Irish Christmas Plum Pudding

Irish Christmas Pudding

Plum pudding has been traditional in most Irish homes and is generally served later in the day on Christmas day together with a custard and the indespensibe cup of tea! And of course a sprig of holly on top.

In Ireland, it is often prepared monts in advance of Chrismas Day and it would not be unusual to start preparations as early as Spring. Generous amounts of alcohol are often poured over the concoction, usually brandy and on the day itself, you can even set it alight!

You will need:

3 oz self raising flour

6 oz Sugar

6 oz butter

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp Mixed Spice

Pinch of Salt

8 oz sultanas

8 oz cherries

4 oz mixed peel

1/2 pint Guinness or 1/2 cup whiskey

8 oz Ground Almonds





DAY ONE:

Combine dry ingredients i.e. flour, salt, and spices (nutmeg, mixed & cinnamon)

Lightly beat the eggs

Cream butter and sugar then add eggs until mixed well

Fold in the mixed dry ingredients (as listed above)

Add the dried fruit and nuts (raisins, sultans, cherries, almonds and mixed peel) and mix well

Pour on the Guinness (or alcohol) and leave to stand overnight with a cover.

DAY TWO:

It can be steamed for or up to several hours, between five and twelve depending on your taste and the alcohol used. Guinness could use five hours. If you prefer whiskey, the sky’s the limit!

Stovetop Method

To steam on the stove, make a steam bath for the pudding by placing in a greased container and covering with foil or greaseproof paper. Secure with tinfoil and elastic band or string. Place the container in a larger saucepan and fill half way up with water. The pan will need to be topped up regularly with boiling water.

Oven Method

Simply place the covered secured contained in a steam bath at 300 degrees in the oven for the same cooking times. The “bath” will not require “topping up” with water nearly as much as on the stove top, if at all.

DAY THREE

Finally, everyone gets to enjoy this age old recipe! To re-heat, the microwave is always an option. But to remain true to tradition, the old fashioned steaming methods will also work. So keep your steam baths out and put them on for about two hours. outlined above for about 2 hours and serve with custard, cream or ice cream. Of course that comes with a spig of holly on top!

Traditionally, this dish is served a few hours after dinner since it’s quite filling!

The very brave have been known to pour some alcohol on top and set it on fire. Good Luck!

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The Popularity of Beautiful Irish Red Hair in Modern Times

The Popularity of Beautiful Irish Red Hair in Modern Times

One of characteristic options of the people of Ireland is red hair, particularly pale red hair. Although earlier people with red hair were typically ridiculed, nowadays Irish red hair is one of the most popular and fascinating hair colors for girls.

For people with red hair, redhead is the common term used that is commonly related to the people of Irish origin. Red hair will vary from deep orange to bright copper-colored hair, although Irish red hair generally refers to pale red hair. Contrary to the favored belief that Irish people sometimes have red hair, small percentage of Irish people, about 10%, are found with red hair. On the opposite hand, 13% populations of Scotland have red hair. In spite of this reality, red hair is commonly related to Irish people, which, at just once became subject of discrimination and humiliation in England, as a result of the mistrust between the two nations (England and Ireland).

The characteristic red hair related to Irish people is truly caused by the presence of high level of the pigment referred to as pheomelanin. The amount of the dark pigment eumelanin is low among the people with red hair. The concentration of each the kinds of melamin pigments are set by genes. It’s been discovered that the changes within the gene melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), found on body sixteen is chargeable for manufacturing this hair color. The MC1R recessive variant gene, which supplies red color to the hair, is found to be additional prevailing among the people of Ireland and Scotland.

It has also been determined to be accompanied by pale skin and freckles. Pale or truthful skin is truly ensuing of low concentration of the pigment eumelanin that has special advantage for the people living within the equator regions. These regions sometimes don't receive adequate amount of sunlight and then, light-weight skin is critical to provide adequate amount of vitamin D. On the opposite hand, this additionally has disadvantage, as people with light-weight skin are at higher risk for developing skin cancer.

During the Elizabethan era, such hair became fascinating quality, particularly for women. Queen Elizabeth I of England had red hair and as a result of this fact it became trendy for many women. Gradually, beautiful women with red locks became subject of the many paintings, as painters developed growing interest and fascination with red hair.

Many believe that rarity of red hair is principally responsible for making wide quality for this sort of hair color. Today, celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Alyson Hannigan have additional accumulated the popularity of red hair among the masses. Now, red dye is one among the most wanted hair dyes by both men and women.

Irish red hair isn't any longer considered as the hair type related to stigma and humiliation. Rather it's become fashion trend and fascinating hair color for nice majority of the population together with celebrities. Aside from Ireland, large numbers of individuals with red hair are found in U. S., Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia and Albania.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blogs on the truths about red hair becoming extinct, why people think gingers steal souls and more!

Find awesome items for the redhead in your life on our website www.ilovebeingirish.net

Irish Cheese Tart Recipe

Short Crust Pastry

3/4 cup of flour

Pinch of salt

3 oz Kerrygold butter, cut into small cubes

3 tablespoons cold water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt then rub in the butter until

the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add the water and form into a ball. Roll out the pastry until large enough

to line an 8 inch pan.

