Painted Sheep of Ireland and Scotland

By TL Sumner
Last month, one of my favorite Scottish blogs, Scotland Here and Now, had a post about painted sheep. You read that right. Sheep, painted colors. Like orange and red and even tartan. For those animal rights activists among us, no need call PETA. They use a sheep spray which is perfectly safe for the wooly flock.


After the initial shock of seeing the striking photo of an orange sheep, I learned that sheep breeders in Ireland and Scotland paint their sheep to identify them. That way if one of theirs ends up with another breeder’s flock, it can be returned to, or claimed by their rightful owner. A “dye job” can also make them more presentable for show or sale.

Painting sheep can also be a form of art. When Andrew Jack painted his flock blue to commemorate St. Andrews Day, it caused quite a stir for motorists driving by the field where they graze on the pyramids in Bathgate.

Jack told BBC News, "It is a bit of fun and it does brighten things up." He’s painted the flock purple to raise awareness for Erskine, a charity that supports ex-service men and women in Scotland, and earlier this month, they were painted green for St. Patrick’s Day. The field, situated beside the M8, is one of the busiest motorways in Scotland and the flock is now affectionately known as the M8 Pyramid Sheep. They even have their own Facebook page.

Another farmer claimed that painting her flock with tiger stripes deterred a wild cat in the area from stalking and attacking her sheep. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a photo of that, but I did find, drumroll please... a short video of tartan sheep at a farm in East Lothian.

Have you seen any painted sheep in your travels to the UK? What were your initial reactions when you saw them?
Flickr Photo Credits:

• Orange Sheep of Glen Quaich by P. Stubbs
  
• Red Sheep by Bathgate Wildlife
  
• Blue Sheep by frog n fries

The King's Head

By Alexa Bourne


In 2007, I took my first trip to Ireland. I spent a few days in Dublin with some friends and then we took a tour for a few more days through the southern part of the country. Yes, we hit all the required tourist spots- Blarney Castle, Killarney, Cliffs of Moher, etc.- but we also hit a few places that surprised and delighted me. One of those places was the King's Head Pub in Galway. Now I know some of you who know me well are thinking, "Oh, here she goes talking about a pub" (Because yes, I do like a pint or two now and then) but I promise this is worth it.

To stand outside the King's Head Pub in Galway, Ireland, a tourist wouldn't think it any different than any of the other pubs in the Emerald Isle. But the King's Head Pub has an interesting story behind it. The property was payment for a murder.

It is believed that the site for the pub, right in the heart of Galway City, was given as payment in January 1649 to the man who executed King Charles I of England. The executioner was masked, so his true identity was never known.

Today, the pub offers lunch and dinner. Plus, most evenings there is live music. It is a popular tourist destination and can get very crowded in the summer months. It has a stone floor and a grand fireplace and windows on the first floor that date back to Medieval times. The building contains three floors with bars and stages on each one. The main stage is visible by the first two floors, while the third floor offers a more intimate setting for private parties and entertainment, such as occasional theatre productions and stand-up comedians.

Walking through the main door, I couldn't help but get caught up in the friendly atmosphere. The locals are willing to share a word or two about the local legends over excellent food and a pint. But I have to tell you as I sat with my friends sipping my pint, for a few moments I could almost feel the presence of the souls from long ago. My skin literally tingled as I glanced at the front door and imagined a young man walking through the door, greeting his friends and wandering up to the bar. It was the only part of my trip where I had that feeling and it was so amazing I almost wished I didn't have to leave.

To find out more about the history of this cozy little pub, you can go to their website, http://www.thekingshead.ie/.

Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Since food is my thing, being a foodie romance author and former chef, I figured I'd put together another post about Irish food. Potentially, not the last, so keep checking back. Plus, I put recipes in the back of all my foodie romance books, so you could almost have a whole recipe book just going through my blog posts and published works. **idea** Ok, back to the Irish food. Focus, Cam, focus.

This is a recipe I got from my Irish-Canadian grandmother, tweaked a little based on a recipe I found on Epicurious, as well. I definitely like this tweaked version even more than the one my grandma used to make.

Don't tell her that.

Irish soda bread is a very traditional food, and not to be trifled with. In fact, when I first told my grandmother about my "sweet soda bread" she said, "No, no, missy, that's not real soda bread." To which I said, "but I used soda." It wasn't much of an argument. Still, I prefer this to the traditional version any day.

A quick note. For the dusting sugar, instead of buying a bunch of powdered sugar, you can make your own. Take regular sugar, put it in a spice grinder or a food processor, and grind that puppy until it's dust. You'll end up with a better product than powdered sugar (which is often cut with cornstarch or fine flour because powdered sugar is typically used with liquid and will thicken better than straight sugar). If you're ever using powdered sugar for dusting primarily, I suggest making your own dusting sugar instead. Control your food.

Sweet Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup currants
2 tablespoons toasted caraway seeds
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon dusting sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Cut the butter and shortening into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, work the cold butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, the buttermilk, the currants and the caraway seeds and mix into the flour mixture until it is incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough forms a smooth ball. Place the dough into a lightly greased loaf pan. Score the top of the loaf with a very sharp knife. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.


