The History and Traditions Of

ST. PATRICK’S DAY MEDIA FILE

The history and traditions of

12 page, full colour IrelandIreland && printed brochure available from Tourism Ireland St.PatrickSt.Patrick on request

March

Í ST.PATRICK - THE FACTS AND THE LEGENDS Í HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE SHAMROCK Í WHAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 17TH? Í CELEBRATIONS AND PARADES 17thOOD FOR THOUGHT Í F Í OTHER FESTIVALS

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For information on holidays in Ireland, how to get there, where to stay, festivals, events and so on, check out the web site on: www.tourismireland.com

Tourism Ireland Limited Tel: 020 7518 0800 Nations House Fax: 020 7493 9065 103 Wigmore Street Email: [email protected] London www.tourismireland.com W1U 1QS Visitor enquiries: 0800 039 7000 Page 2 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted

Who was St. Patrick? The man largely responsible for converting Ireland to Christianity over nearly 30 years, up to the year 462 AD or HEN ST. PATRICK SET FOOT IN IRELAND in thereabouts - even if the the 5th century AD, he faced an uncertain work had been started future in a little-known country. by other missionaries Warring Celts were scattered in tribal groups across before him. the island, ruled with iron might by five provincial kings. Eerie dolmen monuments and ancient ruins dominated Was he real then? the landscape. Even the Roman conquerors of Britain Most definitely, even if had not ventured this far - apart perhaps from the odd the facts about his life trader or adventurer. have been freely mingled over the centuries with legend and make-believe. A written document, When St. Patrick his Confession, is tangible evidence set foot in Ireland… of his authenticity. Against this background, St. Patrick’s phenomenal Where did success as a Christian missionary seems all the he come from? more incredible. By the end of the 5th century, An important thing Ireland had become a Christian nation. to remember about Perhaps Patrick’s elevation into sainthood was Patrick is that he was not therefore inevitable. But his prominence in the Irish. In fact he was what traditions and legends of the country says something nowadays at least would of the reverence, awe and affection in which he has be called British, even been held in the intervening centuries and which are if he was of Roman rekindled in the Irish every St. Patrick’s Day. parentage. The Feast of St. Patrick is now celebrated in nearly every country throughout the world where Where in Britain Irish descendants or influence have continued to did he originate? reinforce its popularity. To be honest, nobody Among the countries with centuries-old traditions knows. Patrick himself of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day are obviously the United refers in his writings States, Canada and Australia, but less obviously France to his father owning a and Argentina as well and even the Caribbean island of holding near the village Montserrat. Nowadays it is also celebrated in countries of Bannavem Taberniae, such as Russia and Japan. but there is no such In Britain - Ireland’s closest neighbour and its name on any map of biggest visitor market - the Trojan efforts of a large Roman Britain. The date population of Irish descent have established March of his birth is commonly 17 as a day of celebration for British and Irish alike. given as circa 389 AD. With this in mind, Tourism Ireland has designed this publication to provide a backdrop to the celebration - a factfile on St. Patrick and the traditions and celebrations associated with St. Patrick’s Day and a bit more besides. Page 3 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted

