It is the week when Irish descendants everywhere “switch gears” to celebrate the tenth St. Patrick’s Day of the twenty first century. My island of Montserrat with its strong Irish tradition and history and has expanded the commemoration of March 17, 1978 to a week long celebration. Today begins a week long celebration as we observe the efforts of our Irish ancestor’s attempts to gain freedom; that led to the 1768 uprising. Three hundred years on and the spirit of the ancestor’s still lives on and this is echoed throughout the celebration of St. Patrick’s week. “As the wooden shamrock adorns the gable at the Government house many are busy in preparation for the week.” Custom officers are busy stamping the shamrock in many passports. Slave huts are being erected. The national dish goat water is being prepared. Both residents and visitors move to the beats of the bodhran, babla (drums.) The masquerades crack their whips. The mood is cheerful and contagious and we remember our heritage in varied and imaginative ways. Enjoy the video and view the list events scheduled for the week of celebrations.
Goat water is the national dish of Montserrat. We make it all year round but especially at Christmas time. I remember how we made it .
Does anyone remember the tin that those long sausages use to come in? We used this tin as a pot and we called it tin-in. There was always a covered shack it had no walls only posts – that had a few shelves and a table where we would cook.
I can see the tin (tin-in) perched on three rocks outside with the cusha (acacia) wood under each part of the stones. On the side is one of those big pots with its bottom black as the Ace of Spades with some fresh meat from a goat killed a few minutes ago. In the covered area was always a table with thyme (herbs/ubs) seasoning pepper, Season All, onions, cloves, bird pepper (bud pepper), flour and a long iron spoon.
Once the water boils the tin-in, Mama (my maternal grandmother) would throw in the meat with the onion, thyme and salt to boil until the meat is cook. This process would take an hour.
Close by I would smell the bread baking in the rock oven. I would smell the cusha wood burning. It was something about the smell of the burnt wood, the air flow under the tin-in. There was a distinct atmosphere outside; there would always be thin blue smoke and the aroma of the meat cooking appealed to your senses. It made for a mouth watering dish of delicious broth which we called goat water.
I know this is not Christmas and the masquerades are not performing but get me the kettle drum, the sticks, the fife, the whip, the boom pipe, a shack shack (maracas), cart whips and some dancers because I am feeling the spirit and I have the rhythm.
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