I'll post the real Cafe at the usual time. This one, my first effort, is far too focused on St. Patrick's Day to be a general-interest cafe. Also, I thought I'd post it before people go out for corn beef and beer.
The Rock is also known as St. Patrick's Rock.
According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil's Bit, a mountain 20 miles (30 km) north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock's landing in Cashel. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by Saint Patrick in the 5th century.
The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. In 1101, the King of Munster, Muirchertach Ua Briain, donated his fortress on the Rock to the Church. The picturesque complex has a character of its own and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. Few remnants of the early structures survive; the majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries.
One structure in the castle, a round tower, dates back to 1100 AD. The chapel's construction started in 1127; the cathedral just next to it was built starting 1235.
Check out how the BBC honors St. Patrick's Day -- by running an old clip about Ireland's ancient pagan gods. The clip is interesting, but how is this "a St. Patrick's Day treat"? Are they not aware that St. Patrick was, slightly famously, a convert to Christianity?
At 2:56-7, I'm pretty sure the stone on the ground commemorate St. Patrick (I think you can see "Patrick" written on second line, at the left margin) and this poet very deliberately steps on this commemoration to literally embrace... a pagan statue.
If that's how this guy rolls, it's how he rolls -- but how is this even slightly a "treat for St. Patrick's Day"?
I guess the BBC is just following the example of the Irish themselves. The Irish president decided to make St. Patrick's Day all about everyone's need to celebrate "migrants" and fight "xenophobia and racism." It's literally all about the "contributions and courage of migrants." Nothing about, you know, the indigenous population of Ireland and their traditions.
Here's a video about St. Patrick. I guess a lot of people know this, but the reason the three-leaf clover (not four-leaf) is so connected with St. Patrick's Day is that legend has it that he would use the clover to teach about the Trinity.
The history of the prayer/hymn called St. Patrick's Breastplate or St. Patrick's Lorica (which just means "breastplate"), a prayer of protection against spiritual and physical dangers. Plus a reading of the prayer. It's amazing. Supposedly St. Patrick and his followers would weave paper upon which was written this prayer through their tunics.
Here's another telling of the lorica protecting Patrick from druids who schemed to kill him. It's sometimes called "The Deer's Cry" because the druids lay in wait for Patrick and his missionaries to pass, but never saw him. They only saw a herd of deer go by. The implication being that the prayer conjured a protective illusion that shielded Patrick and his men from the druids' eyes.
Here's the hymn being performed at Trinity Church in NYC, and here's the prayer sung as a song.
A commenter (forget who) linked this tweet about grape agate. It's well-named!
Obviously this needs a goat.
The unofficial St. Patrick's Day drinking anthem.