They are small, aged men that are named Leprechauns meaning that they are shoe makers. they are usually found in intoxicated states. They are also known of protecting a treasure that was left by the Danes when they marauded Ireland. They try to avoid Humans, because if they were caught they would promise great wealth to whomever caught them. They also thing that humans are foolish. They carry to leather pouches, in one there is silver shilling, a magical coin that returns every time it is spend. In the other they carry a gold coin they use to bribe their way out of a situation. This coin usually turned to leaves and ashes one the coin is no longer with the leprechauns. If you ever meet a leprechaun never take your eyes of them...they may vanish in an instant.
Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height is the castle of Blarney with its world-famous Blarney Stone. More than 300,000 people come to kiss the Blarney Stone each year, in the hopes being able to speak better to people. The Barney Castle was contracted in 1446. The history goes back 2 centuries before. There is many rumors where the stone came from, but legend is that the stone was magical and well give make a great eloquent speech.
A limerick is a silly poem with five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical. The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9). The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6).
Limericks often start with the line "There once was a..." or "There was a..."
Example of an 8,8,5,5,8 syllable limerick:
There once was a clover named Kate,
Who sat on the edge of a plate,
The fancy folk dined,
On foods of all kind,
Then tossed her at quarter past eight.
History of the limerick:
Limericks were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous author who wrote the "Book of Nonsense" in the 1800's. This was an entire book of silly limericks.
Limericks aren't Irish (Edward Lear was English) -- but there is a Limerick county in Ireland and they are fun little poems for children to write -- so writing Saint Patrick's day limericks with the class is a fun and educational exercise for children to do. For young children, you can focus on the rhyming and ignore the syllable count.
You don't have to do a Saint Patrick's theme -- you can write limericks with any theme you like!
Examples of limericks:
I've included a couple of Saint Patrick's day limericks I've written and some of the original limericks written by Edward Lear.
Now see if you guys want to write your own!=]
