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Questions about Ireland
Q:
I was wondering if i could purchase a listing of Bed & Breakfast
locations in Republic of Ireland.
A:
We do not sell any guides to accommodations in Ireland,
but if you follow the link, it will take you to Tourist
Information for Ireland, including lists for B & B's,
hotels and self-catering homes.
www.info-world.com/tourist.info
Q:
I have just happened upon your story of your stay
at a farmhouse in
Drumgrania. I am almost certain it is the house my grandfather
grew up in.
His half-sister was Margaret Burbage. We met Michael Heslin
the present
owner who gave us a tour of the house, and later to Crian's
in Carrick for
traditional music. I would be delighted to hear if this
was the house you
stayed in.
A:
Thank you for your e-mail. I was very interested to
read your submission.
It sounds like you are talking about the same house where
your grandfather
grew up. Francis Heslin was the owner at the time, and
from what I have
been told, he left the house to his nephew. I understand
that his own
children (or child) was not interested in the place.
Whomever owns the
house now is renovating it. I believe that Michael Heslin
is the man who
owns the antique shop on Bridge Street in Carrick. We
have been into that
shop and have spoken to him a few times. Other than Francis
Heslin, I'm
afraid that I don't know who owned the property in the
past.
We are very familiar with Cryan's Pub in Carrick. We
have been there every
time we have gone to Ireland. We met Liam Cryan and became
friends with one
of the waitresses, Mary Lynch. I don't know when you
were there last, but
they have expanded it quite a lot, all the way back to
the street behind it.
We like it very much and they serve excellent food in
the restaurant.
I was very happy to hear from you.
Thank
you so much for your interest in
LittleShamrocks.com.
Q.
I am interested in the John Reynolds story. Our family
also may be
decendents from this Reynolds family. Do you have a linage
charted out? Or
family tree?
We are visiting Ireland in March 09 and would like to go
to the Reynolds
castle ruins also.
A.
Have
you ever been to Co. Leitrim? If not, you
wouldn't be aware of how many John Reynolds' families,
or other Reynolds'
families are there. I do not have a family tree or
history of any of the
Reynolds clan. My friend Terry Reynolds can only find
back to about 1850,
and then only knowing what his great grandparents'
names are.
We
have been trying for 10 years to find exactly where in
Co. Leitrim
they came from.
There is a lot of misinformation and contradictory
record keeping, so it is
very difficult to find anything. There are also many
gaps in the record
keeping because much of it was done by the parish priests,
and some of them
didn't bother to do any at all. Terry's grandfather,
Bernard Reynolds, and
grandmother, Winifred (Oona) Shanley Reynolds have
no records of births,
along with some of their children.
I
would suggest that you contact the
Leitrim Genealogy Centre in Ballinamore. That would
be the best place to
start.
I'm sure that if you go to the Rynn Castle Hotel, just
outside of Mohill,
they would allow you to walk the grounds. The ruins
of the Reynolds Castle
are down by the shore of Lough Rynn. They also have
lovely gardens, a golf
course and other amenities. I hope you enjoy your trip
in March.
Q.
Where
in Belfast, Northern Ireland can I buy Lakeshore Wholegrain
Mustard with Honey?
A.
To
be honest, I don't know for sure. I know that Tesco sells
several of Lakeshore's flavored mustards because I have purchased
some there myself. I would say that any major grocery store
chain would carry it. I hope this helps.
Q.
I'm
planning a trip to Dublin, Ireland in June 2009 with my two
nephews. I want to give them the best time of their lives
... that's the reason I have started planning now.
So
my question is: where is the Oatfield Candy factory or
simply a candy/fudge factory (in Dublin)? I'd really like
for the boys to see candy being made and, of course, tasting
it at the same time :)
A.
Oatfield
candy is made by Sweets & Treats located in Letterkenny,
Co. Donegal, Ireland. Their contact phone number is 1-800-514-1066.
Aran Candy Headquarters and Factory, located at Blanchardstown
Business Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland. Their contact
number is 353-1-640-9333.
Butler's
Irish Chocolates is located at Clonshaugh Business Park,
Dublin, Ireland. Their contact number is 353-1-671-0599
and their office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00am to
5.30pm.
