A journey through the native Irish-speaking areas of Ireland Fáilte go hEireann. These are the words of welcome that Irish people have greeted visitors with for centuries. They may well be the words that greet you when you visit. If they are, I urge you to take time to grasp their deeper meaning. Venture beyond the tourist hotspots and gain an insight into an older Ireland … [Read more...] about Fáilte go hÉireann
Travel Archives
In East Mayo: A Community Where Past Is Prologue
A year-long celebration is underway to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Swinford, a County Mayo town as proud of its heritage as its time-honored strength of community. ℘℘℘ The words were painted high on a whitewashed brick wall, just above a red and green Mayo flag flapping in the wind. MELLETT’S DRINKING EMPORIUM ESTB 1797 “Is it … [Read more...] about In East Mayo: A Community Where Past Is Prologue
Sláinte! The Great October Fair
The Ballinasloe October Fair is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland. While now predominantly associated with horses, in its heyday it served as a market for the sale of cattle and sheep by the farmers of the west to their counterparts in the east of Ireland. An Irish adage advises: Go East for a woman; go West for a horse. When I was a girl I had a … [Read more...] about Sláinte! The Great October Fair
Waterford’s Annual Harvest Festival
The 11th annual Waterford Harvest Festival is set for September 6-8. ℘℘℘ Waterford is expecting over 40,000 attendees to partake in the annual celebration of local food, culture, and heritage. This year there is a special emphasis on sustainability. On opening night, a dinner hosted by nonprofit GIY (Grow It Yourself) will feed 50 lucky diners a zero-waste meal. The dishes will … [Read more...] about Waterford’s Annual Harvest Festival
The Un-Quiet Ghosts of the Carricks
Bones of Irish children were found 170 years after they died on a “coffin ship” en route to Canada in 1847. Vertebra and jaw bones were identified among the remains, believed to be of Irish children fleeing the Great Hunger, that were discovered in 2011 on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, about 500 miles from Montreal, in Canada. Canadian scientists have concluded that the bones that … [Read more...] about The Un-Quiet Ghosts of the Carricks