Twin Peaks returns and we're reminded of the Brennan family

When we heard Twin Peaks was coming back, we were reminded of the kind but clutzy character, Deputy Andy Brennan, played by actor Harry Goaz. In the show, Deputy Brennan was a lawman, but the real Brennan family does have a skeleton in their closet, the infamous "Brennan on the Moor." This old, traditional Irish tune tells the story of Brennan, the "brave young highwayman," who was on the opposite side of the law as Deputy Andy, but still managed to win hearts.

Are you a Brennan, or do you know an outstanding Brennan? Send them to the Brennan page on the Irish Rose website to learn more about their family name (its origins in Kilkenny, Mayo, Sligo & Roscommon), view the Brennan family coat-of-arms, and see a list of famous Brennans.

Meet the O'Neills . . . and their blood red hand

The O'Neill coat-of-arms featuring
the bloody red hand of Ulster
legend.

Fancy a bloody coat-of-arms tale to keep you up at night? The O'Neill coat-of-arms is one of the darker and bloodier Irish heraldry stories.

Known as the Red Hand of Ulster, and featured on that county coat-of-arms, the red hand symbol is also part of the O'Neill family crest. Here's how Wikipedia explains the legend(s) of the red hand,

"According to one myth, the kingdom of Ulster had at one time no rightful heir. Because of this it was agreed that a boat race should take place and that 'whosoever's hand is the first to touch the shore of Ireland, so shall he be made the king.' 

"One potential king so desired the kingship that, upon seeing that he was losing the race, he cut off his hand and threw it to the shore—thus winning the kingship. The hand is most likely red to represent the fact that it would have been covered in blood. According to some versions of the story, the king who cut off his hand belonged to the Uí Néill clan, which apparently explains its association with them. Another variation of this story concludes that it was none other than Niall of the Nine Hostages who severed his own hand in order to win his crown from his brother. 

"A different myth tells of two giants who engaged in battle. One had his hand cut off by the other, and a red imprint of the hand was left on the rocks."

Either way, it's a chilling chapter in a very long and noble family history. Read more O'Neill coat-of-arms information here.

The season of Samhain is upon us

Traditional Irish halloween Jack-o'-lantern
made with a turnip

Halloween costumes and decorations are popping up everywhere, and in our part of the world the leaves are changing and the dark is encroaching on the daylight.

Ireland may have been the birthplace of Halloween, or Samhain as the Celts called it. Oíche Shamhna (October 31) is Halloween and Lá na Marbh (November 1) is the Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day.

So, turn on all the lights and read more about the Celtic and Irish connection to our modern ghostly holiday here in this story from Irish Central by Michelle K. Smith, The Spookiest Ancient Irish Myths and Legends Surrounding Halloween.

It's not too late to get one more festival in for the season! This is the last weekend of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and they're winding things up with an Irish theme. The Shamrocks & Shenanigans party runs through September 27 & 28, with an Irish village, Irish food, Irish dancers and music, Guinness tastings, and a keg toss (among other disturbances of the peace). Enjoy!

Meet the Fitzpatricks

The Fitzpatrick Coat-of-Arms

If you're a Fitzpatrick, perhaps you know that 'Fitz' is a Norman-French prefix attached to a Gaelic-Irish surname. But, perhaps you didn't know that only Fitzpatricks and Fitzdermots are considered to be in that category. The other Fitzes (like Fitzgerald or Fitzgibbon) are of Hiberno-Norman descent, which is a distinct group that came over during the Norman invasion.

During the time of the Norman invasion, some Irish were given anglicised equivalents; FitzPatrick was the equivalent for  Mac Giolla Phádraig. As you might guess, Phádraig is Irish for Patrick, and this family was named for their devotion to St. Patrick. Fitzpatricks, you are descended from Irish kings! Read more about the Fitzpatrick coat-of-arms and family name here.

Ready for the game?

Football season means . . . flasks! In parts of the country where they have to shovel snow off the field before playing, it's practically a tradition.

Irish Rose is carrying a nice selection of Irish & Celtic flasks these days, including new leather wrapped versions, and gift sets. If having a wee nip on you in case of nippy weather is a tradition in your football-loving family, then drop by the online store for a browse. (They also make fantastic wedding and groomsmen gifts!)

This weekend's Irish & Celtic celebrations, from Arizona to New York

Irish festivals are going strong this weekend, from Nebraska to New York. Here's links to all the Irish and Celtic festivals from September 19-21.

• Eire Irish, Eire, PA
• Southern Illinois Irish Festival, Carbondale, IL
• Wildwood Irish Fall Festival, North Wildwood, NJ
• Appalachian Celtic Connection, Ringgold, GA
• Celtic Harvest Festival, Sedona, AZ
• Greely Irish Festival, Greely, NE
• Hudson Valley Irish Festival, Peekskill, NY

Enjoy festival season . . . while it lasts

A rare snowfall in Ireland

Fall is here. It's official. In our neck of the woods, sweater weather has already dropped in. We heard that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting bitter cold and serious snowfall this winter. We are not ready, and we're also not very excited. How about you? Got your hoodies for the season?

