The Celt…..

Run wild Celt …..
You were born to be Free…
Free as the fog that fills the valle…
Free as the tide as it slips between the rocks on the shore…
As free as your spirt with no bounds….

Run wild Celt…….
Run….
You were born to be Free…..
Born to run as fast as you can….
To deeply breath the fresh clean air…

Run wild Celt….
Run…
Legs churning the wet sand on the strand…
Marking the beach with your footsteps….
Gliding like the wind!

Run wild Celt….
Sail….
From the steppes of Russia….
To Egypt…..to Spain…
To Our Isle Of Destiny…..

Run wild Celt….
Fly be free…
Spread across Erin
With Heremon…..Heber…..Ir……
Through Erin …..Dal Riata…..to Alba……

Run wild Celt….
Fight to be free….
Raiders….pirates….traders…..
Roman…Saxons….Vikings….Normans
All that fetter you with chains….

Run wild Celt…
Bow your head to no man…
Burn holes in your enemies skulls with your eyes….
Burn your enemies ears with your words….
Lay waste to those that oppose you…

Run wild Celt…
Know Love as it was meant to be….
Find a strong and beautiful wife to share your life….
Raise strong and beautiful children, teach them to be free…
Defend them with your life, for they are your soul….

Run wild Celt….
Show the world your wisdom….
Spread the Lord’s word…….
Border His pages with love and beauty…
Treat your brother with mercy….

Run wild Celt…
Endure the troubles….
Never complain…
Never let them see your weakness…
Bide your time, Celt, your time is coming again….

Run wild Celt…
Travel the Seas…
Find new lands…..Europe….
North America…South America….Australia
Freedom calls you….

Run wild Celt…..
Sail….glide over the waves…
Fly…like the wind….
Find freedom…..
Find Home….

Run wild Celt….
Fight to be Free….
Never let them take it from you….
It is worth the passion…..
Freedom is part of your soul….

Run wild Celt….
Fight to keep your home free!
Burn your enemies skulls with your eyes….
Burn your enemies ears with your words….
Bow your head to no man….

Run wild Celt….
Be Free…..

Greg O’Brien
December 2001

– Let us all remember the men and women in harm’s way defending our freedom this Christmas Season…Freedom isn’t free…I want to say Thank you to all the servicemen and women now in harms way and the veterans of past engagements. We all owe you our Freedom.

Christmas in Ireland

     In Ireland, late in the fall, it is time to make the house ready for the upcoming holiday celebrations. An Irish home is cleaned top to bottom, sometimes even white washed and special holiday linens are be brought out of storage. Once all is clean, the festive decorating begins.
     No Irish home would be complete without holly. Holly with its glossy green leaves and festive red berries are perfect for holiday decorating. At Christmas time, holly is used to decorate the entire house. A spray is placed over the door, on the mantle, around picture frames, along the cupboard, and around candle rings. Gifts made from holly boughs are given to neighbors. One charming folklore superstition is that fairy folk will come out of the cold and find shelter in the holly branches.
     To the Celts, holly symbolized both life and death, the evergreen leaves symbolize life during a time when all else is bare and the red berries symbolized the blood of life. With the coming of Christianity, the blood became the blood of Christ.
     Christmas cooking will usually start early, with the making of plum puddings, breads and spiced beef. A traditional meal might consist of roasted goose, potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables, sausages, and puddings.
     Hospitality is abundant in Ireland and it reflects in the many holiday customs. A lighted candle will be placed in a window as a welcome beacon for both travelers and wandering priests. The candle is placed in the window on Christmas Eve to signify the welcoming the Holy family looking for shelter. Another aspect of Irish hospitality is seen after the Christmas meal. The doors are left unlocked and the table is set with bread and milk for travelers who might come in the night after seeing the candle in the window.
     The twelve days of Christmas are celebrated between the birth of Christ, December 26 and the Epiphany, (coming of the Magi) January 6. A small gift is given each day during this time. The 12 days of Christmas include many festivities including parties and visiting friends, family and neighbors. On the Twelfth Night of Christmas the celebrations end and the holiday decorations are taken down.

  Here is a nice Irish Blessing for Christmas time:

  “The light of the Christmas star to you…
    The warmth of home and hearth to you…
     The cheer and good will of friends to you…
      The hope of a childlike heart to you…
       The joy of a thousand angels to you…
        The love of the Son and God’s peace to you.”

   And last but not least, the Christmas greeting in Gaelige is
   “Nollaig Shona” and it is pronounced ‘null-ig hun-a dit’.

   Merry Christmas All and May the Lord above
   bless you with His continual Love and Blessings

Slan,
Greg O’Brien

 

St. Abhan and the Water hound

Come sit awhile and hear
     one of old Erin's tales
Of monsters, monks, soldiers and kings
     a pleasure, sure not to fail

St. Padraig foretold of a man
     St. Abhan was his name
He would save the pagan celts
     from their heathen ways

Over the sweet, green hills of Erin
     St. Abhan made his way
Through lush green valles and forest stands
     Erin's beauty caused his heart to stay...

Her red deer, both swift and strong
     Her shaggy hounds, lean and long
Her wild Celts, both fierce and free
     Her noble beings longed to .....BE!

