St. Colmcille, also known as St. Columba, was born on this day Dec. 7 in 521 AD in Gartan, modern day County Donegal, Ireland.…

In addition to offering a wide-range of holiday recipes in my new cookbook, Festive Flavors of Ireland, you’ll also enjoy reading about many long-standing, often bygone, Irish holiday traditions at the end of each chapter. Brian Nolan, a Loughrea, County Galway native,…

The beautiful blue water of Aitape Harbor on the northern coast of New Guinea sparkled not far below them as Lieutenant Colonel Tom Lynch and Captain Richard Bong made tight turns to bring their twin-engine P-38 “Lightning” fighters around. They had just made a strafing run on a group of six Japanese barges and left one on fire.…

LUAIN -- In the early morning hours of December 6, 1921, representatives of the Irish government appointed by President Eamon de Valera, and those negotiating for the Crown signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, ending the Irish War of Independence against Great Britain.…

Oliver Cromwell, one of the most reviled characters in Irish history, was an English military and political leader and the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was born in April 1599 and his father was Robert Cromwell. For the first forty years he led a…

Some ‘historians’ ignore facts in order to downsize their presentation. What is most egregious is when the contributions of the Irish are thus ‘written out’ as inconsequential. Take Washington’s Christmas crossing of the Delaware for example. The Irish around Trenton, like Paddy Colvin, who ran a Delaware…

LUAIN -- On November 29, 1895, Denny Lane (left), author and poet, and member of the revolutionary Young Ireland party, died in Cork. Lane was born in Riverstown, near Glanmire in County Cork, in 1818. Denny attended Trinity College, Dublin. While a student…

It’s official: the festive season has begun! Holiday parties, family gatherings, and all manner of get-togethers are already marked on our December calendar, a sure sign that you’ll need a few fresh recipes. Whether you’re a guest looking for a perfect offering…

One of the most negative faults that mankind possesses, in my opinion, is his ability to use another unfortunate to bear the blame for something that he in fact did not do. It is a base failing in the makeup of the human and may actually be the reason for the belief that man is born with the stain of ‘original sin’ on his…

DOMHNAIGH -- In the early morning hours of Nov. 21, 1920, Michael Collins sent out his men to rip the heart out of British intelligence operations in Dublin by killing 11 agents of the so-called Cairo Gang.…

MÁIRT -- On Nov. 16, 1814, Michael Kelly Lawler, general in the Union army during the American Civil War, was born in County Kildare, Ireland. Lawler emigrated to the United States with his family at just 2 years of age. His family moved from New York to Maryland, and finally to Gallatin…

     With two major holidays to celebrate in the next few weeks, a good recipe for a tasty starter is always welcome. This one includes two autumn favorites — tart apples and sweet parsnips. Parsnips have a unique growing season, and where other vegetables thrive in the spring and summer, the peak seasons for this hardy root vegetable are the fall and…

LUAIN  -- On November 8, 1987, in one of the most widely condemned actions of the "Troubles," an IRA bomb killed 11 at the…

On  the 5th. of November 1605 an event took place in the heart of London, that if successful would have forever changed the political and economic future of Ireland, the…

On November 1, 1625 Oliver Plunkett was born at…

by Mike McCormack

Across the racing current of the Shannon river stands many a bridge, but few as notable as the 13-arch bridge that connects the towns of Ballina, Co. Tipperary and Killaloe, Co. Clare. It was built in the early 1800s at a spot on the Shannon near Brian Boru’s ford. The ford was a shallow spot in the river where a man on horseback or a cart could easily wade across the river. It is called Brian Boru’s ford since High King Brian situated his royal palace of Kincora at…

MÁIRT-- On the morning of Nov. 1, 1920, two masses were celebrated at an altar that 18-year-old IRA member Kevin Barry had constructed in his jail cell in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin. Barry was then led out of his cell by British soldiers and hanged.…

In the early evening they would gather in the grove, beneath the sheltering embrace of the sacred white oak tree. The Master had carefully dowsed the area, and had chosen it for the serene beauty and peaceful aura. The salmon-filled, crystal clear waters of the river wound a course through the…

MÁIRT -- On Oct. 26, 1771, John (Juan) MacKenna, who would rise to fame in South America, was born in Clogher, County Tyrone. MacKenna was related to Gen. Alexander O'Reilly, of the Spanish army, and O'Reilly helped MacKenna get established in Spain. In 1787, MacKenna…

The temperatures are still mild in most parts of the United States, but cooler weather will be here before we know it. Cool temperatures also bring hearty pots of soups, many featuring flavors from autumn vegetables like butternut squash, leeks, potatoes and cabbage. When traveling though Ireland…