With the approach of the 1916 Irish Easter Rising Centennial, there’s been renewed interest in "Shalom Ireland," a documentary film I made about Ireland’s remarkable, yet little known, Jewish community (www.ShalomIreland.com).  So I picked up my copy of "For the Life of Me," the…

When silence overcomes me

My dreams they seem to fill

Of my dear native happy home

Nigh Comeragh's rugged hills

 -- From a poem by Pat Keating

My wife, Lindy, and I have just completed…

On July 22, 2013 I formed this group to honor my Roscommon heritage.  We now have over 1,500 members worldwide who are focused on researching their Roscommon heritage as well as helping others with  Roscommon research.  There is no charge for our services. If your heritage includes County Roscommon, we would be happy to have…

I ran across a man and his daughter lost in the 19th century history of Buffalo, Dr. John Cronyn (pictured) and Juliana Cronyn. They were extraordinary people by any stretch of the imagination.

John Cronyn was born in Blackrock, a suburb of Cork City, in 1825 and moved with his parents to Toronto. He finished first in his medical…

The Irish custom of “waking the dead” has long been thought off as a purely Irish tradition, and many would argue that this is, indeed, the case. However, if we look at paganism, spiritualism and other religions, it is not too hard to find similarities in their traditions with ‘waking the dead.“ They believe…

"My favourite adventures on the Wild Atlantic Way happened to be in the worst weather." While the sun doesn't always shine in Ireland, you can always have fun on the #WildAtlanticWay. Read Sherry Ott's…

As I watched Ken Loach's newest film, “Jimmy’s Hall,” I was struck by how, as had also been true in “The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” Paul Laverty’s writing and Loach’s directing of that writing is free of pretension.

Loach (pictured, foreground) doesn’t need fantastic sound tracks or the latest and greatest special…

The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century. Unfortunately, their last stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572. From 1438 to 1533, they used a variety of methods that included conquest and peaceful assimilation to incorporate a large portion of western…

Bernardo O'Higgins

LUAIN -- On August 17, 1778,…

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…

The following Q&A with Sixteen Films Director Ken Loach, in two parts, is part of Sixteen Films' Production Notes for its biopic "Jimmy's Hall." The notes, assembled for the produceers by Benji Wilson, were presented to the entertainment industry trade and news media. We are delighted to share these…

Having a famous golf course (voted best in the world and a favourite of Bill Clinton's) would be enough for some towns, but the seaside resort of Ballybunion in Kerry has much more to offer. 16th century castles, seaweed baths and clean, sandy beaches make this a family favourite every year. [Pic via Destination Ballybunion] …

If you don’t defend human rights lawyers, who will defend human rights? --  Rosemary Nelson                                                                                                  

It is all very well to have international laws on human rights,…

Wicklow town has a cute celeb who we discovered on a walk-about in the town during our trip last week - Sammy is a young male seal who has been visiting the south quay of Wicklow town harbour since June 2013. Initially Sammy followed the local fishing boats into the harbour so he could feast on the throw offs from…

A coalition of Irish American groups in New York's Suffolk County have joined in a campaign to raise funds for a memorial to the 1916 Easter Rising.

Members of the local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Emerald Societies of the Suffolk County Police and Fire Departments and the Gerry Tobin…

Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way features fifteen distinct Signature Points, each telling unique stories about this rich landscape, the people and its cultures. Discover these points below. …

Marie Winifred Carney was born into a large family of seven children to Alfred / Sarah Cassidy Carney ; in Bangor, County Down – her parents were estranged for many years. Leo [missing child – a record of birth but no record of…

Lola Montez

Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl… so far, so true (and with thanks to Barry Manilow), but this particular Lola  also happened to be one of Europe’s most beautiful and talked-about women, who married several times and who…

Jane [Jennie] Wyse-Power nee O'Toole was born in Baltinglass, County Wicklow, in 1856 to Edward And Mary O’Toole [nee Norton]. Her father owned his own business and before she was two years of age her father had sold his business and moved the family to Dublin. Some sources say she attended attended Warrenmount National School or the Loreto Day School Dublin.

Pictured, 'Liberty Girls,' with Wyse-Power in the…