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A Piece of The Oul' Sod at $15 a Sprinkling

  • 30-10-2006 4:25pm
    #1
    Gandhi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 976 ✭✭✭


    Two guys are exporting Irish soil to the States (and presumably soon enough to other places) for homesick expats to have sprinkled on their graves.

    http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-10-27T124244Z_01_L26190257_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-IRELAND-DIRT.xml&WTmodLoc=USNewsHome_C2_domesticNews-2

    Well, would you do it? Personally I would not be bothered, though I may feel different when I am in my seventies and getting super-nostalgic. Although at $15 a sprinkling, I might put some on my lawn, and see if it would make my grass grow (my crappy gardening skills have failed).

    From the article:

    The firm has already received an order from an elderly New York businessman, originally from the west of Ireland, for $100,000 worth of dirt.
    "He was in two minds about his final resting place, but now he's decided to be totally immersed in a full grave of Irish soil -- in Manhattan," Burke said.

    One thing not mentioned in this article, but I heard on the radio this morning, <Edit>The article does mention this, I just missed it</Edit> is that Burke has patented a soil filtration method that will allow foreign soil to pass US Dept. of Agriculture import regulations for the first time ever. The USDA regulations would have prevented such a venture up to now. Presumably, this would give him the exclusive ability to bring in soil from other nations with large diasporas, or at least sell the technology to someone else who would.


Comments

  • #2
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    Hah, often see ads similar to these coming up to Christmas in the Sunday newspapers.


  • #3
    Jimoslimos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    Ah no need, have enough dirt ingrained in my clothes from my time in college in the muckiest town in Ireland - Maynoooth!


  • #4
    eiretamicha
    Closed Accounts Posts: 345 ✭✭eiretamicha


    I'm confused...if they're ex-pats (and not just Irish-Americans), why don't they just get buried in Ireland? I mean, it would certainly cost less than $100,000 worth of irish dirt, wouldn't it? :confused:

    Me, personally...I'm getting cremated so maybe I'm missing something here. :p


  • #5
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Many people emigrated from Ireland many decades ago, and have had families and whole lives in different countries. They would be torn between choosing to be buried where they're originally from and were born, or where their family and friends could visit their graves.

    This way, they can have both.

    I think it's a lovely idea! (And wish I'd thought of it...)


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