17 March 2009

ST. PATRICK'S DAY

which, by the way, is a typically american misconstrual of racial/national character. most folks in ireland don't even celebrate the day, certainly not by getting cross-eyed drunk like the newspaper cartoons suggest. dontcha just hate stereotypes??

so, as a modest contribution to cross-cultural enjoyment, i offer this link to a fine website with a wide variety of news, sports, entertainment, travel, advice, opinion and much more. one of my personal favorites is "best irish movies of all time" -- i'm pleased to say that i've seen nine out of the ten, and only disagree with one title being included in the list. oh, don't forget to click on "dublin webcam", meghan sweeney's blog, and the green tab labelled "the pub", which takes you to a subpage with its own nooks and crannies to explore. the content changes daily, so it's a fun place to visit.

don't even get me started on the rich array of contemporary irish writers out there, from frank mccourt to morgan llywellyn to roddy doyle, frank delaney to patrick mcginley to maeve binchy, and dozens more. dare i mention oscar wilde, james joyce, w.b. yeats, samuel becket, jonathan swift? the list is as long and colorful as irish/celtic history itself.

and the music, ah, the music. "riverdance" was for many, their introduction to the rich harmonies and rhythms of celtic music. me, i'm a bit more partial to groups like the chieftains, balladeers like robbie o'connell, celtic harpists like kim robertson. something for every taste.

so here's to ya, emerald isle and all your children, whether at home in eire, or far-flung by the irish diaspora. the world is a better place for your being with us.

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