Lissadell House is a magnificent Georgian home in County Sligo, where the Gore-Booth sisters, Constance and Eva, once passed their childhood summers. Despite her privileged upbringing, Constance played a pivotal role in the Easter Rising of 1916. Yeats, a frequent visitor to Lissadell penned a tribute to these sisters, a poem I vividly remember learning […]
Archives for May 2016
Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael is a craggy island off the coast of Ireland’s County Kerry. Every summer this rocky outcrop in the Atlantic ocean welcomes tourists to climb its steep, jagged steps to explore an ancient monastery built upon its stony ledges. Beehive huts and stone oratories, constructed by monks of olden days, have stood the test […]
The Famine Pot – Irish Historical Documentary on DVD
Last year we explored the history and cultural significance of Irish Famine Pots, the giant cast iron vessels created to cook massive volumes of soup to feed the starving Irish in 1847, the bleakest year of the Great Irish Famine. I’m delighted to report the completion of a new documentary film about the preservation of these cast […]
Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge
Dublin’s iconic Ha’penny Bridge turns 200 years young this week. The bicentenary of the opening of this ornate, metal, pedestrian bridge was celebrated on May 19th, 2016. And so I thought today I might share some photos of this magnificent structure that elegantly spans the River Liffey, connecting the north side and the south side […]
County Laois – The Land Of The Cow
County Laois was once a center of Irish religious and cultural life. The ruins of old medieval stone castles dot the countryside, together with the isolated remains of once great monasteries. Laois is home to meandering country roads, picturesque villages and towns, lonely bog landscapes, red sandstone mountains and lush green pastureland. Image Credit […]
Drombeg Stone Circle
When you think of stone circles, the mammoth monument at Stonehenge in England probably springs to mind. But did you know Ireland is home to many stone circles too? Today, I’m taking you on a photographic tour and a ramble around one such stone circle found near Glandore in County Cork. Drombeg is well worth a visit. […]
Raspberry And Cream Chocolate Roulade
Chocolate cake with absolutely no flour. This delicious chocolate roulade is a gluten free treat, and a favorite dessert in Ireland and the United Kingdom. I know many may think a roulade is just too difficult to make. The thought of rolling a cake without letting it crumble into pieces is enough to make some […]
The Mother by Patrick Pearse
Today, May 3rd 2016, marks one hundred years since Pádraig Pearse (1879-1916) was executed for his part in the Easter Rising of 1916. Today my thoughts turn to his mother, who not only lost Pádraig, but merely one day later lost a second son, Willie. As people all over the United States prepare to celebrate […]
