Bray, County Wicklow lies on the eastern seaboard of Ireland and is known as the "gateway to the garden of Ireland."  Just twelve miles south of Dublin, it offers a  range of attractions to suit all ages.

The promenade starts at the northern end near the harbour and Martello…

Publisher: Merrion…

This year AVID students -- kids whose family backgrounds do not include a college experience -- invited me, their AP European History teacher, to go on the Northern California college tour, and I was honored. I had never visited Cal until a few years ago, with another…

When I first heard the phrase "boutique hostel," I figured it was a bit of marketing gimmickry at work. I mean, hostels were bottom-of-the-barrel, right? I suspected the word "boutique" was in line to replace "charming" and "lots of character" for describing accommodation that wasn't quite up to par.

Well, this summer I got a taste of modern hosteling,…

From "The Wicklow Mountains High" by Jim McGonigle.

One of the things I'm always on the alert for while driving along the roads of Ireland is any sort of roadside historical marker. The Irish have populated their cities…

We arrived at Dublin Airport to some fairly typical Irish summer weather, i.e. cloudy with off-and-on showers and temperatures of about 18 (about 65 back in the…

Where does the surname Wayne come from? Isaac Wayne was born in County Wicklow, Ireland in 1699 to Captain Anthony Wayne, veteran of the Battle of the Boyne. Isaac married Elizabeth Iddings of Philadelphia and had four children: one of whom was Brigadier General Anthony “Mad” Wayne…

The terms “first cousin once removed” and “second cousin” are often confused. When the term “removed” is used, it indicates that the two people are from different generations.  Second cousins have the same great grandparents but not the same grandparents.…

See what the Emerald Isle has offer on foot. Walk along gigantic cliff faces, sandy dunes and beaches,…