While Fall is officially my favorite season, the first few weeks of March are a close second! This time of year, everyone in American “becomes Irish” and celebrate a common holiday. I know we get like this for other big days like Cinco de Mayo and the Superb Owl, but Saint Patrick’s Day has long been an Irish immigrant fueled rebellious celebration that spread to the masses.
In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, I’d like to share some of my favorite Irish literature, food, and music with you to help put you in the mood for this grand celebration, too!
Irish Literature
I’ve talked about this a few times recently, but I love Maeve Binchy’s books. If you’re looking for recent Irish fiction to enjoy – start here! Binchy (1939-2012) started her career as travel writer for a newspaper after her letters home from a trip to the middle east were passed to the paper for editorial use. Her first book was actually a compilation of her news articles (My First Book). My favorite stories of hers circle around the same cast, but are standalone novels: Evening Class, Scarlett Feather, Quentins, and Tara Road. I was gifted a copy of Quentins a few years ago and LOVED it so much I quickly snapped up the others at our favorite bookstore!
If you’re interested in other great Irish writers, try these books and plays:
- Gulliver’s Travels, Johnathan Swift
- St Patrick’s Day (play), Richard Brinsley Sheridan
- The Wild Irish Girl, Sydney, Lady Morgan
- Memoirs of a Magdalen, Hugh Kelly
- The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
- Dracula, Bram Stoker
- Dubliners, James Joyce
- The Tower, WB Yeats
- Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett
- The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis
- Normal People, Salley Rooney
Irish Food
I am a sucker for Irish food! Here’s some of my favorites (with links to get recipes!):
- Boxty – potato pancakes
- Coddle – sausage, bacon, potato, and onion stew
- Cottage Pie – casserole with veggies and meat, covered by mashed potatoes
- Goody – stewed bread and milk with spices
- Irish Stew – beef or lamb with root veggies
- Jambon – squares of pastry dough filled with diced ham and cheese
- Soda bread – simple, dense, buttermilk bread
- Apple Cake – this is an elegant, but simple dessert of roasted apples and nuts in a delicate cake
Irish Music
My all time favorite Irish band is the Christian group Rend Collective. Their song “Ireland’s Call” is in our March reading playlist. I love their sound and their closeness as a group. If you like their music, go watch their YouTube videos – they are great!
Some other great Irish musicians include:
- The Cranberries – “When You’re Gone”
- My Bloody Valentine – “You Never Should”
- Thin Lizzy – “The Boys Are Back in Town”
- U2 – “With or Without You”
- Enya – “Only Time”
- Snow Patrol – “Chasing Cars”
- Van Morrison – “Brown Eyed Girl”
- Sinead O’Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U”
What are your go-to Irish writers, foods, and music? I’d love to discover new things this season!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Flowers on Main, Sherryl Woods
- Current audio book: Play Dirty, Lora Leigh
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Bridges of Madison County, Robert James Waller
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