Irish America

Irish America

Slainte

Slainte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend

By Edythe Preet

Fall 2025

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In Irish Folklore the Raven was thought to be a messenger from the other world. Autumn is upon us. The leaves have gone gold and scarlet, night falls earlier, the air turns chill, and the season to plant crops won’t come again until Spring. For our ancestors, it was time to breathe a sigh of relief that summer had produced a bountiful harvest and rejoice in that good fortune … [Read more...] about Slainte! Birds of Celtic Myths and Legend

Sláinte! Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast

By Edythe Preet


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In pre-Christian Ireland, the spring celebration on May 1 was called Bealtaine. Household fires were extinguished several days before the feast and people were forbidden to rekindle them until Druid priests lit a ceremonial bonfire on the Hill of Tara, stronghold of the High King. When Christianity supplanted pagan customs a new spring celebration was introduced: Easter, … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Lent and Easter: The Fast and the Feast

Sláinte! Bid Thy Guests Welcome Though They Come At Any Hour

By Edythe Preet

July/August 1997

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In the 16th century Elizabeth I was Queen of England. Spain and England were at war, and their armadas stalked each other on the open seas. Certain Irish sailing captains who swore allegiance to neither nation raided both fleets for profit. Some called them pirates. Some called them heroes. One became a legend.  Her name was Granuaile. Grace O'Malley. Pirate Queen. Many tales … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Bid Thy Guests Welcome Though They Come At Any Hour

Sláinte! Many a Shabby Foal Makes a Fine Horse

By Edythe Preet

May/June 1997

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It is Spring. The foals are being born. In their gawky long-legged honor, I give you the saga of the Irish and their horses. It is a history that stretches across centuries. It is a tale of friendships and working partners. It is a romance born of the land, nurtured by necessity and fastened by ancient bonds. It is one of the oldest love stories on earth.  Horses arrived in … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Many a Shabby Foal Makes a Fine Horse

Slàinte! A Universal Christmas

By Edythe Preet

November/December 1998, republished in Winter 2024

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All around the world, the holiday season is a time to gather with family and friends, to share abundance, to feast, to reflect on the memories of joyful times past, and to make every effort to ensure that the future will be peaceful and prosperous for all. Here in the United States, the holiday season is celebrated in a myriad of ways bequeathed us by the thousands of … [Read more...] about Slàinte! A Universal Christmas