St. Patrick's Day Overview

Modern St. Patrick's Day celebrations, at least in the United States, are likely
to be characterized by commercial lucky charms and green beer. As it turns out,
it took centuries for the holiday to accrue the elements that now seem crucial
to its celebrations. The March 17 celebration started in 1631 when the Church
established a Feast Day honoring St. Patrick. He had been Patron Saint of
Ireland who had died around the fifth century -- 12 centuries before the modern
version of the holiday was first observed. Very little is known about who he
actually was but we know that he was a Roman citizen who was enslaved and
taken to Ireland. He later became a priest and went back to Ireland, where he
had a lot of luck converting the Druid culture into Christians.

Legend says St. Patrick was actually born Maewyn Succat, but that he changed
his name to Patricius (or Patrick), which derives from the Latin term for
"father figure," after he became a priest. And that supposed luck of his is the
root of all the themed merchandise for St. Patrick's Day.

It wasn't until the early 18th century that many of today's traditions were
kicked into high gear. Since the holiday falls during Lent, it provides
Christians a day off from the prescriptions of abstinence leading up to Easter,
and around the 1720s, the church found it "got kind of out of control." It was
to remind celebrants what the holiday actually stood for that the church first
associated a botanical item -- customary for all saints -- with St. Patrick,
assigning him the symbol of the likewise lucky shamrock.


Emerald Ireland

The minute people hear of the words Irish and Ireland, they immediately think: 
St. Patricks Day, green beer, four leaf clovers and Leprechauns. All of those are
a rich part of the Irish Culture, but there is far more to the Emerald Isle than
just green beer and leprechauns. 

Ireland has often been called the Emerald Isle because of the lush green
expanses that remind anyone who is lucky enough to view it, of a beautifully
faceted emerald glinting in the sun. Ireland is divided in two: The Republic of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom
with an estimated population of nearly 2 million people. The population now is
a great improvement against the plummet in the 1960s. This region had her
share of political and religious conflicts throughout history. However all the
conflict has managed to add to the cultural richness of the region. 

The Irish are a warm people with a rich cultural and historical background. They
have been around for a long time and can trace their lineage back to the Celts.
The Irish people are divided in culture and religion. The population is mainly a
mix of Protestants and Catholics. Politically they are split between Nationalists
and Unionist. The division has effectively inspired and inflamed the artistic,
religious, political and philosophical passions of the Irish people.

In the eastern coast of Northern Ireland lies the capital city of Belfast. It is
considered to be the biggest urban area in this region. It is the 15th largest
city in all of the United Kingdom. The citys motto is inscribed in Latin and
states "Pro tanto quid retribuamus." It is a phrase taken from the Biblical book
of Psalms and is loosely translated as: "In return for so much, what shall we
give back?"

The city of Belfast is home to impressive modern and periodic architecture as
portrayed by the Belfast Castle and the Belfast Waterfront Hall. The Belfast
Eye and other daunting structures have given an aura of diversity to the city.
The residents of Belfast and Northern Ireland are crazy in love with football,
like so many other countries in the EU and in the rest of the world. The
spectator sport of Gaelic football remains to be the most popular with the
residents of this city.

Northern Ireland remains and continues to be a very beautiful country with
rolling fog laden hills and rich cultural heritage to match.


St. Patrick's Day Treats

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year with some of these fun and of course mostly
green St. Patrick's Day Treats.

Leprechaun Ale - Place a scoop of lime sherbet into a tall glass, pour ginger ale
over it and watch it fizz. This can be made even fancier by rubbing some lime
juice on the rim of the glass and then dipping it in green sugar crystals before
you pour the leprechaun ale.

Lucky Clover Cake - Prepare 9 x 13 inch cake using a boxed cake mix. We like to
use yellow cake for this. Get a can of vanilla frosting and use a few drops of
yellow and blue food coloring to color the frosting green. After the cake is
baked and cooled down, cut three heart shaped pieces out of the cake. We use a
cardboard template to make the hearts even. Arrange them on a plate with the
pointy ends pointing toward each other. It will look like a clover leaf. Frost
the entire cake with the green vanilla frosting.

