Today In History

Officially known in the Celtic calendar as Lughnasa and the first day of Autumn, August 1st marks the celebration of the old Celtic god Lugh. Gaelic tradition holds that Lughnasa was a common time for handfastings, or trial marriages of the time. It is believed that Lugh chose August 1st as the day for a harvest festival as a way of remembering his dead foster-mother. Today, … [Read more...] about August 1

July 25th marks the feast of St. James in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. Dubliners celebrate this day by holding an annual drinking festival, which has been a tradition since the medieval era. Likewise, Irish pilgrims who choose to honor St. James and walk the Santiago de Compostela in Spain, often leave from St. James's Gate in Dublin, where the Guinness … [Read more...] about July 25

American President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle landed in Ireland on the first day of a six-day European tour. He met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and then President Mary McAleese, before visiting relatives in the village of Moneygall, Co. Offaly, form where his great-great-great grandfather Folmouth Kearney left in 1850 at the age of 19. He drank a pint of Guinness, as did … [Read more...] about May 23, 2011

Queen Elizabeth of England visits the Republic of Ireland for the first time. She is the first British monarch to visit in 100 years, and the first since Ireland became a Republic. George V visited in 1911 when the country was still part of the British Empire. The four-day visit went well, despite minor protests. Her Majesty met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, visited the Garden of … [Read more...] about May 17, 2011