Mary McAleese... An Ending

Today is the last day in office for Ireland's President Mary McAleese. Extremely popular and well liked, she has served two terms in the office, winning unexpectedly during her first election, and then running unopposed for her second. She carried out her last official state function today, helping to open up a brand new homeless center within Dublin. The homeless center is run by an organization that also ran the homeless shelter in Belfast where McAleese used to wash dishes as a teenager. She will move out of the Áras an Uachtaráin this evening, while President-Elect Michael D. Higgins will be sworn in to office tomorrow at Dublin Castle. As a highly popular and important figure, McAleese will be the subject of an upcoming post.

Photo from the Irish Times news story: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1110/breaking5.html

In The News....

Three Irish authors have had their works nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The award, sponsored by the City of Dublin, the company IMPAC, and Ireland. Books are selected through nominations by public libraries from all over the world.

This year a total of 147 books were selected, and the three Irish novels (and where nominations came from) are: Room by Emma Donoghue (Ireland, England, France, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada), Faithful Place by Tana French (Lincoln City, Nebraska), and Skippy Dies by Paul Murray (Ireland, US).

Skippy Dies itself is a book worth checking out. While over six hundred pages in length, the read goes much quicker than expected. Dealing with the lives and struggles (especially those involved in young love) of a group of boys at Seabrook College, a Dublin area prep school, the book is written in a way that keeps the story relatively light hearted until the final third of the book. At that point, the intensity of the story line kicks up, and even though a story about kids, adults will find meaning within the pages.

The description from Amazon for Skippy Dies: 'It’s no spoiler to acknowledge that Skippy, the main character in Murray’s second novel, does indeed die, since the boy is a goner by page 5 of the prologue. Following his character’s untimely demise, Murray takes the reader back in time to learn more about the sweetly engaging Skippy—a 14-year-old student at a historic Catholic boys’ school in Dublin—and his friends Ruprecht, a near genius who is passionately interested in string theory; Mario, a self-styled lothario; and Dennis, the resident cynic. We also meet the girl with whom Skippy is hopelessly in love, Lori, and his bête noire, Carl, a drug-dealing, psychopathic fellow student who is also in love with Lori. The faculty have their innings, too, especially the history teacher Howard (the Coward) Fallon, who has also fallen in love—he with the alluring substitute teacher Miss McIntyre. And then there is the truly dreadful assistant principal, Greg Costigan. In this darkly comic novel of adolescence (in some cases arrested), we also learn about the unexpected consequences of Skippy’s death, something of contemporary Irish life, and a great deal about the intersections of science and metaphysics and the ineluctable interconnectedness of the past and the present. At 672 pages, this is an extremely ambitious and complex novel, filled with parallels, with sometimes recondite references to Irish folklore, with quantum physics, and with much more. Hilarious, haunting, and heartbreaking, it is inarguably among the most memorable novels of the year to date.'

Room is a book that looks to be just as good a read. In Amazon's words: 'In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time.'

The description from Amazon for Faithful Place: 'Faithful Place is Frank's old neighborhood, the town he fled twenty-two years ago, abandoning an abusive alcoholic father, harpy mother, and two brothers and sisters who never made it out. They say going home is never easy, but for Frank, investigating the cold case of the just-discovered body of his teenage girlfriend, it is a tangled, dangerous journey, fraught with mean motivations, black secrets, and tenuous alliances. Because he is too close to the case, and because the Place (including his family) harbors a deep-rooted distrust of cops, Frank must undergo his investigation furtively, using all the skills picked up from years of undercover work to trace the killer and the events of the night that changed his life.'

Needless to say, the Irish are very good at producing tragedies.

The Four Fifths - Ireland's Provinces

Historically, Ireland has been divided into different provinces. Though today these provinces are seen mostly within a sporting view (the four professional rugby teams in Ireland play under the four provincial names), they originally were territories each ruled by a King who ruled over other kings in the province. And as you would expect, in the old days the borders to these territories were also constantly in flux.