How did he first In 432 AD, now a bishop arrive in Ireland? named Patricius, he was As a sixteen-year-old and sent by Pope Celestine to named Succat, he was Ireland to take up where captured in a raid by the a previous missionary Irish King Niall of the Nine bishop, Palladius, had Hostages and sold into left off. slavery, working as a St. Patrick’s statue, Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo herdsman for six years How successful was he? on Slemish Mountain When did he die? Where is in County Antrim. Phenomenally so, if There is some doubt he buried? Irish pirate chieftains some are to be believed. about this too. Some A tombstone in the were given to raiding By some accounts, he accounts say Patrick lived grounds of Down the western coast of failed to convert King to be all of 120 years of Cathedral in Downpatrick Britain in those days. Laoghaire (pronounced age! Most, however, point is supposed to mark his Hence, it has traditionally Leary), High King of to him dying on March 17 grave. But there are been assumed that Patrick Ireland and, by an odd about the year 461 AD at serious doubts. Patrick is originally came from coincidence, the son of Saul, County Down, at a almost certainly buried South Wales, probably Niall of the Nine Hostages, church built on land given somewhere in County along the Severn Valley, who had originally to him by Dichu, a local Down but it is thought that which could also mean captured him. Other chieftain, who was one the Norman nobleman that he came from accounts say that he of his converts. John De Courcy may not Gloucestershire. Modern succeeded. Crucially, The Annals of Ulster so easily have found the scholars, however, are however, he won the also mention him dying remains almost seven more inclined to think King’s permission to in 491 AD. This has given centuries after Patrick’s of Strathclyde as being continue his work rise to the so-called death. De Courcy claimed more likely. in Ireland. “two Patricks” theory, to have found them and Some historians, providing food for endless brought them to the seat however, are inclined to How was that speculation by scholars. of his stronghold. The believe that the thrust of slave turned into By the end of the 7th claim was politically his efforts was confined to a missionary? century a single Patrick convenient to say the least After six years, Patrick Ulster, concentrating on had already become a in 12th century Ireland managed to escape Downpatrick, by then the legendary figure. as the Normans bade to from his master, Milchu - seat of the Ulster Kings. consolidate their power. legend has it that he was Whatever the truth of told of a waiting ship in that, it appears that over a dream - and made his two to three decades way back to Britain. from 432 AD, either he According to himself, or his disciples travelled he had another dream of to just about every corner monumental importance. of Ireland. In it The Voice of Ireland And his legacy lived on. called to him to return By the end of the 5th to that country as a century, Ireland was a Christian missionary. Christian nation. As a result, he went to France, some say, studied to become a Christian and a missionary at the monastery of Auxerre, near Paris, and later was St. Patrick’s gravestone, ordained a priest. Downpatrick, Co Down

The Rock of Cashel, Co Tipperary Page 4 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted Legends “Shamrock” Separating fact from fiction in the story of The shamrock is popularly St. Patrick can sometimes be tricky. But the identified with Ireland. legends more often than not speak for themselves. That custom owes its origins to St. Patrick. St. Patrick is supposed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Certainly, there are no snakes in Ireland. But What is shamrock? neither are there any in New Zealand and there is It is supposed only to grow in Ireland and hence to be no record of St. Patrick ever having visited there! unique. Suggestions to the contrary have been known Moreover the Graeco-Roman writer Solinus to provoke outrage. In the early days of Irish television, recorded the fact that Ireland was snake-free a good all hell broke loose when a man purporting to be a two hundred years before St. Patrick was born! Rhodesian farmer claimed in an interview that he The story that Patrick banished the snakes seems had acres of it growing on his land and that he was quite simply to have been invented in the12th century actually exporting it to Ireland! In their defence, the by a Northumbrian monk named Jocelyn, whom the programme’s producers said that obviously viewers wife of the Norman John De Courcy brought to her had failed to spot the presenter’s wink into the husband’s court in Downpatrick. camera at the end.

