So you’ve already heard about The Gathering. The “year-long, country-wide party”, the “celebration of all things Irish and of celebration itself” and “the best reason there’s ever been to come to Ireland”. You’ve heard golfer Padraig Harrington introduce it, the Celtic Tenors enthuse about it, even Conan O’Brien on how he’s joining the party. You [...]

Wicklow is known as the ‘garden of Ireland’ – famous for blooming heather and gorgeous gardens. But what does it look like in winter? We went to the Powerscourt Estate to find out. The 800-year-old Powerscourt House looks fabulous at any time of year, but winter is very special. Looking at these photographs, you can almost [...]

IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOOOWN…. Do-da-do-do Do-do-do-da-doooo Yes, we’re singing. But it’s what everyone will be singing on 31st December – and I bet you’re humming already. It’s only 48 days until New Year’s Eve, and I think you can tell we’re excited. Let me show you why. In the last couple of years, Dublin has [...]

Like many teenage girls before and after me, I was raised on vampires. In my day it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Christopher Pike’s kick-ass Sita and Anne Rice’s Lestat – including the Tom Cruise celluloid version. Now it’s HBO’s True Blood, Tim Burton/Johnny Depp’s latest make-up bonanza and the pouting Twilight couple. Pop culture [...]

The car is packed, everyone is crazy excited and you’ll soon be on your way to Ireland. But on the way, you have to tearfully tell the dog that he’s not coming on holiday and leave him at the kennels. Or do you? An increasing number of B&Bs, hotels and self-catering holiday homes around Ireland [...]

C’mere and we’ll let you in on something. We’re planning something big. BIG big. Something country-wide, year-long, larger and more ambitious than anything we’ve done before. We’re just trying not to focus on the clean-up. Ladies and gentlemen, let us be the first to invite you to The Gathering. We’re giving you plenty of notice [...]

The Vikings were many things to Ireland: invaders, plunderers and general mayhem-makers. They were also settlers and founders, meaning we have these guys to thank for mooring their boats at places that became some of our finest towns and cities. The Vikings came to Ireland from Scandinavia in the late 8th Century on their famous [...]

Just because Ireland isn’t famed for its scorching summers doesn’t stop us getting in the seasonal mentality. Along with picnics in the park, seaside strolls and slathering on sunscreen, we partake in the holiest of summer rituals: the barbeque. To me, barbeques in Ireland mean friends and family gathering around for some well smoked grub [...]

In nine months and 39,000 nautical miles, the crews of the Volvo Ocean Race will have met gale-force winds, treacherous seas and sleep deprivation. After completing this ‘Everest of Sailing’, we can all agree that they deserve a party. Lucky  that knows just what to do. Ireland’s button-cute bastion of the wild west will welcome the race [...]

This is a story about a mountain range. A real multitasker of a mountain range in fact. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, cluster of magical nooks and crannies,  muse to famous writer, and host of festivals and quirky sports. The are different things to different people. But to everyone, they are beautiful to look at. [...]