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,…

Known for its famously welcoming and hospitable community, the unspoiled Bere Island lies at the entrance to the spectacular Bantry Bay in Cork. A hive for outdoor activites & fishing enthusiasts, the island maintains a rare easy charm! [Pic via @Raymond Fogarty Photography] …

This weekend hundreds of Galway Hooker boats will gather for racing and celebrations at Cruinníu na mBád Festival in Kinvara, Galway. These boats have been used on the Wild Atlantic Way for over 200 years. …

Framed by magnificent Connemara landscape, this weekend's Gaelforce West event challenges competitors running, cycling and kayaking over 67km. See what other unique Wild Atlantic Way events are happening this month! …

Around every twist and turn of the 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way route, you’ll hear sounds that are unique to this part of the world. It could be a Donegal lilt in a voice, a song you’ve never heard before or the rhythmic drum of a bodhrán. Take a listen to our specially curated Soundcloud playlist in the link…

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…

The instantly recognisable voice of Altan's Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh has brought Ireland's rich traditional music heritage around the world. See how the rugged west coast of the Wild Atlantic Way and its lively trad scene have influenced their music. …

Steeped in mythology and folklore, Tory Island stands roughly 9 miles off the coast of Donegal in the Wild Atlantic Way's north west. Arriving there by boat, you might be lucky enough to be met by the charismatic figure of Patsy Dan Rogers, the locally elected King of the island. …

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…

Josephine Bracken wearing traditional Filipino dress, 1896.

DOMHNAIGH -- On August 9, 1876,…

In the following three-part series, Sixteen Films' screenwriter Paul Laverty writes about the genesis of "Jimmy's Hall." His observations were first published in Sixteen Films' Production Notes, and are reproduced here with permission. Production Photos see here are by …

I've written before about the Lakes of Killarney, the "crown jewels" of Ireland's "Kingdom" of County Kerry. But to complete your royal tour, you have to take one of Ireland's, if not the globe's, most scenic drives, the "Ring of Kerry." …

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…

Recorded in the spellings of August and Augustine, and the more popular Austin and Austen, this is a medieval surname of biblical and Roman origins. Introduced into Europe in the 12th century by the returning Crusaders from the Holy Land, the derivation is from the pre-Christian "Augustus," meaning venerable or sacred. The name was particularly popular on the continent where it was and still is, associated with St. Augustine and the monasteries that he founded in the 7th century, but less so…

Throughout Ireland's lovely and storied countryside, visitors can find magnificent religious sites that are a testament to Ireland's glorious and tragic history. Some of the best known include the Rock of Cashel, St. Kevin's Monastery at Glendalough, and the ancient university of Clonmacnoise.

But in addition to these…

DOMHNAIGH-- In the early morning hours of August 2, 1943, a small American torpedo boat was moving just west of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. In command was a young Irish-American destined to one day be the first Catholic…