Christmas Party; ICHC; 6:30 Pm and When We Put Our Ears to the Paling-Post 2 ICHC Ceili; Music by Cream City Ceili; ICHC 7:30 Pm the Music That Came out Was Magical
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume XLII, No. 10 • December (Nollaig), 2016 An Irish Christmas Potpourri .........................................................................................................It seems that each year, for the past quar- online to make your purchase. Just go to larus, or shawls and toys from Lapland. As ter century, I have written about Christmas http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/IrishStamps/S ever, a German beer tent sits at the heart of in Ireland. I have varied my topics, because, hop/Shop.htm. it all, with enough Bavarian brews, sauer- if it isn’t new to me, it may not be new to the But if you stay home to buy them, you kraut, and lederhosen to keep the aficiona- readers of the Emerald Reflections. I look for may miss a brand new Irish tradition - dos happy. Or try Cork’s Glow: A Cork Christmas Celebration. They have the mar- the unique, the tried and true, first person Christmas decorations and markets. In re- ket and they have the Tir na Nollaig, the recollections of growing up on the island, cent years, Irish cities and towns have been Land of Christmas. and Irish Christmas stamps. (And if you are dressing up their streets and city and town interested, we have a Christmas page on our centres with lights and decorations. Starting One festival in Clare,the Burren Christ- website that links to our Christmas articles in November, you can find the tree lighting mas Family Fayre in Lisdoorvarna, is a and recipes since 1998. It is at www.sham- ceremonies, the elaborate town and city fundraiser for a childcare facility. The in- rockclubwis.com/IrishChristmas.html) events with bands, singers, and parades, and door event features 26 craft, food and sea- For Nollaig 2016, I am offering up a pot- a way to make the festive even more so by sonally-themed stalls, classic games at pourri of topics. Maybe it will allow you to joining community. These are a part of the novelty stands, an hourly raffle and freshly get the spirit and breadth of the season. Irish Christmas markets. baked goodies. And down the road, the Christmas at the Milk Market in Limerick The annual Christmas stamps are out. An Dublin has had some of the most elaborate has something for everyone. In existence Post, the Irish Post Office, released the new Christmas and New Year displays. Large since 1852, the Milk Market has dozens of postage earlier this fall. According to An “Nollaig” signs run across streets. Christ- stalls packed with artisan foods, crafts, dec- Post, “The idea of people coming together is mas on the Square is centered on Merrion orations, toys and other tidbits. represented by The Holy Family on the 72c Square. The schedule includes the Christmas stamp and The Three Wise Men on the €1.10 lighting in late November, as well as a series And speaking of light, let us not forget SOAR stamp. The third stamp will appear in of open houses and special showings at gal- the passage grave at Newgrange, County the Christmas Stamp Booklet and features leries and museums and shops. Meath. It was built during the Neolithic pe- numerous types of Christmas decorations In Waterford, Winterval attracted over a riod around 3200 BC, making it older than which are of importance as they bring the half million people in 2015. The festival in- Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The family unit together in order to decorate their cludes Winterval Train, ice skating, horse site consists of a large circular mound with a homes in as grand a manner as they can. All drawn sleighs, and the Winterval Illumi- stone passageway and interior chambers. of these beautiful stamps were designed by nates, where the city lights up for the Christ- The mound has a retaining wall at the front WorkGroup in Dublin.” mas season in Cathedral Square. and is ringed by engraved kerbstones. There is no agreement about what the site was used And you can head over to the Galway for, but it has been speculated that it had re- Continental Market. Set in Eyre Square, ligious significance – it is aligned with the and featuring 50 traders from all over Ireland rising sun and its light floods the chamber and Europe, Galway’s Christmas shindig is on the winter solstice. one of the closest in spirit to the centuries- old Continental markets. Stalls sell all kind None of the structural slabs were of crafts and food — you might find pastries quarried, for they show signs of having been from Brittany, nuns selling icons from Be- continued on page 5 DECEMBER 1, 2016 • 6:30 PM MILWAUKEE MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING The Christmas 2016 stamp issue also in- cludes a First Day Cover featuring the three Irish Cultural and Heritage Center (2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue) stamps. And, as always, you can order these T T T from the post office. If you do not wish to Christmas Potluck & Party Please bring a dish to pass. travel to Ireland to buy them, you can go • Patrick Kavanagh T Milwaukee Calendar of Events T A Childhood Christmas For More Information visit http://shamrockclubwis.com ..................................One side of the potato-pits was white with frost DECEMBER How wonderful that was, how wonderful! 