It is well known that Douglas Hyde (January 17, 1860-July 12, 1949) was the first president of the Irish Republic. What may not be as well known is that he was a fluent speaker of the Irish language, a wonderful poet and an avid collector of Irish folklore. He fiercely objected to the ongoing "Anglicising" of…

O! farmer, strong farmer!

You can spend at the fair

But your face you must turn

To your crops and your care.

And the crowds at the fair,

The herds loosened and blind,

Loud words and dark…

Born in the land of Saints and Scholars, our Irish monastic settlements are a very important part of our Irish heritage.

New in stock, this beautiful '…

Dhia dhuit, all,

Now that all the final editing is done (including one version in which the title town was spelled 'Conakilty'...argg) my novel "The Lockwoods of Clonakilty" is available through Amazon or any bookstore's online ordering.

I'll be working with TheWildGeese.Irish to share some of the content, and…

Irish Volunteer, athlete and poet Pat Keating (pictured) of Comeragh, according to younger sister Lena, "had a simple and homely manner that endeared him to all ... and was a great favourite wherever he went."  

My father, George Lennon, related an incident in which he and Pat

"were walking along a…

The whole day that I spent in Belfast and the evenings on either side really need more than one blog post. That day we went to so many places and I was shown so many things. It was mind-blowing and at times very emotional. Belfast is a lovely place and I was certainly shown a good time.  We started with breakfast, as…

Presentation Arts Centre in Enniscorthy is the most perfect building. An old convent, the conversion to secular building retains the stained glass windows and ornate carved wooden beams arching overhead. When one walks into the hall, it is breath-taking, literally, in its beauty. And, as with all ecclesiastical architecture,…

In 1798, influenced by the American and French revolutions, the Irish people, unable and unwilling to endure oppressive British rule any longer, once again answered the call to arms and rose up in armed defiance. Led by Dublin-born Theobald Wolfe Tone, this event became known as the ‘Rebellion of ’98.’ During this…

No trip to Ireland is complete without a trip to Newgrange, a prehistoric monument in County Meath, located about 1 km north of the River Boyne. As I drove from Belfast, there were places I wanted to stop that…

In 1812, in the first summer of America's 'second War of Independence' with Britain, a valuable survey describing the whole Niagara Frontier was made by Irish immigrant Nicholas…

My father’s mother was named Helen Ford. She was long and lithe, narrow and fluid, and gifted with a full head of wavy hair that turned, in her later years, to a color that by-passed gray completely to shine an enviable white. Her family hailed from Tuam, County Galway, and as I write, I’m glancing up at the…

In the 1940s it was tough being a communist in Ireland. All card carrying members were followed by the Special Branch, tended to be boycotted by the establishment and were refused jobs. Thomas O’Brien had returned from fighting in the International Brigade in Spain against Franco. As a vocal and proud communist, and poet, he was faced with certain unemployment. Perhaps influenced by Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia, he…

Domnail O’Faolain, son of West Waterford Brigade Commanding Officer (O/C) Pax Whelan, noted in a 1966 lecture the difficulty in getting members of Oglaigh na hEireann (I.R.A.) in the Deise area of County Waterford to talk of the War of Independence period:

Situated as they were at the…

There's going to be two San Francisco screenings of "Shalom Ireland," a documentary film about Ireland's remarkable, yet little known Jewish community.

During the Beth Israel Judea screening, we will show a short sneak preview clip from "The Long Ride," a soon-to-be released documentary about the Immigrant Workers…

It seems a good time to assess the evasive Leprechaun and his dyspeptic cousin, the Clurichaun.

Some sources would suggest that the ‘wee folk,” commonly known as the Leprechaun or Clurichaun, have inhabited Ireland since well before the Celts arrived -- around about 500 BC. Other sources suggest that the…

There are many Irish pubs around the globe, but some of them, while they have the trappings -- Irish prints on the walls, an Irish-themed menu and Guinness available -- are missing the most important thing: the warm atmosphere you expect in Ireland. That isn't the case in…

It's almost like looking in the mirror.

High unemployment, mass emigration of the young and problems affecting health and education services are as current today as they were in the first decade of Irish independence, the period that informs the narrative of Ken Loach's newest film, "Jimmy's…

My last night in the homeland was spent at Bunratty Castle, a 15th-century tower house in County Clare, on the Ratty river. Caisleán Bhun Raithe meaning Castle at the Mouth of the Ratty. On the grounds of the castle is a folk park, which is just lovely. I unfortunately was wandering through at closing time so didn't get to…

In France, during the reign of King Henry IV (1589-1610), a series of recurring religious conflicts erupted and grew so violent they became known as the Wars of Religion. The war was between the ruling Catholics and a…