Goblin's Way: The Art of JB Monge

A while back I stumbled onto the Goblin's Way and was instantly smitten, enchanted, & bewitched with the characters brought to life by the skillful, imaginative, & completely unique hand of Jean-Baptiste Monge, an illustrator, character designer, & visual development artist. He has a real affinity for faeries of the Celtic lands. Here is a sampling or his Irish characters in honor of this most Irish of Months but you must hop over to www.jbmonge.com sometime and explore the enchanting world of Goblin's Way and all of its inhabitants or browse his creations in the Goblin's Way Etsy Shop.

Saint Patrick

Below is a useful graphic (click link to see larger version) I ran across for those of us less informed about Ireland's Patron Saint, Patrick. Did you know...his real name was Maewyn ? He wasn't Irish at all !! Brush up on a little Saint Patrick history then head over to Tourism Ireland to test your knowledge with a QUIZ.

SOURCE

Traditional Music: The Heartbeat of Ireland

"Irish music has always been intensely pictorial, constantly throwing up images to the listener. Irish music is visual, it's tactile. You can feel it. You can smell it. It's all around you. Irish music is earthy. Irish music is of the people and of the land. It's full of life & emotion. It's exciting & moving. It lives & it breathes. To best understand that, you need to stand & watch it happen right in front of you."  -Water From the Well Liner Notes

The last post covered Dublin Pubs and got me looking back at the Musical Pub Tours that we've taken. I have, for quite some time, loved Traditional Irish music. Perhaps I can hear an ancestral rhythm within it or inklings or the bluegrass I've grown up around. One thing is for sure, it is lively, fun, passionate music. Here is but a sample from our pub tour (yes that second one is sung in Irish): 

Around home, I listen to a lot of The Chieftains, a staple in Irish trad or folk music Forming in 1962, they have a long history and a huge catalog of music. They've collaborated with many other musicians from different genres over the years as well.  A few of my favorite albums are "Water From the Well," "Boil the Breakfast Early" and "Chieftains 7." Recently, I've taken to listening to the Irish music stations on Pandora. They even have a St. Patrick's Day channel which combines some traditional Irish with harder pub rock and even some old sea shanties. Happy Listening!

Pubs of Dublin

Oliver St. John Gogarty's Bar, Temple Bar Area, Dublin

While there are certainly other things you must do while in Dublin (like see Saint Patrick's Cathedral, visit Kilmainham Gaol, walk the quays of the River Liffey, etc), stopping in a pub for a pint is great way to take part in Irish culture. My first introduction to pub culture was a lovely documentary I watched before ever setting foot in Ireland. PBS produced a wonderful piece called "The Historic Pubs of Dublin" hosted by the late, great Frank McCourt, a native Irishman. He takes you on a tour of some the oldest pubs in Dublin, imparting their rich history and exploring pub culture along the way. It is definitely worth a watch. You can watch the hour long video HERE on YouTube or at the bottom of this page.

M.J. O'Neill's on Suffolk Street Dublin 

Inside O'Neill's Pub - lots of little rooms & snugs

We have chased down many of these old ancient pubs, many of which were frequented by some of Ireland's cherished personalities such as James Joyce, Brenden Behan, & Jonathan Swift. You might strike up a conversation with a local, witness a close football (soccer) game on the telly, or be delighted with some traditional music.

The Long Hall Pub on Georges Street 

The Brazen Head, oldest pub in Dublin, established in 1198

Garden area of Brazen Head

Traditional Irish music will lure me straight into a pub and one of my favorite things to experience in Ireland. In Dublin, you can take part in a Musical Pub Tour which is a lovely way to visit some historic pubs while listening to great traditional music, learning about Irish music and pub culture from two guides who play for you at each place (this is not a raucous night of pint after pint, pub after pub).  I've taken THIS TOUR twice and loved every minute and learned so much. 

Our musician guides on the Musical Pub Tour

PBS Historic Pubs of Dublin with Frank McCourt:

The Temple Bar in the area known as Temple Bar - named after Sir William Temple and "Bar" used to refer to a raised estuary sandbank used for walking upon. Now, it seems to refer to a different kinds of bar. This particular pub, The Temple Bar, as well as this area, are considered to be very touristy and peopled by partiers. It's still a very interesting place worth visiting, even if you don't stay long. There are some very old and iconic pubs just up the street from here.

Irish Adornments

March has finally arrived! Get out your Saint Patrick's Day decor if you haven't already. Sure, there is all manner of green on green things for sale at party stores this time of year and those are a great place to start, but over the years I've added my own little touches to my March Irish decor. Below are some of my favorites:

The simplest decor involves picking some of those lovely spring flowers blooming outside. I like to use large Guinness bottles for vases or clear glass vases with a few drops of green food coloring added. I also use the boxes from a six pack of Guinness bottles or other Irish brew to hold napkins and silverware for a party.

