So you say you're Irish...

So are the following famous people:

-Bono

The Cranberries

-Enya

Van Morrison - this one I had NO idea.

-Sinead O'Connor

U2

-Pierce Brosnan

Liam Neeson

-Colin Farrell

Peter O'Toole

And here's a recipe for the Irish:

Irish Soda Bread

4 c. Unsifted All-purpose four

1 tsp Salt

3 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

¼ c. Sugar

¼ c. Butter

1 Egg

1 ¾ c. Buttermilk

2 c. Raisins

1 ½ c. caraway seed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, raisins, and caraway seed. Cut in butter and mix until crumbly.

In a separate bowl, beat egg and add to buttermilk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Knead dough on a floured board for 2-3 minutes.

Divide dough in half and shape into 2 round loaves. Place each round in an 8-inch pie pan and press down until dough fills pie pan. Cut a cross in the top of each loaf approximately a half inch deep.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

I guess you could put a few drops of green food coloring in this if that makes you feel more Irish!

Did you know the following things about the Irish?

There is a legend that America was first discovered by an Irishman, the 6th-Century saint, Brendan the navigator. The Latin text, The Navigation of St. Brendan recounts his voyage to a land of saints, which some believe was actually America.

The Banshee is a fairy that appears with a frightening wail to warn of an impending death; the appearance of several banshees indicates that someone of importance is on the brink of death - I knew this because my childhood friend, Nuala, was from Ireland and her mom used to always say, "scream like a Banshee why don't ya," whenever the kids were acting out.

The Leprechaun is not generally regarded as a friendly fairy; many of the legends recount instances where a leprechaun outwitted a human. One such legend: a man captures a leprechaun and the leprechaun claims that he has a treasure buried in an open field beneath a particular plant. The man wants to get a spade to dig it up, and he ties a red ribbon to the plant. Before he leaves, he makes the leprechaun promise not to remove the ribbon. On his return, though, he finds that every weed in the field has been tied with an identical red ribbon.





The RMS Titanic was built in Belfast, and its last port of call before sinking was Queenstown in County Cork.

Irish women received the right to vote in 1918, while American women did not receive the same right until two years later.

Divorce was not legalized in Ireland until 1995.

The claddagh ring was designed by a fisherman named Richard Joyce. Joyce was captured at sea by pirates and sold into slavery in Algeria. He became the property of a goldsmith, who trained him in his craft. He fashioned the ring in memory of his fiancée back in Ireland: the heart symbolized love; the pair of hands represented friendship; and the crown loyalty and fidelity. When he was released in years later, he presented the ring to his fiancée, who had waited for him, and the pair married.

Ireland is the world’s largest exporter of computer software.

And that's all I have to say about the Irish! If you actually made it through this post, give yourself a "lucky" clover.