While in Dublin you can tour St. Patrick’s Cathedral or Trinity College to see the 1200 year-old Book of Kells.  You might visit the historical homes of Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker and then sample a traditional Irish brew while touring the original Guinness Brewery. 

A short distance north of Dublin, in the coastal village of Malahide, you can enjoy Malahide Castle or a stroll on the sandy beach. A short distance south of Dublin, in County Wicklow, you can visit the awe inspiring, historic Glendalough Round Tower.

Initially Irish Family Names were simply a single given name such as Cian, pronounced “key in”.  As the population grew, it became necessary to add Irish Surnames so that families could be more easily identified.  Many Irish Surnames predate Christianity and were of ancient Celtic origin.  In fourth century AD, Irish surnames were influenced by St. Patrick and other Christian missionaries.  Irish Family Surnames often identified the particular trade of the family.  For instance the family of the local blacksmith might have the Irish surname of Smith.  Irish family surnames tended to be localized into groups or clans by county.  These clans broke into smaller groups or septs.  As generations of Irish families grew, it became necessary to further differentiate the older and younger generations by adding a prefix of Mac, meaning “son of”, often abbreviated by Mc, or O’ which means “grandson of”.    

Today many traditional Irish Surnames have been anglicized to more familiar spellings and pronunciations. Many Irish Surnames have been simplified by removing the O’ or Mac’ or the abbreviated Mc’ prefix and at times shortening the spelling by a letter in the middle of the surname.  For example, the anglicized surname Fallon was once the traditional Irish Surname of O’Faloon.  The anglicized surname McCarty came from the traditional Irish surname MacCarthy or the Gaelic surname Mac Carthaigh.    

Irish Family Maps make it easy to trace your Irish Surname to your family’s county of origin in Ireland with the easy to use alphabetical name listing and unique grid system.  Irish Family Maps even includes historical Irish Landmarks near your ancestral clan.  

So go ahead, research your Irish Surname.  Celebrate and share your Irish pride with your friends and family. Slainte’.

The soft glow of candle light in each window announces the coming of Christ. Homes throughout Ireland place a candle in the window to light the way for Mary and Joseph as they search for shelter each Christmas Eve. Holly sprigs and wreaths adorn doorways and window sills in anticipation of Christmas. Children leave sacks at the foot of their beds in hopes that Santa might fill them with Irish Christmas gifts. After Christmas Eve service, when the children are asleep, Santa arrives and gobbles a homemade seed cake and a glass of milk left to energize him for his long journey.

The Christmas season in Ireland is more of a religious celebration to honor the birth of Christ than a secular holiday. It is celebrated from Christmas Eve through Epiphany, a holy day twelve days after Christmas to celebrate the visit of the three wise men to honor the baby Jesus.

A traditional Irish family Christmas will likely include a feast of roast goose or turkey, with potato stuffing, plum pudding and seed cakes for dessert. Irish families throughout the world show pride in their Irish Heritage by trying some traditional Irish Christmas recipes from generations past. With the luck of the Irish, they may get to sip home-made eggnog from an old Irish family recipe as they listen to tales of grandfather’s Irish roots and Christmases long ago.

Roast Christmas Goose with Potato Stuffing.

One 8-10 pound goose

Potato Stuffing
6 cups potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled.
¾ cup butter of margarine
¾ cup diced onion
½ teaspoon ground sage
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash goose and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make potato stuffing.

Mash boiled potatoes with a masher in large bowl. In a medium skillet, sauté onions in butter over low heat until they become translucent. Add onions, butter, sage, salt, pepper and parsley to the potatoes, mix well.

Stuff goose with potato stuffing. Place goose in an uncovered roasting pan. Roast fifteen minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Roast 25 minutes per pound, about 2 to 2 ½ hours or until leg joint moves easily. Drain excess fat as the goose roasts. Let goose stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Remove potato stuffing. Carve goose. Serve with potato stuffing and warm applesauce. Enjoy.

