Some photos of our class while we were making posters for the contest. Enjoy !

The high cliffs of Moher to me are a wonder,
A refuge to birds, over oceans they tower.
Their beauty’s the pride of the county of Clare,
On the wild rugged coast, on the west side of Eire.
As they face the rough waves that roll off the Atlantic,
They stand guard at the entrance to Europe-so majestic.

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Find more free online flash games at Fupa.com

The Shamrock or Irish Shamrock as so many may call it, has become one of the symbols for Ireland over the years. The Irish word seamrog means white clover and is the origin of the word Shamrock. Nathaniel Colgan identified the first real Irish Shamrock as a type of clover in 1893. In fact it was the Trifolium repens species of white clover.

But there have been references to this plant as early as 1507 in English writings. In Irish writings you can find it referred to as the seamrog as far back in history as 1707. It was worn on the lapel for certain religious events as early as 1681 as far as it being recorded. One of these events was the Saint's feast day.

The ancient Druids revered the plant and thought it to be sacred. They thought it to have the ability to scare off evil spirits. Many still feel that this Shamrock holds wondrous mystical powers. It also is thought holy due to the number 3 being considered sacred.

The shamrock is entangled with the belief that 3 is a magical and sacred number. Since this plant has 3 leaves on each clover, it is thought to play a significant role in the importance placed on this number. 3 can mean anything from the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" to "past, present, and future".

Saint Patrick made use of the Irish Shamrock to do an explanation for the Holy Trinity. Each leaf stood for a different part of the trinity. Through using a symbol that the Irish revered so much Saint Patrick converted a large number of pagans over to Christianity.

It is also said that he successfully rid Ireland of all snakes for good. It is believed that he covered this Emerald Isle with fields full of thriving Irish Shamrock plants to prevent snakes from coming back. As there are no snakes to be found in Ireland, this is proof to some people the legend is true.

Snakes will not live though where shamrocks are being grown no matter what country. Also these plants are used as a snake venom cure. This legend of the snakes may indeed be only a belief because it has never been proven. One thing has been proven though that Saint Patrick got rid of the old pagan customs which did involve the snakes.

Then during the 1770s the Irish Volunteers used the Shamrock as their emblem. Soon it was the Irish Shamrock became a symbol of rebellion. In fact the emblem was used so much for this purpose it got banned by Queen Victoria. It was not allowed to be displayed. So people replaced it with a red and green small paper cross.

About this time "Wearing of the Green" was written as a light-hearted song of protest over the banning of displaying the Irish Shamrock. Today this plant is not a symbol of protest as much as it is one of the best known symbols for Ireland. It is however not the national symbol for the country. This happens to be the Celtic harp.

On Saint Patrick's Day, March 17th, you can see people in various countries wearing real or artificial shamrocks celebrating their heritage. In many countries around the world and on the Internet you can buy merchandise with the Shamrock symbol on them. Everyone who is Irish is also supposed to wear green along with wearing a shamrock on Saint Patrick Day. You cannot go to Ireland today either without seeing the symbol of the Irish Shamrock all over the country.

On the Internet today you can buy Official Irish Shamrock Seeds. You can also buy real Irish dirt to grow them in too. Some believe that the true Shamrock will only grow in dirt from Ireland; others say they will grow in any soil. This is one way of celebrating the history behind this mystical plant.

Whichever part of the legends behind the Shamrock is true it has lived on in the hearts of the Irish. If a four-leaf version of one is found it is thought to bring good luck. That is because this is a rare occurrence. Of course people in other parts of the world will say this about any of the clover varieties. But the magic continues with the Irish Shamrock being so loved by Ireland.

The Dubliners, a great Irish group who is performing Molly Malone, Dublin's anthem !

The song tells the fictional tale of a beautiful fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but who died young, of a fever. The name "Molly" originated as a familiar version of the names Mary and Margaret. While many such "Molly" Malones were born in Dublin over the centuries, no evidence connects any of them to the events in the song.

