Booktrust did a survey of over 2,500 people in the UK to determine the top nursery rhymes.  Here they are with links to their lyrics (most of the links have mp3’s or videos too): 1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 2. Incey Wincey Spider 3. Round And Round The Garden 4. Baa Baa Black Sheep 5. The...

The Ninepenny Fidil (Fiddle) is a song about playing a fiddle and about meeting a leprechaun.  The song was written by Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil and arranged by Herbert Hughes to old Irish melody. Below you can listen to a video of the song, followed by the lyrics. The Ninepenny Fidil My...

The leprechaun is a fairy shoemaker eagerly sought by people who like to get rich quick. If the mortal who meets him will only keep his eyes fixed upon the fairy, the little chap will have to disclose the hiding place of a certain crock of gold. But the leprechaun is so full of tricks...

The leprechaun is one of the symbols of St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s a poem about the leprechaun for the holiday… The Leprechaun,—the omadhaun*!—that lives in County Clare, Is one foot wide and three foot high without an inch to spare. He winks the sea-blue eye of him, like other saucy rogues, And underneath the blackthorn-bush he...

Here’s an Irish Blessing just in time for St. Patrick’s Day… Irish Blessing   May your pockets be heavy And your heart be light.   May good luck pursue you Each morning and night. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! -Mama Lisa

Song of The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker was written by Irish poet William Allingham (1824 – 1889).  Leprechauns are known to be shoemakers.  At the end of the work day, they hide away the money they earned in a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Song of The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker is...

There are many variations in different languages of "mother" and "father".  These are formal words that people use when referring to their parents.  But most words used to address our parents directly are less formal. In the US, most people don’t say "mother’ and "father" when talking to their parents.  Even when I was a kid...

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when tradesmen and servants were traditionally given tips or gifts for their service.  Here’s what Rebecca wrote about it from the UK… The ‘Christmas box’ was traditionally for those who serviced your house; bin men, milkmen & coal men! Well, in the last century....

Barmbrack is an Irish fruit bread that’s served for Halloween and for Samhain, a similar holiday celebrated on November 1st. Barmbrack has traditionally been cooked with objects inside that are used for “fortune-telling”.  Below are some objects used.  Whoever receives the slice with that object is supposed to have the corresponding fortune in the upcoming...

The site Allsorts has an article about the importance of potatoes in Irish cuisine: “A discussion of Irish childhood food memories has to be somewhat coloured by potatoes… Every single meal I remember had potatoes in one disguise or other… If it didn’t have potatoes, it wasn’t a proper meal; more like a snack.” They even...

Have you ever heard of Fairy Rings?  In real life, Fairy Rings are a naturally occurring phenomena where mushrooms grow in a circle. In folklore, Fairy Rings are an enchanted place where fairies gather at night and dance under the moonlight. John Milton mentioned dancing Fairy Elves in the first Book of Paradise Lost… Fairy Elves ...

Here’s a poem about a man who tries to catch a Leprechaun so he can become rich!  It was written by the Irish poet William Allingham (1824–1889).  I’ve included definitions of any uncommon words below the poem.  After that you can hear a recording of it. The Leprechaun or Fairy Shoemaker I. Little Cowboy, what have you heard,...

I found this article about wedding superstitions in a very unlikely place:  an American journal from 1906 called, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.  It was written by Memphis Scimiter… Wedding Superstitions The old rhyme that had to do with the days of the week still holds considerable power in the choice of the wedding day in some...

Open Culture has a page of free language learning links covering 40 languages. Here are some of the languages you can find links for… Arabic, English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Bulgarian, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Finnish, Gaelic, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Maori, Norwegian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swahili,...

I mentioned hearing this poem on a show recently and liked it so much I thought it should be posted with an illustration and recording… The Lake Isle of Innisfree By William Butler Yeats I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And...

Corned Beef and Cabbage is very easy to make.  The trickiest part is determining the amount of time the corned beef must cook.  Cooking Time: The amount of time corned beef takes to cook is determined by its weight and thickness.  This year for St. Patrick’s Day I made a 2 1/2 pound piece...

This recipe for American Irish Soda Bread made with Whole Wheat Flour comes very close to the taste of American Irish Soda Bread (made with only multipurpose flour).  It’s really good… but healthier than the normal one. Recipe for American Irish Soda Bread (with part Whole Wheat Flour) Ingredients 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup...

Traditional Irish Soda Bread contains flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk. This recipe for traditional Irish Soda Bread is made with a mix of Whole Wheat Flour and Multipurpose Flour. Recipe for Traditional Irish Soda Bread (with Whole Wheat Flour) Ingredients 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup Multipurpose Flour  1...

Traditional Irish Soda Bread contains flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.  In the US, we eat Irish Soda Bread around St. Patrick’s Day.  Our version of the bread is different.  It usually includes sugar and raisins.  It may also include butter, baking powder and eggs.  Our version is sweeter and more cake-like. The version below...