One legend has it that Patrick, when he escaped from The reality? his youthful slavery in Ireland went straight to France. The reality is that shamrock is a form of clover - Deciding to visit his uncle in Tours, he had to cross the Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense or more likely River Loire. He had no obvious means of doing so, but Trifolium dubium, to give its botanical pedigree - he found that his cape made an admirable raft. On and only looks different from what one might expect reaching the other side, he hung his cape out to dry because it is picked so early in spring. upon a hawthorn bush. Despite it being the middle It is not unique to Ireland. Trifolium dubium of winter, the bush immediately burst into bloom. is found from Scandinavia to the Caucasus and Fact: to this day, the hawthorn blooms in winter in the even in America. Loire Valley and St. Patrick has two feast days there - one on March 17 and the other on Christmas Day. What’s the connection with St. Patrick? Legend has it that in attempting to explain the three- Patrick, despite his saintliness, was not averse to bouts in-one principle of the Holy Trinity to the pagan King of temper, it seems. After a greedy man once denied Laoghaire (pronounced Leary), St. Patrick found the him the use of a field to rest and graze his oxen, three-leafed shamrock a convenient teaching aid. Four- Patrick is said to have cursed the field, prophesying that leafed shamrocks obviously are discounted. They cause nothing would grow on it from then on. Sure enough, severe theological problems! that very day, the field was overrun by the sea and remained sandy and barren for evermore. What is meant by “drowning A blind man once came to Patrick seeking a cure. the shamrock”? As he approached, he stumbled several times and The answer seems fairly obvious - a few fell over and was duly laughed at by one of Patrick’s drinks on St. Patrick’s Day by way of celebration. What companions. The blind man was cured. The companion, is not so obvious is that this is a custom of British rather however, was blinded. than Irish origin! Presumably for morale purposes, from at least the middle of the 18th century, an Before he died, an angel told Patrick that he should extra ration of grog was provided by English have two untamed oxen yoked to his funeral cart and army commanders to Irish troops on March 17. that they should be left to decide where he should be Queen Victoria in 1900 ordered that soldiers buried. With great political foresight, the oxen chose in Irish regiments should wear shamrock on Downpatrick. St. Patrick’s Day in memory of fellow Irishmen killed in the Boer War. Shamrock worn as a symbol On the day that Patrick died, night never fell in Ulster of remembrance thus predates the red poppy nor did it for a further twelve days. of Flanders fields. Page 5 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted

THE SOURCE OF PERHAPS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE popular body of information, certainly the most user friendly, is the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, County Down, just twenty miles south of Belfast. The ‘World Centre’, developed in recent years with little expense spared it seems, traces the story of Patrick through startling graphics and reconstructions and modern media techniques, many of them interactive. The latter make the ecumenism. It also has links to history predating even centre particularly attractive for youngsters. Patrick. In 1954, artefacts dating as far back as 600 BC A film show puts Patrick into a modern context, as a were unearthed on the site. symbolic figure who can bridge the divide between the diverse Within a few minutes’ drive of the town is Saul, where traditions of the people of Ireland - in a curious way to be Patrick is said to have built his first church on land given to simultaneously of religion but beyond it. him by Dichu, a local chieftain and one of his first converts, The centre also houses a library. and where he is reputed to have died. The site these days is Handily, it is all just a few minutes’ walk from Down occupied by a church of much later origin but it’s well worth Cathedral and the supposed site of St. Patrick’s grave and a visit for the views it gives of the surrounding countryside. provides a focal point for the surrounding St. Patrick’s The adjoining graveyard has cross-carved stones dating back Country. Handily too, it houses a restaurant, a conference as far as the 8th century. centre, an exhibition hall and a tourist centre. A nearby hill provides an appropriate site for a statue Quite apart from its role as a focus for tourism, the of Patrick and more spectacular views. centre is also a highly impressive symbol of a newly developing The Struell Wells, also within easy reach of sense of community in the town, a role to which St. Patrick Downpatrick, have a traditional association with Patrick himself would surely give his imprimatur. too - he is said to have bathed here and sang psalms as Downpatrick is at the heart of St. Patrick’s Country. he did so! A place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages, Quite apart from its traditional associations with the saint, its clear waters are supposed to cure Down Cathedral, dating back to Norman times and styles, is a range of afflictions. a haven of peace that is doing much to embody a new sense of They certainly taste fresh. www.saintpatrickcentre.com Other sites in Ireland associated with St. Patrick:

These include St. Patrick’s Purgatory on Lough Derg Croagh Patrick in County in County Donegal, which derives its name from a vision Mayo, as the name suggests, also Patrick is supposed to have had, accounts of which are has associations with Ireland’s said to have influenced Dante as he composed The patron saint. Even in pre-Christian Divine Comedy. It’s been a pilgrimage site for centuries, times, however, it was a sacred famed throughout Europe in medieval times. An original place, the site of an annual monastic settlement here was attributed to St. Patrick festival in honour of the Celtic but the site has been the subject of all kinds of pagan god Lug. St. Patrick is said wrangling, some of them at least ecclesiastical. The to have spent forty days and original Purgatory was destroyed in 1497 on the orders nights here communing with Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo of Pope Alexander VI. Even today pilgrims come to do God. The Christian Church penance and find spiritual renewal, however. certainly found it an advantage to convert it into a place of pilgrimage. On the last Sunday in July, known locally as Garland Sunday, pilgrims even today climb “The Reek”. They are rewarded with exhaustion, a spiritual uplift and some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. Page 6 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on March 17?

