The immigration experience of the Presbyterians in colonial Virginia was an oppressive time for the Scotsmen from Northern Ireland. Subject to the penalties imposed on them by the Established Church of England, their presence in Virginia, especially, in Hanover and Louisa County was tenuous. Formed from New Kent County,…

The genealogy and history of the Presbyterian Church has always been intertwined in Virginia history. Beginning in the 18th century, protestant dissenters were seen unfavorably by the Established Church of England. Presbyterians, Quakers, and Puritans because of their religious beliefs were penalized by the British government socially, politically, and in matters of religion. The Presbyterians, especially, had a traumatic…

If you're reading this, you're probably proud of your Irish Heritage and rightly so. Honoring your family's roots is nothing to laugh at. There are several ways to do this, of course. Varying from studying the Irish language, playing Irish music, listening to Irish music, and other creative…

Whether you’re studying Gaeilge as a native Irish person or as part of the Irish diaspora, the most important aspect to consider is staying motivated. It is true that there're several ways to achieve this goal, however, the best methodology to keep in mind is to maintain your…

Let’s face it, studying any language gets boring after a while even if the language itself is fun. To resolve this problem, we need to examine the nature of language and how to use that to our advantage. The most basic need for language is to communicate ideas, of course, and this…

If you've studied Gaeilge for any amount of time in the United States than you probably have experienced the problem of expanding beyond the basic vocabulary. However, if you live in Ireland you might have a different experience. For those who want to learn advanced vocab there is a studying method which is always helpful to those…

Like any other language, the goal is to constantly aim for a higher level of written and spoken understanding. The path to this enlightenment can be achieved by taking the next step of predicting what native speaks would say in person, on the radio, or on television.To begin,…

Without a doubt, one of the most challenging parts of learning Irish is understanding Irish speakers in person, on TV, or on radio. This can be especially hard for those who live outside of Ireland. However, there is a method of study which can gradually help students over time…

It is often said that learning Irish Gaelic is difficult, and there is some truth to this. However, I’m a strong advocate in the belief that it can be simplified with the proper study methods. 10 years ago I began my exciting journey to learn Irish in a place where there was…