William O Ceallaigh's Christmas Feast

In 1351 William Boye O'Kelly, our ancestor,  invited all the Irish poets, Brehons, bards, harpers, gamesters or common kearogs, jesters and others of their kind in Ireland to his house (Galey Castle)  for Christmas, all were well pleased and extolled William for his bounty One, Gofraidh Fionn (Geoffrey the Fair) a member of the Ó Dálaigh family of poets wrote the poem,  Filidh Éireann go haointeach, which commemorates An Nollaig na Garma.  

  

Filidh Éireann go haointeach 

The poets of Ireland go to one house

 

Translation  from the edition of Eleanor Knott, “Filidh Éireann.” 1911 (Ériu on JSTOR)

§ 1. The poets of Ireland go to one house tonight; it will not be miserly! What poet has not been snatched from sorrow by the man of the house into which they come?

§ 2. If their coming is desired--all the poets of Ireland together, how shall we be happy thus? We have often been dissatisfied

§ 3. Tho' they were few it would be oppressive, more and more numerous are the people of art; our invitation is thus troublesome as it is a demanding company to invite.

§ 4. The greater part of the men of Ireland are opposed to us, although it is ignorance: pleasant is the time which is at hand, considering that everyone else is unfriendly towards our art.

§ 5. William, the chief of Eamhain's plain, a man who never made a stanza, issues the summons of the bardic college--astonishing tidings--as tho" he were a jurist of the schools.

§ 6. William O'Kelly-graceful form-is above the petty kings of Ireland ; his generosity quenches their fame ; there is a gathering summoned towards him.

§ 7. Because of the summons we have received, their own poets -I expect-will not remain with the tribe of Niall during this Christmastide.

§ 8. From the amount that will go to his royal fort during this coming Christmastide, when the nimble folk of Munster feast it will be a feasting without a man of.

§ 9. The learned of Blod's race responding here at Christmas; from the number of the School coming into his house every other place will be solitary

§ 10. It has never been a custom with the hospitable race-the greater their blame for William-that the Clan-Carthy should be without bards at the approach of such a festival.

§ 11. Throughout this day in Leinster, or in Meath of the gentle rivers, no note* of music will be heard, save the voice of the sweet bird from the trees.

§ 12. Being with him, beyond all trouble, is most fitting for the Craftsmen; at his banquets throughout the day, it will be a feast of age for the poets.  

§ 13. The poet-companies of pleasant-meadowed Fódla [Ireland], and those of Scotland – a distant journey – will be acquainted with one another after arriving in William’s lofty castle.  

§ 14. The seven ranks who shape the genuine poetry will come here; the seven true ranks of poets, their entrance (into the house) is an omen of expenditure (of gifts).

§ 15. Many are coming to the son of Duncan from the north, no fewer from the south: an assembly of scholars; a billeting from west and east, a company seeking cattle.

§ 16. There will be judges who make legal decisions; there will be “druids” and good poets; the authors of Ireland, those who compose the battle-rolls, will be in his dwelling.

§ 17. The musicians of Ireland – vast the flock – every sort of craftsman, the flood of companies, side by side: the entire gathering is going to one house.

§ 18. In preparation for those who will come to the house – it is right to boast of it – a castle fit for apple-treed Emain has been built according to the desire of the lord of the house. 

§ 19. There are sleeping quarters for the company, made of woven branches on the bright surface of the pleasant hills.

§ 20. The poets of Irish soil are prepared to seek O’Kelly: a mighty company is approaching his house, an avenue of peaked hostels await them.

§ 21. Close to that – pleasant is the appearance – a separate street has been set aside by William for the musicians so that they may be ready to perform before him.

§ 22. The historians of lovely Ireland form a gathering of a mighty host: the company is in the town; Where is the street of the historians?

§ 23. The fair-coloured, generous-hearted host have another spacious avenue of white houses for the bardic companies and the jugglers. 