Mini Mint Ice Cream Tarts - Purchase a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough.
Roll the dough into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball), and press
them in the bottoms of mini muffin pans. Bake according to package directions.
Press the middle of the cooked dough down after you take them out of the oven.
Let them cool for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack and let them
cool completely. To serve, scoop mint ice cream in each of your mini tart
shells.

St. Patrick's Day Cookies - Buy or make simple sugar cookie dough. Let the kids
cut out shamrock shaped cookies with a cookie cutter. Bake them. While they are
cooling, use food coloring to turn vanilla frosting or a simple powered sugar
and milk glaze green. Let the kids decorate the cookies with frosting and plenty
of green sprinkles.

St. Patrick's Day Parfait - Prepare a pack of instant pistachio pudding
according to package directions. Mix a few drops of food coloring with cool whip
to tint it green. Cut up some kiwi fruit. Layer chilled pudding, kiwi fruit and
green cool whip for a completely green St. Patrick's Day Parfait.

Are you seeing green yet? Give a few of these yummy sweet St. Patrick's Day
treats a try this year. They are always a big hit with our families.


Some Irish Recipes To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is March 17th, and it is a "day for wearing green" and other
Irish traditions. Even though the patron saint St. Patrick was not born in Ireland,
everything that is Green (which symbolizes spring and the prospering of the crops),
fun and Irish can be worn or used to celebrate this holiday. And it is a holiday
for all ages. Here are some entertaining ideas to use on St. Patrick's Day.

A few drops of green food coloring goes into anything you might want green, even a
mug of draft beer. Anything made with Irish cream or Irish whiskey has the Irish
spirit, too.

Authentic Corned beef and cabbage

Corned beef brisket, about 4 lbs.

- 1 juice orange
- 18-20 whole cloves
- 1 tsp. whole yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp. whole coriander

Put corned beef brisket into large pot for cooking. Take cloves and insert them,
then sprinkle remaining spices on. Cover brisket with water, bring to boil, then
simmer for 3 hours or until tender.

- 3 lbs. small potatoes, peeled
- 2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 1 medium head cabbage

About 40 minutes before beef is finished, boil a large pot of water and cook
potatoes and carrots. Add cabbage about 10 minutes before you're ready to serve
as it doesn't need to cook long. Drain vegetables.

Arrange meat and vegetables on a platter and serve with your favorite mustards.

St. Patrick Day Cookie Pops (for the kids to make)

- Box of Vanilla Wafers
- Box of Popsicle sticks
- Vanilla or chocolate frosting; or Peanut butter
- Various decorations - chocolate chips, icing packs, assorted green candies,
green sugar sprinkles, ju ju bees, sprinkles, etc.

Spread out 1/2 of the vanilla wafers, with the flat sides up on the plate. Take the
vanilla, chocolate icing, or peanut butter and spread across flat surface. Next,
take a Popsicle stick and lay it down with the end in the middle of the cookie. Top
with another vanilla wafer to make a sandwich.

Now the kids can get creative! Turn the cookie pop into a green shamrock; apply
vanilla icing and draw with green icing pack; make a pot of gold with candies;
anything you want!

They make a great treat for the kids to take to school!

Easy Hot Whiskey Punch (for the adults)

Serves 1

- 1 measure of whiskey
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 4-6 cloves
- 2 slices fresh lemon
- 7 oz. boiling water

1. Put whiskey, sugar cloves and lemon slices into a strong glass.

2. Pour on the boiling water until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Sip contentedly by a blazing fire.

Irish Scones

- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk

Note: You can add raisins, dates or other dried fruits, if desired.

Makes about 18 scones.

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter and flour until crumbly. Add baking powder, salt
and sugar.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg and milk. Mix into dry ingredients to make a dough.

