Celtic Engagement Rings

Kings Irish

Kings Irish

The Luck o’ The Irish Might be More Then a Phrase

As I was finishing up the remaining Corned Beef Hash and green beer left over from another St. Paddy's Day, I started thinking about other oddities that people do to celebrate the Patron Saint of Ireland's day.  The Chicago River is dyed green on this day; which leads me to conclude that if they can paint it green for one day, why not paint it blue for 364 of the other days?

But with all that goes on during the celebration on March 17; I thought it would be nice to pay homage to the place where it all started, Ireland. 

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland.  Located on the River Shannon, and in 2006, 90,778 folks called Limerick City and the immediate urban area home.  The history of this city is full and dates back all the way to 812.  The city was redesigned by the Normans in the 12th century and most of the notable architecture was present - King John's Castle and St. Mary's Cathedral are two structures that represent this style.

Only 15 minutes from Shannon Airport, Limerick City is one of the country's most tourist destinations.  Tourism, currently, is growing at a spectacular rate with over 1,000 new beds being opened in the city in 2006 - thanks to the opening of five new hotels.  Along with visiting King John's Castle and St. Mary's Cathedral, attractions include the Hunt Museum, walking tours of the city and along River Shannon, Georgian house and gardens and the Treaty Stone.

In southwestern Ireland there is the town of Killarney.  Located north of the MacGillicddy Reeks on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane, Killarney was awarded the "Best Kept Town" award for 2007 in a cross border competition organized by the Department of Environment and the Northern Ireland Amenity Council.  Killarney is another popular tourist destination and, with the exception of Dublin, has the most hotel beds than in any other Irish town or city.  Increasingly diverse groups of tourist come to Killarney, as they hail from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and other European countries.

One final spot is Blarney Castle.  A medieval stronghold in Blarney, the castle dates from before 1200AD.  Destroyed in 1446, it was subsequently rebuilt by the King of Munster, Cormac MacCarthy.  At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone.  Looking for the gift of eloquence, this is the spot where tourist line up to hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone.  Surrounding this castle are beautiful and extensive gardens.  Paths throughout the grounds point out natural rock formations that have been given fanciful names such as Druid's Circle and the Wishing Steps.  Blarney House, also open to the public is a Scottish baronial-style mansion that was built in 1874.

I did some research on prices to visit these places and I came up with a great offer that includes airfare and a 6 night stay; not to mention a car!  A wonderful opportunity to explore what the true meaning of Irish beauty - now if I can only get myself to finish those green eggs and ham!

Interested in more details about the offer? Click here for all the details 

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Kings $17.2 Rated: NASynopsis: WINNER OF 5 IRISH ACADEMY AWARDS"Striking... sincere" ? The Boston Globe"Involving tale" ? Variety"wrenching... brilliant... painfully beautiful." ? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"Powerful... terrific...