It was great fun to get comments from people who'd tried the recipes for Dublin Coddle. If you try this, please leave me a comment. Or email me through my website. I'd love to hear how it worked for you.

Imbolc and St. Brigid’s Day

By Pat McDermott

Ireland abounds with stone monuments built by prehistoric tribes to help them divide the year into seasons: Samhain, November 1, the start of winter; Beltane, May 1, the first day of summer; Lughnasa, August 1, the beginning of autumn; and, Imbolc, February 1, the glorious arrival of spring.

The Newgrange passage tomb is famous for its roof box, which allows sunlight to penetrate its interior chamber during the winter solstice. A Neolithic mound in County Sligo’s Carrowkeel cemetery has a similar box that lets light in during the summer solstice. On the Hill of Tara, sunshine illuminates the chamber inside the Mound of the Hostages on both Samhain and Imbolc.

In ancient times, spring arrived somewhere during the first week of February. Imbolc (from i mbolg, old Irish for “in the belly”) refers to the impending birth of lambs and calves, a time of renewal, the start of the agricultural season. The celebration belonged to the Celtic goddess Brigid, daughter of Dagda, the Irish equivalent of Jupiter, Zeus, or Odin.

Brigid was a triple deity, a benevolent mother goddess of healing, fertility, and fire, as well as the patron of poets and smiths. When Christianity arrived in Ireland, the church superimposed its saints and holy days over many pagan deities and festivals. Brigid became St. Brigid (Bridget, Brigit, Brighid, Bride, Brid), the female patron saint of Ireland, guardian of hearth and home. Born in the 5th century, she became a leader of the early Celtic Christian church. Her feast day, February 1, is the first day of spring in modern Ireland.

Brigid, said to be the daughter of a druid, supposedly fed on the milk of Otherworld cows, a rumor that gave her dual authority over both Christian and pagan ways. A generous woman, she fed the poor and tended both cattle and land, and is often portrayed with a cow at her feet. She became a nun and founded convents and monasteries. Of the many legends associated with her, my favorite is her acquisition of the land on which she built her most famous monastery.

In 470, Brigid petitioned the King of Leinster for some prime property. Thinking himself clever, the king said he would give her as much land as her shawl could cover. Brigid took off her shawl to measure the land, giving each of the four nuns with her a corner of the cloak. The women ran north, south, east, and west, and the shawl stretched to cover acres of land. Her monastery, built near a huge oak tree, became known as Cill Dara, the Church of the Oak. Cill Dara is now the Town of Kildare.

St. Brigid’s Cross, one of the best-known symbols of Ireland, is still made from rushes on St. Brigid’s Day to ensure health and prosperity in the coming year. The practice hearkens back to Brigid’s attendance at the deathbed of a pagan chieftain, who was curious about the new Christian religion. She drew rushes from the floor and wove them into a cross, and when she told him of its origins, he converted to Christianity.

Whether goddess or saint, Brigid symbolizes the renewal of life and the hope of abundance, and Christians and pagans alike still honor her on her day.

A Fabulous Irish Recipe

By Camyrn Rhys

To kick off the blog launch of the fabulous RWA chapter I love so much, I am going to reveal my most cherished Celtic recipe. You see, I'll be on this blog regularly (one a month or so) and will be posting some of my favorite Celtic recipes with a little bit of food background. So instead of saving the best for last, I'm saving the best for first: DUBLIN CODDLE.

If you've never had Coddle before, you are missing out. My Irish-Canadian grandmother used to make this for me every year on my birthday, and when it came time to pass on my Celtic-inspired recipes, were my friends in for a treat! I used to run a cooking class for kids in my restaurant, and after school, we would do what I called the "International Cooking Club". Well, when we got to Ireland, on the map, we happened to have a large group of male volunteers there, and I made my Coddle.

Now, understand, Coddle is comfort food. Meat & potatoes. So already, high points with the male of the genders. But specifically, the combination of ingredients is like some kind of crack cocaine for men. Not only did they eat me completely out of it, but I got four marriage proposals that day.

So if you've got some hungry bellies around and you're looking for a way to comfort them, or you've got a significant other who likes meat and potatoes, or have to feed a lot of men, try this one. It's a simmer-cook, and best in a dutch oven. The crisp you get on the bottom is unbelievable.

Without further ado, here's my Coddle.

DUBLIN CODDLE
1 lb. pork sausages
½ lb. thick sliced bacon
2 cups ham or beef stock
2 lbs. potatoes (peeled, sliced into ½ in. rounds)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to season

Simmer the sausages and bacon in the stock or water over low flame for 5-10 minutes. Remove the meat to a bowl, reserving the broth.

Spread one-third of the potatoes on the bottom of a stovetop casserole dish or a large saucepan. Add a layer of half the onions and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cut the sausages in 3 or 4 pieces and spread a layer of half the sausages and bacon over the onions. Follow by another layer of potatoes, onions, sausages and bacon and finally a top layer of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the reserved broth.

Cover and simmer for about an hour. Serve with a green vegetable and a slice of soda bread to mop up the gravy. You won't believe how incredible this tastes. Seriously, you have to try this today.