Happy St Patricks Day: Why I blooming love being Irish…

So it seems that if you’re Irish (or not) today is a day to unashamedly don huge leprechaun style hats with fluffy ginger beards and head down to the local watering hole for a night of banter and a pint or six of the famous black stuff… and why not? After all, it is St Patricks Day!! *cheers of jubilation*

As the Emerald Isle is well renowned for its warm welcome, breathtaking scenery and multitude of cosy little pubs that are as old as the land itself, I thought I’d honour my heritage with a few of my absolute favourite things that makes this gorgeous place not just my home but my favourite place in the whole world….

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Belfast:

Having seen a turbulent and devastating past, Belfast has risen to a city that is vibrant, bright and full of life. What I love the most is that although it has evolved into an exciting, diverse and economically thriving place that embraces its multicultural residency, it hasn’t lost any of the homely charm that makes it an amazing place to be day or night. The sightseeing, shopping and nightlife are truly buzzing with so much change and investment. Belfast is a city  filled with opportunity and is continuing to grow, sending a positive message that the wounds of a war torn past can be helped to heal with the combined efforts of those proud to call it their home.

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Harland & Wolff:

Is there one sight that reminds you of home? For me, it’s these two huge cranes that have dominated the Belfast skyline since 1969. Although I’ve been blessed enough to have travelled to some beautiful places in my life there’s no better feeling than arriving back in Belfast to see these huge steel icons standing proud on the horizon. They never fail to remind me that I’m back where I belong.

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Irish bread:

Potato bread/wheaten farl/soda bread – we REALLY know how to make a hungry man feel full with our belly filling range of traditional breads, with recipies that have been carefully handed down from generation to generation. If you ever come to Ireland don’t even think of leaving before you’ve tried them all, especially as part of a huge Ulster Fry with a mug of tea!

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Tayto Crisps:

The famous ‘Norn Irish’ snack that has been the supposed cure of many a hangover, not to mention a fav filler of sandwiches. These are proper crisps for those who crave a bag of cheese and oniony flavour  that will make your eyes water (especially if you find an extra strong bag) If you become utterly besotted then there’s always the legendary tour of Tayto Castle where you can see them being made and meet the famous mascot, Mr Tayto, in the flesh!

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Liam Neeson:

Hailing from the bustling market town of Ballymena, this man needs no introduction. One of our finest exports he’s built a reputation of becoming our very own homegrown Bruce Willis. Should anyone require a CIA assassin type dude/Jedi master, then our Liam’s the man for the job!

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West Coast Cooler:

There’s so little words to portray what can only be described as a little taste of heaven in a bottle, other than: amazing, addictive, refreshing, crisp, beautiful, life changing – surely the easiest consumed alcoholic beverage known to man?!

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C.S Lewis

One of the greatest loved children’s novelists, famous for creating the Chronicles of Narnia. A legend in his field, Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898, and later in life became a close friend of author JR Tolkien – yet another genius in the world of fantasy fiction… Lewis’s novels have sold over 100 million copies and have been reborn in the form of major motion pictures. An amazing story teller with an imagination that became his greatest legacy.

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The Antrim Coast:

When I was a child many a holiday to the sunny shores of Portrush was had via this journey. It is one of the most incredible drives, particularly if your lucky enough to catch it on a sunny day! The bright blue water & dramatic coast line is dotted with little picnic points to pull over and break out the egg and onion baps as you take in the pretty incredible scenery. Every single journey mesmerises me, particularly when at eight years old  my dad would finally reach the stretch of coast overlooking Portrush itself. I still remember the whoosh of excitement at seeing Barry’s Big Dipper (a rollercoaster) standing proudly on the seaside skyline. I instantly knew it was a whole week of amusement rides, candy floss & cosy caravan style living… Oh the memories!

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Strangford lough:

Living on the peninsula, I’ve loved this part of the world since I moved here with my parents back in 1990. Oddly enough, I initially set out expecting to hate it and hoped that my parents would catch a grip of their sanity and head back to city-style civilisation. Needless to say they didn’t, and so at eight years old I had no choice but to accept a life of country living was on the cards for the foreseeable future! Thankfully my foul mood didn’t last long as the first time I travelled along the coastal road I spotted all the tiny islands dotted along the middle of the Lough as the huge plantations of trees and woodlands stood proudly on the other side, a sight which left me in awe. It really is one of the most beautiful places to live and I’m incredibly lucky (24 years later) to still be enjoying life on such a gorgeous little peninsula. Now I can’t imagine calling anywhere else home.

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The People:

As for us locals, you’ll quickly come to find that we’re a highly welcoming bunch. My hubby happens to be Welsh and hasn’t just travelled but lived all over the globe. With great truth he admits wholeheartedly that the Northern Irish are certainly the most hearty and friendly folk he has encountered. I must admit that no matter where I have travelled, coming home to here has never been a disappointment – even after a week of relaxation on some far flung beach, the grey skies of home have been overruled by the feeling of such receptive warmth.

As rumoured however, our everyday lingo can be little confusing, particularly for those who aren’t quite accustomed to the bizarre and somewhat comical sayings that can appear a tad nonsensical to those observing a conversation between the locals. A few examples of such whimsical words are…

Aul doll = Elderly woman

Aul lad = Elderly man

Away on with ya = I don’t believe you.

Bout ye? = How are you?

Banter = Good fun

Catch yourself on = Wise up

Craic = Fun/goodtime

Dead on = Good/alright

Eejit = Idiot

Grand = Good

Hoop = Bum/bottom

Keep dick = Keep a look out

Lamps = Eyes

Norn Iron = Northern Ireland

Peelers = police

Poke = ice cream

Scundered = embarrassed

Wee = small

Yarn = chat

Hence a conversation using an example of the above expressions may translate to:

 “What about ye, are ya doing grand?! Aye, it was good craic last night, did you see that eejit land on his hoop? Away on with ya….  I was scundered for him. I see the peelers were round looking for that aul lad, but sure some aul doll across the road said ‘catch yourself on, he’s at the pub every night of the friggin week. I’ll keep dick for him coming home’. Anyway, great wee yarn, I’m away to get myself a poke from the poke-man.”

I’m sure you can grasp at why many (whom aren’t accustomed to our ‘wee’ sayings) could be ultimately left scratching their head in wonderment as to what exactly was communicated or even if indeed any of it was English to begin with. For the rest of us, it makes perfect sense.

So there you have it, my favourite things about hailing from the Emerald Isle. I hope it gave you a little insight as to why I adore my culture and heritage so darn much! Wishing you all a fun filled St Paddy’s day wherever you are in the world. As always thanks so much for stopping by!

Cheerio chums…