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 [...]

Traditions are especially cherished at this time of year, and often in parts of the country where the past does not seem so long ago. Author Felicity Hayes-McCoy recalls some of the Christmas rituals being celebrated in her corner of west Kerry. In Ireland in the past, doors were left unlocked on Christmas Eve and [...]

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 [...]

The Vanishing Ireland Project began in 2001 when historian Turtle Bunbury and photographer James Fennell began to extensively tour Ireland in a bid to chronicle a world that seemed to be disappearing rapidly. Eleven years later, the duo have launched three volumes of the best-selling ‘Vanishing Ireland‘ series with a fourth due out in 2013. [...]

Rustle. Sniffle. Trickle. Plop. Slice. Crakle. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… That’s the sound of an winter walk followed by tea and cake and a nap in front of the fire. November is here, boys and girls. Time to kick some leaves, munch on cake and choose your fireside. Hidden Ireland know the score… Clone House, County Wicklow When [...]

So what makes Dublin so unique? It’s the hottest question right now. I’d say; James Joyce, a pint in Neary’s, George’s Street Arcade, and a quiet mid-week afternoon at the National Gallery. Author Roddy Doyle reckons it’s the ‘Why Go Bald’ sign on George’s Street. Deciding what makes an entire city unique is tricky. It’s [...]

The West of Ireland always looks a million dollars. It can’t get any prettier, we thought. There’s no way the West could look sharper, we said. Then we saw Aoife Herriott’s work. When it rains, she captures a rainbow. When mist forms, she heads for the mountains. When lightning strikes a tree, she treats it [...]

You’ve arrived in the walled city of Derry-Londonderry and you don’t know what to do first. Let us take that tricky decision from your shoulders with our 5 Things to do in .   1. Walk the 17th-century walls Have you ever spent hours staring at your walls at home thinking ‘They could be so [...]

In today’s music industry, you could well ask yourself “Where have all the rock stars gone?” We all know they don’t make ‘em like they used to, but it is interesting to see where they make them. Ireland has produced some of the world’s most influential rock stars. We’re talking about Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher [...]

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 [...]