An appreciation by Enda Cullen. Apologies to readers from other counties but my mother used to say that Donegal and Clare people were the friendliest people in Ireland. She has passed on to a better place now and I never found out why she thought that, but like most of her beliefs I have found them to be true. As a family we always went to Donegal on holiday. It could be … [Read more...] about Donegal: The Forgotten County
Tourism
A Sacred Place: Skellig Michael
Photographer and writer Chris Ryan visited the larger of the two Skellig Islands off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, where an early-medieval monastery survives at the edge of the material world. Start at the Dublin offices of Google or Facebook, drive to the southwest tip of Ireland, hop a boat, journey seven miles out to sea, and climb 600 steps clinging to the edge of … [Read more...] about A Sacred Place: Skellig Michael
The Derry Air is Rich With Culture
A bright, brand-new day dawns for Derry/Londonderry, the UK City of Culture 2013. John Hume, Derry’s first Catholic MP, sang the Derry anthem in Oslo when he and David Trimble won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, and it has since become a staple of the White House St. Patrick’s Day gathering each year in Washington, D.C. At a recent concert in Chicago when Phil Coulter played … [Read more...] about The Derry Air is Rich With Culture
Roots: Clan Gatherings
Clans are getting together this year. The following Clan Gatherings are an easy way to experience The Gathering while rooting yourself in a shared clan history. Plus, it’s a great excuse to skip over to Ireland and connect with people around the world who share your name, your mother’s name, or even your mother’s father’s grandmother’s name. To find a comprehensive listing of … [Read more...] about Roots: Clan Gatherings
A “Legenderry” Year in Northern Ireland
“Let it be Legenderry” is the phrase being coined by the Derry-Londonderry 2013 City of Culture initiative, a year-long celebration of the Northern Irish city. There has been a flurry of activity about Derry ever since it won the first-ever UK City of Culture title, for which it competed against 54 cities in the United Kingdom. The result was announced in 2010, and the … [Read more...] about A “Legenderry” Year in Northern Ireland