While today there are only four provinces, there once were five. The Irish word for the provinces, cúige, means 'fifth part', and the province that no longer is, was known as Meath (or Mide) and became part of both today's Leinster and Ulster.

Ulster (Ulaidh) is the northernmost province within the country, containing nine Irish counties, six belonging to Northern Ireland, and three belonging to the Republic of Ireland (Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan). Northern Ireland belongs to the United Kingdom, having been split from the rest of Ireland when Ireland sought sovereignty from British Rule. The total population of the province lies around 2 million, and in ancient times the people of ulster were considered the fiercest warriors on the Island. Ulster was historically ruled by the O'Neill (Uí Néill) family.

Munster (Mumhain) is the southernmost province within Ireland, and contains a total of six counties. It is especially famous for both its traditional culture (especially its music) and its strong tourist pull. Due to its rugged terrain, it has historically been a rather isolated area. The population of Munster is just over 1 million, and in ancient times was famous as the kingdom of music and the arts, and for the skill of its horsemen. Munster was historically ruled by the O'Brien (Uí Briain) family.

Leinster (Laighin), located in the middle and east of the country, is the most populous province in Ireland with a population of over 2.5 million people. Located in Leinster, Dublin is the most populous city within all of Ireland, with a population just over 1 million. The Province contains twelve different counties, including Meath and Westmeath, which were once apart of the Province of Meath. The kingdom of Leinster was known for its hospitality and nobility, and for the beauty of its women. Leinster was historically ruled by the MacMurrough-Kavanagh (Mac Murchadha-Caomhánach) family.

Connacht (Connachta), located in the middle and west of the country, is the least populous province within Ireland with a population of only a little over half a million. Galway is the biggest city within the area, and the province contains the least amount of counties, only containing five. Connacht was known as a kingdom of learning and their men were known for their handsomeness and wisdom. Connacht was historically ruled by the O'Conor (Uí Conchobhair) family.

Meath (Mide), at its height, contained all or parts of the modern counties of Meath, Westmeath, Cavan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, and Offaly. It was known as the kingdom of Kingship and stewardship. The Hill of Tara, which is purportedly the traditional seat of the High King of Ireland, lies within its lands. These provinces were all important governmental jurisdictions prior to the invasion of Ireland by the Vikings, which began in 1169 CE.

Fadge - Potato Scones - The Baked Variety

Fadge is a common Irish 'comfort food' that tends to come under many names, and even more recipes. It is usually eaten as a side at breakfast, but it really is good at all times and for all meals. They are easy and cheap to make and are usually made with leftover mashed potatoes. They are also a really nice gluten free alternative to pancakes as they are just as tasty with some maple syrup.

Gluten Free Potato Scones

3 - 4 medium potatoes, peeled and mashed
2 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium egg
3/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour (Bob's Red Mill seems to be the most readily available brand)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder (double check it's gluten free - Davis Brand is)

Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit, and lightly grease a baking pan. Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl mix the mashed potatoes with the olive oil and egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined. Turn out the dough onto a (gluten-free) floured surface and press out the dough to half inch thickness.

Use a biscuit cutter (or the opening of a mason jar) to cut the scones and place on the baking tray. Brush the tops with a little olive oil and bake in the oven. After fifteen minutes of baking, flip the scones over to ensure both sides are browned, and throw back in the oven for five to ten more minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

Now Listening To..... Gráda - Endeavour

Based out of both Galway and Dublin, Gráda has been making music in the traditional style since 2001. Between their frequent international touring, they have released five studio albums, consisting of:

- Off to Sardinia (2001)
- Endeavour (2002)
- The Landing Step (2004)
- Cloudy Day Navigation (2007)
- Natural Angle (2010)

The tracks on their second album are varied, starting with a fast paced song sung in Irish, then moving on to multiple instrumentals and english sung songs. The complete album is nice and relaxing while at the same time maintaining a nice energy. As I already have a lot of instrumental Irish music, I more preferred their lyrical songs, but I would recommend the entire album. Below is one of their instrumentals (the second track) and one of their lyrical songs (the fourth track) from Endeavour.