4. Turn onto floured surface and roll to one-inch thickness. With a cookie cutter
or the bottom of a drinking glass, cut dough into 2-inch rounds. Place on greased
cookie sheet, about one inch apart and bake for 15 minutes.

When serving your Irish creations don't forget an Irish toast to bless the meal!

A New Twist On An Old Dram - Recipes To Bring Out The Irish In All

There's nothing better than hearty foods to chase away winter chills, and as a
young man in Northern Ireland, Colum Egan relished the warming effect of his
Mother's homemade soup. Today, as the master distiller of Old Bushmills Distillery
in County Antrim-the world's oldest Irish whiskey-Egan still enjoys "heating his
bones" with a big bowl of soup.

"I think soup was bred into me by my mother. She says that there is both eating
and drinking in it," says Egan.

Another of Egan's favorite dishes is salmon. "I love the thought of eating wild
salmon from the very river that is the source of water for our Irish whiskey."

Chefs around the globe have long turned to spirits to add levels of complexity
and flavor to their favorite recipes, so it should come as no surprise that Irish
whiskey has a place in modern recipes that will delight the palate long after St.
Patrick's Day.

But for those seeking tradition, Egan shares his favorite recipe for Irish coffee.
Pour 1 1/2 ounces of Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey into a warm glass. Fill with
strong black coffee and top with whipped cream.

Bushmills Wild Mushroom Soup

- 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in warm water and finely chopped)
- 1 cup warm water
- olive oil
- butter
- 2 leeks - finely sliced
- 2 shallots - chopped
- 1 clove garlic-chopped
- 8 ozs. fresh wild mushrooms - chopped
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 cup double cream
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Sprigs of fresh thyme to garnish
- 3 capfuls Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey

Serves four

In large saucepan, saute leeks, shallots and garlic in butter and oil until soft,
stirring frequently (about 5 minutes).

Add wild mushrooms and stir over a medium heat until they begin to soften. Add
beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the porcini, soaking liquid, thyme and salt
and pepper. Lower the heat, half cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally.

Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine
with remaining soup, add heavy cream and heat through. Check the consistency,
adding more stock or water if the soup is too thick. Add 3 caps of Bushmills
Original Irish Whiskey. Season to taste. Serve hot, garnished with sprigs of
fresh thyme.

Peppered River Bush Salmon With Bushmills Whiskey Cream Sauce

- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
- 1/2 Tablespoon white peppercorns, crushed
- 2 6-oz. salmon steaks
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- freshly ground sea salt
- butter
- 1 Tablespoon Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus extra to garnish

Serves two

Combine crushed peppercorns. Cover salmon steaks with mustard and press
peppercorns into the cut sides of the salmon to form thin coating. Season with
salt.

Melt butter in a hot pan. Add salmon steaks. Reduce the heat to medium and cook
on one side, until browned, about 3 minutes.

Increase heat to medium high, turn over salmon. Add whiskey. Cook rapidly until
the whiskey has been reduced. Add the cream and stir quickly, scraping up any
bits that are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.

Cook until the sauce starts to thicken (1-2 minutes), then season to taste with
salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped chives and serve immediately, garnished
with the extra chives.


Ireland's Gems

While visiting Ireland, be sure to stop at Trinity College in Dublin, the
resting place for an original New Testament text dating back to 800 AD. Other
Dublin sites to see are the Dublin castle, St. Patrick Cathedral and the
Christ Church Cathedral. Visitors also enjoy the Guiness Brewery located in
Dublin. Hotels in Dublin that are recommended by other tourists are: The
Conrad Dublin, Brooks Hotel, and the Crowne Plaza Airport.

The popular city of Limerick hosts many tourist attractions like King John's
Castle, St. Mary's Cathedral, the Church of the Holy Rosary and the Limerick
Racecourse, a popular horse track.

