Traditions, folklore, history and more. If it's Irish, it's here. Or will be!

"People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors."
-Edmund Burke

Quotes

Library: Books, Movies, Music

Prints & Photos

Poetry

Jokes

Shop for the best of Irish products from the comfort of your home

We combed the internet to find reliable resources for the most popular Irish products: Aran Isle sweaters, Guinness glasses, Waterford Crystal, genuine blackthorn walking sticks, the flag of the Republic and more. Some of these shops have become friends; others we trust from their reputations and some offer products that are completely unique. We hope you enjoy browsing through what's on offer and we are confident you will find gifts for any occasion or person, all with an Irish flair.


Making a Match in Lisdoonvarna

Matchmaking is one of Ireland's oldest traditions and, for the last couple of hundred years, a good deal of it has taken place in Lisdoonvarna during September and early October.

The name Lisdoonvarna comes from 'Lios Duin Bhearna', which means the lios or enclosure of the fort in the gap. The town developed into a tourist centre as early as the middle of the 18th-century when a top Limerick surgeon discovered the beneficial effects of its mineral waters. People travelled from near and far to bathe in, and drink, the mineral waters. Rich in iron, sulphur and magnesium, the waters gave relief from the symptoms of certain diseases including rheumatism and glandular fever.

Counties of Ireland - Antrim
by Bridget Haggerty

While my father was from Galway and was very prejudiced against Protestants from the North, he didn't allow his political leanings to interfere with his love of certain ballads about northern counties and their breath-taking landscapes. He had a wonderful voice and I loved to hear him sing The Green Glens of Antrim... "Far across yonder blue lies a true fairy land,with the sea rippling over the shingle and sand, where the gay honeysuckle is luring the bee and the green glens of Antrim are calling to me..."

Ireland Genealogy: An Expert's Adventure
by Robert Sullivan

Riobard O'Dwyer on 40 years of sorting out the Sullivans, Sheas and others on the Beara Peninsula

An accordion might seem an unusual tool for a genealogist. But when Riobard O’Dwyer started researching family-trees some 40 years ago, he found that some traditional Irish music could help draw out genealogical information from local elders.



A Step Back in Time: My Trip to the Great Blasket Island
by Erik Falvey

We're in luck. The sun is out and the forecast says there'll be none if little rain for the rest of the day. This is the first full day of our week in Ireland, and we're as happy as a young couple can be on the first day of their honeymoon.






A Taste of Ireland: The Potato
by Bridget Haggerty

Ask anyone to name the one food they most associate with the Emerald Isle, and nine out of ten people will say the potato. Today, Ireland's inhabitants consume more potatoes per capita than any other country in Europe or the United States - more than three hundred pounds a year for each man, woman, and child. What may be surprising to many readers is that the potato didn't exist in Ireland until the end of the 16th century.








Poetry Corner: Louis MacNeice (b. Sep. 12, 1907 - d. Sep. 3, 1963)

Louis MacNeice was born in the month of September and coincidentally, he also died in September. His passing in 1963 was unexpected. It is perhaps also ironic that one of his most important works is Autumn Journal. Too long to reproduce here, it is well worth seeking out as it is still considered one of the most valuable and moving testaments of living through the 1930s.









The Irish Kitchen: Irish Farmhouse Potatoes
Contributed by Hartson Dowd

Irish raw materials are so good, we don’t like to dress them up in fancy sauces that would mask their natural, wholesome taste. And what better way to treat our national vegetable, the potato, than to serve it simply.
There is a long established belief that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced the potato into Ireland in 1588, planting the first crop in his garden in Myrtle Grove, in Youghal, Co. Cork. They soon became a common item in the Irish diet.
The potatoes beloved of the Irish are not the waxy varieties, but the dry ones, whose skins crack towards the end of cooking – referred to as ‘balls of flour’, or ‘smiling spuds.’ Favorite varieties of potato are Home Guard, Aran Banners, Kerr’s Pink, Golden Wonders, and British Queens.

Potatoes were easily grown in Ireland and with only an acre or two of land, a farmer could grow enough potatoes to support his whole family.



Basic Irish - Back to School.
This lesson focuses on words and phrases related to education and which now includes additions and modifications.










Kids' Ireland: Irish children learning through film
Adapted from an article by Apple UK

Teaching through film is helping Ireland’s children learn key skills in communication, teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. The Government’s FÍS film project has proved such a success that all of Ireland’s 3,500 primary schools will soon be using film right across the teaching curriculum.








agus rud eile de - and another thing book & CD
by William Ramoutar

I was never too hot on the ould poetry in school.  I liked some of it, don't get me wrong, but most of it was useless. At least to me.  Well, that was then.  I got Louis de Paor's "agus rud eile de" in my hands last week and I have to tell you, it was like one of those breezes on a summer day, or not even summer, but any day - where the breath of the air invigorates your whole system and wakes you up, from whatever rock you've been living under, or cave you've hibernated to.




Letters
We receive many lovely letters from visitors to our web site and subscribers to our newsletter. As we’re fond of saying, your feedback helps to make all of the time and effort worth while. While we have a Readers Write Page where we post comments from time to time, we’ve decided to also select a Letter - one that, for whatever reason, tickled our fancy.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Haggerty,

I must begin by telling you how much I truly love your website.  I was fortunate to have stumbled across it by accident a few days ago and I have spent most of my time searching and reading through it since my discovery.  There is so much information to absorb.  I wish I was a sponge.
My 14 year-old daughter and I have been teaching ourselves Irish for the past several months.  We aren't doing all that well, but we are certainly enjoying it.  We do have Irish heritage somewhere way down our family tree but not really enough to brag about.  However, I claim it every chance I get. 
We are hoping to visit Ireland one day.  If not, then maybe we'll at least make it to Dublin, Texas since it's only about 6 hours away.  Ha! Ha!
Once again, I love your site.  Thank you for sharing so much with those of us who are truly interested in the Irish culture.
 
God Bless you both. 
Slán anois!

Stephanie Roberson
Deer Park, Texas
Ná glac pioc comhairle gan comhairle ban
Never take advice without a woman's guidance
Old Irish Proverb

ED. NOTE: We asked Stephanie what she would like to see when she visits Ireland. Here's what she said:
"Here is a pic that I found of the Trinity University Library in Dublin.  I love books and am trying to learn to speak Irish and I think it would be awesome to visit this place. Also, the Eagle Island Lighthouse in County Mayo.  The scenery just looks so breathtaking. " 

Photo Credit: Candida Hofer's book "Libraries" which is available on amazon and features gorgeous photographs of the world's most stunningbookshelves!

Live Music from Mayo

A link to the internet service from Midwest Radio out of Mayo. Broadcasting from their state of the art studios; Midwest Irish Radio plays nothing but the best Irish music. No matter where you are in the world, you are never too far from Ireland when you listen in.
Click here for: Irish Midwest radio.



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The September Trivia contest is posted! Well, the fun is finally over and we are back to the salt mines. It is time to go back to school and here's your first quiz. Click here for the Trivia Contest.