Cadbury
Ireland PLC is located at Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin,
Ireland and their contact number is 353-01-848-0000. I
would phone these companies to see if they give factory
tours. I hope this helps and that you and the children
enjoy your holiday in Ireland.
Q.
Hello, and thanks for your
site. I'm working on a screenplay that requires a roundabout
in south County Leitrim. I have a fairly good map of Drumshanbo
but I cannot find the roundabout you mentioned. Does your original photograph
give any clues (from the signage) as to the roads that branch off of it?
Could I impose on you to send me a higher resolution copy of that photo?
A.
I'm not sure which photo you are describing. It could
it be the sign in Drumshanbo, which is the first
one I have attached. The one on the top right points
to Ballinamore
and Mohill; the bottom right is to Dowra and Blacklion; the center top goes
to Carrick-On-Shannon but I can't read the other
name; the one on the left, I believe
goes to Boyle, Co. Roscommon but I can't read the bottom one. The signs are
both in Gaelic and English. The only problem with
that sign is that it is not a roundabout,
it's just in the center of town. The second photo is a roundabout sign in Trim,
Co. Meath, which is nowhere near Co. Leitrim. The third photo is a poster taken
from a painting by a local Leitrim artist. It was commissioned by the establishments
depicted that are in Leitrim. The fourth photo is also a roundabout in Co.
Meath. I'm sorry that I don't have any other photos of roundabouts.
Follow-up
comment for previous Q.
Thank
you so much for sending the photos. It was the picture
with the signs pointing in all directions that
I needed and, having a better image of it,
helps tremendously
in locating it on the map. I really like your site. I went on a sort of
literary pilgrimage to Ireland in early 1981, and I have
many photos and slides from
that time that I hope someday to put up on a site of my own. Among other
things, I
have photos of every location in Ulysses -- places like the home of Leopold
Bloom (then condemned but still standing) with St. Stephen's spire in the
background, and Nighttown, both of which have since
been destroyed to make way for the
new.
People trying to slog through the book for the first time might find them
helpful.
Reply:
I'm
glad that the photos are of help to you. I wish you tremendous
success with your book.
Questions
About Irish Food,
History, Culture & Tradition
Q:
Hi,
am meant to be making 15's for a birthday party but I can't
find my recipe anywhere or on the net. I also
can't really remember how to make them. I was hoping
you would have a recipe for me, please.
A:
I did find a recipe for Fifteens as noted below. I
think I might make them to try them out.
Irish
Fifteens Biscuits
15 digestive
biscuits, crushed
15 walnuts, finely chopped
15 maraschino cherries,
chopped
15 colored marshmallows,
chopped
1/2 can sweetened condensed
milk (a bit more, if necessary)
3/4 cup flaked coconut
Mix
the first four ingredients. Add enough condensed milk to bring
all the ingredients into a ball. Divide the ball
into two and make two log rolls. Scatter half the
quantity of flaked coconut on the worktop. Roll one
log over it to coat well. Scatter the remaining half
and roll the other log as well. Place logs on a tray
and refrigerate until firm - about 2 hours. Cut into
1/2 inch discs. Can be made in large quantities and
kept refrigerated in zip lock bags. They will
last for weeks.
Q.
Why
do Irish dancers always dance with arms straight by their
sides?
A.
There are several theories as to why this is done.
Some say it was a manner of protest for having
to dance before
the Queen of England. Others say that it was because
the Catholic church frowned on the movement of
the arms, or
that they didn't approve of the boys and girls holding
hands. The following is the best answer that was chosen
by voters and taken from the following web site.
From
Yahoo Answers:
Why do Irish dancers always dance with arms
straight by their sides?
Q:
My son's 5th grade class is celebrating Christmas Around
the World and he
chose to report on Ireland. We must make an Irish food
and he has to
explain in a paragraph what makes it Irish. He likes the
picture of the
Pinwheels and Checkerboards - can you tell us how it pertains
to the Irish?
Or maybe suggest a better recipe for sampling. Thanks.
A:
The
Pinwheels & Checkerboards
cookies do make a nice photo. The
checkerboards do not have any Irish meaning, but the
pinwheels are similar
to Celtic spirals. There is also a recipe for Celtic
Spiral cookies which
is actually the same recipe. The recipe
is an Irish recipe for sugar
cookies. I would make the pinwheel cookies, but not
the checkerboards. I
would use the dough for the checkerboards to make
celtic spiral cookies, and
I would call them all Celtic Spiral Cookies.
