Do you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day the Irish way?
As always, the secret is in the language, the words, the poetry and of course the music. Adding a piece of jewelry with Irish messaging or a saying will of course top it all off and add an extra layer of romance!
Mo ghrá thu means “You are My Love,” and this phrase is the most direct Irish translation for “I love you”.
“Mo stór”, translates as “My treasure,” and is often also used to mean “my darling.” These words were used in the much celebrated Irish folk song A Stór Mo Chroí (Treasure of My Heart). This romantic air was written by Brian O’Higgins (1882 – 1963) when Irish emigration was at its highest levels and it soon became an emigration anthem and has truly stood the test of time.
“Anam Cara” means “soul friend” or “soulmate” and there are some beautiful pieces of jewelry at
Rings from Ireland with these words inscribed on them. Made famous in 1997 by the Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donoghue, anam is Gaelic for ‘soul’, and cara is Gaelic for ‘friend’. It comes from the Celtic belief that souls can be connected spiritually creating a strong bond. Anam cara can be used to describe a friendship and a love between family, friends and partners.
“Grá, dílseacht, cairdeas” is the Irish translation of the Claddagh’s motto of Love, Loyalty and Friendship. If you’re gifting a ring, these are represented in the design of the ring itself with the heart representing love, the crown signifying loyalty and the hands symbolizing friendship. These symbolic meanings make it easy to understand why the Claddagh is still such a popular and appropriate choice for a Saint Valentine’s Day present!
Music is always the key to the heart and some of the most romantic and scene setting tunes in recent times have been coming from Irish singer / songwriter Dermot Kennedy and the extraordinary Conor O Brien of Villagers.
The Irish love poets of Heaney and Joyce are always the most perfect choice when choosing a book as a present and there are many special editions that provide the perfect gift. However there’s one poet that stands out from all others when it comes to romance and that’s WB Yeats and his poem When you are Old is thought to be one of the most romantic ever written!
When you are old
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.