Perhaps nothing is more synonymous with Irish than Catholic. The Roman Catholic religion has been a part of Irish history since the first century A.D. , when the Irish saint, Patrick, was purported to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. The Irish also have a place in the history of western rosary beads. Irish monks are believed to have brought the practice of repetitive prayer to Europe, and they may have had prayer beads to keep count of each of the 150 psalms that they said.*
The Celtic Cross also brings Ireland and things Irish to mind. I sell rosary beads hung with Celtic crosses, particularly fitting for those proud of their Irish heritage. The history of the Celtic cross isn't clear and it is filled with legends. One of these, which might in fact carry some truth, is that St. Patrick saw a Druid circle in stone and made the sign of the cross through it. It is certain that Irish Christians made use of Druid symbols in order to make their religion more palatable to their pagan brethren. In any case, no one will see the Celtic cross dangling at the end of a pair of rosary beads, without connecting the owner to Ireland, or perhaps Wales or Scotland because these regions also claim the Celtic cross as part of their heritage.
The Celtic cross comes attached to many different types of rosary beads, including those made with wooden beads. Wooden beads have a special attraction because of their link with nature and with the wooden cross of Jesus. Wooden articles bring to mind comfort and nostalgia-a grandmother's wooden rocking chair, the dining room table, old wooden toys. A friend of mine, who owns a wooden pair, says she can more fully meditate on the mysteries of the rosary as she rolls the wooden beads between her fingers because there is a warmth and earthiness about wooden rosaries that no other material can match. Wooden rosaries hung with a Celtic cross are a favorite choice of rosary, especially by those of Irish, Welsh and Scottish descent. The simple design of the cross coupled with the natural feel of wood in fact make them a good choice for almost anyone.

*John D. Miller, "Beads and Prayers", Burns & Oates, 2001.