§ 24. That is paltry, considering the number of pleasant streets the people of the warrior of Ervallagh possess around O’Kelly’s castle.

§ 25. They are arranged so that there are ample paths between them; similar to letters that have been lined up in a crowded, (?) avenue.  

§ 26. Two rows of smooth, conical roofed houses are on either side of each thread of bare, smooth, straight, firm road.

 § 27. The ridge of the bright-furrowed field is a plain crowded with houses; behind the crowded plain is a fortified residence, resembling a capital letter. 

§ 28. The fortified residence of fair Gaille’s chieftain is a capital letter of lovely stone; the fortified residence is strengthened by the lake which lies behind the stone.

 § 29. It is visible from far away, the star-stone above the waters of Loch na nÉigeas [“The Lake of the Scholars”], though the fortified residence is lovelier on the inside, its outer smoothness is like vellum.

§ 30. The castle on the bank of the lake is the sign of a mighty chieftain; the scion of Bregia is to be praised on account of the castle; bright is its stone, ruddy is its timber.

§ 31. The woodwork and the lime-washed stone are perfectly joined together; there are no large gaps between them; the work is a triumph of art.  

§ 32. No other timber has been crafted as beautifully as this woodwork; lime has not covered the face of a castle as beautiful as this great stone.

§ 33. The spacious court of the “spark” of Cúala is (made of) the (finest) choice of stone and timber; the beams of his arched court are (made of) tightly-joined, unspliced oak.

§ 34. There is artistry of the smithy on the shining woodwork; on the smooth part of each brown oaken beam carpenters carve animal figures.

§ 35. On the smooth side of the warm dwelling – it magnifies its beauty – the trace of a narrow, pointed, slender, fresh, narrow pen.

§ 36. This high tower in front of us is similar to the Tower of Breoghan, from which the best of spears were thrown, from which Ireland was perceived from Spain.

§ 37. (The tower) from which the great offspring of Míl of Spain won the land with sharp spear points – a favourable enterprise – so that they became people of Ireland.

§ 38. From which Fódla [Ireland] of the jagged trees – after the combat of the “branches” (warriors) from Síodh Breagh destroyed the Tuatha Dé Danann – is in the possession of the offspring of the Sons of Míl since their death.

§ 39. They went from Greece to fair Spain, from Spain to Ireland; (this is) the journey of the mighty offspring of Míl, the troop of the “old” (time-proven), finely-wrought weapons.

§ 40. Éber and Eremon were the two most powerful of the gathering; O’Kelly is of the blood of their lineage (just as) every hound resembles its breed.

§ 41. The grandson of Conchobar of Glandore is not merely an Irishman; William, with his curly, ringletted, spreading locks of hair, is also Greek and Spanish.

§ 42. Woe to him with whom the chief is angry, even if it takes a long time for his anger to be aroused; it is difficult to reduce the displeasure of Maine’s descendant; his wrath is all the greater from its rarity.

§ 43. The extent of the (people of the) Uí Maine is held by Duibh Easa’s son of the bold weapon; from Grian to old Cora in the east is in the possession of the man of the undulating, curly locks.

§ 44. His country lacks nothing; he has both smooth [domesticated] and rugged [land]; I perceive in the possession of the chieftain of Lí some of every kind of land around him.

§ 45. Athenry, broad Athlone, Áth Liag – the three magnificent fords are the least trouble (to add to?) the bodies of water of the king of Ráth Sleachta.

§ 46. Loch Derg – a cause of pride – Loch Lee of the green-sided marshes, these blue bays on which the sun shines brightly are the “pillars” of William’s land.

§ 47. Maonmagh, the territory of the Sons of Morna, was subject to the generous heroic one; his share would come to the chief of Codba even if the Children of Morna remained.

§ 48. That plain had long gone out of their patrimony until William grew up; Maonmagh had expectant interest in the member of (the tribe of) Uí Maine after being occupied by foreigners.

