Most weekends, I get up at ungodly hours and go to the local flea market to look for interesting books. I usually arrive at 7:00 a.m. or so when they are still unpacking. The dealers there bid on storage units and end up with all sorts of miscellaneous stock, among which are the books I…

If you're a first time visitor to Ireland next year, you'll probably already have numerous places on your must-see list. However, if you've been before and want to experience something new, then Camden Fort Meagher in County Cork might be for you.

The fort…

If you've studied Gaeilge for any amount of time in the United States than you probably have experienced the problem of expanding beyond the basic vocabulary. However, if you live in Ireland you might have a different experience. For those who want to learn advanced vocab there is a studying method which is always helpful to those…

One Celtic custom that survived the conversion of Ireland to Christianity was divorce. Ancient Irish law, written in the seventh century, and known as Brehon Law, set forth several reasons that divorce could be obtained. In the…

"The Loneliest Boy In The World"

Gearóid Cheaist Ó Catháin with Patricia Ahern (Collins Press, 2014)

Review by Felicity Hayes-McCoy.

At the westernmost end of Ireland’s Dingle peninsula,…

Dear Friend,

The Dublin Dock Workers Preservation Society are a docklands-based history group who believe in digging where we stand. We believe that the history of Dublin Docks and the surrounding communities of East Wall, North Wall, City Quay, Pearse Street and Ringsend are so rich that the stories should be collected and preserved. We also believe in…

This was written in a prison cell by a fellow Irishman, kindred spirit, poet, soldier and a far braver man than I. Bobby Sands, adhering to the ancient Brehon Law of fasting, died while on hunger strike in Long Kesh prison camp for his political beliefs on 5/5/’81.

The Rhythm of Time

There’s an inner thing in every man do you know this thing my friend?

It has withstood the blows of a million years and will do so to the end.

It was born when time did not exist and…

Set your spirit free with the journey of a lifetime.



To witness the drama of Ireland's Causeway Coast and Glens is to walk with the ancient spirits of its deep glens and experience a unique blend of…

At exactly noon on November 18, 1883, American and Canadian railroads begin using four continental time zones to end the confusion of dealing with thousands of local times. The bold move was emblematic of the power shared by the railroad companies.

The need for continental…

Those attending the Irish Cultural Society meeting in the Garden City Library on September 10, 2014 now know how baseball got its term “pinch hitter.”  When John McGraw was asked why he signed the over-the-hill player Mike (Turkey Mike) Donlon to the team, McGraw explained that Turkey Mike was good in a…

Earlier this year Fáilte Ireland has launched a new tourism initiative called the Wild Atlantic Way.  It is geared both for international tourists and the domestic tourist and you may have seen the sign posts – a jagged line representing waves on a blue background which are dotted along the western coast of the country. The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest signposted coastal…

CÉADAOIN -- On Sept. 17, 1860, units of the Irish Battalion of St. Patrick of the Papal army fought a Piedmontese army allied with Garibaldi at Spoleto. Spoleto was a walled city south of Florence with the fortress of Rocca…

Commodore John Barry (1745-1803) a native of County Wexford, Ireland was a Continental Navy hero of the American War for Independence.  Barry’s many victories at sea during the Revolution were important to the morale of the Patriots as well as to the…

Oh! to return to that time, place and space of yesterday's papers. Back when I was young, undaunted and sure of nothing, stronger than an oak, spellbound in innocence. Back when being seventeen was wide-eyed and ‘rarin to go, driven by the magical, heady arrogance of youth. Back to that time of transitional transmissions when the curtain was torn down, rent…

Come meet the cast of "The Last Torch"!  

"The Last Torch" is set in 16th century Ireland, where survivors of a shipwreck from the Spanish Armada have washed ashore,…

On September 11, 2001, I was at work in my newly remodeled office at the State Department.  Following my normal routine, I was at my desk looking at the morning newspaper for any story that might require attention or action on my part for the noon press briefing that…

I haven't seen any Dragons lately,OK....Maybe when I'm over served :)   Since these Majestic creatures have been on vacation, I think that Kings & Queens, should also take a back seat. No one needs to be indentured, especially by the English monarchs.

Being of a Scot decent GGG Grand,  Shepherd's Klan, My Grand…

Like any other language, the goal is to constantly aim for a higher level of written and spoken understanding. The path to this enlightenment can be achieved by taking the next step of predicting what native speaks would say in person, on the radio, or on television.To begin,…