Conway Mill Trust » Interesting facts

Did You Know?

admin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:58:27 +0000

The Irish are the world’s greatest consumers of tea, ranking even above the English. It is pronounced “tay” which is the 18th Century pronunciation and is also said this way in other European countries.

Sugar is consumed in large amounts by the Irish. Ireland is self-sufficient with respect to sugar, manufacturing it from the millions of tons of beets collected at harvest time. Why do the Irish love sugar? It soothes (especially the chocolate variety) those suffering from depression. Could that be weather related?

Source: “Things Irish” by A. Bluett

Did You Know?

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:57:34 +0000

Mutton and lamb are the principal meats eaten in Ireland. Sheep farming was one of the only ways of life in mountain areas unfit for cattle.

The Irish are Europe’s number one consumer of potatoes.

Dulse (laver) is a flat, red-brown seaweed that can be eaten raw in salads.

Sloke or sea-spinach requires a long cooking period. It is dark green and very nourishing.

Irish Moss or Carrageen Moss is the best known of Ireland’s algae. It has a high vitamin content and is good for thickening soups and making jellies.

Tripe or sheep’s stomach is usually cooked for several hours, sliced and eaten with plenty of onions in milk.

Source: “Things Irish” by A. Bluett

Flight of the Earls

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:29:38 +0000

This date in Irish History — September 14, 1607 — Flight of the Earls. After the Battle of Kinsale in which the Irish forces of O’Neill and Hugh O’Donnell were defeated by the English, O’Neill fought his way back up to Ulster while O’Donnell sailed to Spain to enlist aid. O’Donnell died shortly after his arrival, and 300 years later papers were found which confirmed that he was poisoned by English agents. When news of the death reached O’Neill, O’Donnell had accepted terms offered by the Lord Deputy which restored his lands and promised freedom to practice the Catholic religion. The treaty was not honored, and the King formed the policy of planting Scottish and English settlers in Ulster on the confiscated lands of the Earls. The only hope for the Earls was to flee. They boarded a ship in Rathmullen, Lough Swilly and sailed to Spain and then Italy, never being able to enlist aid before O’Neill died in 1616. With their flight the old Gaelic order came to an end.

Did You Know?

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:34:55 +0000

A retired federal agent has uncovered records which show that the first female cop in the U.S. was Irish born Marie Owen. She started in office in 1890 and was pictured in the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1904 as the “only woman police sergeant in the world.”

Mervyn Kirkhead, 65, from Lisburn, Co. Antrim, has crossed the Irish Sea in a bathtub that was equipped with a motor. He is the first person to accomplish this feat in this manner.

Did You Know

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:20:45 +0000

That the megalithic passage tomb at Newgrange, Co. Meath was built around 3200 BC? It is estimated that it would have taken a workforce of 300 at least 20 years to complete.

That a “caubeen” in Irish means hat?

Did You Know?

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:17:36 +0000

On July 12, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln approved legislation authorizing the production of 2000 “Medals of Honor” to be presented in the name of Congress to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities. Thirty-three countries are listed as birthplaces of medal recipients. Ireland with 258 natives awarded the medal has the largest number of winners.

Did You Know?

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:58:05 +0000

There is written evidence that horse racing dates back at least to the 3rd Century. Chariot races were held on land that is now known as “The Curragh” in Co. Kildare.

Omagh is the cloudiest place in Ireland.

One of the propellers of the “Lusitania” which sunk off the coast of Kinsale in 1915 was melted down and turned into sets of golf clubs which sold for
$900 each.

Burying a potato in the back yard of a new home brings good luck.

Did You Know?

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:20:15 +0000

The steeplechase originated in Ireland. It is said it was the result of a wager in 1752 between two men racing four miles cross-country in Co. Cork.

Did You Know?

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:20:03 +0000

The first written language was called “Ogham,” named for Ogmios, the Celtic god of writing. It had an alphabet of 20 letters which can be found on the tall, flat stones driven into the ground in various places in Ireland.

Did You Know?

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:59:43 +0000

Forty (40) ships filled with 13,000 Irish immigrants fleeing “The Great Hunger” waited to disembark at Grosse Isle, Canada on May 31, 1848.