Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
Brigid is a famed mythological goddess of the Celts with not just one key attribute but three distinct ways in which she ruled the ways. Her skills were in healing physical ails, poetry and smithcraft. This would make her the perfect goddess symbol for Shanore, for she would have appreciated the fine metal working that […]
Although Newgrange’s spectacular display at the winter solstice gets all the attention, it isn’t the only astrological event or the only amazing prehistoric cairn in the Boyne Valley. Tuesday, 23rd September was the autumn equinox, the period when the day and night are equally long. Perhaps it gets less attention because we generally dread the […]
Many of Ireland’s most beloved symbols have been used for centuries; some even go back further than recorded history. While various symbols have waxed and waned in popularity over time as fashions come and go, one moment in Irish history stands out as a time when Celtic symbols were embraced and exalted by our leading […]
Brian O’Nolan (aka Flann O’Brien) declared the pint of plain as your only man in his famous verse The Workman’s Friend, which is in his 1939 novel At Swim Two Birds. And the classic pint of Guinness has long been iconic. The Guinness Storehouse at St. James’s Gate on the quays of the River Liffey […]
Ireland is no stranger to classic love stories. The beautiful scenery found in the Republic has hosted many a love tale both in triumph and in tragedy throughout history. Many people flock to Ireland today because of the deep reputation rooted in Ireland’s past of so many souls who have found each other here and […]
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 […]
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