Whatever the subject, Irish culture thrives today. There are a few customs you may not know

Well, Top of the Morning to you all, it’s Saint Patrick's Day!
Again, I have done the history etc. about it so often I could type it in my sleep, so today, we are going to celebrate it by looking at some Irish Culture and Food.

Ireland is to the west of the British Isles and is a small island nation of about 6.8 million people. It boasts a characterful culture of unique traditions, customs and origins which are synonymous with the Emerald Isle.

It has beautiful scenery and is a very green island. It loves its patriotism and all things quintessentially Celtic.

Sport accounts for much of the Irish cultural identity. Most people are great supporters and take pride in wearing their national colours and enjoying the sport, whatever it may be. Games played throughout history include football (way back as far as the 14th century,) Gaelic football, hurling and camogie and we won’t discuss rugby!

Every year thousands of people take a pilgrimage to the peak of Croagh Patrick. A hard and pious journey in honour of Ireland's Patron Saint and this take place on the last Sunday in July. The ancient Irish druids did this every year to mark the pagan festive of Lughnasadh. Today, this is still a vital part of their culture .

Pre-Christianity, the Emerald Isle was a pagan place. Paganism controlled key dates through the year and four events dictated the seasons.
The festival of Imbolc marked the beginning of spring, Bealtaine the beginning of Summer, Lughnasadh the start of Autum and Samhain welcomed winter.

Ireland is known for its literature and it has a wealth of artists, from the field of music, film and literature. Some of the most famous on the stages can trace their roots back to Ireland, including W.B.Yeats, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw and Samuel Beckett.

The potato is the main food you think of when talking about Irish food. It was imported in the 17th century and is a symbol of Ireland and its hospitality. It has been considered the unofficial mascot of Irish food throughout history. This is due to the great Famine in Ireland (1845-1849) when the potato crop failed, which led to starvation, plight, and mass emigration.

Mythology plays a big part in their culture. It is known for its tales of fairies, leprechauns, goddesses and heroes. The folk law remains a celebrated part of their traditions and is one of their biggest customs.

Irish dancing is an old art form. It became popular in the 1990s as a result of things like Riverdance. Jigs, reels, step dancing and ceili dances make up this dance style.

Their music you either love or hate, but people travel from all over to visit Ireland and enjoy their traditional music. Native instruments include the bouzoukis, uilleann pipes and the Celtic harp.

Then of course there is St. Patrick's Day itself and people travel from all over the world to celebrate it. It is one of the top traditions in Ireland. It is an annual holiday and celebrates the cuture and traditions

The food in Ireland has to be tried by all that visit there.

Soda bread.
Each family in Ireland probably has a different recipe for this. It can be sweet with some honey, sugar or dried fruits added. Or sprinkled with seeds, bran and oats for a health boost. Treacle and Guinness for the opposite effect. The basic ingredients are the same everywhere though,

One-pot cooking doesn't get much easier than a traditional Irish Stew made with mutton, onions, and potatoes. To stop it from being watery, pearl barley can be added. That is the traditional way. Today it is generally made with lamb as the delicious mutton isn't easy to get and it’s flavoured with stock and herbs.

Shellfish and Irish Stew.
If you visit Ireland other than summertime, forget the sunshine. The good thing is you can dine on the west coast’s native oysters and take a trip to the Galway Oyster Festival. Irish cuisine is full of shellfish from clams to cockles and mussels and Dublin prawns, which have their own festival.

Colcannon and champ.
Potatoes became a major part of the Irish diet when they came from the New World in the 16th century. The population boomed with this cheap food soared but was later decimated when the potato harvests were hit by blight in the 19th century. They are still served at most mealtimes. Colcannon is a classic mash of potatoes cabbage, butter and flavoured with spring onions and Champ is a similar mashed potatoe favourite topped with spring onions milk and butter.

Boxty.
Now, this sounds nice. It can be potato dumplings, pancake, or potato bread. Some say it originates from an old phrase “aran bocht ti”, which means poor house bread. You grate raw potato, to be mixed with mash and then mix it with flour and salt and boil before being sliced and fried in butter (boxty dumplings). You can also add it to a pancake-like batter before frying (boxty on the pan) or add it to a pancake-like batter before baking it in the oven (boxty in the oven). Whichever way you do it it can be eaten with anything like boiled cabbage and bacon

Black and White Pudding.
The Irish love black pudding (pork meat, fat and blood mixed with barley suet and oatmeal). White pudding is similar but without the blood, and is not quite so common. A full Irish breakfast will consist of a slice of each. It is also likely to be on the menus of posh restaurants and served with sauteed scallops, or in croquettes, under poached eggs in salads and risottos or as a garnish to soups.

Barmbrack.
This is a tea loaf served with butter for afternoon tea. At Halloween, you may find a charm in your slice of it foretelling the future.

Coddle.
This dish comes from the working-class people of Dublin. The name comes from the slow simmering of ingredients in a one-pot stew. The leftovers at the end of the week would be slowly stewed in the oven for hours with slices of pork sausage, bacon rashers of leftover boiled back and sliced potatoes and onions.

I must say some of these sound very interesting and look nice as well.

The scenery in Ireland is beautiful and it is somewhere I wouldn't have minded going when younger. Southern Ireland is the prettiest I think and there are some lovely quaint places there to visit

Ok, have you been to Ireland? What did you think of it? Did you try their food?
Let us have your experiences of being there and whether you like it or not, and some photos of your holiday there if you have any.

All are welcome.
And please feel free to share all discussions you enjoy.