Here I photocopied some pages from my atlas but one could easily print some Irish map off the web and add a little watercolor for any easy collage. 

If you are lucky, you might find some shamrock plants for sale this time of year. I always try to snatch them up if I find them. Pull out all your shades of green and assemble together for a nice arrangement. 

This time of year I also like to pull out all of my Irish books - many are green so they make a good additions to decor but I like friends and family to be able to thumb through them, too. 

Some green candles and artificial, or real, ivy are nice additions to any arrangement in your home. Add a little bit of that emerald green store bought decor and you'll have a really festive spread. 

Some Wise Words

We interrupt your Saint Patrick's Day party planning to bring you an important public service announcement:

www.paddynotpatty.com

Now's a good time (before you print those invitations, make those signs or banners) to clarify this confusion that folks outside of Ireland often make. Patrick comes from the Irish Pádraig, when shortened it becomes Paddy. Patty is short for Patricia or used in reference to a hamburger, not something you'd call the Patron Saint of Ireland, or any guy for that matter. When spoken, of course, Paddy and Patty sound the same but when written, it's important to use the right one. So if you must shorten the day, its St. Paddy's Day. Not Patty.

Countdown to Saint Patrick's Day

Statue of Saint Patrick outside Carriganass Castle, Kealkil, Cork

Well folks, St. Patrick's Day is creeping up along with the spring bulbs and thunderstorms - less than a month away! I am quite ready to bid farewell to Old Man Winter and welcome the return of Green. Saint Patrick's Day, March 17th, falls on a Saturday this year, which makes it even easier to host a celebration. Leading up to the great Irish celebration, I'll share the ways in which I celebrate & decorate for St. Patrick's Days. I'll share some of my Irish journeys and the culture and traditions surrounding the holiday. I'll also be hosting some flash sales in the Emerald Post Shop. Join the Newsletter HERE to get a heads up for flash sales and more. Follow along here, I'll even be hosting a giveaway before the big day!

Watering Your Ancestral Roots

Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle, Northern Ireland 

Over the years I've become quite fascinated with tracing my ancestral roots. I get a renewed passion for this around St. Patrick's Day each year. I've had quite a bit of luck tracing a few of my roots to Ireland using old family records, ancestry.com, and a little Irish luck. You can read a little bit about that HERE in a past blog post chronicling my journey to an ancestral castle. My favorite way to learn about my ancestry is, of course, to travel to lands from which my ancestors hail. There are other ways, however, for those of us who can't hop the pond. 

A few years ago I purchased an Ancestry.com Genealogy DNA Test. My DNA breaks down to : 63% Great Britain, 25% from Western Europe, 7% Ireland and several others places that were given less the 2%. Right now, Ancestry.com DNA* tests happen to be on sale for $69 (usually $100). It's a great chance to snatch one up for yourself or for a gift (especially great St. Patrick's Day gift). (The test uses a saliva sample, in case you're wondering).

Another way to indulge your interest in ancestry and genealogy is watching one of the many shows that help trace family history, stories, and family trees. I love Who Do You Think You Are? on TLC, as well as Genealogy Roadshow & Finding Your Roots on PBS. "Brooklyn" is a great film about Irish Immigrants in NYC.

How do you water your family tree? Let me know below.

*This review of Ancestry DNA is purely as a consumer, it is unbiased, and unsponsored by Ancestry.com

Wishing Well - A Candle & Tradition

Sacred Springs & Holy Wells can be found throughout the Celtic Isles of Ireland and Great Britain. At these revered sites, you may find candles burning as votive offerings, coins tossed into water with silent wishes, or ribbons & cloth hanging from a nearby sacred tree, tied in prayer. This candle, tied with ribbon & containing a lucky Irish (or British) coin at the bottom, signifies an ancient tradition of pilgrimage to holy places of prayer & healing, to sacred waters in sacred woods, welling up from the Otherworld. 

Light this candle in prayer or meditation in the hearth of your home or in a place you find sacred, as a glowing manifestation of the unseen spirit. Give it as a gift to someone who cherishes the old ways of Ireland, Britain and Celtic spirituality. When the candle burns out, retrieve the lucky coin from the bottom and carry it with you, leave it for someone in need of a little luck, or toss it into the sacred water well of your choice.

Kindle the flame of Celtic Spirit with this 2 ounce - sage green or natural yellow - unscented - pure beeswax candle with an astonishing burn time of 12-14 hours! Poured into a lidded miniature mason jar with an Irish or British coin at the bottom.

Hop over to the SHOP to purchase a Wishing Well Candle for $9.

You can also sign up for the Emerald Post Herald E-mail Newsletter HERE to receive updates, coupons, specials, and a healthy dose of Irish & Celtic Culture.

