Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
It’s not like you can avoid seeing hearts everywhere this week, so you might as well enjoy them! Of course, the famous and widely loved Irish heart design is the Claddagh, named for what was once a tiny fishing village but is now part of Galway city. Even the story of its design is romantic. […]
Across Ireland this week, children are making square crosses of rushes in honor of a saint who, despite starring in a wealth of legends and shattering the glass ceiling before churches had stained glass windows, consistently plays second fiddle to St. Patrick. St. Brigid, the daughter of a Druid priest and a Christian slave, was […]
The dark and dreary days of winter are about to start stretching to longer, brighter days. The winter solstice is on December 21st this year, and in Ireland this has been a very big deal since ancient times. Newgrange is a must-see megalithic site in County Meath, Ireland all year long, but the winter solstice […]
The Celtic cross is one of the most popular symbols in Irish jewelry, beloved for its beautiful design and rich detail as much as for its meaning. The Irish countryside is dotted with Celtic crosses. While they aren’t as numerous as sheep, it would be hard to drive across the country without passing a ruined […]
The end of the year is a time rich in tradition, and traditional music. Christmas carols will soon be playing, and while everyone has their own favorites, hearing classic carols on the Celtic harp is always special and beautiful. For many people, nothing says Christmas like the gentle strains of Silent Night or Away in […]
Knots don’t always get much respect. Think about how we use the word. Don’t get your knickers in a knot. My stomach’s in knots. Not much good about knots in those phrases. But when you are talking about jewelry and design, Ireland wrote the book on knots, and the whole world wants to read it… […]
Have you ever noticed how often the number three features in all things Irish? Yes, we have 40 shades of green and the four ancient provinces of Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connaught are known as the four green fields, but three is much bigger than that. Three pops up again and again and again. The […]
Two hours ago, four hours ago, seven minutes ago—the news is trickling in: Seamus Heaney, dead. He was 74. Every week, we devote writing space to one or more pieces of jewelry, and then to the Irish culture. Another way of saying that, though, is to say we write about Irish culture, every time. From […]
There’s a reason Irish jewelry is so beautiful. Practice does make perfect, and we’ve been at this metalwork business a good few centuries now. Lots of people are curious about their roots, but what about the roots of their Claddagh ring or Triple Spiral pendant? They have some pretty amazing ancestors too, and they are […]
The more astute may have noticed that both the Irish government and a particularly popular purveyor of a brand of stout associated with this island both use a harp as a symbol. It isn’t the same harp, mind you, due to copyright laws, but these aren’t the only examples of the harp as a symbol […]
