Paddy O'Furniture's Pub: Just another day in the neighborhood!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Just another day in the neighborhood!

Well, there is always a beginning and so therefore go I, letting my fingers to some talking. This is the first of many sporadic posts. I don't have any particular agenda, but I am sure my thoughts might be considered controversial by some or maybe not, let's explore my thoughts together and see. I'm not always right and I am willing to be corrected. That's what makes for conversation and builds my knowledge base. I have a couple of friends that blog a bit more than I will, so I may cut and paste some of their comments here. Then it can be something we all can discuss...

Anyway, for now this is my 1st post so into the void I go. Here I come, ready or not!

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Pope Quotes - As Quoted by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

"The new pope knows that his task is to make the light of Christ shine before men and women of the world - not his own light, but that of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI
"Entrusting ourselves to Christ, we lose nothing, we gain everything. In his hands our life acquires its true meaning." Homily - Pilsudzki Sq Warsaw Poland (2005)
"As I have had the occasion to say, it is not the proper task of the Church to engage in the political work of bringing about the most just society possible; nonetheless, she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the struggle for justice." (2007)
"In truth, peace" World Day of Prayer for Peace Jan 1 (2006)
"The words of Pope John Paul II constantly echo in my ears: " Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!" (2005)

Irish Facts (At least I believe so...)

There are no postal or ZIP codes in Ireland outside of Dublin. If you wanted to write a letter to someone in Ireland, you’d only need to know their city, street and the county their town is in.
• Couples in Ireland could marry legally on St. Brigid's Day (February 1st) in Teltown, County Meath, as recently as the 1920’s by simply walking towards each other. If the marriage failed, they could "divorce'" by walking away from each other at the same spot, on St. Brigid’s day the following year. The custom was a holdover from old Irish Brehon laws, which allowed temporary marriage contracts.
A village known as "Dun Bleisce" recently won the right to change it's name back to an old-time local favorite. The town will now be called "Fort of the Harlot," as it was in the distant past. After a variety of names were used to describe the town over the years, the government christened it "An Dun," which translates simply into "The Fort," in 2003. But a recent petition by townspeople has prompted officials to put "the Harlot" back into the name. The historical harlot involved here may have simply been a powerful woman, and not a harlot in the modern sense of the word.
• “Cemetery Sunday” is a lesser-known tradition still practiced around Ireland, although it seems to take place on whatever date is most convenient for local church leaders. A mass is celebrated for families of those buried in the local church graveyard, after which an effort is made over several days to clean up the churchyard. Special attention is traditionally given to the graves of those who have no one left among the living to remember them.
• An old legend says that, while Christ will judge all nations on judgment day, St. Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.
• Celtic rock group the Pogues were originally called "Pogue Mahone," which translates into "kiss my a**" in Gaelic.
The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin has a 9,000 year lease on it's property, at a perpetual rate of 45 Irish pounds per year.
• An odd Irish birthday tradition is to lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps should allegedly correspond to the child’s age plus one.
• The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia, in County Galway.
• It is a biological fact that there are no snakes in Ireland, not even the tiniest grass snake.
• The 1st St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was in 1737 in Boston
• Current estimates put the Irish birth rate at 1.8 births per woman
• Worldwide consumption of Bailey's Irish Cream is 1000 glasses a minute
• A potato is sometimes called a Smiling Murphy
• In Ireland you sing at a wake and cry at a birth
• Ireland's official color was originally blue, not green
• The Irish coastline is more than 3500 miles