Just because there's a nip in the air doesn't mean festival season is over. Far from it. The festivals this weekend are in Indianapolis, Balliston Spa, Muskegon, Pawtucket, Coney Island, Gloucester, and Sea Girt. Yes, those are real cities! Here are the links:

• Indy Irish Festival, Indianapolis, IN
• Irish 2000 Festival, Balliston Spa, NY
• Michigan Irish Festival, Muskegon, MI
• James McNally Wilson Irish Festival, Pawtucket, RI
• Great Irish Festival of New York, Coney Island, NY
• Gloucester Shamrock Festival, Gloucester, NJ
• Irish Festival at the Jersey Shore, Sea Girt, NJ

Meet the Kelly coat-of-arms

The Kelly coat-of-arms

Did you know that the Irish Rose has been gathering Irish coat-of-arms history for over 25 years? We're working on getting more Irish surname information on our website. It's amazing what you can learn about your family by learning about your name.

Take the Kellys, for example. Kelly is a well-known Irish name, but as a place name, it's found in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. We've put together a long list of famous Kellys; take a look!

The symbols in the Kelly coat-of-arms include a crown, a tower, lions rampant, chains, and a spear. The crown symbolizes regal or senior authority. The tower represents grandeur or wealth. The lions are warrior animals and the chains they climb signify honor. The spear indicates a readiness for battle. The blue background is the color of strength and loyalty, and the silver illustrates strength and loyalty. The Kellys are an old, strong family and the 2nd largest name in Ireland.

East Coast has all the Irish festivals this weekend

School is in session, summer is over. I don't know about you, but we're not excited about letting go of the season, especially after last year's long, hard winter.

Irish festivals to the east

But, from the looks of it, the Irish and Celtic festivals are just getting started.

So many September festivals! A lot of them are on the East Coast, September 5, 6 and 7th. Here's what's going on this weekend:

• Pittsburgh Irish Festival (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Mercer Irish Fest (West Windsor, New Jersey)
• Rochester Irish Fest (Rochester, New York)
• Ship Bottom Irish Festival (Ship Bottom, New Jersey)
• South Buffalo Irish Feis (South Buffalo, New York)
• Syracuse Irish Festival (Syracuse, New York)
• Will County Irish Fest (Joliet, Illinois)

What will you do with your extra day?

What are your plans for the long weekend? Here's to hoping it won't be spent fighting over the last protractor in the school supplies aisle. If you need a little something to get you through the last official weekend of summer, try the new Irish flask. VERY handy.

Irish, Scottish, and Celtic fairs, everywhere

Our State Fair is still going strong, but there are a lot of other Irish, Scottish and Celtic festivals going on around the country this weekend—from New York to Montana. Here are the ones we found:

• Rocky Mountain Irish Festival (Fort Collins, CO)
• Kansas City Irish Fest (Kansas City, MO)
• Bitterroot Scottish Irish Festival (Hamilton, MT)
• Hooley on the Hudson (Kingston, NY)

One last blast before school starts?

School is starting for kids in our neighborhood (and our house). We can't believe August is almost over. What happened to the summer?

Irish & Celtic (and other) festivals

Our State Fair starts up this weekend, and our good friends from Irish on Grand will be part of the international bazaar, selling lovely Irish merchandise.

If you're in the area stop by. To be perfectly honest, the Minnesota State Fair is worth the trip, even if you have to fly in. This year there are at least two Irish acts during the fair: The Irish Brigade on the 29th & 30th, and The Willis Clan, also on the 29th & 30th. On the 22nd, O'Shea Irish Dancers will perform as well.

This weekend our friends in Buffalo, Peoria, and Newport all have Irish and Celtic festivals. Will you be going? 

• Buffalo Irish Festival (Buffalo, NY)
• Peoria's Erin Feis (Peoria, IL)
• Newport Celtic Rock Festival (Newport, RI)

Where's the best Irish videos?

We were looking on YouTube for fun Irish videos to share and we didn't come up with a very big list. What are we missing? Can anyone steer us toward some funny or interesting Irish videos?

The blog is back!

The blog is alive again! Thanks for your patience, Irish Rose friends.

August Irish & Celtic festivals

It's August, but festival season is far from over. Last week our town's Irish Fair—also known as the nation's

The Minnesota Irish Fair (photo courtesy the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band

largest free Irish fair—was going strong. And this weekend it's the Milwaukee Irish Fest. The Irish Rose was part of that great event for over 20 years, and we miss all our friends there. But . . . it is nice here in the air conditioning. :-)

Also, this weekend there are Celtic Festivals in Hunter Mountain, NY and Rock Island, IL. Have fun, everyone, and stay hydrated!

What else is new?

We're happy to announce that The Irish Rose Facebook page is up and running after much procrastination. Please like it! Then you'll be able to take advantage of special deals we promote on Facebook only. Wanna be friends?