Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with irish

A good book on Irish History?

Dennis Murphy — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:41:38 -0800

Any recommendations on books covering Irish history? I'll be headed to Ireland soon for a couple of weeks. I have a basic knowledge of Irish history, but would like to brush up and go a little deeper. I don't have the time nor need to become an Irish History scholar, so simple and to the point is best. Thanks for any recommendations.

Suitable gift for Irish teacher

KTrujillo — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:43:44 -0800

My children are finishing the year at a primary school in Ireland. Their teachers have been wonderful and I want to give them an end of the year thank you gift. In the U.S. gift certificates are popular but I'm unsure of the etiquette surrounding gift giving in this situation. Please advise. Thank you!

How to contact my estranged father for documents required for Irish Citizenshp?

Anonymous — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:37:50 -0800

I recently learned I am eligible for Irish citizenship because my grandparents were born in Ireland. I need to obviously prove my relation to them, which is where things get sticky. I am related to them by way of my somewhat estranged father. I need a long form birth certificate for him and other forms of ID (such as a drivers license).. I haven't seen him for almost 11 years or spoken to him for more than 7 years. He doesn't pay child support, so it is garnished from his wages. We know where he works and lives, though. I'm still trying to figure out what I should do. I'd really like to be an Irish citizen because of the benefits of being a EU citizen. I just don't even know how to contact him and ask for what I need. He made the divorce hell for my mom.

I have a throwaway gmail acct here: divorcecitizenship@gmail.com

Greenify my Patty's Day weekeing in Chicago

wordsmith — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:08:00 -0800

What are some not-to-be-missed events, activities, bars, and traditions in Chicago for St. Patrick's Day? I'll be in Chicago next weekend -- my first St. Patty's Day there -- and was wondering what shouldn't be missed. We plan on watching the dying of the river as well as the parade, but what else should we do?

(We're staying in Lincoln Park, FWIW, and willing to go pretty much anywhere in the city as long as public transportation gets us there.)

Irish song played during sporting events

rorycberger — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:35:49 -0800

I'm looking for an irish/punk-sounding song that often gets played on TV during sporting events. It was played multiple times during the Patriots-Giants game (usually right before commercial breaks) the other day, and I just heard it during the Winter Classic Hockey game too. Best-guess description of how it goes after the jump. Ok, so it sounds like this: Boom-Boom dee-dee-deedle-e-dum, Boom-Boom dee-dee-deedle-e-dee, Boom-Boom dee-dee-deedle-e-dee dee deedle dee dum dee dee dee.
[Where the Booms are drum beats (bass drum, I think?) and the deedles are a fiddle/violin/other string instrument, I think (sorry, not a musician)]

Thanks in advance for any help.

When and who invented Ginger Ale in Ireland in the 1850s

Brandon Blatcher — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:47:57 -0800

Ginger Ale ( the soda, not the beer) was supposedly invented in Ireland in the 1850s. However, I can't find anything more specific. Do you know of any history links that have concrete information about the invention of Ginger Ale in Ireland around the 1850s? If it could be pinpointed to a certain person or town or custom, that would be great.

Irish song setlist?

Astro Zombie — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:02:07 -0800

Set list for performing in an Irish bar. So I've decided to take up the tenor banjo and try my hand at playing music at the Irish bars in town. Recommendations for set lists. I would particularly like to focus on Irish American music from the early to mid 20th century, but obviously should have a larger repertory as well. What songs would you want to hear from a lone, gravelly voiced singer at an Irish American bar in the midwest.

Just who was "Alive In Belfast" at the Warehouse Sessions?

vagabond — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:23:39 -0800

Somewhere in my travels I found the album "Alive In Belfast: The Warehouse Sessions." I have the song titles, but not the artists. Help! It is a double cd of mostly Northern Irish artists. I know Iain Archer, Brian Houston, and David Ballentine have songs on the album. Help me remove the "unknown artist" as well as figure out who some of these artists are so I can buy more of their stuff.

Bringing home the bacon? Irish bacon (rashers), that is.

HeyAllie — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:21:21 -0800

CustomsFilter - Bringing home the bacon? Irish bacon (rashers), that is. My sister and her Irish husband are returning from Ye Olde Sod on Monday after a 2-week holiday and they want to bring back some Irish bacon, sausages and a ton of his favorite chocolate. I don't think they'll run into any problems with bringing back the chocolate, but I suspect that with Mad Cow Disease worries, they may not be allowed to bring back the packaged vacuum sealed bacon and sausages.

