Why it's time to reclaim the last days and figureheads of the old Gaelic world. Stories matter, so here’s a good one. Four hundred and ten years ago this November the last two living Gaelic lords of Ulster arrived in Rome, uncertain of their welcome and feeling physically spent. They were Rory O’Donnell former King of Tír Conaill, now the Earl of Tyrconnell, (with his brother … [Read more...] about Rome, Italy: Retracing the Footsteps of Hugh O’Neill one of the Last Gaelic Kings
Donegal
Photo Album: Kilcar, My Donegal Playground
When we were children, my brother and I spent our summers in southwest Donegal in the village of Kilcar, with my mother’s people. Our parents sent us there so they could build their business in Buncrana, a tourist town 100 miles north. For me the journey southwest was an opportunity to switch one thriving location for another that was wild and a bit mysterious. Harry Percival … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Kilcar, My Donegal Playground
Bringing it All Back Home
Four new festivals, intended to embrace the diaspora, some 70 million, and entice them back to Ireland, were announced in August. The Global Irish Festival Series is part of a partnership effort between the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and its tourism body, Fáilte Ireland. The first in the festival series “I.NY” will kick off in Limerick City on October 7 with a wide … [Read more...] about Bringing it All Back Home
Donegal Crowned World’s Coolest Destination
Co. Donegal claimed the number one spot on National Geographic Traveller’s annual “Cool List” of recommendations for those who love travelling the world. The isolated western county ranked above locations in Greenland, Sudan and Seoul among other “culture capitals, hipster hotspots [and] wild escapes” and was praised for its “undiscovered” aura by the magazine. “There’s an … [Read more...] about Donegal Crowned World’s Coolest Destination
Donegal Island For Sale
For €175,000, a little over $225,000 at the current exchange rate, a 96-acre island in Donegal could be yours. To put that price in perspective, that’s $30 per square foot – 1,230 percent less than Dublin’s reasonably affordable $369 per square foot, and nearly 5,000 percent less than the median price for an apartment (apartment!) in Manhattan ($1,482 per square foot). That … [Read more...] about Donegal Island For Sale