You can also view medieval artifacts at the Hunt Museum located in Limerick.
Limerick hotels that are good choices are: The Quality Hotel and Leisure
Centre and The Patrick Puncho Hotel.

Visiting Sligo

Sligo attractions of interest to tourists visiting Ireland are: The Lough Gill
Scenic drive, the Sligo Abbey, Easky Beach, Knocknarea Mountain, Maygara Castle,
Powers Court Mansion, and Glanear Lake. The Aughris Cliffs also offer a 3 mile
hike with spectacular views and photo opportunities.

Lodging in Sligo is recommended at: Castle Dargan Golf Hotel and Wilderness
Centre, Cromleach Lodge, Clarion Hotel Sligo, and Sligo City Hotel.

Visiting Ireland should include sights such as The Ulster American Folk Park in
northern Ireland, an educational experience about the great famine in Ireland
and the immigration to America that resulted. The Mount Stewart Gardens in
Northern Ireland are also popular, featuring a Shamrock garden, a sunken garden,
lily wood, an Italian garden, lake walk and Dodo terrace. Benbulben is an area of
table mountains in the Sligo area that are the site of archeological remains, 
tombs, dolmens, cairns and stone circles. Rosses Point is a scenic peninsula near
Sligo with popular tourist beaches. The Cliffs of Moher offer spectacular views
with rises near 700 feet high. The Carrickfergus Castle dates back to 1180 and is
favorite among tourists. The impressive BeaghmoneStone Circles are archaeological
sites discovered during peat harvesting back in the 1940's. The site consists of
seven stone circles and is an interesting discovery that is often visited by
those touring Ireland. Ireland is a lush land, no larger than the state of Maine
in the US. It is green year round and thus has been named "The Emerald Isle. It
is filled with castles, gardens, and fishing villages as well as cliffs, beaches
and bogs. Visiting Ireland will provide a memorable vacation for the whole family.


Belfast City Guide, Including Belfast Hotels

Nestled in a valley and bordered to the east by the Irish Sea, the capital of
Northern Ireland, Belfast, is a vibrant and lively Celtic city that lives up to
its nickname of "The Hibernian Rio." Situated on the River Lagan, the pedestrian-
friendly city enjoys a focal point in Donegal Square where the architecturally
stunning City Hall dominates the skyline, and elsewhere Victorian and Edwardian
architecture can be enjoyed by visitors on foot.

Places of interest:

Belfast's glorious seafaring history and place at the forefront of the industrial
revolution is evident in the greatest shipyard in Great Britain, where the
Titanic was built. The city's name is derived from the Irish "beal feirste" which
means "at the mouth of the sandpit" and nightlife, arts, festivals, dining and
shopping are all in abundance in the city. The sea front in particular is now
pedestrianised and visitors can enjoy the best of Irish culture in street
musicians and theatre against the backdrop of the Irish Sea.

Standing 120 metres above sea level, Belfast Castle offers breathtaking and
panoramic views of the city, bay and surrounding areas. Belfast Castle was the
ancestral home of the Chichester, later Donegall, family who were descendants of
Arthur Chichester who planted the land that was to become the city in the 1600s.
The history of the castle, and city, are celebrated in the Cave Hill Visitor
Centre in the castle grounds.

Ulster Museum, set over 8000 square metres of grounds, is likely to take up a
full day, so extensive and fascinating are its archaeology, ethnography, art,
history and natural sciences exhibits. The collections portray and celebrate the
history, culture, artistic, scientific and industrial achievements: in short, the
story of the Irish people from their ancient roots up until modern day. The museum
houses both permanent and temporary collections, and regular, creatively planned
tours are offered to distil some of the wonders of the museum into palatable
chunks.

For stunning hiberno-romanesque architecture, the Belfast Cathedral is worth a
visit, and the exciting, interactive and interpretive St. Patrick Centre tells the
story of Ireland's patron saint, in his own words.

The Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park and City of Belfast International Rose Garden,
in the southern outskirts of Belfast features an International Rose Exhibition, as
well as gardens, walks, a children's playground and live music concerts.

The Linen Hall Library was established in 1788 and boasts a collection of over
20,000 volumes of Irish literature and an enviable Robert Burns collection.

Things to do:

Belfast will never leave tourists wondering how to entertain themselves! Plenty of
things to do and see exist in Belfast.

The world class Belfast Zoo features plenty of don't-miss attractions, including
the monkey park, reptile house and children's playground.

Walking Tours of Belfast include The Old Town, Titanic Trail and the City Centre
Walk.

The oldest covered market in Ireland, St George's Market offers a range of fish
and speciality foods that are unrivalled in Europe.

The world's largest dry dock, Haarland and Wolfe, is where the Titanic was built
and its famous cranes, Samson and Goliath, can be seen from all over the city.

At the The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum a fascinating insight into the history
and the daily lives of Ulster people can be found.

The Home Front Heritage Centre features collections that portray the Belfast
experience of the Second World War, and is also home to the museum of the Royal
Ulster Rifles.

W5 is a world renowned innovative and interactive centre of science and technology
exploration, with activities, exhibits and demonstrations to expand and intrigue
minds of all ages.

Food & Drink:

If it is excellent food the tourist seeks, they won't have to look far in Belfast.

Traditional pub fare in a historical atmosphere is to be found at Belfast's most
famous pub, the Crown Liquor Saloon in the heart of the historical district.

Altos was rated number one by Yahoo travel for stylish and contemporary cuisine,
serving cutting-edge Mediterranean food and featuring an extensive wine list and
speciality coffee choices.

The Gypsy Queen Vegetarian Restaurant is on of Europe's premier vegetarian dining
destinations. All dishes are GMO approved, and organic wherever possible.

For the cuisine enthusiast, Deane's Restaurant is a high end, luxurious dining
experience, featuring dishes created by one of Ireland's top chefs.

Live music pubs are a staple of Belfast nightlife, including the Duke of York,
Morrisons and at the docks, Pat's Bar Princes.

Belfast Hotels & Accommodation:

As befitting a major European destination, a full range of accommodation options
are available in Belfast. Visitors can chose from cosy, family run bed and breakfast
 establishments, a variety of self catering options and luxury five star hotels to
suit every taste, set of requirements and budget.

Ravenhill Guest House
The Crescent Townhouse
Europa Hotel
The Malone Lodge Hotel
Tara Lodge
The Park Avenue Hotel
The Stormont Hotel
The Chimney Corner Hotel
Culloden Hotel
Days Hotel
Jurys Inn Belfast
Ramada Belfast
Parkview Lodge
Ten Square

Entertainment Nightlife is one of Belfast's main attractions, with revellers
enjoying everything from world class dance clubs to traditional pubs. The Potthouse,
opened in November 2004 was built on the site of Belfast's first pottery factory and
comprises The Potthouse Bar & Grill, Sugar Nighclub, which plays Top 40, House and
classic Disco, and the Soap Bar guestroom. The Fly and The Grill Room and Bar are
also notable Belfast nightspots. The Movie House Cinema on the Golden Mile offers
the latest cinema releases, as well as arthouse and independent films, and Ireland's
only 3D and 2D large format cinema, the SheridanIMAX is located on Queen's Quay.
Fantastic shopping is available in the city centre Donegall Place and the Waterfront
Concert Hall hosts concerts and music tours from all over the world.

Belfast enjoys an enviable position at the forefront of Hibernian culture, scenery
and history. With an ideal and unique combination of Celtic culture and British
industrial influence, Belfast is an ideal seaside destination for family friendly
events, educational and historical attractions and a nightlife that is second to
none throughout Europe. In common with much of the British Isles, Belfast
experiences a temperate and often wet climate, but is protected by the surrounding
mountains of Divis Mountain, Black Mountain and Cave Hill.

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