Happy St Patricks Day

Happy Saint Patricks Day to all you Paddy's out there. THey say that this comes from the breastplate of Saint Patrick:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, and in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Me ol' granny... may she rest in peace... the irish redleg from Caribbean isle of Grenada loved this irish traditional song...

Sure, a little bit o' Heaven
Fell from out of the sky one day
And nestled on the ocean
In a spot so far away
And the angels found it,
Sure it looked so sweet and fair
They said suppose we leave it,
For it looks so peaceful there!

So they sprinkled it with star dust,
Just to make the shamrocks grow.
'Tis the only place you'll find them
No matter where you go
Then they dotted it with silver
To make its lakes so grand
And when they had it finished
Sure they called it Ireland!

and here is one of my favourite traditional Irish songs - The Altan version and the Corrs version absolutely rock.

Céad slán ag sléibhte maorga chondae Dhún na nGall

Agus dhá chéad slán ag an Earagal árd, ina stua(í) os cionn caor 's call

Nuair a ghluais mise thart le loch Dhún Lúiche, go ciúin sa ghleann ina luí

I mo dhiaidh bhí Gleanntáin Ghlas' Ghaoth Dobhair,

is beag nár bhris mo chroí

Ag taisteal domh amach tríd chnoic Ghleann Domhain, 's an Mhucais ar mo chúl

Ní miste domh 'rá le brón 's le crá, ghur fhreasach a shil mise súil

Go 'Meiriceá siar, a bhí mo thriall, i bhfad thar an fharraige mhór

D'fhag mé slán ar feadh seal ag Dún na nGall,

's ag Gleanntáin Ghlas' Ghaoth Dobhair

Níorbh é mo mhiansa imeacht ariamh ó mo thír bheag dhílis féin

Ach trom lámh Gall, le cluain 's le feall, a thiomáin mé i gcéill

B'é rún mo chroíse pilleadh arís, nuair a dhéanfainn beagán stór

'S deireadh mo shaoil a chaitheamh lem' ghaoil,

fá Ghleanntáin Ghlas' Ghaoth Dobhair

Slán, slán go fóill a Dhún na nGall, a chondae shéimh gan smál

'S do d'fheara bréa in am an ghá, nár umhlaigh riamh roimh Ghall

Tá áit i mo chroí do gach fear 's gach mnaoi, 's gach páiste beag agus mór

Atá beo go buan, gan bhuairt gan ghruaim,

fá Ghleanntáin Ghlas' Ghaoth Dobhair

and the English translation

The Green Glens of Gaoth Dobhair

Farewell to the noble mountains of Donegal

And twice farewell to tall Errigal, arching over rowen and ash tree

When I passed by Dunlewey lake, lying quietly in the glen

Behind me were the green glens of Gaoth Dobhair, and it nearly broke my heart

Travelling through Glendowan's Hills, and Muckish behind me

I don't mind saying with sorrow and grief, that tears fell from my eyes

Westward to America was my journey, far across the wide sea

I said farewell for a while to Donegal, and the green glens of Gaoth Dobhair

I never wanted to leave my own beloved land

But the foreigner's heavy handed deceit and treachery drove me away

It would be my heart's desire to return again, when I should get a little money

To spend the end of my life with my family, 'round the green glens of Gaoth Dobhair

Yet farewell, farewell to Donegal County fine and fair

And to your brave men who in time of need, did not ever cower before the foreigner

There's a place in my heart for each man and woman, each child big and small

Who live in peace, without sorrow or grief, in the green glens of Gaoth Dobhair