J.M.J.

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Hello, my Friend!  Nannie here!

Well…our little Finney was just hidin’ and hidin’ on us!

I guess if there is one thing most of us have heard about leprechauns, it is that they seem to always have someone chasing after them to catch them and steal their gold!

Our Finney knows that we would never do that to him, but would certainly try to help him in every way we can!

Let’s try to help him by doing as he asks us…

                        “just clap your (our) hands or make some noise,

                        or help me (him) find some fine grand toys”

that he could hide behind!

Or we could

                        “just begin to talk or to sing, so no one could see anything

                        of where I(he) was or where I(he’d) be

                        so that just no one could see me(him)!”

My goodness, we have our work cut out for us trying to help little Finney and keep him safe and free from being a victim of gold-thievery!!!

But we are not the only ones who try to help Finney and his fellow Leprechauns!

In an article from November, 2015, by Bernie Malone, at http://www.irishcentral.com,

“Leprechauns Are Protected Under European Law,” we continue to read that…”Leprechauns, or little people, and their heritage are protected on a European directive (European Habitats Directive – 2009) thanks to a group of lobbyists from Carlingford, Co. Louth…The directive was part of an effort to preserve the rich bio-diversity of the area called ‘The Sliabh Foy Loop,’ now a protected area for flora, fauna, wild animals and leprechauns.”  It goes on to say, “It is a long, detailed procedure and it has taken nearly eight years to secure the future of our heritage, culture and folklore.  We are delighted in the knowledge that our little people will be protected from extinction and allowed to thrive on the mountains,” local man Kevin Woods said of the directive, in 2011.

There are also two youtube.com videos about the Carlingford leprechauns, about 2 1/2 minutes long, which are well worth the watch!  The previously mentioned Mr. Kevin Woods, who identifies himself as a Leprechaun Whisperer (the only one left in Ireland!) explains he has dedicated his life to the preservation of the lives of the 236 leprechauns left in Ireland.  Mr. Woods explains that there were vast numbers of them once, so great care must be given to help the remaining 236 survive.

Just go to http://www.youtube.com, and type Carlingford leprechauns in the search bar, and you will be in for a few minutes of the lighter side of life!

One more very fine thing to mention is that, a few days ago, on February 1st, was (and is!) the Feast of the grand and revered St. Brigid! Information about St. Brigid can be found at catholic.org.  This text at this website tells us that Brigid lived in the late 5th century and early 6th century, and that she is the patron of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, and newborn babies!

“Many stores of Brigid’s purity followed her childhood.  She was unable to keep from feeding the poor and healing them.”  This text also tells us that”…she founded a monastery in Kildare, called the Church of the Oak…Brigid invited a hermit called Conleth to help her in Kildare as a spiritual pastor…She later founded a school of art that included metalwork and illumination, which Conleth led as well.  It was at this school that the Book of Kildare, which the Gerald of Wales praised as ‘the work of angelic, and not human skill,’ was beautifully illuminated, but was lost three centuries ago.”  Lastly, from this text, “There is evidence that Brigid was a good friend of Saint Patrick’s and the the Trias Thaumaturga (book about the three wonder-working saints of Ireland…Patrick, Brigid and Columba) claimed, ‘Between St. Patrick and Brigid, the pillars of the Irish people, there was so great a friendship of charity that they had but one heart and one mind.  Through him and through her, Christ performed many great works.’…she passed away on February 1, 525.”

I have a very amusing personal story of St. Brigid, and what I call a gesture of her friendship extended to me!  I am thinking that if you are reading this you are either Irish or love things-Irish.  So, having said that, I will tell you this story hoping you will use your Irish Faith in God, your mind, and your heart as you read this little story from the Irish Faith-filled mind and heart (mine!) of an Irish American girl born and brought up in New York!  I think then you will understand why I feel St. Brigid extended her friendship to me…  For many years now, I have been “writing” a book about Irish things…similar to the Posts at this site that I call “Nannie’s Fun Facts.”  Well, this one night (May of 2012), I was working on my piece about St. Brigid…and I finished quite late.  But my mind was full of her as the patroness of dairy workers, her cows, and her love of beer! [In the writings of Peig Sayers*, there is a prayer (attributed to a Gaelic poet of the Middle Ages) associated with Brigid and a desire for beer in the next life with the King of Kings!] So, after I had finished writing, I was so tired, but didn’t I check the news, online, before I go to bed…don’t usually do that before I turn in, but this night I did.  So don’t I see headlines from an article about cows who crashed a back yard food and beer party!  Whaaat?!  The policeman who came to “the scene of the crime,” is quoted as saying, “The cows chased them (group of young adults) away from the table they were sitting at and started drinking their beers.  They knocked the beer cans over with their noses and started drinking beer right off the table.” (The policeman said it even appeared that they preferred one brand of beer over another!)

So, what could this be all about?   Are we speaking of descendants of the cows of St. Brigid herself?  And such peculiar timing that I would see this in the news on the night I had just been working on St. Brigid!  Seems to me, it could fall in the category of a possible “Hi from our good Brigid in Heaven!”

“…One of the traditional rituals in Ireland to celebrate the beginning of early spring, February 1st (the Feast of St. Brigid) is making a St. Brigid’s Cross (made of rushes woven together).                                                                                      (www.saintbridget.com)

            

The beautiful St. Brigid’s Cross

(courtesy of Betsey Towne)

Just to finish with a last fun thought about our Brigid…I felt the need to look into this “beer-drinking cows” situation and found that they were a certain type of cow called belted galloways.  So…I looked for some Irish connection, and found that this type of cow is, indeed, raised in Ireland, and there are herds all over the country…and one of the most notable herds lives in…Co. Kildare!  Yup, just like our Brigid! And…here is a portion of a pic that was generously provided to me by the policeman who took it!

Here are 2 of the six party-ing cows enjoying the beer remnant!

God bless you and thank you for visiting Finney and me!

*Peig Sayers – An Old Woman’s Reflections