In today’s post we’ll unravel the history of Irish tweed, traditional woolen fabric woven in County Donegal. The skillful weavers of Donegal have been producing tweed for centuries using local wool and natural dyes to create distinctive caps, suits and vests. Today I’m delighted to introduce you to the history and traditions behind tweed in […]
Cnoc na dTobar Pilgrim’s Path in County Kerry
Cnoc na dTobar, a mountain on the Ring of Kerry is one of Ireland’s ancient sacred sites. To this very day pilgrims travel to this mountain to visit the holy well at its base, and to climb its slopes in contemplation. Barb, a reader from Boston, recently returned from Ireland and on her trip she […]
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, […]
Why Celebrating New Year In January Is A Relatively New Custom In Ireland
Did you know that marking the beginning of each new year on January 1st is a relatively new custom in Ireland? Believe it or not, this practice is less than 300 years old. Until recent years New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations were very subdued in Ireland. The Irish national folklore archive does […]
A Candle In The Window – An Irish Christmas Tradition
Lighting a candle in the window is a Christmas Eve memory I cherish from my Irish childhood. Every Christmas Eve we placed a single red candle in the window. My mother always told me we were lighting the way for Mary and Joseph on their way to find the stable in Bethlehem. Our family candle […]
Recent Reader Comments