Nevertheless, in 1988 the Dublin Millennium Commission endorsed claims concerning a Molly Malone who died on 13 June 1699, and proclaimed 13 June to be "Molly Malone day".

In fact the song is not recorded earlier than 1883, when it was published in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was also published by Francis Brothers and Day in London 1884 as a work written and composed by James Yorkston, of Edinburgh, with music arranged by Edmund Forman. The London edition states that it was reprinted by permission of Kohler and Son of Edinburgh, implying that the first edition was in Scotland, though no copies of it have been located. According to Siobhán Marie Kilfeather the song is from the music hall style of the period, and while one cannot wholly dismiss the possibility that it is "based on an older folk song", "neither melody nor words bear any relationship to the Irish tradition of street ballads." She describes the story of the historical Molly as "nonsense".

A bunch of mint tied around the wrist is a sure remedy for disorders of the stomach. A sick persons bed must be placed north and south not cross ways. Nettles gathered in a churchyard and boiled down for a drink have the power to cure dropsy. The touch from the hand of a seventh son is said to cure the bite of a mad dog. An iron ring wore on the fourth finger will ward off rheumatism. The seed of docks tied to the left hand of a woman will prevent her from being barren. Drinking boiled down carrot juice will purify the blood. The clippings of the hair and nails of a child tied up in linen and placed under their bed will cure convulsions. A bunch of mint tied around the wrist is believed to ward off infection and disease. To cure a fever, place the person on the shore when the tide is coming in. When the tide begins to go back out, the retreating waves will carry away the disease and the fever. To make your skin beautiful, wash your face with May dew on May morning (May Day) at sunrise.

It is not safe to pick up an unbaptized child without making the sign of the cross. It is unlucky to accept a lock of hair from a lover. If a chair falls when a person stands up, it is an unlucky omen. If you possess a four-leaf shamrock you will have good luck in gambling, good luck in racing, and witchcraft will have no power over you. But, you must always carry it on you. You cannot give it away. You cannot show it to anyone. If chased at night by a ghost or an evil spirit, try to get to a stream of running water. If you can cross it no devil or evil spirit will be able to follow. Do not turn off a light while people are at supper. If you do there will be one less at the table before the year is out. If you want a person to win at cards, put a crooked pin in his coat. If the palm of your hand itches you will be coming into money. If it's your elbow you will be changing beds. If your ear itches and it is red and hot, someone is speaking bad of you. (These Irish superstitions are ones still mentioned at my house.) If you want to know the name of the person you are to marry, put a snail on a plate sprinkled with flour. Cover the plate and leave it overnight. In the morning the initial of the person will be on the plate, traced by the snail. Sticking a penknife into the mast of a boat while under sail is considered unlucky. It's unlucky to have a hare cross your path before sunrise. To take away lighted sod from a house on May days or churning days is unlucky. To do so takes away the blessing of the house.

A crowing hen, a whistling girl, and a black cat are considered very unlucky. Beware of them in a house. If a rooster comes to your threshold and crows, you may expect visitors. While on a trip if you see three magpies on your left it is unlucky; but two on the right is a good omen. If you hear a cuckoo on your right you will have good luck for a year. Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck, even if they lived to be a thousand years old. A water wagtail near the house means bad news is on its way to you. If the first lamb of the year is born black, it means mourning garments in the family within the year. It's very lucky for a hen and her chicks to stray into your house. It is good to meet a white lamb in the early morning with the sunlight on its face. It's a sign of bad luck to meet a magpie, a cat, or a lame woman on a trip. If you meet a rooster at your door and it crows, your trip should be postponed. If one magpie comes chattering at your door it's a sign of death, but if two come chattering it's a sign of prosperity. It's very unlucky to ask a man on his way to fish where he is going. Many would turn back knowing it was an evil spell. The shoe of a horse or an ass nailed to the doorpost will bring good luck. But the shoe must be found, not given in order to bring good luck. In whatever quarter you are looking when you hear the first cuckoo of the season, that is the direction you will be traveling before the year is out.