Place a piece of foil over the pastry to cover the base and sides.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven to cool.

Cheese Tart Filling

1/2 oz Kerrygold butter

1 small onion

1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped

3 slices back bacon, and cut into strips

8 button mushrooms, wiped and cut into thick slices

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

6oz Dubliner cheese, grated

1 cup skimmed milk

3 medium size eggs, beaten

1oz pack fresh Mediterranean herbs, finely chopped

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter and cook the onions until softened but not browned.

Add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms, then cook for a further 5 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into the pastry base, adding the tomato halves and

sprinkle over the Dubliner cheese.

In a jug mix together the milk, eggs, herbs, mustard and seasoning and pour

over the filling.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the filling is just firm to touch,

then serve with a salad.

Serves 4-6

Find this and other great recipes at Food Ireland

FINN MCCOOL (Fionn MacCool) An Irish Legend

FINN MCCOOL COMES TO AID THE FIANNA 

Fionn MacCool, was no ordinary giant. He was the biggest and the strongest giant in all Ireland. His voice could be heard for miles around. He was so strong that he could lift a hundred men in one of his enormous hands. Fionn lived with his wife in the hills of County Antrim. Fionn’s wife was called Oonagh.

One day a messenger came to Fionn’s castle. He had come all the way from Scotland with news for Fionn. The messenger told Fionn that a Scottish giant called Angus wanted to fight him. Angus wanted to show that he was stronger than any giant in Ireland. Fionn had never seen Angus before, but he knew that he was the biggest giant in Scotland. Fionn was not afraid.

The next day, Fionn began to build a path across the sea to Scotland. This path was called the causeway. It was made of thousands of rocks. Fionn built many miles of the causeway with his great hands. When Angus heard about Fionn’s causeway, he decided to build the Scottish end of the causeway himself. For weeks the two giants worked hard at building the causeway.

One morning Fionn was in the forest near his castle. He saw his wife coming towards him. He ran over to her.
She said to him, “I have heard that Angus is the biggest and the strongest giant in all the world. He is twice as big as you and twice as strong!” Fionn was very worried. “I cannot fight a giant that is twice my size!”

As the sun was setting, he heard a knock on the door. It was the messenger. “Angus wants to fight you tomorrow at sunrise,” he told Fionn.
“Yes, of course,” replied Fionn.

He went into his bedroom when the messenger left. He took the blankets off the bed. Fionn and Oonagh worked through the night. They cut the blankets and made giant baby clothes. Fionn put on the baby clothes and got into the giant cradle.

At sunrise the next morning, Oonagh heard a knock on the door. It was Angus. Angus asked Oonagh was Fionn there. Oonagh told him that he was gone for a walk and that he would be back soon. She invited him in. It was not long before Angus heard a cry. He asked whom it was, pointing to the cradle. Oonagh said, “That’s young Fionn, our baby.
Angus thought that if this is the size of their baby, how big could Fionn be. Then he ran out of the castle as fast as he could. He ran across the causeway and did not stop until he reached his country. He was afraid that Fionn might follow him.

Today, if you go to County Antrim, you can still see a small piece of the causeway. It is called the Giant’s Causeway, because it was built by Fionn Mac Cool, the most famous giant in the history of Ireland.

Source: Baby Names of Ireland

Top 5 things to do in County Cork Ireland

We all have our favorite things to do when visiting County Cork (Contae Chorcaí), but these are my personal top five must go to attractions. Feel free to add your favorite County Cork attractions in the comment section!

Ballyhass Lakes Activity Centre, Fishing & Wakepark

Ireland’s largest cable wakeboarding centre. Ballyhass is delighted to bring the world’s latest and fastest growing water sport into the heart of Munster. Cable wakeboarding uses an overhead cable which pulls you over the surface of the lakes with a feel just like surfing or snowboarding but on water. This is the most accessible water sport for all ages and most of all fantastic fun.

Ocean Escapes

With Ocean Escapes you can explore the coastline both inside the harbour and beyond. Our sightseeing tours allow you to encounter Pods of dolphins and whales in and around the Cork coastline. Experience the unique thrill of a fast ride onboard our RIB and Enjoy the sights from a very different perspective.

Fota Wildlife Park

Fota Wildlife Park is Cork's most visited Tourist Attraction and has been awarded best family day out in Cork and Munster. The Park is set on 70 acres on the scenic Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour only 15 minutes from Cork City (top 10 in the best cities to visit in the Lonely Planet guide's 'Best in Travel 2010').The park is not like an ordinary zoo; here you can come face to face with free roaming animals & birds from all parts of the world. So whether it's a kangaroo that hops in front of you or a ring tailed lemur which jumps down from a tree, each visit is sure to bring its own fantastic memories.In addition to the wonderful array of free roaming animals, visitors also have the opportunity to see highly endangered species such as the Rothschild giraffe, European Bison, Lion Tailed Macaque and Scimitar Horned Oryx, most of them without the obstacle of fenced-in exhibits.This is the most spectacular aspect of Fota Wildlife Park, and is the reason you'll want to spend a full day exploring Ireland's Wildest Attraction.

