Irish Immigrants on the I & M Canal

By Aly

The building of the I & M canal begin in 1836, and with that brought many opportunities for immigrants in this area. However, construction of the I & M canal faced many challenges due to a shortage of laborers and the national financial panic of 1837.

With that said, the early Irish immigrants were attracted by the promise of abundant jobs and flocked to Illinois to begin the strenuous work of digging the canal by hand. Contractors were having difficulties finding cheap labor so at this time the Irish were an obvious solution; they worked regardless of pay and did not complain (sometimes instead of pay they took a gill of whiskey per week). By November of 1838 there were over 2,114 men employed to work on the canal and over 75 percent of those men were from Ireland or of Irish decent.

Working conditions on the canal were very hard and dangerous. Many canal workers died from diseases (such as malaria or cholera), as well as accidents on the job. The Irish laborers built the canal, their work went practically unnoticed and unappreciated by many due to the harsh realities of discrimination at this time. As the saying went, 'To build a canal you needed a pick, a shovel, and an Irishman.'

Between the years of 1836 to 1838, there were many quarrels among the canal laborers. Often fights broke out among the workers from the Northern and Southern immigrants from Ireland. The workers from the Southern part of Ireland (Connaught, Munster, and Leinster) were called the "Corkonians," who were primarily Catholic. The workers from the Northern part of Ireland (Ulster) were known as the "Far-downs" and they were of the Protestant faith. Due to the difficulties on the canal and off, it was expected for animosities to arise between the two groups. In May 1838, the animosities between the two groups would come to a head in bloody riot.

 

Split Rock during the mid 1860's

The Corkonians launched and won a bloody attack against the Far-downs. Another 200 men, led by Corkonian labor boss Edward Sweeney, met the men and they marched to LaSalle and Peru, destroying the shanties of any Far-downs they saw along the way.

The county sheriff gathered his own force of men to suppress the attack, but the Corkonians refused to give up. They attacked the sheriff's men, and a battle ensued until the sheriff's men forced a retreat. Corkonians attempted to escape, many by jumping into the river, but the authorities shot after them. Seven were killed in the battle; three others were found dead after.

The relationships between the Irish did not change significantly as a result of this riot. Eventually the Irish canal workers were paid money, not whiskey, for wages, and could eventually buy their own property. The Irish immigrants thus were able to make a life for themselves and their families. The I & M canal was completed in 1848 with a total cost of $6,170,226.

Bunratty Meade 

By Kim 

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day has become quite a tradition, and a reason to celebrate in the middle of March. Even those without a drop of Irish blood become Irish for a day on March 17th. When you think of St. Patrick's Day, what drinks come to mind; green beer, Guinness, Irish Car Bombs, Jameson or Tullamore Dew? How about Meade? Although not commonly thought of, Meade is the traditional drink of the ancient Celts.

This famed drink, believed to have been discovered by Irish monks during medieval times, traveled through the social circles of everyone from Irish peasants to Irish Saints and from Noblemen to the High Kings of Ireland. Meade has also been highlighted in both Gaelic poetry and Irish folklore.  

Meade is a traditional, medium sweet wine, produced from an ancient Irish recipe using pure honey, without the use of fruit or grapes. The art of creating Meade is also ancient, since Meade can be traced back centuries to before Christ, and is considered the first alcoholic beverage to be created by man. Honey collectors would smash their honey comb and gather the honey that dripped out. They would then put the comb into a vat of water in order to dissolve the rest of the honey. After the fermenting process came honey wine-Meade.

Among the Ancients, honey was believed to come down from Heaven as dew, and gathered from flowers by the bees. As a result, we find raw honey and even the insect that creates it, the bee, holds a high place in sacred mythologies of ancient times. For that reason, honey was considered a "giver of life," and the bee is associated with the souls of men, as messengers of the gods. Mead itself was then considered to have magical and even sacred properties. Even the Church recognized the value of this drink. Legend has it that St. Finian lived for six days a week on bread and water, but on Sundays would eat salmon and drink a full glass of Meade. It is also believed that St. Bridget performed a miracle when Meade could not be located for the king of Leinster. She blessed an empty vessel, which miraculously filled with Meade.

 Following old Irish tradition, a bride and groom were provided with enough Meade for one full moon following their wedding, hence the term "honeymoon". According to the tradition, at the end of the banquet the bride and groom would each hold up a goblet of Meade and give a toast:

"Friends and relatives so fond and dear, tis our greatest pleasure to have you here. When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last. So we drink a cup of Irish Meade, and ask God's blessing in our hour of need."

The family and guests of the newlyweds would then raise their glasses of Mead and respond:

"On this your special day, our wish to you the goodness of the old, the best of the new. God bless you both who drink this Meade, may it always fill your every need."

In the old days, the drink of choice among the knights was Meade. Beyond its legend and strong connection to the Irish, Meade's influence was so great the halls of Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland ruled, were called the House of the Meade Circle; no medieval banquet was complete without Meade. So come on in, enjoy a glass of Meade, and feel like royalty, I can assure you that you won't be disappointed.  

The Luck of the Irish 

By Nikki 

I am sure you've heard the saying that "everything happens in threes" before. Well in Ireland, they do consider three to be their lucky number. Crone, Mother and Virgin. Love, Valour and Wit. Faith, Hope and Charity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Numbers played an important role in Celtic symbolism. Three was the most sacred and magical number. Everything good (or lucky) in Ireland comes in threes, hence the shamrock's three leaves and importance to the Irish.

