Recently-published books of Irish and Irish-American interest. ℘℘℘ FICTION A Keeper By: Graham Norton As a friend commented recently, is there anything Graham Norton can’t do? He’s already got the perfect chat show, the reasonably decent wine varieties, and even added best-selling novelist to his array of talents two years ago with Holding. And now, the so-called difficult … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Culture
A Southern Celtic Christmas Concert
The sudden death five years ago of the Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) evoked an unprecedented outpouring of grief around the world. Generally acknowledged as the greatest poet of the age, Seamus (as he was known to everyone) was beloved as much for his down to earth humanity as for the wisdom, honesty and lyrical beauty of his work. A rare interview with Heaney is one … [Read more...] about A Southern Celtic Christmas Concert
An Education in Restoration
Over 70 volunteers took part in a three-day training course in County Clare in August to learn methods of preserving historic ruins. The program – the first of its kind – was hosted by the Irish branch of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Clare County Council, and the Killinaboy Heritage and History Group. The main site of the project was Kilnaboy's An … [Read more...] about An Education in Restoration
The Carrowkeel Cairns
The celebration of summer solstice, when the sun rises before 5 a.m. in the northern hemisphere, marks a sacred tradition in Ireland dating back 5000 years, when the power of the sun is celebrated at the burial places of ancient gods since pre-Christian times. ℘℘℘ Ireland has a number of megalithic monuments. Well-known sites such as the passage tomb called the … [Read more...] about The Carrowkeel Cairns
Discover Your Ancestors on this Interactive Map of Irish Surnames
By Dave Lewis, Editorial Assistant
April 6, 2018
April 6, 2018
Have you ever wondered where your Irish family name is most common or originates from in Ireland? If you’re like most Irish Americans in the weeks following St. Patrick’s Day, the answer is almost certainly yes. And to get the answers, cartographer Kenneth Field and the American Geographical Society have shared an interactive map of Ireland based on the 1890 census that … [Read more...] about Discover Your Ancestors on this Interactive Map of Irish Surnames