Tobernalt Holy Well

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...
Irish Barmbrack traditionally baked for Halloween - The Irish Place

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...
Precursor to the carved Pumpkin, a Turnip - The Irish Place

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...
Halloween Scene Display - The Irish Place

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...
Cathal Harkin of the Paddy Ryan Band on Tin Whistle

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 with 'The Sharon Shannon Band' at the Doolin Folk Festival 2017 - The Irish Place #doolinfest #theirishplace

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...
Kathy Jordan playing the Bodhrán - The Irish Place

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...
The Flute, a key instrument in Irish Traditional Music - The Irish Place

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 typical Irish Traditional Music session at Cooley's House in Ennistymon, Co. Clare - The Irish Place

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...
Cathal Hayden of the Máirtín O'Connor Trio - The Irish Place #doolinfest

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...