Into the lands of the Ui Chearbhaill
     our patron saint did go
Unto the kingdom of Ely
     this mighty saint did sow

The seeds of love and kindness
     the seeds of our Christian faith
To redeem these wild Celts
     to repent their evil ways

And so, to the Manor House
     Raith-Becain was it's name
On the Munster river Brosna,
     St. Abhan came

To meet Prince Eile
     A mighty Gaelic chieftain was he
To shed light in the darkness
     that the ancient Celts might see

But Prince Eile was not impressed
     with this humble monk before him
Prince Eile was a wise Chief
     schooled in the Tests of arms and the Politcial forum

What magics did St. Abhan possess?
     Why should his people see...
That the Holy Cross, was the ONLY way
     for his people, in darkness, to truly see?

St. Abhan crossed himself
     a short prayer to say
And in the quiet stillness ,he heard
     "A miracle thou will see Today"

Prince Eile's head druid
     took St. Abhan's prayer ,as a weakness
And asked to test this monk
     as to his mental and spirtual fitness

Come with me, holy monk
     show me, if you can "truly" see
I know of a large boulder
     buried beneath an ancient tree...

Tell me, holy monk
     Which part is greater?
The portion of this stone we see
     or the portion we will see later?

For when we dig up this boulder
     We shall surely see
If your God gives you the power
     to see what can not be seen...

To this replied St. Abhan
     with confidence and grace
Amid the scornful looks
     upon the druids face

This stone's two halfs are equal
     on both sides , where they are married
That which is seen
     and that which is buried

Prince Eile told his servants
     Go out and unearth this boulder
And we shall see who is greater
     this monk's God or our god Dispater!!

But alas, when the stone was uncovered
     both Prince Eile and his people did see
That St. Abhan's Lord could foretell
     what the head Druid's bones could not see!!

For this boulder was split perfectly in half!!
     for the world to see...
But Prince Eile was not impressed
     and he still did not believe!!

Lucky guesses do not impress me!
     Flowery speeches will not make me see...
I need a man of action
     I need an example to see...

I have this terrible monster
     it lives in our rivers, lochs and Seas...
From head to tail it is on Fire
     with long sharp nails and immense teeth...

This huge firey salamander
     the "Waterhound" is it's name
Sends my soldiers home bloodied
     and their hounds lame...

It is, as big as a yearling calf!!
     and it lays our flocks to waste!
It's skin is like stone...
     our weapons will not phase!!

This beast spits bellows of fire!
     It's venom a soul can waste!
It moves like a great cat...
     with the harmony of grace and haste!!

If ....You...could rid Me of this BEAST
     Your... LORD ....I would follow
I speak the truth, this day
     my words will not ring hollow!

So..St. Abhan set forth
     to lay this "Waterhound" to waste!
Saying a prayer of Thanksgiving
     our patron saint set off with haste...

First to the blacksmith
     to purchase the stoutest of chains...
And then to the Loch itself
     this wild beast to Tame!

Out of the water , the beast came
     this huge salamander...
As big as a yearling calf...
     this beast was a firey wonder!!

On fire, from head to tail...
     the beast was a living flame!
With huge shiney teeth
     and long nails like scians!!!

The water boiled around the beast
     and sizzled into steam!!
This beast moved frightfully fast!!
     The Bringer of Death was He!!!!!

St. Abhan breathed a short prayer
     and the Lord showed him the way...
In seconds flat, the beast was Bound!!
     A miracle was wrought that Day!!

Soon after...Prince Eile
     gave up his Heathen ways ....
And taught his people a new way
     St. Abhan lead the way!!

So that is the tale...
     How, St. Abhan, became our patron saint
And how St. Abhan ,with the Lord's help
     laid the "Waterhound" to waste!!!

Greg O'Brien
March 2000

Irish Halloween

The season of trick or treat with its pagan origins and spooky, ghostly folklore has a significant place in the Irish calendar dating back to Celtic times.

Irish youngsters and adults celebrate Hallowe'en - or Hallow Eve as some people call it - on October 31 and they dress up in costumes, go door to door collecting nuts, fruit and sweets , have parties and play festive games like snap apple.

	There are delicious Hallowe'en culinary traditions such as eating Colcannon, a yummy mix of mashed potato, curly kale (a member of the cabbage family) and raw chopped onions with a big knob of butter added to the centre.
When it comes to fruity barnbrack, your choice of slice on Hallowe'en is crucial because it could signal your destiny. If you choose the slice containing a piece of rag, then your financial future does not look happy while the slice with the coin means wealth is looming.

In Ireland there are all sorts of old beliefs and customs associated with Hallowe'en or Oiche Shamhna as it is called in Gaelic, the native Irish language. So ghosts apart, how did all the Hallowe'en fuss begin ?

The origins of celebrating Hallowe'en in Ireland date back to Celtic times. In Christian Ireland today, November the first is remembered as All Saints Day but if you lived in pagan Celtic Ireland, November 1 marked the first day of winter and it was marked by Samhain, one of the four fire festivals during their year.

Hallowe'en arrived in North America courtesy of the Irish and Scottish emigrants who brought stories of Celtic charms, spells, tales of hobgoblins, evil spirits and the dark and sullen Puca (phooka) fairy.

Articles with more detail on Irish Halloween

Irish Halloween Folklore #1
Irish Halloween Folklore #2