The Irish. We’re the loveable rogues of the world. Sure, we’ve given the world James Joyce, U2, Michael Fassbender and Guinness. Get this, though: our achievements run much deeper than the arts. Here we take a look at Irish people who have quite literally changed the world. We start our journey with a man who [...]

A couple of weeks ago in Galway, I was Indiana Jones without a hat. Arriving early for a book signing, I’d set out on a personal mission. I was armed with a black and white photo of a row of houses and an echo of a voice from my childhood telling me that ‘the old [...]

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 [...]

Writer Felicity Hayes-McCoy loves Dingle enough to live, write and be inspired by the area. From the music of native tongues to the legendary Irish heroes, fascinating museums and white sandy beaches, she shares her perfect day on the Dingle Peninsula. was famously described by National Geographic magazine as “the most beautiful place on earth.” [...]

Novelist and screenwriter Felicity Hayes-McCoy knows all about pretty places in Ireland. In fact, she’s written the book on it (well, a book on her cherished Dingle Peninsula). When we asked Felicity what other of favourite Ireland spots she’d like to write about, she answered the town of . Here’s why: From a visitor’s point [...]

The way our stories tell it, Ireland’s just a land of leprechauns frolicking among four-leafed clovers and fairy mounds, of starry nights filled with púcas and banshees. Well, not quite, but this stuff is not just the preserve of childrens books either. Ireland’s myths, legends and superstitions are the legacy of a rich oral tradition. [...]

Archaeologist Donal Fallon is an Irish version of Indiana Jones. Just without the whip. Oh and the hat. But he is known to wear a leather jacket from time to time and by golly does he know his history and archaeology. We got this pro in to give us the low-down on some of Ireland’s [...]

We may have mentioned to you once or twice that we like a good story here in Ireland. The fact is that we’ve been storytelling for years (thousands to be precise) and the first stories ever told are as popular today as they were around the camp fire all those years ago. Now, you’d think [...]

Countless castles pepper Ireland’s landscape, some so crumbled and barren it’s clear they’ve stood for hundreds of winters, and some so thick with hanging tapestries and the wafting smell of mead, you’d expect to see a King’s carriage in the carpark. Whether ruined or restored, you know those stone walls have seen some exciting things [...]