Seed Cake

Some Irish families traditionally make a seed cake for each person as part of their Christmas celebration. They don’t forget Santa Clause. They leave a warm seed cake and a glass of milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1½ cups flour
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 Tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons Kirsch
Powdered sugar for dusting
Caraway seeds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, beat after each one. Stir in flour a little at a time. Add almonds and caraway seeds. Stir in milk and kirsch. Pour into a greased and floured 8-inch round pan. Bake 90 minutes. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes then turn onto a rack to cool completely. Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar and caraway seeds.

Christmas Plum Pudding

Irish Christmas Plum Pudding is traditionally prepared during the first or second week of advent as it takes several weeks to age.

½ cup seedless raisins, chopped
½ cup citron chopped
½ cup currants
½ cup dried cherries, chopped
2 cups Irish whiskey
¾ cup flour
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped suet (may substitute 1/3 cup vegetable shortening)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup grated apple
2 tablespoons lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 eggs
1 cup Guinness

Mix raisins, citron, currants and cherry in a large glass bowl. Pour one cup of Irish whiskey over fruit. Cover. Let stand over night.

The next day, mix flour, breadcrumbs, sugar, suet, salt and spices. Mix well. Add the almonds, grated apple, the whiskey and fruit mixture, lemon zest and juice. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, add Guinness. Pour mixture slowly into flour mixture. Blend well. For extra good luck, everyone in the family must stir the pudding and make a wish. Pour pudding into two 6 inch greased bowls.

Cover each tightly with foil. Place on a rack set in a large kettle; add water to the kettle halfway up the sides of the bowls. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered 5 ½ to 6 hours, adding water as needed. Remove pudding from kettle. Cool.

Place puddings in a shallow dish. Pour ½ cup Irish whiskey onto each pudding. Once the whiskey has soaked into the puddings, wrap them in cheesecloth and place in a sealed container, refrigerate to age 2-3 weeks.

Irish Family Maps make great Christmas Gifts

Irish Stew
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1” pieces
4 cups chicken stock
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut to 1” pieces
1 tablespoon of each; fresh minced thyme, parsley and rosemary
1 bay leave
3 stocks celery, cut into 1 ½ ” pieces
6 carrots, cut into 1 ½ ” pieces
2 onions, cut into a large dice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Place lamb in a large stockpot, cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add herbs and vegetables, simmer uncovered 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Corned Beef and Cabbage
2-3 pound corned beef brisket (with spice packet)
2 pounds new red potatoes, washed
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
1 large head of cabbage, cleaned and cut in wedges
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot combine corned beef, spices from spice packet and cover with water. Cover and simmer one hour per pound. Add vegetables simmer about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove corned beef and let stand for 15 minutes. Slice against the grain. Serve with potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

Brown Irish Soda Bread
3 cups whole whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk or sour milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk. Pour egg mixture into a well in dry ingredients and stir to combine. Place into greased and floured loaf pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Champ
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut to large dice
½ cup half and half
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup fresh chives or scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender when tested with a fork, drain. Mash potatoes. Combine half and half and butter in a saucepan heat through until butter is melted. Add chives or scallions to saucepan cook 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir mixture into potatoes and serve.

Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce

¼ cup butter, melted
1 small loaf of French bread, sliced 1” thick
½ cup raisins
¼ cup Irish whiskey or apple cider
3 cups milk
1cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Caramel-Whiskey Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. Brush melted butter on one side of bread slices. Bake on baking sheet until lightly toasted. Cut into 1” cubes, set aside.

Combine raisins and whiskey or cider in a small bowl; cover set aside.

Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl, stir in bread and raisins with liquid. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, sprinkle over pudding. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Caramel-Whiskey Sauce
1 ½ cups sugar
2/3 cup water
¼ cup butter
¼ cup cream cheese
¼ cup Irish whiskey or 1 T imitation rum extract with 3T water
¼ cup milk

Whisk together sugar and water in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Cook additional 15 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and cream cheese. Cool slightly whisk in whiskey and milk.

Pour Caramel-Whiskey Sauce over warm squares of bread pudding.