I was first brought to a thatched cottage situated near Tuam in County Galway in 1965 at the age of 11. Enchanted with Ireland, over the next 10 years I became increasingly embedded in Irish culture, finding a way to return every summer, working as a waitress at a Galway…

Wild garlic season is just finishing up in Ireland, and as a farewell to Erin's green shore it blossoms profusely in white flowerings throughout the land. Thanks to this wonderful plant I've eaten a lot of beautiful wild garlic pesto and wild garlic soup the last couple of months, as well as going on some lovely walks in the woods! On one…

I'm a musician by trade but have also worked a good bit in documentary film over the last few years. Hy Brasil, as well as being the title of my new album, is an island from Irish mythology. "That shadowy isle" appeared on maps until the 1860's until they realised that it wasn't there at all, as…

It had been about a half hour since 29-year-old Eugene Daly had been startled awake from his bunk on the Titanic by the strange screeching noise. As he came up the stairway and emerged on the 3^rd class well-deck near the bow, what he saw filled his heart with…

Dear John, 

You were a rebel from the beginning and could not have been any other way. You got your survival instincts from your grandparents, who were from County Down, Ireland.

After you were born, during the Second World War in Liverpool England, you lived with your Mother, Julia.…

Invite a seanchaí into your home . . . you will be glad that you did. With Jim Hawkins new CD, My Own Native Land: Stories and Songs of Ireland, that has never been easier. Hawkins’ debut album will carry you across the miles, over the waters and back in time.

When a colleague suggested that I review “My Own…

After more years than I care to count, Kieran has resurfaced. The last time I saw him, it was raining; it was one of those gray Galway days on New Castle Road, and I’d sleuthed Kieran out, after swearing to Adrian I’d never tell who had told me where I…

'The Fenian' is an epic production currently in the making, and we're excited to be able to share our story with you all, on The Wild Geese.

Development work on the upcoming feature film began in April 2014 and we look forward to sharing future updates…

I read a nice article this Sunday in The New York Times Travel Section about a young man’s growing interest in military history and how it influenced his…

The Alt

A unique blend of traditional Irish, Scottish, English & Americana music

Exciting new musical…

My music career began the year I joined Mickey Moran's Country and Oldtime Stars. I was seventeen, had long hair and played electric guitar, one of the solid red axes like Keith Richards had. Good for the image, Mickey said. There were four of us in the 'outfit', as he called it: himself played  a piano accordion, Tats was on the drums, me  on guitar and Tony Flynn covered clarinet, flute, maracas and tambourine. Mickey  did the…

Back in the 1980s I was a music reviewer (under the name Adelle Cooper)  for three local papers in Calgary, Alberta, while also an entertainment booker (first agency to book Motley Crue…

A Life-Long Fascination with Gaeilge

by Crystailín Narayana, for The Irish Gift

Ever since I was a…

(First published on 3/22/12) Irish Music Forever is run by devotees of Irish heritage based in Nottingham, England, including Pat Kehoe. He and his colleagues plainly love Irish songs, music and all aspects of the Irish cultural experience. Like millions of the…

'Copper' Original Soundtrack

Music by Brian…

(First published 2/2/12) Dubliner Brendan MacQuaile’s book and one-man show, both titled …

New York (first published 9/26/10) – Friday, September 24, 2010 was a particularly auspicious day to bear the name Patrick in the grand environs of Chelsea's Church of St. Francis Xavier, despite the fact that it is nearly six months to St. Patrick’s Day.



More than 30 faithful gathered in the…

(All photos by James Higgins)

Fiddler Marie Reilly, 58, clearly has much to be grateful for, not the least of which is a much praised new album, “The Anvil,” her first, created after a 23-year self-imposed pause from playing.  Irish Echo reviewer Dan Neely, for example, called the…

In "Danny Boy: The Legend of the Beloved Irish Melody," Malachy McCourt plays sleuth in tracing the origin of "Danny Boy," the most beloved of all Irish melodies. WGT Consulting Editor Rick Grant says McCourt's book creates a context for the song, albeit leaving its meaning as murky as ever.

Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen…