On Easter Monday, April 24 1916 one of the most important events in the long, tortuous history of Ireland took place. The event, so shocking and bold, is still debated and analyzed until this very day.…

There are two routes I can take to my office when I leave the train station to go to work. They both pass a large 18^th century building of Palladian, neoclassical design, which I used to admire as a child, long before I knew of its connection to my own family.

Now, as I pass it by, I…

From the air, in the dark 5:00 morning, Dublin is nothing more than a sheet of lights floating on water, glowing like a Christmas tree. I press my face to the glass, feeling the cold seep onto my forehead. The first time I saw Dublin, the sun was rising over the Irish Sea. The water was glossy and sugary pink, a confection for…

O! farmer, strong farmer!

You can spend at the fair

But your face you must turn

To your crops and your care.

And the crowds at the fair,

The herds loosened and blind,

Loud words and dark…

The Irish, while extremely fond of their horses, tended to walk everywhere, most of them not having the means nor the land to support a horse. Public transport was inefficient, to say the least. The railways had only just arrived in Ireland but were confined to short…

Many ancient brooches have been found in Ireland, but the Tara Brooch is the most impressive and best preserved. Found in 1850, this Celtic designed Tara Brooch dates back to A.D. 700, the Iron Age. If you are ever in Dublin take a visit to the National Museum of Ireland where this brooch is on…

I grew up on Dublin's northside, in Stoneybatter - one of the five ancient roads to Tara. Now, I live in Wicklow, but still feel the draw of my old hometown. Here's why ...

A friendly nod, a bit of wit,

A pint of plain, that's part of it.

Canal bank walks and side-street strolls

In the shadow of Vikings and brave…

Walking tours on the historic campus of Trinity College Dublin are definitely interesting to studious visitors of Dublin.

(Left: Parliament Square, Trinity College from the Graduates Memorial Building - photo by …

Photographer Darren McLoughlin has lived in fair Dublin for 15 years and says walking, and more walking, is how he’s really gotten to know his city.…

Did you know that there is a tunnel running under Parnell Square in Dublin's city centre? Indeed, if the truth be told, there is probably a network of tunnels down there. How do I know?  Well, believe it or not, there’s an entrance to this tunnel under no. 5 Cavendish Row, where Olivier Cornet…

Constance Markievicz was born in 1868 at Buckingham Gate London, the eldest daughter of Sir Henry Gore-Booth, 5^th Baronet and Arctic explorer, and Lady Gore–Booth (nee Hill).  As an Anglo-Irish landlord and philanthropist, her father was not typical of his type…

Women from all walks of life, all over Ireland, were just as interested in Irish Independence as their male counterparts in the Irish Volunteers, The Citizen Army, and Sinn…

Eoin MacNeill was born in County Antrim on May 15, 1869, the second-youngest child in a family that consisted of five boys and three girls.  His father, Archibald MacNeill, was a baker, sailor, and a merchant.  Combining all these skills, he set his family up to live what would be…

Roger David Case (later known as Sir Roger Casement) was born in Doyle’s Cottage, Lawson Terrace, Sandycove, South Dublin. His father was Captain Roger Casement of The Kings Own Regiment of Dragoons. His mother was Anne Jephson (or Jepson) who came from a Dublin Anglican…

The countdown has begun. One year and counting to the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. A pivotal episode in Irish history.  To mark the occasion we have launched our exclusive Limited Edition Gold, Silver and Bronze Easter Rising Centenary commemorative coin Box Set.  Less than one thousand of these lovely box sets will be…

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Éamon de Valera is a man that has enjoyed iconic status in the Irish history books for more reasons than being one of the Leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. He was born in New York in 1882 to a Irish mother and a Spanish father. His mother originated from Bruree, Limerick, and his…

Joseph Mary Plunkett (Seosamh Máire Pluincéid) is one of the least known leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. He is perhaps one of a the few people that Seán Mac Diarmada trusted in…

James Connolly (Séamas Ó Conghaile) is one of the handful of men who share the dubious honour of being placed in the iconic status categories in the Irish history books based on his involvement in the Easter Rising 1916 as well as his role in the Trade Union movement.  He was born in Cowgate 1868 to Irish…