrows thro' streets broad and narrow,
Crying "COCKLES ANd MUSSELS, a-live, a-live-o"

She died of the fever, and nothing could save her,
And that was the endof sweet Molly Malone.
But her ghost drives a barrow thro' streets broad and narrow,
Crying "COCKLES AND MUSSELS, a-live, a-live-o"


I'll tell Ma

I'll tell Ma when I go home
The boys won't leave the girls alone|
They pulled my hair and they stole my comb
Well that's all right till I go home
She is handsome She is pretty
She is the Belle of Belfast city
She is courting one, two, three
Please won't you tell me who is she
Albert Mooney says he loves her
All the boys are fighting' for her
They knock at the door and they ring at the bell
Saying " Oh my true love are you well "
Out she comes as white as snow, rings on her fingers bells on her toes
Old Johnny Murray says she'll die
If she doesn't get the fella with the roving eye
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high
And the snow comes tumbling from the sky
She's as nice as apple pie, She'll get her own lad by and by
When she gets a lad of her own, She won't tell Ma when she comes home
Let them come as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still


Galway Bay

If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Then maybe at the closing of your day,
You will sit and watch the moon rise over Glodagh,
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay.

And if there's to be a life hereafter,
And somehow I'm sure there's going to be,
I will ask my God to let me make my heaven,
In that dear land across the Irish sea.

Just to hear again the ripple of the trout stream
nd the women in the meadows making hay,
to sit beside the turf fire in the cabin
and watch the barefoot gossams (spelled phonetically) at their play.

For the breezes blowin' o'er the sea from Ireland
are perfumed by the heather as they blow
And the women in the upland diggin' tatties
speak a language that the strangers do not know.

For the stangers came and tried to teach us their way.
They scorned us just for bein' what we are.
But they might as well go chasin' after moon beams
Or light a penny candle from a star.

And if there's to be a life hereafter,
And somehow I'm sure there's going to be,
I will ask my God to let me make my heaven,
In that dear land across the Irish sea.

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