RECIPES FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY ~ IRISH FLAG JELLIES

A perfect Irish Flag Jelly!

With St. Patrick's Day not far away now, I am trying to think up fun new recipes for the day.  These are not going to be difficult recipes and more for fun on the day and the look of them than things that take longer and involve a little more skill. 

Of course, I do have our Irish Recipes on WeLoveDonegal.com.  Which recipes involve a bit of cooking and in some cases, like our traditional Irish Stew, a fair bit of preparation too.

I am adding to these now with my new, fun and not really traditional things to serve on St. Patrick's Day, the first of which is my Irish Flag Jellies ~ our own original recipe.

This is simple to prepare ~ the only thing you will actually have to make is the white jelly, something that took me a fair bit of experimenting to arrive at.

To get the recipe just click IRISH FLAG JELLIES to go to the page on WeLoveDonegal.com

ERRIGAL TWEET UP

ERRIGAL tweetup

Errigal tweet up ~ 26th February 2012

On Sunday next, the 26th of February next there will be a Donegal tweetup ~ on the top of Errigal, which at 2,464 feet/751 meters is the highest mountain in Donegal.  Luckily one doesn't need to be a mountaineer to scale it and the people on the tweetup will be using a more accessible path up the slightly easier side of the mountain.

Incidentally, for those who don't know, a "tweetup" is where a group of people who are on twitter (and therefore "tweet") arrange to meet up in a group of fellow twitter users, hence tweetup.

This tweetup in Donegal will be the highest ever "tweetup" in Ireland and will raise much needed funds for Breast Cancer Ireland.  Another beneficiary of the Errigal tweet-up will be the Little Angels Special School, Letterkenny, who will benefit if all those taking part, or even just coming to watch, would bring any old mobile phones to donate to them.

One of the organisers of the Errigal tweetup, Carl Diver, told us how the Errigal tweetup came about:

"The tweet up came about after I climbed errigal the week before Christmas when it was covered in snow. @denis_finnmedia saw one of the photos that I tweeted and I think he said that I was mad to climb the mountain on such a day. I responded by saying that we should hold the next tweet-up at the top of Errigal and its grown from there. Denis was at one of the first tweet ups in the country that took place in Letterkenny back in September.


It'll be Irelands highest tweet up to date and it has gained a lot of support from other who have held tweet ups around the country and local people in Donegal who are on twitter have been very keen to come along. We decided that it would make sense to try and raise some money for charity if we are doing it and Breast Cancer Ireland approved us to collect in aid of them, we are asking people to donate directly on the Breast Cancer Ireland website, and The Little Angels school in Letterkenny will also collect any old mobile phones on the day.


It'll be a great day out and a bit of fun and a chance to meet people who are on-line, the SMEcommunity are very much behind tweet ups and promoting them.


So its on Sunday the 26th February, setting off from the car park at the foot of Errigal just outside Dunlewey on the road to Letterkenny, and we will set off from the car park at 12 noon. Its a peer climb so people take part at their own risk."

Those taking part are guaranteed a refreshing hike, a bit of craic with others taking part, enjoy some spectacular scenery including the beautiful Poisoned Glen, Dunlewey, and raise funds for worthy causes too.
The tweetup begins in the car park at the base of Errigal at 12 noon. The car park is on the main Letterkenny to Dunlewey (or even Dunlewey to Letterkenny) road about five minutes from Dunlewey.

If you would like more information, you can tweet any of the following:

@carldiver @denis_finnmedia @errigaltweetup or use the hashtag #SMEcommunity on twitter

or contact Carl by mobile: 0863540300  email: carldiver@cdamc.ie

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A LEPRECHAN?

Would you like to see a leprechaun?  Or even be one for a day?  Would you like to be part of a record breaking attempt and be in the Guinness Book of Records?

Glenties, County Donegal, Ireland

If you have answered yes to any of the above, then Glenties in County Donegal on Saturday the 17th of March 2012, St. Patrick's Day, is the place to be.

Carmel Doherty and two of the smaller dragons

The village of Glenties County Donegal is making an attempt to break the world record for the most leprechauns in one place at one time.  Carmel Doherty, Chairperson of the Glenties Community Action Group, told us that they have been accepted by the Guinness Book of Records and so if they beat the previous records, they will be entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the place where the most leprechauns gathered in one place at one time.

The record was first held by the American TV chat show host, Jay Leno on St. Patrick's Day 2011 in Los Angeles where 224 leprechauns turned up.  However this record was then broken in November 2011 by Ireland's RTE's personality Derek Mooney when he had 250 leprechauns turn up at the Grand Central Theater in Dublin.

There are so far nearly 200 leprechauns registered for the St. Patrick's Day record breaking attempt in Glenties so they are aleardy near breaking the previous record.  Leprechauns of all ages are welcome ~ even as young as babies and there are currently four little babies entered all of whom will wear his or her own tiny leprechaun outfit, especially sized for them by the people of Glenties.  They will even have a "Dulux" (Old English Sheepdog) wearing a leprechaun outfit in the parade!

