In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is an Irish proverb that is relevant today.
"In our togetherness, castles are built."
BTW ~ Are there snakes in Ireland?
I just had my first taste of Irish soda bread and it was sweet. Is it always so?
I named my first child Erin.
My friend kissed the Blarney Stone and said Ireland was gorgeous. I hope to see it one day.
In 1847, during the Great Irish Potato Famine, the Choctaw Nation collected and sent $170. to the Irish government in aid - in remembrance of their survival of the horrific Trail Of Tears where many died of starvation. The Choctaw Nation and Ireland still celebrate this occasion to this day. There is a monument in Ireland somewhere in honor of the Choctaw's kindness. Maybe the luck of the Irish rubbed off, because the Choctaw Nation (and most other tribes) went from extreme poverty (as recently as the 1980's) to great wealth today and still, they help their surrounding communities and country with building infrastructure and other businesses.
My husband and children are proud members of the Choctaw Nation.
It is greening up nicely here and can't wait to start sowing and digging in the garden, even looking for a few four leaf clovers.
Found a picture of the Choctaw Memorial in Ireland to honor the kindness of the Choctaw Nation during the famine. It is fitting and beautiful I think.
23 comments:
Lucky you - a four leafed clover! I don't think St. Patrick was successful in driving all the snakes out of Ireland and I'm happy about that, because they represent the divine feminine that Christianity tried so hard to suppress~
Thanks for reminding me that today is St. Patty's - a reason to eat mussels and drink Guinness! xoxo
Funny, but I find them all the time - even five and six leaf clovers. I read once that 5% of clover have 4 leaves. I guess that is why they are considered lucky. I love that you know the history and mythology that goes with the stories. Guess it's because you are a published author!!! I would love to eat mussels, but in OK I am afraid they would be tainted.
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".
There is a statue honoring Molly Malone in Dublin.
My father was Irish, through and through, and such was the shame, he never spoke of it. He would have liked knowing the association with the Choctaw Nation.
Your enthusiasm and good wishes ..:)
Erin Go Bragh dear Donna!
We will be visiting much of Ireland in May - roughing it much of the time as we want to go with very little baggage, just too hard when traveling on trains and coaches. Will be searching for hubby's "Sullivan family" - great-grandfather was from County Kerry. Will be my first visit to Ireland and I'm really excited about seeing the countryside, spending time Dublin, and of course standing on the western cliffs above the crashing Atlantic Ocean!
Liked hearing about the generosity of the Choctaw!
Greening up around here too - and I dug out a green sweater to celebrate - we'll be stopping at the Hibernian pub nearby and drink to the Irish and Ireland later today!
Soda bread is bland but some people add raisins and such which would make it sweet! One thing I know - needs to be eaten the day it's baked, not good once cold and dry. . . . . .
. . . . . and here's me, a dyed in the wool English woman giving Irish advice! Only because I married a
leprechaun perhaps!!!!!
Hugs - Mary
If I can find it, I'll post a picture of the monument to the Choctaws they built in Ireland in honor of the Choctaw's generosity. You are sure to love your trip there. I can only imagine.
And to you Monique.
I do wonder why Joanne. My daughter-in-law's family is from Ireland, once or more removed. They migrated from there to farm wheat in the Oklahoma panhandle or no man's land. Who knew we had Irish ties in Oklahoma?
I used to often find four-leafed clovers. Perhaps I need to look again.
Love the story of the Choctaw people's kindness.
, Today is the first day Donna up here in the North of the UK, when there was really just a hint of spring in the air - glorious.
I posted the pic of the monument Child. It is such a kindness for a people starved and impoverished to reach out to the Irish during that time.
I am happy for you Pat as I know it has been a tough winter there. Maybe a little luck from the Irish?
My grandma came with her family from Ireland at the turn of the last century. They first settled in Butte, Montana where great-grandpa worked in the mines with other immigrants. I had always heard that grandma's Dad became a heavy user of opium during this period & died as a result of his addiction. 'though his death certificate read something euphemistic one couldn't quite decipher. We sure could use some luck and a lot of compassion nowadays.
A wonderful story of the Choctaw Nation's kindness. I was not familiar with it.
Yes, Bea. We do. Drug abuse in Montana at the turn of the century. That is interesting.
It is really incredible that during that period, the government had taken everything from Native Americans and still they were able to show such kindness to a people far and away.
My granddaughters will sit for hours looking for four leaf clovers. Happy spring
And to you too Doc. I read that 5% or 1 in 10,000 have four leaves. My farm must be the exception as I find them often. I was thinking about you the other day while watching Portlandia. I think that show is so funny.
Donna, thank you for adding to my knowledge with this post. I had previously no idea of the connection between the Chocktaw Nation and Ireland.
The design of the monument is very beautiful and meaningful, too.
xo
It is an incredible story Frances, especially after their re-location and trials and tribulations they endured. I think the monument is wonderful. I'll never forget that General Sheraton said, "the only good indian is a dead indian." And, they have schools and streets named after him. Horrible.
Frances, I misspelled his name. It was General Sheridan. Must have been thinking of hotels.
What a wonderful and touching post today.
Thank you for the interesting piece of history that I had no knowledge of.
I think the monument is very beautiful.
cheers, parsnip.
Me too.
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