Boreen is a word used frequently in rural Ireland. It’s a beloved term, conjuring homesickness and nostalgia for many. But have YOU ever wondered what this frequently used little word means? And so, today I thought we might explore, WHAT is a boreen? Origins Of The Word Boreen: The word ‘boreen’ literally means “little […]
7 Avoidable Mistakes When Planning A Trip To Ireland
Planning a vacation to Ireland comes with many challenges and indecisions that tend to overwhelm people. There’s so much to see and do in Ireland despite it being such a small country. Am I doing too little? Is my plan too much? Will I miss the important parts? Today I’m delighted to share some great […]
Irish Famine Burial Pits In Skibbereen
Abbeystrewry Graveyard in Skibbereen is a beautiful, yet poignant memorial to the victims of the Great Irish Famine of 1845 to 1850. Over 9000 men, women and children were laid to rest here, in an unmarked, mass grave. In today’s blog post, we’ll explore the significance of the Irish Famine Memorial in Skibbereen, County Cork. […]
Easter Stories Of Saint Patrick
Did you know there are old Irish stories and legends linking Saint Patrick to the Feast of Easter? After celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in the middle of March we often put our patron saint to the back of our minds for another year. Few realize he has deep and meaningful connections with Easter. And so, […]
Turas Éireann – An Irish Tour Company That Goes The Extra Mile
Turas Éireann, a new Irish tour operator, is offering experienced, driver-guided, luxury tours of Ireland for groups of up to ten people. The good folks at Turas Éireann bring you Ireland at your leisure. The name is pronounced thur-iss eh-ron, and means Irish tours or travels. Dermot, the Irishman behind the company, contacted me to […]
The Many Names For Ireland
Ireland is a country of many names. For such a small island it bears an incredibly wide and varied array of titles, from the Ould Sod to the Emerald Isle, the Land of Saints and Scholars to Inishfail, and from Hibernia to Scotia, to name but a few. Image Credit Yes! Believe it or not, […]
Irish Turf Giveaway
How many Irish childhood’s involved raking up ashes of the previous night’s turf fire? How many of us have inhaled the special earthy herbal aroma of burning sods of turf? And how often did we warm ourselves by the hearth, the very heart of Irish homes in days gone by? Image Credit Irish thatched cottages […]
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 […]
Discover The Book Of Kells Through Trinity College’s Free Online Course
The Book of Kells is one of Ireland’s most famous cultural treasures, and can be found carefully preserved and on display in Trinity College, Dublin. The Book of Kells is the world’s most famous medieval manuscript and dates from the 9th century. It is a richly decorated copy of the four Gospels and portrays the […]
The Rock of Dunamase
The Rock of Dunamase dominates the County Laois countryside. The ruined remains of an ancient castle stand atop a rocky outcrop in the middle of the fertile plains of this midland Irish county. Today’s post is a tour of this old Irish fort. I created a short video to help you feel as if you […]
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