Irish ProverbsMarriages are all happy—it’s having breakfast together that causes all the trouble. A glutton lives to eat; a wise man eats to live. A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures in the doctor’s book. Good sense is as important as food. No time for your health today, no health for your time tomorrow. Never burn a penny candle looking for a halfpenny. Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children make a home. Every eye forms its own fancy. Say but little, and say it well. A questioning man is halfway to being wise. He is bad that will not take advice, but he is a thousand times worse that takes every advice. |
Ireland is an island west of Britain. The northeastern section, known as Northern Ireland, is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The rest of the island is called the Republic of Ireland. Over its history, Ireland has been subject to influences, migrations, and invasions by groups such as the Celts, Normans, Norses, English, and Scots. The country’s official languages are Irish and English. Ireland is particularly noted for its strong emphasis on Christianity, which is said to have been brought to the island in the 400s by a British / Roman man now known as St. Patrick. Themes of Ireland include shamrocks, leprechauns, music (including harps and bagpipes), dancing, soccer, hurling (a type of sport), storytelling, joke telling, art, theatre, literature, cows, potatoes, milk, wheat, and barley. |