Welcome to the Ireland Morning Time Session!
For a wonderful biographical DVD on Saint Patrick, Lara’s family really enjoys I am Patrick by CBN. It is only available for purchase, but they’ve watched it several times! You can get a copy for your family here: https://www.cbn.com/giving/special/IAmPatrickDVD.aspx I’ll link a trailer below:
Click on the button above to download the entire PDF,
or download only the sections you want below.
Schedule
Recommended Books
Prayer & Scripture Memorization
For Bible reading, we will make suggestions for your morning time reading. However, if you’d prefer a more in depth schedule, we recommend checking out various plans that will help you read the Bible through.
For a one-year plan, we recommend YouVersion’s One Year Bible: https://www.bible.com/readingplans/60. You can also listen to it being read aloud on the app.
Download a two-year reading plan from the Gospel Coalition here:
https://media.thegospelcoalition.org/static-blogs/tgc/files/2010/12/TGC-Two-Year-Bible-ReadingPlan1.pdf
If you prefer to go even slower, Ambleside Online offers three, four, and five-year Bible reading
plans: https://www.amblesideonline.org/L/Lbiblesch.html
This session, we will learn The Lorica of St. Patrick and focus on writing and memorizing Isaiah 40:10-11.
Artist Study
This session’s featured artist is Jack Butler Yeats. We’ve included four art selections for your kids and teens to use for picture study. They are:
- The Liffey Swim
- The Grafter
- That We May Never Meet Again
- Off the Irish Coast
Composer Study
Our featured composer is John Field. We’ve included four of his pieces (with links to each) to listen to. They are:
- Sonata No. 2, A Major
- Sonata No. 3, C Minor
- Nocturne B flat Major
- Nocturne E Minor
Listen to each piece below:
Sonata, No. 2 in A major
Sonata, No. 3 in C minor
Nocturne in B flat Major
Nocturne in E Minor
Hymn/Folk Song
Hymn
The hymn for this session is, “Be Thou My Vision.”
Be Thou My Vision history: https://www.bayviewbiblechurch.org/post/the-story-behind-be-thou-my-vision
It was on Slane Hill in County Meath around 433 CE that St. Patrick lit candles on Easter Eve, defying a decree by High King Logaire of Tara that no one could light a fire before the king signaled the beginning of the pagan spring festival by lighting a fire on Tara Hill. King Logaire was so impressed by Patrick’s devotion that, despite his defiance, he was permitted to continue his work as Ireland’s first Christian missionary.
Listen and sing along with it below:
Folk Song
Our folk song for this session is, “Cockles and Mussels.”
This song tells the fictional tale of a fishmonger who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin, but who died young, of a fever. In the late 20th century a legend grew up that there was a historical Molly, who lived in the 17th century. This song has become an unofficial anthem for the beautiful city of Dublin.
In Dublin’s fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
“Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh,”
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh.”
She was a fishmonger
But sure ’twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheel’d their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying, “Cockles and mussels alive, alive oh!”
(chorus)
She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
But her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”
Listen and sing along with it below:
Poetry
This session’s featured poet is William Butler Yeats. We’ve included two poetry selections for your kids and teens to read, listen to, memorize, and recite. They are:
- The Lake Isle of Innisfree
- The Wild Swans at Coole
These poems are also included as copywork in Zaner-Bloser style handwriting sheets for primary, elementary, and cursive, as well as college ruled for older students. (Download your copywork in the next section.)
W. B. Yeats reading The Lake Isle of Innisfree:
Irish Blessings
There are many Irish blessings, but the most traditional one reads,
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
My favorite Irish Blessing says,
May you always have
walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain,
a warm cup of tea by the fire,
laughter to cheer you,
those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.
Do you have a favorite Irish Blessing? Research more of them, then try your hand at writing your own. After you’ve written it, copy it out in your best handwriting and hang it up in your home!
Copywork
Tea Times
In this session we are giving you four recipes for our hospitality tea: Irish Brown Bread, Irish Potato Pancakes, Irish Soda Bread Scones, and Irish Oat Flapjacks.
