Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit !! ST. PATRICK'S DAY 2013

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or simply Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.
The day is the national holiday of Ireland. It is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Montserrat. In Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday. (Source: wikipedia)


First of all, don't miss the video just below if you want to know something more about the BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW: ST. PATRICK'S DAY..

For Basic Level (NB) students, here's some info on St. Patrick's Day.

Everybody associates colour GREEN with St. Patrick's Day. But why do we associate this colour to the festivity anyway? Does it have any solid basis? Watch the video to find out!

What if you were walking around your town one day, and people suddenly started dancing? Watch the Riverdance Frashmob at Sydney's Central Station on Saint Patrick's Day 2012:




Now, some Irish songs that are perfect for a good St Patrick's day celebration.

WILD ROVER (Blarney Lads) 

I've been a wild rover for many a year 
And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer, 
And now I'm returning with gold in great store 
And I never will play the wild rover no more. 

chorus: And it's no, nay, never, 
No nay never no more, 
Will I play the wild rover 
No never no more. 

I went to an ale-house I used to frequent 
And I told the landlady my money was spent. 
I asked her for credit, she answered me "nay 
Such a custom as yours I could have any day." 

chorus

I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright 
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight. 
She said "I have whiskey and wines of the best 
And the words that I spoke sure were only in jest." 

chorus 

I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done 
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son. 
And if they caress (forgive) me as ofttimes before 
Sure I never will play the wild rover no more. 

chorus

DIRTY OLD TOWN, by the Pogues



I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town


St. Patrick's Day is also widely celebrated in the US, especially in the cities like New York and Chicago. We have learnt that, in Chicago, the river turns green (the colour of the festivity, the colour of Ireland) every 17 March. Watch this video to see how:

OH!! Before I forget. We are going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Official Language School of Plasencia. Please join us next Mon 17 at 7.00 ir at 8.00 p.m. Our language assistant, John Gaffney, is going to tell us about St. Patrick's Day. And who knows! There might also be SOME SINGING!!!!

DON'T MISS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit !!