Today’s St Patrick’s Day and naturally, my thoughts turn to the Irish. The Irish are known for their very meaningful blessings. Today I’m think of the blessing of the Irish in my life.
The Blessing Of The Irish
Thanks to my extended family having many Irish friends – mainly priests and nuns who made India their home – and then my Aunt Leila bringing in a lot of Irish literature and music in to our home.
So with books it was Catherine Cookson for me then and Cecelia Ahern now. I loved the very real characters and the stories of good triumphing in the harsh and poor conditions that were a part of Catherine Cookson’s writing. And now I love the crazy fantasy of Cecelia Ahern. Somehow both authors manage to make me laugh and cry.
As a child I heard the crazy songs of Val Doonican and its the beautiful soul stirring songs of Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder now.
I love the lilt of the Irish accent and their phrases, of course – wise and funny all at once! Some examples:
- Many a time a man’s mouth broke his nose.
- It is easy to halve the potato where there is love.
- Wisdom is the comb given to a man after he has lost his hair.
- If you give the loan of your britches, don’t cut off the buttons.
So if you haven’t already ‘discovered’ the Irish, make some time to do that! In the meantime, here’s a wonderful Irish blessing upon you dear readers today:
May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside,
Light on the inside.
With God’s sunlight shining on you,
May your heart glow with warmth,
Like a turf fire
that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window,
Welcoming the weary traveller.
And here’s one that shows the typical humor of the Irish.
May those who love us, love us;
And for those who don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts;
And if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we will know them by their limping!
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hehe cute one! The priest at mass on Sunday had sent us with an Irish blessing 🙂
That is great. Thanks so much for the sentiments! Erin go Bragh!
Her's one of my favorites..
Dance as if no one were watching
Sing as if no one were listening
And live each day as if it were your last.
Maeve Binchy,my favorite author to read when I am on holiday,another Irish lovely!!
@ Doli – Nice. Which one was that…I love the one that goes..May the road rise to meet you….
@ Damien – You're very welcome – it was heartfelt.
@ Sally – like that too. Maeve Binchy, I like – but I find too few books of hers.
Yes, Father used the same one…
I think you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of their sayings – there is a pleasantly smug self-awareness to it all. Their true nature is so easily visible in those words, whether it be whimsy or their religious roots.
Surprisingly, one of my fav Irish authors has very little of this in his own prose- John Connolly is a crime thriller writer who writes truly atmospheric psychological thrillers with nary a moment to smile or pause.
Yes, I think they have such a wonderful mix of the magic they believe in – four leaf clovers, leprechauns, etc and their deep rooted Christian faith.
I haven’t read Connolly, but I’d recommend a totally different author to you – Frank McCourt. No doubt his book Angela’s Ashes is a memoir, but riveting all the same. He won a Pulitzer for it.
The Irish seem such an interesting people. Loved this post and hey, the comments even more:)
Oh yes they are. Ireland is on my someday-soon list!
Love these blessings and prayers… so simple…
I too like Cecilia Ahern’s writings… she is able to imagine so much good in this world…
Glad you liked them, Pratikshya. She’s not writing fast enough for me though! 😉
Oh man.. these were hilarious!! I especially loved the last blessing… and the wisdom analogy to hair… thanks for sharing Lady!
Enjoyed this post and the Irish blessings. I am going to give you a shoutout Sunday on my weekly blog roundup!