NE REASON APPEARS TO BE because St. Patrick’s Day did not become a public St. Patrick is supposed to have died (many say holiday in Ireland until 1903, when a bill was passed there is little doubt about it) on March 17, around in the Westminster parliament, after it was instigated about the year 461AD. But since nobody actually knows in the House of Lords by the Earl of Dunraven. in what year he died, it might seem unlikely that St. Patrick’s Day is also a public holiday on anybody truly knows the day on which he died either. the Caribbean island of Montserrat, volcanic eruptions Another possibility is a little more complex. notwithstanding. The origins of the island’s celebration According to folk legend, March 17 was the day that of the day date back to the 17th century when St. Patrick took the “cold stone” out of the water - in Oliver Cromwell was instrumental in forcing quite other words the day on which winter could be said a number of Irish immigrants to move there. Names to be truly over and the sowing of crops could begin. like Murphy, Kirwan and O’Malley are still commonplace Important dates in the agricultural season, in ancient on the island. times more often than not celebrated as pagan feasts, were routinely taken into the Christian calendar. The identification of March 17 with St. Patrick could plausibly be claimed to fit in with that pattern.

“Happy st. patrick’s day” “as gaeilge” (in Irish), as we say, translates into: “beannachtai na féile pádraig”. Phonetically, it sounds like: “Bannochtee nah faylah pawdrig”. Page 7 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted PARADES & CELEBRATIONS

HE EARLIEST RECORDED EVIDENCE attacked on St. Patrick’s Day by “French” troops. The of St. Patrick’s Day being celebrated outside French contingent was largely made up of Irishmen. of Ireland, other than by Irish soldiers, is provided They reckoned that the many Irishmen in the English by Jonathan Swift, the Dublin-born author of Gulliver’s contingent would be the worse for wear, given the day Travels. In his Journal to Stella, he notes that in 1713 the that was in it. But they reckoned without the canniness parliament at Westminster was closed because it was of the English commander, John Stark. He had given St. Patrick’s Day and that the Mall in London was so full his Irish troops their extra celebratory drop of grog the of decorations that he thought “all the world was Irish”. previous day! The French lost. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade on record was These days St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and held in New York in 1762 and seems to have been parades take place all over the world. Major parades designed primarily as a recruiting rally by the English are held not only in Ireland, but also in New York, army in North America. The Americans were later to Boston, Savannah, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and use the parade for similar ends. New Orleans. Parades are also held in many parts of The Irish in North America fought on both the Britain. Several are held in London alone. Manchester English and French sides during the Seven Years War. stages what is now reckoned to be the third largest of In 1757, “English” troops camped at Fort Henry were its kind in the world. Birmingham is not far behind.

all. It provides a showcase not only for the most imaginative Irish talents but also for increasingly more diverse international ones. It provides manifest proof to the assertion that on St. Patrick’s Day just about all the world wants to join in celebration. T. PATRICK HAS IN RECENT YEARS become Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival, moreover, provides a the focal point of a festival in Dublin which headline for community co-operation, something which reflects the diverse talents and achievements of a now Patrick himself is being used to demonstrate more and supremely confident Irish people. Once confined to a more throughout the island. single day, it now spreads itself over a week and attracts For the latest information on the St. Patrick’s an international audience of well over 1 million - not Festival in Dublin, check out the web site: just the Irish themselves or those of Irish descent but www.stpatricksday.ie also those who sometimes might wish to be Irish. A truly carnival atmosphere provides a backdrop for St. Patrick’s Day days of music, madness and magic, which include street also provides a theatre, fireworks displays, pageants, exhibitions, music focal point for and dance. Throughout the week, the Irish themselves celebrations in do what they do best: having a party, a celebration full many other towns of warmth, fun and energy. in Ireland. Among the most The highlight of the festival is the city’s St. Patrick’s significant of them are Day parade. There was a time when the equivalent celebrations held in CORK, parade in New York was considered to be the most LIMERICK, GALWAY, spectacular in the world. That is no longer the case. KILLARNEY, SLIGO The parade in Dublin has now taken its rightful place and KILTIMAGH, as being the most spectacular and exciting of them COUNTY MAYO. Page 8 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted St. Patrick’s Day is the ideal time to acquire at least a taste of Ireland. Still favourites on the menus of some of the best known restaurants in Ireland are traditional dishes, the recipes for which have been passed down for generations and which provide that distinctive taste of Ireland whatever day of the year you try them. Here are some of the old and new favourites:

