A trip to the West Cork Literary Festival turns into an unexpected and inspiring look at Bantry Bay and the people who call it home. In the words of Man Booker Prize-winner Anne Enright, “Ireland is a series of stories that have been told to us.” For me, Enright’s words couldn’t have rung truer. My father’s stories of growing up in Country Cork, told to me as a child, had the … [Read more...] about Reading West Cork
County Cork
Reflections in Bere Island
A community of healers gathers for a retreat on the role of spirituality in healing. Bere Island is a small island a mile off the southwest coast of West Cork. Twice as long as it is wide and covering an area of about 20 square miles, it has a population of slightly over 200 people. You can travel to Bere Island by one of two ferries and this in itself is an experience, as the … [Read more...] about Reflections in Bere Island
Liam’s Collins Connection
Though an event in Clonakilty, Co. Cork on Thursday, August 22 was a salute to the tamed Irish patriot Michael Collins, Liam Neeson was the star of the show as hundreds of fans turned out to meet and greet the Co. Antrim-born star. Neeson traveled from New York to attend the ceremony in which a seven-foot high statue of Collins, in full military regalia, was unveiled in the … [Read more...] about Liam’s Collins Connection
The Blue Ribbon
When I was 13 years old, my mother took my siblings and me to Rockaway Beach in New York City for the day. After we romped in the ocean and were sufficiently sunburned, we ended up at a rather run-down Irish tavern that was hosting a singing contest. Since I can carry a tune, my mother made me enter. All the entrants, adults and kids alike, sang well-known Irish songs. I … [Read more...] about The Blue Ribbon