Samhain & the Wheel of the Year

In the Celtic Isles, many of the old ways persist, remnants of traditions from centuries ago are still loyally preserved or else they’ve been distilled into common traditions whose roots lie hidden under the moss and leaf litter of time. Peek behind the gauzy curtains of Halloween and we can trace these old ways, see the persistence of age old traditions and uncover the roots of our most common Halloween ways.

Ancient Celtic Wheel of the Year - The Four Festival Days: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, & Lunasa

and the 4 Cross Quarter Days arranged by the suns positions: Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox,
Summer Solstice, & Autumn Equinox 

The ancient Celtic calendar was a wheel which turned little by little through the seasons until it rolled right back around to Halloween or Samhain as it was called. Samhain in Irish is pronounced SOW-EN and it means summer’s end. It marks the end of the Celtic Year and so also the New Year. It is a threshold, when crossed one passes from the summery light half, to the wintry dark half. And entering the cold dark half has a lot to do with why Samhain, Halloween, is associated with dark things. The sun grows cold and the trees shed their final golden leaves, plant wither to grey then they are gone, animals prepare for long winter sleep. Food and warmth are scarce. The harvest has been stored, the wood gathered, and folks, too, prepare for the season of Earth’s sleep. Because Samhain, summer’s end, is traditionally a festival day, there are many folk traditions and rituals that accompany it. We'll explore those next...

Irish & Celtic Gifts for the Holidays

New Handpainted Signs and Wood Burned Décor up in Shop Now & More to come soon.

I've paused Emerald Post monthly parcels to work on some other exciting creations. I've been crafting woodburned ornaments and wall hangings,and hand painted signs among other things. Several of these are already available in the SHOP and other delights to come shortly. If you have your eye on something here that isn't in the shop yet, do let me know and I'll reserve and list it for you. 

A Daydream

Lough Leane, Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

An Irish Wood - Dooney Rock Forest Park

County Sligo is Yeats' Country in Ireland. It is a place of epic legends and landscapes that inspired the Irish poet W.B. Yeats. In Sligo you will find many places that feature in the poetry of Yeats including Dooney Rock Forest Park which we just happened upon while driving a ring around Lough Gill where you'll also find Benbulben and Glencar Waterfall. Dooney Rock features in Yeats' poem "The Fiddler of Dooney" and Dooney Rock is an elevated part of the wood from which you can see sweeping views of Lough Gill, the Ox Mountains and Knocknarea Mountain. Look carefully atop Knocknarea and you can see "a huge flat-topped cairn called Maeve's Cairn (Miosgan Meadhbha). The cairn is 55m in diameter and is 10m high. It was supposed to have been built for Queen Maeve, the Iron Age Queen of Connaught (source)."  You can see why Sligo and this atmospheric woodland inspired Yeats and I always find it quite special to find places that connect to history in such a way. The woodland itself was stunning. Occasional trees were labeled with their species. The forest was mainly one species of coniferous tree (though I cannot recall which) which made for a striking fairy tale atmosphere, with moss creeping up each tree and a lovely filtered light. There were benches around to sit a spell and soak in the forest.  

FIDDLER OF DOONEY

W.B. Yeats - 1889

WHEN I play on my fiddle in Dooney.

Folk dance like a wave of the sea;

My cousin is priest in Kilvarnet,

My brother in Mocharabuiee.

I passed my brother and cousin:

They read in their books of prayer;

I read in my book of songs

I bought at the Sligo fair.

When we come at the end of time

To Peter sitting in state,

He will smile on the three old spirits,

But call me first through the gate;

For the good are always the merry,

Save by an evil chance,

And the merry love the fiddle,

And the merry love to dance:

And when the folk there spy me,

They will all come up to me,

With "Here is the fiddler of Dooney!"

And dance like a wave of the sea.

What appeared to be an old stone foundation or rock wall. 

Queen Maeve's Cairn atop the flat topped Knocknarea in the distance. 

August in a Sun-Dappled Wood

I went into a hazel wood, 

Because a fire was in my head

- William Butler Yeats

Contents: 5x7 Print of Beech Tree, 4x6 Print of Torc Waterfall, Hazel Botanical Card, Fern Bookmark, Decorated Yeats' Poem "Song of Wandering Aengus," sorry leaves not included. 

The August Issue of Emerald Post is inspired by the wild woods of Celtic Lands, the reverence that ancient people held for trees, and the liminal, mystical magic of woodland and an enchanting poem by Ireland's own William Butler Yeats. A walk through a sun dappled wood delivered right to your mailbox. Cool your feet at the base of Torc Waterfall in Killarney National Park, Ireland. Marvel up at a towering beech tree in Tollymore Forest Park, Northern Ireland. Stoop to trace the details of a fern on the forest floor and learn of the lore of the Hazel Tree. Hear the verses of W.B. Yeats on the wind and as the forest canopy sways above you.  Send a woodland walk to a friend of take one for yourself HERE.