There are many Irish 'spots' in New York City that intrigue me, but perhaps none more so than St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. The edifice, today a parish church, is at turns historic, memorable, symbolic, poignant,…

A true Irish spot, the small Neo-Gothic Church on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey, in Connemara.

You have to look hard for this special gem on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey in County Galway. Kylemore Abbey, home of the Benedictine Nuns since the 1920’s, is nestled at the base of Duchruach Mountain on…

For generations, the sacred remains of Saint Patrick, the great Apostle of Ireland; Saint Brigid, the renowned Virgin; and Saint Columcille, the illustrious missionary, lay far distant from each other. When St Patrick died at Saul in 493, a question arose over where to bury him.…

As you enter the main gate of the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, continue walking straight in and on the right side perhaps within 100 yards, you will find a monument, the burial place of Almirante Guillermo (Admiral William) Brown, the Irishman who is considered to be the…

Granda had a 'thing' about the church — he was excommunicated during the Irish War of Independence for carrying a gun, and that turned his head. Even though Bishop Harty took him back to the fold afterwards and blessed him and everything, Granda never went back spiritually. He just…

by AOH NY State Historian Mike McCormack

In ancient Rome, February 14^th was a holiday to honor Juno – the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses and the Goddess of…

Not everybody who goes to Whitefriar Street church is Catholic, and not every Catholic who visits is a regular Mass-attender. There are a steady number of people who pass other…

The traditions on the 26th of December in Ireland have not largely carried over to most sectors of the worldwide Irish diaspora.  Known as St. Stephen's Day or Wren Day in Ireland, this is a brief crash course on the traditions of this day for those outside Ireland who are…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Friday, December 20, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was the tradition of the mummers in Ireland.  We were joined by…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday, December 9, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was the fascinating discovery of Newtown Jerpoint in County Kilkenny, where St. Nicholas' remains (as in Santa Claus) are purported to be buried.  The owner of…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Thursday, December 5, 2013.  The focus for the discussion was bygone Christmas traditions in Ireland with Sligo-based author / historian,…

I recently discovered the word "hiraeth" (HEER-eyeth) and the definition explained why I'd been feeling a bit lost these past months.  Do any of you know the word, and perhaps the feelings?

"(n.) a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past."

This isn't just the holiday blues; I've felt like this for months, and this particular year was consistently stress-filled…

The Christmas season in Ireland is a happy combination of modern and ancient customs that combine to bring a unique meaning to this special time of year.  While Christmas shopping, decorated trees, and Santa Claus are evident everywhere, traditional customs that signify the true…

Today (November 22, 2013), the world commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Irish-American president John F. Kennedy.  You may not know that Belfast-born author and theologian, C.S. Lewis, passed on the very same day.  Fifty years after his death, Lewis is even more influential than he was during his lifetime.  His popular "Chronicles of Narnia"…

The following is a transcript taken from the LIVE Community Chat chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday, November 15, 2013 with three of the "leading lights" in contemporary Celtic Art and fellow Wild…

History is written by the winner, which accounts for the revised versions of some events.  Another reason is that some  rewrote history to support a specific agenda, quoting facts out of context, citing only those which support conclusions they’ve already reached and exaggerating,…

Things that have started running through my mind, such as why so many people have started to bash Gabriel Byrne so harshly. Bash him over what his thoughts are over the Catholic Church. Which indeed Mr. Byrne is right about in terms of the fact that, the Catholic Church is as a whole, a corrupted institution no?! The Catholic Church indeed remains a corrupt institution--I mean if one looks at things like "The Tudors," "The Borgias," "Pillars of the Earth," or indeed even the current…

We had a great LIVE community chat with film producer / director, Valerie Lapin Ganley on August 5, 2013.  Valerie was kind enough to offer…

The following is a transcript of the LIVE members' chat hosted here at TheWildGeese.com on Monday with Producer and Director Valerie Lapin Ganley.  Some editing has been applied for clarity.…

During our chat yesterday, Jennifer Willis asked how many Jews are living in Ireland today.  As I mentioned, my numbers were a little dated. The 2002 Irish Census found that there were 1,790 Jewish people living in Ireland then. After our chat, I went to look up the 2011/12 census, I learned that there was no box for Jewish people to check off.  Instead, they had to check "Other" and write in their religion.

The form is found here:…