What Is A Bastible?
Does anyone remember an Irish bastible? My granny could cook the most amazing meals using a cast iron bastible suspended over an open fire. She even cooked bread in a bastible, without the aid of a fancy thermometer or convection fan oven. Yes! My granny baked the most delicious loaves of Irish soda bread, in the simplest oven of all, a bastible pot….. Read more here.
Aran Sweater Giveaway From Standún, Spiddal
Did you know the Aran sweater, a highly recognizable symbol of Ireland, will feature as an iconic fashion design of the twentieth century in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Is Fashion Modern? opens on October 1, 2017 and runs through January 28, 2018, at the Museum of Modern Art, West 53rd Street, New York.To celebrate the inclusion of Ireland’s Aran jumper in this exhibition the good folks at Standún, Spiddal have sponsored a giveaway and are offering an Aran sweater as a prize for one lucky reader to win…. Read more and enter the giveaway here.
Book Giveaway – It’s Not Yet Dark By Simon Fitzmaurice
“It’s Not Yet Dark” is a memoir written by Irish Film Maker Simon Fitzmaurice. A best seller in Ireland, this book was introduced to American readers earlier this month. Diagnosed in 2008 with Lou Gehrigs’ Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 34, Fitzmaurice’s medical team predicted he had 4 years to live. He definitely defied those odds and now shares his journey and determination to live, in this beautifully written memoir…. Read more and enter the giveaway here.
Watch The Rose of Tralee
The Rose of Tralee Festival is in full swing in County Kerry, and good news from RTÉ. You can watch along online with RTÉ Player. Dáithí Ó Sé returns to present the 58th Rose of Tralee live from the dome on the 21st and 22nd of August from 8pm (Irish time) and fans abroad won’t have to miss out as the 2017 Rose of Tralee will be available to watch for FREE, live and on-demand, from anywhere in the world with RTÉ Player… Read more here.
Bog Cotton
Trembling in summer breezes, bog cotton brightens the Irish landscape. These fluffy, feathery blooms are found where their name suggests, bang smack in the middle of Ireland’s beautiful bogs. At first glance visitors may not appreciate the fact the palate of the Irish landscape is made richer by our bogs… Read more and discover why I believe bog cotton is a symbol of Ireland.
Egg Salad Sandwiches Irish Style
Irish salad sandwiches have been made by nearly every Irish house wife over the past five decades. Sometimes called egg and onion sandwiches, or egg and tomato sandwiches, these traingualar sandwiches may or may not include lettuce. I include lettuce in my version, but trust me, there is no right or wrong way to make a salad sandwich. It’s totally up to you whether you like more egg than tomato, or salad cream rather than mayonnaise to mix the filling…. Read more and get the recipe here.
Anne Driscoll’s July Ramblings From Ireland
Time again for an update from Anne Driscoll who shares her keen observations of life in the west of Ireland. She lives in the Irish speaking part of Ireland in County Galway and is even trying to learn the language. Here’s what she’s been up to for June 2017… Read more here.
Barley Cove Beach, West Cork
Barley Cove is one of Ireland’s most spectacular beaches and is found along the Wild Atlantic Way. One of my childhood stomping grounds, I spent many a summer’s day building sandcastles on this stunning strand…. Read more and take a photographic tour here.
Budget Friendly Salmon Fish Cakes
When quick and easy is the order of the day, then salmon fish cakes are perfect for your dinner menu. I’m not talking about complicated cook-from-scratch fish cakes made by first poaching fresh salmon. I’m talking about budget-friendly, tasty fish cakes made with canned or tinned salmon…. Read more and get the complete recipe here.
Never Let The Truth Get In The Way Of A Good Story
“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” is a saying I often heard when I was growing up in Ireland. I automatically assumed it to be an old Irish proverb, but since living in America I learned this quotation is widely attributed to none other than Mark Twain. Do you believe it to be an old Irish proverb?? Or perhaps you accept these witty and wise words were first uttered by the wittiest of all Americans, Mark Twain…. Read more here.
Irish Storyteller Mattie Lennon’s New CD Giveaway
Here we explore the concept of a ‘seanachaí,’ an Irish storyteller. Mattie Lennon from County Wicklow, also known as the Lacken Seanachaí, has graciously sponsored a copy of his new storytelling CD, Truth and Lies, as a prize for one reader to win…. Read more and enter the giveaway here.
Monthly Update From Anne Driscoll
It’s time for our monthly update from Anne Driscoll, an American living in Ireland, who shares her Irish adventures and insights into what it means to be Irish, and to become Irish. And so, without further ado, let me hand you over to Anne…..Read more here.
How to Tour Ireland Your Own Way
Rabbie’s Tours in Ireland appeal to those with the independent traveler’s mindset. They want you to see the best places in a convenient way, but also enjoy the destinations according to your taste and the type of experience you are after. Do you identify with that type of traveler? Today’s blog post explores the choices you have in Ireland….Read more here.
America Bound
To mark Independence Day 2017, I have a very special song to share with you. A reader sent me the lyrics to “America Bound,” a song he wrote to honor the journey his ancestors took from Donegal to America many years ago…. Read more here.
“My Ireland” is a place of love which invokes a deep sense of identity. “Mother Ireland”, as we so lovingly call her, will always influence my state of mind, no matter where I wander.
She instills in me a life-long feeling of connection. “My Ireland” is a collection of stories and memories that have shaped my life.
“Memories, converted into stories,
can become a monument of sorts
to the remembered.”
– Christy Kenneally
“My America” is a place of acceptance, which invokes a deep sense of pride. I have chosen to live in a small state in the heartland of America. In Kentucky, we live outside the limelight, and may not be considered part of “mainstream” America.
Here I present the stories and images of “My America” – Smokey Mountains, natural wonders, and great rural beauty. I have learned we are as integral a part of the ‘Real America’, as our more famous urban neighbors. Welcome to my American Dream.
Slán agus beannacht!
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