The Irish swear they sneak packages of the stuff into America all the time. We hear stories from the USA that the dogs at customs almost always catch a sniff and it gets confiscated.

Anyone care to share their RECENT personal experiences and thoughts on their chances of getting that stuff through?

Religion on RTE TV and Radio

parmanparman — Tue, 29 May 2007 10:26:39 -0800

Irish and Northerners: Tell me your reflections on religious programming on present-day RTE TV and Radio? I am writing a white paper on American vs. European Religious programming and looking for reflections or anecdotes of religious programming on RTE TV and Radio.

Good or bad, please share your thoughts. Thanks.

Put the 'I' in Ireland

Anonymous — Mon, 21 May 2007 06:42:20 -0800

Is there any way for an American to live in Dublin other than a work permit, marriage, or student visa? My Irish SO will be returning to Ireland to fulfill a contract for at least the next 18-24 months, and we would like to live together in Dublin, but I am having difficulty finding a legal way to reside in Dublin as an American. Please Hive Mind: can any Dubliners or other folk give me clues as to how an American can live in Ireland? Right now, it seems like my only three options are:
1) Get married
2) Get job offer with work permit
3) Become a full-time student in Ireland, and get study visa

Is it possible to get some common law/ domestic partner status? Having my own income is not a major issue (unpaid internship-visa?) but it would be nice. I have applied for many jobs, but the work visa thing seems to be a major deterrent for midlevel positions. Are there any industries that would love to hire an American in their field? I am not eligible for BUNAC or similar programs to my knowledge because I am not a student and haven't been for over 24 months.

Other info for what it's worth since I'll be posting this anonymously: We have been together and lived together for a long time, but we have no plans for marriage within the next 18 months, and doing it now for visa reasons would be undesirable. I have work experience in print and electronic media (video but not much web development) and also sports/recreation instruction. Ideally, I'd move to Dublin in September this year, and plan on staying 24 months +. Again, my SO has an Irish passport, and I have a US passport. And no, without any forged family history documents I won't be claiming Irish heritage any time soon.

Any suggestions, stories, testimonials would be very helpful, esp. if you've gone through the same thing.

Help me throw an awesome Irish pub party.

Not in my backyard — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:39:30 -0800

Asking for a friend: If you could design a booklet to be distributed at a party at an Irish pub, what would you include? My company is hosting a party at an Irish pub, and we want to do a "reference booklet" that will be left on tables and distributed with the gifts (logoed pub glasses and coasters) as guests leave. This was originally intended just to be an Irish dictionary with toasts and various phrases, but it's grown to be a reference booklet that can help our guests identify/define some things that are going on throughout the evening. We'll be showing Gaelic Football and Hurling on the flat-screen TV's in the pub, and we're having a 4-tier whiskey tasting event. We have engaged an Celtic rock band to play throughout the night, and they are going to do some sing-alongs but they want us to pick the songs.

Here's what I have so far, but I am concerned I'm missing something:

Rules for Gaelic Football and Hurling
Explanation/Story of Irish whiskey and list of Irish whiskeys being tasted during the evening
Story of Guinness and list of types of beers available at the pub and the attributes of those beers
Words to 3-5 Irish sing-alongs (need recommendations!)
Dictionary/Pronunciation Guide for Gaelic words (words included so far are: craic, slainte, failte)

I guess what I'm most worried about is that I'm missing some good Gaelic Irish words. Do you have any suggestions? Also, I am in need of a few good, easy Irish sing-alongs.

If there's something important missing from my list of subjects, let me know, too!

Of course, to make it more difficult, I need all this information by tomorrow, Thursday, April 26.

(I am asking for a friend and can post her answers to any further clarification questions here.)

Whiskey in the Jar

Astro Zombie — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:02:46 -0800

In preparation for St. Patrick's Day: Name the best Irish drinking songs, including the best versions. And go ahead and throw the Pogues in, because I know you can't help yourself -- what's their best song about drinking?

St. Patrick's Day is coming up. Can you recommend books for getting into the mood and for appreciating Irish heritage and culture?

cadge — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:59:27 -0800

St. Patrick's Day is coming up. Can you recommend books for getting into the mood and for appreciating Irish heritage and culture? One of my little personal traditions is reading Irish-themed books around St. Patrick's Day.

