Glossary Of Terms
Leprechaun
Irish fairy. Looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like
a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend,
leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making
shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track
down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. |
| If caught, he can be
forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his
treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the
captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away),
he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost. |
 |
Blarney stone
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the
Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the
gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac
Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to
thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists
a year still visit the castle.
 The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one
legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had
saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king
the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.
It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the
parapet. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward),
holding iron bars for support. Can you imagine kissing something that has had
people's lips all over it for 500 years? Yuck!
The top of the
castle. A tourist starts to get in position to kiss the Blarney
Stone.
Shamrock
The Legend of the Shamrock
It was on the lush hillsides
of Co. Armagh that Patrick, as a young Bishop in the year 432 AD
plucked the tiny shamrock from anonymity and used it to
illustrate the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity to the Ancient
High Kings of Ireland, thus elevating the Shamrock to its
present status of Ireland's National Emblem. The plant has been
grown close to the Ancient Monastic Settlement of the Sceillig
Rock in Co. Kerry where Irish still thrives as the National
Living Language.
A little bit of shamrock
Is a little bit of homeSo wear it on
St. Patrick's dayNo matter where you roam
In New York or Boston cityThe meanin's
just the sameShamrock stands for Ireland
Wear it in St. Patrick's name
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