In the ages past, the musician was and still is, a prominent figure in Irish society; whether he be a harpist, a fiddler or a multi-instrumentalist musician like Paddy Moloney, they all took their places in society, including the royal households of the Irish nobility. Centuries ago they called…

Born: March 15th, 1821, County Cork.

Died: March 2nd, 1883, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Emigrated from Ireland to the United States, on a date unknown, and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Served in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War.…

One of the many trees growing near to where we lived on the Creamery Road was an old rowan. It was perfect for climbing and in the summer when in full leaf, I could see for miles from my vantage point in the topmost branches, it was my favorite of all the trees in the area with a big oak next.…

Each year around March 17, the name of St. Patrick appears in every major publication in the civilized world, sometimes with honor and sometimes with scorn due to the conduct of those who celebrate at affairs that bear his name. Many things are written about this holy man; some are true, some misleading,…

DOMHNAIGH -- On March 7, 1921, Limerick Mayor George Clancy was shot and killed in his home. Clancy came from a family with a strong republican tradition. In college, he joined the Gaelic League, forming a branch at University College Dublin and recruiting…

If you love a bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit for breakfast, you’ll love this crumble that puts the fruit on the bottom and the oats on top. A warm fruity crumble is always a welcome dessert, and this one comes with a little kick from crystallized ginger. You’ll find recipes like this in my…

My Tír na nÓg

To Patricia A. McLaughlin from Dan,

her husband, February 14, 2022

Though this poem may…

Softly, gently, "Comrade", he cried

"No longer on earth can I stay

I will never more roam through my own native home

Tipperary so far away"…

Saint Valentine

Born: 226 AD, Terni, Italy

Died: February 14, 269 AD, Rome, Italy

Full name: Valentine of Terni 

Valentine was a Christian priest who had also worked as a doctor and ministered to persecuted Christians and Romans alike. He lived in Italy during the third century AD and served as a priest in Rome. Historians don’t…

On February 7, 1854, America lost one of her greatest adopted sons; his name was Thomas ‘Broken Hand’ Fitzpatrick. Born in 1799 in Killeshandra, County Cavan, into a Catholic family of eight, he had some education which he later showed as a skilled writer. However, at 17 he left home to seek his fortune in…

St. Brigid is the second patron saint of Ireland, whose feast day is her birthday -- the first day of spring, 1^st February (Lá Fhéile Bhride). Brigid is also known as Muire na nGael or "Mary of the Gael," which means Our Lady of the…

In A.D. 406 during a particularly harsh winter, the river Rhine froze over. Across this temporary land bridge poured hordes of Germanic tribes led by the charismatic Aleric, King of the…

'Paddy and Paddy'

Photos courtesy of Independent.ie

Eighty-three years ago, on this date, January 28, 1939, one of the foremost voices in Irish Literature, William Butler Yeats, drew his last breath at the Hôtel Idéal Séjour, in Menton on the French…

Serious tea drinkers and wellness enthusiasts celebrate “National Hot Tea Month” in January. During the month, many extol the virtues of tea drinking for health reasons: Studies show that drinking tea can counteract tiredness and benefit work performance; can support cardiovascular health; and…

The next time you look up at the full moon to make your wish, direct your gaze toward the southeast portion and locate the area known as the Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity). There you will observe the valley where Apollo 17, the last in a series of lunar missions, landed Dec. 10, 1972. Nearby,…

Some ‘historians’ ignore facts in order to downsize their presentation. What is most egregious is when the contributions of the Irish are thus ‘written out’ as inconsequential. Take Washington’s Christmas crossing of the Delaware for example. The Irish around Trenton, like Paddy Colvin, who ran a Delaware…

On this day January 7, 1841, John "Red" Kelly, the father of the infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing two pigs in an effort to feed his starving family. The judge handed down the harsh sentence at the Cashel quarter sessions in County Tipperary. He…

Home to some of the most unique superstitions in the world and a whole host of traditions dating back centuries, the arrival of a new year has always been a time of hope and excitement in Ireland.

Irish New Years Eve traditions in Ireland long ago were important in that they determined the luck of…