Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Erin Go Bragh!

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Irish eyes are smiling on the O’Grady side of my family from County Cork. I don’t know much about our ancestry, but I do know that we’ve been tempted by the DNA sample tests on the paternal lines. From what I understand, they’ve received a mixed review. So until one of us receives one for free, and I swab away and write about it, I’ll wait ’till I travel abroad I think. Or maybe one of you know an O’Grady from County Cork? I’m looking to enjoy some Irish Soda Bread, Green Beer and some Irish Toasts, and Corned Beef and Cabbage. Yummy. I’ll even put a little green food color in the kids milk and turn their teeth green ;) From cooks.com (I add potatoes)

CROCK POT CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
Place in crock pot in order:
3 carrots, cut in 3 inch pieces3-4 lb. corned beef brisket2-3 med. onions, quartered1-2 c. water1/2 sm. cabbage, cut in wedges

Add cabbage to liquid, pushing down to moisten, after 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. Cover and cook 10-12 hours on low, 5-6 hours on high.


IRISH SODA BREAD
1 tablespoon baking soda1 tablespoon sugar4 cups flo0ur2 1/3 teaspoons salt1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar2 cups buttermilk1 tablespoon butter

Thoroughly combine baking soda, sugar, flour, salt and cream of tartar. Make a well in the center. Add buttermilk and mix lightly and quickly with a fork.Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for one minute. Shape into a circle, about 1 1/2 inch thick. Place on a greased cooke sheet. Slask a large cross in the top.Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 40-45 minutes.Cool on a wire rack. Brush top with butter while still warm. Cool before slicing to serve.Variations: 1 cup raisins, craisins, citron or dried fruits and a few tablespoons caraway seeds may be added. 1/2 yogurt or sour cream and 1/2 milk may be substituted for buttermilk.Submitted by: CM


Happy St. Patty’s and Many Irish Blessings to everyone!

Will you eat corned beef and cabbage today? Are you wearing green? Or is today just another Monday in the long, slow slog to summer?

Today is St. Patrick's Day, a day to honor Ireland's St. Patrick, who converted the pagans to Christianity in the fourth century. But what is it really, other than a reason to drink green beer?

For Erin O'Reilly Hutton, it's many things.

As the owner of On The House, 1153 High Ave., Hutton doesn't scoff at the celebratory part of St. Patrick's Day. Like many pubs around the country, she made Saturday her official St. Patrick's Day party to cater to those who don't want to come out on Monday.

For them, she made 70 pounds of corned beef and all the green beer customers can swallow.

"(The bar) is just a corner, mom and pop place with a lot of regulars, said Hutton, 35. "Throughout the year we do fun things for them."

Hutton's mom, Josephine O'Reilly, still makes several loaves of traditional Irish soda bread every year, which Hutton's customers get to sample.

"I think people forget it's a Christian holiday," Hutton said. "They think it's a drinking holiday and they like it for that reason. "It's a real excuse to have a party. You don't need a reason, but it's nice when there is one."

At St. Mary's School in Sheboygan Falls, second-grade teacher Mary LaViolette makes a point of talking about the saints to her students throughout the school year.

In March, the choice is easy.

"We talk about all of our traditions, customs of our families, how they celebrate different feast days, different holidays, different holy days," LaViolette said. "I think we all do at St. Mary's."

The class talks about the legend of St. Patrick, about how he was brought to Ireland as a slave from Britain, escaped and became a bishop only to return to Ireland to spread the gospel, she said.

The saints have a special place in the hearts of the second-graders.

"There's always a reason … they gave to the poor, they shared everything they had, they gave up their life to God," she said. "They're all role models."

On Saturday, a half-dozen kids were at the Plymouth Arts Center decorating St. Patrick's Day themed pictures — rainbows with pots of gold — using brightly colored pastels and special green "leprechaun dust" that gave their drawings a rainy appearance when wetted down.

Leading the class was Cassy Tully, the center's educational coordinator and art teacher, who happens to be half-Irish and fully into the St. Patrick's holiday, the evidence being the green T-shirt she wore, emblazoned with her family's name and big shamrocks.

"Irish songs are usually a part of our family traditions, weddings and things like that," said Tully, 24, whose family name was once O'Toole until the "O" was dropped and the rest evolved into Tully.

"There's a castle in Ireland, the Tully Castle, and someday, I'll get there," she said.

St. Patrick's Day is also a very big deal at 52 Stafford Irish Guest House in Plymouth.

Beth Waller, a 10-year employee of the restaurant and bed and breakfast said the annual "Irishman's Walk" parade down middle of town draws between 40 and 100 people every year, depending on the weather.

