Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
The 2018 autumn equinox is on Saturday, 22nd September for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the sun rises at due east, passes directly above the equator, and sets in due west. This divides the day into two equal halves of light and dark, but due to the way light passes […]
Wexford, with Vinegar Hill and its National 1798 Rebellion Centre, is the star of that particular effort to gain freedom from British rule. The county had many successes in that uprising. Insurgents captured the towns of Enniscorthy, Wexford, and briefly Gorey. The rebellion ended in Wexford in early July, but it had yet to begin […]
The Boyne Valley is home to an amazing site of Neolithic structures decorated with intriguing and distinctive swirls and spirals. It’s a must-see for visitors to Ireland, and the island’s recent drought conditions have revealed that it is even more amazing than previously known. Historian Anthony Murphy, who has written extensively about the area, was […]
Some traits are more common among the Irish. The ability to turn an ordinary event into a great story. Hospitality. The musical talent to sing a ballad so it grabs your heart. Insults so subtle and witty the insulted person needs a few days to discover the slight in the words. And celiac disease, a […]
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and her husband Prince Harry are getting the royal treatment for their visit to Dublin this week. Markle, who arrived wearing a simple but stunning dark green dress from Givenchy, is living every Irish American’s dream. She is being presented with details of her Irish roots and visiting some of […]
Annie Moore entered the history books as the first immigrant to the USA processed at Ellis Island when the center opened on New Year’s Day, 1892. It’s unclear exactly how she came to be first off the boat, but one credible theory is that the ship’s captain called out ‘women and children first’ and other […]
A wedding is a time when we tend to embrace tradition, but what we think of as Irish wedding traditions aren’t the oldest approach to marriage on this island. The Claddagh ring has a very romantic backstory and beautiful symbolism, which make it a lovely choice for an Irish wedding ring. Horseshoes, wedding bells and […]
Ireland had many high kings, but one name has stood out through the centuries. Brian Boru. Who was he, and why has he towered over Ireland’s other high kings in history? Why do we know his name today? Brian Boru’s best documented legacy is his victory at the Battle of Clontarf on April 23rd, 1014 […]
Fáílte Ireland has launched a campaign to highlight a part of Ireland often overlooked by tourists – the midlands. Encompassing counties Cavan, Leitrim, Westmeath, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon and parts of Galway and Tipperary, the new Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands campaign showcases a range of destinations. While many know of the broad, majestic River Shannon and the […]
Mail order DNA kits have become extremely popular, and more people are discovering exactly how genetically Irish they are. For some, that might be the end of the story. But more people will find it is an answer that leads to more questions. Who were those Irish ancestors and where did they come from? Why […]
