PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz q
From: Blackcatter
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 11:08 PM

1. http://www.irelandnow.com/symbols/flag.html

National Flag of Ireland

The Presidential Flag with the Coat of ArmsThe national flag is a tricolour of green, white and orange. The three colours are of equal size, vertically disposed, and the green is displayed next to the staff. Some say that the flag is gold as opposed to orange, from the gold harp on the original Green Flag.

This confusion arose in the 1916-22 period when the tricolour (the current national flag and ensign), which had previously been quite a marginal and little-known flag, was supplanting the Green Flag (the current jack) as the principal national emblem. Green and gold, the colours of the Green Flag, were regarded as the national colours throughout the nineteenth century and some of the home-made tricolours from the 1916-22 period were in fact green, white and gold. There are also some songs from that period which refer to 'green, white and gold' flags and this helped to keep the concept alive, but the symbolism of the green, white and orange dates from 1848.

The flag was first introduced by Thomas Francis Meagher during the revolutionary year of 1848 as an emblem of the Young Ireland movement, and it was often seen displayed at meetings alongside the French tricolour.

The green represents the older Gaelic and Anglo-Norman element in the population, while the orange represents the Protestant planter stock, supporters of William of Orange. The meaning of the white was well expressed by Meagher when he introduced the flag. 'The white in the centre', he said, 'signifies a lasting truce between the 'Orange' and the 'Green' and I trust that beneath its folds the hands of the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic may be clasped in heroic brotherhood.'

This flag didn't come into general usage until the war of independance (1919-1921). Prior to this, the green flag with gold harp was the main symbol of nationalism. t was not until the Rising of 1916, when it was raised above the General Post Office in Dublin that the tricolour came to be regarded as the national flag, but only at the creation of the first "Dail" ( House of Representatives /Commons) did the current Tricolour become widely used and its use as a national flag is firmly established in the Constitution: Article 7 of "Bunreacht na hEireann" ( constitution of Ireland) states "The National Flag is the Tricolour of Green, White and Orange."

2. http://www.gov.ie/ecbi-euro/handbook/hbook5.htm

What will be Ireland's national emblem on the euro coins?
In Ireland's case, the national emblem will be the harp and the word 'Éire'. The design for the Irish national side of euro coins is shown on the centre pages.

http://www.minogue.com/greenroom/echo93.html

Aine Minogue's website:

In Ireland, the harp is the national emblem, and has been on the coinage since the middle of the 16th century. As early as the 12th century, Irish harpers were considered by Europeans to be "incomparatively superior to that of any other nation."

3. "Ce'ad mi'le fa'ilte - One hundred thousand welcomes"

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz q
From: Blackcatter
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 10:52 PM

The white is for peace and harmony - the peaceful coexistence of the Orange and the Green.

I'll look around for some more.


By the way - is this or isn't this a hoax - and what would be the point?

pax yall

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: Sorcha
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 10:26 PM

Well, I would think that the green would be for "The Emerald Isle" and the orange for William of Orange, "prince" of Ulster. White,I don't know, unless it's for Purity.

I thought the "badge" of Ireland was a gold harp on a green (vert)ground.

Don't know the others.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 09:53 PM

OK - I gather that the Flag is:

green, for Catholicism ...

Orange for the Protestant faith and

White to include all others -

(even if a fairly recent thread suggests one side refers to 'gold" rather than orange!).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 07:36 PM

2. May you be a half hour in Heaven before the Devil knows you're dead.

4. In addition to other occasions where the singing of a national anthem is appropriate, it also used to be sung at the end of gatherings (Comhaltas meetings, among other things, and certain trad music events, occasionally sessions, though not so much these days). Everyone would stand up together and sing or play their instrument - it was/is a sort of finale to the evening.

6. I have always heard both these nicknames used, rather interchangeably; but it's "land of saints and scholars" not scientists.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 07:30 PM

Right, mesophist. The questions are all straightforward. I wish I could answer them all, but I don't know the answers.
I would like to know the answer (or story) behind the handkerchief-bicycle holiday myself.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz q
From: mack/misophist
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 07:10 PM

At a time when so many traditional liberties and rights seem to be headed for the waste bin, we should all uphold them even more strongly in our personal lives. You know, things like 'innicent until proven guilty'. That kind of thing. Give the girl a chance.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:55 PM

Proverb? So many.

May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, Slow to make enemies, Quick to make friends. But rich or poor, Quick or slow, May you know nothing but happiness.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:43 PM

The emblem is the harp on a field of azure.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:40 PM

If this is a flame, it is a rather tame one.

The Soldier's Song is the anthem of the Republic of Ireland, and can be found here: Soldier's Song

The anthem of Northern Ireland is, I believe, God Save the Queen.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:33 PM

i think the suspicion is that Elena is the number one pissant....

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: Helen
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:29 PM

Would someone like to explain - in plain English - what the problem is with this thread - if there is a problem. How do we know whether Elena's questions are genuine?

Helen

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,stonedagain
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 05:14 PM

Don't worry Elena, while your English is so good we all can learn how not to use Russian cliches.

So " The thing is," didn't I read,just the other day, in that ould Irish magazine, 'Ireland's Own', that sayings learned in childhood are very hard to shake off, in fact we all of us carry some baggage from the very first sentence we learned..... in our very own first langage.., and, if we did that in some other, then we would be so busy doing it -here Russian- that we could NOT notice the mistranslations.

I dink you pictor have yes?

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: GUEST,Elf (Elena)
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 04:57 PM

I didn't really understand what was so wrong about my questions.. Anyway I didn't mean to start something dangerous or cause any trouble. Sorry. And try to take it in a different way.

Elena.

Inflammatory postings made by Guest were removed at the same Guest's request. The questions are being answered and a good discussion is continuing. Please try not to let any side comments affect the remainder of this good discussion.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 04:27 PM

Sorry, I had a brain drain or something. It will be up to Jeff or Joe to decide what to do with this.

Subject: RE: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass) Irish quiz query
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 04:10 PM

Hello, Elena,

I added a little bit to your thread title to help entice people to come in and read your questions. I am sure some Mudcatters will be able to help you. Do you have a deadline for when you need the answers?

Good luck!

kat

Subject: PLEASE HELP! (from a Moscow lass)
From: GUEST,Elf (Elena)
Date: 12 Mar 03 - 04:02 PM

Hello, everyone!

I need your help and knowledge. Badly! The thing is, I dream of going to Ireland (and other Celtic countries) and this dream may come true if I win in a sort of competition organized here, in Moscow.. So, if you can help me, there are six unanswered questions left. All of them are about Ireland. I will be EXTREMELY grateful for any answers you can give.

1. What does each colour of the Irish flag symbolize?
2. What is a national emblem (a coat of arms) of Ireland?
3. Name the proverb, which reflects Irish benevolence in the most accurate way.
4. When does the "Soldier's Song" (Amhran na bhFiann) sound in Ireland?
5. On what holiday children are not allowed to ride bikes, but the handkerchiefs are to be hung on the clothes line (according to ancient traditions)?
6. What is a second name of Ireland – the Emerald Isle or the Isle of Saints and Scientists? Why?

Thank you in advance. If you ever come to Moscow – just write me a message and I'll be glad to show you around the city and at the same time practise my English.. :))

With best wishes, Elena.