May the Luck of the Irish be With You!

Bright Hub writers have looked at many different aspects of things Irish, in several channels. There is material on the Irish language, Irish fonts for your computer, Irish food for your table, Irish school lessons for teachers, and Irish templates for stickers.

The Irish Language

Here in the Language Learning channel, we have looked at the Irish language a number of times.

In Laura Jean Karr's article, we consider the question, Is Irish a Dying Language? She discusses whether technology has put Irish Gaelic onto the Endangered Language list. After that, Laura looks at Saving the Irish Language with the group Foras na Gaeilge and the Irish government. There are now newspapers printed solely in Irish, radio stations broadcasting in Gaelic, Irish language magazines, and a language program in Irish schools dedicated to bring up up young Irish speakers.

Marie Mulrooney considers Irish by any other name in Gaelic vs. Goidelic vs. Gaeilge: What's in a name?, a discussion of names languages call themselves, and teaches us to how to ask “Do you speak English?” in Irish Gaelic: “Labhrainn Béarla?” Learning a little of the language in a country you visit is a way of showing respect for the country.

In Cooking Up Tasty American Recipes for Successful ESL Spring Activities, J.Alpha looks at spring holidays and recipes, and lists some of the most famous American celebrations of St. Patrick's Day, celebrated on March 17th in the United States, and for five days in Dublin, Ireland. After some Irish blessings, she gives a safe-for-any-age recipe for Irish coffee.

Most Recently, In Irish Sayings, Marie Mulrooney looks at Irish sayings that are for all 365 days of the year. My favorite, and hers, is

"Is minic a gheibhean beal oscailt diog dunta (iss minick ah gav-ann bail os-kult dee-ug doonta)

An open mouth often catches a closed fist."

Irish Elements for Scrapbooks

In Photography, Michele McDonough looks at Making Clovers in Digital Scrapbook Artist, and in the media gallery, there are free clover images to download for your own scrapbook projects with Digital Scrapbook Artist. She describes how to use shapes in the program to create both three and four leafed clovers and incorporate them on your scrapbook pages.

A recently published article, Great St. Patrick's Day Scrapbook Backgrounds, has some fun and attractive scrapbook backgrounds, including a very pretty green rose with clover. There is also a pot of gold and a ruffled or layered clover.

Celtic Clipart and Leprechauns

In an article by Tricia Goss, you can find the top 10 sites for free Leprechan clipart, ranging from very whimsical drawings and images to a reproduction of an antique postcard from Karen's Whimsy.

Another collection of free resources for St Patrick themed clip art is in Amber Neely's article. She lists several sites, and recommends the surprising variety found at Microsoft Office's collection, including a mug o' green  beer.

There are collections of celtic glyphs and symbols suitable not only for March 17th but for any other occasion where a intricate celtic sysmbol might be appropriate. One very attractive one is this celtic cross drawing by Cari Buziak.

Education about Ireland

Bright Hub's K-12 Educational channel has featured a number of articles on St. Patrick's Day, Irish history, and Geography ABCs for Ireland.

In Geography ABCs - Ireland, Susan has written an alphabet of interesting facts about Irish art, history and geography.

AlyssaAst writes about a St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt where children can follow shamrock shaped clues around the classroom to learn about history and participate in St. Patrick's Day activities.

Marlene Gundlach writes about Celebrating St. Patrick's Day for grades K-2, and includes craft ideas. Jacqueline Cataldo gives ideas about bringing an Irish flavor to every lesson of the day in her St. Patrick's Day Lesson Plan. She has ideas for history, a reading list, geography, and arts and crafts.

Also in K-12, ARobin writes about Celebrate Culture: Ireland, with information on facts, legends, art, activities, music, and vocabulary for Ireland – a lesson that could be given on any day of the year.

Irish for Your Computer

Bright Hub's Multimedia channel has also published a number of articles to help you feature Irish motifs in creations from your computer. In Publisher Templates for St. Patrick's Day Laura Jean Karr explains how Microsoft Pulisher has templates to allow you to create St. Patrick's Day party invitations, different stickers with Irish themes, and even stationery.

In Four Free St. Patrick's Day Fonts , Thursday Braum gives links to fonts such as Leprechaun Hats, the AL Conscience, and the AEZ St Patricks Day.

In her article Four Free Celtic Fonts, Thursday Bram gives links to four elegant Celtic fonts, for an Irish mood on days other than March 17th. Some of the fonts are the uncial Aon Cari Celtic, Spiral Initials, which adds a spiral symbol to the first letter of every capital, and Perigord, which is a little easier to read if you want to use the font through your whole document.

She also gives a link for additional Celtic fonts to download.

Laura Jane Karr also wrote Premium St. Patrick's Day Fonts, a resource for additional Celtic fonts that you can purchase.

Learn Irish

All about Rosetta Stone Irish Online review

Finally, Transparent Languages has brought out Irish language software for the iPhone, available since March 17th, 2009. The application is $7.99. Even more helpfully, they have an Irish language blog, with hints and help and information on the language.

We hope you enjoyed this brief look at Ireland on Bright Hub. And now, as you go to plan your own Irish celebrations, we'll leave you with this final blessing: May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my Grandmother's teeth!

Curious Customs

In Bright Hub's Culture & Customs topic, Andrea Campbell looks at the legends surrounding St. Patrick's Day, and the customs that have risen from the stories told about the day, and Ireland. She discusses snakes, shamrocks, green beer and more.

More on Irish Gaelic

Irish Sayings - St Patrick's Day Irish Sayings- to download and listen to Irish sayings in two or three different Irish dialects: Munster, Ulster, Connacht.

St. Patrick's Day: Lá 'le Pádraig

Munster Lá 'le Pádraig /law leg paw-rig/

Ulster Lá 'le Pádraig /laa-AY-la pawd-rik/

Connacht Lá 'le Pádraig /law leg paw-rig/

Information and pronunciation from Irish-Sayings website.