Irish News Sources

If you're looking for any good Irish news sources for your Irish and world news there are a few really good ones out there that I use everyday:

The Irish Times: www.irishtimes.com

Newspaper with a really nice online news site, and there's articles on everything - Sport, Business, Food, Literature - I usually enjoy the articles under the Society tab.

The Irish Independent: www.independent.ie

Really just like the Irish Times and the proclaimed "Ireland's Favourite Newspaper."

RTE: www.rte.ie

RTE has quite the website. You can get the news on their homepage, but you can also watch some of their news shows and other shows on their video player, and you can also listen live to their different radio stations. Podcasts of their shows are also available for download, and there are quite a few to choose from. If you're interested in podcasts of their news shows check out Morning Ireland, Drivetime, and News at One. For a taste of the Irish Language they have a radio station completely in Irish.

Sliabh Liag - Slieve League

Slieve League (Grey Mountain) is a mountain located in the southwest of County Donegal and claims to have the country's highest sea cliffs. They are frequently also quoted as being the highest sea cliffs in Europe, however both claims are apparently incorrect. Slieve League is 601 meters in height, but Ireland's highest sea cliffs are actually on Achill Island (Cliffs of Croaghaun) and Europe's highest are in Norway or the Faroe Islands.

The Cliffs of Moher are clearly much more famous, but for just as good a site, I'd recommend Slieve League over The Cliffs any day. You will run into very few people, if any, at the overlook, and in my opinion these cliffs are a bit more attractive than those Cliffs of Moher.

To get to the cliffs you drive through some really beautiful country and at the end some rather narrow roads. There is a small car park about a mile down the road from the overlook, but you can drive up to the top, you just have to make sure to shut the gate behind you as sheep herds are actively grazed on the land. I would recommend the walk to the top though as you can more enjoy the scenery on the walk up and you get to walk among the sheep.

There is also a path up to the summit of the mountain from the overlook. Unfortunately it was really windy the day I visited so I was unable to make the hike up. Apparently there are the ruins of a church right near the mountain pass, and on the round trip back you will pass an old watch tower used during the early 1800s to defend against any attack by Napoleon. You can also see the tower from the road to the overlook though. You can also take a boat tour of the cliffs from Teelin. The tour looks amazing and one should really look into it if visiting the area. If you're into fishing, they also operate fishing trips in Donegal Bay.

On the drive to and from the cliffs there are multiple little stores where you can pick up some authentic Donegal Tweed clothing and blankets. Studio Donegal in Kilcar has some really nice handiwork, and you can even see some of the wool weaving being done.

If you happen to visit the cliffs and wish to spend the night in or near Donegal, there is a fantastic family run hostel right outside of the town, called Donegal Town Independent Hostel. The proprietress and her daughter are rather friendly and they have two adorable pet sheep, the fees are quite reasonable, and it has a really nice family home feel. It was definitely the best hostel I stayed in while in Ireland.

Sliabh Liag Boat Trips: http://www.sliabhleagueboattrips.com/

Donegal Town Independent Hostel: http://www.donegaltownhostel.com/recommendations.htm

Uachtarán na hÉireann - The Irish Presidency

As Ireland just had it's presidential election and the US is already in the midst of nominations for the 2012 presidential election, it may be helpful to see just what the role of the Irish President is, and how it differs from that of the American President (hint: quite a bit). The Áras an Uachtaráin is the title of the official residence of Irelands President, and is located in Phoenix Park in Dublin. Interestingly, the only other official state residence in Phoenix Park is known as Deerfield, and houses the United States Ambassador to Ireland.

