Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
A generation ago, archaeologists discovered a complex of structures in a figure eight shape in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The complex series of buildings dates back to the Iron Age, and researchers determined that a timber structure there was built around the year 95 BC. The find was breath-taking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Experts heralded Fort […]
Does your dad wear his love of Ireland on his sleeve? He isn’t the first. From pre-Christian times to now, Irish men have had their own fashion sense. Archaeologists have identified jewelry and adornments for men dating back from the time of the ancient Celts. Once upon a time, men were the ones who wore […]
William Butler Yeats, who was born on June 13, 1865, is one of Ireland’s most celebrated poets. His poems are woven into our collective Irish psyche. Some of his works referenced his unrequited love for Maud Gonne, widely seen as his muse, and Ireland was a popular topic for him. His fascination with the supernatural […]
The Irish are known for being gregarious people, friendly and welcoming. We’re known as story tellers, and of course stories need an audience. Even in an impersonal modern world, this is a close-knit society made of communities, where neighbors have known each other for generations. The draw of the local pub isn’t the pints, but […]
We tend to throw the word ‘hallmark’ around – saying this or that is the hallmark of a good restaurant, business, student, leader, etc. But do you know the real significance of a hallmark and what it means for your Irish jewelry? A jewelry hallmark is no arbitrary, subjective claim. It’s a solid, objective, official […]
Ireland’s second patron saint, Brigid of Kildare, was known, loved and sometimes probably feared for her shrewd negotiating skills and her willingness to go head to head with male leaders. Her feast day is February 1st, but that isn’t the only day this month that we think of her. She left us another special day, […]
Lughnasa was not actually that big a part of the play and subsequent film Dancing at Lughnasa. The story was so captivating, it’s easy to focus on that and forget all about the name. But Lughnasa was once a fairly important event in Ireland. It was the Celtic harvest festival, and it was named for […]
Centuries ago, the Vikings left their mark on Ireland. Dublin and Waterford particularly can boast of fascinating evidence of the influence of the Vikings who arrived in the 8th century. They began as invaders, but as fierce as they were, even the Vikings could not withstand the charm of the Irish. So they settled in […]
The bogs play a remarkable role in Irish life. For generations, Irish people have cut turf from the bogs to burn as fuel. Visitors arriving to parts of Ireland in winter notice the rich, distinctive smell, and Irish people living overseas long for the smell of the home fires. Bogs have also preserved and eventually […]
Somewhere along the way, Beltaine became conflated with May Day in Ireland. People began celebrating on the first day of May with festivities our ancestors would have considered quite tame. It is also the first day of summer, although the weather rarely cooperates with that. The word ‘beltaine’ is used for the month of May, […]