Carragheen Moss Black Pudding Carragheen is an edible seaweed or moss plucked from the with Potatoes and Apples rocks and rock pools along the unpolluted west coast of Ireland. As well as its use in both sweet and savoury dishes A modern day starter using traditional Irish Black as a thickening agent, Carragheen is a major player in Pudding. Variations on this can be found on the Irish folk medicine, as it is gentle on the stomach and menus of the most fashionable restaurants in Ireland. when taken hot, a great cure for colds. Carragheen is most popular in the form of a dessert and you will still 6 medium potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper 8 slices of black pudding find it on some restaurant menus in Ireland. It is best 100g (4oz) assorted mushrooms 1 tablespoon wine vinegar accompanied by a fresh fruit coulis or an Irish coffee sauce. 2 dessert apples, peeled Good knob of butter (Irish Carragheen Moss is available in most good health & cut into slices food shops in Britain.) To Cook: Grate the potatoes into cold water and wash off the starch. Drain 1 and squeeze dry. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the grated potatoes, 15g ( /2oz) dried Carragheen Moss 500ml (1pt) milk salt and pepper. Press this into the pan and cook until brown on both sides. Lemon rind 1 tablespoon sugar When cooked, slide on to a plate and keep warm. Heat a little more of the Pinch of salt oil and sauté the pudding and mushrooms together for a few minutes. Remove them from the pan and keep hot. Then sauté the sliced apples. To Cook: Wash the Carragheen then steep in warm water for 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and reduce with the other juices. Add the butter and adjust Strain the Carragheen and discard the water. Put the Carragheen, milk, the seasoning. Put the pudding and mushrooms on the bed of potatoes lemon rind and salt into a double saucepan and simmer until it coats the and pour the apples and juices on top. Cut into wedges and serve. back of a wooden spoon (usually about 1 hour). Strain and discard the bulk. Stir the sugar into the liquid and transfer to a wet mould. Leave in a cool place to set, then refrigerate. It will keep very well for a few days. For a slightly richer dish, add the yoke of an egg to the sugar, strain again and fold the beaten white into the cooling mixture. Vanilla pod also Irish Stew varies the flavour. The hot unset mixture can be drunk to help cure a cold or it can This dish is well known all over the world. The traditional be prepared in a similar way using water instead of milk and flavoured with recipe calls for mutton, potatoes and onions. Nowadays you lemon juice and honey. will find lamb has replaced mutton, with carrots and pearl barley added for extra colour and interest. A good Irish Stew should be thick and creamy, not swimming in juice. Colcannon The traditional recipe is as follows: This dish goes well with boiled bacon or red meat. 1 1kg (2lb) gigot chops or 750g (1 /2lb) potatoes It can also be eaten on its own with an extra knob breast of mutton Chopped parsley and thyme 5 medium onions Salt and pepper of butter on top. 3 375ml ( /4pt) water 450g (1lb) cooked potatoes 1 small onion 1 To Cook: Trim the meat and cut into fairly large pieces. Peel and slice the 225g ( /2lb) cooked green cabbage 2 tablespoons cream potatoes and onions. Put layers of potatoes, meat and onion with seasoning 50g (2oz) butter Salt and pepper into casserole, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the liquid over and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about two hours or bake in a slow oven To Cook: Chop cooked cabbage roughly. Chop onion and cook gently in Gas 2/150°C/300°F. Check during cooking, adding more liquid if necessary. the butter until soft. Drain the potatoes, season and beat well. Add cooked onion and cream. Fold in the cabbage. Serve hot. Page 9 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted

Hot Whiskey “Sláinte”

Great on a winter’s day, after a (“Cheers”) long walk or a round of golf.