What
are Celtic spirals and in what way are they associated
with Ireland?
Celtic Spirals are ancient symbols, which date
back to about 3000 B.C. in
Ireland, and the other Celtic countries of Scotland
and Wales. Celtic
spirals and Celtic knots are believed to be the
oldest of the many symbols
used by the Celts before there was a written language
in Ireland. Unlike
the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, there were
no records found along with
these ancient symbols, so there have been many
educated guesses and theories
about their meaning. The most popular theory is
that they were symbols used
by the ancient Druids, who practiced paganism,
which was the Celtic religion
prior to Christianity.
Many
of the other ancient civilizations around the
world have also been associated with some type
of pagan religion. It is believed that
all of these ancient religions, including those
in Ireland, were based on astrological happenings. The
sun, the
moon, the stars, the
changing of the seasons and all things in nature
had some important meaning
to the Druids. The most notable place in the
world
exhibiting Celtic
spirals is the famous ancient burial mound in
County Meath, Ireland, which
is called Newgrange.
I
hope that this helps with your son's project.
Q.
I love this site! I was researching 'handfasting' and found
this. I'm planning my wedding and want to do a handfasting
ceremony. I also want to do a unity candle so I was wondering
if you had any suggestions on how to incorporate them both.
Is it acceptable for just the right hands to be linked
between my fiance and me so that we each have a hand free
to light the candle? There's no rush to get back to me
though, we're waiting until we're both done with college
to actually get married. I'm just starting early. :)
A.
It's good that you are starting to make your wedding
plans early. Too often people wait until it's almost
too late and
end up frantically finishing plans at the last minute.
I have researched proper Irish wedding customs and
learned
something I didn't know.
The
Irish unity candle is widely used in Irish theme weddings.
Celtic wedding unity candle
sets are a unique way to incorporate Celtic art and heritage
into your wedding ceremony. The Celtic Unity Candle Ceremony,
while non-denominational, can be used as a symbol of
the spiritual union brought about through holy matrimony.
I
did not find any results where both the unity candle
and handfasting
were done in the same ceremony.
However,
I found that, in ancient times, the handfasting ceremony
was usually
performed
in rural locations, where clergymen rarely visited
- sort of a civil ceremony with no official blessing of
the
marriage.
It was actually more like an engagement or promise
to each other, and the couple would live together without
any rights
of a married couple. The source suggests that it was
actually a "trial marriage" that was valid for only a year
and a day. At that time the bride and groom would decide
if they wanted to stay together and would then marry for "real".
The
handfasting ceremony is still used today by pagan
and wiccan groups.
Learning
that information, I would not do the handfasting
part of the ceremony on your wedding day. A suggestion:
if you would still like to include it in some way, do
it at
an engagement party, as an unofficial promise in
a gathering with your friends and family.
Q.
Our local museum has been donated a large
miniature collection. The collection
consists of complete,
detailed dollhouses
along with dollhouse kits and everything
imaginable to create miniature scenes.
The craftswoman
that created all these
things passed away and the family donated
everything in the collection to the
museum to display
and sell. I'm in
charge
of going through the collection and
organizing/categorizing. I ran across a box containing
tiny ceramic
buildings that have *Wade Ireland*
stamped on the bottoms.
There are four
complete villages along with cardboard
cards that they sit on. Can you give
me any information
about
these
villages?
Thank you so much for your time.
A.
I
will tell you as much as I can about the Irish Wade Village
sets. The
name of the series
is
Bally-Whim, which is similar
to English Wade's Whimsey-on-Why
English House collection, each set consisting
of 8 houses.
The miniature porcelain
houses and buildings were issued
by Wade's Irish pottery
from 1984 to 1987 and are highly
collectible. The houses and buildings are typical
of houses found
in an Irish
village. The 8 houses are: #1 The
Undertaker's
House, #2 Moore's
Post Office, #3 Barney Flynn's
Cottage, #4 Kate's Cottage, #5
The Dentist's House, #6 Mick Murphy's
Bar, #7 Ryan's Hardware and #8
The Bally Whim
House. I have seen
the individual
buildings sell for $28 to $48.
