10 Key Guidelines for Visiting Sacred Sites
No visit to the Emerald Isle is complete without a visit to some of the country's religious sacred sites.
For many tourists, in fact, one...
Barmbrack: A Taste of Irish Halloween
To find the roots of Halloween in Ireland, and the traditional eating of delicious barmbrack bread, we need to travel back to Celtic times...
Samhain and the Legend of Jack O’Lantern
Samhain was a pagan festival dating from Celtic times in Ireland.
It is referenced in some of the country's very earliest literature and has many...
An Samhain: The Celtic Roots of Halloween
Samhain is a Gaelic festival, which marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the...
Whistle While You Work – The Irish Tin Whistle
The Irish tin whistle is one of the instruments most synonymous with Irish traditional Music, and its simple design belies the beauty of the...
Sharon Shannon: Genre-Defying Irish Musician
Sharon Shannon grew up as part of a musical family in Ruan, County Clare.
She is renowned throughout Ireland and far beyond both for her...
The Bodhrán: Heartbeat of Traditional Irish Music
Over recent years, the Bodhrán has changed and evolved faster than any other Irish Traditional Music instrument.
The word 'Bodhrán' derives from the old Gaelic...
Heavenly Instrument: The Irish Flute
An Irish flute is generally a simple instrument crafted from wood.
It has been played across Ireland for decades in Irish Traditional Music ensembles and...
A Little Bit of Heaven: Irish Traditional Music
Irish Traditional Music has evolved slowly and has been passed down from generation to generation largely through the oral tradition, a practice that continues...
So Sweet a Tune – Irish Fiddle History
Irish fiddle history goes back thousands of years to a time and place far from Celtic Ireland.
It is one of the most essential instruments...
