A friend reminded me of Saint David's Day on March 1st. St. David is the patron saint of Wales. It made me realize how often I shortchange Wales in this blog “of all things Celtic”. I am just not as familiar with this important part of Celtic lands even though I honor it as a stronghold of Celtic legend and tradition. Next year on March 1, I will buy daffodils, make potato leek soup and perhaps bake bara brith, the bread I have come to know through the Great British Bake-Off.
Read MoreI first visited Belfast in 1963. I was 15. The Troubles had begun and the divisions between Protestants and Catholics, particularly in city neighborhoods was intense. As we were shown around Northern Ireland, my cousins would skirt around the neighborhood featured in the movie to avoid danger. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I toured the Falls Road/Shankhill areas. The Peace Wall brought tears to my eyes. The fact that the gate between the neighbors is still closed at 10 pm for curfew left a pit in my stomach. The Peace Accord was such an amazing triumph; yet, the deep wounds of division remain for many.
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