Irish Culture
Certificate of Irish Heritage – show your pride in your Irish ancestry
**Giveaway details at the end of this article** What measures 11 inches wide by 14 inches high, is issued by the Government of Ireland and provides recognition to you of your direct ancestral connection to Ireland? Answer: The Certificate of Irish Heritage That’s right folks! For those of you with an Irish ancestor (and I know there are tens of millions of you!) you can now honor them, and show your pride in your Irish ancestry, with one of the beautifully designed Certificates of Irish Heritage. The certificates are available in...
read moreWin a Certificate of Irish Heritage by telling us about your Irish ancestors
I’m delighted to be partnering with the Certificate of Irish Heritage to bring you this wonderful giveaway. One lucky reader will win a gift card entitling them to one Certificate of Irish Heritage (certificate only, no frame). The certificate acts as a unique memento which honors the recipient’s ancestor(s) and symbolizes their connection to Ireland. The certificate would make a beautiful addition to your home and will be a great way to proudly show off your direct links to Ireland. You can read more information about the Certificate, and...
read moreI have 5 free copies of Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion CD to give away
Yet another giveaway! Compliments of Valley Entertainment, and in partnership with The Wild Geese, I have 5 CD copies of Larry Kirwan’s brand new album, Celtic Invasion, to give away. From the album’s liner notes: “Larry Kirwan has been carrying the flag for Celtic rock music since the founding of Black 47 in 1989. The expatriate Irishman lives in New York City where he has been hosting ‘Celtic Crush’ on SiriusXM’s The Spectrum since 2005. Kirwan, also a respected writer, has published three books and writes...
read moreViking and Medieval Dublin – a great starting point to learn more
Viking and Medieval Dublin When I was in Dublin last year, I took what you could almost call a “Viking tour of Dublin” without ever really knowing I was doing it. You see, I was staying straight across from Christ Church Cathedral, in Jury’s Inn, right in the heart of Viking Dublin, so as I took a daily un-mapped stroll around the area, I was catching all the medieval locations and monuments in this history-rich area of the city. I of course spent some time in the Cathedral, a truly magnificent 1000 year old building. I took...
read moreJen and Erin’s Chicken and Cabbage Recipe
Irish recipe competition winner! I was so happy when I received this Chicken and Cabbage recipe from Jennifer Daly last week. It looks like Jennifer and Erin had so much fun making the dish, and it’s opened up a whole new perspective for me, on how creative you can get when cooking. I must admit, as a novice cook myself, having the convenience of a stove-top takes a little bit of the challenge out of cooking. But seeing how they managed their open fire has given me something new to look forward to trying. Jen and Erin recommend the dish...
read moreHomemade Butternut Squash Soup & Brown Irish Soda Bread
This delicious 2 part recipe was sent in by Elizabeth Dunne, of Co. Kilkenny, as part of the recent Irish recipe competition, and received the runner-up prize. Everything about this recipe just screams “delicious home-made Irish cooking” at me! I just love Elizabeth’s version of Irish Soda Bread, and I can’t wait to try the butternut squash soup. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us, Elizabeth. Butternut Squash Soup (Serves 4) Ingredients 1 x Butternet squash 1 x Onion 1 x Stick of Celery 1 x Red...
read moreBacon-Wrapped, Stuffed Pork Sausages
Elizabeth McNally of WeeKitchen.com submitted this recipe as part of the recent Irish recipe competition I ran on the blog. These types of sausages are something I have had on plenty of occasion back home, and I can’t wait to give Elizabeth’s version of the dish a try. I really hope you give them a try too. I’d love to hear what you think. Thank you, Elizabeth, for part-taking in the competition. Yield: 6-8 medium sized stuffed sausages It’s been ten years or more since I was first introduced to “stuffed sausages”...
