North Atlantic Skyline - - Photographs from the west of Ireland (Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Roscommon and even Leitrim)

Orange is not the only colour

In a NIHE Limerick student union presidential election debate some years ago, one of the more prominent candidates opened his speech by opening a bag of carrots (which he had thoughtfully peeled beforehand) and threw them at the crowd, yelling," This is for all the lesbians in the audience". Such juvenile tomfoolery didn't win him many votes, but in the testosterone (and sweat)-filled atmosphere of a college that was ninety-something percent male at the time, it was considered almost Swiftian wit. God knows what they would have made of this.

I only mention the incident because it seems that the humble carrot is not naturally orange. No, it was originally maroon, but a few centuries ago, Dutch breeders managed to breed an orange strain to honour their royal family (of whom we are somewhat familiar with in Ireland). Imagine, all the carrots that Irish people have munched through over the years, and each one a tribute to King Billy and the House of Orange. Mind you, Arthur Guinness and his four sons were founder members of the Orange Order in Dublin (for that's where it all started) and that hasn't put off too many Paddies from slurping their weight in stout as often as possible.

From the ever eclectic Metafilter.

Posted by Monasette at September 24, 2003 10:56 PM | TrackBack