We will also have four Fairy Tale teas:
Fairy Tale Tea 1: The Leprechaun, by William Allingham
Fairy Tale Tea 2: Legend of Knockmany, by Carleton
Fairy Tale Tea 3: The Priest’s Supper by T. Crofton Croker
Fairy Tale Tea 4: The Fairies’ Passage by James Clarence Mangan
Shakespeare
For our Shakespeare selection, we have chosen The Tempest.
Read it from E. Nesbit’s Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare in the following pages. But we also recommend reading the actual play together as a family if you can.
Your older kids and teens may enjoy watching a movie adaptation (please pre-screen these first). And if you can take in a live performance, your family will never forget it!
We are including a link below to watch a pre-recorded stage performance of “The Tempest” by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Watch a performance of The Tempest by the Savage Rose Theatre below:
Nature Study
Each Friday morning, you will go through two of our nature cards. They are labeled in the upper right corner with the corresponding week. These are short, factual cards with images to help your child become familiar with objects in the natural world.
As you progress through our sessions, you may find it handy to keep your past nature cards in a binder for easy reference when your children come across a familiar object. These seeds you are planting will grow into a wonderful garden of knowledge for your children in years to come.
As you explore nature outside your home, watch and listen for newly discovered delights.
Handicraft
For our handicraft lesson, we will be doing a shamrock tea towel. This is a lovely pattern created by Lara for older kids to enjoy. But she’s also included a simplified version for your younger children.
This is fun way to decorate your home for St. Patrick’s Day or to use while you’re baking your Irish teatime treats!
Here’s a traditional Irish handicraft you and your kids will enjoy creating as well “St. Brigid’s Cross.”
Art Lesson
Celtic Cross
Supplies needed:
- 8×10 Canvas panel (or your choice of substrate)
- Acrylic paints
- Paint pens (optional)
- Paintbrushes
Abstract Shamrock (Bonus Lesson from the Masterpiece Society)
Supplies needed:
- Watercolor paper (or your choice of substrate)
- Acrylic paints
- Chalk pastels
- Paintbrushes
- Pencil or chalk
History & Geography
St. Patrick
The True Story of St. Patrick (CBN feature):
The Book of Kells
The Book of Kells, one of great treasures of medieval Europe, is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing four Gospels of New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks some time around 800 AD, and is a masterwork of Western calligraphy, employing decoration that is not only extraordinarily rich and colorful but also, in places, deeply enigmatic. It is widely regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure.
The Book is on permanent display at Trinity College Library in Dublin.
Learn more about the Book of Kells:
Learn about The Giant’s Causeway (technically in Northern Ireland now) here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/giants-causeway/history-of-giants-causeway and watch the video below:
Here is a free (scanned) version of A Child’s History of Ireland, by P.W. Joyce on Google Books if you would like to peruse it and add some of the chapters to your study. Please note that it was written in 1910, so over a century’s worth of history is missing.
Learn about the Irish Potato Famine here: https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Famine-Irish-history
Learn how to make a “potato battery” here:
Additional Ireland Resources:
Irish Lilting
Have you ever heard of lilting? Lilting is a form of traditional singing common in the Gaelic speaking areas of Ireland. It goes under many names, and is sometimes referred to as mouth music, diddling, jigging, or chin music. In some ways, it resembles scatting.
Rhythm and tone are the most important features in lilting because it is often accompanied by dancing. Therefore, the lyrics are usually meaningless or nonsensical. Watch this video (if you dare)!
Riverdance
Experience the original “Riverdance: The Show” here:
Celtic Harp Music
Here’s some lovely music to accompany your afternoon tea:
Learn more about the Celtic harp from our friend, Gena at Music in Our Homeschool here.
Celtic Thunder
Here is Celtic Thunder’s rendition of the Irish ballad, “Danny Boy.”
Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman performing “Tír na nÓg.”
Please Note: This song is based on the Irish mythological story of Oisín and Niamh. Tír na nÓg is an Irish name for the “otherworld,” meaning “The Land of the Young” and was an enchanted island off the west coast of Ireland where everyone was young and beautiful and there was no sickness or sadness. The myth deals with gods and goddesses (or elves/faeries). As with any other mythological tale, you are the best judge of what you want your children to hear or read. There are plenty of other “Celtic Woman” songs for you to enjoy.
Solfa
Brush Drawing
Brush drawing builds motor and observation skills. We have included a link to videos by Bestowing the Brush below which are great for all ages to learn together:
