“Although we all have tongues, we are surprisingly bad at knowing precisely what they're doing or conveying that to others,” says UC Santa Cruz professor of linguistics Jaye Padgett.

Tongue motion, it turns out, is crucial to the documentation of endangered…

If you are an Irish movie buff, you are certainly familiar with the films of celebrated Dublin-born director Jim Sheridan.  If you have a bowl of popcorn and a night-in planned, you may find this list of Sheridan films helpful.  I have seen all of his early work, and I am now…

In 804, monks from St. Colmcille’s of Iona, Scotland founded a monastery in the town of Kells, County Meath. There, the Book of Kells was completed in the 9th century. The monastery is also known for its round tower and high crosses.

The town of Kells in County Meath boasts ecclesiastical significance, as it was the site of a monastery founded in the 9th century…

Geneticists at Trinity College, Dublin have recently discovered that the Irish gene pool is the least diluted in all of Europe if not indeed, the world. They have also discovered that the Irish traveling people (tinkers) are purely…

Linkedin Long-Form Post #1 of the Sherlock/JFK Series.

Sherlock Arrives to Investigate JFK's…

A pilgrimage in the 1950s from Belfast to Knock (County Mayo) as a boyhood memory

Today I went to one of Ireland’s holy places of pilgrimage -- the holy shrine of Knock, where it is said that in 1879 our Holy Mother Mary appeared to 15 people on the…

John and Paddy Kennedy in 1969

This coming week will see the anniversary of the passing of John Kelly, a man of stature, honesty, and principle who as a young man was a Republican at a time when it was not popular. There were  people who would…

Michael Corcoran left his imprint on his Legion, which continued to carry his name after his death in December 1863.

DOMHNAIGH -- On Sept. 21, 1827, Michael…

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…