“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

We recently became involved with one of the biggest charity events in Ireland. The launch was over the weekend. Below is a little info on the event and the press release.

Men, women and children are called on to Walk for Life this October in Aid of the Marie Keating Foundation.

Launched Dublin, 8 September 2014: Television and…

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,…