I measure Irish whiskey 2 teaspoons white sugar Wedge of lemon 8 cloves Baileys Coffee Pour the whiskey into a warm stemmed glass and stir in the sugar. Then top with boiling water. Stud the cloves into the lemon and put For a special treat - anytime. into the hot whiskey. It will warm the cockles of your heart.

1 cup hot coffee 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream Whipped cream The Story of Irish Coffee Chocolate flake

Irish coffee was invented in Shannon in 1943, when flying Pour Baileys into freshly brewed coffee and top with whipped cream and chocolate flake. boats from the United States to Europe used the wide waterway of the Shannon estuary to land at Foynes, Co Limerick, where today the “Foynes Flying Boat Museum” recalls that era. As cold and weary passengers arrived off the Irish Soda Bread flying boats they were given the warm and welcoming drink to aid their recovery. Nowadays, each August, Foynes plays Wherever you go in Ireland you can always count on being host to the Irish Coffee Festival and a competition is held to served traditional Irish Soda Bread. More often than not choose the “World Champion Irish Coffee Maker”. it is home made on the day, as it is best eaten fresh. There must be a thousand and one ways of making this bread, Ingredients: as families pass their “special” recipe down through the Cream - rich as an Irish brogue Coffee - strong as a friendly hand generations. This is a simple and quick version that is easy Sugar - sweet as the tongue of a rogue to make. Serve with lashings of good Irish Butter. Irish whiskey - smooth as the wit of the land Brown: Method: Heat a stemmed whiskey goblet. Pour in one jigger of Irish 1 300g (10oz) coarse /2 teaspoon sugar (optional) whiskey. Add two spoons of demerara sugar then fill with strong, black 3 wholemeal flour /4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda coffee to within one inch of the brim. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Then, 1 150g (6oz) plain /2 teaspoon salt when still, top with slightly whipped cream, so that it floats on top. white flour (sieved) 1 250ml ( /2pt) buttermilk or The secret is to drink the hot laced coffee through the cold cream. plain live yoghurt and milk 50/50

White: 450g (1lb) plain 1 teaspoon sugar (optional) 1 Irish Country House Shortbread white flour (sieved) /2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 1 250ml ( /2pt) buttermilk or /2 teaspoon salt plain live yoghurt and milk 50/50 Irish Country House Hotels are rightfully noted for their excellent cuisine. Even when it comes to a simple cup of Soda Fruit Bread: 3 tea, it often comes accompanied by a little shortbread Mix /4 cup of sultanas with the dry ingredients and continue as per White Soda Bread. Optional - brush the top with milk and sprinkle a little biscuit. These are almost always home made and are so sugar on top before baking. easy to make. Here is a typical, simple recipe: To Cook: Sieve all the dry ingredients together (except the coarse 200g (7oz) butter 100g (4oz) caster sugar wholemeal flour) and make a well in the centre. Add enough of the liquid (at room temperature) 1 egg yolk to make thick dough. Mix well with a wooden spoon, bringing the flour from 4 drops of vanilla essence 250g (9oz) flour the sides to the centre. Add more milk if the mixture seems too stiff. Lift the mixture on to a lightly floured board and kneed lightly. Flatten the dough To Cook: Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl, and then into a circle and put on a baking sheet, scoring the top with a knife in the add the egg yolk and vanilla essence. Gently fold in the flour. Wrap in cling form of a cross. Bake in a moderate oven at Gas 6/200°C/400°F for about film and put in the fridge for 12 hours. When ready to use, preheat the 40 minutes. Take out of the oven and “knock” on the bottom of the loaf. oven to Gas 3/160°C/325°F. Grease a large baking tray. Roll the mixture on If it sounds hollow, it’s done. 3 a floured board to a thickness of about 5mm ( /8”). Use a cutter to stamp out circles, squares, triangles, shamrocks or any shape you like. Place on the For Scones: tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 mins. Carefully transfer to a wire (Either White, Brown or Fruit): Roll out gently and cut out scones. rack to cool. (Handle gently as they are very fragile when hot.) Bake at Gas 6/200°C/400°F for about 14-15 mins. These biscuits make a wonderful tower-like dessert when layered with pastry cream - with a little dash of Irish Mist and fresh berries. At about three biscuits high, dust with icing sugar and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Page 10 of 10 The history and traditions of Ireland & St.Patrick All material in this publication may be freely reprinted

