Musings, ramblings and thought provoking articles from our team of talented writers - all views expressed are their own!
In August, summer is in full swing in Ireland. The weather is changeable, of course, but most years it is mostly warm and dry. Well, warmer and drier than the rest of the year! We’re past the summer solstice. The days are shorter than in July, but it is still light until after 10 pm. […]
Ireland is full of amazing destinations that are rightly famous around the world for their beauty and charm. The Cliffs of Moher. Blarney Castle. Dublin’s Temple Bar. Newgrange. No visitor is ever short of must-see sights in Ireland. But sometimes you want something different. Sometimes the joy of travelling lies in discovering something that not […]
We don’t get our fair share of sunshine in Ireland. The island is famous for rain, for the endless soft drizzle that gives us our 40 shades of green. So when summer comes and we do get some sun, which isn’t guaranteed even in summer, we tend to celebrate it. This isn’t new. Our ancient […]
If you are not quite certain exactly what color alexandrite is, you aren’t alone. Many of those born in June are Geminis, and this birthstone perfectly suits their dual nature. Its color appears to change in different lights. It ranges from the red end of the color spectrum to the green/ blue end, depending on […]
Does creativity require a bit of solitude? Consider the stereotype of writers toiling away in an attic somewhere. Virginia Woolf said women need a room of our own, and long before man caves men were retreating to workshops to create all sorts of wood crafts. Our Irish ancestors had this figured out. In fact, they […]
A lot of people think that wedding bells are only rung on your wedding day. But an old Irish tradition says otherwise. Ireland has two wedding bell traditions. Church bells are rung, of course. That started because people believed that the sound of bells scared off any evil spirits lurking around. (You’ll have to provide […]
They say talk is cheap, but the written word is another matter entirely. Today, we have predictive text on our mobile devices and universal education and we think nothing of typing out quick comments as we skim social media throughout the day. But our ancestors had a very different relationship with the written word. They […]
Ireland was influenced by Scandinavia long before Ikea built their massive shop in north Dublin. The first wave of Scandinavian invaders were rather different, however. Sure, they brought some interesting fashions and built a lot, but their ventures didn’t pull in bored families with a bit of dosh to spend. The Vikings were a pretty […]
Ireland’s national holiday is upon us. It’s time to go green and break out the shamrock, cheer on parades, listen to trad music and celebrate this little island on the western edge of Europe. It’s St. Patrick’s Day. So who was he and what did he do? Why is Patrick so revered and what does […]
If you haven’t heard it said yet this season, you’ll probably hear it soon. Someone who thinks they’re clever will try to rain on your St. Patrick’s Day parade by saying that Patrick wasn’t Irish. Then, if they really like to stir it up, they’ll add that Patrick was British. It’s a very begrudging attitude […]
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