Your four complete Bally-Whim sets are
worth about $250 each, as long
as they are not
damaged. I hope this has been of
some help.
Follow-up
comment to previous Q.
Thank
you so much for your quick response to my email. I had
opened
only one
of the boxes
of villages and
the one
I opened was the 'Wade Ireland'
village. All of the houses
you mentioned in
your email are
there and
they look perfect.
They also have the card that
they sit on. I opened the other three
boxes
and those
houses
say 'Wade
England' They also
have the cards, are complete
and the buildings look perfect.
One of the villages has a windmill
with 15 other houses that go
on the card with
it and
the other
two villages
have 8
houses each that sit on the
display cards. I had never seen or heard
of the villages
and it's
been
so interesting
to
read your information. I know
the other folks involved with the museum
will
be excited to
read your thoughts
on the subject.
Thank
you so very much for your time and insight.
Reply
to comment:
You
are most welcome. I'm glad that I was able to
help. Good
luck with
your
display.
Q.
Just
last week I visited my Mom's birthplace in Ireland Co Cork;
also Dingle and Galway.
I
had the most delicious breadcrumb stuffing in chicken/turkey
sandwiches. It was loose light and tasty. I believe it
had breadcrumbs, butter and sage or some other herbs. I
would love to have the recipe for it. Could you please
send me a recipe for this type of bread crumb stuffing.
Our
stuffing in the states is nothing like this. I would really
appreciate it. I cannot afford to buy a cook book at this
time as I am flat broke. I simply would love this stuffing
recipe and I will be forever grateful.
A.
I
have been searching for an Irish bread crumb stuffing but
without much luck. I have a stuffing
recipe that sounds similar
to your description. If you want
to
make the stuffing alone, halve the recipe and cook in a covered
casserole at 350F for 1 hour.
Follow-up
comment to previous Q.
Thanks
so very much for the stuffing recipe.. It will be
great. I can taste it already.. I will try to alter it
to make just enough for two people. I love it in sandwiches
once in a while.
Gotta
watch those calories, right!
Reply: You
are very welcome. Enjoy!
Questions
about LittleShamrocks.com
Q:
We are an incentive company that has a group coming to
Ireland in 09. I am
interested in purchasing candy (wrapped) from Ireland to
send as a mailing
to the potential travelers. I am looking at the Irish Whiskey
Fudge
candies. Can you tell me if you have wholesale pricing?
we would be
purchasing approximately 60 units. Also - do you have a
US distributor?
A:
LittleShamrocks.com is located in New Hampshire in
the USA. Our online
store is a retail only store because we don't purchase
and sell the products
out of our location. We are an affiliate of several companies
that sell
imported Irish food and other Irish products. We have
no control over the
prices, so I'm sorry to tell you that I can't give you
a discount or
wholesale pricing.
When you said that you are interested in purchasing 60
units, I assume that
you meant 60 packages. The price per package went up
since we posted it and
it is now selling for $7.99 on sale. The regular price
is $8.99, so now
would be a good time to purchase it. We will correct
the price listed on
our site. I hope this helps in your decision.
Q.
I would like to order
a cheese assortment
but will
it still
be fresh at the end
of January
2009?
A.
We do not actually
store any of the
products at
our location.
They
are
shipped from
the warehouse in
New York. When
ordering cheese or other deli
items, they
are shipped in
insulated Styrofoam
coolers via UPS
2nd day air. In
this colder
weather it should still be quite chilled
when it arrives.
All of the
deli items
have sell-by
dates on
them,
and cheeses
should last quite
a while. You could
request that they send you cheeses
that are dated for after
the end
of January.
Q.
Do you ship priority mail via the
US post office?
A.
We don't actually ship the products
from our location in New Hampshire.
You would
place
an order through
LittleShamrocks.com
via our affiliate
companies.
There,
you would purchase and pay
for your order, and it would be shipped
to
you from their
location. We have
several
affiliates,
so I'm
not sure
which
ones ship
by Priority Mail. They all
have a choice of shipping
methods and they could ship
it 2nd-day or overnight, whether
it is done through the Postal
Service or UPS.
I'm sorry
that I can't
be more specific
but
I hope this info
helps.