The Community Centre, Glenties

Working away in the Community Centre in Glenties is Carmel and a group of local helpers producing leprechaun outfits for all the participants.  They are inviting anyone from anywhere to be part of the this record breaking attempt.   The fee to enter is just €10 and this is to cover the cost of the outfit you will be supplied with which includes a waistcoat, hat, and beard. 

All you need to do is registered your name on line as soon as possible (link below) and turn up on the day wearing a white long sleeved shirt or Tshirt, black trousers and black shoes (if you don't have black trousers green or red trousers are accepted by the Guinness Book of Records too). 

It is very important that those taking part turn up wearing:

~ a long sleeved WHITE SHIRT or T.SHIRT 

~ BLACK shoes

~ BLACK, RED OR GREEN TROUSERS

Any variation (say jeans or short sleeved shirts or runners) will exclude that person from being included in the number count under the Guinness Book of Record rules.

The leprechauns will gather for the count on the Patrick McGill bridge in the centre of Glenties at 2pm on St. Patrick's Day when the number will be adjudicated and confirmed, after which the St. Patrick's Day festivities begin in full.

The huge head of the 30 metre long dragon

Glenties, who have not held a St. Patrick's Day Festival in many years, are intending that their relaunching of the Glenties St. Patrick's Parade to be a colour full and busy one and a great family day out.  They have been busy preparing costumes and props for local entrants in the parade including a huge and very colourful dragon which will measure some thirty metres and snake his way through the village during the parade.  Smaller dragons will bring even more colour to the parade following in the footsteps of the monster dragon.

Some of the jewel coloured headdresses

There will be local girls wearing fabulous fanned and sequined head gear in bright jewelled colours dancing their way through the streets too.

On the streets there will be traditional Irish music musicians playing for the crowds and there will also be a range of traditional games played in Ireland many years ago, mostly all forgotten now but brought back for the St. Patrick's Day festival in Glenties.  All the cafes, restaurants and bars will be open too and many of the bars will also be hosting traditional Irish music sessions.

Glenties' St. Patrick ~ in the making

Of course being St. Patrick's Day the parade would not be complete without St. Patrick himself and they have produced a very much larger than life St. Patrick to lead the parade. The photo above shows the beginnings of their St. Patrick and already it can be seen how huge it will be, possibly as high as 17 feet.

LISTEN to our interview with carmel HERE

If you would like to be a leprechaun for a day or even be part of the record breaking attempt by being there when, hopefully, the record is broken you can register (and Begora, go'wan, you know you want to) HERE


Carmel, getting the Guinness on in her bar, Keeney's, Glenties

There is ample parking in Glenties and on the outskirts of the town but it would be advisable to be there by 1pm.  Further information can be had by contacting Carmel by email or phone:  
Email: carmeldoherty10@gmail.com 
 
Telephone 087-9307423 (within Ireland) and outside Ireland 00353-87-9307423

NOTE: We will be doing a new blog post following the 17th of March reporting on the Guinness Book of Record attempt by Glenties and adding lots of photographs of the day.
 
AND IF YOU CAN'T BE THERE ...
 
Obviously many people won't be able to travel to Glenties for the record breaking attempt but if you want to send a photo of you in leprechaun gear on St. Patrick's Day or even groups of leprechauns at your St. Patrick's Day parade, you can send your photo to welovedonegal @ gmail.com (join the spaces either side of the @) and we will create a page on WeLoveDonegal especially for you all.

RORY GALLAGHER FESTIVAL

For the second year running The Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival has scooped a major award for the Best Festival in Ireland (in the Medium crowd size section with crowds of 10,000-30,000).  (Electric Picnic took the award for the best large festival ~ crowds of over 30,000.)

Rory Gallagher statue, Ballyshannon

Rory Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal in 1948 and achieved world wide fame.  From our WeLoveDonegal.com website:

 "Musician and songwriter.  Formed the band 'Taste' in the late '60s.  In 1971 he was voted (ahead of Eric Clapton) Melody Maker's International Top Musician of the Year.  His albums have sold over 30 millions copies worldwide.  He died in London after developing complications following a liver transplant."

In 2010 a bronze statue, the work of sculptor David Annand was unveiled in Ballyshannon town centre (the photographs on this blog post are of that statue).  In Dublin's Temple Bar there is a place named 'Rory Gallagher Corner' and under the sign hangs a bronze replica of his Stratocaster guitar.

Along with large crowds, the festival has attracted some great musicians over the years including Rory's band, Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) and Bernie Mardsen (Whitesnake) to name a few.  The festival is 10 years old this year so the Award is a great way for the Rory Gallagher Festival organisers to celebrate in style!

This year's festival will run between Thursday, 31 May and Sunday, 3 June.  Details can be found on the festival's site HERE and the organisers have, for the first time, a large events tent planned which will hold around 1,000 thereby allowing them to bring even bigger acts this year.


Rory Gallagher 1948 ~ 1995