Posts filed under 'Meath'
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world. However, for many it is simply a party, rather than a chance to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. This is strange, because Saint Patrick had a dramatic life.
As a young lad of sixteen years he was captured by a band of raiders near Bologne in Gaul and taken with many others to slavery in Ireland. He was first brought to Mayo, but later sold to an Antrim farmer and he spent six years in captivity as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain.
One cold winter’s night, while Patrick slept, he heard a voice telling him “it is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country” and a short time later the voice said to him “Look, your ship is ready”.
The spirit guided Patrick to the south of Ireland near Wicklow where he boarded a ship with a cargo of dogs bound for Gaul.
At this time an invasion of Gaul had left much of it desolate. Patrick and the crew of the boat wandered for 28 days until all food had run out. Patrick said to the crew “turn to God and he will provide” and suddenly a herd of pigs appeared and they had food once more. Patrick had performed his first miracle.
For a number of years Patrick wandered through Gaul. Conscious of his lack of formal training in theology and law he spent his time talking to and learning from the wise deacons and Bishops and soon he was made a Bishop in Rome.
He was lonely in Gaul so he went to visit his relations in Britain. While he was there he had another vision in which a man arrived from Ireland with many letters, including one for himself. The letter said “We ask you boy to come and walk once more among us”. Patrick was delighted and went to Ireland immediately.
The people of Ireland at this time were pagans under the influence of the Druids. Patrick had first to rid the country of these “magicians”. This is symbolised by the banishing of the snakes forever from Ireland.
He now set about converting the people to Christianity. His deep faith and belief in the Blessed Trinity made this doctrine a centre piece of his instruction. To help explain the mystery he used the simple 3 leaf shamrock to illustrate 3 persons in one God.
St Patrick died in 461. By this time he had created an established structured church throughout the country. His converts were across the entire social classes from Princes to slaves and many of his priests and deacons were from the youth of Ireland. He is still to this day the most famous figure in Irish history and is one of the best known figures throughout the Christian world.
February 27th, 2008
Leinster are preparing for their Heineken Cup clash at Leicester on Saturday 19th of January.
While the Leicester side is strong, Leinster coach Michael Cheika is confident they will be able to get a result.
He said: “What we’ve got to do is go up there and make sure we keep sowing a bit of doubt in
their minds in their home base, where they don’t lose very often.
“We’ve got to make sure we continue to play well…and try to sneak a win up there.”
Leinster’s preparations were given a boost with the news that both injury worries Shane Horgan and Ollie le Roux have recovered enough to be included in the squad. They will face fitness tests oon Thursday, but are expected to be at near 100%.
The full squad to face Leicester is:
Forwards (15): Cian Healy, Ollie le Roux, Ronan McCormack, Brian Blaney, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Knoop, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen, Trevor Hogan, Cameron Jowitt, Malcolm O’Kelly, Stephen Keogh, Keith Gleeson, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip
Backs (12): Guy Easterby, Chris Keane, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Gordon D’Arcy, Christian Warner, Brian O’Driscoll, Gary Brown, Shane Horgan,
Girvan Dempsey
Ireland duo Gordon D’Arcy and Malcolm O’Kelly, need only three more appearances for Leinster to equal who both joined Reggie Corrigan’s record for the province.
Over 1,000 Leinster supporters are expected to travel to Leicester for the Heineken Cup match, which kicks off at 3.30PM at Welford Road.
January 16th, 2008
There’s a lot going on at Donnybrook, as Leinster prepare for the new season.
First, a new Rugby Development Officer has been named. Everyone at Leinster Rugby is delighted at the appointment of David McAllister.
The former Leinster and Ireland Under-21 out-half will be responsible for the North Midlands area. Hopes are high that his experience will help him unearth some exciting new talent.
But that’s not all. You can now sport the colours of your favourite team, as the new home jersey for the 2007/08 season is now available at the Leinster Rugby Store. Short sleeved jerseys are only €77, with long sleeved shirts costing €80.
The 2007/08 season looks to be a very exciting one for Leinster. Season ticket applications have almost doubled since last year. Priced at just €199, a new batch of Bronze season tickets has been released after the initial tickets were snapped up within weeks. Make sure you get yours quickly to avoid disappointment.
For devoted Leinster fans who can’t make it to all the home games, Leinster Supporters Memberships are available for next season.
Exile packages (€50) are designed for those Leinster fans all across the globe. The kids can join the Leinster Cubs for just €30.
Look out for more rugby news as the 2007/08 season approaches.
July 24th, 2007
Hill of down is the place walkers need to be at to start the sixth section of the Royal Canal Way. This section ends at Riverstown Bridge. For this section of the walking trail, walkers will take in the delightful views of County Meath in the Leinster province. This section of the walking route is also easy like the previous sections and doesn’t any difficult climbing. Walkers will have to cover a distance of a little over ten kilometres. Three and a half hours should prove to be enough time for them to get from start to finish of this section. The surface terrain of this section of the Royal Canal Way consists of road and track. There is a wooded demesne called Hyde Park near D’Arcy’s wood. The old canal boats on D’Arcy’s bridge remind newcomers of the Leech family who were the last traders to work on the canal before its closure. Walkers will be able to view a fine harbour at Thomastown that owes its existence to the widening of the canal here. From this point onwards, there are two towpaths to follow on both sides of the canal. The southern path is even good enough for driving vehicles.
March 30th, 2007
Want to spend a nice vacation in County Meath with a tight budget? Slane Farm Hostel might be the answer you are looking for. This hostel is based in restored stone farm buildings on a working farm with plenty of cows, sheep and horses about. Three family rooms and three dormitories make up the accommodations available at this hostel. All of the rooms are en-suite. Bed linen is included in the price. Hairdryers are available. The laundry/drying room at the hostel allows the guests to use the washing machines and dryers for minimum charges. The kitchen is fully equipped and well stocked. Toasters, fridge, cooker and microwave can be availed by the guests. Tea, coffee, sugar and jams are also available here. There is a game room at the hostel that has pool, table tennis, darts, board games and Playstation for the guests to entertain themselves with. The living or TV room has internet access in addition to many books and DVDs. It is the perfect place to lose yourself in the evening. The hostel also has a camping ground with the capacity to accommodate twenty tents. Hot and cold water, toilet and kitchen are provided for the campers.
February 20th, 2007
Kells Hostel is a family run hostel in County Meath. This hostel is registered with the Irish Tourism Board. The hostel has nicely comfortable bedrooms that will greatly appeal to the guests. The bedrooms are all en-suite which is a major plus point and a bit rare for hostels since the emphasis is on cheap accommodations. A fully equipped self catering kitchen on the premises satisfies the cooking needs of the guests. It features many microwaves to facilitate the guests. A dining area allows the guests to have a nice dinner conversation while eating together. International guests from Germany, France and Spain are welcome since the languages of these countries are fluently spoken by the staff of the hostel. A common room is present for the guests interested in socializing and making new friends. Laundry facilities are offered at reasonable rates. Linen is included in the price. Car parking is free. Bicycles can be hired to explore the beautiful sights and sounds of the surrounding area.
February 7th, 2007
Penny’s place in County Meath is famous for its home made traditional dishes. At lunch, you can choose to have pies, curries, salads or delightfully cooked meat dishes. The homemade cakes and desserts prepared at this restaurant are delicious to the extent of inducing your mouth to water just by hearing about them. They can actually pose a potential threat to your fitness if you fail to keep yourself from indulging in them too much. The staff of this restaurant is very attentive and provides prompt service to the customers.
December 19th, 2006
