Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
Do you really know what a leprechaun is? Have you ever seen one? The first time most of us ever heard of leprechauns were most likely when we were children and we were told about rainbows and how legend said that at the end of a rainbow there was a pot of gold. Some of […]
Ireland has a rather high number of saints per capita. Patrick and Brigid share duties as the nation’s patron saints. Brendan is remembered as the navigator. While the list of Irish saints is extensive to say the least, there is one other name visitors are likely to hear. It’s a name shared by many today, […]
The primary religion in the Republic of Ireland is Christianity with more than eighty percent of the populous belonging to this sect. The history of Christianity in Ireland dates back centuries to nearly four-hundred A.D. What is known was that prior to this time there was very little religious conviction in Ireland in large groupings […]
Plenty of European countries have their twisted tales of evil stepmothers, but Ireland’s version is really for the birds. Well, for the swans anyway. With apologies to wrongly maligned stepmothers everywhere, Ireland’s version at least features a wicked stepmother who couldn’t bring herself to actually kill her stepchildren and instead comes up with another plot […]
Ireland’s great abundance of gifted writers has made literature our best known export, and readers around the world can list the biggest names. But we also have those treasured authors who are beloved and respected here, while somehow largely escaping the notice of readers elsewhere. Dermot Healy was one such treasure, and his recent death […]
Paradoxically, the stereotypical Irish-American occupation has long been police officer, but in Ireland, the concept of police came from outside. Once upon a time, Ireland ran quite smoothly and relatively peacefully without a single police officer. Between the time of the Druids and imposition of British Common Law, Ireland followed its own unique system of […]
Images of Ireland tend to show rolling green hillsides dotted with sheep, narrow country roads, colorful pubs and villages and beautiful ruins of castles, towers and monasteries. You don’t see many photos of Irish forests, largely because they mostly destroyed long before the camera was invented. Farming began in Ireland about 6,000 years ago when […]
You might think water wouldn’t be anything special in a country famous for how much it rains, but not all water is equal. Some is potable, some isn’t – and some is holy. Catholic churches worldwide have holy water fonts, but Ireland takes it a step further. We have holy wells. Used not just for […]
Claddagh rings are not the only rings that enchant visitors to Ireland. Sure, they are beautiful and you can buy one to take home. Our other famous rings are less portable, and you’d do well to look but not touch them, as people occasionally learn the hard way. The Irish landscape is dotted with ancient […]
Most tourists visiting Dublin make a point of strolling over this gorgeous iron pedestrian bridge spanning the River Liffey, and many Dubliners cross back and forth over it daily. It is estimated that an average of 30,000 people use the Ha’Penny Bridge every day. The iron arches topped with lamps give a romantic, cozy charm, […]
