The heroes of the hour -- witnessing history as it unfolded. 

The Irish Order of the Capuchin Friars came to Ireland in 1615.  It was not until 1690, however, that their first friary was built.  Over time, they moved to Cork where they established the friary house (which…

“Mo Gobnat from Muscraige Mitaine, i.e. a sharp-beaked nun,

Ernaide is the name of the place in which she is.

Or Gobnat of Bairnech in Món Mór in the south of Ireland,

and of the race of Conaire she is; a virgin of Conaire’s race”

Note to the Félire Óengusso, tr. Whitley Stokes, p. 73

I have a new…

How is Valentine’s Day celebrated around…

The shrine of St. Valentine is found at the beautiful Whitefriar Street Church, Dublin, Ireland.

Fr. John Spratt was an Irish Carmelite and a well-known preacher, who worked among the poor in the Liberties in Dublin, Ireland. He…

"Be my valentine" in Irish = “A bheith ar mo vailintín”

14^th February is Valentine’s Day, but how did it all start?

There was more than one, but this is my favourite story about…

It is a frigid-2 degrees morning with glittering sun-gold snow mounds and I am in need of prayer. I’ve been weakened by the flu and the vicissitudes of life. And yet I am hopeful and grateful this day, even if another foot of snow looms ahead. It is St. Brigid’s Day, February 1st. And because freedom to believe and…

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…

"Selma," a new film that just went wide to screens around the US, is an Interesting film, and for me as a student of the American, as well as the Irish, experiences, one well worth the investment to watch. The film narrates…

Na Mná / The Women

Ó am go ham, feicimid sna hAnnála tagairt do mhná céile agus d'iníonacha na cléire oidhreachtúla, mar sna samplaí thíos.

From time to…

Part 2 of 3 of the series ‘We Will Probably Land Christmas Day’: At War in the Atlantic, 1942 

Part 1 of 2, “Getting To Where We Are Going” includes my father's accounts of his first quiet week on the high…

No large operation in World War II surpassed the invasion of North Africa in complexity, daring, risk, or -- as the official U.S. Army Air Forces history concludes -- 'the degree of strategic surprise achieved.'



     -- Author Rick Atkinson,…

Photo by: sugargliding

I have often heard about the Irish Christmas tradition of placing a single lit candle in a window, signifying that in that house there was room and welcome for Mary and…

Yes, believe it or not, I saw the oldest surviving manuscript in Ireland. It’s called the Cathach (meaning the Battle Book) and it was used by the O’Donnell Clan as a protection or talisman when going into battle.

Because of its fragile state, it is rarely shown…

The modern Christmas wreath demonstrates the spirit of the season, but to some it is also a reminder of another spirit – a spirit that demonstrated courage and fortitude dating back to 17th century Ireland, when the Penal Laws forbade the practice of the Catholic religion. Not only…

As mentioned in Part 1, our ecclesiastical families married and had children.…

History, as written, is not always accurate. Revised versions of past events are often presented to support conclusions already reached - political or otherwise. Sadly, many of these revised versions are presented as fact in our school books like the discovery and conquest of…

Are you descended from any of Ireland's hundreds of hereditary ecclesiastical families?  Many of us can point to our warrior and royal ancestors.  But how many of us know about our ecclesiastical ancestors?  

That's right.  Our ecclesiastical…

On Sunday August 6, 1911, readers of the Irish Sunday Independent opened their papers to read about a Dublin-born Irish-American who had been “sailor, tramp, shepherd, truckman, stevedore and tally clerk” before becoming a Buddhist monk in Rangoon, Burma  and working…

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…

This is part four in a series of articles on "Searching for Your Irish Ancestors" written by Ireland-based professional genealogist Nicola Morris of Timeline Genealogy. You can find the other installments of this series…