The whole day that I spent in Belfast and the evenings on either side really need more than one blog post. That day we went to so many places and I was shown so many things. It was mind-blowing and at times very emotional. Belfast is a lovely place and I was certainly shown a good time.  We started with breakfast, as…

Mac, Gaelic for "son", is the most common element of Scottish and Irish surnames. In both countries, Mc is always an abbreviation of Mac.…

    Croick Church is not everyone’s list of places to visit on a trip to Scotland. Edinburgh and Sterling Castles, yes. Loch Ness, definitely. The Isle of Skye if we have time. John O’Groats? Perhaps next time. What church?      

  Croick Church was built in 1827 at a cost of 1,426 pounds sterling. Robert Williamson was the first minister and he performed his duties…

This whole Scottish Independence vote thing has got me worried. I mean if it passes and Alba does become independent, what will the new flag of the “Kingdom of Great Britain” look like?…

Long Island City, N.Y. – How we try, and often fail to communicate, and how we ultimately and triumphantly can bridge that chasm came across as the focus of two extraordinary and allegorical films that screened Saturday night in Queens at New York Irish Center's…

I made an early start from my home in County Clare to catch the ferry boat at Larne which would take me to Scotland. The most direct distance was about 400 km (250 miles) but I took a somewhat longer route to avoid large towns. Better to deal with the rural mileage than the urban traffic congestion. It was before motorways linked main towns. The year was 1993 and…

A Book Review: "Walls – Travels Along The Barricades"

by Marcello Di Cintio

Soft…

Mum told me a story years ago about her godchild's mother and aunt being shot by the British army. Even though I have been digging around in her O'Rourke past, she always refers me to this other side of her family who she reminisces about with such fondness. When mum ran away from home, she went to live with Uncle James who…

Check this link for an interesting odd bit of Irish history ...…

By Joe Gannon…