The holiday season is almost upon us and the dark nights have taken over. The Irish have a fail-safe solution for winter weather however – we call it chocolate. We sent blogger Jane Casey to a chocolate factory with these instructions: do not come back without the perfect chocolate dessert recipe and a metric ton [...]

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 [...]

Christmas comes but once a year. How is it then that we’re ALWAYS out of gift ideas? On Henrietta Street in Waterford City, you might find what you didn’t even know you were looking for. In the workshop and showroom of the Irish Handmade Glass Company, magic is happening. Glass, crystal, art, is somehow being [...]

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 [...]

We’re taking another tumble down the rabbit hole into Ireland’s rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame. Get ready to meet more of Ireland’s rock gods and the places that shaped them. First stop: East Belfast. Gary Moore A shining light in the world’s rock ‘n’ roll mantle went out last year when legendary axeman Gary [...]

It’s the time of year when talk around the office turns to our favourite festive treats and tipples. Given it’s the season of giving, we decided to share some of the team’s top home-grown recipes with you all. Try them out, tuck in, and bring a little of Ireland to your Christmas table this year! [...]

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 [...]

In a lunchtime hunger pang assault, our minds drifted to food. What would me most like to munch right now. Homemade Irish Fish Pie topped the list. We had to find a recipe. Thankfully, award-winning food blogger Margaret O’Farrell was kind enough to oblige. Fish… there’s no two ways about it, we love fish in [...]

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. [...]