I’m Irish at heart. You can ask anyone who really knows me. When and why I became fascinated with anything having to do with St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland I do not know. It seems that I always have been. It may have something to do with my “I hate winter” mantra that I begin spouting around the first of October – who knows! I am definitely ready to “March into spring” by the time the month gets here. Hubby and Daughter have always indulged (and tolerated) my Irishness.

Approaching March 17, shamrock plants adorn my desk, leprechauns appear in various locations around my house and classroom, buttons sporting “Shake Your Shamrocks,” “Kiss Me I’m Irish,” and “World’s Tallest Leprechaun” become part of my daily wear. I even have a pair of shamrock sunglasses and one of those silly headbands with shamrocks on springs that wibble-wobble when you shake your head. You don’t EVEN want to know about all of the shamrock earrings and other assorted pieces of “green” jewelry that I have obtained over the years. I guess you could say that it all makes up my “pot o’ gold” at the end of the rainbow.

 

For several years one of my teaching partners, Sister Mary Margaret the social studies teacher, and I taught a big unit on Ireland. Our students indulged me as I paraded them through all sorts of Irish-related literature from Patricia Reilly Giff’s Nory Ryan’s Song (read it if you haven’t) to Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels while she taught them all about the country and its customs. The jig replaced the macarena as the favorite dance of the day and, amid much protest, they even learned the Irish Rovers version of Shel Silverstein’s The Unicorn Song. We had better luck with that than “Irish Eyes are Smiling” and “O Danny Boy.” I guess there’s only so much that you can force middle schoolers to endure after all.

It came as a shock for many that St. Patrick’s Day was not a national holiday set aside just for pinching! Tara, one of our student interns, really helped out one year by organizing a St. Patrick’s Day parade. The kids made parade floats on which they had to relate facts about Ireland, (I wouldn’t want you to think we were playing away their school time!), dressed in their green leprechaun hats and other apparel, and cooked! We made Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage, colcannon, scones, champ – stopping at brewing our own stout, of course. It was all prepared in crock pots the day before our big parade and left to cook until serving time the next day. Needless to say, you could smell our Irish feast at least two blocks away the next morning. It was equally divided everyone as to whether we were the most loved or detested teachers that day. Our principal gave us a parade “permit” for a few minutes that afternoon, the kids were assembled, and the parade marshal (Tara in a rolling garbage can) along with our own fully-adorned St. Patrick, led away. It was a thoroughly enjoyable time of chaos (we loved it!).

 

 

 

My corned beef is bought and awaiting the slow cooker. Even though this is an Americanized Irish favorite, it’s still good and easy. I hope you will give it a try.

 

 

 

I usually put mine on before leaving for work at 7 a.m. About 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving, add new potatoes and cabbage wedges. If the brisket is good and tender, remove it before adding the potatoes and cabbage. Cover it with foil and set aside to rest. Or, just leave it in if you prefer. Vary the vegetables to suit your taste. This is definitely a one pot meal with plenty of leftovers at our house.

Sometimes I cook the brisket the day before and just reheat it the next day as the cabbage and potatoes are cooking.
I have a friend who adds a bottle of stout or dark beer instead of the beef stock. She also spreads the brisket with yellow mustard. You might see which you like best.