read moreThe Secret Life of Inishmaan By Sophie Moss
The Secret Life of Inishmaan By Sophie Moss Author of the Seal Island Trilogy “Don’t go to Inishmaan,” a pink-cheeked Irishman warned early Sunday morning outside the ticket booth in Galway. “There’s nothin’ to do there.” Twenty minutes later, bumping over the hillsides of Connemara in a bus, a Dubliner asked, “Why are you goin’ to Inishmaan? “There’s nothin’ there.” Inishmaan is a small island, thirty miles off the west coast of Ireland. It’s the middle island in a strand of three that make up the Aran...
read morePodcasts.ie ~ Bringing voices from Ireland to the world
Press Release Podcasts.ie ~ Bringing voices from Ireland to the world. Lovers of Irish Literature, Music, Culture, Heritage and the Arts might like to know about a podcasting website developed by a Sligo based media company. Podcasts.ie ~ Voices from Ireland, is a website delivering high quality free audio content from Irish writers of poetry, prose and song as well as documentaries, story telling and radio style programmes about our culture, heritage and the arts. Podcasts.ie is the brainchild of Jho Harris and Sinéad McClure of All Points...
read moreKilmacduagh Monastery, County Galway – The Leaning Tower of Kilmacduagh
A very fine example of an Irish Round Tower can be found making up part of Kilmacduagh Monastery near Gort, County Galway. Unlike most other surviving towers, this one has a very noticeable lean, most likely due to it’s shallow foundations.
read moreInterview with Tony Lawless of TradConnect.com
“TradConnect was established in April 2011 as a new social forum for Irish traditional musicians. It brings together musicians from across the globe providing a place where you can talk about and share your music with other like minded musicians.” TradConnect.com can be used as a complete social network to engage with other users, locally and across the globe, and provides a means for musically like-minded people to connect. TradConnect was created by Co. Mayo native Tony Lawless who says “the site is basically about connecting people...
read moreSt. Patrick’s Day Memories
The 17th of March signifies so much for me; obviously being Irish it’s filled with all the razzmatazz of our national holiday. However it wasn’t always such a glitzy affair; long before it was recognised as a the proverbial tourism pot of gold, St. Patrick’s Day was a temperate holy day of obligation. However, I like to think that despite the current big-budget blitz, its essence as our national day is as strong as ever. When I was a kid we viewed St. Patrick’s Day as welcome break in the sweet and sugar drought that is the forty long...
read moreSt. Patrick’s Day Irish Music Suggestions
The biggest day on the Irish calendar is almost upon us. March 17th is celebrated in style all over the world, and is without doubt the day that most Irish people look forward to more than any other. We celebrate it in numerous ways – parties, parades, drinks, decor, costumes etc – but the one thing that is present at almost every St. Patrick’s day celebration, is Irish music. A lot of music is loosely defined as “Irish”, but when you look at the bands and artists who ply their trade in the Irish music genre, a...
read moreVote for Irish Traditional Album of 2012 on Tradconnect.com
If you are interested in voting for Irish Traditional Album of the Year, 2012 then you can do so at the moment on Tradconnect.com For the last couple of weeks they have been asking members to decide between 15 shortlisted albums. Already they have received thousands of votes and voting is due to close shortly. Tradconnect was set up in 2011 with the goal of connecting traditional Irish musicians across the world. Its a great way to find musicians near you for practise and session opportunities and they post regular articles on new...
read moreDrawings of Irish Castles: Blarney Castle, Ross Castle, The Rock of Cashel
A couple of weeks ago, I had the unexpected pleasure of receiving some drawings of Irish castles via Facebook. Stephanie Castor uploaded the pen and ink drawings you see below, of 3 of Ireland’s most famous castles: Blarney Castle, Ross Castle and the Rock of Cashel. Stephanie was very modest about her talent when I asked her about her artwork, but I’m sure you’ll agree, she sure knows how to capture beautiful Irish scenery in a remarkable way. I just love these sketches, and felt they’d be a great addition to the blog....
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