I remember when I became 'too cool' to wear green on my birthday, instead proclaiming that my hazel eyes were close enough, while dodging the pinching fingers of my junior high friends. Every year they would fill my locker with various St. Patrick's Day tokens: shamrock-shaped glasses, bouncy headbands, 'Kiss Me I'm Irish' t-shirts, etc. As a child I didn't really get what the holiday was about or who it was for, I just knew it made my birthday extra fun. Then when I got to college, it was a day to over-consume green beer--another upside to the average non-holiday birthday.
Now as an adult (and fulltime journalist), I ask more questions; I am more interested in the world around me. So when I heard there was a local Celtic association, I was instantly intrigued.
Liza Hendley Betz, owner of Failte (pronounced "falsh-uh") Irish Imports, opened in 2001, and Dublin, Ireland native, spearheaded the association in 2002 with the help of a few green-blooded friends.
"We wanted to celebrate our shared Irish, Scottish, and Welsh heritage," said Hendley Betz. "So many people were coming into the shop and wanting more, so I started the association and it just got bigger and bigger."
The association meets the first Thursday of each month at O'Neill's Irish Pub in Idle Hour Shopping Center. Hendley Betz said the normal turnout is usually 20-30 people, although she guesses there are at least 200-400 first-generation Irish men and women in the community.
Membership to the Celtic Association is free, and meetings are mostly informal, featuring local Irish bands like Liam's Fancy and Pale, Stout & Amber. According to the Failte Web site, 'In Ireland, the heart of any community revolves around the happenings of local public houses, or pubs. Young and older folks meet in the pub to relax, tell stories, hear music, sing a bit, and simply share good times.'
Occasionally, local groups will come perform to help promote upcoming shows or festivals. At the association's February meeting, the Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers performed to help promote their upcoming show March 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts--all part of the St. Patrick's Day celebration.
Bill Enright of the Bluegrass Irish Society, the nonprofit group that organizes the St. Patrick's Day Parade each year, said this year's parade, taking place March 15 at 1 p.m. downtown, will feature fun-filled entertainment and appearances. "First off, the grand marshal will be internationally renowned local Kiaran McLaughlin--graduate of Lafayette High School and famous horse trainer," said Enright, who helped form the Bluegrass Irish Society in 1980. "The Shamrock Shuffle 3K Road Race will be that morning, with all proceeds going to the Habitat for Humanity in honor of Pat Smith. Then at 12:30 p.m. we are having a concert of Irish music and dance in front of the history museum, then at 7:30 p.m. the McTeggart Dancers are performingÖso it should be a big day of celebration."
Everyone is invited to take part in the parade. Both Enright and Hendley Betz agree the purpose of the parade isn't about huge, fancy floats, but good old-fashioned family fun.
"If you are interested in spending a lot of money on a float," said Enright. "Let me give you a suggestion: take that money and give it to charity. Decorate a flatbed truck and get some Irish music. It's all about free, community fun."
Both Enright and Hendley Betz take pride in their shared heritage and love to travel back to Ireland. Hendley Betz is currently organizing a trip to Dublin for anyone interested, scheduled for early November. "We have a huge Irish community here, so I never felt like I was away from homeÖeveryone seems to have a little Irish in them."
Recipes to Bring Out the Irish in You
SHEPERD'S PIE (failteimports.com)
Ingredients:
2 lb. Minced Meat (Burger Meat)
1 onion, chopped
1 package mushroom, sliced
5-6 carrots sliced
1 can of mixed vegetables
1/2 bag frozen corn
1/2 bag frozen peas
Garlic to taste
Shepherds pie mix
Worchester sauce to taste
(Any sauces in your fridge that you think might taste nice--I change mine up all the time because there will be sauces I want to get rid of.
You don't need to use much juice because it will bubble over when you stick it under the broiler.)
Salt and pepper
Basil and oregano
Method:
Brown meat making sure you break it up as it cooks. Drain off juice. Add everything but corn and peas. Bring to boil then turn down to a simmer. Let sit for about 45 min. Meanwhile peel spuds, soak, and chop. Bring to boil til cooked then mash with butter, salt, and milk. When meat mixture has 5 min. left, add corn and peas. Then put mixture into a baking dish, add mashed potatoes on top, put butter on it or cheese, if desired. Stick under broiler until brown.
HOT WHISKEY (www.failteimports.com)
Makes 1 drink
1 measure of Irish Whiskey
2 teaspoons of white or brown sugar
2 slices of freshly cut lemon
6 cloves
8 ounces (or less) of boiling water
Pour whiskey and sugar into a strong heatproof glass. Embed 3 cloves into each lemon slice and place in glass. Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Serve immediately.
History of St. Patrick's Day
Who He Was
Born to British parents near the end of the 4th century, St. Patrick was taken captive by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and worked as a sheperd alone in the fields. To ease his suffering and loneliness, he turned to Christianity. After six years of captivity, he escaped and as recorded in his writings, heard a voice he believed to be God's telling him to leave Ireland.
Upon returning to Britain, he had a second vision. This time an angel came to him in a dream and told him to return to Ireland to serve as a missionary. He underwent 15 years of religious training and returned to Ireland as a priest to minister to the Christians there and to begin to convert the Irish.
Patrick decided to incorporate many of the Irish traditions and customs into his Christian lessons. He incorporated bonfires into the Easter celebration, since the Irish worshipped their gods with fire (most Irish at the time practiced a nature-based pagan religion). He also placed a sun, an Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross--which is called a Celtic cross today.
How It's Celebrated
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of his death, by a festival of drink, dance, and food (Irish bacon and cabbage is traditional Irish fare).
Irish-American immigrants brought the celebration of St. Patrick's Day to the United States in the 1700s. The first celebration in the 13 colonies took place in Boston, Mass., in 1737. The first St. Patrick's Day event in New York City took place in 1756 at the Crown and Thistle Tavern. Gen. George Washington, commander of numerous Irish descendents in the Continental Army, first recognized the holiday in 1780--the event became known as 'The St. Patrick's Day Encampment of 1780.'
Today the holiday is celebrated the world over. In 1995 the Irish government decided to use St. Patrick's Day as a way to showcase the country and increase tourism. Over the last couple of years, nearly one million people have consistently converged in Dublin to celebrate the luck of the Irish.
(Information obtained at www.historychannel.com and www.lexingtonstpatsparade.org)
May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
St. Patrick's Day Festivities:
• 10 a.m. Shamrock Shuffle 3K Race (www.shamrockshuffle3k.com)
• 12:30 p.m. Free concert of Irish music and dance (in front of the History Museum at Main and Upper streets)
• 1 p.m. Parade (forms at Main at Midland Avenue and proceeds down Main to Mill Street)
• 7:30 p.m. McTeggart Irish Dancers present Traditions of the Emerald Isle An Evening of Celtic Music & Dance (UK Singletary Center for the Arts, www.singletarytickets.com)
The Celtic Association's next meeting will be March 6, 8 p.m. at O'Neill's Irish Pub (for more, visit www.lexingtonceltic.org)
For more on the Bluegrass Irish Society, visit www.bluegrassirishsociety.org
For more on the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade, visit www.lexingtonstpatsparade.org
For more on Failte, visit www.failteimports.com
For more on the Kentucky McTeggart Irish Dancers, visit www.kyirishdancers.org