Kings - $19.99 Adapted from the stage play The Kings of the Kilburn high Road by Jimmy Murphy, writer/director Tom Collins' incisive examination of the Irish immigrant experience stars Colm Meany, Donal O'Kelly, Brendan Conroy, Donncha Crowley, and Barry Barnes as a group of longtime friends unable to let go of the past. When their mate Jackie (Sean O' Tarpaigh) dies suddenly under a subway car, a group of old Irish friends now living in London come together to celebrate his life. Thirty years ago this crew from Connemara was young and full of hope, but these days most of them have sunken into a dire world of drink and depression. Joe (Meany) may have proven the most financially successful of the group, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he has overcome his demons- he simply chooses to indulge in expensive cocaine rather than cheap liquor. Jap (O'Kelly) and Git (Conroy) largely view the world through the bottom of a bottle, Mairtin (Barnes) is struggling to wean himself from spirits and hold on to his family, and contented vegetable vendor Shay (Crowley) has finally embraced his lowered expectations. The only one who doesn't seem steeped in nostalgia is Jackie's father Micil (Peadar O'Treasaigh) - who has recently arrived from Ireland to claim his son's body. Later, when the group heads out to the bar, the liquor flows freely and the accusations begin to fly. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Wars of the Irish Kings $19.99 For the first thousand years of its history, Ireland was shaped by its monasteries and its wars. The artistic flourishing of the monasteries has received a good deal of attention, but the violent and varied wars have in recent years gone unremembered. In Wars of the Irish Kings , David Willis McCullough has turned back to the earliest accounts of these struggles to present a rich tapestry of Ireland's fight for its identity. Beginning with the legends of ancient wars and warriors, moving through a time when history and storytelling were not separate crafts, into a time when history was as much propaganda as fact, Wars of the Irish Kings tells of tribal battles, foreign invasions, Viking raids, family feuds, wars between rival Irish kingdoms, and wars of rebellion against the English. This collection is peopled with familiar names: Cuchulain, Finn MacCool, Brian Boru, Mad King Sweeney, Strongbow, Edward and Robert Bruce, Queen Elizabeth I and Lord Essex, Hugh O'Donnell, and Hugh O'Neill. Battles formed the legends and history of the land: the Da Dannan meet the Fir Bolgs near Sligo, Brian Boru faces the Vikings at Clontarf in Dublin Bay, High King Rory O'Connor confronts the English invaders near Waterford, O'Briens battle the English (and other O'Briens) at Dysert O'Dea near Limerick, guns are carried for the first time in battle at Knockdoe near Galway, the Bruces from Scotland and their Irish allies overwhelm the English at Connor in Ulster, and Hugh O'Neill ambushes General Bagenal near Armagh. The book ends near Cork in 1601 when the English defeat O'Neill and his Spanish allies at Kinsale. Common people as well as kings appear in these pages. A foot soldier in the early days of gunpowder accidentally sets off a disastrous explosion, a harper's disembodied head is sent by error to the king of England, who displays it as that of the king of Ireland, and a Welsh camp follower named Alice is given the job of executing Irish captives during the English invasion. The sources for these stories and many more range from ancient manuscripts telling of mythical battles to a seventeenth-century siege diary. There are excerpts from such Irish literary masterpieces as The Cattle Raid of Cooley (The Tain), the monumental Annals of the Four Masters, passages from Gerald of Wales's account of the English conquest in the twelfth century, pages from an Icelandic saga, and even a blistering letter from Queen Elizabeth I to her inept commander in Ireland ("You do but piece up a hollow peace . . . "). The result is a surprisingly immediate and stunning portrait of an all-but-forgotten time that forged the Ireland to come. From the Hardcover edition.

No Kings $12.49 No Kings

Irish Blessing $7.99 Irish Blessing

In Search of Irish Kings $18.52 No Synopsis Available

Irish Socks $9.99 Truly a cheerful treat for Irish feet?.socks with shamrocks, an Irish flag and the word Irish! Cotton and spandex.

Irish Stout Recipes Magnet $9.99 Irish Stout Recipes Magnet

Irish Blessing 4 Plate $11.99 Irish Blessing 4 Plate

Irish Blessing 8 Plate $22.99 Irish Blessing 8 Plate

Honey With Irish Cream Liqueur $7.99 Honey With Irish Cream Liqueur

Irish Tux Shirt $21.99 Irish Tux Shirt

Irish Dancer Bead $53 Irish Dancer Bead

Born Usa 100% Irish $59 Born Usa 100% Irish

Irish Cup Of Tea Bead $70 Irish Cup Of Tea Bead

Irish Mom Bead $31 Irish Mom Bead

Irish Cottage Bead $55 Irish Cottage Bead

Irish Soup Recipes Magnet $9.99 Irish Soup Recipes Magnet

High Kings: Live in Dublin - $14.99 High Kings: Live in Dublin captures a performance by the band that has their sound deeply rooted in traditional Irish folk music. The setlist includes The Parting Glass," and "The Wild Rover." ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Irish $10 Irish

