A Monastic Island, Top 10 Irish Surnames, and an Irish Country Doctor

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
Skellig Islands, County Kerry. (See it on a map here.)

The ruins on this island may look familiar to Star Wars fans – and you would be right! Skellig Michael served as the backdrop of one of the latest Star Wars movies. But more than that, this almost mystical island was once a monastic site founded by Saint Finian around 500 AD and has its fair share of stories to tell amid its rugged landscape. You can read more about it here, or watch this video.

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

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FEATURED IRISH SURNAMES – Top 10 Irish Surnames

When you embark on your journey of tracing your Irish roots, you most likely have a surname to launch your search. Chances are you may even have one of the top 10 Irish surnames somewhere in your tree. See the top 10 Irish surnames here  – and see if you can find your own name among them!

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BOOK I’M READING NOW
“An Irish Country Doctor” by Patrick Taylor

Barry Laverty is a fresh-faced new doctor who lands in the charming village of Ballybucklebo. The book is a tale of small-town shenanigans and a young doctor learning that medical school didn’t teach him everything he needs to know about healing – or life. Check out the book on Amazon.

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IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Is fearr lúbadh ná briseadh“

Which translates to “It’s better to bend than break.”

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

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IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

Birthday Cufflinks Ireland turn little pieces of Irish history – think old sixpence and shilling coins that are no longer in use – into stylish cufflinks and pendants. Need a special birthday or anniversary gift? They can create a piece using a coin from a specified year, like this 1933 Irish threepence pendant – so long as it’s from 1928 to 2014!  Check out their shop here.

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RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

“The longer I live, the shorter I grow, what am I?“

Click here to see the answer.

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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!