"They dress up, they dress up their dogs, they pull their kids in wagons," Waller said.

The restaurant and bar started its celebration on Sunday with an Irish band from Milwaukee, as did Manning's Irish Pub in Sheboygan.

Manning's brought in an Irish band on Saturday, said bar employee Sarah Finley, but tonight's entertainment is oldies band Too Cool.

"We don't really do anything big, people just kind of flock here because it's an Irish pub," she said. "It's usually pretty big — I don't know how big it'll be on a Monday."

Erin Go Bragh again

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On March 17, millions of Americans drink foul tasting green beer, get staggering drunk and walk around spouting nonsense words like "Erin Go Bragh" and "Top O' the Morning To Ye" They call themselves "Irish for a Day" or desperately cry out, "Kiss me, I'm Irish". Unlike the real Irish, who drink good beer, don't wait till one day per year to get really pissed, and are probably kissed by other Irish persons on a daily basis! But, let us not digress into unfair cultural stereotypes.

In honor of today's St. Patrick's Day celebration, we bring you two map postcards appropriate for the day, from Karen's Whimsy and the St. Louis Time Portal (Irish music warning: turn down the volume on your computer...)



"They're After Me Lucky Charms!"

Follow this map to see if you can find the Leprechaun's treasure:

Erin Go Bragh

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What is St. Patrick’s day, but an excuse to tie one on? Being that we are repressed, puritanical Americans we need an excuse to drink, because if you just drink because it makes you feel good, well then you have a problem. Me, I don’t save up my drinking for Erin Go Bragh, I prefer to spread it out all year. As for these songs, I have been saving them up for just this occasion! You may notice the absence of any Pogues songs, it just seemed way too obvious.

Salad - Drink the Elixir - I’m not sure what exactly the elixir is that Marijne van der Vlugt is refering to, but I like to think it’s some kind of blue kamikaze concoction that you’ll be regretting the next morning. (from Drink Me)

Lucksmiths - Beer Nut - Out drinking with your friends, getting booted out of the pub, and then trying to get home. A typical night out put to music by the incomparable Lucksmiths. (from Happy Secret)

Los Lobos - I Got Loaded - Only if it were always like this, getting loaded and then the next morning feeling all right. Yeah, right. (from How Will the Wolf Survive?)

60ft Dolls - No. 1 Pure Alcohol - That would be grain, though not pure it’s the closest you can get without killing yourself. (from The Big Three)

Rosco Gordon - Let’s Get High - Getting drunk with your significant other, this may or may not be a good idea, but back in the 50’s I guess it was de rigueur. (from Sun Records Collection)

Camper Van Beethoven - Wasted - Punks, Surfers, Skaters, Hippies, etc. everyone does it. The Camper’s take on this Black Flag song is classic funny from Lowery’s dude-like vocals to the Jonathon Segal drunk violin. (from Telephone Free Landslide Victory

Gene - Sick Sober and Sorry - Don’t you hate it when someone tells you that you’ve had enough? Poor Gene got a raw deal because they sounded like the Smiths a little too much. Who cares when you write good songs like this, one of my favorite Gene songs and one of my favorite drinking songs for that matter. (from To See the Lights)

Jack - I was Drunk in the Underworld - This songs gives me the feeling of wondering the streets after I’ve had a few too many, when everything feels just a little weird. (from Wintercomesummer)

The Triffids - Once a Day - This cover of the Bill Anderson classic is the highlight of the Triffids’ In the Pines. I guess you don’t have a problem if you only drink once a day. (from In the Pines)

Jazz Butcher - D.R.I.N.K. -Aahhhh, Max Eider can really play the guitar, and he’s a pretty darn good singer as well. This cocktail jazzy number makes you want to umm…. drink. (from Draining the Glass)

Divine Comedy - a Drinking Song - Neil Hannon’s early records were minimalist baroque bliss. This song is perfect for any drinking occasion, and will give it a little class. (from Promenade)

Mathew Sweet - The Alcohol Talking - With excellent guitar from Richard Lloyd, this song is about the ugly drunk. I didn’t want to give you the impression that getting loaded is always fun and glam. (from Earth)

Frank Sinatra - Drinking Again - There are so many reasons to drink, and of course the best reason is when you’re feeling sorry for yourself because some dame has left you. (from The Reprise Collection)

Tom Waits - The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) - When you’re drunk it’s always someone else’s fault, and there’s always someone that’s had more than you. I always thought it was a bit odd that this song was played at the end of the Jennifer Jason Leigh film Georgia. (from Small Change)

The Fall - White Lightning - This Big Bopper classic needs no introduction. I can totally see Mark E Smith runnin’ moonshine. (from Shift-Work)