Brookville House Dublin wishes you a Happy St Stephens Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin), known as the Day of the Wren in Ireland (Lá an Dreoilín)

Brookville House Dublin Ireland wishes you and yours a Very Happy St. Stephen’s Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin), also known here as The Day of the Wren (Lá an Dreoilín), it is an occasion to commemorate the life of St Stephen, a Christian martyr. To our friends in the United Kingdom we wish you and yours a Happy Boxing Day. Today is a big day for racing especially at Leopardstown Racecourse (less than 2km from Brookville House) and hunting in Ireland and traditionally the post Christmas sales start in the shops. In some parts of Ireland, children go from door to door with a wren (a small bird) in a cage or a model wren on a stick as legend links episodes in the life of Jesus to the wren. They sing, play music or perform traditional dances. In some areas, boys may dress as girls or women. Many hope to collect money for community or school projects or charity. Depending on which region of the country, they are called wrenboys and mummers. A Mummer’s Festival is held at this time every year in the village of New Inn, County Galway and Dingle in County Kerry. Actually, the famous Irish writer John B. Keane based his novel ‘The Bodhran Maker’ on the activities of the Wren Boys in his native County Kerry.
Locally The Wrens Boy Festival takes place each year in Sandymount. This year The Wren Boys celebration at Sandymount Green, Dublin 4 commences at 11.00am with poetry readings in Gus Ryans Pub. The music and dancing kicks off at 12am on the Gig Rig, with the Swords Mummers, the Ned O’Shea Musicians/Dancers, the Shamrockers and many others from far and wide playing bodhrans, bagpipes, tin whistles and even combs along with musicians across all cultures to add variety and excitement to the day. Proceeds go to charity.

St. Stephen’s Day is also a popular day in Ireland for visiting family members. A popular rhyme, known to many Irish children and sung at each house visited by the wrenboys goes as follows (this version popularized by the Irish group The Clancy Brothers):

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze,
Although he was little his honour was great,
Jump up me lads and give us a treat.
As I was going to Killenaule,
I met a wren upon the wall.
Up with me wattle and knocked him down,
And brought him in to Carrick Town.
Drooolin, Droolin, where’s your nest?
Tis in the bush that I love best
In the tree, the holly tree,
Where all the boys do follow me.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.
I followed the wren three miles or more,
Three miles or more three miles or more.
I followed the wren three miles or more,
At six o’clock in the morning.
I have a little box under me arm,
Under me arm under me arm.
I have a little box under me arm,
A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.
Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
a very good woman, a very good woman,
Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
She give us a penny to bury the wren.
A variant sung in the County Cork had a different explanation why the wren was the King of birds:
The wren, the wren, the King of All Birds,
On Saint Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze.
Although he is small his family is great.
Come out, good lady, and give us a treat.

St Stephen is believed to be the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death sometime around the year 33 CE. According to an Irish legend, he was betrayed by a wren while hiding from his enemies. Another legend tells of Viking raids on Ireland on St Stephen’s Day sometime around the year 750 CE. Irish soldiers were approaching a Viking camp to drive out the intruders. However, a wren started eating crumbs from a drum and alerted the Vikings to the presence of the Irish soldiers.

Hence, some people felt that wrens betrayed them and should be stoned to death, just as St Stephen was. Boys traditionally hunted a wren and threw stones at it. They tied it to a stick when it was dead and paraded it around the village. They did this to collect money for a dance or party for the whole village. Although the custom of killing wrens on December 26 died out around 1900, St Stephen’s Day is still known as the Day of the Wren, particularly in rural areas.

St Stephen’s Day has been a holiday in Ireland for hundreds of years. It became a public holiday following the Bank Holidays Act 1871.

Merry Christmas Nollaig Shona from Brookville House Blackrock Dublin Ireland 2013

Nollaig Shona daoibh go leir! Happy Christmas! Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Wesołych Świąt, Geseënde Kersfees, Gëzuar Krishtlindjet, عيد ميلاد سعيد, Шчаслівага Раства, Честита Коледа, Bon Nadal, 圣诞快乐, 聖誕快樂, Sretan Božić, Veselé Vánoce, Glædelig jul, Hyvää joulua, Bo Nadal, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, Nwèl kè kontan, חג מולד שמח, हैप्पी क्रिसमस, Boldog Karácsonyt, Selamat Natal, ハッピークリスマス, 메리 크리스마스, Честит Божиќ, Selamat Natal, Milied it-Tajjeb, God Jul.

Happy Christmas to our guests, family, friends, fans, followers, to all who we welcomed here for the first time this year and to those who stayed with us over the years- you arrived as guests and left as friends with a special place in our hearts, we thank you for wonderful times shared, laughter and special memories, for sharing your lives, countries and cultures with us, we hope you enjoyed your time here in your Irish home from home, thank you for your support, we look forward to welcoming you back in 2014, we wish you all the very best of everything this Christmas, have a wonderful festive season,

All our love, thanks and warmest wishes always, Enjoy and look after each other, Mile buiochas agus dea ghui,

Nollaig shona dhaoibh go leir,

Liam and Dei, Brookville House

Winter berries in the grounds of Brookville House December 2013.