1 Shamrock Club Christmas Party; ICHC; 6:30 pm And when we put our ears to the paling-post 2 ICHC Ceili; Music by Cream City Ceili; ICHC 7:30 pm The music that came out was magical. 3 All Through the Night: A Holiday Concert featuring Tallymore; Celtic MKE; The light between the ricks of hay and straw 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Milwaukee; Doors open 6:00, Concert 7:00. Was a hole in Heaven’s gable. An apple tree 10 Hallamor Concert; ICHC; 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave; Cathy Ryan; 7:30 pm With its December-glinting fruit we saw – 13 Celtic Women International Book Club; An Irish Country Christmas, O you, Eve, were the world that tempted me. by Patrick Taylor; Hostess: Gail McAleese; ICHC; 1 pm To eat the knowledge that grew in clay 14 Celtic Woman; Home for Christmas, The Symphony Tour; Riverside Theatre; And death the germ within it! Now and then 7.30 pm I can remember something of the gay 31 Hogmanay; Sponsored by Wisconsin Scottish; The Clarke Hotel, 314 W. Garden that was childhood’s. Again. Main Street, Waukesha; 6 pm The tracks of cattle to a drinking-place, A green stone lying sideways in a ditch, JANUARY Or any common sight, the transfigured face 2 Irish Genealogical Society Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm Of a beauty that the world did not touch. 5 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at 6:30 My father played the melodion 10 Celtic Women International Book Club; Absolution by Murder, by Peter Outside at our gate; Tremayne; Hostess: Sharon Walsh; ICHC; 1 pm There were stars in the morning east 14 18th Annual Wisconsin Winterfeis; Olympia Conference Center, And they danced to his music. Oconomowoc; 8:30 am Across the wild bogs his melodion called 15 Dairyland Feis; Olympia Conference Center, Oconomowoc; 8:00 am To Lennons and Callans. 28 Monthly Set Dance; Music by Ceol Cairde; ICHC; 8 pm As I pulled on my trousers in a hurry I knew some strange thing had happened. FEBRUARY Outside in the cow-house my mother 2 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at 6:30 Made the music of milking; 25 Shamrock Club Honoree Dinner; tba; 6.30 pm The light of her stable-lamp was a star And the frost of Bethlehem made it twinkle. ON GOING … Set dancing at the following: Set dancing Wednesdays, 7 PM at A water-hen screeched in the bog, T O’Donoghue’s Craobh Curtin Conradh na Gaeilge meeting at O'Donoghue's Pub, Mass-going feet 7 PM, last Tuesday each month T Irish Emigration Library in ICHC open every Crunched the wafer-ice on the pot-holes, Wednesday 12–6 PM T Irish Sing-a-long, Irish Fest Center, First Sundays, (through Somebody wistfully twisted the bellows wheel. May) 7 PM T Irish Fest Sing-a-long: O'Donoghue's Pub, second and fourth T My child poet picked out the letters Sundays, 7-9 PM Irish Music Sessions at the following: Session - O’Donoghue’s, On the grey stone, Sundays 7 PM; Thursdays @ Paddy’s 7 PM; and The Pub in Oconomowoc, 7:30 PM In silver the wonder of a Christmas townland, T T Thursdays: Barry Dodd; County Clare Inn; 10 PM Fridays: áthas and Myserk; The winking glitter of a frosty dawn. County Clare Inn; 6 PM T Cassiopeia was over Cassidy’s hanging hill, I looked and three whin bushes rode across The horizon — the Three Wise Kings. And old man passing said: ‘Can’t he make it talk – Christmas Party - Nollaig Shona Daoibh! The melodion.’ I hid in the doorway Join us for the Shamrock Club's Christmas Party And tightened the belt of my box-pleated coat. Thursday, December 1, 2016 I nicked six nicks on the door-post Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 6:30 PM With my penknife’s big blade – Potluck Dinner - Ham Provided there was a little one for cutting tobacco. And I was six Christmases of age. Fun, Friends, Caroling, and a special guest from the My father played the melodion, North Pole. See you there!! My mother milked the cows, And I had a prayer like a white rose pinned On the Virgin Mary’s blouse. 2 Milwaukee President’s Message Sunshine Report Ladies.................................. and Gentlemen, Celtic Friends All, ..................................Frieda O’Donoghue is home trying to recover from pneumonia.