The recent election saw quite a few candidates, seven in total, including Mary Davis, Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, Martin McGuinness, former IRA member, Dana Rosemary Scallon, Eurovision winner and European Parliamentarian, Gay Mitchell, Fine Gael TD, Sean Gallagher, business owner and Dragon's Den panelist, Irish Senator David Norris, attempting to be the world's first openly gay president, and of course the winner, Michael D. Higgins, a TD for the Labour Party.

The President's role is laid out within the Republic of Ireland's constitution, just like in the US. Presidents are elected directly by the Irish electorate to seven year terms and can be re-elected only once. To be eligible for the presidency, you must be thirty-five years of age, and if not already holding the presidential office, candidates must be nominated by at least twenty TDs or Senators, or by a total of four County Councils. In the last presidential election, McGuinness, Mitchell, and Higgins were all nominated by their parties, while the other candidates all ran independently and were nominated by County Councils (Davis, 13; Norris, 4; Scallon, 4; and Gallagher, 4).

If only one candidate is nominated for a presidential election by the deadline, then obviously no vote is needed. This happened during current President Mary McAleese's reelection year due to her very strong popularity, and no party wishing to field a candidate in an election they'd clearly lose. And while it seems slightly strange that this rule exists, the President is not allowed to leave the Irish Republic without first getting approval from the Government. Government approval must also be sought for any address to the nation or to one or both houses of government.

While the President's role is seen mostly as ceremonial, he or she does have several distinct powers and responsibilities. For one, when the Dáil Éireann (the Lower House of the government) is elected, the President appoints the Taoiseach (pronounced like Tea-shock), or Prime Minister. This is one of those ceremonial powers as the Taoiseach is elected by a majority vote in the Dáil (so the head of the majority party usually gets the nod), and the President cannot actually refuse to appoint the winner of the vote. In a similar way, government ministers are nominated by the Taoiseach and approved by the Dáil, and then appointed by the President. The president also formally accepts any resignations.

Just like in the United States, the Irish President must sign a bill in order for it to become law. However, Irish President's hold no veto power. They must sign the bill once it is approved by the Dáil and Seanad (the Upper House of the government - Senate), and only have one option to thwart its passage. This is one of the most important powers the President holds. Upon getting an approved bill, the President can send it to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may then find it unconstitutional, at which point it is dead, or they may uphold its constitutionality. If it is upheld, the President has no choice but to sign the bill.

The other big power that the President has involves the dismissal of the Dáil. Under the advice (direction) of the Taoiseach, the President will convene or dismiss the Dáil. However, if the Taoiseach has lost a vote of confidence (at which point they must legally resign but continue in position until a replacement is named) the President has the discretion to refuse to dismiss the Dáil if they so choose.

The President is also responsible as commander of the armed forces and in representing the state in foreign affairs, however the actual use of associated powers is regulated by the Government. And of course the President also retains the power to pardon or commute a citizen's sentence.

The Irish President is clearly a lot less powerful than the American President. The Irish Presidency is more of an apolitical/non-partisan position and Presidents usually try to advance certain values and agendas they have. For example, had Sean Gallagher won the position, he has stated that a large part of his Presidency would have involved advancing the position of disabled people in society.

Photo Credit To: William Murphy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/6189884132/

For a look at the Irish Constitution (of 1937): http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/297.pdf

Cál Ceannann

Colcannon is a dish that in older times used to be a year round staple in the Irish diet. Today it is now more likely to be found on Irish tables in the fall and winter when kale and cabbage come into season, and is especially popular at Halloween. It is delicious, filling, and definitely cheap so it's perfect for poor college graduates like myself. It can be a meal within itself or is often eaten with boiled ham.

Colcannon

1 pound white/green cabbage (about 1/4 of a medium sized head of cabbage)
5 medium potatoes, peeled
2 leeks
Milk (or Soy Milk)
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 tbsp. butter (or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

Chop the cabbage into a few good sized hunks and boil in salt water until tender. While boiling the cabbage peel the potatoes and chop into smaller pieces. Boil the potatoes in salt water until tender as well.

