What to Serve
Shepherd’s pie
Sure, stew is the quintessential Irish dish, but shepherd’s pie is also traditionally Irish. And this version is a cinch to whip up. Here’s how: Cook ground beef in a frying pan. Use a slotted spoon to set aside the beef. Whisk flour into the drippings to make gravy. Stir in frozen mixed vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the beef, vegetables, and gravy into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 350°F for an hour.
Steamed cabbage
You can’t get more Irish than a side of steamed cabbage. To make, steam chopped cabbage in chicken broth and a little butter for about 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
Bread pudding
Bread pudding is a delicious way to end any meal. Just cut 4 or 5 slices of day-old white or cinnamon-raisin bread into cubes and put them in a baking pan. Beat 2 eggs and add 1 cup of milk and sugar and cinnamon to taste. Pour the mixture over the bread and bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
What to Make
Celtic Colorings
Introduce your daughter to the beauty of Celtic designs. There are loads of free coloring sheets online: Check out the ones from KidsCanHaveFun.com, and especially the alphabet sheets from Marcels-Kids-Crafts.com. Print out a few so the kids can color and cut out the letters of their names. String them together and hang on the backs of their seats.
What to Wear
Anything green, of course! Bonus if you or your daughter wears a kilt, which is as Irish as it is Scottish.
What to Say
“Fáilte” is the Irish word for “welcome,” and it’s pronounced, “fell-SHA.” Say, “thank you,” by saying, “GUR-uh MY-uh gut.”
What to Read
Nory Ryan’s Song by Patricia Reilly Giff (Yearling, ages 8 to 12). Many Irish-Americans can trace their roots to ancestors who came to this country fleeing the Great Hunger, the Irish potato famine in the mid-19th century. This novel brings that terrible tragedy to life through the eyes of Nory Ryan, the 12-year-old daughter of a potato farmer.
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