Snow Moon in Blackrock Monkstown Deansgrange Dublin Ireland 25th February 2013

Snow moon on Monkstown Ring Road Dublin tonight, much brighter than the street lights under it

Tonights full moon over cottages on Deansgrange Rd opposite cemetary, amazing sight!

And here it is when we zoom the camera in:

Tonight’s full moon 25/02/2013 is an amazing sight in the Irish night Sky, a dramatic sight inspiring and captivating all. The February Full Moon is known as The Snow Moon (as the heaviest snows fall at this time in N America) or Storm Moon or Hunger Moon (as hunting was difficult and food scarce in this month for ancient tribes). It is a beautifully bright big round moon or as they say in these parts: Ta gealach ghalanta ann anocht! Enjoy everyone, oiche maith agus codladh samh, night night and sleep well from Brookville House Dublin Ireland.

Brookville House Dublin wishes you a Happy St Stephens Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin), known as the Day of the Wren in Ireland (Lá an Dreoilín)

Brookville House Dublin Ireland wishes you and yours a Very Happy St. Stephen’s Day (Lá Fhéile Stiofáin), also known here as The Day of the Wren (Lá an Dreoilín), it is an occasion to commemorate the life of St Stephen, a Christian martyr. To our friends in the United Kingdom we wish you and yours a Happy Boxing Day. Today is a big day for racing especially at Leopardstown Racecourse (less than 2km from Brookville House) and hunting in Ireland and traditionally the post Christmas sales start in the shops. In some parts of Ireland, children go from door to door with a wren (a small bird) in a cage or a model wren on a stick as legend links episodes in the life of Jesus to the wren. They sing, play music or perform traditional dances. In some areas, boys may dress as girls or women. Many hope to collect money for community or school projects or charity. Depending on which region of the country, they are called wrenboys and mummers. A Mummer’s Festival is held at this time every year in the village of New Inn, County Galway and Dingle in County Kerry. Actually, the famous Irish writer John B. Keane based his novel ‘The Bodhran Maker’ on the activities of the Wren Boys in his native County Kerry.
Locally The Wrens Boy Festival takes place each year in Sandymount. This year The Wren Boys celebration at Sandymount Green, Dublin 4 commences at 11.00am with poetry readings in Gus Ryans Pub. The music and dancing kicks off at 12am on the Gig Rig, with the Swords Mummers, the Ned O’Shea Musicians/Dancers, the Shamrockers and many others from far and wide playing bodhrans, bagpipes, tin whistles and even combs along with musicians across all cultures to add variety and excitement to the day. Proceeds go to charity.

St. Stephen’s Day is also a popular day in Ireland for visiting family members. A popular rhyme, known to many Irish children and sung at each house visited by the wrenboys goes as follows (this version popularized by the Irish group The Clancy Brothers):

The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
St. Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze,
Although he was little his honour was great,
Jump up me lads and give us a treat.
As I was going to Killenaule,
I met a wren upon the wall.
Up with me wattle and knocked him down,
And brought him in to Carrick Town.
Drooolin, Droolin, where’s your nest?
Tis in the bush that I love best
In the tree, the holly tree,
Where all the boys do follow me.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren.
I followed the wren three miles or more,
Three miles or more three miles or more.
I followed the wren three miles or more,
At six o’clock in the morning.
I have a little box under me arm,
Under me arm under me arm.
I have a little box under me arm,
A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.
Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
a very good woman, a very good woman,
Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,
She give us a penny to bury the wren.
A variant sung in the County Cork had a different explanation why the wren was the King of birds:
The wren, the wren, the King of All Birds,
On Saint Stephen’s Day he was caught in the furze.
Although he is small his family is great.
Come out, good lady, and give us a treat.

St Stephen is believed to be the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death sometime around the year 33 CE. According to an Irish legend, he was betrayed by a wren while hiding from his enemies. Another legend tells of Viking raids on Ireland on St Stephen’s Day sometime around the year 750 CE. Irish soldiers were approaching a Viking camp to drive out the intruders. However, a wren started eating crumbs from a drum and alerted the Vikings to the presence of the Irish soldiers.

Hence, some people felt that wrens betrayed them and should be stoned to death, just as St Stephen was. Boys traditionally hunted a wren and threw stones at it. They tied it to a stick when it was dead and paraded it around the village. They did this to collect money for a dance or party for the whole village. Although the custom of killing wrens on December 26 died out around 1900, St Stephen’s Day is still known as the Day of the Wren, particularly in rural areas.