Can anyone recommend any good books for this year's reading? I'm especially interested in any of the following:

* Contemporary Irish authors (I've already read all of Roddy Doyle's published novels but don't know many other authors)

* Stories set in Ireland that really give a feel for the place besides having it as a convenient backdrop

* The early Irish-American experience - what their lives were like

* Contemporary Irish culture

(These are the interests that pop in my head, but I'm up for reading anything. Mainly I'm looking for something different to read this year and not just "Listen to *How the Irish Saved Civilization* again on audiotape".)

Thanks!

Irish rebel fights his own double?

Baldons — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:16:31 -0800

Irishlorefilter: I once heard a brief reference to a fascinating irish legend/tale/fictionalized episode. This was many years ago, back when ask Metafilter didn't exist, so I don't know if everything I say is true or I made it up. - An irish leader / rebel / revolutionary / independentist, etc; (don't know when)
- Probably drunk;
- Maybe in a raft going down by the river? (Liffey?);
- This is the interesting part, he FIGHTS with HIS OWN shadow / double / doppelganger
- Convincing him / her / it that VIOLENCE IS GOOD.

Again, some or many of this details may not be correct, but I think if someone knows that story they will probably recognize it. Is it a song? A novel? A legend? A movie? Does it exist? Please, hive mind, scratch this particular itch of mine!

The Little Prince in Irish

Captain Shenanigan — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 14:58:00 -0800

Help me acquire The Little Prince in Irish (An Prionsa Beag.) I have a goal to make a nuisance of myself in 12 languages. I plan to use The Little Prince (one of my favorite books) as a study aid and I already have it in 11 of them (including Esperanto) but I have been unable to get ahold of a copy in Gaelic. The only edition I know of was published as An Prionsa Beag by Fat Lagan Press in 1997 (ISBN 1873687338) and it has been out of print for a while.

Irish Gift for Japanese Wedding

Wilder — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 07:13:25 -0800

I need an Irish gift (or alternative) for a Japanese wedding, next Saturday. Must be able to arrange in time. Help, there's more inside...... Two Japanese friends are getting married in Tokyo next Saturday. They met while they lived in Ireland, and while both were doing a Master's in modern Irish History. They love everything Irish. My first thought was to see if I could arrange for an Irish musician in Tokyo to go along to the restaurant and play a song for them (She moves through the Fair?) but don't have the first clue how to start. While I'm busy googling, can any Mefites point me in the right direction?

What does an American need to know about an Irish work party?

pineapple — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 08:52:04 -0800

Tell me about the office Christmas party in Ireland. I'll be attending my first this year, as an American employee. I know enough to know that, culturally, these are very different from their Yank counterparts. But that's about where it ends. I've been told by some of my American colleagues that "the women get much more dressed up, and for many it's considered the social event of the year." My Irish colleagues just sort of smile wistfully with memories of debaucheries past and say, "You'll have a great time."

Google has turned up articles like this one, which only underline the differences without clarifying them.

I don't want to drill for further info from co-workers for political reasons, but neither do I want to plan poorly and show up ill-prepared. I don't want to be a stick in the mud because I'm used to the formal rules of a US office party... nor do I want to cross the line and make any career-limiting moves.

Have you ever been to an Irish office Christmas party? Please do tell. (Or, if they are similar throughout the UK, feel free to share your take on a British party, etc.)

Looking for a generic timeline of events, insight on cultural mindset, how professionalism does or doesn't come into play, how spouses and guests fare, are gifts given among colleagues or from employer to employee, the ranges of dress code (I'm really worried about that one, as I am very conservative in my formal wear at American events, yet don't want to look like a prudish schoolmarm in Dublin).

Does everyone stay overnight? If everyone has rooms at the hotel, is there partying before and after? Do people really write anonymous reports to the local news? How does anyone manage to stay employed after such a weekend?

If it varies based on industry, size, etc., then assume your average mid-range paper merchant, 100 employees or so.

Does the Irish holiday season play a role? With no Thanksgiving, when do the holidays "kick off," so to speak?

(Oh, and any insight as to the concept of Resident's Bar will be appreciated. If you are staying at the hotel, then there is no last call, basically?)

Help me remember an Irish drinking song.

Vindaloo — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:19:31 -0800

Trying to remember an Irish drinking song (are there any other types?) A long time ago a friend lent me a tape of Irish drinking songs, and one of them I particularly like. The song was about 3 friends who head to the pub for a night of drinking, and one of them orders food. Lots and lots of it, he has a big appetite. When the bill comes he can't pay and a fist fight ensues. I think one the lyrics referred to the bill being as long as the bartender's arm.

