A Wexford castle, Irish accents, and Irish heritage news

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
Johnstown Castle, County Wexford. (See it on a map here.)

Johnstown Castle is a magnificent Gothic Revival castle in County Wexford, surrounded by 170 acres of stunning gardens. Built in the 1830s for the Esmonde family, it now houses the Irish Agricultural Museum. The castle features intricate architectural details, ornamental lakes, and beautifully maintained Victorian gardens. It’s a perfect destination for history buffs and nature lovers! Check out this podcast episode about the castle here. 

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

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FEATURED IRISH SURNAMES – Your Name in an Irish Accent

Did you realise the difference a local Irish accent can make to the spelling of your surname? One of the harder parts of tracing the origins of your surname in Ireland are the different regional variations that it may have. Read more about the Irish accent here  – and see if you can find out how your surname was read with an Irish accent!

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BOOK I’M READING NOW
“The Colony” by Audrey Magee

This book comes as a recommendation from Green Room member, Tom. Here is his glowing review of the book: “[It’s] beautifully lyrical and marvelously lush with light and color befitting an artist colony as the Englishman takes a teenaged boy under his wing encouraging the boy’s own artistic aspirations and desire ultimately to leave the confines of island life behind, insistent that he be called James, not Séamus. Couldn’t recommend this book more highly.” Check out the book on Amazon.

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IRISH WORD OR PROVERB

“Ní thuigim”

Which translates to “I don’t understand.”

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

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IRISH CRAFT/PRODUCT WE LOVE

Want to stay updated on the very latest of all things Irish heritage? You might want to check out Irish Heritage News for the latest information on Irish heritage and ancestry. Their based in West Cork and it’s a very informative site to peruse when you have the time.

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RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

“What runs and can’t walk?“

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!