The Kings Threshold $12.73 William Butler Yeats was born near Dublin in 1865, and was encouraged from a young age to pursue a life in the arts. He attended art school for a short while, but soon found that his talents and interest lay in poetry rather than painting. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, Yeats produced a vast collection of stories, songs, and poetry of Irelands historical and legendary past. These writings helped secure for Yeats recognition as a leading proponent of Irish nationalism and Irish cultural independence. He received honorary degrees from Queens University (Belfast), Trinity College (Dublin), and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Kings Threshold, first performed by the Irish National Theatre Society in 1903, referred to an Irish tradition that dates back to the 7th8th centuries of commoners enforcing hunger strikes against people of higher status to whom they were indebted. It told the story of a bard who undergoes a hunger strike against the king. Author: Yeats, William Butler Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 32 Publication Date: 2011/01/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.08 inches

Kings DVD $19.98 Fresh-faced and ambitious, a close-knit team of six young men sailed away from Ireland in 1977 with dreams of a better life. Thirty years later, they reunite at the wake after one of them suddenly dies. Hardened by years of disappointment and drink, they quickly realize that their bonds of friendship have weakened, provoking regret, jealousy and tension. As they reveal their guilty feelings about their dead friend and their past, they are confronted with the bitter reality of their lives - and the appalling truth of their friend's death. In Irish Gaelic and English with English subtitles, Kings is the winner of five Irish Academy Awards. Starring Colm Meaney, Donal O'Kelly, Brendan Conroy, Barry Barnes, Donncha Crowley andSean Ó Tárpaigh "…striking... sincere..." - The Boston Globe "...wrenching... brilliant... painfully beautiful." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (DVD) approx. 89 mins.

Irish Sweatshirt $39.99 Let the world know that you're proudly Irish! Printed in the USA. 50% cotton / 50% polyester.

Personalized Irish Angel Ornament $6.99 An adorable angel and as Irish as can be! Resin. Imported.

Summer Fruit Preserve With Irish Whiskey $7.99 Summer Fruit Preserve With Irish Whiskey

Irish Attitude License Plate Cover $7.99 Irish Attitude License Plate Cover

Irish Whiskey Loaf $24.99 Ultra moist and delectable, this favorite Irish treat is filled with raisins, pecans, and real Irish whiskey. 17 oz. USA.

Irish Visor $21.99 What could say Irish more than this! Be noticed by all and have fun doing it! Cotton/polyester. One size fits most.

Green with Irish $10.99 These green with white shamrock socks show that you're Irish from the tip of your toes to your knees! Organic Cotton and Spandex. One size first most. USA.

Best Irish Folk Songs $10.99 These ever-popular songs include Danny Boy, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling, Black Velvet Band, and 17 other Irish favorites. Canada.

Musical Irish Dancer $29.99 This Irish lass will dance her way into your heart! Dressed in traditional Irish costume the 7? figurine is adorned with shamrocks and plays ?Irish Lullaby?. Please state name up to 24 characters. Poly Resin. Dancer must be screwed in counter clockwise to top of base.

Irish Limp T-Shirt $17.99 This famous Irish blessing captures cheeky Irish wit at its finest! Printed in USA. 100% cotton. Sizes S (35), M (38), L (43), XL (47), 2XL (50), 3XL (54).

Nostalgic Irish Blessing Thermometer $13.99 This distressed Irish designed tin thermometer would look great hanging anywhere. How appropriate that the three lines of the Irish Blessing all have to do with weather - wind, rain, and sun. Imported.

Irish Framed Print $32.99 This iconic Irish cottage print and God?s family blessing will warm your heart. A lovely gift for a special Irish friend or for yourself. Imported. 14 x 7? with polystone resin frame.

Irish Tin Whistle $9.99 Easy to play, this Irish-made tin whistle in the key of D lets you perform traditional Irish tunes instantly, even if you can't read music. Includes instructions and diagrammed sheet music.

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