“High up on dangerous cliffs, out on lonely rocks, Irish lighthouses were built to last and most have stood for well over 150 years.” John Eagle is an artist, photographer and author of two books on Ireland’s lighthouses. We asked him to share his six favourite lighthouses – most notably along the West Coast where [...]

We asked green-fingered writer Fionnuala Fallon, author of The Urban Farmer for the Irish Times and proud horticulturalist, what the ‘must-see’ gardens on the island of Ireland were. Needless to say, it wasn’t an easy task. This is what she said: “Could you write just a few hundred words on gardens in Ireland?, I was [...]

Photographer and author Kevin Dwyer has produced three books of aerial photography of Ireland and is based in County Cork. Here he describes the waiting and celebrating experiences that comes with being an aerial photographer in Ireland, and how he captured the stunning image that became the cover of his latest book. In 2007, I [...]

This year journalism student Julie Basque left her home in Oregon to spend a summer as an intern in Dublin, with some dashes of travelling around the rest of Ireland as well. Here’s her story of a memorable and not-at-all-as-wet-as-she-expected summer: “Hello, what are you doing here in Ireland?” the poised and reserved man in [...]

If you saw a camera crew in Ireland 20 years ago they were probably a news crew recording our football fans during Italia ’90, or making another U2 documentary. These days however, you can hardly walk through Dublin’s streets without tripping over film maker’s cables, bumping into booms, and running into, well, runners. Famous faces from the [...]

Travel writer Paul Clements has long been inspired by the Burren. An area of limestone in County Clare, the Burren fosters a profusion of rare flowers and plants, underwater streams, caves and megalithic tombs, and is famous for its natural beauty. Here, Paul tries to explain his personal attachment to the place and how it [...]

Looking for a place to rest your feet and feast your eyes on the sights and sounds of Dublin’s fair city? Award-winning photographer Dave G Kelly shows us his favourite benches for people-watching, view-soaking and cuddling around the capital    King’s Inn No, your eyes are not deceiving you; this really is a tree slowly [...]

Writer and photographer Adrian Hendroff never ceases to be inspired by Ireland’s landscape. A qualified Mountain Leader, he offers advice on hill-walking and mountaineering around Ireland, and gives us a sneak preview of all his favourite peaks   Ireland’s landscape is varied and distinctive. Beyond the low-lying plains of the midlands are untrodden high places [...]

Ever been to a play where the actor’s last line is delivered, lights dimmed, curtain lowered and the audience erupts…in riots? Welcome to Dublin, and its amazingly chequered theatrical past and present, says Julie Basque. Okay, don’t fret, you didn’t miss the morning paper! The whole riot thing happened back in 1926 when Sean O’Casey’s [...]

Sean Grant – half of the comedy duo behind the Coasters film – reveals the trials of being professionally funny on an island of comedians. “So you’re a comedy writer are you? And what makes you so funny?” Now I’m used to awkward questions  such as, “How did you get this number?” and “Were you [...]