Ballycotton Cliff Walk

Actually in the  famous east Cork fishing village of  Ballycotton is a very scenic spot known as the Ballycotton Cliff walk.  This is not a well known area to Irish locals never mind visitors to this country, yet views from the cliff walk can give many other coastal scenes a run for their money.

The Nightmare Realm

An extreme walk-through haunted event preying on your deepest fears and nightmares and twisting them into a deadly reality. All Nightmare Realm events change yearly with new themes, scenes and characters from the grotesque and blood churning to the sick and extreme.

Your pulse will race and you will laugh and cry at the same time. The Nightmare Realm is not for the faint of heart and younger people may need to be supervised by an adult. The Nightmare Realm annually draws thousands of fans (victims) to their unique and compelling events from ages 13 to 90.

The Annual Across Ireland Motorcycle Run celebrates it's 10th year

The Across Ireland motorcycle run is approaching again. 2014 marks the 10th year of this charity event and the call has gone out for willing participants.

This year’s two-wheeled fun run takes place on the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 23rd and 24th) and will start from the Xtreme45 Motorcycle Shop, on the Old N1 road, North of Swords.

The run is a cross-country affair, travelling from Swords to Eyre Square in Galway, with an overnight stay for participants in the renowned and popular Hotel Clybaun, and on the Sunday, the return jaunt to Dublin.

Read more here

To pre-register for the cycle run and download a copy of the registration form, go to www.acrossireland.com

Random Odd Facts

Odd Irish Facts

• Achill Island is the largest island off Ireland’s coast. It’s 56 miles square, with dramatic landscape featuring wild cliffs and moors.
• The northern Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela is known as"el Dingle de Santiago" in memory of a journey that Irish religious pilgrims made there in medieval times.
• Killary Bay, on the Mayo-Galway border, is the only true fjord in Ireland. A fjord is a long, narrow inlet from the sea between high slopes.
• Ireland’s 15 principal railway stations are named after the leaders of the 1916 uprising.
• An “An Fáinne” is a lapel pin, worn by some fluent Irish speakersto invite others to speak to them in the traditional language.
• Director John Huston filmed the New Bedford, Massachusetts scenes in his 1956 movie "Moby Dick" in Youghal, County Cork.
• Famed Hollywood movie director John Ford was born Sean O’Feeney in 1894, in Spiddal, County Galway.
• The scenic “Wicklow Way” is the oldest and most popular hiking route in Ireland. Stretching from the Dublin suburb of Rathfarnham in a south-westerly direction toward the village of Clonegal, in County Carlow, the 25 year old public walking route is traversed by over 20,000 people each year.
• James Joyce once called Guinness stout "the wine of Ireland."
• Ireland has virtually no coal deposits, even though it’s just 60 miles from Wales, one of the world’s richest coal fields.
• Muhammad Ali has some Irish heritage. His great grandfather was born in Ennis, County Clare, and emigrated to Kentucky in the 1860s. There, he married an African-American woman. A son born to this couple also married and African-American woman, who gave birth to Ali's mother, Odessa Grady. She married a man named Cassius Clay, and the two moved to Louisville, where the future champ was born.
• Baileys Irish Cream which was launched in Ireland in the early seventies, is now the most popular liqueur in the world.
• Louth is the smallest county in Ireland; Cork is the largest.
• About 30% of the people in Australia are of Irish descent.
• Ireland is the world’s only country with a musical instrument for a national symbol: the harp.
• It’s not the custom in Ireland to wear green ties, hats or other green clothes on St. Patrick's Day. A sprig of shamrock in the coat lapel is the preferred display.
• One old Irish superstition holds that May is an unlucky month to get married in, because of its association with the Virgin Mary. This superstition seems to have lost its power, however, since May is now one of the most popular wedding months for Irish people.
• The Irish tricolor flag, created in 1848, was designed to reflect the country's political realities. Orange stands for Irish Protestants, green for Irish Catholics and the white stripe for the hope that peace might eventually be reached between them.
• The tallest identical twins ever born were the Knipe Brothers from Magherafelt in County Derry who were 7ft 2in. They were born in 1761.
• Actor Kenneth Branagh hails from Belfast.
• The red kite, an almost extinct species, will be reintroduced in County Wicklow Ireland in the fall of 2007. The red kite is a raptor that has been supported by special breeding and release programs in England. It has not been seen in Ireland since the 19th century.
• Ireland’s highest mountain is Carrantouhill, in County Kerry (3,445 feet).
• Trinity College in Dublin, which happens to be Ireland's oldest university, has famous alumni including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
• Pop singer Christina Aguilera’s mother is Irish-American.
• Belleek Pottery will celebrate it’s 150th anniversary by reissuing 15 items from deep within it’s archives, including a 19th century Round Tower centerpiece.