Take a Break--Take a Celtic Quiz

You're bored or you need a break from sifting through your inbox or working on your next bestseller. You're surfing the 'net for something interesting, and you come across a quiz...And you go for it.

Testing your knowledge is a great way to take a break from computer work. Take a break right now and test your knowledge about the secrets of the U.K. and Ireland in this short quiz.

I scored a dismal 70%, but if you are into history or have traveled to these lands, you'll stand a better chance. Have you recently taken a fun Celtic quiz? Please include the link below in the comments.

Would you like to share your love of Celtic culture, Celtic music, and Celtic harps? I'm always happy to feature guest bloggers, even if you'd just like to share a delicious recipe, a fun tune, or a short quiz. Contact me through the email address on my website at celticharpmusic.com to submit your article. 

Visiting Thin Places with a Video of Ireland's Mystical Sites

Mindie Burgoyne writes about travel and places that have a mystical quality. They may be haunted places or places that seem to touch the eternal world in some way--"thin places". She hosts tours to Ireland and other haunted, mystical places. You can read more at her wonderful Thin Places blog.

In this beautiful video Mindie posted on Easter Sunday, you get to do some armchair traveling to Ireland's mystical sacred sites, while listening to my version of "Craigieburn Wood", a Scottish Air by Robert Burns, from my A Light in the Forest CD.

Visit Mindie's Blog to see the list of these lovely locations.

And for more about Celtic traditions and Celtic traditional music, check out the newest post by my talented harpist friend, Eliseo Mauas Pinto. Find out about the "Queen Mary" harp in the latest post of his Celtic Sprite blog.

The Queen Mary Harp

Can you read between the lines?

In the lyrics to the traditional Irish Percy French song, "Come Back Paddy Reilly,", who could it be who is calling for him to, "come back to me"? Could it be Percy French, Paddy's horse, or perhaps an unknown lover who isn't included in the lyrics?

See if you can read between the lines and figure out the lyrics of the newest download! This complimentary solo Celtic harp tune can be found in the section of my website called the Celtic Club. If you're already a member, go to the login page, enter your email address and password, and enjoy! (If you forgot your password, notify me).

If you're not yet a member, there is no cost or obligation to receive this download. When you sign up, you'll get a solo Celtic harp tune for your own use plus interesting background information about the tune. After you receive your first download, I'll drop you a line whenever there is a new tune posted.

The free download in the Celtic Club is just a sample of what I play. You can now purchase complete album downloads at my website, too.

Interesting Facts About The Emerald Isle

I just recently came across this blog and I wanted to share the posting with you. You can read the original post here.

Irish Flag
Ireland’s national flag know as the tricolour (three colours) and has three equal vertical bands of green, white and orange. The green symbolises Nationalism, the white symbolises Peace and the orange symbolises Unionism, therefore the national flag of Ireland represents peace between Nationalists and Unionists.

President Flag
The national flag of the President of Ireland is a blue flag with a silver stringed gold harp. The blue background represents Saint Patrick who is the patron saint of Ireland. Although St. Patrick is often depicted in green garments, before the 20th century the saint was more often shown wearing blue garments. This flag represent “the Ancient Colours of Ireland”.

National Anthem of Ireland
The National Anthem of Ireland is called Amhrán na bhFiann which means ‘The Soldiers Song’. Amhrán na bhFiann was very popular among Irish republicans, and was sung by rebels in the General Post Office also known as the GPO during the Easter Rising of 1916. The song became the official state anthem in 1926.

The anthem of the Irish rugby home team is called ‘Ireland’s Call’ and at matches played in the Republic of Ireland both Amhrán na bhFiann and Ireland’s Call are sung, elsewhere, Ireland’s Call is the only anthem used in recognition of the need for a unifying anthem and has also been adopted by the Irish Cricket, Hockey and Rugby Union teams.

The Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed clover and is a world-renowned symbol of Ireland. The Shamrock was used by Saint Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland) to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. Saint Patrick’s day is celebrated throughout the world each year on March 17th and it is tradition that people wear a shamrock on their clothing and dress in green to honour Saint Patrick and celebrate being Irish, like we need a reason! Shamrocks are said to bring good luck.

Celtic Cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol of a cross with a circle surrounding the intersection of the cross. The cross often appears in different shapes, sizes, and in many different styles. It is said that Saint Patrick was also the founder of the Celtic cross and that he used the ’sun cross’ as an example to explain to pagans the importance of the cross.

Today the Celtic cross is used for individual reasons like jewellery, T-shirts and tattoos, grave markers and head stones to name a few. Versions of the Celtic cross are also used by the GAA / Gaelic Athletic Association and the Northern Ireland national football team.

About Mairead Foley
Mairead writes for GoIreland.com - Ireland’s leading travel and accommodation website.