Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"Cead Mile Failte" - Irish Welcome!



"Cead Mille Failte" - One Hundred Thousand Irish Welcomes!

From the Dublin Penny Journal, Vol. 1, No. 7, August 11, 1832

It is perhaps not generally known from whence the famous expression of Irish hospitality, Cead Mille Failte, was taken. It occurs in the concluding stanza of Eileen a Roon, and is thus translated by Furlong:-

A hundred thousand welcomes,
Eileen a Roon! A hundred thousand welcomes,
Eileen a Roon! Oh! welcome ever more,
With welcomes yet in store,
Till love and life are o'er,
Eileen a Roon!

There are two songs entitled Eileen a Roon, Ellen, the secret treasure of my heart. The old version, from which the above stanza is taken, bears internal evidence of antiquity. The first line of the second stanza of it, "I would spend a cow to entertain thee," proves that it was composed before coined money was in general use. The following is esteemed the most probable account of the circumstances which gave rise to it.

THE IRISH CLADDAGH RING

The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring given in friendship or worn as a wedding ring. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the old walls of the city of Galway. The ring was first produced in the 17th century during the reign of Queen Mary II, though elements of the design are much older.



The Claddah Irish ring has a tradition that dates back to over 300 years. Because of the meaning and significance attached to these Irish Claddah rings, they are also referred to as the Irish friendship rings or the Irish faith rings. Kaisilver creates the best rendition of the Irish claddah rings in sterling silver and gold. Every ring has high end craftsmanship and is hand finished to perfection. You can choose the gemstone of your choice and add more meaning to your Claddah ring by selecting your birthstone as the gemstone for the ring.


Irish Claddah Rings, The History
The origin of the Irish Claddah ring takes us 300 years back in time. The location of this folklore is a small fishing village in Ireland called the Claddah. A local fisherman by the name of Robert Joyce was sold as a slave after his fishing boat was captured by pirates. Working for his master who was a wealthy goldsmith, Robert could not forget his beloved who lived in the Claddah village. It was during his tenure as a slave that Robert Joyce created a very special ring for his beloved.

A few years later Robert was released from slavery and came back home to the Claddah village. He presented the ring to his beloved and they were soon married. Little did he realize that the ring that he created, would grow up to be a legend and worn by people in nations far off from his tiny Claddah fishing village. This is the most trusted record of the origin and history of the Claddah Irish ring.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

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