A Magnificent Manor House, County Antrim Surnames, and a Green Room Member’s Own Book

Céad míle fáilte, welcome to your Letter from Ireland “Shorts”.  Each Tuesday we’ll bring you a quick-read of some of our favourite and interesting Irish things for this week.

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FAVOURITE PLACES IN IRELAND
Adare Manor, County Limerick. (See it on a map here.)

Imagine spending Christmas time in this magical manor! This amazing place is what they call a “Calendar house” with 365 stained-glass windows, 52 chimneys… and I think you see where this is going. It now exists as one of the most lavish resorts in Europe and hosts events like the Ryder Cup in 2027. Check out what the manor all decorated for Christmas looks like here.

For Letter from Ireland Plus members: Also check out our County Limerick Homelands Feature here for much more.

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FEATURED IRISH SURNAMES – County Antrim Surnames

County Antrim was once the most populated county in all of Ireland. Do you have any roots in this historic county? See our list of County Antrim surnames here  – and see if you can find your own name among them!

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BOOK I’M READING NOW
“Finding Home: An Irish American Story” by Lois Farley Shuford

This week’s read is special, as it was written by a Green Room member, Lois Farley Shuford! “Finding Home: An Irish American Story”, is a part-memoir, part-family history telling of one woman’s journey to uncover the past and story of her Irish great-grandfather. It’s a wonderfully detailed summation of all the ups and downs those of us who are researching our own Irish ancestry experience during our search. Highly recommended! Check out the book on Amazon. 

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IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Nollaig shona dhuit!”

Which translates to “Merry Christmas!” Bitesize Irish has more seasonally appropriate Irish phrases on their site as well.

Click here to listen to how a native Irish speaker would say it.

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IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

Arnua takes amazing Celtic designs you’d find in history books and transforms them into stunning wearable pieces, such as these Ogham pendants you can personalize with your initials. They’re ancient Irish masterpieces reimagined for your own personal jewelry box. Check out their shop here. 

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RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

“Why isn’t your nose twelve inches long?“

Click here to see the answer.

I think this one could easily fit in a Christmas Cracker!

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That’s it for this week. Send us an email with any of your own favourites for inclusion in future emails, or if you’re a plus member leave a comment below.

Slán for now,
Mike & Carina.

*Note: The above article may contain some affiliate links (for example Amazon) which means we get paid a small amount should you choose to purchase, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep the show on the road!