Chop the leeks into relatively small pieces, using both the green and white parts. Throw in a colander and rinse very well... for anyone who hasn't used leeks before you will easily see that they are almost always quite dirty and the dirt tends to get under the layers. Then put in a saucepan and add enough milk to cover almost cover the leeks, like in the picture above. Simmer the milk until the leeks are soft.

By the time you're starting the leeks the cabbage will likely be finished. Drain the cabbage and chop up into small pieces, then setting it aside and keeping it warm (putting in a bowl and just setting it in the microwave usually does the trick).

Now the potatoes are likely finished, so drain them and put them back into the pot you boiled them in. Mash them into an even consistency. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix together well.

Once the leeks are nice and ready use a slotted spoon to remove them from the warm milk and mix them in with the potatoes. Add a ladle full or two of the milk to the potato-leek mix and stir together. Two ladles worth of the milk will obviously make the colcannon more creamy than one ladles worth (for the colcannon in the picture I used two and a half ladles worth).

Finally, add the cabbage and mix, then heat the colcannon on the stove until its nice and fluffy. Melt the butter into the mixture and serve warm.

This really is quite filling and a bowls worth alone is enough for a meal of its own, but its good enough to keep eating until it hurts to eat any more!

Food for Samhain

Now that it's October 31st it wouldn't truly be Halloween without some traditional Irish food, and one can't celebrate without soul cakes! Soul cakes are delicious small round cakes/cookies that in the middle ages were given out to children and beggars who would go door to door on the night before All-Saints Day (November 1st), also known as All-Hallows Eve...  Halloween. These children and beggars would go around singing songs for those who had passed and apparently each soul cake that was eaten would represent a soul that was freed from purgatory. These mummers as they were called, are considered to be the founders of modern day Trick-or-Treating.

Soul Cakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
sultanas, raisins, or currants

In a bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

Allow the butter to soften, and then in a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together with the sugar using a wooden spoon. Add two egg yolks and mix in thoroughly. Then add the flour mixture and combine completely.

Warm the milk in a saucepan or a microwave, and add to the dry mix one tablespoon at a time. Mix thoroughly after each addition and stop after just attaining a soft dough (You won't necessarily use the whole amount of milk).

Gently knead the dough out on a floured surface then pat out until the dough is about half an inch thick. Then using a round cookie cutter (I use the opening of a mason jar - you can also just use a water glass) cut out the cakes and place on a greased cookie tray. Use the left over dough to make as many more as you can.

Beat the third egg yolk and brush it on the surface on each cookie, being as liberal or conservative with it as you wish. Then use the sultanas (or raisins, currants) to decorate the tops of the cakes (or if you wish you can add half a cup to the dough before you add the milk).

Finally, bake for about 15 minutes per batch in an oven heated at 400 degrees fahrenheit.

As a note, I used soy milk and earth balance buttery sticks and they came out quite delicious, so for those who can't eat dairy these are still for you! The triangle design is an alchemist sign for fire, which was an important element of the ancient celebration of Samhain, the X design is part of a sun wheel design (as Samhain was partly focused on the death of the Sun as the winter months began), and the cross represents the importance of blessing your house and your family during the more Christian celebration of All-Hallows Eve.

Céad Míle Fáilte!

For many years Ireland has been the country from which millions of people have emigrated. As generations passed, however, Irish custom and tradition did not always thrive and get passed on. Now, as an Irish descendent who finds little in the way of cultural richness associated with much of white America, I am on a journey to discover Ireland and its culture and claim it partly as my own. Becoming Éireannach is a documentation of this journey. Intending to touch on subjects of all kinds, from history to current events, politics to food, and locations to literature to music, this blog will hopefully become useful to others as they look to find their own Irish selves!