Irish At Heart

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! Aye, 'tis three days past Saint Patrick's Day, but I'm still wearin' the green. I have only visited Ireland once and then only for a brief four-day bus tour. Yet, the Emerald Isle lives in my heart. Why? I don't really know. I do have a bit of Irish blood in my veins, passed on by my dad, but it's not enough to truly call myself Irish.

There's just something about Ireland that calls to me. Perhaps it's the Irish people's troubled history and their long struggle for freedom from British rule. Or all the Irish myth and legends I've enjoyed reading. Today, I'd like to share a couple of those legends and a blessing to light your day. Plus a special book recommendation!

The Legend of the Shamrock.

Long ago, when Ireland was the land of Druids, there was a great Bishop, Patrick by name, who came to teach the word of God throughout the country. . . This saint, for he was indeed a saint, was well loved everywhere he went. One day, however, a group of his followers came to him and admitted that it was difficult for them to believe in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Saint Patrick reflected a moment and then, stooping down, he plucked a leaf from the shamrock and held it before them, bidding them behold the living example of the "Three-in-One." The simple beauty of this explanation convince these skeptics, and from that day the shamrock has been revered throughout Ireland.

 

The Legend of the Leprechaun

If you should be walking along a wooded path some moonlit night in spring and hear the faint tap-tapping of a tiny hammer, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an Irish leprechaun, the elfin shoemaker, whose roguish tricks are the delight of Irish storytelling.

According to legend, the leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden somewhere, and he must give up his treasure to the one who catches him. You'll have to step lively and think quickly to capture a leprechaun's gold though, because this sly little fellow will fool you into looking away for an instant while he escapes into the forest.

A story is told of the man who compelled a leprechaun to take him to the very bush where the gold was buried. The man tied a red handkerchief to the bush in order to recognize the spot again and ran home for a spade. He was gone only three minutes, but when he returned to dig, there was a red handkerchief on every bush in the field. As long as there are Irishmen (or women) to believe in the "little folk," there will be leprechauns to reflect the wonderful Irish sense of fun, and many a new story of leprechaun shenanigans will be added to Irish folklore each year.

The Blessing of Light

May the blessing of Light be on you, 

light without and light within. May

the blessed sunlight shine on you and

warm your heart till it glows like a great

peat fire, so that the stranger may

come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.

Now for my book recommendation, I highly suggest you read The Texan's Irish Bride by our own Caroline Clemmons. It's a wonderful story and I bet you will find the Irish heroine enchanting.