§ 49. Since the Vikings [i.e., foreigners] were banished from there by the son of Duncan of Dun Maigue, the Uí Maine occupy the smooth face of Maonmagh, under the sway of the king of Ruide.

§ 50. He will divide the plain amongst the Uí Maine, since his people have earned it; the descendants of noble Maine are not angry as a result of the distribution of Maonmagh amongst the Uí Maine.

§ 51. Although many offerings and tributes come to his joyous countenance – which is like a blazing ember – there are even more poet bands coming to Clan Kelly to get cattle from William (as gifts).

§ 52. William, the white-toothed son of Duncan son of Conchobar Chobhartaigh; their judgment in his house is not rewarded, a house in which I will find poets.

from the edition of Knott, “Filidh Éireann.”

Exploring Celtic Civilizations

Ériu on JSTOR

Nollaig Shona Duit

null-ig hun-a dit.

Growing up we celebrated Christmas as a nuclear family.  Traveling to Minnesota in the dead of winter was not an option.  But Christmas was still a time to celebrate family.  

The season would start with the advent wreath.   Lighting one more candle each week .... three pink and one purple.... as we counted down to Christmas.  We took turns with the lighting, but the youngest always went first.  In Ireland it was the tradition that the youngest lit the Christmas Candle.






Every year we would receive the special box from Grammy English.  The Spritz cookies, green trees with those (now outlawed) silver balls, meant Christmas was near.  In the early years there were also homemade pajamas, a tradition carried on by Mom when she became a Grandma.   

Christmas music filled the air.  A favorite record was the one brought back from Europe in 1956.  I remember listening to the "Littlest Angel" over and over 

To the dismay of some of us, we always waited until Christmas Eve to put up the Christmas tree.  This was Dad's tradition.  We would get the tree either that day or maybe a day or two before at the nearest lot.  We would decorate, and then there was the tinsel ... put on one piece at a time!!!  By  the time I was in high school Dad was busier than ever and often left the tree decorating to the rest of us.  That piece by piece tradition was one we happily abandoned, throwing on clumps was much more fun.

As I was looking at Irish Christmas Traditions to see what had filtered through the years to our household, one site stressed that traditionally Christmas in Ireland began on Christmas Eve and continued until the Epiphany.  So the Christmas Eve tree was perhaps one of our Irish traditions.

There were others.  The Christmas Candle.  It wasn't an every year tradition, but I remember putting it in the window to welcome travelers when I was small, and particularly burning it each night the year that Dad was overseas during the Suez Crisis.  During Penal Times the candle indicated a safe place for priests to perform mass.  Tradition said the candle should be lit by the youngest member of the household and extinguished only by a girl named Mary.  In Ireland that was probably easy, there were a lot of Mary's but none in our house and I'm sure we all would have argued if the same person got to light the candle all the time!!!

I also remember the extra place at the table, I think that one fell by the wayside as well, perhaps when the family got so big, or was it maybe because we so often seemed to have and extra person or two for dinner.  I often think about those strays when we have our wonderful Thanksgiving feasts at Andi's....filled with new and interesting people each year.  

While decorating with Holly is claimed to be or Irish origin by some, it is a tradition that might date a bit earlier.  The celebration of Saturnalia, a Roman festival derived from the farm-related rituals of midwinter and the winter solstice. That celebration included decorating with holly and the giving of gifts, definitely a precursor of current Christmas festivities.  The Irish, however, did start the tradition of rings of holly on the door.  Those wreathes did not come down until the Epiphany.

In looking at origins of Christmas, it is interesting to note that Yule was a Scandinavian fertility God, decorating with wreathes and holly is considered a Wicca custom, Druids used mistletoe, Thor and Odin joined St. Nicholas in giving out gifts, and the Indo-Iranian deity Mithras celebrated the birth of the sun on Dec 25.

Another Irish custom that we followed was having mince pies for Christmas.  It is another custom that disappeared from our house over time, most likely because it was NOBODY'S favorite.

Celtic Woman - Wexford Carol