Posset Cúchulainn Potato Bread/Potato Cake/Fadge - all one and the same! Cúchulainn was an ancient (possibly mythical) Irish hero who once raided cattle on the hills behind Dundalk, so This is usually served with breakfast in Northern Ireland, this rich, velvety dessert was aptly named by Pat Kerley, as part of the traditional “Ulster Fry”. owner-chef of Quaglino’s Restaurant in Dundalk, Co

Louth, who gets his cream from the local Cúchulainn 225g (8oz) warm mashed potatoes 25g (1oz) Irish butter 1 Dairy! This variation on a traditional Posset is easy to 50g (2oz) plain flour /2 teaspoon salt make and a winner every time. To Cook: Add the butter and salt to the warm mashed potatoes. Work in the flour to make a dough. Split the mix in two Juice of 2 oranges 100g (4oz) caster sugar 1 and roll on a floured board into two circles about /2cm Dash of Irish whiskey 400ml (14 fl oz) double cream 1 ( /4”) thick. Cut the circles into quarters and bake on a lightly greased hot griddle or heavy pan until browned To Cook: Combine the orange juice with the caster sugar and boil gently on both sides - about 5 to 6 minutes. until reduced by half. Add the cream and whiskey, bring back up to the boil and allow to cool. Pour into four tall glasses and refrigerate for at least four This is also delicious served warm with Maple Syrup or hours. To serve, place the glass in the centre of a plate, dust with icing sugar with sugar and a little lemon wedge. and garnish with a crisp tuile biscuit. Pat’s shamrock-shaped biscuits give it a witty little twist!

Yellowman

It’s like Crunchie without the chocolate! This particularly delicious confection is a Northern Ireland speciality. It is traditionally sold at the “Oul’ Lammas Fair”, Ireland’s oldest traditional market fair with horse During the course of the last fifteen years or so, trading, street entertainment, market stalls etc. It takes the food scene in Ireland has changed beyond all recognition. place in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, every August. An abundance of fresh, wholesome ingredients and a short food chain ensure that the markets are stocked with the very best produce. 11/ cups golden syrup 1 cup brown sugar 2 There is also an eating-out culture in Ireland and restaurants of all 50g (2oz) Irish butter 2 tablespoons white vinegar categories abound for locals and visitors alike. A new Irish-International 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda cuisine has emerged, using the traditional Irish ingredients alongside subtle flavours “borrowed” from other cuisines around the world. The large Take great care with this one as number of food related festivals is testament to the growing awareness boiling sugar can be very dangerous! of Ireland as a gourmet’s paradise. Irish food products are increasingly available at British outlets. To Cook: Gently mix the syrup, sugar, butter and vinegar together in a large saucepan. Then bring it slowly to the boil (do not stir). Boil until a drop For more information on where to source hardens in cold water, then carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture will Irish food suppliers in Britain, contact: foam up when the soda goes in! Bord Bia - Irish Food Board, Pour out on to a lightly greased slab and when cool enough to 2 Tavistock Place, London WC1 9RA. handle, work the edges into the centre. Keep doing this until the mixture Tel: 020 7833 1251 turns to a pale yellow colour. Pop it into a lightly greased flat tin and leave to Fax: 020 7278 7193 cool and set. When cold, break it into bite size chunks with a clean hammer. E-mail: [email protected] Bag-it-up, then off you go to the Auld Lammas Fair. www.bordbia.ie

For information on holidays in Ireland, how to get there, where to stay, festivals, events and so on, check out the web site on: www.tourismireland.com

Tourism Ireland Limited Tel: 020 7518 0800 Nations House Fax: 020 7493 9065 103 Wigmore Street Email: [email protected] London www.tourismireland.com W1U 1QS Visitor enquiries: 0800 039 7000