We extend our best wishes to all our American Wild Geese on this Independence Day.  The contributions of Irish-Americans in the War Between the States is well documented and much discussed.  Perhaps less so is the impact some of the earliest Irish immigrants had upon the American revolution of the late 18th century.  

Many of these would have been of Scots-Irish…

The sun shone brightly on the second day of my Clare-Connemara-Galway tour.

We got an early start and headed to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, and it turned out to be a treasure trove of history of the best kind—the way…

An Irish language development officer in east Belfast says many people there are upset by an Orange Order claim that Irish is being used for political purposes by…

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I’m about to embark on a grand adventure, and I feel almost like one of my own romance novel heroines!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my Wild West Irish Tour…

We've been quiet on the blog post for some time, but we're back now and looking forward to providing some interesting posts!

Just to recap on the ongoing discount codes to use on www.totallyirishgifts.com, exclusively for members of The Wild Geese. All our gifts are…

On June 23, 1963 the people of Ireland fell in love with a member of “The Wild Geese” who had less than five months to live. If ever an American politician had a style and ease that allowed the people of Ireland to see the “Irish” in him, it was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. By the summer of 1963 he had become the…

Strawberry season is finally here! In fact, the entire month of June is considered to be “strawberry month” and “National Strawberry Shortcake Day” is celebrated June 14. According to Driscoll’s, a California company celebrating over 100 years of growing berries, “The first printed shortcake recipe appeared in an…

We’ve shown out the pros and the cons of dating an Irish man. Choose wisely and consider these points before you agree or disagree to a date with the rare breed that is Irish men.

Want to treat your Irish beau?

Get him an…

In November of 1846, as the war between Mexico and the United States raged, an unusual unit of the Mexican army was formed by General Santa Anna, it was called the San Patricios or St. Patrick's Company. Commanded by John Riley, a deserter from Company K of the 5th U.S. Infantry, who probably gave it the name, it…

Delighted to learn that my book “Out of the Ice: Ireland Then and Now” has been chosen as an "Award Winning Finalist in the History category of the 2018 International Book Awards."…

It was 1948, and as the military half-track drove through the Beit Netofa Valley, at the village of Madna in Galilee, shots rang out. One Israeli soldier was killed and another was hit in the head. A sniper had zeroed in on the men and was picking them off one by one.

Then, one of the half-track’s occupants, a tall,…

I once held the conceit that Maureen O'Hara was my mother. So it came as both a surprise and a delight to come across a picture of the deservedly famous Irish redhead standing alongside my father.

In the photo above, Dad is standing, third from left, next to film star Maureen O'Hara. To Dad's right is a…

It was a little after 2 am on April 15, 1912. The deck of the R.M.S. Titanic was now tilted over 6 degrees toward the sinking bow. As 17-year-old Jack Thayer and 30-year-old Milton Long moved toward one of the last remaining lifeboats on the boat deck, they were moving downhill, toward the…

Tuesday, May 3, 1921 was a beautiful, sunny day in the nearly treeless Partry Mountains above the town of Tourmakeady, County Mayo, but Tom Maguire was in no condition to enjoy the weather. Maguire, the C/O of the South Mayo Flying Column, from Cross, was lying on his back, bleeding from a…

On the Hill of Uisneach, in a portion of land taken from the province of Connaught, a fortress was erected by High King Tuathal Teachthmar. Uisneach, believed to be the geographical center of Ireland, was,…

This original 19th century coffin carrier played a vital role during the Irish Potato Famine (1845 to 1852).

The body of a person who died in the workhouse was placed in a coffin and brought to their final resting place on the coffin carrier.

Some workhouses found a way to cut costs by using a sliding coffin…

Lemon desserts seem to be more delicious on a spring day, but you’ll want to keep this one on a year-round basis to have with a cup of tea. Technically, it fits into the “quick bread” baking category, but the glaze definitely elevates it to a cake. Whatever you call…

Here is an article I wrote on my blog about traditional Irish musical instruments.  I hope you like it.

There are many instruments used today in Traditional Irish Music. Many have evolved over centuries; some are ancient, while some are much…