The answers....

For those of you who jumped on board and played my St. Patrick's Day game, here are the answers.

The green color on the flag represents the native people of Ireland (most of whom are Roman Catholic). The orange color represents the British supporters of William of Orange who settled in Northern Ireland in the 17th century (most of whom are Protestant). The white in the center of the flag represents peace between these two groups of people.

The symbol of the Claddagh Ring
The hands are there for friendship,
The heart is there for love.
For loyalty throughout the year,
The crown is raised above.

The Claddagh Story

An original symbol of the "Fisher Kings" of the Galway town of Claddagh, Ireland, (pronounced “cla” as in “clatter” and “ddagh” pronounced “da” as in “daddy”) was first fashioned into the traditional ring back in the 17th Century during the reign of Mary II.

Legend has it that an Irish young man, Richard Joyce, bound for the West Indian slave plantations - no doubt the Irish Caribbean island of Montserrat - was kidnapped himself in rough seas by a band of Mediterranean pirates and sold to a Moorish goldsmith who over the many long years of his exile helped him perfect the skills of a master craftsman.

When in 1689 King William III negotiated the return of the slaves, Joyce returned to Galway - despite, it said, the Moor's offer of the daughter's hand in marriage and a princely dowry of half of all his wealth.

Back in Ireland a young women had never stopped faithful waiting for her true love to return. Upon which time when he presented her with the now famous Royal Claddagh gold ring - a symbol of their enduring love. Two hands to represent their friendship, the crown to signify their loyalty and lasting fidelity, and the sign of the heart to symbolise their eternal love for each other.

They soon married, never to be separated again.

What do the 4 leaves symbolize?
One leaf is for HOPE...
The second for FAITH...
The third for LOVE...
And the fourth for LUCK!

The Symbol of the Shamrock
In ancient Ireland the Shamrock was thought to have magical powers and the number 3 was considered a powerful number. Legends say the leaves will stand upright when a storm approaches and that no snake will be found among them. When St. Patrick came to Ireland he used the Shamrock to symbolize the meaning of the church's teaching on the Trinity.
The word Shamrock comes from the old Irish word "seamrog" which means "summer plant."


An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

And, the lucky winner of the golden dragon is....

Christine of ossmcalc

Congratulations! And I hope you all had a fabulous week!