The song was very alliterative I think, and it ended with the following lyric (not sure of the spelling):

...on the spree that day.
(referring to what a good time they had)

Anyone know what I am talking about?

Pleasing the sweet lad from Scotland

cior — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 23:02:04 -0800

How to woo a Scottish/Irish boy.. are there tricks or sexual customs I should know? What is he used to from the local girls? We're brand new, but plowing along. I find myself getting insecure about the cultural divide, curious to know if sex and couplehood customs differ as much as our language does.

Help me, how can an American girl appropriately woo a Scottish/Irish boy? More specifically, what are the common standards for women on the other side of the Atlantic?

Feel free to be explicit, as it's the sex and love stuff that I'm most concerned about. I know how to order haggis online, and am teaching myself to do a mean yorkshire pudding.

The things that confound me are perhaps more juicy: how do women across the sea deal with the grooming of their sex bits? what acts are most popular or entirely unpopular? how do these sweet boys respond best to girl overtures, both physical and emotional?

Not to standardize or shoebox, but please.. I need help!

Who the fuck IS alice?

jewzilla — Sat, 27 May 2006 15:48:21 -0800

I need a good Irish bar in San Francisco. The kind where there's lots of drunken singing of faux-Irish songs. I'm trying to replace the hole left by being 3000 miles from Murphy's Grand Irish Pub in Alexandria, VA. Every night (seemingly) there would be hearfelt singalongs by scores of drunkards of these songs and others like them: the Unicorn song, Living Next Door to Alice (Who the Fuck is Alice), Charley on the MTA, Drunken Sailor, etc.

Essential elements:
1. In San Francisco so I don't have to pay a fortune/risk my life/take forever getting home
2. Irish
3. Drunken singing as described above, including audience participation
4. General friendly atmosphere

If you can name the perfect place, I will buy you a pint of Guinness!

Help me figure out my Irish ancestry ...

WCityMike — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:24:30 -0800

Help me determine how much green blood runs through my veins. My paternal great-grandmother was born to a man of 100% Scottish heritage and a woman of 100% Irish heritage, but she was born in County Down, Ireland.

Would she be considered 100% Irish, by virtue of her birthplace, or 50% Irish, by virtue of her genetics?

I'm trying to figure out if on this foine holiday, I'm an eighth Irish or a sixteenth Irish. (No Irish blood on any other branch of the family tree.)

[Rather appropriate of me to be posting this on "the green," don't you think?]

Protestants and St. Patrick's Day

Duck_Lips — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 08:32:17 -0800

Today is St. Patrick's day. Is it only a holiday for catholic Irish? In NYC, the big 5th Avenue parade is run by a Catholic Org. (thereby prohibiting gays), but is labeled as an "Irish Pride" Parade, but we never hear about the protestant side of the Irish? Just about every Irish-American I know is catholic, are there just too few on the other side? Isn't St. Patrick also a hero to non-catholic Christians? Do they have their own parades? Is this true of the other big parades like Savannah, Georgia?

What movies accurately depect racism and hostility towards Irish, Italian and Catholic immigrants?

hobbes103 — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 10:21:15 -0800

What are some films that show historically accurate racist or bigoted behavior that was directed against Irish, Italian and/or Catholic immigrants to America? My wife teaches a race awareness class and would like to demonstrate that once, even some people considered "white" today were excluded and treated badly by mainstream society. As part of this, she would like to show some clips from movies that show prejudice against Irish and Italian immigrants and/or Catholics in general.

Some general guidelines:
-She'd like to show mainstream prejudice, not hostility by extremist groups - i.e. movies involving the Klan attacking Catholics are no good.
-The movies should be set before WWII. Some of the people in the class are older, and she wants to show them history that's out of living memory
-Nothing too violent or bloody - which is why she can't show Gangs of New York, which would otherwise be a good fit.
-Finally, the racism should be "condensed" enough to show as a short clip in class. For example, Far and Away, which has a consistent undercurrent of racism in it, has no single scene that captures it.

Any and all recommendations are welcome, thank you!

Hellhounds on my trail

punkbitch — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 10:32:36 -0800

Trying to find the spelling for an Irish phrase which means something like "wet-black hounds from the abyss." "dower-cue" or "dower-que" is what it sounds like.
I was told it was the Irish version of the Spanish notion of "duende."

"dubh" and "cú" are black and hound respectfully.
anybody got any ideas?