#iris

The word ‘equinox’ simply means ‘of equal length’ and refers to the twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness at this point in the year. It was originally thought to stem from two Latin words aequus meaning equal and nox meaning night. The word ‘Vernal’, as this equinox is often called, is derived from the Latin word vernus meaning ‘of spring’. ↗

— Carole Carlton

#carole-carlton #equinox #imbolc #irish-celts #lughnasadh

Though all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee! ↗

— The Minstrel Boy

#song-lyric #the-minstrel-boy #faith

The phrase "the violent bear it away" fascinated the 20th century Irish-American storyteller Flannery O'Connor, who used it as the title of one of her novels. O'Connor's surname connects her to an Irish royal family descended from Conchobor (pronounced "Connor"), the prehistoric king of Ulster who was foster father to Cuchulainn and "husband" of the unwilling Derdriu. In the western world, the antiquity of Irish lineages is exceeded only by that of the Jews. ↗

— Thomas Cahill

#irish #family

Gillian had bought the table and chairs and beds, the whole of the family furniture second-hand weekly down in the open air second hand stalls on Dublin quay. The women who ran these stalls were called the Shawlie Maggies and they saw her bruises and heard the stories of her husband the local drunk and gambler, the husband from hell and gave her cheaply some second hand clothes and some fruit and vegetables for the kids and herself. It was for Gillian and the kids a tough life with many disappointments. Despite this Gillian had a solid head on her shoulders and a great sense of humour and this got her through the worst of times. ↗

— Annette J. Dunlea

#honey-trap #irish-writer #family

Well I had the perfect job, perfect house and perfect family and I didn’t know it. I kept striving for more. ↗

— Annette J. Dunlea

#honey-trap #irish-writer #family

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. ↗

— Alex Levin

#drinking #food-groups #humor #irish #food

An Englishmen thinks seated; a Frenchmen standing; an American pacing, an Irishman, afterwards. ↗

— Austin O'Malley

#american #englishmen #frenchmen #irishman #pacing

Unless the object of the singer’s affection is a vampire, surely what Hart means is unphotogenic. Only vampires are unphotographable, but affectionate ‘-enic’ rhymes are hard to come by. ↗

— Stephen Sondheim

#lyricism #my-funny-valentine #rhymes #songwriting #valentine

Cleansing and clearing are two words which suit the essence of Imbolc, as this is February, the Roman month of purification. This can be a cleansing of the self, in undertaking a good ‘detox’, or a clearing and cleansing of the home, in keeping with the tradition of spring-cleaning. ↗

— Carole Carlton

#carole-carlton #imbolc #irish-celts #lughnasadh #moon-magic

There was always a big party on the night before anyone left for the States. They called it an American wake, because the whole community stayed up to keep the emigrants company through their last night on the island, just as they would have bidden farewell to a soul beginning the long journey towards eternity. There was almost no chance that anyone present would ever see the departed again ↗

— Cole Moreton

#family #ireland #irish #loss #family