An Ireland shamrock is a three-leafed clover that grows in the summer and is native to Ireland. It's actually a variety of a weed. Shamrocks grow from bulbs and may bloom with white flowers around St. Patrick's Day. If you own a shamrock plant, it's important to cut it back and keep it in a cool, dark place a couple of times a year so that it can rest. Shamrocks are dormant in Ireland during the winter, and they won't grow throughout the year when they're kept as houseplants.

The Irish shamrock has a long history. It has been symbolic of different things through the ages, and has had many different meanings attached to it. On St. Patrick's Day, many people will be seen wearing a shamrock charm to show support for Ireland and celebrate Irish pride, even if they are not Irish. The four-leaf clover is often confused with the shamrock though. While the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a different significance. During the fifth century, St. Patrick used the Irish shamrock to illustrate the concept of the Holy Trinity. One leaf represented the Father, one the Son and one the Holy Ghost. By drawing on the Irish love for the shamrock, St. Patrick was able to convert many pagan Celts into Christians.

Another bit of Irish luck would be running into a leprechaun. A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. The Leprechauns spend all their time busily making shoes, and storing away their coins in a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, or if he is captured by a human, the Leprechaun has the magical power to grant three wishes in exchange for their release. (There's the number three again.) The captor must keep their eyes on him every second, because if the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun, he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.  

Irish Whiskeys
By Jim

Being St. Patrick's Day is this week, it is only fitting that in our weekly series of featuring items behind the bar, we will highlight our selection of Irish whiskeys. Although it is not the most extensive list we have behind the bar, we do think having a few is important to offering a choice and not to leave anyone out. Our selection consists of Bushmill's, Jameson, Tullamore Dew and Red Breast Single Malt 12 year old. Each one from a different part of the country, all being a little different and like all Irish folk, they take pride in their whiskey.

In order to be called an Irish whiskey, the regulations are quite simple in comparable to the whiskeys of Scotland and America. Irish whiskey must be distilled and aged in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. It must be distilled to an alcohol by volume level less than 94.8%. (This allows for the aroma and flavor to be more present.) Also, it must be aged at least 3 years in wooden casks. One of the most significant differences is that most (not all) Irish whiskey is distilled 3 times, unlike that of American and Scotch which is only distilled twice. Another interesting note is that although Scotland contains over 90 distilleries, Ireland has only four. Over the course of the last few centuries, the economy has led to a great number of mergers and closures. The four current distilleries in operation include: New Middleton, Old Bushmills, Cooley and Kilbeggan.New Middleton produces the likes of Jameson, Middleton, Redbreast, etc. Old Bushmills obviously Bushmillls, Old Bushmills and Black Bush. Cooley has Michael Collins and Connemara. Finally, Kilbeggan has its own name whiskey. Along with the four distilleries, there are a number of independently owned brands including Tullamore Dew. History says that Irish whiskey may be the oldest distilled beverage in Europe. It is said they had learned from missionary monks around the 8th century; however, the next 700 years the details are a bit sketchy. Maybe drinking the whiskey had something to do with that. Old Bushmills Distillery claims to hold the oldest distillery license, dating back to 1608 from James I.

Just like any alcohol, there is a basic procedure using your sight, smell and taste to appreciate what it is. Irish whiskey is pretty much the same, however a bit of a different approach gives the best taste. Everything I read about this type of whiskey, they say adding a bit of water actually brings out the true flavor. This is more my style of drinking whiskey. They also say to use a snifter to get more of the nose of the whiskey. This is a bit different than our American or Scotch, they lean towards a tumbler to get the most flavor. Either way, we have some for you to try next time you are in.

Click here to get the proper instructions for tasting Irish whiskey.  

Corned Beef and Cabbage

To help celebrate, we will be serving corned beef and cabbage all day on St. Patrick's Day. We serve a generous 8 ounce portion of corned beef and fresh vegetables (not canned or frozen), steamed cabbage, baby carrots and boiled whole new potatoes. Come and celebrate with us. All for $11.50  

Spaghetti Dinner ~ Monday Night March 28th ~ 4:30pm to 8:00pm 

Just a reminder...

to save the date. We will be hosting the annual Lighted Way Spaghetti Dinner. It will be on Monday, March 28th from 4:30 to 8 PM. We will once again be serving spaghetti to the masses. 

The donation is only $7 per person and it includes salad, Italian bread, spaghetti with meat sauce, cake and coffee. If you can't be here, we also offer carry-outs.

 

All lent specials are available all day for dine-in or carry-out! 

FISH AND CHIPS.....9.75 

"Fish 'n' Chips." Harp battered and served with malt vinegar, coleslaw, tartar sauce, lemon and "chips". We offer one of the more authentic "Fish 'n' Chips" around.


 

TORTELLACCI.....14.75

Our tortellacci are very light because they are made from very thin hand rolled dough, unlike some of the store bought products that are very heavy and have very little filling. We prepare them with a white wine cream sauce and top the dish with fresh Reggianno parmesan.

SEAFOOD TRIO.....19.75

Every Friday, not just during lent either, we offer our version of a Seafood Trio. We serve a 4 oz. portion of broiled cod with a basil creme sauce, a 4 oz. portion of our whitefish parmesan with lemon caper butter and a 4 oz. lobster tail with drawn butter. All for under $20.

Click on the Picture to see a video of Robbie Fulks and Nora O'Connor

Robbie Fulks

Nora O'Connor

Click the picture to watch a Bill Kirchen video

Tickets SOLD OUT!

If anyone has any extra Bill Kirchen tickets, we would like to buy them back!