St Stephen’s Day has been a holiday in Ireland for hundreds of years. It became a public holiday following the Bank Holidays Act 1871.

Happy Christmas from Brookville House Dublin Ireland 2012

Nollaig Shona daoibh go leir! Happy Christmas! Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Wesołych Świąt, Geseënde Kersfees, Gëzuar Krishtlindjet, عيد ميلاد سعيد, Шчаслівага Раства, Честита Коледа, Bon Nadal, 圣诞快乐, 聖誕快樂, Sretan Božić, Veselé Vánoce, Glædelig jul, Hyvää joulua, Bo Nadal, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, Nwèl kè kontan, חג מולד שמח, हैप्पी क्रिसमस, Boldog Karácsonyt, Selamat Natal, ハッピークリスマス, 메리 크리스마스, Честит Божиќ, Selamat Natal, Milied it-Tajjeb, God Jul.

Happy Christmas to our family, friends, fans, followers, to all who we welcomed here for the first time this year and to those who stayed with us over the years- you arrived as guests and left as friends with a special place in our hearts, we thank you for wonderful times shared, laughter and special memories, for sharing your lives, countries and cultures with us, we hope you enjoyed your time here in your Irish home from home, thank you for your support, we look forward to welcoming you back in 2013, we wish a wonderful festive season to one and all, all our love, thanks and warmest wishes always, enjoy and look after each other, mile buiochas agus dea ghui, nollaig shona dhaoibh go leir, Liam and Dei, Brookville House

Enjoy the following festive photos taken in the locality during the 2012 festive season.

Season Greetings and a Very Merry Christmas from Brookville Guest House Dublin Ireland 2011

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Brookville Guest House Dublin Ireland wishes everyone, all our guests, fans, family, friends and followers a Very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. Enjoy all the festivities />

Nollaig Shona daoibh go leir! Happy Christmas! Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Wesołych Świąt, Geseënde Kersfees, Gëzuar Krishtlindjet, عيد ميلاد سعيد, Шчаслівага Раства, Честита Коледа, Bon Nadal, 圣诞快乐, 聖誕快樂, Sretan Božić, Veselé Vánoce, Glædelig jul, Hyvää joulua, Bo Nadal, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, Nwèl kè kontan, חג מולד שמח, हैप्पी क्रिसमस, Boldog Karácsonyt, Selamat Natal, ハッピークリスマス, 메리 크리스마스, Честит Божиќ, Selamat Natal, Milied it-Tajjeb, God Jul. Hope you have enjoyed all these festive photos which were taken at Brookville House and in the locality. Hope you all have a Happy St Stephens Day and a great Boxing Day, warmest wishes from Brookville House Dublin to you and yours, we look forward to welcoming you here in 2012

Season Greetings and a Very Merry Christmas from Brookville Guest House Dublin Ireland

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Brookville Guest  House Dublin Ireland wishes everyone, all our guests, fans, followers, family and friends

a Very Happy Christmas and a great festive season

Ireland is wrapped in a snow white blanket of snow, hope you and yours are wrapped up in a cosy blanket of love. Nollaig Shona daoibh go leir! Happy Christmas! Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, Buon Natale, Feliz Navidad, Wesołych Świąt, Geseënde Kersfees, Gëzuar Krishtlindjet, عيد ميلاد سعيد, Шчаслівага Раства, Честита Коледа, Bon Nadal, 圣诞快乐, 聖誕快樂, Sretan Božić, Veselé Vánoce, Glædelig jul, Hyvää joulua, Bo Nadal, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, Nwèl kè kontan, חג מולד שמח, हैप्पी क्रिसमस, Boldog Karácsonyt, Selamat Natal, ハッピークリスマス, 메리 크리스마스, Честит Божиќ, Selamat Natal, Milied it-Tajjeb, God Jul,

Sneachta Christmas Day at Brookville Guest house Dublin Ireland 2010

کریسمس مبارک,Nadolig Llawen , Crăciun fericit, С Рождеством, Срећан Божић, , .Veselé Vianoce. کرسم, לעבעדיק ניטל

Seasons Greetings from Brookville House Dublin

Brookville House Dublin wishes everyone, all our guests, fans and friends a Very Happy Christmas, Nollaig Shona, Buon Natale, 聖誕快樂, Sretan Božić, Veselé Vánoce, Glædelig jul, Onnellinen joulua, Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten, Καλά Χριστούγεννα, हैप्पी क्रिसमस, Boldog Karácsonyt, Selamat Natal, 메리 크리스마스, ハッピークリスマス, Честит Божиќ, Selamat Natale, Wesołych Świąt, Feliz Natal, Crăciun fericit, Срећан Божић, Veselé Vianoce, Vesel božič, Feliz Navidad, Chúc mừng Giáng sinh, Nadolig Llawen, צופרידן ניטל